ADVANTAGES OF BEING ASIAN AMERICAN

or some the only downer to being Asian American is being lumped with all the whiners.
     The problems that afflict us? No different from those faced by all Americans, they argue. Vincent Chin? Won a barroom fight and was ambushed in the parking lot by a pair of drunken sore losers with a baseball bat. Happens to white guys too. Media stereotypes? Would you rather be cast as a beer-guzzling milquetoast with a spare tire and a perpetual sunburn? Not to mention being unable to jump, dance or multiply.
     Weigh the trivial irritations against the big advantages, exhort the upsiders. Like being raised in two-parent families that provide emotional stability, a solid educational foundation, a multi-cultural perspective and healthy eating habits. Like being seen as innately more intelligent, diligent and honest. Like having a full head of hair past 30 and never having to shave your back. Sure, the new immigrants have a rough time, they concede, but compare apples to apples. The Census Bureau stats show that U.S.-born Asians do as well as any group and better than most.
     So what's your take? Are we getting a raw deal or are we just too busy complaining to appreciate our many advantages?

(Updated )

talent beats experience.... ,

I'm sorry to hear that you are young and poor. I once made 50K a year and could barely make ends meet. Thank god I broke 6 figure barrier before 25, and could finally find good help. She is of German/Irish stock from NJ. She is such a credit to her people. I don't know how I would keep the dishes clean and the garden trimmed without her help. Hopefully you will be able to break the 7 figure and 8 figure salary before your 30's. It is so sad to hear of other asians in your situation. But I'm sure you will rise to your natural level.

I think you are mixing a lot of issues into the bag. First off dysfunctional asian families stem from the fact the most asian parents are immigrants and they came to the USA pursuing the mythos of the American Dream. Most of the time they realise the mythos is unattenable for themselves and they past it onto to their kids. Since most kids of these immigrants grow up in America, they have no idea the amount of face they will give their parent if they do well in this society. The sucess of the kids are a justification for the parent's suffering through the life of being immigrants.

How the stress of being and immigrant manifest itself in the parents and how their kids are effected by it, is something that varies from family to family.

Some children succumb to these forces and break down. Other children harness these demons to achieve unparalleled success.

Figure skating is a very subjective sport. Especially since they remove the technical aspect of the sport. Where competitors would skate figure 8 on the ice and try to trace it. And with the lastest Olympic fiasco, we realise these votes could be bought.

You are a credit to your people because you can see the difference between a Japanese and Chinese man. Even though we must have been watching the same show. I didn't notice any of the emotions you are describing in their father faces. You are such a credit to your people to be so perceptive.
AC Dropout
   Thursday, April 25, 2002 at 11:32:31 (PDT)
"I HIGHLY doubt Michelle Kwan perceive her father as you do. If Kwan was feeling that much pressure from her father, wouldnt it be logical to assume that she also resents him in some ways? On the contrary...during the olympics, she and her father expressed physical affection (which is rare yet admirable of asians)."

Did you see her dad's facial expression during the Olympics? He was very tense and didn't look all that optimistic...now compare him with Apollo Ohno's dad, who was much more relaxed and upbeat! When you have that kind of facial expression like Mr. Kwan, it certainly doesn't reveal a winning character!

Yes, I myself came from a dysfunctional family. I know that my kids will not go through the hell that I've experienced! I am in my mid 20's with a 50K job. I don't give credit to my parents for my current situation.

Like anything described with value or quality, there is always a level of intensity...dysfunction can range from slight to severe..some Asian families are severely dysfunctional, while others are mild! No family is never dysfunctional! Severely dysfunctional Asian families are in existence; it's just the culture of Asians to hide such dysfunction because they fear stigmatization.

"In sum, do you think that a white C.E.O. making a million dollars a year should complain if society (or a representative of society--his or her immediate superior/board of directors) decided to give him a third of the million per year? Isn't he or she better off than than most other whites, even with the "reduction" in compensation? Is he or she simply a whiner for crying foul? "

Actually, we live in society where the words like fair are just like perverted four letter words. Today, no wants to be perceived as the underdog, nor does anyone wants to be in second place or consider mediocre...we live in a society of excess, of being #1 and no less, the more the better, the worse the better, so we can file lawsuits when things gets worse. This is the current culture of this country and many Asians are beginning to follow this trend as well. Sometimes you wonder will this trend become a time bomb just ready to explode in any moment.

talent beats experience....
   Wednesday, April 24, 2002 at 17:33:48 (PDT)

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