From: ajh@Xenon.Stanford.EDU (Alan Hu)
Subject: Re: AAAHHH!  Interracial dating.. again?  Why?
Organization: Computer Science Department, Stanford University.
Distribution: soc
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 00:50:21 GMT

In article <5901@ucsbcsl.ucsb.edu> 6500ursa@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu (Disco Junkie) writes:
	[Lots of cool stuff about differences between Hawaii and the
	 mainland deleted.]
>dating.  With that perspective in mind, I'd like to take a stab at why it's
>such a controversial subject THAT WILL NOT DIE:
>
>  Interracial dating in the mainland is so controversial because ALMOST 
>  EVERYONE does subconsciously believe that there is a racial hierarchy 
>  (whites on top, asians next, and blacks on bottom), and that lopsided 
>  interracial dating, with its sexual politics involved, does bring these 
>  racial inferiority/superiority feelings to the surface!  Afterall,
>  interracial dating is a measure of how one stands in American society.
>
>Think about it...if you didn't deep down honestly (or subconsciously)
>believe that asians were inferior, it wouldn't bother you that asian women 
>are dating white or black men in disproportionate numbers! Even in Hawai'i, 

I've thought about it and still don't get it.  Suppose I believe
Asians are vastly superior to any other race in the universe, especially
Chinese-cu Asians (Hi Dwight!).  Wouldn't it really bother me if I saw
lots of Asians going out with inferior human beings?  I mean, it'd be
as bad as those Spuds Mckenzie commericals where the women go for the
dog, 'cause he drinks whatever brand of beer they were selling.

Or is the point inequality instead of inferiority?  Sure, if I believe
all people are equal then interracial relationships are completely
ho-hum.


>there are some inferiority feelings.  So, why don't we have the controversy
>there as well?  Well, first, let's look at my MAIN POINT: 
>
>  90% of the asian men who complain about asian women dating white men would 
>  be silenced should a white woman fall in love with them!
>

I beg to differ.  I've had a number of white women fall in love with me.
This is not a boast, just reality.  And I don't think I'm particularly
amazingly studly or anything.  I'm certainly not silenced.  The issue
is NOT racism and jealousy and women-as-property.  The issue is why, in
sociological terms, is there such marked non-random interracial mating
behavior.

	[Nice analysis of inferiority complexes deleted.]
>- There are LOTS of single attractive black women available.  Why are the
>  asian men not viciously complaining about black women not going for them ? 

	Racism.

>
>I'm not saying that the complaints about interracial dating are not valid.
>I just think that before we asian men condemn asian women, we must honestly 
>look at WHY we are condemning them.  Is it because we secretly deep down 
>prefer white too?  Think about that before you cast those stones.


How about not condemning anyone at all?  If I ask, "Why are there many
more right-handed people than left-handed people?" am I condemning
left-handed people?  I don't think so.  If I ask, "Why are there several
times more Asian-American female/White-American male relationships than
Asian-American male/White-American female relationships?" am I condemning
anyone?  I don't think so.  If I proclaim that the reason for the lopsided
ratio is that Asian-American men like to beat up women, or that only people
who are too geeky to get a date speak up on this issue, or that only
people who are ugly as dog biscuits get into interracial relationships,
as several netters have recently done, am I condemning anyone?  Hell yes.
But I don't think their comments are relevant to the central issues.


>
	[Disco Junkie's methodology and disclaimer deleted.]

						--Alan Hu
Xref: sparky soc.culture.asian.american:9303 soc.culture.african.american:9593