While reading the chapter in this book, a lot went through my mind. In the book, "Strangers From a Different Shore," I realized the asian community has gone through alot of hardships and pain. From physical to mental abuse, we only grew stronger and more successful is what we have become. As I was reading this book, the part that disturbed me the most was the way caucasians treat asians. From simple threats to murders, no one at all deserves what had happened to any of these people. Growing up in San Francisco, I lived in a community full of chinese people. Being half Chinese, i celebrate the traditional chinese new years and everything.
Reading through those pages, I remembered I had went through the same thing as well as my family. It was the first semester of my freshman year. A bunch of hispanic and caucasian kids at my school came up to my friends and I during lunch time. They started making fun of us for the way we look saying, "Wasup with your eyes, open them up ching chongs!" That was the day I got into my first fight. They eventually got suspended. My mom was at the bus stop waiting for the bus going to work. When the bus had arrived, she got on the bus. As she was getting on, she told me a guy had pushed her aside and said, "Move aside chinese woman." After I got done reading, I wondered a lot.
After reading Chapter 1 and the events that happened to me in my life and the people in the book, I am excited to learn more about the history of Japanese, Filipino, Chinese, Vietnamese, Hmong, Cambodians, and Hmiens. What they all have gone through and the problems we currently face today because racism happens everywhere.
4 comments:
Growing up I remember how everyone treated asian like they are all the same kind. There are many types of Asians and it makes me laugh when they would try to make fun of our language not knowing that they all sound different. I grew up in an environment when kids made fun of me before like calling asian "rice eaters" as a quote of being Asian. But everyday now we are growing stronger and stronger
I'm pretty excited (and kind of weirded out) to be taking this class being a lonely white person with all these Asian people. Highline is pretty cool in that it's really racially diverse and this is a great environment for this class. I love hearing all your stories about what your parents did and what's happened to you that relate to the stories in the book, it makes it so much more powerful. This is going to be a really interesting class and really good for all of us.
Yes, unfortunately, there are so many anecdotes and examples of Asian Americans and Asian immigrants experiencing discrimination. But I think we should be careful of saying that it's "us versus them," "Caucasian versus Asian," "Latino versus Asian," etc. I feel that it's more interesting and less devisive to look at the bigger issue, which is how a group comes to power, how control is gained and used, and why communities are formed and ostracize others. Otherwise, don't you think that we'll just remain in these antagonistic communities? What do you think?
I'm sorry to here you were treated that way. Honestly I can't imagine how it would feel but Im sure it must be infuriating to have somebody talk down to you and your family. In my blog I wrote about the hate crimes as well. Its pretty disturbing to hear about real life sometimes. Ignorance is crippling our society so Im glad Im learning what I am.
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