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11
June, 2001
ASSIMILATION
AND SEPARATISM --
ON BEING AN ASIAN AMERICAN
Sometimes I feel more Japanese than American; other times I feel very American. This is the wonderful right of almost all Americans, since we have mostly come to this country with roots in other lands.
| I don't consider myself a "shuck 'n jive," "Uncle Tom" sort of Japanese American. |
Americans by nature are assimilationists - the country has long been called a "melting pot" of peoples and cultures. In recent years, it's become clear that we're less a melting pot than the stew in that pot, with individual ingredients still discernible among the broth that holds us together, some more distinct than others. Or better yet, a cooler metaphor is that of a salad, with individual elements tossed together but still separate, not melted together.
Time and the passing of generations can affect this mix, of course. I'm an armchair sociologist, not an expert. But it seems to me some of the older immigrant populations in the US - from Europe - have evolved more into a homogeneous culture with more faded ties, with sometimes little in common with their roots other than food and family names. I personally know many people from Italian or German or Irish descent but none that celebrate his or her ancestors' homelands like Asians do, with festivals such as the Japanese Sakura Matsuri (Cherry Blossom Festival) June 30 and July 1, or the pan-Asian Dragon Boat Race planned for August 19 in Denver.
Asians are among the youngest immigrant groups in the United States - the Chinese came first in the mid-1800s, followed by the Japanese, and then partly because of the turmoil of wars during the 20th century came the influx of immigrants from Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia. There are also strong Asian communities from India, Thailand, Taiwan and other countries in many areas of the US, including Denver.
I mention all this because I've been thinking lately about my place as an Asian American. I am primarily an assimilationist, and I'd be lying if I denied it. For many, being assimilationist for Asians means being the stereotypical quiet American, getting good grades, working hard and accepting every injustice with reserved good nature. I fit some of these stereotypes, but I don't consider myself a "shuck 'n jive," "Uncle Tom" sort of Japanese American.
I also don't consider myself an Asian American activist. My interest in Japan is historical and political and cultural, but it doesn't always reflect a strong connection with Asian American issues. Sure, I'm a strong opponent of internment and the horrible ways the Japanese Americans were treated during WWII. And sure, I'm against any racial stereotyping or bigotry. But I'm not a radical protester, or an angry voice outside the American mainstream.
A couple of recent discussions through an e-mail group I belong to made me think about where I stand.
Some people thought I missed the point in my thoughts on "Pearl Harbor" and insist that all Asians should boycott the movie on principle, because it's racist and Hollywood (and Disney, the film's producer) is inherently evil.
I was also criticized by some Asian Americans for supporting an e-mail sent to me by a Caucasian reader. The reader had been in Japan during the Korean war, and lived and worked in Japan since then. He loved the country and its culture, and had nothing but warm feelings for Japanese people because of the kindness they showed him when he was a stranger in their country. While traveling in Arizona a couple of months ago, he stopped at a roadside rest area and saw an Asian man. For whatever reason, this man decided this Asian must be a Japanese tourist, and went up to speak to him in Japanese. The Asian man turned to him and said "My grandfather fought for this country" and walked away.
This man acknowledged that he had misjudged and assumed the Asian was Japanese, and said somewhat condescendingly that he understood Japanese Americans' "determination to prove that they are just as American as I am." He just hoped that Japanese Americans don't turn away from their heritage in an effort to prove their patriotism.
This exchange prompted much discussion and criticism on one JA e-mail list, with some members claiming this man is a racist for making his assumptions and presuming to speak on behalf of an Asian American's cultural heritage. They would sooner spit in this "whitey's" face than to accept his condescending show of friendship.
Although I could see the critics' perspective, I wouldn't be able to criticize this man in the same situation. I believe that the increasingly global culture requires from all of us a measure of bridge-building. If anyone reaches out a hand to me in friendship, even if it's misguided in some way, I will gladly accept it (and then try to help educate and enlighten the person to my own culture). The activists would rather meet an outright racist than someone who is friendly on the surface but perhaps has an imperialistic view of Asian cultures.
I have strong opinions that are (more or less) well thought out, and am open to dialogue and evolving and changing my position after more thought. But historically, my thinking has been within the American mainstream, not part of the radical culture. I don't think that makes me less of a writer, thinker, activist or Asian American -- it's just the way I filter the world around me. One thing I don't use is anger as a filter -- it's been too destructive for me in the past. It's not just age, but I can say I've mellowed over time as a writer and person.
Ultimately, I consider myself an Asian American trying to make sense of my feelings as a citizen of this country with powerful and wonderful ties to Japan. My goal is to help make bridges in some small way, and to help others cross the same cultural bridge I'm traveling.