Blog Article Archives

Two Steps Forward for Asian America, One Huge Leap Backwards?

Benj

Whether the developments of the last few weeks indicate that we've made progress in society is debatable.  For one thing, it's great to see an Asian guy getting hired into the top spot of a major sports franchise.  We thought Norm Chow might be that guy, to be the first head coach of a National Football League team, but he hit his ceiling as the offensive coordinator.  We thought Kim Ng might make the jump to General Manager with the LA Dodgers or some other team.  She's moved from team to team, garnering respect in heaping amounts along the way, but she hasn't been able to climb the ladder to the top rung yet.  So it's with a mixture of relief, pride and just a touch of resignation (does it always have to feel like we're climbing a mountain?) that I'm excited to see an Asian American get hired to lead the operations of an NBA team.

Jeremy Lin is a great story as well.  His previous coaches praise his leadership on the floor, tenacity and smarts. I can deal with the latter two near-model-minority attributes, since it's rare to hear praise for an Asian guy in sports revolving around leadership.  Then again, it's rare to hear praise for an Asian guy in sports, generally.

And then K-Town.  I just don't know what to say.  Does this give us more color?  Does this make us less "boring"?  Any publicity is good publicity?  Watching the trailer below is like camping out on the banks of a railbed to watch a train wreck.

Without further ado:

Rich Cho, an Asian American with Burmese roots, was the first Asian American to be hired as a general manager of a major sports team when the Portland Trail Blazers announced that they were hiring him to replace the departed Kevin Pritchard. 

Then the undrafted Jeremy Lin, fresh out of Harvard, became a Summer League sensation when he matched first overall draft pick John Wall.  Throw it down, Asian man!  Lin's efforts earned him a contract with the Golden State Warriors this week, making him the first Asian American in the NBA.

But now comes word that MTV has picked up K-Town, the Asian American answer to the Jersey Shore.  And that can be arguably described as one giant leap backwards - I'll leave that up to you to decide.

"We just give you a knife and ask you to commit harakiri"

Ben

Joseph Cao, the Vietnamese-American Republican Congressman who represents New Orleans, told BP America President Lamar McKay that while "Mr. Stearns asked Mr. McKay to resign, in the Asian culture we do things differently. During the Samurai days, we just give you a knife and ask you to commit harakiri."

Never mind that Cao is Vietnamese and Samurai are obviously Japanese, and never mind that there is no way to define "the Asian culture."  This was a bad-ass move by the Congressman.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Around the world

Ben

China has seen an epidemic of slashing attacks against schoolchildren.  A Maoist terrorist attack on a bus in India killed at least 23 people.  Taiwan's Foxconn factory needs to improve something, because they've seen 9 suicides among their workers.  The fragile cease-fire between North and South Korea looks even more tenuous than ever with the sinking of the Cheonan by a North Korean torpedo.  Dozens of Thai protestors have been killed by the army in Bangkok as political and social unrest threatens the usually peaceful city.

Depending on who you believe, Japan's economy is either totally screwed or showing signs of recovery.  China is either in the middle of an enormous and potentially devastating real estate bubble or it's enjoying a fantastic period of real estate investment, among other things.  The Thai stock exchange was set on fire during the fighting.  Europe just went through its own pre-emptive bailout/stimulus. 

The BP oil spill might be spewing 95,000 barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico a day.  And that volcano in Iceland just keeps on going.

Is it just me or do we need some healing in this world. Or maybe just a cute kitty to take your mind off things.

Glad to see they're playing hardball...

Business Insider

Gus Lubin, take it away:

It looks like there won't be any war in Korea.

After weeks of jingoistic headlines in Korean newspapers and vows of retaliation, South Korean released its planned response in the event that North Korea was behind the torpedoing of the Cheonan.

The government has prepared a wimpy package of sanctions, according to Chosun Ilbo:

A senior government official on Wednesday said the sanctions formulated at the initiative of the Unification Ministry include banning sand imports from the North which were worth some US$70 million to the North in 2008. The imports were banned after the North launched a long-range rocket in April last year but were resumed in October. South Korean firms that have already paid can proceed but no fresh deals can be struck.

Another target may be fisheries products. Of the total W1.06 trillion (US$1=W1,142) worth of worth of imports from the North last year, fisheries products were second with W173 billion or 16.3 percent after textiles (W477 billion or 44.8 percent). A ministry official said, "Fisheries products are sold by companies under the North Korean military or government that specialize in earning dollars, so a ban would deal a blow to the regime."

Perhaps South Korea's response would have been more severe if they could claim international support. However, China turned a cold shoulder to President Lee Myung-bak, and America has been notably silent.

North Korea is too dangerous to take on alone. Now what happens if Kim Jong-il keeps pushing?

Nielsen Launches Sites For Ethnic Audiences

Ben

From Media Daily News (picture courtesy of Nielsen):

"Nielsen (the world’s leading information and measurement company), which has faced charges that it under-counts minority viewers, has extended the campaign that informs African-Americans, Hispanics and Asian-Americans about its data collection processes and diversity efforts. In a series of microsites, Nielsen acknowledges recruiting minorities for its audience panels can be challenging, but says it "takes great pains to ensure we have diverse representation" in information gathering.

Separately, it touts internal efforts to hire a diverse workforce and build a corporate culture that "embodies and supports" multiculturalism."

So Nielsen's goal is to "better educate and inform our ethnic communities of Nielsen's outreach initiatives and services as well as why their opinions and preferences matter." They are also making efforts to hire a diverse workforce.

Is this laudable?  I look at their senior leadership and count 14 white men out of 20 spots. 2 women. 3 Latinos. 1 black man.

I'm torn on this one - thumbs up for effort or thumbs down for execution?  Mine's to the side right now.

A thought on the D word

Ben

D***. To some, it's a breath of cool, fresh air.  To others, it's a politically correct way of saying reverse racism/sexism.  It's a loaded word, a powerfully polarizing word.  It is publicly revered in schools and the professional world, but often castigated and mocked in the safety of private circles. 

It's a tool for some, an obstacle to others.  The concept is noble, but the execution is often as flawed as the humans who create and implement its initiatives.  There are moral questions of justice, power, equality and fairness.  None are simple and all are legitimate.  And we have yet to find convincing arguments that close the case with authority.

Trying to balance historical violations rendered by previous generations that created, and now within, social structures that have caused (and still cause) systemic injustices affecting either several groups of differing colors or hundreds of ethnic/racial groups (depending on your perspective)

with

the concept of personal responsibility (or lack of) for one's ancestors' actions and attitudes within and despite the fact that the previous generations created the system and the spirit of division that is continually perpetuated today in many spheres of influence is only one of the tricky tasks.  And is it even fair to punish the children for the father's wrongdoing?

Inherent in this framework are the assumptions that those who are being "helped" are somehow less qualified. Many point to statistics and facts, GPAs and standardized test scores to prove this point. Others respond by pointing to childhood and socioeconomic disadvantages and the need to balance those out. But maybe we need to find different ways to qualify each other.

Many schools do their part as proponents of diversity by allotting a certain portion, though few will call it a quota, of their incoming classes to specific minority groups, but some groups and individuals receive the proverbial shaft as a direct result of this principle.  Maybe it's progress - or maybe it's actually as debilitating to its recipients as it is beneficial.  Many companies do their part as proponents of diversity by hiring large numbers of women and minorities, but few promote these women and minorities to high-level management positions.  Maybe there's an old boys culture - or maybe it is competition at its cruelest.

I don't know. I think that the answer lies somewhere in the balance of all of these hard questions. Or maybe it doesn't. But I've come to the point where I wonder if diversity has been commoditized. To make an analogy from beyond the fence out in left field, when Christianity was "legalized" by Constantine in 312 AD, it became politically and socially advantageous to be a Christian, some scholars argue.  The argument continues that the practice and spirit of Christianity proceeded to get watered down and corrupted, as people had alternative reasons to join the religion, aside from a passionate belief in its tenets, and Christianity has yet to regain the purity and passion that existed before it was "accepted" and exempted from persecution.

At the least, maybe we need to consider what we want from the diversity movement.  Are we happy with the end goal of seeing people of many colors populating the upper echelons of management or Ivy League schools?  Or do we want a society where people are appreciated for who they are, and how and why they are who they are?  Because, if that's the case, cutting people to the front of the line isn't necessarily the best way to accomplish this. Though it may be the fastest, maybe it only achieves diversity that's actually paper-thin.

If you like Asian culture or cuisine...

Ben

And you're in the NYC area the last weekend of April, check out the LUCKYRICE Festival, New York City's first celebration of Asian cuisines and cultures.  A portion of the proceeds will go to the Asian American Federation.

There's a megastar lineup of chefs, including Jean-Georges, Morimoto, Ripert and Chang, and a variety of events from a night market to cooking demonstrations.

Check out the link for more information.

Two Celebrity Asian Chefs

Ben

Any self-respecting foodie knows who David Chang is.  After descending on the NY food scene with Momofuku Noodle Bar in the trendy East Village, he's gone on to win a James Beard award, expand his Momofuku empire (with the popular Ssam Bar, delectable Milk Bar and the exclusive Ko), write a cookbook (with amazing pictures and impossible recipes) and expand his reach into the bowels of corporate America with Má Pêche in midtown Manhattan.

On the left coast, Roy Choi has been making national headlines with his Korean taco fare served out of a food truck. Recently, he was named one of Food and Wine Magazine's Top Chefs of 2010. Take a look at that picture and tell me your mouth isn't salivating.

All of which is great - I'm happy for both of them and more than glad to consume their fare.  But - and I'll admit that I haven't had the pleasure of heading out to LA to try the Korean taco yet - I've had a lot of Momofuku Ssam, Noodle and Ko, and well... it's creative, it's delicious, but as an Asian, I often feel underwhelmed by too many of his Asian dishes to grade his food as consistently spectacular.  It makes me wonder if broad acclamation for Chang's "novel" creations has some roots in cultural novelty as much as the pleasure on the palate and the same question would apply to the food truck craze through which Choi was discovered.  And if it does, does that lessen their accomplishment? But that's just a thought and I think it's unfortunate that such thoughts even come to mind. But that's the life.

Opening up the floor to You

Ben

You, dear reader, are likely an Asian/Asian American/Asian in America.

What is it that you hope for? 

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s I Have A Dream speech was an epic moment in American history, but it was a widespread, if not common, desire verbally gift-wrapped in elegant passion. Forty-seven years later, we have a black president and have come a long way from the segregated America that King knew.  The Civil Rights movement was momentous for the black and white communities, but Asian Americans have been, in my young lifetime, saying, "Hey, wait - me too." But not too loudly.

Take a moment - what is it that you hope for?

Do you hope for genuine social equality?  Do you hope for political power?  Do you simply hope for acceptance for you, not you-as-an-Asian? Or would you simply be happy with equal economic opportunity, a family with 2.5 kids, minivan and white picket fence? A cliche, but a very satisfactory one.

Or do you think that we're doing just fine?

Let's hear what you have to say.

It was quick.

Benjamite

I did the Census form for my 1st generation parents and then I did my own.  15 minutes, combined.

Do your part.  Despite its problems, the results will shape policies and affect the distribution of funds - some relevant to you. And it will also be interesting to see how long the Census bureau thinks it will take before America no longer has a white majority and our society experiences the inevitable turmoil.

Persistence beats resistance

Benjamite

Before They Were Titans, Moguls and Newsmakers, These People Were...Rejected

From the WSJ article linked above: "Both Warren Buffett and "Today" show host Meredith Vieira say that while being rejected by the school of their dreams was devastating, it launched them on a path to meeting life-changing mentors. Harold Varmus, winner of the Nobel Prize in medicine, says getting rejected twice by Harvard Medical School, where a dean advised him to enlist in the military, was soon forgotten as he plunged into his studies at Columbia University's med school. For other college rejects, from Sun Microsystems co-founder Scott McNealy and entrepreneur Ted Turner to broadcast journalist Tom Brokaw, the turndowns were minor footnotes, just ones they still remember and will talk about."

In short, if you've got the ambition, the talent, and the perseverance, keep chugging along because the setbacks won't define you if you don't let them.  Use them as fuel, keep a positive attitude and glue your eyes open.

In the words of Lee Bollinger, Columbia University President, to "allow other people's assessment of you to determine your own self-assessment is a very big mistake."

Google v. China

Benjamite

On our side of the hemisphere, we might think of it as an unstoppable force meeting immovable object. The far side seems to have a different perception.

Google is 99.9% sure that it's leaving China.  The company wants to stop censoring its search results and the Chinese government has threatened due punishment if it does.  Many reports have noted the contradicting philosophies of the powerful Communist government and the massively successful American company whose core business is facilitating the free flow of information.  Some have delved deeper into the cultural and ideological differences that underlie this standoff and the picture that develops is complex.

This writer talked to several Chinese investors and entrepreneurs and their attitudes seem to indicate that the tech industry isn't overly concerned.  It also doesn't seem like there is or will be a tidal wave of disappointment, fear, or abandonment anxiety sweeping China if Google makes good on its promise to shut down google.cn and leave the country. To describe the situation somewhat simplistically, it seems that Google is a benign but nonintegral aspect of Chinese society, kind of like the uncle that married into your family who you say hello to at reunions and never really speak with.  This seems like a jarring situation for a company that has achieved unique prominence in the Western world, one that is treated like the star quarterback who gets all the girls.  It's fascinating to watch this multinational corporation figure out if staying true to its core principles are worth relinquishing its 30% - and growing - market share in the world's largest - and growing - national market.

What should Google do?

Of Labels & Love & Law

Benjamite

After skillfully maneuvering the girlfriend away from the rom-com aisles at the big box stores for many months, the inevitable finally happened when we stopped by an independent DVD shop in the neighborhood: the pink and white case for Sex and the City: The Movie was displayed on the front shelf right at eye-level as soon as we walked in. I received a primer that evening on labels and love and the glamorous lives of middle-aged girls in New York. Now, I need to figure out how to make as much money as Carrie does writing for a magazine.

Last week, Boston.com ran a feature on Jeannie Suk (pictured), a Guggenheim fellow at Harvard Law School, who is helping Senator Chuck Schumer of New York draft legislation that would give American fashion designers copyright protection.  It's an interesting read that describes the "collaborative" nature of the fashion industry and breaks down the difficulties of writing and enacting any such law.

Potential losers:  Forever 21, the popular Korean-American-owned chain of cheap-chic clothes, is a common target of knock-off complaints and may experience a serious blow to its business if it needs to depend on original designs. Also many a striving young fashionista not yet able to live the SATC lifestyle, but they'll be okay - a quick Google search turns up clothes-rental websites galore. Just like the movie!

The Chinese: in America, hiring Americans, and some savvy entrepreneurs

Benjamite

A traverse across news outlets on the interwebs reveals a growing focus on the world's most populated country as its economic, political and cultural significance expands globally. Below are some links to a couple of slideshows and a video that piqued my interest as they offered little visual snapshots of parts of their past, present and future.

The Museum of Chinese in America - NYT Slideshow: The Museum of Chinese in America in Chinatown, NYC

Reverse Brain Drain - NYT Video: Chinese financial institutions, in a reverse brain drain, are looking to recruit from the ranks of recently laid-off finance sector employees.

Nine Young Chinese Entrepreneurs to Watch - Forbes Slideshow: The world's third-largest economy just keeps on growing, and these wunderkinds aim to take advantage of it.

The Big(ger) Game

Darold

I want to highlight this week’s “On the Move” about Jeremy Lin, a Harvard basketball player. His mere presence on the basketball court is an anomaly as only .4% of Division I players are Asian American. But he’s not just defying the odds, he’s smashing them. Last year he was in the top 10 of the conference for nearly every statistic in the game. He’s slated to set records, and along the way, change racial standards.

There are very few American-born Asian athletes to look up to. Asian Americans who are 2^nd generation and beyond need these role models, visible in the spotlight. Of course Jeremy wasn’t expecting this kind of pressure to be heaped upon his shoulders, but if you want to talk about unexpected pressure go talk to Tiger. Jeremy seems to have accepted the responsibility, hoping that his sacrifice and efforts will help other Asians down the line.

One thing he must maintain is his composure. You can imagine that the number of taunts he receives from opposing players and crowds must be endless and none too tasteful.  Instead of responding in anger however, he follows a long-spoken basketball maxim: “Let your game speak for you.” He takes the racist remarks while on the court and responds by throwing them through the hoop.

Jeremy’s recent fame (3 articles on ESPN.com) arose after dropping a career-high 30 points against an overmatched University of Connecticut team. And for those who did not seen him play, he did it in marvelous fashion: hitting 3-pointers, driving the ball to the basket at will, and even blocking UConn star Jerome Dyson on a fast break play.

So keep your eyes peeled for Jeremy Lin as the NBA draft rolls around. He may not be the next Steve Nash, but will definitely be an impact player both on the court and in the heart of Asian Americans. And for his father, whose smallest wish was to see his son enjoy basketball, the American dream has come true.

Banana: Where Infamous Asian-American Bloggers Unite to Chop It Up

Darold

A quick plug for those of you out in the LA region.

Steve Nguyen and Lac Su, author of the recent "I Love Yous Are for White People," are arranging an event for Asian American bloggers to gather together and have a round-table discussion. Named "Banana," this should be an amazing event and, dare I say, groundbreaking for the Asian American voice. All your favorite bloggers will be there including Hyphen, Minority Militant, the Angry Asian Man, and many many more.

It will be held on Saturday, November 21st on the USC campus. Best part about this is that it is free and open to all races. So if you get the chance, head out, meet some of these "infamous bloggers," and witness what our community is and can become.

Link to the Facebook invite

On the Big Screen (Revisited)

Darold

There comes a time when a writer, no matter how big or small, has to swallow his words. I believe that time has come for me.

Last week, I posted an article about Asians on the big screen, and how we need to lay off them for accepting insignificant or degrading roles. To prove my point, I specifically mentioned Ken Jeong, a rising star in Hollywood with 10 movie/TV appearances this year alone. Something I deemed an admirable effort.

I was even planning to go so far as to write an article about the remarkable life of “Dr. Ken,” but it seems I overlooked some of his roles. Sure, I figured that his humiliating (yet hilarious) role as a gay gangster in The Hangover was offset by his role as the king in Role Models, but I never thought that he (or Asians) would suffer such a disgrace as described in his new movie, The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard. Here is a description of that scene, which is featured in the trailer:

A character played by Jeremy Piven addresses an audience and says: “Don’t get me started on Pearl Harbor—the Japs flying in low and fast. We are Americans and they are the enemy! Never again!”

A man looks at the Asian American character played by Ken Jeong and says, “Let’s get him!” which results in a mob of men beating the Asian man. Piven’s character then says, “All right, stop! We have all just participated in a hate crime. Let’s get our stories straight. Dang came at us with a samurai sword, fire extinguisher and Chinese throwing stars.”

Brilliant comedy right? Well, let’s break this down a bit. Piven starts by throwing out a racial slur (classy) and the joke ends with a mob beating on Ken Jeong, who happens to not be Japanese. While I don’t personally feel the full effects of the word “Jap,” I do believe that it should be held with some regard and not thrown about willy-nilly in an effort to get some cheap laughs. It does remind many of their time in internment camps or when facing other severe racial profiling. Some liken it to the “N-word” for African Americans.

Paramount has responded to the criticism and public outcry by releasing this statement: “The Goods satirizes and exaggerates the extremes of the sales and celebrity culture” and “is in no way meant to be mean-spirited, disparaging or hurtful to any individuals and we regret any offense taken. We understand that when presented out of context, jokes and situations in the movie about a variety of topics might be offensive to some people.”

I say that they released this statement and not an apology because frankly they don’t believe they did anything wrong. They could have also said “We regret the use of internment camps during WWII. In no way did these camps mean to disparage or hurt any of the individuals involved and we regret any offense taken. We understand that the situation might have been offensive to some people.” I understand that I’m exaggerating the wording here, but let me move to a couple stories that require no embellishments.

Let us consider the story of Vincent Chin. For those who don’t know, Vincent was a Chinese American man who was beaten to death in Detroit after being mistakenly identified as Japanese during the height of anti-Japanese sentiment in the early 80’s. The two Caucasian men responsible for his death were left off with a slap on the wrist: no jail time and three years probation for manslaughter… for a hate crime. It took years and the help of the Asian American community for some semblance of justice, and this in civil court.

Over this past weekend a similar hate crime was carried out, this time in Australia. 23-year-old Caucasian male, James Anthony Dean-Willcocks, was drunk while celebrating his birthday when he encountered 67-year-old Magno Alvarado. Witnesses say James called Mr. Alvarado a “Jap” and told him to “F--k off to Japan” while beating him. One witness attempted to stop James who responded simply, “Mate, he is Japanese and he deserves it.” Though rushed to a hospital, Mr. Alvarado died the next day. He was a man of Filipino descent.

After hearing these two stories, scroll up and read the excerpt from The Goods again. If that doesn’t put a fire in your ass, I don’t know what will. This is not the playful use of stereotypes that Hollywood (may have) intended, but a full blown outrage.

So what do we do now? First off, like alcoholics, we need to understand and accept that this is a problem. Then we must take action.

I’m not one to take command or give direction, but if you were upset or offended, start by telling someone. Tell anyone, including your friends, family, neighbors, or household cats. Direct them to the article describing the hate crime in Australia. Then continue to voice your opinions to those responsible: Paramount, Neal Brennan (director), and even Ken Jeong. Write a letter, send an email, tweet, or Facebook message them. Allow them to see for themselves the wrongs they have committed. Let your voice be heard.

Asians on the Big Screen

Darold

Pause for a second. Name the first Asian celebrity that comes to mind.

Who was it? Let me guess… Jackie Chan?

I’m going to assume that I’m correct for over 50% of you. Why was I able to predict this? (Not just because of the large picture of him to the left)

Simply put, there aren’t enough Asian stars to choose from, and I didn’t even limit you to movie stars. Sure you could have mentioned Yao Ming or Ichiro, but what influence (unrelated to fantasy sports) have they had on you? Jackie Chan has been relatively prolific, with his achievements including the Rush Hour series and recent ventures into animation. Few others have seen his success or recognition.

The fact of the matter is that we, Asian Americans (AA’s) need more stars, but we’re cutting them down before they can make it near the top. We do this through our hypersensitivity, let me explain.

As AA’s, we are outraged when we are not selected for major roles in movies that we think we deserve. There was a public outcry following the release of the movie 21, which portrayed the drama underlying the famed MIT Blackjack team. In reality, this team was comprised mainly of bright Asian American students, who combined their talent and wits to earn boatloads of cash. It was important for them to be of Asian or ethnic background to fulfill their appearance as rich children of technology moguls.

Instead of keeping consistent to a team filled with AA’s, Hollywood decided to fill the cast with white actors, throwing in a token Asian male with a decidedly one-dimensional role. Suffice it to say, many prominent AA leaders were not pleased, some even went so far to say that the exclusion of AA cast members was unconstitutional.

This displays a sort of hypocrisy that occurs in our community. The outrage over the lack of AA actors is only matched by the outrage over AA actors in “degrading” roles. When Better Luck Tomorrow displayed the violence and lawlessness of AA teenagers, the traditional community was up in arms. They believed that the movie portrayed our youth too negatively and wanted to ban the movie to save face.

The problem is that in order to gain presence on film, AA’s need to take on these multidimensional, albeit offensive roles. In order to be granted the leading role in a film, AA’s need to break stereotypes. Progress cannot be had all at once. This could come from a psychotic gay crime lord (Ken Jeong, The Hangover) or an overzealous pothead (John Cho, Harold & Kumar). AA’s have been furious over these characters, deeming that they detract from Asian values.

But we need to relax and stop putting the weight of our people on their backs. After all, do you want to be known only as a bunch of Jackie Chan’s for the rest of your life?

Dirty Word

Darold

Picture yourself in a dark, lonely place. A looming figure approaches you and says: “You immigrant.”

 

Now the biting connotation of this word has been circulating through American mouths for over a century. When we think of immigrants today, we envision people crossing over the Mexican border, bypassing the “Great Wall of Mexico,” built to protect the borders. Still, an estimated 500,000 illegals enter into the United States a year, many times with help from a “coyote,” or smuggler.

 

But I’m not here to talk about the underground life of coyotes, the U.S. Border Patrol, or outraged Texas citizens. I’m going to talk about the real meaning of the word immigrant, a meaning that instills pride.

 

As Americans, we are tied in some way to immigrant ancestors (unless of course you are of Native American descent). The ties could go back generations, to the pilgrims aboard the Mayflower, or to yourself. Most Asians Americans are more recent immigrants, hailing from the 1^st to 3^rd generations.

 

So we should not feel that we do not belong, that we are any less American, for we are the very definition of America, a country settled from abroad. As immigrants or recent descendents, we are searching for something that many Americans have over time lost or given up. We are fighting for the American Dream.

 

Immigrants leave their home in search of something better, bringing their bright ideas and energy. Asian immigrants in America are more likely to start their own businesses than “natives.” They come with an entrepreneurial drive and something to prove. Also, nearly half of the Asian American population has attained a Bachelor’s degree or greater, as compared to a quarter of the total United States population (2007 Census for those over 25 years of age). Asian American education has improved over the past decade, while the total population has remained stagnant. The future looks bright.

 

This is not to say our situation is all snowflakes and flowers. A greater percent of Asians Americans fall below the poverty line than the U.S. as a whole.

 

As a proud 2^nd generation immigrant, I view this statistic with a smile. I say to them, “Hello Immigrant. Go and find the American Dream.”

The Problem is not Racism, but Ignorance

Darold

I have always been impressed by the steps taken towards racial equality in this nation. The general population (this includes Asians) is being gradually educated on what racism is and how to avoid it. When racism occurs nowadays, we chalk it up to ignorance… and not hatred. We try to reply to racist comments with statements like “Oh, they don’t know any better” or “they just haven’t met enough [fill-in a race] people.” Usually this happens with older generations, especially immigrant generations, who hold onto their pre-conceived stereotypes.

 

But ignorance isn’t so limited. Recently I was sitting in the doctor’s office flipping through a magazine, when I stumbled upon an article about single, Asian American women. The article featured an interview with several women, who were successful and independent, making a great stand against the stereotype of the “Asian submissiveness.”

 

There was a point, though, that shocked me and made me question the case of the article and the women involved. The women were asked what they thought about the Asian American men in their respective workplaces. Their response? “They’re so gay… totally lame.”

 

*Blink Blink* What? Their initial answer was “gay” and then almost as an afterthought or affirmation they decided to add in “totally lame.” In efforts to celebrate the success of these women, the magazine forgot to respect the diverse identity of its readership. I’m sure readers from the gay community were offended by the carelessness of the wording… as well as the poor coworkers of these ladies.

 

It upset me to see that this attempt to step forward actually resulted in a stumbling backwards. So is this one of those harmless statements of ignorance? Or is it a sign that we need to get our act together if we are truly working towards unity?