Author: Kelly

The Two Asian Americas

“What have I made of myself and my children? … We cannot exercise our rights. Humility and insults, who is responsible for all this? Me and the American government. Obstacles this way, blockades that way, and bridges burnt behind.”

The quotation above was excepted from the 1928 suicide letter of Vaishno Das Bagai, an Indian immigrant victimized by racist Anti-Asian legislation which stripped him of his citizenship, property, employment, and ultimately, his self-esteem in America. This New Yorker article looks at history and the experiences of people like Bagai to explore how systemic racism continues to influence the lives of Asians in America.  It describes the duality of the Asian American experience:

“There are now, in a sense, two Asian Americas: one formed by five centuries of systemic racism, and another, more genteel version, constituted in the aftermath of the 1965 law. These two Asian Americas float over and under each other like tectonic plates, often clanging discordantly. So, while Chinese-Americans and Indian-Americans are among the most prosperous groups in the country, Korean-Americans, Vietnamese-Americans, and Filipino-Americans have lower median personal earnings than the general population.”

Click here to read more.

The Model Minority is Losing Patience

Asian-Americans are the United States’ most successful minority, but they are complaining ever more vigorously about discrimination, especially in academia

This article looks at the history of Asian immigration and opportunity, and discusses possible factors that contribute to the high rate of academic achievement in the Asian-American population, along with the apparently disproportional university admissions numbers. It also considers the “bamboo ceiling” — the phenomenon of Asians excelling in lower and middle levels of professions, but no being visible in the upper echelons — and points at several potential reasons behind this discrepancy, from ingrained shyness to a dearth of mentors.

I’ve highlighted some excerpts below, but I encourage you to click here to read the whole article.

 

On Asian-American academic achievement:

“Asian-Americans make up 5.6% of the population of the United States, [yet] they make up more than 30% of the recent American maths and physics Olympiad teams and Presidential Scholars, and 25-30% of National Merit Scholarships. Among those offered admission in 2013 to New York’s most selective public high schools, Stuyvesant High School and Bronx High School of Science, 75% and 60% respectively were Asian. The Asian population of New York City is 13%.”

“[A study] rejected the idea that Asians were just innately much cleverer than whites: there was an early gap in cognitive abilities, but it declined to insignificance through school. The higher socioeconomic status of Asian parents provided part of the explanation, but only a small part. […] Asian outperformance is thanks in large part to hard work. […] study showed a sizeable gap in effort between Asian and white children, which grew during their school careers.”

“Another study […] shows that Asian-American parents are a lot likelier to spend at least 20 minutes a day helping their children with their homework than any other ethnic group.”

On apparent racial discrimination in academia:

“Some Asians allege that the Ivy Leagues have put an implicit limit on the number of Asians they will admit. [Upon examining admissions data] Asian-Americans need 140 SAT points out of 1,600 more than whites to get a place at a private university, and that blacks need 310 fewer points.”

“Top universities tend to admit blacks and Hispanics with lower scores because of their history of disadvantage; and once the legacies, the sports stars, the politically well-connected and the rich people likely to donate new buildings […] have been allotted their places, the number for people who are just high achievers is limited. Since the Ivies will not stop giving places to the privileged, because their finances depend on the generosity of the rich, the argument homes in on affirmative action.”

“…the Asian-American community is unwilling on the whole to oppose affirmative action. It tends to vote Democratic, and many of its members recall the years when they were a despised, not a model, minority. So those who dislike the way the system works tend to argue for it to be adjusted, not abolished…”

On the “bamboo ceiling”:

“It is true that although Asian-Americans do remarkably well at school and university, and have high average incomes, in the workplace they are under-represented in top jobs […] Asians do well in the lower and middle levels of companies and professions, but are less visible in the upper echelons.”

“Academia […] is stuffed with Asian-American professors, but among America’s 3,000 colleges there are fewer than ten Asian-American presidents”

“High-flying Asian-Americans […] suggest that cultural patterns may contribute to the group’s under-representation at the top. ‘There’s something in the upbringing that makes Asians shy’ […] ‘We’re brought up to be humble, […] My parents didn’t want to rock the boat. It’s about being quiet, not making waves, being part of the team.’ […] Asian-Americans are a large, diverse group exposed to a range of influences, but those who do reflect such patterns may be less likely to bid for leadership, even if they are highly qualified.“

“…Asians may find getting mentors particularly tough. Researchers [found that when students reach out to meet successful academics], [w]hite men got notably more responses than other groups; Asian-Americans of both sexes got fewer. Since the Ivies produce a disproportionate number of CEOs, Congressmen and judges, the apparent bias against Asian-Americans at leading universities may also keep Asians out of leadership spots.”

On political power:

“[A study shows that] it was only when Jews had gained political power that the Ivies stopped discriminating against them.”

“Perceptions that Asian-Americans are being treated unfairly, especially in the workplace, may push more of them into politics.”

 

Questions & Food for thought:

What do you think about the statistics or stereotypes employed this article? Do you think they are backed by legitimate reasoning or can you discern any areas for potential bias?

What are your thoughts on affirmative action and similar reparations?

Is it fair for high achieving individuals in a certain racial group are considered for admission differently than those of other racial groups?

Is it problematic that race is considered and that there may be racial quotas for university admissions? Or is it necessary (and morally just) to consider race if we’re striving for a fair system of academic admissions, given how much race has shaped socioeconomic opportunities historically?

The article provides many factors that influence the level of achievement of Asian Americans in formative schooling, higher education, and the professional world.  Do you agree or do you believe there are other things to consider?

Do you think that an increase of Asian American political representation will change anything?

PHOTOS: The Model Minority Reality, by Cynthia Trinh

“This photo essay portrays Asian Americans working in low-wage service jobs. Asian Americans are often stereotyped to be the “model minority” because they are viewed as highly educated and hold professional jobs. However, this is not true for many Asian Americans working as street vendors, nail salon workers, store clerks, cooks, and more. This photo essay aims to combat the stereotype that Asians are the “model minority” and also shows the tenacity, hard work, and struggle of an immigrant population to survive in a big city.”

Click here.

This photo series has been featured in popular media, including .Mic, The New York Daily News, and Angry Asian Man.

Black Man in a White Coat by Damon Tweedy, M.D.

“One doctor’s passionate and profound memoir of his experience grappling with race, bias, and the unique health problems of black Americans

When Damon Tweedy begins medical school, he envisions a bright future where his segregated, working-class background will become largely irrelevant. Instead, he finds that he has joined a new world where race is front and center. The recipient of a scholarship designed to increase black student enrollment, Tweedy soon meets a professor who bluntly questions whether he belongs in medical school, a moment that crystallizes the challenges he will face throughout his career. Making matters worse, in lecture after lecture the common refrain for numerous diseases resounds, “More common in blacks than in whites.”

Black Man in a White Coat examines the complex ways in which both black doctors and patients must navigate the difficult and often contradictory terrain of race and medicine. As Tweedy transforms from student to practicing physician, he discovers how often race influences his encounters with patients. Through their stories, he illustrates the complex social, cultural, and economic factors at the root of many health problems in the black community. These issues take on greater meaning when Tweedy is himself diagnosed with a chronic disease far more common among black people. In this powerful, moving, and deeply empathic book, Tweedy explores the challenges confronting black doctors, and the disproportionate health burdens faced by black patients, ultimately seeking a way forward to better treatment and more compassionate care.”

Click here – Time magazine book excerpt

Click here – NPR interview with Dr. Damon Tweedy

Click here – CBS news article

COMIC: White Privilege, Explained

White privilege can be a tricky thing for people to wrap their heads around. If you’ve ever called out white privilege before, chances are you’ve heard responses like “But I’m didn’t ask to be born white!” or “You’re being reverse racist.”

The next time that happens, just show the nay-sayer this succinct comic by Jamie Kapp explaining what white privilege is — and what it isn’t.

Click through for the full comic!

Is Cultural Appropriation Always Wrong?

An interesting piece by Parul Sehgal which looks at cultural ‘‘cross-pollination’’/‘‘appropriation” throughout history, particularly referencing contemporary examples in pop culture and the resulting heated debate. Sehgal acknowledges the offensive nature of many of these cases, yet considers the dangers of restricting such exchanges.

Highlights

“It’s a truth only selectively acknowledged that all cultures are mongrel.”

“It’s a seasonal controversy that attends awards shows, music festivals, Halloween: In a country whose beginnings are so bound up in theft, conversations about appropriation are like a ceremonial staging of the nation’s original sins.”

“…it has never been easier to proceed with good faith and Google, to seek out and respect context. Social media, these critics suggest, allow us too much access to other people’s lives and other people’s opinions to plead ignorance when it comes to causing offense….Seen in this light, ‘‘appropriation’’ seems less provocative than pitiably uninformed and stale. ”

“…writer Tom Bissell said ‘‘there would be fewer wars’’ if more novelists allowed themselves to imagine themselves into other cultures. It’s a seductive if utterly unverifiable claim.”

—
Click here to read the full article.

Questions:

Is the contemporary  preoccupation with cultural appropriation just part of this generation’s “outrage culture”, or is there legitimate cause for concern?

In your opinion, what is the difference between appropriation and appreciation? Where is the distinction between “colonizing” an identity and celebrating/sharing cultural experiences?

Sehgal talks about the evolution and globalization of hip-hop, which arguably — taking into account Korean b-boy champions, the Russian twerking phenomenon, and Iggy Azalea — has lost its identification with race. In this ever-shrinking world, we are exposed to and influenced by a diverse range of peoples; is it even possible to avoid the intermingling of cultures?

Are there any foreseeable merits to cultural appropriation/exchange? Can it function to bring us closer together as a people?

VIDEO: 2 Videos by The Atlantic

Mass Incarceration, Visualized

“In this animated interview, the sociologist Bruce Western explains the current inevitability of prison for certain demographics of young black men and how it’s become a normal life event. ‘We’ve chosen the response of the deprivation of liberty for a historically aggrieved group, whose liberty in the United States was never firmly established to begin with,’ Western says.”

The Enduring Myth of Black Criminality

Ta-Nehisi Coates explores how mass incarceration has affected African American families. “There’s a long history in this country of dealing with problems in the African American community through the criminal justice system,” he says in this animated interview. “The enduring view of African Americans in this country is as a race of people who are prone to criminality.”

The new threat: ‘Racism without racists’

PC: Whitney Curtis for the NYTimes

Article Highlights:

  • Whites and blacks don’t speak the same language when they talk about racism
  • For many minorities, racism is less about overt hostility and more about bias
  • One sociologist calls it “racism without racists” and says “we are all in this game”
  • A new conversation on race can start with three phrases that often crop up

Click here.