Thursday, April 8, 2010
I had a experience on the train today that raised a question. I sat down on the train and seated across, but next to me was an elderley asian woman. Once I sat down she looked at me and moved one seat down. So I thought maybe I scared her. Another stop goes by this time an african american women sits next to her. The same thing happens. She gets up and sits in another section of the train. But a white person sit next to her she does not move. My question is are family's or people from a rich asian culture feel they are on a level of the white society? Instead of a minority society?
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you know i've noticed the same thing but maybe asians feel like they're up there with white people because it's like they're the runner up almost. Like asians get into or out of things alot quicker than african americans and spanish people. for example when we talked about getting into stuyversant and how the population is heavily asian then white and then the bottom two so maybe thats why
ReplyDeleteAntonio, I don't know if you can attribute this incident (whether or not it has occurred more than once) to an entire people. Again, the event you are talking about is an evident between a specific person and other specific persons. Is it possible that the elderly woman has specific prejudices against you (or those who look like you) and African Americans (or those who look like her)? (Quite possibly if one is too look at your observations.)
ReplyDeleteBut again, these are the actions of one person. (And how does prejudice occur?) We should be careful not to apply that to all Asians. To do so is just like when people apply certain qualities to all Latinos, all Blacks, etc.
Now the second part of your observation is interesting, do you think rich Asians feel they are equal to Whites. I don't know. I've never read any reports or articles on this. But it definitely sounds like something that should be researched!
Well, in scary movies the Asian dies before the black guy, and in the whole of American history Asians are the only group ever isolated in consintration camps. Evem today there are so many different types of stereo types, but I do think the Asian population has come very far, and it all started when they reformed thier school system!
ReplyDeleteFor you to say that Asians were the only ones isolated in concentration camps is disheartening. First of all, JAPANESE nationals and JAPANESE-AMERICAN CITIZENS were placed in concentration camps in the United States following Executive Order 9066. Not Asians. Please be specific.
ReplyDeleteI think slavery is akin to a concentration camp (some might even argue worse). I think the Dawes Act which forcibly removed American Indians and put the children in Boarding Schools and sent them to private homes to learn "domestication" and "how to lose their Indian culture" is akin to being placed in a concentration camp. Or would you disagree?
Second of all, your point about a reformed schools system is grounded in what sort of factual or critical analysis?
Actually, it is factual that it was not only JAPANESE people placed in the concentration camps, when they first were put in authorities did not distinguish between them if you looked Japanese, and you did not have papers on you at that exact moment in time that said otherwise you would be arrested. So in light of all of those locked up that were not just Japanese I say Asian, I guess Oriental would have been a better word. And as far as the school reforms, in post World War II after the influence of Western Culture there were major Education reforms that completely shifted their original schooling system into the rigorous programs we are familiar with today, (which are, at least in Japan, undergoing another radical change). And- although I do agree the sadness for those in concentration camps, and those in chains, and especially the Natives many strife’s, I was, as you said, being specific. I guess I just put the emphasis on the wrong topic.
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