From: tse@loonybin.apple.com (Gary Tse)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.asian.american
Subject: Re: Asian/Asian American Conflicts
Keywords: Michael Jordan,  Leprosy
Date: 1 Sep 92 07:20:30 GMT
Organization: Raoul Duke School of Pharmacology and Journalism

[This is a rather belated reply to joe's article.  I apologize if I confuse
anyone by dredging up this old subject.]

In article <78489@ut-emx.uucp> joe@astro.as.utexas.edu (Joe Wang) writes:
>In article <17hn48INNm00@network.ucsd.edu> hirota@sluggo.sdsc.edu (Bryan Hirota) writes:
>>If you feel Chinese, then you are an Asian, not an Asian American.
>
>Yeah.  The question that I've always puzzled over is whether there is
>a corelation between the fact that I consider myself "Asian" and the
>fact that I'm consistently at odds with "Asian-American activists" and
>on the side of what Andy Shaw calls the "white cabal."  
>
>The closest thing that I've come to an answer is that I don't I have
>any particular need to be thought of as 100% American.  I'd like to be
>accepted as an American, but Americans don't want me, that's their
>problem.  I'm still Chinese.

I had a yearning for Shanghaiese food today, so I drove down to my
favorite Northern Chinese restaurant in San Jose for lunch.  The
restaurant was quite busy, and I ended up sharing a table with a mother
and her teenage son.  The mother and I were probably the only Cantonese
in a restaurant full of Mandarin and English speakers, and we chatted
for a bit while we waited for our food.  One thing led to another, and
we started talking about education and college in particular.  As we
began to talk about schools, the mother started translating the
conversation to English for her son.  I switched to English, and the
son joined our conversation.  The young man seemed rather keen on going
to Berkeley, and he was particularly impressed with the Asian American
program there.  I made polite noises, and the conversation soon ended
when the food arrived.

The teenage son made quite an impression on me.  He seems to be a rather
intelligent and earnest fellow.  From his interest in Asian American
studies, I would guess that he is politically aware.  He doesn't seem
to speak or understand Chinese, and it is almost certain that he does
not read or write the language.  I don't know if he is aware of cultural
things Chinese, but he eats his noodle soup with a fork, and that may be 
a clue.

Like I said, the fellow made an impression.  He seems a perfect fit of
my stereotypical (and almost certainly incorrect) mold of an Asian
American activist.  If I were blind, I would not even guess that he
has yellow skin and black hair.  He could just as well be Black, or 
White, or Red.  

But the food was spectacular, and I was hungry besides.  Introspection
gave way to lunch.

I couldn't help but think about that kid on my drive back to work though.
And my initial reaction of disdain and dismissal turned to pity.  You
see, that young man is emphatically non-Chinese.  He is American and
absolutely nothing else.  Why does he care so about the Asian American
cause?  There seems to be nothing Asian about him.  Is it because when
others look at him, they see yellow skin and black hair?  It must be a
difficult and sad life indeed to be defined by what others see in him.

-- 
Gary Tse, tse@Apple.COM		"The fascination of what's difficult",
(408) 862-5452  		    The wish to do what one's not done before,
				Is the proper card to show at Heaven's door.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.asian.american