In the category of Things We Already Know, a new USA Today/Gallup Poll finds that most Americans believe "racism is widespread against blacks in the United States." As is to be expected, the degree that people hold this belief is dependent on their own race -- black, white or Hispanic. The survey in and of itself is worth taking a look at but, like I said, doesn't exactly stun with unexpectedness.
Except for one thing...
What was interesting to me was that a survey about how "most Americans" feel about racism and minorities didn't include responses from Asian-Americans.
They're not minorities? They don't have views on racism?
Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders make up only about 5 percent of the population, so by default maybe they lie outside the strict definition of "most Americans." But the poll was culling a variety of racial attitudes, and it managed to include views of racism against whites. You'd think if the survey had room to include views on the pervasive systemic oppression whites suffer through (now go back and read that sentence sarcastically), they'd take the time to chat up an Asian or two.
But why didn't they? And why don't we hear more about and from Asians when it comes to race in America? Are Asians the new Invisible Man -- there but not there? In some ways, yeah. Blacks and whites are always carping about the metrics of racism. And any conversation about immigration reform is immediately flipped into a referendum on Hispanics.
But Asians rarely seem to weigh in on, or have their rallying cause, with regard to race in America.
I haven't had the time to do a full scientific study, but the couple of Asian-Americans I talked with -- I know how that sounds, but, hey, that's a couple more than USA Today/Gallup bothered to talk with -- said that mostly they don't care to talk about race. Instead, they tend to have a "go along to get along" attitude.
This propensity to be cool is often misconstrued as the "Asian as the model minority" stereotype. And it is, in fact, just that -- a stereotype. That's not to imply that Asians are somehow bad folks, but that -- just as is every other minority -- they are regular folks. But we can't know that if every time opinions are sought out, they are passed over.
Clearly, not all Asians are comfortable just "being cool" about issues. And Asian-centric political action may be a more recognizable movement in coming elections.
Their opinions getting left out of one of any number of surveys on race may seem like a small thing. Maybe it is. But I think if we're really going to have an Obamaian dialogue on race in America, then we've got to have the widest dialogue possible and not just hear from the traditional "big three."
Now, that would be a poll that might fall outside of the Things We Already Know category.
We are entering a new age that will, as the Depression and WWII did, place more demands on ALL Americans. The ability to survive and thrive under circumstances that diminish the value of solely economic/educational prowess -- is on deck. The ability to be meaningful and have a meaning existence based upon a more nuanced understanding of what constitutes value -- and a willingness to step up to the plate and SACRIFICE everything, even one's life -- for those VALUES, may be required.
The rubber is about to meet the road and there will be no flying below the radar or passing the ball to someone else.
Many people visit the "China towns" in the large metro areas, but dismiss any of the ills facing the folks in the community. THe only time wrong doing is reported, it's normally asociated with selling information to China, otherwise, everyone looks not directly at them. How many second generation want to be music recording artist, or big screen actors, or a clown? Would they be taken seriously or consider not staying in their box of working in a lab, or computer company. How many second generation members are on the police rolls and patrolling other communities streets in Chicago, Philly, NYC, Atl. ? How many construction workers, working on other neighborhoods have you seen? How many repair, cable installers, garbage collectors in other neighborhoods?
Could it be that in the identity lable communities "arabic and Asian" the word recession, layoffs, unemployment does not seem to have a major impact? Could it be that their communities are geared more towards family/small businesses, and not greed, the key to their successes?
I have also noticed that whites tend to move out of areas with increasing immigrants from foreign countries or people of color. Suddenly, a vibrant community can become a God-forsaken town in a couple of years.
There is no " melting pot ". It is just someone's imagination. The fact of the matter is, you can call it an improvement if there is no overt exploitation and discrimination. The proverbial " glass ceiling " for promotion of minorities in major corporations will remain unless and until they achieve political recognition and power.
Here's my point. The ascendancy of China will focus Americans on Asia -- and put the spotlight on Asian-Americans who are unused to this kind of glare and scrutiny, while flying under the radar. AAs cannot but help, as the largest "minority" but OWN our place w/in the context of the American tapestry. Further, our history is longer on this continent -- and, our contributions (as w/Native Americans) uniquely exploited as an unpaid investment in the Nation's successful future -- one our Asian family has come to enjoy.
America will be put under further economic pressure in the 21st Century -- and will resent China's ascendancy after the Olympics when China no longer has incentives to concern herself w/what the West thinks. Europe is not replenishing its AGING demographics, further fracturing and placing downward pressure on American interests and abilities to defend and carry Western interests.
Our Asian family should prepare for focus/scrutiny -- unfairly associated w/the hegemony of the China ascendancy. They should also hope fellow "minorities" -- such as AAs and Latinos -- are there FOR them on the push-back front lines -- in ways they were not, for us. Nobody likes to be at the bottom of the totem pole and resented. Barack's ascendancy moves AAs up a notch. Our parents, grandparents fought for this moment. Yes...fought...and earned it. It takes more than economic and educational prowess, via (fought for) Affirmative Action to BE an American. It takes a willingness to put yourself forward on the line to continue to FORGE this more perfect Union.
Food for thought.
Many Asians who have immigrated to America in the last two generations came legally (because there just isn't an easy way to get here, ya know, from across the Pacific Ocean). So, they came here with a higher education level than say Chinese who immigrate to Singapore (because its far easier to get there). It's the same thing with Africans (not African-Americans) who come here: via education. It's the same reason why Europeans think of north Africans in a similar way as many Americans think of Latinos--same dynamic.
Asian poverty levels are disproportionately high in the United States, but not as high as African-Americans and Latinos. Asian average wealth is also higher than whites. One would think this paradox would be interesting to those concerned about race, but I've found that race studies seem to be done for the benefit of their audience, which is predominantly white.
I want to commmend you, Mr Ridley for bringing up this discussion. We feel as if nothing we can do will ever make us American in the eyes of "true Americans". We feel as if we are perpetual foreigners. If you want to understand the problems and issues that Asian Americans face, there is no one more eloquent or humorous than Beau Sia. You can check him out on Youtube.
Sure, Japanese internment camps were a dark stain on our history, but when compared to the other horrors of WWII (think The Holocaust, Hiroshima/Nagasaki, Bataan Death March, etc.), the internment camps were minor league stuff. It was short-lived and nobody died. I'm not trying to trivialize it, but rather make a point. Has that moment in history had an impact on Japanese-Americans in a sense that it affects their lives today? I don't think it does.
Then there's Chinese who helped build the Transcontinental Railroad. Handling nitro-glycerin for $28 a month is no picnic. But to compare this to something like slavery or Jim Crow would be ludicrous. It wasn't systematic political oppression. It was simply corporate greed, the kind that has existed since the Pyramids were built. To take political action over this event nowadays would be a bit much, don't you think?
There are bad stereotypes and some underrepresentation on prime-time television. To me, that's the extent of it, and that ain't so bad in my humble opinion.
Serfdom is a socio-economic condition of unfree peasants under feudalism. Serfdom was the enforced labor of serfs on the fields of landowners, in return for protection and the right to work on their leased fields.
Yes, the perception is that there a lot of Hispanic-American field workers (strictly speaking, these workers are actually Mexican and Central American nationals, and even some Filipinos, Japanese, and Chinese) These field workers are wage laborers, some earn upwards or $18 per hour on more expensive crops like asparagus and artichokes. Many of these jobs are actually union membership.
You may have checked the year, it's 2008 in America, not the feudal 17th century Western Europe.
As for your other non-sequitors and strawmen "arguments." Well, I'll let someone else, more humble than I, take a shot.