From: Arthur_T_Hu@cup.portal.com
Newsgroups: soc.culture.asian.american
Subject: Re: FAQ for soc.culture.asian.american
Date: Thu,  7 Jan 93 18:00:09 PST
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
  <1993Jan3.143900.22289@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>
  <1993Jan4.215729.21401@CSD-NewsHost.Stanford.EDU>
  <1ialmrINNhvm@function.mps.ohio-state.edu>

- Do Indians and Pakistanis count?

Technically, yes, and some take offence if you leave them out. On the
other hand, more often than not, Asian really means "Northeast Asian"
which is everything that touches the coast from Korea to Vietnam. South
Asians are racially closer to Caucasians, but culturally are closer to
the other Asians.

- Do "West Asians count"

Getting really technical, what most of us call the middle east is considered
to be "Western Asia", and as such, were even invited to the Asian games.
But I've never seen such folks try to get included under "Asians", so
I would leave them out. (BTW, by this definition, Malcolm X was wrong -
David, Jesus, and Mohammed were not Black, they were ASIANS!!! And
Budda and Confucious to boot!)

- Citizens

You don't have to be a citizen to be an Asian living in America, or even
NOrth America (which covers the Canadians, which is like America, but
almost as good) so I'd watch out. I'd consider the experiences of all
Asians in America, no matter how short their stays to be withing the realm,
though I'd say anybody spending enough time here to have any roots at all
is really what we're talking about.

- Another definition

I've found that what distinguishes the "Asian Americans" from the "Chinese/
Korean/Name your country of origin-Americans" is that they are generally
assimilated enough such that the difference between cultures become much
less than their commonality relative to the greater Amerian (what ever the
heck that is) culture. Thus if you look for a gathering of people who
call themselves "Asian Americans" you're bound to find people who prefer
to speak English, are Christian or agnostic, and celebrate all the US
holidays, and have a lot of "American" friends

- "Americans"

You should also distinguish between the terms for non-Asians:

"Americans" - makes most PC types cringe because Asian-Am ARE American,
but most common name used by parents of As-Ams, refers to non-Asian
Americans of any race, usually White, but often Black or Hispanic as well.

"White" - mainstream term, not as preferred by Asians as Caucasians because
Asians don't think they have dark skin either.

"Caucasians" - Asians like this for reason mentioned above, but what the
heck a race based in Europe has to do with a place in Russia is 
completely beyond me.

"European-Americans" - The latest rip-off of the "contient-Americans"
convention invented by the As-Ams after the Af-Ams. Everybody hates this
except the really PC or San Jose's Dale Warner.

- Other Issues

Asians are overrepresented in science and engineering and high IQ scores,
but Asians also are absent from other aspects of American life

- military (other than Filipinos/Guamanians in the Navy)
- gays (at least openly so)
- AIDS, homeless, drug abuse (in relative terms)
- politics, affirmative action spoils (See Clinton Cabinet)
- police, fire
- management, administration
- entertainers
- sports
- rural America / outdoors
- owners of huge 4x4 pickup trucks with shotgun racks
- male sex objects

The most assimilated groups (= Japanese, then Chinese) are most likely
to buck these stereotypical trends.

Arthur T HU (maybe somebody will do an FAQ on me one of these days...)
@portal.com