1.Asian Americans as a Movement / Dale Minami
“White people are feeling threatened by the number of minorities who are now in this country that are growing at a huge rate” (p.12). “White American sees us perpetual foreigners” (p.13). From these quotations, the fundamental question “What is an American” came up.
2. From Toi Shan to the Olympic Peninsula Gateway / Ark Chin
That person’s boss had the stereotypical sense that Chinese people don’t say their opinion. It’s serious problem that people see others as race and have some stereotype. In this case, these stereotype let him pay this interviewee lower wage.
3. The promise of America / Hoan Dang
4. It’s About More Than Hitting the Books / Susim Chen
5. No Dating, Just Get Married / Qing Shan Liang
“I saw him only once” (p.37). I wonder how amount of percents of these marriages, which husband comes back to China to get a wife and they see each other only once, then decide to marry, lasting long is.
Ten years ago, China’s situations were not that good to make a living. That’s why people in China had a dream to go to the United States to earn money and have better lives.
6. Making a New Life / Frank Bai
Language barrier interferes his life in the United States, even he has professionally great experience of business in China.
7. Changing the Tide of History / Dale Minami
8. Into the Governor’s Mansion / Gary Locke
9. Restaurant, Public Office, Even Bruce Lee / Ruby Chow
“In those days there weren’t many jobs available to the Chinese—restaurants and menial work, mostly” (p.71). I wondered why not many jobs available because they were Chinese.
10. Grassroots Victories / Cheryl Chow
11. Marriage and the Green Card / Shamita Das Dasgupta
It was sad to read the intersection of women, immigration and violence and women’s status. Law didn’t help women’s right and justice. In immigrant community, women were treated as like slaves because they were not protected legally.
12. Building an Orphanage in China / Ark Chin
13. Cowboy from Japan / Hank Sasaki
14. Jimi Hendrix of the Ukulele / Jake Shimabukuro
15. The Fortune Cookies / Joann Lee
“The thing is, we sounded pretty much white; we sang music written by a Jewish music teacher and we sang without accents” (p.110). If they had sang music written by not Jewish or sang with Chinese accents, how would their group have been like?
16. From Laos to Iowa / Steve Thao
It was sad for me to know that general American dream, such talking about careers and becoming a president of a company, and American dream for Asian American dream are different because the institutional restriction is based on who you are and how you look.
17. Harlan, Kentucky / Albert Lee
It was new thing to me the fact that he didn’t feel comfortable with other Asian American community because he was not interested in it at all. It was sad that he had sad experience as he was young because of his ethnicity.
He also mentioned about the issue of poverty in the U.S. When I was in Japan, I had never seen any news about American’s poverty. News broadcasted in Japan were always about Political things like election, entertainments, not the issue of poverty.
18. Growing Up in Los Angeles / Daniel Jung
19. Portland, Oregon / Jeff Andrada
“You’ve got all these laws now as far as equal opportunity, employment and diversity networks, making sure you have a certain amount of minorities hired”(p.130). They may have these laws, but I don’t think that these laws are not enough for equality. Because minority people are still struggling for their equal opportunity. It’s changed as times have changed. But it still needs to change for the ideal society.
20. Growing Up in Hawaii / Jake Shimabukuro
“I think everyone should feel proud about who they are, because it’s about celebrating life, celebrating everything” (p.135). I like this idea. But I feel that everyone can’t do it because some people might have trauma or something sad experience in their life. But, when people can feel proud about who they are, I’m pretty sure that life will be brighter.
21. Between Continents / David Tang
22. Cultural Anchors / Laura Jung
23. Of Work and Family / Agnes Braga
“being Asian, you should just be submissive and you should just stay home” (p. 151). This is another stereotype. especially Asian women. And her coworkers treated and saw her as one of Asian women, not herself.
24. An Editor of Entertainment News / Albert Lee
25. Chinatown, New York / Corky Lee
“No one lives in L.A.’s Chinatown” (p.160). I was surprised and wonder if Chinatowns in Japan are in same situation.
26. Of Japanese Towns and Cultural Communities / Dale Minami
Asian American were stereotyped as passive, non leadership types. Some of them might be these type. But, it’s just stereotype, not true. I totally agree with this person’s opinion that “their skills and their abilities were far better than the people that replaced them who were non-Asians” (p.165).
27. Hmong Community / Steve Thao
28. Vietnamese in Maryland / Hoan Dang
“Apparently Vietnamese people have small hands and fingers and they can draw very small designs on the nails” (p.181). This is why many Vietnamese people work in the nail industry, cosmetology. I thought that this is a kind of good way for people to find good jobs with their specific advantages. On the other hand, i wonder if there’s no chance to find other jobs even they want because of some reasons.
29. Living Outside of Koreatown / Laura and Daniel Jung
She mentioned how important Koreatown is. On the other hand, her brother explained opposite view of Koreatown. “Koreans are always worried about how other Koreans might view them” (p.185). I think that this idea is similar to Japanese people’s thinking. Actually I worried about it a lot before coming here. But, I feel I don’t need to worry about it so much because I thought that it will be better for me to be what I want to be without worrying about others’ thinking.
30. Claiming Space / Shamita Das Dasgupta
It was obvious that each generation have different thoughts, behaviors and actions.
31. Very Tough Times / Veronica Leung
I’m not pretty sure about September 11. There were effects on business in Chinatown, New York.
32. New York’s Chinatown: Getting Back on Its Feet / Corky Lee
33. Within the South Asian Community / Shamita Das Dasgupta
34. Reconnecting / Naomi McWatt
“I’m a combination of both. I am proud of who I am” (p.211). I really like this sentences. She’s proud of her identity of mixed, Black and Asian. I’d like to live my life like she does.
35. Marriage / Gita Deane
“I thought that I was the only one” (pp.221, 222). She mentioned it sometimes. Because of community, the network is nationwide and people are connected, she realized that she is not the only one.
Gender issues, patriarchy system, are still deeply rooted in Indian society. The community can be important element to solve these issues.
36. Being Asian, Being Gay / Albert Lee
“70 percent of Americans polled personally knew someone who was gay. And when you know someone who is gay, you are less likely to throw out generic gay-bathing terms” (p.227). In a case of Japan, I don’t think that many people like 70 percent of American know personally anyone who is gay. And I believe that if they know someone who’s gay, they will recognize how diverse the society is.
37. Adopted, from Seoul to New Jersey / Karl Ludwig
38. Found / Kristen Houghton
39. Of Personal Challenges and Triumphs / Ark Chin
40. Journeys of Self Discovery / Candace Chin
41. Hapa with Strong Chinese Roots / Susha Pratt
Image: https://missionplayhouse.org/event/joy-luck-club-1993