From: bbs.lar@tsoft.sf-bay.org (Larry Greenfield)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.asian.american
Subject: Side thought
Date: 16 Aug 92 03:45:06 GMT
Organization: The TSoft BBS and Public Access Unix, +1 415 969 8238

There is also something that, no matter how hard it is, you just cannot 
escape if you want to be truthful, and that is reality. I was just 
thinking back to an old Political Science teacher (world) I had a while 
back. He was talking about Malaysia, and saying that the Chinese 
population of Malaysia were much better off, much higher standard of 
living, much more go-getters.  He mentined that the "native" (ie, Muslim, 
etc) population of Malaysia were lazy and content to live in a 3rd world 
status, while the Malaysian Chinese population has striven to constantly 
upgrade their standard of living and wealth. I remember upon first 
hearing this being quite appalled, but the teacher went on to explain. He 
said something like "I don't mean to make racist statements, and that's 
certainly not what's intended here, bt in the end the facts speak for 
themselves. It could have easily been the other way around, but these are 
what the facts are" and showed lists of figures, facts, etc. 
  I bring this point up only to point out that the one thing that many 
times stands in the way of a utopia is that dang reality.  It would 
certainly be a nice Malaysia if everyone in the population were well-off 
and well-fed and well-educated. And *IS* it a racial statement to say 
that the Malaysian Chiese are better off than their counterparts?  I'm 
not saying that by birth (ie, race) they're better, but by society and 
culture, they have certainly done much better than the native non-Chinese 
population.  How can one say this without sounding, at least first, 
racist? Yet, how can one ignore this if one hopes to change the world?
In order to make things better, you must first examine the way the world 
ACTUALY IS, not the way you'd like it to be. One of the posters mentioned 
the stereotype of the asian-american being the "model minority".  
Stereotype or not, this *IS* true a lot of times, don't kid yourself. I 
also know a lot of asian americans who are punks (now punks as in "bad 
kids" but as in "punk rockers",etc), and what you'd call "social 
deviants". I also know a lot of non-asians that are exteremely smart and 
in all the top schools, classes, etc. But as a group (a terrible thing to 
do, classifying people), but as a group, asian-americans have succeeded 
more than others in certain things.
  I think of it this way. I'm a violinist by trade, and Jewish.  almost 
*ALL* of the great violinists of the 20th century up until a few years 
ago were Jewish. Every single one of them. Heiftz, Rabin, Pearlman, 
Stern, Zukerman, etc.  Total landslide. Why?  Was being Jewish meant they 
were better on the violin? Certainly not (as recent non-Jewish violinists 
certainly prove), but typically, Jewish households emphasized music 
(especially among newer immigrants), where your typical "normal" American 
would be hanging out at the be-bop diner.  A few years ago, one of my 
students (father causasian, mother Japanese) mentioned that all the 
winners at a competition seemed to be Asian (something she seemed quite 
proud of).  I mentioned to her that even just 10 years ago, they all 
would have almost certainly been Jewish, especially the greats.  Just 
because you're ne race doesn't mean you have an ability over others, but 
the culture you have definitely influences it.  Whereas for the past few 
decades, the great violinists came out of Jewish homes, now there are 
many fine asian violinists,because the society and asian family, lilke 
the jewish family, stresses academics, music, etc more than the standard 
"been here sincne 1607" American family. Again, the last thing I want to 
do is stereotype (for I myself hate being stereotyped when, for instance, 
I mention I'm Jewish, or something else), but yet, you do have to look at 
the way things are in the world, and see patterns. You can't just ignore 
them.
Just a passing thought.
:::::Larry:::::

--
Larry Greenfield (bbs.lar@tsoft.sf-bay.org)