For some reason, it's always okay when Russell Peters does it. As all of us with a soft side for racial comedy know, Russell Peters treats blacks, whites, asians, and latinos the same--by mocking them. For everyone other than Russell Peters, it's only okay to do it if you are making fun of your own race. If an asian makes fun of a latino, it's not funny--it's racist. My question is, why do we make fun of our own race?
The question at hand stems from my current facebook status. To make a long story short, I was in a rush to class on Friday when I did not notice the disastrously curled up mat in front of the entrance to Dwinelle. Needless to say, I tumbled and walked away with a few regretful bruises. (I know, I know, embarrassing, much?) So, my facebook status now reads: Jenny is a banana. Yellow on the outside, white on the inside, and bruises easily!
I have never prided myself on being superrrrr asian, having been born here and not knowing how to speak Chinese very well, so I guess I like to joke that even though I am Chinese American, I am more American than Chinese. However, some others will say the opposite. Some find it acceptable to mock their "chinky" eyes or habitual bowl of rice in the morning. Hence, it's not a matter of one identity being more "acceptable" than the other. American Asians and Asian Americans alike, it seems no one feels inadequate in their upbringing. This would be different if it was considered more "acceptable" to be Americanized or vice versa, but everyone seems to be simply defending their cultural background no matter what it is. This is not an issue of strengthening one's minority status, especially from what I have seen living amongst one of the largest Asian populations in the country.
So why do we do it? It's not that we don't have other things to joke about. I could have just as easily joked about my persistent clumsiness than about a fruit of apparently 2 races (haha).
I would like to suggest an answer at this time. And please, if any of you have others, chime in. Remember taking standardized tests, ohh so long ago, at your public high school? What box did you check? Did you feel comfortable with the box you checked? If there had been more choices, do you feel there could have been a choice that better fit the "category" you deserve to be under?
I want to argue that it is this constant categorization our society has become accustomed to that has brought us here, and has brought me to joke about my existence being akin to a bi-colored fruit. We always have to fit into a category--whether it is race, a geographical region, or even a specific age group (has anyone seen the episode of Sex & the City where Carrie is horrified because she no longer fits into the 18-25 age group, but now has to check 26-35?)
Whether you are of a multitude of ethnic origins or are simply caught between American and Asian culture like me, it puts pressure on us to fit into a certain box, per se, or even to fit into a certain stereotype. The Asian American who eats rice everyday but does not speak their native language, or the Asian American who is ethnically Chinese but is obsessed with Japanese culture, etc. feels alienated. What we need to do is stop categorizing people, and eventually, maybe people will not feel the need to categorize themselves.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
A Different Perspective on Asian American Males
As an Asian American male, I feel the need to provide a different viewpoint from Ali, not only to defend my own ethnicity and sex, but also because the following words embody what I think. With this, I do not hope to offend anyone or start a "battle of the sexes."
While reading Ali's post, many thoughts and questions arose. Before I begin to express my opinions, I have a few questions for Ali and everyone else in this blog to consider.
If "Asian American men do not seem that strong," how do you see your father and other Asian American male relatives or friends? Do you think they are weak?
And if the media portrays Asian American males in "stereotypes," what do you make of the exotic Asian women -- dressed in kimonos, at massage parlors -- in the media? Do you consider this to be a "dominant role?" Does this image elicit the same "weirdness" or has its pervasiveness made it a norm?
I do not think Asian American males are insecure or lack confidence. Rather, the culture in which they grew up has taught them that the strongest man is the one with countless achievements and unmeasurable humbleness. On discussing the nature of Asian males, I find it necessary to incorporate the article, "Interracial Dating at Yale."
Kai Thaler, author of the article, argues that "you don't often see Asian guys with non-Asian girls [because] Asian guys have no game." Although Thaler is a Yale student, he does not consider the roles of culture and tradition in shaping Asian males' preference for women. Instead of having no game, Asian males may have a great sense of responsibility. Reared in traditions and cultures that stress the importance of passing on the family name within the same race, Asian males may feel responsible to date females of the same ethnicity.
Since I was not able to attend class this Monday, I am taking this opportunity to express my overall impressions of this article. After first reading it, I was shocked that Yale Rumpus was associated with a prestigious institution like Yale. Thaler, not only debases Asian men, but he follows the same suit for women by stating obscene and derogatory statements about them. For example, Thaler implies that female college students frequent fraternities, in their "sluttiest clothes," to get ass. However, the jejuneness does not end here. One of Rumpus' goal is to solve the mystery concerning the color of black women's vagina. Lacking originality, Thaler even decides to use something of great historical importance to create a comedic situation. He describes interracial couples as Martin Luther King's "wet dream." In addition, he simplifies King's dream to "little mocha babies." These obscenities and ridicule are vulgar and should be vanished. To conclude, I feel that the personnel of Yale University should take more action to limit the publication of such material.
While reading Ali's post, many thoughts and questions arose. Before I begin to express my opinions, I have a few questions for Ali and everyone else in this blog to consider.
If "Asian American men do not seem that strong," how do you see your father and other Asian American male relatives or friends? Do you think they are weak?
And if the media portrays Asian American males in "stereotypes," what do you make of the exotic Asian women -- dressed in kimonos, at massage parlors -- in the media? Do you consider this to be a "dominant role?" Does this image elicit the same "weirdness" or has its pervasiveness made it a norm?
I do not think Asian American males are insecure or lack confidence. Rather, the culture in which they grew up has taught them that the strongest man is the one with countless achievements and unmeasurable humbleness. On discussing the nature of Asian males, I find it necessary to incorporate the article, "Interracial Dating at Yale."
Kai Thaler, author of the article, argues that "you don't often see Asian guys with non-Asian girls [because] Asian guys have no game." Although Thaler is a Yale student, he does not consider the roles of culture and tradition in shaping Asian males' preference for women. Instead of having no game, Asian males may have a great sense of responsibility. Reared in traditions and cultures that stress the importance of passing on the family name within the same race, Asian males may feel responsible to date females of the same ethnicity.
Since I was not able to attend class this Monday, I am taking this opportunity to express my overall impressions of this article. After first reading it, I was shocked that Yale Rumpus was associated with a prestigious institution like Yale. Thaler, not only debases Asian men, but he follows the same suit for women by stating obscene and derogatory statements about them. For example, Thaler implies that female college students frequent fraternities, in their "sluttiest clothes," to get ass. However, the jejuneness does not end here. One of Rumpus' goal is to solve the mystery concerning the color of black women's vagina. Lacking originality, Thaler even decides to use something of great historical importance to create a comedic situation. He describes interracial couples as Martin Luther King's "wet dream." In addition, he simplifies King's dream to "little mocha babies." These obscenities and ridicule are vulgar and should be vanished. To conclude, I feel that the personnel of Yale University should take more action to limit the publication of such material.
Monday, March 10, 2008
A Day with Theater Rice
Watching Theater Rice's Collide-O-Scope reminded me of the the film and discussion we had in class. I will only point out some of the relevant topics broadly since the rest is for extra credit.
At first, I was not accustomed to seeing a majority of actors to be Asian. This odd feeling stressed an argument of the film about the rarity of Asians appearing on mainstream media. Personally, I felt that some of Theater Rice's actors are really talented. Producers and directors who are afraid, out of financial concerns, to put Asian actors in their works are preventing this talent from being put on screen. To change the latter, I guess Asians would have to create their own opportunities by collaborative means (such as Theater Rice) and through exposure. And for money-seeking producers and directors, their dreams of wealth all depend on their willingness to experiment. After all, no one knew that Halle Berry and Denzel Washington would become Oscar winners.
Also in the play was a reminder of the stereotype of Asians in kung-fu roles. Although it seems that Theater Rice chose to fit this stereotype by choosing to film ninjas, the ninjas deviated far from the ideal image of a ninja. Instead of shooting ninja stars and assassinating people stealthily, the ninjas (played by actors) , appeared out of contexts in buildings such as Dwinelle. Perhaps, the goal of Theater Rice was to break the stereotype through levity and comedy.
Another instance in which I felt Theater Rice disclaim stereotypes was in their main film: Darkness, My Old Friend. Darkness, My Old Friend is about a girl who is infatuated with objects. She lives with her family, who include her domesticated father, White mother, and ignored brother. Instead of being the typical Asian family, there are great variations in this one. For one, the marriage between the parents is interracial. This fits into our class theme of interracial marriage and stratification by race. Although the parents seem to be equal, there is a role reversal for the male counterpart; the father does most of the cooking. In traditional Asian families, it can be argued, parents pay more attention to their sons than their daughters. Take The Namesake as an example. Sonia is rarely mentioned and often lives in Gogol's shadow. In the film, the opposite occurs. At dinner, all the attention is given to the daughter while the son is basically ignored, until he confesses that he is gay.
My experiences at my first Theater Rice show tell me that the possibilities for more Asian American actors are not limited as long as individuals create opportunities for themselves and work towards dispelling inaccurate portrayals about their race.
At first, I was not accustomed to seeing a majority of actors to be Asian. This odd feeling stressed an argument of the film about the rarity of Asians appearing on mainstream media. Personally, I felt that some of Theater Rice's actors are really talented. Producers and directors who are afraid, out of financial concerns, to put Asian actors in their works are preventing this talent from being put on screen. To change the latter, I guess Asians would have to create their own opportunities by collaborative means (such as Theater Rice) and through exposure. And for money-seeking producers and directors, their dreams of wealth all depend on their willingness to experiment. After all, no one knew that Halle Berry and Denzel Washington would become Oscar winners.
Also in the play was a reminder of the stereotype of Asians in kung-fu roles. Although it seems that Theater Rice chose to fit this stereotype by choosing to film ninjas, the ninjas deviated far from the ideal image of a ninja. Instead of shooting ninja stars and assassinating people stealthily, the ninjas (played by actors) , appeared out of contexts in buildings such as Dwinelle. Perhaps, the goal of Theater Rice was to break the stereotype through levity and comedy.
Another instance in which I felt Theater Rice disclaim stereotypes was in their main film: Darkness, My Old Friend. Darkness, My Old Friend is about a girl who is infatuated with objects. She lives with her family, who include her domesticated father, White mother, and ignored brother. Instead of being the typical Asian family, there are great variations in this one. For one, the marriage between the parents is interracial. This fits into our class theme of interracial marriage and stratification by race. Although the parents seem to be equal, there is a role reversal for the male counterpart; the father does most of the cooking. In traditional Asian families, it can be argued, parents pay more attention to their sons than their daughters. Take The Namesake as an example. Sonia is rarely mentioned and often lives in Gogol's shadow. In the film, the opposite occurs. At dinner, all the attention is given to the daughter while the son is basically ignored, until he confesses that he is gay.
My experiences at my first Theater Rice show tell me that the possibilities for more Asian American actors are not limited as long as individuals create opportunities for themselves and work towards dispelling inaccurate portrayals about their race.
"Hey! Be a man! Do the right thing!"
I’ve never really given the portrayal, or lack of, of Asians, or minorities for that matter, in mainstream media much consideration. But after watching the film in class, I’m left with a quite disturbing feeling. Whether it’s the portrayal of Asians as slightly effeminate-kung-fu fighters like Jackie Chan, or Latinos as drug-dealing-gangsters in Training Day, or of Eddie Murphy as a loud-overweight-extremely rude woman in Norbit, minorities definitely get the short end of the stick when it comes to movie roles.
“Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?”
I mean sure Jackie Chan is a multimillionaire with plenty of hit movies, but the fact still remains that he always plays the same stereotypical role. While most of his movies are action-filled, they invariably end up becoming comedies. For most of the movie, we are laughing at, not with, Jackie Chan. I know this is similar to what the movie mentioned, but it stuck with me as particularly disturbing.
“Vato you won’t believe what I saw. I saw these pack a guys and they act real hard. They
twisted their fingers say you know who we are...”
In class we argued that Asians get stuck with these shitty roles because there is a lack of action on all parts involved. Actors and screenwriters don’t bring quality stuff to the table. Directors and head of movie agencies are afraid to put a minority at center stage. And audiences aren’t really ready to see Jet Li kiss Aaliyah.
But I think it is much more one sided than that. Much like Tupac early on, actors and screenwriters ARE bringing media that is controversial and that challenge the stereotypes held by
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Why not?
After closing the book, A Gesture Life left an imprint in my memory that I don't think I can ever leave behind. The beginning of the book was misleading to me because I never expected to find between those two covers the compelling story of Korean comfort women. As the plot began to describe the life of a senile Japanese man in an ordinary town, I didn't think this book would be as interesting or as honest a portrayal of Asian American experiences. I would like to say at this point that I think I was wrong.
I attribute it to my public school upbringing that I was used to hearing derogatory sexual innuendos from boys with raging hormones in middle school, and became numb when it came to hearing disrespectful comments towards women, which most people joked about for an easy laugh. This is not saying that I grew up in some sex-raged environment of public school children, but I am certain most people will agree with me that it is not uncommon for teenagers in high school to joke about prostitution and other sexual matters lightly. Not until I read this book concerning the seriousness of the Korean comfort women and their use as prostitutes have I felt so strongly against making such jokes. Perhaps it has to do with a lack of education in these matters, but the fact is people just don't take it seriously enough that we should not joke about prostitution or any other derogatory sexual natures towards women, considering what the past has shown us. Prostitution is not the answer to solve any problem, including unmet needs for soldiers in war. The emotional outcome following is not erasable and it is much more of a problem to rehabilitate women like this than to simply avoid it to begin with.
The sheer description of the coffin-like bed for the women to lie on in the book is enough to make my heart fall into my stomach. I don't think I will ever forget this image in my mind. I will not repeat it just for the sake of avoiding the painful experience over again, but hopefully all of you have read this and will keep it in mind as a lesson learned from the past that should not be repeated in the future. The simple thought of legalizing prostitution after reading this book is disgusting, while some would make the argument that those girls will do it anyways, and legalizing the service would make it safer. I would compare it to the likes of legalizing suicide--why condone something that no one should do to themselves in the first place?
I also find it interesting that I never had much of an exposure to this part of history until college. I suppose I had heard about it in passing in U.S. History, but not in as much depth as I have gotten in a university. My question is, why are schools not teaching the importance of respect for women (to both teenage boys AND girls, especially girls with low self-esteem) and the background of such prostitution in high school? After all, for those who make it to college, chances are in their favor that they will not end up on the streets, mindlessly selling their bodies or thinking that derogatory jokes of sexual nature are okay. We need to be teaching this stuff at an earlier age, where it really matters and where it will really get to the kids who may end up needing this information, not college kids who obviously have a good understanding of this concept. By ensuring a certain level of self-respect out of their students, a school would most definitely save itself from high drop out rates and contributing to kids on the streets. So, why not?
I attribute it to my public school upbringing that I was used to hearing derogatory sexual innuendos from boys with raging hormones in middle school, and became numb when it came to hearing disrespectful comments towards women, which most people joked about for an easy laugh. This is not saying that I grew up in some sex-raged environment of public school children, but I am certain most people will agree with me that it is not uncommon for teenagers in high school to joke about prostitution and other sexual matters lightly. Not until I read this book concerning the seriousness of the Korean comfort women and their use as prostitutes have I felt so strongly against making such jokes. Perhaps it has to do with a lack of education in these matters, but the fact is people just don't take it seriously enough that we should not joke about prostitution or any other derogatory sexual natures towards women, considering what the past has shown us. Prostitution is not the answer to solve any problem, including unmet needs for soldiers in war. The emotional outcome following is not erasable and it is much more of a problem to rehabilitate women like this than to simply avoid it to begin with.
The sheer description of the coffin-like bed for the women to lie on in the book is enough to make my heart fall into my stomach. I don't think I will ever forget this image in my mind. I will not repeat it just for the sake of avoiding the painful experience over again, but hopefully all of you have read this and will keep it in mind as a lesson learned from the past that should not be repeated in the future. The simple thought of legalizing prostitution after reading this book is disgusting, while some would make the argument that those girls will do it anyways, and legalizing the service would make it safer. I would compare it to the likes of legalizing suicide--why condone something that no one should do to themselves in the first place?
I also find it interesting that I never had much of an exposure to this part of history until college. I suppose I had heard about it in passing in U.S. History, but not in as much depth as I have gotten in a university. My question is, why are schools not teaching the importance of respect for women (to both teenage boys AND girls, especially girls with low self-esteem) and the background of such prostitution in high school? After all, for those who make it to college, chances are in their favor that they will not end up on the streets, mindlessly selling their bodies or thinking that derogatory jokes of sexual nature are okay. We need to be teaching this stuff at an earlier age, where it really matters and where it will really get to the kids who may end up needing this information, not college kids who obviously have a good understanding of this concept. By ensuring a certain level of self-respect out of their students, a school would most definitely save itself from high drop out rates and contributing to kids on the streets. So, why not?
Asian American males
Asian American men to me do not seem that strong. I guess it is society that has influenced me, but I just don’t see the dominant Asian American man. Often times I feel Asian American men can be rather insecure with themselves and don’t have that confidence as with Asian American females. I could be totally false in my assumption, but I just don’t see as confident Asian American males.
When I truly think about this aspect though, I feel maybe that Asian Americans media has really influenced me. There are nerdy awkward white people too. When I think about the mold that Asian American males portray, I see that white guys can play a similar role. There are white guys that aren’t all jocks and are super athletic and masculine.
I think that when I associate people I see in the media, I think that Asian Americans usually don’t get the dominant role. Often times, I see the lead is played by a white guy. When I think about famous white actors, I can think of many of them. It seems that in the media, I do see very few Asian American men play pivotal roles in a movie. Usually though, when I do see them, I really admit that they are associated with martial arts, awkwardness, and other stereotypes. When I try to think of an Asian American male playing a regular person, it seems very hard for me to come up with an actor. Even I find myself kind of weird for an Asian American male to be onscreen. I guess the media has influenced me as to who I expect to play certain roles.
But I have to say that even with the weirdness of seeing Asian American males onscreen, I feel this sense of pride that they have reached the screen. When I see Asian American males, I still feel happy that they are in the media regardless. It just gets the face of Asian American males more in the media which in time, may become a more regular thing to see Asian American males onscreen. With this time, the weirdness of see Asian American males onscreen will disappear and will lead to more roles for these struggling Asian American males.
Outside of looking at Asian American males in the media, I view Asian American males as normal people. They truly don’t all follow stereotypes as the media portrays. Especially with the changing culture, Asian Americans males seem to be exploring new avenues of the world as time passes. Depending on the background the Asian American males come from, their personality can very tremendously like every other person in the world. It just takes opening your own mind to realize how many other things Asian American males are really doing. Even though you may see a lot of Asian American males doing a certain activity, I bet you can find other Asian American doing other activities though it may be less in numbers. Asian American males just have to break the mold and with time, I think that people will see Asian American males in a different perspective outside of their stereotypes.
When I truly think about this aspect though, I feel maybe that Asian Americans media has really influenced me. There are nerdy awkward white people too. When I think about the mold that Asian American males portray, I see that white guys can play a similar role. There are white guys that aren’t all jocks and are super athletic and masculine.
I think that when I associate people I see in the media, I think that Asian Americans usually don’t get the dominant role. Often times, I see the lead is played by a white guy. When I think about famous white actors, I can think of many of them. It seems that in the media, I do see very few Asian American men play pivotal roles in a movie. Usually though, when I do see them, I really admit that they are associated with martial arts, awkwardness, and other stereotypes. When I try to think of an Asian American male playing a regular person, it seems very hard for me to come up with an actor. Even I find myself kind of weird for an Asian American male to be onscreen. I guess the media has influenced me as to who I expect to play certain roles.
But I have to say that even with the weirdness of seeing Asian American males onscreen, I feel this sense of pride that they have reached the screen. When I see Asian American males, I still feel happy that they are in the media regardless. It just gets the face of Asian American males more in the media which in time, may become a more regular thing to see Asian American males onscreen. With this time, the weirdness of see Asian American males onscreen will disappear and will lead to more roles for these struggling Asian American males.
Outside of looking at Asian American males in the media, I view Asian American males as normal people. They truly don’t all follow stereotypes as the media portrays. Especially with the changing culture, Asian Americans males seem to be exploring new avenues of the world as time passes. Depending on the background the Asian American males come from, their personality can very tremendously like every other person in the world. It just takes opening your own mind to realize how many other things Asian American males are really doing. Even though you may see a lot of Asian American males doing a certain activity, I bet you can find other Asian American doing other activities though it may be less in numbers. Asian American males just have to break the mold and with time, I think that people will see Asian American males in a different perspective outside of their stereotypes.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
being P.C. is not easy...
Following my entry from last week, I am quite pleased that this week's open discussion was heated and incorporated everyone's opinions into the discussion. It is just these kinds of discussions that I feel we should be having more of in an Asian American Studies class. I think that it just took a topic that affects everyone's daily lives to get people talking, and I wish we could have continued the discussion for a longer time. So much so, that I have more to say.
Talking about Asian Americans as the "model minority" got me to thinkin'. First of all, I am pretty sure that I don't have all the facts necessary to comprehend what makes Asians the model minority, or how we compare to other groups in terms of immigration and levels of success. However, I do know from seeing friends I have grown up with that many Asians suffer from similar levels of poverty and racism as other groups, yet many (or most, I would even dare to say) find some way to rise up beyond the circumstances dealt to them and achieve higher levels of success through each new generation. That is to say, I have met many Asian families who lived in Oakland upon entering the states, manage to put their children through school, and their children are able to attend a university and find a decent to well paying job. Most commonly where I live, this second generation of Asian Americans move to the wealthy suburb of Alameda called Bay Farm Island and live comfortably in their two-story homes with a Lexus or two in the driveway.
And then I think about Oakland, the city I grew up so close to, yet it is so far away from the world I live in. "Underprivileged," "minority," "disadvantaged," "low-income," "underrepresented." All words you hear when we talk about Oakland, right? Especially at Cal, we are all aware of this issue in the city not-so-far-away. We even have a plethora of volunteer organizations aimed at the (insert adjective from above here.) We all know equally as well that when we talk about Oakland, we have to talk about the African American status quo. My question is, what is it about the many Asian Americans who have made it out of difficult economic circumstances that makes them different from the many African Americans who are having such a hard time getting out? I do acknowledge that there are many different circumstances, regardless of racial group, but in speaking about these groups in a whole, I think it is necessary to note ethnic trends among the whole.
I must admit that in today's society of "politically correct" (P.C.) and "not" I was and am still a bit nervous to mention race in such a bold topic, but I feel that it is significant enough to discuss or simply touch upon. I just feel that, no matter how much we would like to step away from stereotypes and statistical observations, we cannot ignore what is before us. And what I am seeing, and I'm sure many others can see too, is that somehow, some way, there is something different about many of the Asian Americans that immigrate here that helps us rise up in a very short amount of time. Perhaps it is circumstances upon immigration, educational background, educational drive, or a difference in upbringing. Who knows. Maybe the Asians have something they can teach the African Americans, and all would be well. For now, we don't know what makes us the "model minority," and we cannot answer the age old question of why Asian Americans do not qualify for affirmative action. I'm not sure this was as coherent as I wanted it to be, or as well-written. Maybe I was afraid to say most of what I had in mind when I started this because of fear this blog would not be "P.C." Or maybe just short on time. But hopefully I was able to probe a few key thoughts out of you.
Talking about Asian Americans as the "model minority" got me to thinkin'. First of all, I am pretty sure that I don't have all the facts necessary to comprehend what makes Asians the model minority, or how we compare to other groups in terms of immigration and levels of success. However, I do know from seeing friends I have grown up with that many Asians suffer from similar levels of poverty and racism as other groups, yet many (or most, I would even dare to say) find some way to rise up beyond the circumstances dealt to them and achieve higher levels of success through each new generation. That is to say, I have met many Asian families who lived in Oakland upon entering the states, manage to put their children through school, and their children are able to attend a university and find a decent to well paying job. Most commonly where I live, this second generation of Asian Americans move to the wealthy suburb of Alameda called Bay Farm Island and live comfortably in their two-story homes with a Lexus or two in the driveway.
And then I think about Oakland, the city I grew up so close to, yet it is so far away from the world I live in. "Underprivileged," "minority," "disadvantaged," "low-income," "underrepresented." All words you hear when we talk about Oakland, right? Especially at Cal, we are all aware of this issue in the city not-so-far-away. We even have a plethora of volunteer organizations aimed at the (insert adjective from above here.) We all know equally as well that when we talk about Oakland, we have to talk about the African American status quo. My question is, what is it about the many Asian Americans who have made it out of difficult economic circumstances that makes them different from the many African Americans who are having such a hard time getting out? I do acknowledge that there are many different circumstances, regardless of racial group, but in speaking about these groups in a whole, I think it is necessary to note ethnic trends among the whole.
I must admit that in today's society of "politically correct" (P.C.) and "not" I was and am still a bit nervous to mention race in such a bold topic, but I feel that it is significant enough to discuss or simply touch upon. I just feel that, no matter how much we would like to step away from stereotypes and statistical observations, we cannot ignore what is before us. And what I am seeing, and I'm sure many others can see too, is that somehow, some way, there is something different about many of the Asian Americans that immigrate here that helps us rise up in a very short amount of time. Perhaps it is circumstances upon immigration, educational background, educational drive, or a difference in upbringing. Who knows. Maybe the Asians have something they can teach the African Americans, and all would be well. For now, we don't know what makes us the "model minority," and we cannot answer the age old question of why Asian Americans do not qualify for affirmative action. I'm not sure this was as coherent as I wanted it to be, or as well-written. Maybe I was afraid to say most of what I had in mind when I started this because of fear this blog would not be "P.C." Or maybe just short on time. But hopefully I was able to probe a few key thoughts out of you.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Moving & Family
I grew up in many places when I was young. I was constantly moving not understanding why my parents had to move so much. I also never truly questioned my parents for the reasons they moved. I just accepted that I had to leave the place I was living at and hopefully move on to bigger and better things. Now that I think about the reasons I moved, I wonder if it was because of lack of financial stability, trying to be closer to other family member, congregating to other Vietnamese communities, or just to find a better life.
The thing about moving was that I often saw the differences between the places I moved to. I still remember being in a cramped apartment with my parents trying to fit a family of five into a one bedroom place. To me, when I think about life back then, I truly don’t think it was that bad. I didn’t mind not having my own room like I do now. I just accepted that this is how life was supposed to be. I found comfort in the fact of how close my family was to me in the small apartment. I enjoyed life even though my parents were working constantly back then. When I think about life now, my parents still seem to be constantly working. Even though our living situation has improved, it seems that we are still saving our money to be financially stable. It also seems that I cherish the moments with my parents more in a sense. They had to do less stuff with the apartment compared to the house now. We had less chores and more time be with family. Now I feel like there is always something to do in fixing our own house. It seems that having a bigger place makes us spend a lot more time on the house than with each other.
When I think about time with family, I seem to take it for granted. I truly love my family. They matter the most to me and yet it seems that I spend very little time with them. My life right now is filled with school, friends and events. I always have places to be and things to do. It seems that I often use school as an excuse for everything. I have to agree I am paying a lot of money for education and since I am paying a lot of money for school, I should do well in school. The hard part of school is staying focused on the material you are learning because school is not the only thing in your life. There are so many things in the world and events happening that it is hard to concentrate. It seems that a person usually compensates the time in school with the fun events that happen around them. With these events, you find friends and find a place to socialize. It also takes to time for friendship to develop and become deep. It seems that you have to work at staying close to people since that is the definition of friendship. With all this time spent outside of family, I often wonder when there is the time to spend it with family.
When I think about it, I really enjoy the time my family spends together. Even though my mind does wonder to other future events that I will be spending with my friends, I realize that it is nice having my family there to be with me. There is this special bond with my family that I will never have with other people. I know that my family will always be there no matter what I do. It seems that in a sense, my goals are truly to satisfy my family. Even with all the crazy antics of life, my family is the most important aspect to my life.
The thing about moving was that I often saw the differences between the places I moved to. I still remember being in a cramped apartment with my parents trying to fit a family of five into a one bedroom place. To me, when I think about life back then, I truly don’t think it was that bad. I didn’t mind not having my own room like I do now. I just accepted that this is how life was supposed to be. I found comfort in the fact of how close my family was to me in the small apartment. I enjoyed life even though my parents were working constantly back then. When I think about life now, my parents still seem to be constantly working. Even though our living situation has improved, it seems that we are still saving our money to be financially stable. It also seems that I cherish the moments with my parents more in a sense. They had to do less stuff with the apartment compared to the house now. We had less chores and more time be with family. Now I feel like there is always something to do in fixing our own house. It seems that having a bigger place makes us spend a lot more time on the house than with each other.
When I think about time with family, I seem to take it for granted. I truly love my family. They matter the most to me and yet it seems that I spend very little time with them. My life right now is filled with school, friends and events. I always have places to be and things to do. It seems that I often use school as an excuse for everything. I have to agree I am paying a lot of money for education and since I am paying a lot of money for school, I should do well in school. The hard part of school is staying focused on the material you are learning because school is not the only thing in your life. There are so many things in the world and events happening that it is hard to concentrate. It seems that a person usually compensates the time in school with the fun events that happen around them. With these events, you find friends and find a place to socialize. It also takes to time for friendship to develop and become deep. It seems that you have to work at staying close to people since that is the definition of friendship. With all this time spent outside of family, I often wonder when there is the time to spend it with family.
When I think about it, I really enjoy the time my family spends together. Even though my mind does wonder to other future events that I will be spending with my friends, I realize that it is nice having my family there to be with me. There is this special bond with my family that I will never have with other people. I know that my family will always be there no matter what I do. It seems that in a sense, my goals are truly to satisfy my family. Even with all the crazy antics of life, my family is the most important aspect to my life.
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