nwasianweekly.com
May 5, 2007

Asian or American? No need to choose

We may all look alike to some people, but there’s a difference between Asians and Asian Americans.

As we kick off Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, there’s no better time than now to educate others and ourselves about what it means to be an Asian American.

It is certainly a complicated issue, given the diversity of this community. Some of us are recent immigrants who still have family back in Asia and, thus, remain very connected to our native lands.

Others have been in America for generations and can’t name a single relative living in Asia.

Some of us keep up with the news of our native lands, while others seek out local news from mainstream media and have little interest in what’s happening across the Pacific.

All of that is fine. We’re proud of the diversity of this community, of the numerous perspectives, viewpoints and histories found in this relatively small but dynamic community. However, sometimes we need to remind ourselves and others not to confuse “Asian” with “Asian American.” Both Asia and America have places in our identities, and sometimes the stories are intertwined, but just because a person is of Asian descent doesn’t mean his heart and soul belong solely to Asia.

It’s common for Asian Americans to be mistaken for foreigners. Many of us, no matter how long we’ve lived in America, have experienced it — being mistaken for someone who doesn’t speak English well or being presumed as someone who wasn’t born or raised in America. It’s the “perpetual foreigner” syndrome.

Part of it has to do with racial stereotypes. These images abound on TV and radio — the thick accent, the geeky exchange student, the exotic geisha, the menacing dragon lady, the skilled martial artist, the all-knowing guru.

But we can’t blame it all on the media. Some of the blame rests on us too. Some Asian Americans still don’t vote. They don’t get involved in the political process, even though the policies and decisions affect them. Some don’t venture outside their own ethnic community, choosing instead to interact only with those who speak their own language and share their heritage. Some don’t even acknowledge themselves as Americans — instead identifying themselves solely as “Chinese,” “Vietnamese,” “Korean” or whatever their ethnic background may be.

Some Asians don’t understand that they can be part of both their ethnic community and the mainstream community. You can have your feet in two places. You can keep up with news about Asia while also being interested in what’s going on in America. You can make friends in both communities. You can care about both communities.

You can, and should, contribute to both communities.

Of course, all of us are influenced by the history of Asia, and we shouldn’t try to diminish that fact. Political persecution, economic freedom and the desire for a good education and future are among the reasons for us being in America today. We should not forget or ignore the historical and political forces that led to the creation of an Asian Pacific American community in the United States. However, now that we are Americans, we must contribute and be active members of this country.

A better future depends on our participation.

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