Asian Americans as a Movement
“If you’re a famous Asian American who isolates yourself from the community, you’re probably having some good effect on the perception of Americans… But I have much more respect for those who try to come back and help.” (page 12)People of color who are isolated from their communities or transcend their race as celebrities are seen as success stories of assimilation. The communities they come from are looked down on.
I agree with Dale that we are lucky to be born and raised American, in spite of the country’s problems. We have a lot of freedom and potential to flourish that most people around the world do not have.
From Toi Shan to the Olympic Peninsula Gateway
The engineer promotion story reminded me of my Vietnamese grandpa, who often boasts about his accomplishments as a programmer in the 80’s. He talks about how he gained so much knowledge that his bosses would call him the walking encyclopedia. His co-workers envied him for how quickly he would get promoted.
The Promise of America
This was a similar story to my Vietnamese family. Grandpa was in the military, they got evacuated, shipped to the Philippines and then shipped to America. They were sponsored in Utah. They were given college educations, my grandpa got into computers while my grandma got into medical lab stuff.
It’s About More Than Hitting the Books
A trend is to devalue and underpay valuable workers of color until they quit or threaten to quit and move on to companies that will appreciate their contributions more.
No Dating, Just Get Married
Something I’ve been curious about is how supporting family in other countries with earnings from America works. This is something I’ve read happens a lot for many immigrants, but I don’t know how that situation actually works. How they send the money, how much is sent, how much that money helps the families, etc.
Making a New Life
Two of my Vietnamese cousins speak good Vietnamese while me, my brothers, and my other cousin do not. This is because their mother’s side of the family does not speak much English so they had to learn and retain Vietnamese in order to communicate with them. But they will only speak English to family members that know both languages because of preference.
Changing the Tide of History
I’ve been thinking about Black Power and how marginalized people grow up with a deflated sense of self-worth. They need to take pride in their identities to reinforce themselves against the pressures that beat them down constantly in the world. Black pride, gay pride, disability pride, women pride, etc. The more deflated the identity, the more it needs to be actively inflated and reinforced. It’s interesting that Black Power inspired others to assert themselves and not give in.
Into the Governor’s Mansion
Gary Locke has a plaque downtown in by the lake. The plaques there also talk about how Olympia used to have a Chinatown that got demolished after the Chinese were removed. Olympia would be so much sicker if it had a Chinatown. Rest in pepperonis
Restaurant, Public Office, Even Bruce Lee
Interesting that this lady leveraged her community reputation to become a councilwoman. Bruce Lee having too much acne to work floor service is funny.
Grassroots Victories
The concept of Asian kids growing up having trouble dealing with present-day subtle racism is interesting. It might be less damaging but it is harder to fight against.
Marriage and the Green Card
Very gross control tactic for abusive partners to intentionally restrict their spouse’s citizenship status.
Building an Orphanage in China
It seems it is often up to the immigrants themselves to hold foreign culture communities together. American descendants have very different priorities and interests and end up just going along with what their parents can get them to do when they participate.
Cowboy from Japan
Anyone can follow their dreams! I’ve been thinking lately on how childhood influences can instill lifelong obsessions in people.
Jimi Hendrix of the Ukelele
The rare handcrafted ukeleles really make them seem special or sacred almost. I understand his point about the novelty ukeleles cheapening the image over all.
The Fortune Cookies
“How much more American could the experience be?” Yeah, I listened to one of their songs, they do just sound like a generic girl band from that time.
From Laos to Iowa
When success is denied by glass ceilings, people have to look elsewhere.
Harlan, Kentucky
Self-loathing and seeing white as normal or the default is the trend with growing up Asian American in white communities.
Growing up in Los Angeles
A recurring theme in immigrant stories is the parents sacrificing their lives to build a foundation for their families to jump off of.
Portland, Oregon
Americans really are lucky to be American. With third-world countries filled with poverty, pollution, overpopulation, boredom, and drunkenness.
Growing up in Hawaii
Hawaii is the most diverse place I’ve ever lived in. It’s interesting that the interviewee knew the different races well enough that he could distinguish between them by unique features. I usually notice the difference between Asians from Asia, but when it comes to Asian Americans I’m not so confident for some reason.
Between Continents
I never considered that immigrant focus on math might’ve been motivated by the fact that it doesn’t require high language skills and it is just memorization.
Cultural Anchors
Something I’ve learned in recent years is how important mental health is for everybody. There is a suck it up mentality where things like therapy and counseling feel reserved for people with debilitating trauma and personality disorders when therapy and counseling could be helpful for a lot of people who don’t know they could use it.
Of Work and Family
The obedient and submissive Asian woman stereotype is one that I think gets passed down and internalized to some degree even when it is actively resisted because of how much it is asserted by the mainstream.
An Editor of Entertainment News
There are many Asian Americans writing in the entertainment industry. While Asians have to do a lot to get into the mainstream, they do have a presence within the industry.
Chinatown New York
Interesting how tour bus absence impacted the Chinatown economy, like removing a species from an ecosystem.
Of Japanese Towns and Cultural Communities
Stereotypes of Asians being weak leaders contribute to their lower upward mobility in careers.
Hmong Community
A lot of knowledge is withheld until college. This guy had to get into college before learning about his community and identity in a similar way to how most people have civil rights and colonial history withheld.
Vietnamese in Maryland
My grandpa likes to boast about how he reached the American Dream by just working hard and being smart, but he did get a lot of governments support. In Utah, he was paid to learn English and go to college while from this interview it seems not all Vietnamese immigrants were so lucky. Also, my Grandpa was a soldier and the son of the Vietnamese Labor Union president, so that lines up with the guy’s theory of Vietnamese immigrants excelling due to the discipline of those high ranking military families that were taken over.
Living outside Koreatown
Immigrants staying within their community bubbles prevents them from effectively learning English.
Claiming SPace
As the years go on, America becomes more and more receptive to foreign cultures. Cultures need to be actively preserved and pushed forward.
Very Tough Times
Really sweet customers being supportive and saving the restaurant.
New York’s Chinatown Back on its Feet
I never realized until reading this book how hard Chinatown got hit by 9/11.
Within the South Asian Community
Awful how immigrants get wrongfully detained and deported so much. It’s been going on for a long time.
Reconnecting
This was a very dramatic story. Seemed almost like a movie plot.
Marriage
Being able to see representations that you can identify with is important. It is something that gets harder and harder to come by the further you are away from being a straight white male.
Adopted from Seoul to New Jersey
Sucks having to contend with racist parents. He is rejected without a clearly stated reason but the reasons the dads use probably are just plain racism of course.
FOund
Being kept in a childhood bubble is another common trend in immigrant stories. Where of course children grow up thinking what is happening is normal so they don’t think critically about their experiences until they are adults.
Of Personal Challenges and triumph
Being Asian American has always felt like a unique cultural position to be in. I like the idea that Asian Americans can pick and choose the best of both, although I personally don’t feel connected enough to my Asian side to do much choosing there.
Journey of Self Discovery
The old-school Chinese way of looking at things is hardwired by thousands of years of culture. My Vietnamese grandparents are very old-school like that and have a lot of criticisms and assertions about how things ought to be, as any old people might.
Hapa with Strong Chinese Roots
I thought the attraction to other mixed-race people was interesting. Especially because it could seemingly be any mix.