|
|
|
|
|
GOLDSEA |
ASIAMS.NET |
ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
WHAT FOBs THINK OF AMERICAN-BORN ASIANS
y FOBs we mean anyone who has ever been called an FOB. -- "fresh-off-the-boat", anyone not born here. In other words, half the AA population. Even the 2 million AA who immigrated as kids and speak English like -- or in some cases, better than -- native-born Americans rarely escape the sting of being dismissed by American-Born Asians (ABAs) based on real or imagined differences.
The stereotype of the hopeless FOB who just doesn't get American culture is all too familiar. But intra-Asian prejudice is a two-way street.
No less insulting are the images held by FOBs. ABAs are the descendants of the lowliest of peasants forced to flee their homelands to become indentured servants, sniff some FOBs. Born and bred to accept second-class status in a white society, sneer others. Slackers who don't know the meaning of ambition and sacrifice -- and who lack the guts to do anything about it in any case.
FOBs run the socio-economic gamut. A significant minority (perhaps a tenth) are highly successful trans-Pacific business families seeking a safe haven for their fortunes. The vast majority are engineers, scientists, physicians and academics braving the uncertainties of new lives for a chance to work hard for more money and better opportunities. A few are refugees and illegals risking their lives to escape hopeless, grinding poverty.
It's safe to say few FOBs feel in any respect disadvantaged relative to American-born Asians. In fact, given a dozen years most do as well or better than ABAs financially, if not socially. They can be excused, then, for harboring some less-than-flattering assessments of ABAs. By the same token, in their struggle to acculturate, FOBs often come to appreciate the trails blazed by the ABS, or at least, by their ancestors.
Assuming you're FOB or straddling the FOB-ABA fence, what's your image of ABAs? Let's hear the good as well as the bad.
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.]
(Updated
Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025, 06:38:55 AM)
FOB's....ABA's...WHO CARES??? We're all Asian....why separate ourselves to only create more differences between a race that is already lacking unification?
Just get along, get past the accents, get over yourselves and get together. Its the only way to do it.
Proud ABA AND Proud Asian
Friday, November 02, 2001 at 21:04:43 (PST)
To "aligned 1st class FOB":
The demographics of the medical profession is made of approximately 1/8 asians, almost all of which are ABAs.
The beautiful actress Joan Chen is
married to an ABA cardiologist.
ABA surgeon
Friday, November 02, 2001 at 16:56:43 (PST)
Why are you people bickering so much?
Haven't you heard that the 21th century
will be the Asian century?
USA educated asian who is back in asia.
Friday, November 02, 2001 at 10:29:03 (PST)
1st Class FOB:
What makes you think all or majority of ABAs want to become white? I am proud of my Asian heritage and don't hide it. I learn it, study it, embrace it. At the same time, we have to adapt to the American environment. We can't merely be Asians who live in America. Rather we should be "our own kind of American"- uniquely Asian-American.
I get tired of people, many Asians are guilty of this, saying "well, only American people to that." We are all Americans!!! I think they are probably saying well only white Americans or non-Asian-Americans to that.
But, I am proud of my heritage, but consider myself American also.
ABA Who Truly Feels Asian-American
Friday, November 02, 2001 at 09:53:25 (PST)
Proud ABA,
What makes me a 1st class FOB? I never try to be a second-class WASP the way I see too many ABA trying to do, especially the ones in my profession. That's a pet peeve of mine, which is why I jumped at the chance to post on this board.
Of course there are ABA with people skills. I never said there weren't. You'd have to pretty lame not to have people skills in the society into which you were born. It takes considerably more for FOBs to have people skills, and I see many of those. I consider myself one.
What I said is that the most brilliant people I come into contact with are FOBs. Yes, I've met some very smart ABAs. There are a couple in my firm, as a matter of fact. But based on pop. stats there should be 2 brilliant ABAs for every 3 brilliant FOBs. Such is far from the case, as you probably know yourself. Check out the faculties of leading American universities, for example, not to mention Silicon Valley. You'll see it's more like 5 FOBs to 1 ABA, at least at the levels that produce patents.
Hope this is first class enough for you.
1st Class FOB
Friday, November 02, 2001 at 07:22:39 (PST)
Proud ABA,
Your comments seem to indicate that you fit into the stereotype of the insecure ABAs who think that they have better people, leadership and communications skills than people who are born and raised in Asian countries. This is because such people think that because they were born and grew up in America they have a nice "high class" accent and were socialized in the American way. I know such people are always griping that white men always steal their fellow
American born asian women. Such people are really insecure that's why they look down on FOB's. For your information, John Chambers, the CEO of Cisco, considers Dr. An Wang the computer magnate and China born and raised to be one of the people whom he respects the most because An Wang is the smartest and one of the kindest people he has ever met. An Wang's son, who is ABA, completely lacked his father's leadership and business skills and hence brought the company down when he took over.
Proud Chinese
Friday, November 02, 2001 at 06:26:30 (PST)
Hello, I am an American-born (C)Korean-American. (haha, sounds so technical). Anyway, I am of the opinion that ABA's are actually harder workers, and possess the social, creative, and material skills to prosper in modern America. In our current time, as the economy gets tighter, we will come to a point where Asian-Americans will not be able to progress in their jobs unless they can defend their job, and communicate how and why are they vital to the company's success. In regards to this fact, I believe that many Fob's come to America, believing that people will come to them to seek their technical skills, and seek to give them a fair and just wage. I find that it is true that many Fob's do have a good technical background and do get selected for many jobs, but the second contention that they will automatically get a deserving wage is inaccurate, to say the least. Employers will not give Fob's the money that they deserve, becaue Fob's do not, and will not speak up about what they're fair compensation should be.
That is just a general example of one possibility.
ME: Who am I? I am a Korean American, born and raised in New York City. My parents were educated in Korea at Seoul National University. My father worked for a while as an expatriate engineer in Saudi Arabia, while my mother came to America as a nurse. As I grew up in New York City, I realized the importance of my asian identity, and the potential that the Asian- American community has to influence New York's political, social, and economic landscape. I believe that it is important to foster a sense of Asian-ness and learn one's culture. However, I find it arrogant of people to discount, other Asian's because they are not Asian enough. Instead of disparaging them, and pointing out their faults. I believe that we should encourage them, and invite them to share in our understanding of the Asian-American culture, and the possibilities of our future. As for me, I believe that I have achieved a considerable amount and that I am not second rate son of a dirty immigrant or whatever you call me. I am attending an ivy-league college, where I am studying, and interacting with Asians of all varying levels of committment to their culture. In doing so, I hope that I can help them come to a realization, that we share a unique identity, so unique in fact, that it has not quite been defined yet. I believe that it is up to us ABA's to define ourselves, and to define our contribution to the view of Asians in America.
In addition, I want to state that, it is foolish to measure our self-worth by salary, or grades, or number of ladies we enticed ourselves with. Rather, we should look to our community, and our progress as Asian-Americans. Ask yourself, "What have I done to improve the image of Asian-Americans?", and "What can I do?". In Korea, there is a great sense of the collective whole, to sacrifice, to give, to commit for the family, for the Asian-American community. I believe that it is this sense of "we-ism", sense of collectivism, sense of sacrifice, that will be the best proponent of Asian-American society. This is the first step to furthering our cause.
R. Kim
rckim@hotmail.com
Thursday, November 01, 2001 at 18:43:04 (PST)
Fujian is more commonly used than Fukien. If you say Fukien, you will
confuse many ABAs.
Graduate student from Xiamen, Fujian
Thursday, November 01, 2001 at 10:19:51 (PST)
NEWEST COMMENTS |
EARLIER COMMENTS
|