Re: Re: It's cultural.
Originally posted by Jake Steed
Uh, no offense, but I don't think you can compare the social situation of contemporary asian americans to that of blacks and hispanics. Asian americans are currently among the most affluent and most wealthy demographic in america. In short, most of them are loaded and come from very wealthy families or otherwise they wouldn't be able to afford coming over here. Their voice is heard. Blacks on the other hand, were brought here in the bellies of slave ships.
You are wrong. Do not presume to know so much about Asian Americans. You wish. I do appreciate the sensitive approach you took in replying, but banging a Chinese broad does not give you an intimate knowledge of the internal affairs of the Asian American world. I do not care how many Sunday morning family dim-sums you've been to, how many Chinese weddings you've been to - I know white men who've been married to Chinese women for 2, even 3 DECADES, and they still have misunderstandings here and there. It's a lifetime process. I'm sure that you're a good guy deep down and that you treat your Chinese girl well, but that does not preclude having an expert knowledge about Asian-Americana.
Here are the facts - there are PLENTY of Asian Americans that live below the poverty line. There are roughly 10 million Asian Americans in the United States, and out of this tens of thousands live in abject poverty or closely toe that line. There are the Hmong, who are ethnic minority refugees from Cambodia that fled genocide at the hands of Cambodians. They live like dogs. Most of the young men are in gangs, and the girls... well you get the idea. Despite that all people label NE Asians like Koreans and Chinese as very successful groups, plenty of them live shady and marginal lives. Korean and Chinese gangs are rampant in the Bay Area, as you no doubt know from living there. Plenty of them in SoCal too, bro. In NYC, Korean gangs are starting to become a problem as the clash to black thugs and sometime the Chinese mafia. All these kids are poor children with trauma and problems. I also know of older Koreans in LA's Koreatown that work two jobs as a liquorstore clerk and security guard (at the ripe old age of 55-60) to make ends meet, while their wives work at supermarkets and restaurants, and their children work afterhour jobs at gas stations or liquor stores. Life in Koreatown isn't a walk in the park for many. Many Vietnamese and Filipinos have a rough life too - they started out poor, and it isn't easy to climb out of that, despite how people so easily label America as a land where EVERYONE can rise from a bum to a success in a few short years. It doesn't happen. Your chances are certainly better here than in Europe or Asia, but it DOESN'T HAPPEN TO EVERYONE. If that you think were true, we would see just about every Asian American driving around a Porsche 911 GTO. Understand that.
Originally posted by Jake Steed
I also love how you make your racist comment about hispanics, that the only reason they are being heard in america right now is not by their intelligence or sense of community, but because they pop out millions of kids. You're one step shy of comparing them to multiplying baboons.
Dude.... come on now.
You twist my comment out of context. Hispanics have the highest proportion of foreign born citizens out of all groups (with Asians trailing closely), and if it were not for their common language (Spanish), they would be just as fragmented as Asian Americans (whose only common language is English... a problem when you have so many Fresh Off the Boat people who don't speak English freely). This is a fortunate thing for them. Without it, you couldn't even HOPE to see the political clout they are beginning to exercise on the Bush Administration. The Hispanic people are overwhelmingly (proportionately) poorer than Asians in this country, yet with their sheer numbers they yield fearsome voting power. I envy that; it wasn't a knock on them. They just recently overtook blacks as the biggest minority group in the U.S., and they are poised to become a MAJORITY by 2050, if I remember correctly. THERE'S YOUR POWER IN NUMBERS, Jake Steed. I made no reference to intelligence or community, so don't put words in my mouth. Thank you.
Originally posted by Jake Steed
I'm not saying there isn't racism against asians. I know there is. But before you go comparing your situation to that of blacks, take a moment to reflect that many asians tend to be the most incredibly racist people in the world. I say this from first hand experience. Most of my friends in the Bay Area are Chinese and Korean-Americans, and they are the first to admit it. My gf is chinese, and her parents are praying daily that I get hit by a car. Of course they're wonderfully polite to my face.
I'm not one to deny that Asians definately are prejudiced - some more so than others, and some not at all. It really depends on the individual, JUST LIKE ANY OTHER RACE. And btw, there are generational differences in racism. My parents are slightly racist. I am only hostile to azzholes that dare to cross me as a person of color and hope to get away with it. That's it. I don't give a fvck if some whiteboy mounts a yellow girl or if a black guy has an Asian wife. Unless they start to think they're making a social statement or think that they're hot shyt because of it, that is.
I am only about preserving my dignity, and the dignity of my people. I am but a single man so this is all I can do (expressing opinions and influencing people around me), but if every Asian man and woman did this, it would add up to a great sum, and people would take notice).
But anyway, the key here is not racism that is based on eugenics or any other racial theory, but CULTURAL CHAUVINISM. Asians are incredibly proud and arrogant in that sense, and to be honest, I think they are justified. America is a toddler as far as history and culture goes. That's how most Asians Middle Easterners and som Europeans see it, thought Euros are much less likely to speak about it, in front of an American, and especially a white American.
Originally posted by Jake Steed
So when were you planning to stop with the "media representation stuff"? Maybe after you bring it up a few more times?
Dude, I brought it up to TELL people to stop bringing it up. And sometimes one can't help but talk about it within the context of discussion. Don't be such a nitpicky brat, man.
Originally posted by Jake Steed
By the way, can you give me some recent examples of the U.S. media "endlessly bashing asian men"? I agree, in the past, there were some pretty offensive ones, like Breakfast at Tiffany's and Sixteen Candles. But give me some examples of this now. To make a statement that the US media "endlessly bashes asian men", you should be able to easily list at least 20 or so current examples.
I don't have the patience to do that for you bro, but I would be happy to refer you to
www.angryasianman.com . It's a tongue-in-cheek and funny (at least to us chinks) media watchdog website that lists examples of media offenses against Asian-Americans and sometimes against Asian-American men. The webmaster provides a short commentary on each example in the current media, so it's a fun read. He's a sarcastic and crafty mofo, kinda like me.
Go on - its long, so grab a cup of Joe and have a read.
