From: ahsiung@bbn.com (Anita Hsiung)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.asian.american
Subject: Re: Surviving in a White Man's world
Date: 17 Aug 92 19:54:43 GMT
Reply-To: ahsiung@labs-n.bbn.com (Anita Hsiung)
Organization: Bolt Beranek and Newman Inc., Cambridge MA
NNTP-Posting-Host: bbn.com


Robert Quan writes:
>
>    Point 1:  Why is it that the media always associate an asian as a
>              foreigner and not an American.  There are Orientals in this
>              country that can trace their roots back to the 1800's.  Yet,
>              when an oriental meets a non oriental, the non oriental always
>              ask "what country he/she is from" and "compliments him/her on
>              excellent English"

I've never gotten this question from a "non oriental".  The only
people who have ever asked me about my English have been immigrants
from other countries, say, South America or other places.  Maybe it's
in the way you carry youself, or maybe people in California with its
tremendous mix of cultures just assume that most people do speak
English.

>    Point 2:  Why do American Society stereotype Asian males as nothing more
>              than wimpy and nerdy book worms.  We asian males are certainly
>              not wimpy.

It's unfortunate that most young people, at their most impressionable
age, get bombarded with messages that nerdiness is an undesirable
trait.  This was certainly true at my high school.  However, I have
discovered that after graduation, especially after college graduation
and we hold our mini-reunions, people who were nerdy in high school
tend to be the more successful ones and they are now the ones who
definitely want their children (in the future) to work hard in school.
Maybe that's the cycle that drives the stereotypes.

Assuming that Asians are getting better grades now, they become more
successful, see the respect they get from their peers, and want their
children to be the same way.

>    Point 3:  Why do white men think that they are superior in looks and 
>              physique to oriental males.  It is all media developed 
>              stereotypes.

There are different standards in each culture.  Since we are in the
United States, the standards that apply here are held up against other
people who may look different.  In Taiwan, my cousins, for example,
have different standards than I on the men we are attracted to.  The
movie and TV stars deemed "attractive" in Taiwan may not be so here in
the U.S., and vice versa.  I don't think many Asian women find in
Robert DeNiro your usual hunk.

>    Point 4:  Why do the media make a big hype about all the Japanese owned
>              buildings and businesses.  It is well documented that the
>              British own twice as much as the Japanese in the U.S.  Yet,
>              we never hear about a British firm buying up a business or
>              building.

Yes, it is true that other foreign countries may own more real estate
or businesses than the Japanese.  However, none of them have the
inverse ratio that the Japanese hold.  The Japanese do not allow many
U.S. businesses (the number can be counted on one hand) to gain
footing in Japanese territory, while the U.S. owns much property and
businesses in Europe: Great Britain, France, Holland, for example.
There are also not as many trade barriers with those countries as with
Japan.  The problem isn't entirely "racial" or "cultural".  Part of it
is due to the extremely closed atmosphere that the Japanese deal in as
opposed to the more welcoming posture held by other countries that
invest in the U.S.

>    Last point, what steps should be taken to correct all these falsified and
>negative stereotypes.

These steps, if implemented, must be implemented everywhere.  I have
seen many movies and soaps from Taiwan which show the one black
character as the clown, or the one Caucasian (or White) character as
the cruel American soldier who uses and abuses the Chinese woman who
befriends him.  If you insist that the U.S. take steps to combat these
stereotypes (and that is a noble goal), you must also combat the
stereotypes that your own country holds.


	-- Anita --



---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Anita Hsiung       | "See how easy life can be?" -- Johnathan Raven     |
| ahsiung@bbn.com    |                                                    |
| BBN Canoga Park    | "Someday we'll look back on this moment...and      |
| California, USA    |  run smack into the car in front of us."  -- Ski   |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------