Nationality & Acceptance | Asian American Poll

ACCEPTANCE & ASIAN NATIONALITY
(Updated Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:26:26 PM to reflect the 100 most recent valid responses.)

CONTACT US | ADVERTISING INFO

© 1996-2013 Asian Media Group Inc
No part of the contents of this site may be reproduced without prior written permission.

WHAT YOU SAY

[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]

Whatever the DNA says,

Most Koreans still look most different from Han Chinese (yes, including northern Chinese).

Koreans, Japanese, Manchus, Mongols, Eskimos have the "Classical Mongoloid features and face."

This is like the Nordics of Asia.
ajlinoier Wednesday, August 14, 2002 at 00:31:08 (PDT)

Indian people financial successes and other half truths.
Look, I must admit, the first thing that comes to mind when I think of Indian from the sub-continent is that they are some sort of early, primitive form of caucasoid. Like some sort of early proto type of modern Europeans and how they evolved from this primitive Indian prototype. So physically and culturally far, far removed from East Asian.
Let's get some things straight... All Indians highly successful? Highly assimilated and other booombastic crap?? Indians coming to the aid of Chinese kid in high school? "Groupie" teen Korean chicks for a Chinese teen and an Indian friend? Oh ya, did I mention they love to get down with their China American brothers when going against "pathetic" Koreans and other obnoxious, non-China, wanna-be gangstar Asians in high school daily life? Where do you get all this stuff Halilea Kurehshi - high school Pakastani teen down with a high school Chinese teen gangstar/ playa?? I can't stop laughing. Is this make believe or what? I guess it's reasonable though, after all, as young as you are, you have such little life experience, are prone to youthful idiotic fervor, and of course, what teen doesn't have a flaming need for belonging (wannabe gangstars in this case)...you are still a young Pakastani so hopefully you will have the opportunity to find yourself years from now. Anyways, I have never heard, let alone experienced such happenings and I have been around to a few interesting places in my teen years, college years and during my few years as an officer and a "gentleman" in the Navy, lol. What a serious hoot though...the things you said. Let's come back down to reality and not be so creative. OK then. When I was in college over a decade ago, I had a handful of close Indian friends (you know the kind we Asians are friendly with...the overachieving, scholasticly gifted 6 year med program types) and what I really noticed about them was how they would all shamelessly make a huge deal about their pronounced physical, ethnic, social divisions...comparing the dark dravidian kind vs. the "want to be white" Aryan lighter kind. To me, this seems the starting point of a windfall of issues of the Indian inferiority make-up when comparing themselves to Whites. It's so obvious their masses have never ever been the least bit empowered and are forever and ever downtrodden, it seems from the beginning of time. I suspect this is why Indian have always been relatively insignificant even when they have traditionally been the most populous state in Asia (I may be off on the population bit but still, no matter.?). This, of course, is no expert analysis, but I suspect their religion (Hindui, you know... "accept fate" and/or caste status given you b/c you might come back a better form) has much to do with their prepetual, miserable status. Oh yes, how about the breakaway Indians...the Pakastanis, Burmi, Bangladeshie, Katmandu - Nipaleses?, and so on? That's another mess, lol. I think these Muslim Indians, Muslims in general, have been unfairly thrashed thouroghly most recently, so we shant delve into their status this day, lol.
The Chinese young-uns who wrote some of that hateful bunk need to realize quick when you start that typical sino is best, heavenly mandate, mystical Chinaman crap, you are gonna get unending resentment directed at you and your fellow Chinese. I don't think any respectable Asian brother and certainly no Korean is just gonna stand idly by without somekind of recourse. That goes for the Koreans too...Asians in general can be a little less judgemental and hurtful toward Chinese too, among other things.
Of course the overwhelming majority on Goldsea or any like Asian forum (hell, virtually in any type of setting for that matter) are gonna be Chinese so many of you have been in Chinese cities or may even live there currently so you know the generally dirty, sweatshop conditions there compared to almost all the other Asia cities (I don't think, it's just because China is a poor country either...I have been to Vietnam and although much, much poorer by western standards, the cities were just noticeablely cleaner, healthier, "fresher" than the China cites). But, my God, even Chinese can be considered pristine in comparison to any one of the Indian cities.
Peace
AAX Tuesday, August 13, 2002 at 20:33:07 (PDT)

"To non-asians overtly {or covertly} they view both groups as slant eyed asexual losers{even if you have a top degree with $$ or you are a "bad ass mother****er gang banger. "
latina loving korean hombre Monday, August 12, 2002 at 23:02:55 (PDT)

That was bit harsh. You meant to all ignorant non Asians, right? You obviously don't share the same view since you love a Korean homre.
I'm hurt by this, its like saying all you Hispanics are gang banging lazy uneducated, baby making illegals sucking up American dollars, no?
WF loving Corean dude Tuesday, August 13, 2002 at 18:26:59 (PDT)

GHUT,

I was talking about poor Indians in America. I know Indians in India are poor (no kidding about that one), I was referring to the ones in the U.S. They are the highest paid ethnic group in the U.S. as well as the most educated even beating the spirited Chinese to it. Chinese are also very educated and wealthy, it's just the illegals that work in restaraunts and factories for about minimum wage and Chinatown ghettos that drags them down. One thing I do admire about the Chinese though is that they have no specific stereotype in their fields of professions. They're everywhere, doing everything, going to all the good schools. This shows that their culture is very diversified. Most Indians are employed in either medicine or engineering. Chinese are found in all professions: Finance/business, medicine, law, computer science, engineering, education, etc. I respect that. As a second generation Indian, I really have no desire to go into Medicine (too bad my parents don't seem to understand that). AC Dropout, I know there are obviously poor Indians in America as there are for every ethnic group (It's just I have really yet to see one myself. As amazing as it sounds, it's true I have never seen a poor NRI in America). As for Indians having a 10% poverty rate, the Chinese have about a 13.5% last time I heard and it's increasing due to more and more illegals.
JakeTheGreat Tuesday, August 13, 2002 at 17:56:18 (PDT)

"For assimilation to be full, you need all of the following:

1) absence of the subculture and subcommunity. (ie ability to speak Korean and go to K-town, eat at Korean restaurants etc.).

2) acculturation to the host/mainstream society.

3) parity and ability to join the socioeconomic institutions of the host/mainstream society. (ie jobs and education).

4) eventual absorption/intermarriage with the host/mainstream society."

>>who say's life is fair<<, I don't think you need #1 to be fully assimilated. For example, you do not need to forget or never learn how to speak your own langauge, but you DO NEED to learn to speak the language of your host country, i.e. English in USA. This is so that when you go to school, to shop, to get your driver's licence, to a court if need be, if you need to go to a governmental office for whatever reason, you at least will be able to communicate with the officials and get the matter done without a translator (this way, you will also be able to be more representative of yourself in the sense that you can talk to the other person by yourself, without someone else having to translate and speak for you first - it's like one on one communication). If you can communicate in the "host" country's language, then I would argue that's a big step towards the so-called assimilation process. Because it also helps to set up and keep some of the established standards in that country, therefore preventing chaos and disconcern. Just imagine how it would be if all of a sudden people started moving from one corner of the world to another, without learning the language of the country they are coming to. And now imagine if this happenned everywhere. There are hundreds of languages in the world and in order to be able to communicate, people need to set up some kind of standard, at least (and especially) if it's in a country with a considerable proportion of immigrants or people with backgrounds of different culture/society/nationality, etc. But, being able to communicate in the host country's language doesn't at all mean that you cannot speak the language of your native background, it just means that you need to use English with other people that don't understand your native language, or in official places such as governmental offices, supermarket stores, in conversation with someone you meet at the park/street/movies/school, etc. ...

On the same note, I don't think you need #4 to such an extend as you say, perhaps not at all. Again, assimilation
doesn't mean that you necessarily get rid of or forget your cultural roots. It means that you are able to abide by and live according to the legal rules and standards of the country you reside in. So going to a Korean restaurant to have an experience of your cuisine or marrying someone who is of your ethnic/cultural/national (I never know which term is right) background doesn't figure as a place here. Or, do you think that your going to Korea-town to get a taste of Kimchi or to Chinatown to try some especially made Chinese fried rice is going to impair the functioning of the nation and lives of the people of USA? I don't think so; on the other hand, if you don't learn to speak English, you won't be able to talk in the official language because you never bothered to learn; you will have to be provided a translator everytime you need to get some official matters done; you will most likely have to live in segregated communities with people of your background and will probably have great difficulty finding a job outside that community in the mainstream society. Plus in addition, you will add to the further separation and polarisation of society. So which one do you think is more hard and harmful to the nation and yourself as a whole? I think the answer is clear. Personal matters, such as whom to marry and where to go eat, are not subject to official policies and scrutiny. That's an entirely private and individual choice to which everyone has a right to. It shouldn't really affect the functioning of the society as a whole. But not being able to live and orientate oneself in the mainstream society with ordinary things such as searching for a job or going to a government office to get something done probably will.
(I realize there are some exceptions to the above, such as elder people who immigrated here at an later age and didn't have a chance to learn English before. It might be kind of hard and unreasonable to expect someone to learn an entirely new language when they are fifty, sixty or seventy and have never had a contact with the language before. Those people might find it more hard also to "assimilate" to the rest of the society, because they lived all of their lives in one culture and at an old age they will probably want to retain that lifestyle, and that's understandable. But for others, especially young people, I think there shouldn't really be any reasons why they aren't able to learn to orientate oneself in the new society).

And just one last thing. Dying one's hair or talking in an accent is not a representative aspect of "assimilation". Fashion trends really have very little to do with true assimilation, I think. Unless someone's fashion style is hugely outraging to the rest of the population, like if that person decides to go to street half-naked or something. Or if we are dealing with people in official positions, like people in a governmental office. My mom said once they went to a government office and the lady who was working there and talking to them was entirely covered-up, kind of like the women in Saudi Arabia I guess. That is inapropriate, I think. If she wants to get all covered up at home, fine. If she has to wear a long skirt and sleeves because of her religion, fine. If she wants or has to wear a headcover becasue of her religion, well there are some nice scarfs that she can wrap around her, or even plain ones; I've seen other Muslim girls dress up like that. But she can at least keep her face uncovered and doesn't have to wear that heavy black coat all around her, because that doesn't look nice with other people, I think. Because we are (at least I am) in Canada, and not in Saudi Arabia. Well, that much for fashion matters and other of my opinions relating to assimilation. I am an immigrant myself, although I came here at a relatively young age. So I offer some of my perspectives.
eastern-european canadienne girl Tuesday, August 13, 2002 at 16:18:03 (PDT)

LSD,

Unfortunately, NYC is not the mecca of asian culture. So other asian don't really make a pilgramage here. They should just to see the whole USA isn't like white suburbia.

Koreans don't have political clout yet in the city. But their day will come when they settle down for a few more years in the city.

Actually John Liu has done a lot to mobilize the Chinese of the older generation to try their luck at City politics. I think I saw signs of a James Meng and a Ellen Chen for state assemblymen of the Domocratic party.

I think its kind of funny. Because I remember them when I was kid. Never knew either one of them had political ambitions.
AC Dropout Tuesday, August 13, 2002 at 15:15:56 (PDT)

NEWEST COMMENTS | EARLIER COMMENTS