If you're Japanese-American and depending on your generation, you will know who Fred Korematsu is right off the bat. You can't just lump all Asian-Americans into one group. Every ethnic group has it's own culture, history and heros, Japanese-American, Taiwanese-American, Chinese-Americans, Korean-Americans, Filipino-Americans, Vietnamese-American, Laotian-Americans and so on. Being Japanese-American I know who Fred Korematsu was and what he meant to all Japanese people living in the United States. As far as assimilating, I was born in the US, raised in the US just like a majority of people on this board. I don't recall having to assimilate into US culture. But then again, it really depends on where you grew up.
Kiana....you've really go your ear to the ground How do you find these pics? Find me some of Harden lol His beard looks so FLUFFYYYYYYYYYY
All very good points to recognize the differences between the ethnic groups, especially at the international level which becomes more apparent and distinct. But I think zdrav also makes another point that at least in U.S. history, depending on the school and teacher, even Asian-Americans might not even know much about Asian-Americans because the schools that they may have attended never really taught about it. There's more Japanese-Americans like Richard Aoki. Or even this guy: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/I_rwnyM1vtE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Assimilation can happen at different levels. Japanese-Americans have been here in the U.S. for many generations, so if you're one of those you might have not experienced assimilation. But if you're from a family like Jeremy Lin's, whose parents were immigrants, then there's still some extent of assimilation because he's trying to balance two cultures even though he's born and raised in the U.S. It's not just where you were born but how you grew up. It's even more difficult for families from 3rd world countries that barely speak English, can barely make a living and not as educated, and live in areas where there's a far less amount of Asians and maybe the person isn't as easily accepted. This includes Asian-Americans who grow up in poverty areas.
Asian-Americans* like Richard Aoki, whose specifically of Japanese descent. And Vincent Chin, who was Chinese-American.
More importantly, a Japanese-American actually has far more in common and is more culturally aligned with a Chinese-American than a Japanese ethnic national. This is one of those things that I think white Americans can never quite understand because their experience is so different, being the majority, mainstream ethnic group within the country. The term "Chinese-American" or "Filipino-American" is not quite accurate, especially for those who are actually born and raised in this country. The correct term for both is American, first and foremost. The ethnicity - Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Mexican, African, whatever - is a fluke of genetics. The culture is a product of upbringing. It's like when someone asks "what nationality are you?" My answer is always "American". The "Chinese" never comes into it unless you are asking about my parents or my genetic heritage. This is also part of what is so troubling about people being so dismissive of the racial aspect of Jeremy Lin's story. They would like to think that his ethnicity has nothing to do with his experiences, or that "in the grand scheme of things" it has somehow helped more than it has hurt, because he wouldn't be nearly so celebrated or nearly so famous were he not of Chinese/Taiwanese descent. Well, the reality is, his ethnicity only plays a part because of the larger dynamics of ethnicity in America. Jeremy Lin was in the NBA for years before he became famous. He has always been there, and his fan base was never so large. The difference is that Americans of Asian descent, being American first and foremost, hold the same cultural values, particularly around those related to success and merit. We believe (or want to believe), that first and foremost, America is a land that provides the opportunity for hard work and true value to breed success. A place where you aren't given something because of who your parents are or how much money you have, but because you have proven yourself to be better than the rest. Land of the free. Home of the brave. Opportunity for all. Success for the deserving. Beyond the basic bandwagon effect of following Jeremy Lin just because he became a winner, there is a larger cultural dynamic within the Asian-American community that we only celebrate our ethnicity when it is filtered through the same American prism of earned success. You can celebrate Jeremy Lin for being one of the few Asian-Americans to ever play in the NBA, but you aren't going to actually be his fan until he proves that he's a damn good player to boot. Because otherwise the hidden conversation is always going to be, "Who is that Asian kid on the bench?" "Oh, that's Jeremy Lin. He's not really that good. He's just there because he brings in the Asian demographic money." Just being there is a difficult fantastic first step, and well-deserving of praise. But it's not enough. You need someone to be successful, and hopefully so successful that any discussion of merit becomes moot. So that it's no longer about whether or not Jeremy Lin got his roster spot because he's an Asian Affirmative Action case or part of the special "Let's Make Money Off of Asians" Plan. It does away with all that bull**** nonsense and becomes a discussion about skill, a discussion about basketball regardless of where you come from or who you parents are. This is why being first is good, but being good is better. This is also why Asian-Americans don't give two ****s for players like Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian just because they are Asian. We have nothing in common with those guys. They are Chinese. We are American. The idea that somehow we would follow those players purely because they happen to have a closer genetic background is shallow, offensive, and dismissive of who we are as people and how we identify ourselves as citizens. Yao Ming was a great player and very successful, but I have about as much in common with Yao Ming as I do with Nelson Mandela, regardless of how many kung fu movies I grew up watching. So no, I'm not a Jeremy Lin fan just because we happen to share a similar genetic or cultural background. I am a Jeremy Lin fan because those fluke accidents of nature have given us a similar, shared experience growing up in America. An America that includes, yes, racism. But also an America that includes Asian immigrant parents who dismiss athletics and value education. And an America where one has the opportunity to prove everyone wrong. I'm a Jeremy Lin fan because he has proven that one can rise above those experiences and expectations to be something more. In many ways, his success has nothing to do with me. I mean, I'm too old to try to play basketball, or any other sport, professionally. So, as much as I may want to go back and relive a childhood where I spent more time in martial arts class and less time on the baseball field because it was just easier that way, that ship has sailed. I just want a guy who is on the basketball court who can pierce past the superficial veils we lay on ourselves as a society, the unspoken assumptions we make about who someone is based on who they look and where they supposedly "come from", and prove to the next generation of kids growing up that those sorts of things shouldn't matter. And maybe when it's their turn, it finally won't matter.
This looks to be around the same time. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sOnfJ8UMjAg?list=UUmCG0P5gO55vnNfxlh_KzMg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
I tell people that overseas all us Asians hate each other and have invaded each others countries but over here, people think we all look like so it's this Pan Asian thing because we all grow up going through the same nonsense Anyway good post
Yup, that was exactly my point. Black history is mainly relegated to the month of February; Native American and Latino history is even more marginalized. Asian American history may be the most marginalized of all. Most kids, even Asian Americans, probably know something vaguely about railroad workers and the Japanese Internment. But such topics are never discussed in depth. After that, we all just kind of assume that all Asian Americans came over in the last 20 years, have contributed little to American history, and are doing great because they're the "good" minorities. Also, the foot-binding. ALWAYS have to learn about the foot-binding! There's been exactly ONE Hollywood movie made about the Japanese Internment. And guess what? The story's about some white guy who falls in love with a Japanese American woman.
The movie is "Come See The Paradise", by the way. It was directed by Alan Parker, who was responsible for the abomination known as "The Life of David Gale".
Documentary films about the Japanese-American internment. Beyond Barbed Wire (1997) – Steve Rosen/Terri DeBono Camp Amache: The Story of an American Tragedy (2007) - Don Dexter The Cats of Mirikitani (2006) – Linda Hattendorf A Challenge to Democracy (1943) Children of the Camps (1999) Conscience and the Constitution (2000) – Frank Abe Days of Waiting (1990) – Steven Okazaki Family Gathering (1988) Farewell to Manzanar (1976) Forsaken Fields (2001) From a Silk Cocoon (2006) – Satsuki Ina In Time Of War (2004) Japanese Relocation (1942) – Office of War Information Manzanar (1972) – Robert A. Nakamura Passing Poston (2008) - Joe Fox Pilgrimage (2006) – Tad Nakamura Rabbit in the Moon (1999) – Emiko Omori Something Strong Within (1994) – Japanese American National Museum Topaz (1945) Topaz (1988) – KUED Toyo's Camera (2009) - Junichi Suzuki Time of Fear (2004) - Sue Williams Unfinished Business (1985) – Steven Okazaki Valor With Honor (2008) - Burt Takeuchi "The Manzanar Fishing Club" (2012) Cory Shiozaki ....................................... Feature films about the World War II internment of Japanese Americans include: Come See the Paradise (1990) Strawberry Fields (1997) Snow Falling on Cedars (1999) American Pastime (film) (2007) ...................... ‘The Untold Story: Internment of Japanese Americans in Hawai‘i’ features new Kaua‘i footage 2013
The entire first part of your list doesn't directly address the point being made, because none of those are Hollywood feature films. They are all documentaries. Which you noted. Which is just troll padding, because no one said anything about documentaries, but you want to make yourself look smart by copy/pasting your Wikipedia search results into the thread. You also need to take a closer look at the four films you listed as "Feature films about the World War II internment of Japanese Americans". The fact that you actually list the exact film zdrav references is another hilarious case of troll fail. If you actually bothered to look at the rest of those films you would see that most of them either aren't directly about Japanese-American internment in WWII or aren't Hollywood feature films. There is a reason that the Wikipedia page you are dumping from is being cited for needing cleanup. I was about 95% sure that you were a troll before, but thanks for confirming. I'm not going to bother responding to any of your posts from this point forward, and would recommend that everyone else do the same.
First, admit that most of your "research" was actually irrelevant. Second, how about you investigate your own research? "Strawberry Fields" was a Japanese-American indie feature, not a Hollywood movie. "American Pastime" is a movie that I doubt any of us ever heard of, and it doesn't even have any moderately recognizable names in it. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a direct-to-DVD release. "Snow Falling on Cedars" is more about WW II in general. Moreover, it's mainly told from the perspective of a white man who, surprise surprise, has a Japanese love interest. That's some serious respect given to one of the greatest injustices perpetrated by the American government on its own people. (/sarcasm)
Are you for real bro? Are you actually saying right here that I don't respect the suffering the countless Japanese had to go through during WWII? You might want to take a rest, have a snack break, or something. Perhaps some pizza rolls?:grin: But seriously, your logic here is a fail bro. I think you got my point that tons of movies have been made about the dark period in our history that Internment was. You are just splitting hairs to be argumentative (which is what trolls do) and to deny that you are ever wrong. I can admit when I am wrong. Can you?
p.s. Much of the cast and crew of the film Strawberry Fields are Hollywood regulars, and the companies that produced it were mostly Hollywood based as well. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108233/fullcredits?ref_=tt_ql_dt_1 Yes, it was low budget, but so what. So you were wrong about that too. You are wrong quite a bit in this thread
