From: riekwan@halls1.cc.monash.edu.au (EDMUND KWAN)
Subject: Re: On Languages and Asian Americans
Organization: Halls of Residence, Monash University 
Date: Sun, 27 Dec 1992 11:43:28 GMT

In article <1992Dec26.180455.9624@mcshub.dcss.mcmaster.ca> yu@physun.physics.mcmaster.ca (Frank F. Yu) writes:
>From: yu@physun.physics.mcmaster.ca (Frank F. Yu)
>Subject: Re: On Languages and Asian Americans
>Date: Sat, 26 Dec 1992 18:04:55 GMT

>In article <1992Dec25.000616.818@leland.Stanford.EDU> underdog@leland.Stanford.EDU (Dwight Joe) writes:

>[Damn, it makes my hands sore to delete this whole bulls**t*]

>>
>>On the contrary, I have just demonstrated (yet again) that another 
>>Chinese-cu Chinese-ge believes that the state of being Chinese-ge
>>compels one to be Chinese-cu.  This is a view shared by rednecks,
>>Klansmen, and Nazis.
>>

>It seems that Dwight Joe has yet to learn to respect people who function
>differently from him. To be honest, if both of us were placed in the current
>Germany, Joe is more likely to become a skinhead than anyone else.
>(Could you also imagine Joe ever makes it to the Star Fleet? Never! Unless
>Hitler is the Head of the Academy.)

>That's my opinion. 

>Frank


__________________________________________________________________________
Subject: Languages and Asian American
Date: December 27, 1992
From: Edmund Kwan

>>Hello, I am calling from Australia.  I was previously from Singapore, 
>>where I was educated in English as the first language and Mandarin as the 
>>second language.  I speaks to my dad, a first generation Singaporean 
>>Chinese, and to my siblings, second generation Singaporean Chinese, in 
>>English, and to my mom in Cantonese as she is not conversant in English.  
>>Having read the past series of communication on the topic, please permit 
>>me to say that it would be gentlemanly to recognise that differences of 
>>opinion do occur.  But I think Frank's last comments about Joe being a 
>>potential skinhead and all that calling of names stuff are really out-of-
>>place.  Frank's opinion about chinese desiring to learn the chinese 
>>language, which he considers important, is just as valid as the differing 
>>opinions voiced by Joe and Maiko.  Therefore, the debate should be left
>>as it is and "to each his/her own".

>>I do not wish to add further fuel to the fire.  One possible reason why
>>chinese north americans, chinese australians or even Singaporeans who were
>>educated in the chinese language as the first language and English as the 
>>second, desiring or at times demanding their kids to learn chinese in 
>>priority/preference to other languages is perhaps due to their pride in the
>>chinese language/culture.  The chinese language also provides a cultural
>>link to the rest of the chinese community in their adopted country and to
>>their former mother country.  Some chinese considers this as a matter of
>>practicality and reality, others see it as one of perpetuation/continuation
>>of tradition.  Whichever the reason, it should be left to the individual 
>>family to work it out.  Even within the same family, differences of opinion
>>will appear.

>>I had stayed and worked in Japan for 5.5 years.  Prior to that I had done
>>post-graduate study at a Japanese university.  My fiance is Japanese.  For
>>practical purpose, I would want my kids in the future to learn English as
>>the first language.  He/she could learn Japanese as the second language.
>>English and Japanese are the two common languages between me and my fiance.
>>But my mom insists that Mandarin ought to be the second language for the
>>reasons that she sees it in terms of the preservation of cultural heritage
>>and for the fact that she wants to be able to communicate with her grand-
>>child/children.  While I respect her wishes, it took me quite a bit of
>>effort to convince her that what I am doing concerns my life and the future
>>of my family.  Cultural heritage and whatever roots that may have remained
>>may be important to her, BUT these are secondary to me.  As a second
>>generation chinese Singaporean and a new migrant to Australia, I do not
>>consider chinese to be the vital language to be taught to my kids in the
>>future.  It is more paramount that my kids be able to speak English with
>>the rest of the community in the adopted country.  Mandarin/Cantonese could
>>be taught as the third langauge just for cultural heritage sake.

>>I have often wondered about the difficulty of chinese everywhere in 
>>adapting and assimilating into their newly adopted countries.  Two 
>>plausible explanations are: (1) They often sees themselves as the 
>>discriminated/oppressed and enters into a state of self-conceit and 
>>self-rationalisation.  The chinese community/chinatown and the chinese 
>>language are psychological and emotional layers of defence and protection 
>>for them.  (2) They considers the chinese culture of the the middle-
>>kingdom to be superior to other forms of cultures and are proud of it to 
>>the extent of ethnocentrism and xenophobia.  Well, the chinese students 
>>in mainland China have discriminated against African students and in 
>>Singapore, despite proclaimations of multi-racialism, it could not be 
>>said absolutely that other non-chinese races have been given equal 
>>treatment.  I have pondered about the chinese diaspora and about the 
>>huge population of chinese living in far away lands, except in China.  
>>Some have argued that the exodus in great hordes was due to the wars, 
>>poverty and communism, but could this really be a manifestation of
>>chinese avoiding and escaping from one another ?  Could it be that chinese 
>>are not au fait with running a country and in taking care of themselves ?  
>>If they could, why is it that there are more chinese leaving China (Hong 
>>Kong, Macao and Taiwan) than those returning to it ?  If those chinese, 
>>who are so proud of their culture considers heritage/roots to be so 
>>important, why not go back to the origin of the culture; that is China, 
>>rather that complain about second-class treatment in a foreign land.  I 
>>do not know the answers to these questions.  Equally, many chinese to 
>>whom I had posed these questions, were reluctant to provide the answers.   
>>Could it be that chinese are unwilling to face squarely with the "ugly
>>chinese" in themselves ?  These are not assertions, just some provocating
>>thoughts which even my mom could not answer for she has no wish of
>>returning to China which she had abandoned long ago.

Cheers !  


Edmund