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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.
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WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
(Updated
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 06:03:30 PM)
T.H. Lien,
If the Hakkas were the first one to arrive to HK, the why is Hakka not the main dialect? I guess it's a mystery that Cantonese became the dominant dialect of HK instead of Hakka.
Btw, I am not trying to discount the credibility that the Hakkas were the 1st ones to arrive to HK, but many people out there are very prejudiced against the Hakkas and prefer to ignore their achievements and history. I know that HK before the pre-colonial days was somewhat of a wasteland inhabited by people like the Hakkas who efficiently used the scant resources they could find. The Cantonese were the latecomers to HK because 1) their villages were in the west of it, much further away, unlike the Hakkas whose villages were always near HK 2) HK was resource deficient, however, Hakkas known for their hardiness, were able to make the best of HK during the pre-colonial days.
There are Hokkiens in the Canton area too, most lived in the eastern area by the coast and on the small islands of HK. Many have intermingled with their Hakkas neighbors who lived in the hills. The dominant group are the Teocheows who inhabit Chaozhou, the famous city in Northeast Canton. Actually, there are some Hokkiens who can speak Hakka and some Hakkas might have a Hokkien origin. These 2 groups are very different people but have associated with one another throughout history. Taiwan is a good example.
Yeah, I am a Beyond Fan. Is Wong Ka Kui special or what? Considering all the boring HK singers and musicians, this guy was indeed different and refreshing. And for Beyond to perform live in Japan and compete with Japanese Rock bands shows a lot why this dude was talented!
Beyond Fan
Tuesday, March 26, 2002 at 08:44:59 (PST)
To T.H.Lien and MLK
Your opinions means nothing at all.
To all cantonese haters don't ues our banks like cathay bank because it was started by the cantonese. And all you mandarin and mainland chinese you don't know the history about the cantonese in america.We been here for 160 years plus you guys been here maybe less then 15 years.I don't even hate you guys like how you hate us so much.I'm sorry if most of the HK people are rich and mainland china people are poor. Don't hate them because they drive a BMW M5 and you only drive a toyota camry. I know I'm ranting and raving so screw you.
hapa but the good side is the chinese side
Monday, March 25, 2002 at 16:48:53 (PST)
lay smack down on UR candy ass,
"In HK, everyone has to speak Cantonese to survive!"
-First off, living in HK before and after '97. People been scrambling to learn Mardarin since '94 on the island.
-Second, HK doesn't speak real Cantonese. It's HK'ese. little bit of English, little bit of Japanese, lots of Cantonese holding it together. Language on that island changes as quickly as fashion. You know how strange you would sound if you spoke only Formal Cantonese in HK. They think you were a mainlander that just fell off the turnip truck. I'm sorry to hear you have not met many refined Cantonese people. But I've met more than my share who have educated me in proper etiquette of dining and enjoying the finer material things in life.
-Third, I've been trying to find some sort of reasoning in all these arguement. Most Chinese people I know are have a lot of local pride. But usually they will fall short of calling other Chinese people inferior.
AC Dropout
Monday, March 25, 2002 at 13:07:59 (PST)
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