Annoyances of Asian American Life | Asian American Poll

ANNOYANCES OF
ASIAN AMERICAN LIFE
(Updated Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:25:46 PM to reflect the 100 most recent valid responses.)

Which of the following is the most annoying occurrence to which Asian Americans are routinely subjected?
Being told you speak English well | 21%
Being asked where you're from, originally | 28%
Having (non-Asian) strangers address you with phrases in Asian languages | 23%
Being subjected to offensive media portrayals of Asians | 28%

Which of the following is the most common way in which racial hostility has been expressed toward you?
Hostile words spoken to your face | 9%
Hostile remarks to others within earshot | 41%
Slurs or taunts shouted from a distance | 17%
Spreading of malicious gossip about you | 6%
Pointedly excluding you from a conversation or event | 27%

In your experience what types of persons are most likely to show hostility toward Asians?
People with low educational levels | 24%
People from social backwaters | 17%
People insecure about their own places in society | 28%
People envious of Asian success | 11%
People with little contact with other ethnicities | 19%

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WHAT YOU SAY

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"What is your attitude towards those people who try to assimilate Asian teenagers by mottos like "We're all the same if you Asians participate in our party culture just for fun, take drugs to suppress negative feelings etc."?
rare stuff Monday, June 17, 2002 at 12:44:37 (PDT)

I think it depends on the context. But it sounds extremely suspicious to me: anytime you impose conditions on someone you are immediately signalling that there are further conditions to be met before acceptance.

I have to admit that when I was in HS, the popular, party-hardy types never seemed in the least appealing. I hung out mostly with the "artsy" people who were into drama, literature, history, etc. We looked upon the so-called queenbees and wannabees as so many idiots with double-digit IQs.
Asian Dominatrix Tuesday, June 18, 2002 at 19:36:20 (PDT)

Hunnybunbun and Krasavitsa,

I hear you, guys!

I think it's great, Krasavitsa, that you are adamant about Asian expression. Way to go! I think it's great, Hunnybunbun, that you're all for a dialogue. Way to go! I think both of you have great ideas and I know there's way for us to work together in a positive manner.

I do think we all need to communicate more about racism. I think Asian voices need to be heard in all their fullness--no matter how threatening our complaints might appear at times to non-Asians--but I think non-Asian voices also need to respond (provided they don't take the form of silencing or denying our feelings and experiences).

For some of us, this is the only space we have. I cannot reiterate this enough. But if we want to improve race relations, EVERYONE needs to hear it too, because how otherwise will they know if they're "wronging" us? How will we make progress?

Asian Dominatrix Monday, June 17, 2002 at 18:06:18 (PDT)

Sociologist,

I can't comment too much on Australia, since I've never been there or studied it, and I have no idea about the ethnic makeup but I can make some observations based on the little I know. So take this with a grain of salt.

I think first of all, Australia is more like Britain than like America. Because of the Protestant Dissenters emigrating here, Americans have built up a whole rhetoric around equal rights and democracy. We have always had recourse to this rhetoric throughout our 300 some years or so of history. We have also had our rhetoric of the "melting pot" (however much many whites tend to ignore it) which other nations DON'T have. In other words, it's been easier for women and minorities in the US to bargain for our rights over the past century because of these principles and our constitution.

This is why American women and minorities have advanced further than their counterparts in, say, Britain. If you think US is sexist, go to Britain and you will discover that women have not made the same strides. (LOL, they are now getting very jittery because girls are doing better than boys in school and university! What is wrong, they?!) Same with the (East) Asian community--which by the way also makes up about 3% of Britain as it does in the US. There are nowhere near as many in managerial positions. So bad as we have it over here, professionally we would probably be even worse off over there.

Asian Dominatrix Monday, June 17, 2002 at 17:39:25 (PDT)

Hannybunbun,

Well said. As an AA female, I'd like to thank you (and other non-Asian people) to be here and voice your opinions. Thank you for saying "Asian identity issues and race relations will ALWAYS be part of my life". Positive attitudes from Caucasian people like you are one of the reasons why I retain my confidence in human races.
Red Red Seashell Monday, June 17, 2002 at 13:14:42 (PDT)

Asian Dominatrix,

inspired by your remark on a black pupil who faced racism:
though I'm not sure whether it is sensible to write as if the Turkish were our Asian "brothers" I'd like to mention that Turkish (I know it from Germany) tend to face much racism.Their culture is -like our East Asian one- entirely different from the culture of the whites.But they have one remarkable disadvantage: the Turkish are arrogant. E.g. I've heard of a case in the neighborhood of the school which I formerly went to. A Turkish teenager was insulted by a group of 20(!) teenage nazis. I admit that how he reacted was crazy: he draw his knife --and they broke his nose. -After all a relatively harmless incident.
What does it show to us? -I think we can learn of it: although the Turkish stick together unlike many other minorities they often enough stand alone among the whites.They think they wouldn't need the support of other Asians.Vice versa it is also the case. And that's the crucial fault.
However, I didn't aim to blame myself, it is the Asian snobs whom I blame because they take part in excluding those who are neither yet white-washed but not "Asian" enough.
Having mentioned this I don't know if we are still talking about the same subject. Let me therefore ask you one question: What is your attitude towards those people who try to assimilate Asian teenagers by mottos like "We're all the same if you Asians participate in our party culture just for fun, take drugs to suppress negative feelings etc."?
rare stuff Monday, June 17, 2002 at 12:44:37 (PDT)

"No wonder this nation is so messed up."

You are a US citizen. Are you registered to vote in Illinois? I sure hope so. I hope that you show up at the polls and turn out the GOP from the governor's office. They have been in power for perhaps almost as long as you have been on this earth...correct me if I am wrong...since 1977 and the Illinois Republican candidate for governor, Mr. Jim Ryan, is one of the most crooked politicians in the state, along with the Chicago Irish machine. Mr. Ryan is also a bigot who tried to railroad two Hispanic men for the murder of a Napierville girl back in 1985...this after he knew that a white man had committed the crime. If he becomes governor, next time it may be the Asians...for all I know it may be you or someone like you. It is time to watch your back and retire Jim Ryan for good.

Sociologist Monday, June 17, 2002 at 11:12:48 (PDT)

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