Yes historically there has been a lot of anti-Asian legislation and policies in the US (Sidenote: Did you know that in many places in the 19th C. it was legal to kill a "Chinaman") but fortunately for the Asians like me our parents got here after the Civil Rights movement. There are Asian activist out there but it seems for the most part Asian-Americans are unaware of how much we really owe to the effort of the African-American led civil rights movement. That's why it is sad to hear Asians take self-righteous positions towards blacks or even hold racist views when if it hadn't been for the efforts of blacks most us wouldn't have been allowed in the country or still stuck in Chinatowns. Great points Krosfyah and SoSoDef. I posted before I read your posts and I totally agree.
I don't think its racist or self-righteous to praise certain aspects of one's own culture/ethnicity (like how I'm doing). There are probably aspects of every ethnicity that are worth endurance and emulation by others. I never said that academic success was somehow due to the innate or genetic nature of Asians-Americans. On the contrary - I said it was an aspect of our longstanding traditions. I don't think high academic and financial achievement is synonymous with "model minority". "Model minorities" don't outperform and outearn the "ruling majority" (ie. whites). Model minorities are meek, quiet, and subserviant. American media's emasculation of Asian males is a whole other topic.
UC Berkley student Engineering major, William Hung? Great point! I must also comment how sad, no...pathetically dead awful, it is that Hung was the first Asian entertainer any person could think offhand.
The point driven in the 60s was, if you didn't speak good English or had an accent, you weren't American or your credentials weren't good enough. An understated point of Asian success in the US is that most thrived in their enclaves through partnerships and community pools. Some of that was because there wasn't any outside options to look otherwise, but it was also much easier to make a living and identify themselves personally and culturally. While some non-Asians might claim that Asians are racist, the older immigrants were the products of their environment.
Sorry about that Langal I didn't mean you or what you were saying or anyone on this board just speaking in general that many Asians have racists views of Blacks and Latinos.
I got love for my fellow Golden Bear. You know it! You Tell the story! You tell the whole Damn World this Hung Territory!
I think I follow what you are saying and if so I disagree. If you're saying that prior to the 1960's Asians were thriving in their enclaves I would strongly disagree. Why they did rely on their own communtiy networks to survive the economics and opportunities of Chinatowns were very stunted. Chinatowns had vibrant societies but so did many other ethnic enclaves. Harlem also prior to the 1960's had its own economy that included both wealthy and even middle class African Americans but it was still a limited success since most blacks were denied higher education opportunities or a chance to do business in the non-Black economy. Remember the model minority stereotype has only existed since the 70's and before then the stereotype of Chinese were as decadent lazy and even disease ridden since for the most part Chinatowns were overcrowded and rife with poverty. As for racists attitudes many Asians, including some in my own family, hold very racist attitudes not just those older ones but even ones of my generation. Many Asians subscribe to the idea that Blacks and Latinos are inherently inferior to Whites and Asians.
It's not about the model minority stereotype because those first gen Asians weren't concerned about how the media portrayed them. They pooled their resources to invest outside because of the barriers of being non-white. Koreans noticably used their church as a means for a weekly pool so that the recipient of the week/month could invest in a business. I can think of Chinese people who had their foreign degrees that amounted to far less than an equivalent degree from the States. They were underemployed and probably found work in those Chinatowns doing meager jobs. But like the business world, they grew contacts during that time and also pooled their money into business ventures. The risk in pooling ventures means that you have to trust that everyone is putting in their fair share. While you could sense racism, their status as immigrants was a common identifier in a country that surprised them the moment they stepped on it. The Philipinos went a different route and some formed a solid foundation by joining the American military to create connections and credibility, but their community is also strong and vibrant. The business world is all about connections. I can't imagine the barriers of entry in the 70s for the first generation immigrants, but I assume they succeeded by the strength of their own numbers and forming their own connections. Those Asians understood the necessity of accumulating money and the influence it brought. It's probably why the stereotype of a less than extravagant lifestyle is still prevalent. They were vested in their community and vice versa, so it made sense for them to put some money back into it. It's not necessarily the same as it is now, markets are more open and education is more standardized, but I still think it's a viable way to start for other minorities who have the impoverished standing. The government only provides short term racial interests depending on the voters' and the dominant party's mood. Business interests in the government always last.
Invisible Fan; I think I get that you're saying that the first wave Asian immigrants following the civil rights movement came here and formed community business networks to succeed. Is that correct? I certainly think there's a lot to that and which is why so many Koreans run groceries, Chinese run restaurants and Indians run motels but thats only part of that initial wave of Asian immigrants and not necessarily the part that earned the model minority stereotype. My parents who came here in the late 60's and many Asians of their generation came here spefically for education and went onto become doctors, engineers and other professionals They succeeded in the wider community rather than rely upon ethnic networks.
I get the impression that they formed the backbone of their respective communities so newer immigrants weren't thrown into the immediate condition of squalor. The dark side towards assimilation is that if you don't meet the criterion (dress, speech, tradition, etc) then you're going to have obstacles placed in front of you. Newer immigrants had tangible examples of that generation's success.
