Should we expect Asian-Americans to care about their Asian?

[AngryABCGirl]

Alright, bad thread title, but wanted it to be an encompassing topic. Should be expect Asian-Americans to have to carry on or retain their cultural heritage or care about their home countries? Should be expect them to care about issues and be active and socially aware about their race and ethnicity? I know those two seem quite seperate, but are rarely mutually exclusive.

For me, I think it's a definite must to retain, know, and practice your cultural heritage, and I can't help but care about other Chinese and Overseas Chinese around the world. But being 2nd generation probably has a lot of influence on me for this, and the fact I'm the youngest, but the least whitewashed but former black sheep of the family probably motivates me a lot to be the one to prove myself as well as to be the one to stay Asian so to speak. Also, I live in a Chinese community and grew up with other Chinese immigrants and children of Chinese immigrants so it wasn't difficult for me to keep in touch with my culture. The fact that I have family and friends residing overseas probably makes me a lot more attached to an Asian country as well.

I can't say I could expect the same from someone who has been here for generations and whose families came in a past that was much more intolerant and assimilationist then the life I've lived now. But I've been admittingly pretty unfair to my expecations of what I should see from other 2nd gens like myself.

As for political conciousness, I see this as something anyone that is 2nd gen or more as something we should or, or at least a concept of how their racial and ethnic identity has affected them. Asian-Americans really have to question a lot of what has shaped them or else it's very likely they will view themselves as the pepertual other or any number of disempowering stereotypes they've been subjected to. Which of course is bad and degrading, which makes them think about their own ethnic cultures.

[sageb1]

Pan to Japanese male, who says quietly, "I am Canadian" only to raise bottle of Asahi beer, camera closes on beer bottle and suddenly the label appears and shows "Made in Czechoslovak Respublik".

To serve Canada is my only duty in life. The Yakuza investors in the hotels owned by Japanese corporations just want to get rich quick. So they refuse to establish Crowsnest Pass AB as a tourist resort. Instead, there's an English school in Coleman!!!

Arg! Needless to say, the ski resort near Lilooet BC is wrong to build a new ski facility while planning to ostracize the natives and hire whites. Its owner is Japanese.

SO like, I have no loyalty to Japan. it's another part of the web of lies called the military industrial complex, an ages old colaboration to make us poor and the rich rich.

pardon me while i donate to the local women's shelter. TYVM

[kitty]

I have more ties to my Canadian/American culture than to my Asian heritage. I feel very foreign when I visit China, Taiwan, or other parts of East Asia. But to me, I do think that there should be some understanding of your Asian heritage -- at least as far as what it means to you.

Like, I wouldn't care if an AA has never had pho (me) or doesn't know what tiger balm is or whatever, but if they don't recognize they ARE Asian, then that's a problem. The rest of it I think can sometimes lead to APA Asiaphilia, and that bothers me almost as much as white Asiaphilia.

[>:^|]

To some extent, this is a matter of language. It is hard to be tied into another culture when you can't speak or read the language. You may still feel tied, but it is harder to be connected in a meaningful way--which is through people.

[Mr.Lum]

To some extent. Should Asians in North America, Australia etc be hardcore Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese, Viet nationalists? Not in my view. It's worth it to understand one's ethnic heritage even just a little. I don't expect someone who is like 3rd or 4th + gen to be up on thier "home" culture anymore than a white person or w/e of the same gen? No. I think they should have some degree of respect for it however.

[AliBabaIncorporated]

Originally Posted by >:^|

To some extent, this is a matter of language. It is hard to be tied into another culture when you can't speak or read the language. You may still feel tied, but it is harder to be connected in a meaningful way--which is through people.

Even language, I'd say, isn't enough to tie you into another culture. Instead, it's the little bit of knowledge that helps you realize how out of touch you are, while those without the language knowledge can continue to fool themselves into thinking that they're in touch.

In my personal experience, the big boost my Chinese language abilities started getting around my sophomore year in high school, made me realize the incredible gulf between many Chinese people and myself about what's respectable in life, what's a good environment for a kid to grow up, how attached people should be to their extended families, attitudes towards dating and marriage. (Don't even get me started on Chinese "self-help" and "advice" books on everything from careers to friendship, which I usually regard as a wealth of childish, self-centred suggestions to be avoided).

But ironically, my speaking and writing Chinese means HKers in general view me as more Chinese than some other guy who speaks bad Chinese and can't read it, but might share a lot more of HKers' attitudes towards life than I do.

Anyway, I don't really expect kids born in foreign countries to be in touch with the culture of the motherland; that requires special circumstances and a community-created environment which would support cultural propagation. Those things simply aren't available in many places. But if I see those kids making a lot of big noise about "Asianness" being a centerpiece in their lives, I wouldn't feel much sympathy for them when they're judged and found pathetic by the standards of their home cultures.

[SunWuKong]

Originally Posted by sageb1

Pan to Japanese male, who says quietly, "I am Canadian" only to raise bottle of Asahi beer, camera closes on beer bottle and suddenly the label appears and shows "Made in Czechoslovak Respublik".

To serve Canada is my only duty in life. The Yakuza investors in the hotels owned by Japanese corporations just want to get rich quick. So they refuse to establish Crowsnest Pass AB as a tourist resort. Instead, there's an English school in Coleman!!!

Arg! Needless to say, the ski resort near Lilooet BC is wrong to build a new ski facility while planning to ostracize the natives and hire whites. Its owner is Japanese.

SO like, I have no loyalty to Japan. it's another part of the web of lies called the military industrial complex, an ages old colaboration to make us poor and the rich rich.

pardon me while i donate to the local women's shelter. TYVM

what in the name of all that is holy are you talking about?

[thaite]

sage, you so crazee. lol.

[stunninglyAsian]

As you see Asians live longer, I think we'll go the way of Italian-Americans. We'll be American, speak only English with a spattering of Asian words, do our Asian New Year's and other remnants of Asian culture that we cling to so we can feel Asian, enjoy our food, and talk about going back to the motherland or how better the food or women are over there.

I think we should retain our culture more than other immigrant groups just because we look so different from Americans which puts up a barrier between us and other Americans. It's one thing for an Italian-American to totally give up Italian culture because they can easily fit into American society- they're seen as American. But we have a harder time blending in.

[deez nuts]

Originally Posted by sageb1

Pan to Japanese male, who says quietly, "I am Canadian" only to raise bottle of Asahi beer, camera closes on beer bottle and suddenly the label appears and shows "Made in Czechoslovak Respublik".

To serve Canada is my only duty in life. The Yakuza investors in the hotels owned by Japanese corporations just want to get rich quick. So they refuse to establish Crowsnest Pass AB as a tourist resort. Instead, there's an English school in Coleman!!!

Arg! Needless to say, the ski resort near Lilooet BC is wrong to build a new ski facility while planning to ostracize the natives and hire whites. Its owner is Japanese.

SO like, I have no loyalty to Japan. it's another part of the web of lies called the military industrial complex, an ages old colaboration to make us poor and the rich rich.

pardon me while i donate to the local women's shelter. TYVM

what in zeus' butthole are you talking aboooooooooooot?

[Filiprish]

Originally Posted by stunninglyAsian

As you see Asians live longer, I think we'll go the way of Italian-Americans. We'll be American, speak only English with a spattering of Asian words, do our Asian New Year's and other remnants of Asian culture that we cling to so we can feel Asian, enjoy our food, and talk about going back to the motherland or how better the food or women are over there.

I think we should retain our culture more than other immigrant groups just because we look so different from Americans which puts up a barrier between us and other Americans. It's one thing for an Italian-American to totally give up Italian culture because they can easily fit into American society- they're seen as American. But we have a harder time blending in.

Wise words.