Stereotypes give us images of other people, but they also give us scripts to follow. It is no surprise that Asian Americans feel excluded from race matters. As D'Souza, the author of books such as The End of Racism , observed privately when we debated initially, it isn't often that an Asian American is invited to comment on civil rights, much less that two Asian Americans are given the opportunity. As much as I disagree with D'Souza's opinions, I agree with him that more Asian Americans should be offering their opinions. I am heartened that what happens to me extends to him as well.
Public discourse is the greatest of democratic traditions.
Whatever they do elsewhere, we should demand that everyone think for themselves and we ought to encourage all of us to share our thoughts. Ethnic newspapers such as AsianWeek are part of a rich tradition of civic journalism. Above all, however, Asian Americans must participate in the dialogues of democracy. That is what it means to be an American. The information you receive on-line from AsianWeek is protected by the copyright laws of the United States.