Opinion: A Conversation With Asian Americans on Race

Summary

The speaker reflects on their experiences with race, identity, and the challenges of growing up as an Asian American. They recount formative moments of racism, including being judged by their appearance and encountering racial slurs. The narrative covers themes of racial invisibility, the model minority myth, and the speaker's personal journey of self-acceptance. It also touches on solidarity with other marginalized groups, like Black and Brown communities, and the importance of recognizing privilege and systemic issues, ultimately calling for collective action against racial injustice.

Takeaways

• 👨‍👧 The speaker's father emphasized that others should not be able to identify someone's ethnicity (Korean) over the phone, revealing a nuanced understanding of what it means to 'sound American'.
• ⚪ The speaker's family made a distinction between white Americans, whom they referred to as 'Americans', and other groups, whom they specified by ethnicity or race.
• 🗳️ The speaker views 'Asian American' as a political identity that carries power and solidarity rather than just a label for ethnicity.
• 💔 The speaker's first encounter with racism came at age six when a girl compared their skin color to 'poop', sparking confusion and hurt.
• 👊 In second grade, the speaker experienced racially motivated violence, highlighting the fear and alienation they felt toward white boys.
• 😢 The speaker recalls witnessing their father face racist comments from white customers, leading to silent frustration due to language barriers.
• 🇮🇳 The speaker's father's experiences with violence during India's partition made him less empathetic to the speaker's microaggressions, viewing them as minor compared to his own struggles.
• 🧢 The speaker attempted to 'become invisible' by removing visible signs of their Sikh identity (turban and hair) to avoid racial scrutiny.
• 🚧 The speaker criticizes the model minority myth, which portrays Asian Americans as high-achieving and apolitical, believing it creates division between Asian and African Americans.
• 🤝 The speaker believes in solidarity between marginalized communities, particularly Black and Asian groups, and stresses that the systemic issues they face require collective action to challenge white supremacy and anti-blackness.

Q & A

What did the speaker's father mean when he said, 'No one should be able to tell you're Korean on the phone'?

The speaker's father was implying that the speaker should sound more 'American' and blend in, which reflects the pressure to assimilate and the underlying notion that 'American' primarily refers to white Americans.

How did the speaker's family distinguish between different groups of Americans?

The speaker's family referred to white people as 'Americans' and identified other racial groups with qualifiers like 'Black,' 'Latino,' or 'Native American Indians,' indicating that 'American' was synonymous with 'white' in their worldview.

Why does the speaker identify as 'Asian American' rather than just 'American'?

The speaker identifies as 'Asian American' because they believe that being just 'American' does not reflect their reality, as society often views them through the lens of race. The term 'Asian American' holds political significance, symbolizing a collective identity with implications of power and resistance.

What was the speaker's first experience with racism?

The speaker's first experience with racism occurred when they were six years old and a girl they liked told them, 'You're the color of poop,' which they initially took literally but later realized was a racial insult.

How did the speaker's father respond to customers who told him to 'go back to his country'?

The speaker's father, despite feeling anger (shown by his clenched fists), responded calmly and politely to racist customers, telling them, 'Thank you, come back soon,' likely due to his limited grasp of English and a desire to avoid conflict.

Why did the speaker's father not fully understand the speaker's experiences with microaggressions?

The speaker's father, having lived through intense violence and aggression during India's partition, did not empathize with microaggressions because he considered them insignificant compared to the full-on aggression he had witnessed.

Why did the speaker decide to become 'invisible' during their youth?

The speaker chose to become 'invisible' by removing their turban and cutting their hair to avoid racial targeting and stereotyping, reflecting their desire to escape the burden of being constantly noticed and judged for their race.

What is the 'model minority myth' and how does it affect the Asian American community?

The 'model minority myth' portrays Asian Americans as high-achieving, apolitical, and successfully assimilated into American society. This myth can be harmful as it pits Asian Americans against other racial groups, particularly Black Americans, and overlooks the struggles and complexities within the Asian American community.

How does the speaker's background in a diverse community influence their political views?

Growing up in a racially diverse, working-class neighborhood shaped the speaker's political alignment with movements like Black Lives Matter, as they identified with the struggles of Black and brown people and understood the shared experience of being marginalized and invisible.

How does colorism affect different Asian communities, according to the speaker?

The speaker points out that lighter-skinned Asian groups, like Vietnamese people, are treated better than darker-skinned groups, such as Cambodians or Hmong people, reflecting how colorism influences societal treatment even within the broader Asian American community.