|
|
|
|
|
GOLDSEA |
ASIAMS.NET |
ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
ADVANTAGES OF BEING ASIAN AMERICAN
(Updated
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 06:10:38 PM)
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?
This interactive article is closed to new input.
Discussions posted during the past year remain available for browsing.
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.]
"...they let us climb to the middle ranks, THEN push us down."
Yea, I would agree. There are a considerable number of white and black employees who would attempt to thwart an Asian's promotion to management/supervisory positions, or would probably transfer or leave the company altogether. This serves as a disadvantage to Asians (men, in particular). Some employees may be open to an Asian woman executive/manager, but not necessarily an Asian man.
Is this racism? Combination of racism and sexism? Is it fear of working for an over-achieving boss who would expect great things from his staff? Is it fear of "them" taking over "our" workplace or business?
OR is it, in large part, uneasiness with Asian culture/behavior and attitude toward subordinates?
I work for a large US based international corporation (won't name the company though). Our executive management team and most of our mid-level management team is predominately white and male. You should see our annual report (lily-white). A few Asians managers, very few Hispanics managers, and very few African-American managers.
When it comes to certain management positions where staff may fear a manager who they perceive as too rigid, too controlling or a micro-manager, Asian men may, arguably, be at a disadvantage.
The advantage to Asians, specifically, in technical, finance, science and engineering fields: white managers MUST retain you because of your knowledge, expertise and work habits. Directly resulting in considerably higher pay than other minority co-workers, office perks, job security, heavy influence in technical problem-solving, etc.
The condition, however: you must not become a threat to their executive/mid-level management position in the corporation.
The consequence: as soon as that threat arises, the complexion of the professional and/or personal relationship will change.
Perhaps it's not solely racism. Perhaps it's also cultural and social differences that do not get explained well for myriad reasons.
Whatever the reasons, it's not an advantage to Asians as far as management is concerned.
Geoff DB
GeoffDB02@aol.com
Friday, April 18, 2003 at 00:08:24 (PDT)
[172.194.168.177]
"If Asians had the same skin tone as African-Americans, but possessed the same cultural attributes and intellectual ability, you would not be as economically successful as you are here in the United States of America.
That part I am certain."
- Geoff DB
Hmm... an interesting conjecture on your part. If you were talking about Asians trying to make it in corporate America, I would have to agree, overall. The whites would REALLY try to put Asians down on the bottom rungs of the ladder if we were dark, because they would probably subconsciously associate us with blacks. But instead since we're less dark, they let us climb to the middle ranks, THEN push us down. Those bastards. But like you said, we have the cultural drive to make it on our own if we have to. If we were as dark as blacks were, I still think that overall, we would have the economic success Asians see now, except that the vast majority of our success would come from an ethnic enclave/internal economy, like Chinatowns, Little Tokyos and such.
LSD,
NO -- perhaps you should be more specific about what you're saying, instead of smudging mud in my face. That was a mistake on your part.
Read your post - it clearly makes no distinction between East and SE Asians. As the last time I checked, SE Asians are also Asians. Your failure to distinguish the SE Asians from East Asians (naturally) made me conclude that you were lumping all types of Asians together. Get your act together, because phrases such as "as various groups" hardly has the desired effect of being specific and to the point.
Come back to Earth Bill
Wednesday, April 16, 2003 at 18:41:23 (PDT)
[128.253.186.46]
"They have both the money and sexuality, while we (Asians) get the greenbacks and you guys get the pu$$y."
When Asian-Americans (men, in particular) complain about being stereotyped, the response has generally been that you should take your lumps and remain silent. Usually, the response is to either completely discount the complaint or to minimize it.
I will not do either one. I will refrain from suggesting that you choose alternatives (enjoy economic benefits vs. face ethnic ridicule).
I seriously doubt that Vincent Chin's mother felt that he was advantanged.
It is important to dismiss some of the media stereotypes about black men. Yes, we see in movies and TV that black men get all the women. For those of us who live in the real world and who recognize how ugly racism is in this country, we know that the majority of Asian and white and Hispanic women are not attracted to black guys. Many of them shun us because of the color of our skin. That's a fact. Although, there are a number of black guys who cannot get their act together.
The way that race is played in America puts Asians at a disadvantage from a political standpoint, because your population numbers are small and you're less vocal.
Your race puts you at a disadvantage as far as media portrayal is concerned, because there is still resentment against Asians and because white people view you as a social and economic threat.
Your race puts you at an economic advantage in this country, because you pull together in various ethnic groups and do many smart things based on your culture and drive.
The distribution of opportunity in this country depends greatly on the color of your skin, connections/networking and whether or not you get a quality education. Asian-Americans, for the most part, study hard and obtain quality education.
If Asians had the same skin tone as African-Americans, but possessed the same cultural attributes and intellectual ability, you would not be as economically successful as you are here in the United States of America.
That part I am certain.
Geoff DB
GeoffDB02@aol.com
Thursday, April 10, 2003 at 23:04:08 (PDT)
[172.191.74.73]
'You are wrong on certain points about Asian Americans and income.
The Chinese Americans and Asian Indians are the most successful in terms of income, followed closely by the Korean and Japanese Americans. It's no secret that those ethnic groups have done well for themselves
Vietnamese, Cambodians, and Hmong on the other hand, have significantly lower incomes and higher poverty rates, not to mention incarceration rates. For some ethnicities such as the Cambodians and Hmong, the poverty rate is higher than that of blacks, which is 26%.'
I have never said Southeast Asians were part of the model minority group. U need to read my posts more carefully.
Model Minority status is only granted to the East Asians.
LSD
Thursday, April 10, 2003 at 09:56:26 (PDT)
[66.212.81.228]
NEWEST COMMENTS |
EARLIER COMMENTS
|