STATUS OF ASIAN AMERICANS
(Updated to reflect the 100 most recent valid responses.)

What is the status of Asians in America?
Lower third of society | 2%
Middle third of society | 33%
Upper third of society | 55%
Top tenth of society | 10%

Which factor most undermines the status of Asians in America?
Media portrayal of Asians | 34%
Problems of recent immigrants | 19%
Racial prejudice & resentment | 38%
U.S. conflict with Asian nations | 9%

Which factor most enhances the status of Asians in America?
AA educational levels | 51%
AA economic success | 27%
Respected AA public figures | 8%
Success of Asian nations | 14%

How will the status of Asian Americans change during the first decade of the new milennium?
Improve somewhat | 38%
Improve dramatically | 35%
Stay about the same | 22%
Worsen somewhat | 5% Media is the strongest branch of Govt therefore it is the image that people in general watch because of the inabilty of people to turnoff there Media drug (tv creates an effect as such) pushers .

It's sad that people don't mediatate so that can keep from being pulled into those fear based realities .

Breath....,
POwerOrForce waysun@lvcm.com    Thursday, November 14, 2002 at 02:18:29 (PST)    [68.96.188.109]

BinkyGURL,
very correct. Your speech or whole writing is very thoughful, has a lot of detail. I thank you for bring many good points out. The thing is that many asian american don't seem to care, they just live each day as it is. This however is bad b/c one day it will hit them hard in the face then they will realized. I'm glad your aware of it.
Now, we do have asian people out there joinning commitee to make a difference. As times goes by, I believe everything will go smoother eventually.
God bless    Tuesday, November 05, 2002 at 20:54:41 (PST)
BinkyGURL,
Very well said and I thank you. Pride and good bless us all. We are moving each step closer to home. Very happy to see your thoughful speech, it's about time.
Goodness    Monday, November 04, 2002 at 20:48:27 (PST)
The reason why Asians in America have little to no political clout is becuase we are not vocal enough and are too busy working to maintain upper to middle class culture: i.e. suburban homes, sending our kids to nice schools and buying them nice cars - feeding them American consumerism which creates laziness and a willingness to settle for less. It is an illusion and a dangerous falsity for Asians to believe that there is no fighting to do, that there is no racism against Asians becuase to think that would be just what the dominant group wants us to think so we will continue to remain quiet and acquiescent: in a constant state of denial. The answer is not to retreat back into the safety of our own people or to surround ourselves with nice, expensive things but to get out there and make some changes w/in ourselves and our communities each day, challenging the system that keeps trying to silence us, to tell us we don't need services, that there is no such thing as racism against Asians when in reality it happens every day. We need to speak up and open our eyes to
the injustices, the stereotypes, the unspoken policies and silent, uneasy stares and racist assumptions about us and our culture. From the media to our
circle of freinds,we need to step up to the plate and do what other minority groups have been doing and still continue to do - fight for what
is rightfully ours and fight for what our ancestors fought for. An equal chance at making it here in the new world. Frm the Filipinos who came here in the early 1700's to the Japanese who endured the wrst case of all-out racial profiling on American soil, being rounded up into internment camps and told they were spies when these Japanese had been living in America for generations and were American citizens, all of us can testify of our roots here on American soil.
Pick up an Asian American history book (I recommend Robert Takaki's "Strangers from a Different Shore"
and you will see that this land is just as much ours as it is for every immigrant (including Europeans) who slaved away and worked hard to build it into the nation that we known now. Since the 1700's Asians have played an instrumental role in building railroads, cultivating land, owning small businesses to put money back into the American economy - and yet, today we are still treated as if we are merely foreigners. It is time to reclaim the history books and retell our stories from OUR point of view. Right now, is a better time than never becuase if we don't act now, then no one will act for us and the state of Asians in America will always be stagnant.
BinkyGURL just_chinky@hotmail.com    Friday, November 01, 2002 at 09:58:48 (PST)
Hank,
I think you are correct in how you are exposed to different races or cultures of persons as children, it makes a really big impact on how you view those same people as adults.

Interactions I had as a child with Asian people were 100% positive ones. My best school friend was a girl from Laos, my doctor was a Chinese man, my school friend I volunteered to tutor in English class was from Vietnam and the list goes on and on. I definitely think this helped shape my views on Asian people and not having misconceptions .

I will say something though as far as learning and education goes. I did have the idea, until I was in my late teens, that ALL Asian people were either very rich or very poor. I had never encountered an Asian person that was middle class , but only the extremes.
This is a good idea of how taking the time to exposing people to different ideas and educating them can really make a difference in perception.

I saw this when some college friends from Saudi Arabia that just came to American ,told me that they believed that all Americans were rich and walked around dressed like people on the old 80's show Dynasty. They said they were shocked when they saw that people here were also poor, drove beat up old cars, and we also have homelessness, and poverty. They were surprised that I lived on ramen noodles and drove a 78 Toyota at the time instead of driving a BMW and eating out.

Good luck with Helena! We have similar challenges ahead of me with little Nathaniel.
A very positive lesson I see from my Asian friends and family is the lesson of SAVING MONEY! Now if there was only more to save!!!
hannybunbun    Sunday, September 22, 2002 at 11:54:26 (PDT)
Question,
If most read the question like me, I just automatically assumed that it referred to economic/educational status.

#2 shows that most feel we're being screwed by the media or outright bias.

"The man" can't keep us down economically, so he's pulling a character assination on us.

AC,
Ummm, if you come here with over $500,000 in your pocket, I doubt you'd be looking for a loan on your first house/car. House/car #1 would establish your credit history I think, and the rest of your cash would be pretty good collateral..
huu76    Saturday, August 24, 2002 at 18:13:20 (PDT)
Dumpling,

that is true. Too often we see the media as an enemy. But it's really just a tool and either side can use it. we can use it too. We can use it to our advantage. We can do it!!! Maybe someone should start a production company or something like that. it's hard to break into a white-owned entertainment corp. an alternative is to start our own. i have no capital and that's a big problem. but i have ideas. anyone want to get together, pull money together, look for rich sponsors, and make this happen?
dim sum anyone?    Friday, May 24, 2002 at 09:55:37 (PDT)
What we need is a strong Asian political lobbying group like those Jewish groups. Check out this great article talking about the success of the Jewish people in shapping American perception despite their small population:

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/world/DailyNews/mideast020425_lobby.html

It's all a matter of influence. And money. We Asians can do it too. Asians also need to stop looking at the media as our enemy. Instead, we must see it as our best weapon to spread our influence. We must use it for our interests. That's our right in this country! Speak up!!

Has anyone read the book called "Foreign Attachments: The Power of Ethnic Groups in the Making of American Foreign Policy." by Tony Smith mentioned in the article? WHat do you think of it?

dumpling    Thursday, April 25, 2002 at 12:06:56 (PDT)
The first question on this poll is: What is the status of Asians in America?
33% said the middle third
55% said the upper third
10% said the top tenth

So if you think that you are doing that well in American society, why all the complaining??
question    Wednesday, April 24, 2002 at 09:04:47 (PDT)
MLK,

I think asian paying cash for large ticket items is caused by other 2 factors, other than avoiding Uncle Sam:

1) It is a force of habit from the old country where real estate mortages are still virtually unheard of, but changing.

2) Also more recent weathly immigrants don't really have a credit history in this country yet to qualify for a loans. Or view leveraging as an unhealthy habit.

AC Dropout    Wednesday, April 17, 2002 at 11:05:30 (PDT)

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