For all the hype about Asian American success and Asian Americans as the model minority, the reality is much more complicated. Even though the stereotype is that Asians are “smarter” and more “academically-driven” than non-Hispanic whites (honestly, this distinction is really insensitive, and I just want to say that), in reality, Asians are actually more likely to get a bachelor’s degree, but less likely to have a high school degree, indicating that Asian Americans who do “succeed” academically may do so to a greater degree than their “white” peers, but that those who do not achieve academic success are worse off than their white peers.

As a whole, they still seem “better off” than other minorities. There is a marked difference when we break down the statistics by country of origin, however.

Most of these differences are very clear when we consider history – returning to the(condensed and incomplete) timelines from my second post, that America signed immigration treaties with these different nations at different times under different circumstances. Yet in the simplification of the term “Asian American,” most people really only notice the most prominent countries:

Ignorance of the “lesser” populations, the smaller ones, hides a lot of startling differences in the narratives we see. Furthermore, a substantial percentage of immigration comes from those seeking refuge, and I have had friends whose families were torn apart in the hope that one or two might receive a better fate. A friend of mine from high school never saw her parents and two older sisters after a decision for her to come to America with an aunt, yet the hope is that a reunion may come someday. For those who come without fortune, connections, any understanding of the language, ready employment, for those who have lost their family, home, and often, all that they own, America can be a very different place.

Even within a single country of origin though, there are still many wide achievement gaps, depending on what generation “American” you are, as well as the time period of your immigration. I speak from the Chinese background, which I have seen the most of.

The first immigrants that gain a lot of public attention are the cheap migrant workers, such us those on the Continental Railroad. Much like the early Irish immigrants or our contemporary Mexican immigrants, they had poor education, but had come to seek a better living and to provide for their families.

The next wave of immigrants from mainland China were not until much later. Even with the Immigration Law, the People’s Republic of China placed strict restrictions on emigration until 1977, so much of the immigration in the 1960′s and 1970′s were from Taiwan. This early immigration accounts for why when Taiwanese are statistically “more prosperous” in demographic studies relative to individuals from mainland China (NOTE: if you do not know the complicated history and politics between Chinese and Taiwan, please Google it, as it is important, but not enough that I will entail it in this short blog entry.)

At the same time, the Cultural Revolution “destroyed” and “redistributed” wealth – at least in theory. There is much that could be said about the ideological shifts that happened and their impact on current history, but in the interest of time, I will simply conclude by saying that many of the immigrants which came next were generally not wealthy. Once the immigration barriers were first lifted, most of the next wave of individuals who arrived were scholars and businessmen.  Many, like my parents, and the parents of a lot of my cohorts, became fairly well established by the time I was a teenager. However, there were also many undocumented immigrants, without offers at institutions of study, who forged their own way through manual labor, often in places like Chinatown. In many Chinese grocery marts, there are advertisements for English lessons, which are the rare opportunities for education and advancement that many of the “older” citizenry may have, if at all.

This contrasts heavily with the latest generation of immigrants, which contain a much larger percentage of students from wealthy backgrounds sent to America for study and stimulation. As Asia has prospered, education has become extremely competitive, with heavy fees for the best schools and extracurricular classes in every imaginable pursuit.

In short, there are very strange contrasts set-up in today’s Chinese American population, primarily in a publicly largely unrecognized class divide. There are, as I see them, three large categories which exist today:

1. Chinese Americans whose parents have “pulled themselves up by their bootstraps” and made many sacrifices to ensure the access of their children to a good education
2. Chinese Americans whose parents were disadvantaged, and whose children are now given the opportunity of the parents of those in group 1
3. Chinese Americans currently immigrating from China from relatively successful families (this has also been aided somewhat by the one-child policy, which allows for a greater concentration of resources into single individuals*)

That is to say, there are two populations of Chinese Americans which are generally more affluent – but even that is a wide range, and the class differences that apply to other populations are just as evident in this population. Yet many of the stereotypes of Chinese American behavior, their stinginess and bargain-shopping comes from the past generation, where smart spending was a necessity of survival, a lifestyle that many families still have to live by within the Chinese American community but that for others is just a funny caricature of their parents. And to the influx of Chinese immigrants, some of these stereotypes don’t hold any cultural relevancy.

There is so much more that could be said dissecting the different cultures of these groups, where they intersect and where they don’t, but as this is already rather lengthy, I will simply conclude with this thought:

Race is NEVER a stand-in for class. The more we make generalizations by ethnic and national categories, the more we obscure the struggles of many within these populations, and hold them to expectations that are as impossible to them as someone who is a “true minority.” While national and cultural pride is something that should be honored and often becomes a key component of understanding one’s identity, while languages and traditions connect individuals of diverse backgrounds, it is also alienating for individuals whose realities are not understood or represented in the large understandings of racial demographic patterns. The statistics about Chinese American affluence do nothing to alleviate the struggles of those living in Chinatown, who are visited by the affluent, but who often live in squalor, whose stories are never told though their accents are laughed at and whose communities only come to light in reports about suspicious meats being served. American media has upheld the model minority standard while remaining suspicious of the impoverished within the community, never stopping to recognize a problem exists in their definition of the category of race.

I speak about the Chinese because they are not a minor, obscure minority that we have forgotten about. They are a large, over-generalized racial category that does not work.

*Granted, for said individuals, the financial burden is much greater on them to provide for two sets of parents by themselves, and would exponentially increase over time if everyone followed the laws properly, and life was mathematical, but given that this isn’t really relevant to the point at hand, please just store it away as a consideration for a rainy day.

Sociological Imagination is an approach to the world around us at the intersection of the world and person, history and biography, and creating an understanding such that renders one better equipped to navigate the structures around them. This is the first blog post in a series of three wherein I have elected to investigate the Asian-American identity from different perspectives. In my first blog post, I’ve approached the idea from an individual autobiographical standpoint, drawing from my personal experiences and struggles with identity. In my second blog post, I examine the idea from a historical perspective, while this, the third, draws some concluding thoughts from the intersection of history, biography, and social trends.

Graphs and diagrams taken from “Asian Americans” from Pew Social Trends, 2010-2012 and “A Community of Contrasts” released by Asian American Center for Advancing Justice about the Asian American community in 2011.

So there’s this scammer “exposer” called “scammer payback” on YouTube (found too many right wing propaganda being funneled my way to continue hanging out there too much) and one of OP’s profiles of the “scammer” featured the scammer having brown skin.

I can even BREATHE out of furor.

STOP ASSUMING THAT JUST BECAUSE SOMEOME HAS AN INDIAN ACCENT THAT THEY ARE BROWN.

Assuming otherwise…well, ya racist, buddy !! Racist against brown pxople.

nicelytousled:

sophiamcdougall:

ashtray-girl:

“In the 70s it was black and minority ethnic people, in the 80s it was gay people, trans people are just the latest to get it in the neck from comedians who can’t be bothered to try at their jobs anymore. I cannot stand there and watch another dogshit comedian go: ‘Ooohh if a woman can identify as a man, maybe I’ll identify as a chair!’ Why don’t you identify as good comedians, you hack motherfuckers?!”

- Nish Kumar: “It’s In Your Nature To Destroy Yourselves pt.2”

ALT

View on Twitter

Yeah but you needto actually hear the full clip and the fury and passion and glee (because he knows he’s nailing them) in his voice.

(Wish I could find the audio somewhere other than Twitter, but I can’t.

here it is!

2019-2020 Fellowships at The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art welcomes applications from scholars of art history, archaeology, conservation and related sciences, education, as well as from scholars in other disciplines whose projects are interdisciplinary in nature and relate to objects in The Met’s collection. The tremendous diversity of fellows’ projects reflects the historic and geographic diversity of the Museum’s collection. The community of fellows becomes immersed in the intellectual life of the Museum and takes part in a robust program of colloquia, roundtable seminars, research-sharing workshops, behind-the-scenes tours of exhibitions, conversations with Museum staff, and visits to the curatorial and conservation departments. Fellows form long-lasting professional relationships as they discuss research questions, look closely at objects, and share the experience of living in New York City.

Applications for 2019–2020 Fellowships will open September 1, 2018. Please visit http://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/fellowships for more information. Questions may be sent to [email protected].

Fresh Tracks Southwest/Intermountain Leadership Training in New Mexico!

Fresh Tracks brings young leaders from urban, rural, and tribal communities together during a three-day expedition, using the outdoors as a background for transformative leadership development. Youth will learn valuable organizing skills, create community action plans, and work with the Center for Native American Youth, along with partners from Children & Nature Network’s Natural Leaders and Opportunity Youth United, to make a lasting impact in their home communities. The training will be held in Abiquiú, New Mexico from September 14 -16 (including travel dates). Travel, lodging, and meals will be covered for selected participants. https://freshtracksaction.org/apply/

7th Annual Native American Studies Graduate Student Symposium - Honoring Seven Generations: History, Praxis and Futurities

#WeNeedYouHere Suicide Prevention Campaign

Eligibility: Participants must be American Indian or Alaska Native and between the ages of 15 and 24 years old.

To Enter the Contest:
Download and print the #WeNeedYouHere sign.
Add your own hopeful message to the sign and take a photo.
Submit the form to share your message with WeRNative and enter the contest.
Questions? Email [email protected]

2018 QuestBridge Scholarships

AmeriCorps VISTA Native Food Sovereignty Fellows 

work in Native American communities to contribute to and assist in efforts focused on food sovereignty, food systems, nutritional education, and the development of tribal economies that build opportunities in food and agriculture. The fellowship is the result of a unique partnership between VISTA, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and IFAI. VISTA positions are paid positions that provide a living allowance, educational benefits upon successful completion of the assignment, a child care benefit (if applicable) and other supporting benefits. Native Food Sovereignty Fellows work closely with the IFAI and receive ongoing training and assistance to augment their local work. The application period is now open. Space is limited, and they are looking to fill positions as quickly as possible.
https://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps/americorps-programs/americorps-vista/life-vista-member

Semester in Washington’s Scholarship for Native Students

If you need help writing a resume: https://novoresume.com/career-blog/how-to-write-a-resume-guide

And if you are interested in applying, but don’t feel ‘good enough’: 

Give it a try anyway - who knows what can happen! :)