From: lam@popeye.comm.mot.com (Dan Lam)
Subject: Re: FOBs/Oreos/Twinkies/etc.
Organization: Land Mobile Products Sector, Motorola INC.
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 16:18:38 GMT

In article <1992Jul24.015001.5035@tcsi.com> gwu@nujoizey.tcs.com (George Wu) writes:
>-

>
>    On the other hand, some of these same people and I were also in
>another social clique of Caucasians.  One day, when only I joined the
>Caucasians for lunch because the others went to the Asian lunch, one
>of the Caucasian guys complained.  He thought the other two, and alot
>of Asians in general, were being too ethnic, and would just make
>adjustment to life in America harder for themselves.  (I can't say I
>disagree with the latter, but I can't imagine how "too ethnic" could
>be a problem.  I couldn't then; I can't now.)
>
	I would just go to lunch with whoever I want to and I dont give
a damn if anyone complains.  When I worked for Motorola in Austin, Tx. I
did not go to lunch with the majority Caucasian crowd as often as they
would like me to.  The reason:  They always wanted Chinese food for
lunch.  I like Chinese food but I also like Thai, Vietnamese, 
Mexican, Shusi, and Txeas BBQ.  So very often  I went to lunch with 
this other Irish guy and another Vietnamese coworker.

	In my opinion, I don't think being "too ethnic" is a problem.
Where I work now (Motorola Chicago), we are encouraged to be "too
ethnic".  We are encouraged to know about another culture, leared
another language.  There are classes in Korean, Chinese, and Japanese,
etc.  The sad thing is a few AA's I have talked to are not really
thrilled about these language learning opportunities.  I don't know why
but may be they don't wnat to be lumped with foreigner speaking
different languages (see another followup, I think it is fr. Clare) or
other reasons.  The majority of people that grab these oppoertunities
are therefore caucasians.  There are quite a few Caucasians speak
Japanese, Mandarin, etc. around here.  (You spot them in the hallways sometines).

	Anyways I once asked my manager to let me take Japanese. He said
no and came up with tons of reasons to not let me take it.  (I wish I
knew someone like DJ back then to convince my boss that Japanese-cu is
ok and only Chinese-cu is barbaric.  Just kidding guys).
 
>     Anyways, somehow, even though it was a white guy saying it, right
>then, I knew a) some AAs thought the same way, and b) some Asians
>thought the same in reverse, and including about me.  Even though I
>wasn't joining the Asian lunch only because I didn't understand 90%
>of the conversation, I knew someone was thinking I just wanted to be
>with my white friends instead.  Maybe it was just hearing them talk
>and laugh about white and black people in bigoted terms.

	Hey how about asking them to converse in English so you won't be
left out of the conversation.  But if you want to learn the language,
this maybe a good opportunity for you to practice.

>George J Wu, Software Engineer         | gwu@tcs.com or uunet!tcs!gwu
>Teknekron Communications Systems, Inc. | (510) 649-3700
>2121 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA, 94704  | Never be the first to believe . . .

	Nice post and thanks for sharing your experience, 

Dan


Newsgroups: soc.culture.asian.american,alt.culture.us.asian-indian