Japanese American Identity & Self-Image | Asian American Poll

JAPANESE AMERICAN IDENTITY & SELF-IMAGE
(Updated Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:13:59 PM to reflect the 100 most recent valid responses.)

In relating with other Asian American groups, Japanese Americans most exhibit which of the following attitudes?
More Americanized than thou | 51%
More rooted in ancestral heritage | 0%
More anxious to be low key | 49%
More embracing of other AA | 0%

Which of the following has the most impact on the Japanese American identity?
Smallest percentage of recent immigrants | 36%
World War II internment | 51%
Japan's economic success | 6%
Smaller population than other AA groups | 7%

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Comments posted during the past year remain available for browsing.

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WHAT YOU SAY

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to Navy LCDR airdale & curious girl,

Although I do agree that it would be nice to learn Chinese, regardless of whether or not the man one marries is Chinese, it's still a tricky thing to do it right. I guess the trick is to match the dialect to the man. Can you imagine the disappointment if you learned Cantonese thoroughly in the hopes of conversing with your Mr. Right, only to join up with a guy who only speaks Mandarin? Or vice-versa? Maybe waiting to find the right guy is a better solution than to have wasted your time learning the wrong dialect!!!

I think I'll wait...better to be safe than to be sorry. And besides, maybe I should insist he learn my language(s), instead of the other way around...n'est ce pas? Co dung khong? Isn't that right?
MLK Wednesday, June 12, 2002 at 22:35:07 (PDT)

Of course you will learn Chinese! My bust.

Let me suggest a book called "Chinese in 15 minutes a day". If you read the whole book, should take 3 hours.

That should equip you with all the Chinese you need to read and speak in your bilingual Chinese/English household, no practice or preparation needed.

They have the same type of book in German and Swedish as well.

Good luck to you!

Navy LCDR airdale Friday, May 24, 2002 at 11:58:23 (PDT)

Navy LCDR Airdale,

Boy are you one pretentious, self-righteous ass. Apparently the way that you have approached learning Japanese is the perfect way and I am just paying "lip service". You are the one who has been condescending in nearly all of your posts.

Yes I am dating a Chinese man, but have I decied to marry him and spend the rest of my life with him yet? No. When and if I decide to learn Chinese it will be when I want to, not NOW as you say is so vitally important. I actually have a natural gift for picking languages up quickly, and I have already picked up some Chinese and practice on him and his family.

And it is not "lip service". If I do decide to have children, then I will put my heart 100% into learning Chinese and making sure my children lead a well-rounded life and can appreciate both sides of their heritage.
curious girl Thursday, May 23, 2002 at 13:41:49 (PDT)

curious girl,

The question "will you commit yourself to LEARN the dialect of Chinese that your boyfriend's family speaks" was asked because:

1. You said "ultimately, its up to the individual how much of the culture they choose to keep alive, no one way is right or wrong".

2. You also said "I really have no desire to learn either language (Swedish/German). I am an American, my culture is American".

These two statements provide evidence that you are an American, first and foremost and you have no desire to maintain culture links of your very own background.

So, when you say that you want your potential 1/2 Chinese children to learn Chinese, this "lip service" desire to do this is not consistant with your demonstrated lack of interest of your own culture. Furthermore, you have not taken action to learn Chinese. True, you may not even marry the guy, but Chinese is not learned overnight either. One would think that learning Chinese NOW is beneficial, regardless of whether you marry him or not, for that experience can only be one or personal enrichment. (And you can speak/practice on his family as well).

I revise my question. Instead of waiting until you potentially marry, will you invest in the future of your potential children's enrichment and your own enrichment by learning Chinese NOW?

I learned Japanese for personal enrichment even before I knew I was going to be stationed in Japan and before I met my Japanese wife. You, on the other hand, are presently involved with a Chinese man. The potential to marry this guy and the motivation to learn Chinese should be greater than my desire to have learned Japanese at the time I started lessons.

I have practiced what I preach and because of this, it is not condescending.

I ask again. Are you going to take Chinese NOW so that in case you marry this guy you are equipped to have a bilingual household and in the alternative, if you don't marry, this language skill can only enrich you?

Or is the answer the same as you gave me ragarding your lack of interest of Swedish and German, that you have no desire?

Instead of pretending that you want your children to learn Chinese, it is ok for you to marry this Chinese guy and raise them in an English-only speaking home you know. You yourself did say that "no one way is right or wrong".

To give up "lip service" in your desire to learn Chinese when we can easily see by your several posts that you have no desire to lean whatever language is in itself, condescending. Do not think that we are that stupid.

Navy LCDR airdale Wednesday, May 22, 2002 at 11:49:07 (PDT)

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