I think it is worthwhile to differentiate between the two terms “Asian” and “Asian American”. They are not equivalent. The basis of our inferiority complex as Asian Americans stems from our upbringing in a country that has a Caucasian majority. Asians from Asia, on the other hand, never had to deal with the same oppression that we do, so they do not exhibit the same angst. For example, why don’t we have Asian American singers and professional athletes? I venture to say that it’s because we have bought into the stereotypes that Asians can’t sing and are useless at sports (except for table tennis). We essentially disqualify ourselves from these professions. Yet, there are plenty of talented Asian performers outside the U.S. As for athletes, we are importing them from Japan, Korea and China to play on our professional teams, and Asian countries regularly kick butt at the Olympics! I’m not into watching professional sports, but sports, and the people who excel at them, are highly valued by our society. Maybe discouraging Asian Americans from this industry is another type of marginalization. Hmm. Something to think about
The irony is that Asian Americans look down on Asians, calling them FOB’s and making fun of their accents. By doing so, we are only displaying our Caucasian-centric racism and perpetuating the victimization of our own kind. What we should be doing is holding these individuals up as proof that Caucasian stereotypes of Asians (and Asian Americans) have no basis in reality.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Like father like daughter
It's interesting to watch my daughter develop into a young adult. I am often amazed at the similarities in our characters. Personality, based on my un-scientific observations of my family, is both nature and nurture. For example, my daughter has firmly decided that she will not learn Vietnamese. Now, I know she can understand and speak it quite well...I've heard her speak to people when she didn't realize I was around. With me and anyone else who she knows can speak English, though, she refuses to speak Vietnamese. To her it's uncool, and nothing I can say or do will convince her otherwise.
I could force her, I suppose, but I would be operating from a position of weakness. You see, I was exactly the same way when I was her age. For me, as an Asian kid trying desperately to fit into white American society, Vietnamese was just unnecessary baggage. I fought tooth and nail against any efforts to make me learn the language. Unfortunately (or fortunately) for me, I had relatives who spoke absolutely no English, and I had to learn Vietnamese to communicate.
My daughter's aversion to the language is a bit harder to understand. I suspect, though, it arises from the many criticisms of Vietnamese society that she is exposed to at home. My wife and I, I must sadly confess, tend to let our negative impressions of our adopted home show in our words and attitudes. I try to control this in myself and I do a good job most of the time. But I can't convince my wife to tone down the rhetoric. I can't really blame her, since her ties to this country are more tenuous than my own.
My only recourse is to let my daughter absorb Vietnamese passively and hope that she will understand one day the value of knowing another language, especially when that language is a part of her heritage.
If she really is like me, then I think, eventually, she'll get it and embrace her Vietnamese side as an integral part of who she is.
I could force her, I suppose, but I would be operating from a position of weakness. You see, I was exactly the same way when I was her age. For me, as an Asian kid trying desperately to fit into white American society, Vietnamese was just unnecessary baggage. I fought tooth and nail against any efforts to make me learn the language. Unfortunately (or fortunately) for me, I had relatives who spoke absolutely no English, and I had to learn Vietnamese to communicate.
My daughter's aversion to the language is a bit harder to understand. I suspect, though, it arises from the many criticisms of Vietnamese society that she is exposed to at home. My wife and I, I must sadly confess, tend to let our negative impressions of our adopted home show in our words and attitudes. I try to control this in myself and I do a good job most of the time. But I can't convince my wife to tone down the rhetoric. I can't really blame her, since her ties to this country are more tenuous than my own.
My only recourse is to let my daughter absorb Vietnamese passively and hope that she will understand one day the value of knowing another language, especially when that language is a part of her heritage.
If she really is like me, then I think, eventually, she'll get it and embrace her Vietnamese side as an integral part of who she is.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Traffic in Vietnam
You know, I've been in Vietnam for 11 years and I have a love/hate relationship with this place. I obviously love to live here because, well, it's been 11 years!One of the things I hate, though, is the traffic. People here are absolutely suicidal. They barrel out of alleys without stopping. Approaching an intersection? Speed up! One way street? That's just a suggestion, just like the red traffic light.
Today at lunch I saw a man on a motorcycle drive into an intersection in the middle of the city only to be hit from the side by a small truck speeding through. That man was thrown off his bike about 5 meters onto his head (he wasn't wearing a helmet). Surprisingly, he remained conscious, but his leg didn't look good. My question is, Why didn't the drivers slow down when they knew they were entering an area with cross traffic?
Another traffic pet peeve of mine is the funeral procession. In Vietnam, funerals are lavish affairs with colorful hearses, long lines of cars carrying mourners and brass bands. I'm all for honoring the dead. But (you knew there was a "but"), when the lines of buses block the road and cause traffic jams in both directions, then it becomes a threat to public order. Roads in Saigon are narrow and can barely handle the regular traffic, not to mention private, ceremonial traffic. (I also take issue with the tons of "ghost money" thrown from the hearses and clogging the overworked sewers, but that's a different post.)
Many mornings when I walk to work, I get cutoff while crossing the road by cars turning left from the opposite direction. They obvisously see me, but they don't want to stop because they're in a hurry, I guess.
It seems the rule here is "lookout for number one" and who cares about other people on the road. Everyone is very selfish. I suppose this is the result of several decades of living hand-to-mouth, and that things will change as people become more affluent and can spare a thought to the needs/rights of others in society.
To me, it's a reflection of the short-term attitude of most people here. I fear that further development of the country will have to wait until this attitude changes.
Today at lunch I saw a man on a motorcycle drive into an intersection in the middle of the city only to be hit from the side by a small truck speeding through. That man was thrown off his bike about 5 meters onto his head (he wasn't wearing a helmet). Surprisingly, he remained conscious, but his leg didn't look good. My question is, Why didn't the drivers slow down when they knew they were entering an area with cross traffic?
Another traffic pet peeve of mine is the funeral procession. In Vietnam, funerals are lavish affairs with colorful hearses, long lines of cars carrying mourners and brass bands. I'm all for honoring the dead. But (you knew there was a "but"), when the lines of buses block the road and cause traffic jams in both directions, then it becomes a threat to public order. Roads in Saigon are narrow and can barely handle the regular traffic, not to mention private, ceremonial traffic. (I also take issue with the tons of "ghost money" thrown from the hearses and clogging the overworked sewers, but that's a different post.)
Many mornings when I walk to work, I get cutoff while crossing the road by cars turning left from the opposite direction. They obvisously see me, but they don't want to stop because they're in a hurry, I guess.
It seems the rule here is "lookout for number one" and who cares about other people on the road. Everyone is very selfish. I suppose this is the result of several decades of living hand-to-mouth, and that things will change as people become more affluent and can spare a thought to the needs/rights of others in society.
To me, it's a reflection of the short-term attitude of most people here. I fear that further development of the country will have to wait until this attitude changes.
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