Tuesday, April 17, 2007

As many of you know, I spend a fair amount of time perusing the web. Today everyone is talking about the VA Tech incident. As with everything people move away from the actually facts to the policital and social aspects. So today some posed the question "Are Asians embarrassed?". The point the person was trying to make is that black people have internalized so much racism that when things like this happen we secrectly hope and pray the person isn't black. We really worry how the actions of one person effects the rest of us. I completely agree with that point.

However, where it went astray for me is that have several close relationships with Asian people and I know that their communtiy is devasted as well. Now Asians don't secretly pray "it won't be them" because racist executives don't even portray them in the media, negatively or positively. I think many asian people will be embarassed because "we don't do that sort of thing." They are equally concerned about their image as are Black people. I can't tell you how so many of my Asian friends haven't lived their dreams because they are afraid of what the extended family will think of them. I know these aren't isolated incidents, Berkeley is like 55% Asian and my highschool was like 40% Asian.

While I get the point the person was trying to make and I thank him for making it, the behavior he was referencing is found

3 comments:

A Beautiful Life said...

I wondered the same thing. I was relieved that the shooter wasn't black, but then I realized that campus life may be more difficult for Asian students from now on. Race wouldn't matter if the shooter was
white.

rashad said...

More than whether the asian community would be embarassed, i found myself wondering if they now fear for their lives. people claim to not know the difference between japanese, chinese and korean, and that could lead to some serious misguided anger...or yet another resurgence of xenophobia. that's what I want know if they are concerned about

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