From: webihara@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Wataru Ebihara)
Subject: Re: Asian-American Political Agenda?
Organization: The Ohio State University
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 07:00:55 GMT


I need to read scaa more often.  Boy, it's kind of weird -- I
didn't really expect to get flamed by Lui Sieh to that degree.  I
must have hit a sensitive nerve.  Nice to know though, a few
people see reasons for Asian American unity and organization.

ajh@Xenon.Stanford.EDU (Alan Hu):

> My question is "Isn't opposition to anti-Asian racism enough, in
> and of itself, to justify some degree of political unity?"  I'd
> argue yes. In the US, power tends to come from group dynamics.
> If we unite to fight prejudice in any form, we will be much less
> likely to be trampled. As I've mentioned before, I believe
> positive social change can conceivably take any form between
> quiet, hardworking passivity to massive civil disobedience, so
> long as people recognize and believe in the unifying anti-racist
> goal.

Alan, I do agree that sharing adversity is probably the strongest
unifying factor (more than "culture").   I'm third-generation
Japanese American, for those who don't know me.  I guess, coming
from the perspective of Japanese Americans, the U.S.
concentration camp experience, and the following movement for
redress was something that affected the whole JA community and
kept people together.  It also activated much political activity.
My folks were in the camps, and I've heard the stories about things
that happened, and the racism they've experienced. "Japanese
bashing" is "Japanese American bashing" is "Asian American
bashing" is just "racism", and nothing really new.

When I meet other Asian Americans, that's the one thing most can
immediately relate to, even among third and fourth generation
kids who don't have any desire to learn Asian languages or
culture. When other Asian Americans talk about their experiences
with racism, the search for identity, etc., it's like hearing
about myself.  I didn't grow up in an all Asian community (in
Ohio), and it still surprises me.  I don't quite get the same
sort of feeling of common experience from European Americans,
except for some newly arrived immigrants.

I guess, I get annoyed when I hear a few people say "they've
never had any problems".  I'm very happy for them, but it's 
showing a lack of appreciation.  I mean, there's a lot of
older people who have spent their whole lives fighting racism (in
various ways), and it's just good to show them some gratitude for
their efforts. From the stories that I've heard from my folks, I
know things are a bit better today than 50 years ago, or even 30
years ago.  I also know why my dad works so hard, I remember him
saying once, "if you're a minority, you have to be better --
white people want to see minorities fail."

Regardless of relations between various minority groups, Asian
Americans should also be very grateful to African Americans for
their efforts from the Civil Rights movement of the 60's, and to
the present day.  The civil rights laws didn't just "happen" by
accident, but people struggled for their freedoms.  As a result,
all minorities enjoy some of the protective legislation against
harrassment and discrimination today.

There are times, when I feel that things are going pretty good. I
can almost forget that I'm a minority, but then quite
unexpectedly, I might hear a racial slur directed at me, see some
anti-Asian graffiti on a restroom wall, or hear some story of
racial violence, and I'm put back in my place.  Regardless of how
we feel culturally, we can't escape the genetics that make us
look the way we do.  People do judge and react to physical appearance.

Anyway, my personal involvement in Asian American activity came
from experiences with prejudice and racism (in it's various
forms).  I do appreciate the Asian cultural side and learning
about my ethnic identity (ethnic pride), but that wasn't the
motivating factor for joining/forming Asian American
organizations.  Anti-Asian racism was the thing that got me mad
enough to want to do "something".  From the practical side, we
need the strength of numbers with a unified voice to be heard.

Luckily, most of my relatives have been very supportive of any
Asian American involvement.  Being involved with Asian Am things
is a "public service", from my perspective -- there's no real
money or big jobs in it.  I've spent a lot of time thinking about
social issues and doing things for Asian Am organizations -- time
that I could be spending elsewhere doing something else.

Why do we do it?  For me, I get a certain sense of peace from it,
promoting understanding -- that I might have helped a few people
out.  Maybe like a sense of patriotism of doing better for the
place where we live. Indirectly, I feel like I'm doing something
for my family, and then for the community in general.  Everyone,
including the majority, loses when there's the hate and
negativity of racism in our society.  I've met some younger Asian
Americans who are discouraged by their parents from becoming
politically active, or even being involved in organizations.
"Don't waste your time," they say.  I feel sad that they aren't
participating to feel the joy of being part of it.

Wataru

Newsgroups: soc.culture.asian.american