Quote from Pa(b)st Prime:
A few random thoughts.
The U.S. fought deadly wars against various Asian nations in four consecutive decades. We've killed millions and millions of âyellow menâ from Japan to Cambodia, Korea to Laos, Vietnam to the Philippines. All combined we've lost 200,000 troops, spent hundreds of billions, interned American citizens of Japanese descent and Hollywood has cast thousands in the role of maniacal, evil ânipsâ, âJapsâ and âslant eyes.â Until my adult lifetime the official sports nickname of Pekin Il. High School was the Chinks.
America has only used nuclear weapons in warfare once. Of course we killed Asians.
Yet if one were to poll American whites on their personal impressions of Asians, I'm guessing the vast, vast majority would respond that Asians are pretty cool. I don't recall ever meeting an Asian I've disliked. Perhaps those out West who live near Asian gangs have a different take but I see Asians in America as extreme scholastic achievers, businessmen who often prosper in dangerous inner city neighborhoods and good family people. Unlike many other white guys I harbor no particular sexual desire for Asian women, I've never visited Asia nor do I really desire to. I enjoy Asian food but in no way am I pre-disposed to like Asians. I just do. My feelings are based on the way they treat me, my community and each other.
I would never pretend people are color blind. However I don't think people dislike someone of another race based on color. Instead color merely becomes a dominant identification. Just like gender, religion or sexual orientation. We'd be naive to believe folks of differing faiths don't possess traits unique to their own dogma. Individuality is usually just a subset of our cultural upbringing.
One can't help but contrast the good will felt toward Asians to the animosity between Blacks and Whites. Is it because yellow is closer to white in the color wheel? Or could it be something more tangible? Could it be that whites (substitute humans) make a statistical inference based on identifiable markers? After all the language men use to describe women is pretty illustrative of those generalized divides. How many of you have heard, âwomen are tough to work for, it's like they have something to prove.â Or âgood looking chicks have attitudes.â While those remarks are considered sexist or even cruel they may contain a grain of statistical truth.
The history of race relations in the U.S. perhaps precludes any dialog that won't be viewed as hostile and prejudicial. Too many old wounds. What about those who come here devoid of that bad history. A fresh set of eyes so to speak.
Then how do immigrants view American blacks? To be blunt, not favorably. By and large immigrants see blacks as spoiled. Put yourself in the shoes of a Mexican in L.A., an Arab in Detroit or a Polish person in Chicago. Chances are you came to America without speaking English. You enter a strange land amid a small network of friends and family. Because of financial hardship or immigration laws your parents or children might have been left behind. Talk about the trauma of your first day in school! So now you're in your first day in the City of Obama.
While you're working some menial back breaking job, trying to learn conversational English and putting off any luxury beyond a few cervezas so you can send money back home-you're robbed at gunpoint by guys who own cars and expensive shoes. You see these thieves as people who had the benefit of free schools. Schools that fielded sports teams, held plays, gave out free lunch and had just 20-25 students in a class. These are people who if unemployed or poor receive food stamps, subsidized housing, welfare and aid to dependent children. They have fire and police protection, nice parks, recreational facilities, affirmitive hiring, helpful quotas in government jobs and contracts and best of all they're full fledged U.S. Citizens. Yet with all those advantages-perks you and your people would die for, perhaps your people have died for, yet these American blacks drop out of school, join gangs, rob, murder, abuse drugs and live in squaller.
Even the taxi driver from Nigeria refuses to pick up American black fares. He quickly learns the statistical risk. Obviously he makes a decision based on race. Are we to imply the Nigerian is prejudiced?
What is "race"?
