Is the backlash here yet?: Chinese Americans — and all Asian Americans — Should Be Ready
April 30, 2008
China is now America’s number 3 Enemy. A February 2008 Gallup Poll found that Americans declared that China had replaced North Korea as our number 3 enemy. Is anyone surprised that China is perceived to be a greater threat than the long time trouble maker North Korea? It seems that every day our fellow Americans are feeling more and more threatened by China’s growing economic power, in addition to China’s growing international influence in Asia, Australia, South America, Africa and the Middle East.
Job Losses in America. The millions of jobs lost to globalization is blamed primarily on low Chinese wages in China. Anyone who has lost his/her manufacturing or service job is not a happy camper, and the logical scapegoat is usually China. We have lost 5 to 6 million manufacturing jobs, and most (but not all) were lost to competition with Chinese workers. Never mind that once our workers were laid off, their bosses quickly open plants making the same (and more competitive) products in China or somewhere else in Asia.
Even service jobs are lost today, and that number is not transparent as many such jobs are filled overseas and never competed in the United States. Most of these jobs are filled in India, but the number of service jobs filled in China is growing.
China does not play fair. In the economic realm we have very valid complaints about Chinese intellectual property violations, the cheap yuan, huge foreign reserves ($1.5 trillion and growing), and the potential to wreak havoc with our interest rates if China stops buying our treasury notes, or dumps a lot of the T-bills they now own. This is not simply paranoia; the declining value of our dollar makes it less attractive to invest in US bank notes.
The falling US dollar. As the US dollar continues its downward plunge, the time will soon come when it will not be in China’s (or Saudi Arabia’s or Japan’s) best interest to invest so heavily in our bank notes. With all the problems in our economy today, we should be very concerned about what China might do if it wants to make our economic woes worse. The brake that restrains this from happening is China’s dependency on our buying of their products. However, the US market is gradually diminishing as a percentage of the world market for Chinese goods and has dropped in the past five years from 47 percent to 27 percent.
China Deals with our number 1 enemy, Iran. In the Middle East, China is doing a lot of business with Iran, our number 1 enemy. China is believed to have sold arms to Iran and has signed contracts worth $70 billion to buy oil and liquefied natural gas and is funding infrastructure to pipe oil and liquefied natural gas out of Iran. He who is friendly with our enemy is assumed to be our enemy as well. With our preoccupation with Iraq, Afghanistan and the Middle East, we have left a vacuum in many foreign countries, and China has stepped in and made friends with many countries who used to be our good friends.
Old Friends are now dependent on China. The Australians, for example, are now very dependent on exports of liquefied natural gas, oil and many minerals to China. A total of 43 minerals are exported by China. Two-way trade between Australia and China is around $100 billion. With such hefty trade relations, our normally reliable military ally has quietly warned us that if a war breaks out between China and the US over Taiwan, we should not depend on their assistance.
China has also been doing big business with Venezuela, whose leader is Hugo Chavez, and anyone who is a friend of our political nemesis Chavez is an enemy of ours. Selling “our” oil in Venezuela to China also gets some Americans really mad.
Aiming at our satellites. Then there’s the People’s Liberation Army, which in January 2008 practiced shooting down satellites by destroying their own satellite. Now whose satellites might China want to shoot down in the future? In the military threat arena, China has been buying state of the art Kilo submarines and Sovremenny class destroyers armed with the deadly anti-ship missiles designed by the top Russian engineers to sink to our nuclear aircraft carriers. These Chinese actions are rightly perceived as threatening gestures to our military.
Cyber-threats. And you’ve heard those stories about Chinese hackers attacking our computers in the Pentagon. No wonder our military feels they must prepare for a battle with China. It should be noted that the United Kingdom, France and Germany have all alleged that their government computer centers have been hacked with cyber-trails traced back to China
And what about all those spies? It seems that a month does not go by that someone is accused of trying to steal military or industrial secrets and pass them to China. And it is usually, but not always, someone who looks like a Chinese who is involved.
Many espionage cases fall apart in court. Nevertheless, the perception of the general public is that China is really trying to screw the United States. It is not just paranoia. If spying by China concerns you, there are plenty of recent spy cases to justify your fears.
Unfortunately, it seems that matters will continue to get worse, and tensions will continue to grow between our Country and China. Anyone familiar with Chinese American history should be very concerned about how we will be treated when the heat gets hotter. That affects not just Chinese Americans, but any Asian face. We all know how Vincent Chin was murdered in cold blood because he was mistaken for Japanese by laid-off auto workers. When the heat gets hot, our young people, many of whom have never tasted the dark side of racism, are in for a rude awakening.
For a recent historical reminder, Iris Chang in her book “The Chinese in America” reported that after the 2001 mid-air collision between our Air Force reconnaissance plane and a PLA jet fighter, some Chinese Americans living in the Midwest were told to go home to China by Americans impatient with the negotiations to free the aircrew. While this may not be mainstream, we know that in a conflict with China, Chinese Americans will be under the gun, and our loyalty to America will be again be questioned. It has consistently been this way ever since we arrived in America 160 years ago.
In the 1950s, in heyday of the notorious Senator Joe McCarthy, the Feds were unmerciful with Chinese Americans, and many of us had to prove we were not Communist Chinese or Communist sympathizers. This included many Chinese Americans who had served loyally in the military in World War II.
Chinese have always been an economic threat. Ever since our arrival in America, Chinese immigrants, and later Chinese Americans, have been a consistent economic threat to our fellow Americans. We worked hard, long and for low wages when we first arrived, and today, it is so ironic that we have the same problem.
This time it is different. Yes, this time, it is the Chinese, working hard and for low wages in China, who have caused several million fellow Americans to lose jobs. Few people will note, or care, that the fact is Chinese low wages have taking jobs away in every corner of the world. Many German cities that were famous for Christmas toys and handicrafts have shut down. Undeveloped countries, and also some emerging countries, that were dependent on textiles are economically flat on their backs with very little hope for recovery.
Impact of Globalization. The major issue is really globalization. When 3 billion Chinese and Indians suddenly stood up two decades ago, it flattened the world, and since that flattened wages globally, we Americans and most of the rest of the world were hit hard.
Chinese Americans should be feeling very uncomfortable as tensions grow between our Country and China. Historically, our fellow Americans have not clearly distinguished between the Chinese government and its citizens from Chinese Americans. Our engineers, who are disproportionately represented in our National Laboratories, all had their loyalty questioned a few years ago when American citizen Wen Ho-Lee, an engineer born in Taiwan, was under investigation. Chinese American engineers will be under suspicion again, if they are not already. Each of our engineers will have to make a personal decision to continue working under a cloud or resign. A few rotten eggs truly ruin the reputations of the rest of our loyal scientists.
Another Red Flag. America is now technically bankrupt. What? How is that possible? On December 17, 2007, David M. Walker, our Comptroller General, Government Accounting Office reported to Congress that our government’s accumulated debts and liabilities now total $53 trillion, and there is no funding allocation in the current budget to cover any of this debt. Please note that he did not say $53 billion. Walker reported a debt liability of $53 trillion, which is $53,000 billion. Both the administration and Congress are in denial. Walker resigned on March 12, 2008, as his dire report had little impact.
This is roughly equivalent to a middle class citizen owing $1 million in credit card debt and not doing anything to repay that debt, just hoping for a miracle.
Are we in denial? The Federal government seems to be hoping that another dot-com event will come along and wipe out the national debt, which did occur during the Bill Clinton administration. Since most of this money is owed to countries like China, Saudi Arabia and Japan, guess who the logical scapegoat might be?
How do Americans feel about Chinese American? In 2001 the Committee of 100 commissioned a national survey of adult Americans and the results revealed that a third of Americans feel Chinese Americans are more loyal to China than the U.S. When presented the choices of women, African Americans, Jewish Americans and Asian Americans as presidential candidates, the surveyed Americans were most reluctant to vote for an Asian American.
In 2007, polling by Zogby International disclosed that 75 percent of those surveyed believed that China is responsible for job losses in America, and 75 percent see China’s growing military power as a serious threat to the U.S.
With the confluence of the situations discussed above, if you don’t believe that a backlash is here yet, perhaps you should think again. There is more than enough fear to gush out a backlash like we have never seen. If we Chinese Americans are in denial, we will never be ready for the backlash.
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Roger S. Dong is the chairman of Chinese American Heroes (chineseamericanheroes.org). He has been a specialist on China for more than 35 years.
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88 Responses to “Is the backlash here yet?: Chinese Americans — and all Asian Americans — Should Be Ready”
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All are valid points. The two Chinese spies recently arrested were both naturalized American citizens. The perception that many Chinese hold more loyalty to China isn’t without any base in truth. I have a few naturalized Chinese friends who feel no loyalty or attachment to the US and it saddens me. It would be unwise to underestimate the Chinese espionage effort in the US.
America used to be a ‘melting pot’, but bad and mass immigration policy has fueled the ’salad bowl’ analogy which encourages divisive multiculturalism.
A large sizeable part of the animosity many Americans feel for the Chinese government (as opposed to people) stems from its systematic abuse of human rights both within its own borders and in “Semi-Autonomous” Tibet, its support for the butchers of Sudan and its long history of avid solidarity with fascists and reactionaries throughout the world, from apartheid-era South Africa to Pinochet’s Chile to the mass murderer Pol Pot in Kampuchea. For these practices, China has rightly earned the world’s condemnation. This condemnation should extend to the United States, the ruling circle of which is guilty of identical crimes against humanity. Chinese claims that its repression in Tibet and brutal treatment doled out to dissidents (including their murdering and the sale of their harvested organs) are purely “internal matters” in which the rest of the world should not “interfere” are ludicrous.
[…] China is now America’s number 3 Enemy According to the article here are complaints about China: […]
Unlike what Christian has claimed that the American public’s dislike and distrust of the Chinese is actually directed to the Chinese Government, not Chinese people is as flimsy as the attempted “appology” from CNN over the Chinese goons and thug thing.
Americans dislike and distrust Asians and Chinese in particular, including American Citizens of Asian/Chinese descent is rooted more in good ol’ fashion racism than any political or high and mighty like human rights and democracy.
For a long time, we Asians, and Chinese in particular, played the model minority role, study hard, work hard and keep quite. Now with our growing economic power, we are starting to aspire more political power. Unlike the blacks and latinos, we don’t have the numbers and the long visible history of political struggles. Thus, we are seen as the upstart group of people all of a sudden demanding rights and access.
It’s not just the government of China that we are blaming. It’s everything that the Chinese does, that we are blaming. They eat too much rice, which cause the price of rice to skyrocket. They smoke too much, creating second hand smoke in our country, which increases lung cancer. They drive too much, causing the price of gas to increase.
They continue to trade with rogue nations like the US, that systematically murder innocent Iraqis with our so call war on terror. They import from Australia, without questioning their abuses with the aborigines. To top it all off, they allowed Yum Brands to expand in China, whose KFC consistantly abused their chickens.
What happened to the good old days, when Chinese are suppose to sit around and smoke opium and play Mahjong all day long.
I got three words for ya: Chinese Exclusion Act.
Remember that?
David is playing the proverbial race card in an attempt to divert attention from the numerous atrocities committed by the Chinese government, both against the people of Tibet, its own people and the people of nations like Sudan, where it supports a genocidal government. He does not address the oppression of the Tibetan people, the brutal political repression directed against Chinese dissidents or the PRC’s historical support for the South African apartheid-era regime, the butcher Pol Pot, the reactionary UNITA rebels in Angola, etc., etc. Instead, he’d prefer to hurl baseless accusations of racism. Still, China’s indefensible record stands.
The biased western media also plays a part in creating animosity towards Chinese & Chinese Americans
As a 2nd Chinese-American whose parents came from Southeast Asia, I perceive American animosity towards China as being almost exclusively targeted towards its human rights record and undemocratic government.
However I get the sense that Chinese mainlanders who come here feel very differently. They tend to view any criticism as a racial insult. Additionally they tend to have a bulling effect, forcing other Chinese-Americans to view things their way, and to put themselves out as the voice of all Chinese-Americans. It’s unfortunate, but many who are 2nd generation tend to just keep silent.
The distrust of Chinese people nowadays doesn’t stem from “old fashioned racism”, regardless of what your sociology or “Asian Studies” professor had you regurgitate. I don’t trust China because it is leader in espionage against the United States. If it wasn’t for the race card, people like Jesse Jackson and other professional racial racketeers would be out of a job.
Human rights issues, absolutely, there are some major strides that China must take. However, China is definitely not the only country who is guilty of oppression. Don’t forget that the United States isn’t exactly a sainted nation. Even the history of Chinese/Asians in America cannot be discounted. The race card, it’s already a race issue and it began even before the Chinese Exclusion Acts. The Chinese were blamed for taking over jobs in mining, farming, logging, the list goes on. They were accused of people unsavory, unclean, diseased, and they were round up and driven out of their homes, that were burned down, time after time. And actually, the Chinese in America were not the ‘model minority’ that we would later be stereotyped into, but they did fight and sue for damages and reparations and crimes against them, but the US gov’t did not protect them. People who killed the Chinese in America were rarely, if ever punished and the gov’t here during exclusion did not do anything to really prevent it. So this would not be the first time the Chinese and other Asians in America would be subjected to a backlash. Look at the Japanese internment camps during WWII, was that not an atrocity? The fact is yes, the govt of China has a long way to go for human rights, but the Chinese PEOPLE will be affected negatively in the process, because just with exclusion, the Chinese Americans, whether immigrant or born in America were seen to be loyal to China, and therein they were seen as loyal to the Chinese gov’t and not the American gov’t. Also, the US in debt to many countries, not just China, and yet, with the Jack Cafferty/CNN goons and thugs comment, China is being blamed for being owed money by the US who are using some of the fund to support and pay for the war in Iraq started by the US. I mean, do you take out a loan with the bank and then get mad at the bank because you owe them money. And yet, China is looked down on in that instance. The ‘proverbial race card’ isn’t meant to be a diversion here, it’s just a reminder. It’s never left.
Since 1949 China was a communist with human rights abuses. It was never a Democracy. Our relationship with China was never great, but on average always improving. The American perception of China was never great, but on average always improving.
Now, China’s human rights dramatically improve, more Democracy than ever before, but all of a sudden Americans are having issues with human rights and Democracy. Did we just woke up from our dream one day and realize that our friend was alot different from us?
No, and the answer is not even a racist thing. Americans standard of living is in jeopardy. Chinese people and government are part of the culprit. The other main culprit is the war on terror. China’s lack of Democracy and human rights are just easy targets. As Chinese Americans, we need to be supportive and understanding of our fellow Americans. China bashing is not right, but anguish will cloud anybody’s thinking.
For someone living paycheck to paycheck to loose a job overnight, it could be very frustrating. Chinese Americans are in the same boat. Let’s not rock the boat, but rather be a part of the solution.
Sorry, but let’s compare China’s immigration policy with the US. Would China let hordes of Westerners immigrate and set up “little London” or “New New Jersey”? Doubtful. The pan-humanistic double-standard never ceases to amaze me.
Also, one of the reasons Chinese espionage works so well is that the US decides to embrace “diversity” so we can’t tell the bad guys from the okay immigrants. We can’t spy well on China because they don’t buy the multicultural immigration nonsense. A white guy or 2nd gen Asian would stick out like sore thumb.
If USA, presumably under the inevitable Hitlery Clinton as president, goes to war with China and Iran, staring WWIII, the 2nd Holocaust will happen in the USA. Instead of Jews, it will be Chinese Americans and any mixed people with Chinese ancestry. They will be sent to concentration camps like the Japanese in WWII and be systematically wiped out in US counterparts to Auschwitz. China will be nuked to oblivion and thousands of years of culture and civilization will be wiped out and obliterated forever.
Folks:
I don’t really hate to tell you this that I TOLD YOU SO.
All along.
The 160 years ago, when the “celestials” were recruited as cheap labor, is being replayed TODAY, with three-millions of us, MANY of whom have lived and worked and long been “assimilated,” and MANY of whom have “passed,” socioeconomically at least, into the purported “mainstream.”
Personally, I wouldn’t bother to raise one eyebrow at the “growing storm,” the “watch on the Mississippi” this time rather than the “watch on the Rhine” of midcentury last, which was the knellings of the sentinels for the Nazi “Final Solution,” the Holocaust and six million Jews, not forgetting the million “gypsies” and “homosexuals.”
Said Holocaust, of course, made the Japanese-American experience in our OWN “internment” camps pale by comparision, but OUTRAGE nonetheless.
Speaking of which, this was the second of my heretofore lamentations, the POSSIBILITY of its recurrence, reenactment tomorrow? with “Chinese” Americans as the scapegoats.
The fact that at least one post-er above “believes” the media slants and lies and supports the appearance of “spying” and “spies,” is just one more evidential bit of the successful workings of the swiftboaters out there, like “Christian,” who, while charitably acknowledging the heinous genocide ongoing in Iraq, continues to stoke the Sinophobic conflagration that is growing.
And, yes, the MEDIA, particularly the likes of the rabid Right TV channels and the ever-vociferous AM-radio channels with their overpaid hawk-ers and panderers to the fearful and the literally hate-full, are hugely responsible.
Add the likes of the “august” NYTimes in the case of Wen-ho Lee. They bought the Chris Cox gang’s political exploitation ploy the way TV preachers exploit their gullible suckers, the spiritually needy.
The neocons and their swiftboaters have more than successfully balkanized the 30-mil? APA community, so it is high time for the Committee of 100, or should that read 80/20?, to begin to marshal its resources, and for the moneyed, like that Boston tycoon and where the hell ARE you, Jerry Yang?, fighting off Microsoft?, to put their chips where their hearts are.
All that said, the playing field is different this time around, to the extent that even this little old website can prove an early-warning bulwark, and that there will be a hell of a lot more “dissidents” from any order issuing from any “administration” as a “blanket” condemnation and literal DISPOSESSION of an ENTIRE MINORITY.
And speaking of “administrations” here, this should enter the calculations of ANY APA voter come November, especially those of “Chinese” extraction.
Personally, I’m too old to matter here, but it bugs the hell ouf of me that such a growing PROBABILITY has sprouted out of the acorn-nut of the likes of “Christian.”
BOTTOM LINE HERE TODAY:
Thank you and bless you, Roger S. Dong.
Had a childhood chum of several summers in Watsonville, CA, named Marian Dong, youngest of a puissant clan of Dongs, including Dr. Collin, all the way baclto the -30s.
And, Emil, wish you would stop adding op/ed “fuel” to the “Christian” fires here. He already has the likes of Marcus H above, whose leering, slavering tone is insulting as well as threatening. My response to him is “Go back,” whence you emerged, likely a hole in the ground?
Frank Eng
P.S.: In all the hullabaloo here, I neglected to congratulate both the author AND AsianWeek for a “world-class” piece of reportage, even IF I did spot two? copyreading errors. Hey! once a pro always a pro, even if pros need other pros backing them up, heh. And, joking aside, WE truly need PROFESSIONALS here to assay, carefully weigh and consider every facet, then proceed to logical ACTION. Watch your back, as a potential “Vincent Chin,” and never underestimate the depths and squalors of those who fear and hate.
Also, whereas “defense” is obligatory here, it wouldn’hurt to get SOME of the
damned numb octogenarian fingers again.
. . . it wouldn’t hurt to get SOME, if not all, of the above piece circulating in every medium we can reach.
And, by the way, I CHALLENGE the assumption of “spies” and “spying” here. Who NEEDS spies today in this epoch of worldwide web distillations AND the “common knowledge” of practically all “knowledge,” such as it purports to be?
DISinfo and MISinfo are more than adequate to the task of inspiring hate and chaos, whence issues WAR.
There, MY question is, sir, WHO PROFITS?
Dear Huang Fong:
Truly sorry, but I must part company with you on your recommendation that we play the “good cop” here with our majority compatriots who simply misunderstand.
No, nothing has changed from the very “threat” Marcus H. invokes in his reference to the “Exclusion Act.”
And I, for one, insist it is time at least to resist defensively and fight, mediawise, with every communications weapon at hand.
The neocons and their swiftboaters have openly played their hand to date.
As for AUFMAN, foregoing, “from man”?, did he mean Aus? or Rausch?, he’s guilty of wishful thinking by my lights.
For one thing, Japan survived Hiroshima/Nagasaki and others “local” nuke malfunctions, and China withstood both Mongol and Manchu dynasties, and the authentic libraries all over the globe will retain both “history” and at least the witness to the culture he believes can be “annihilate” and/or “obliterated.” I still say you can’t shoot an idea, nor can you atomize civilizations.
No, the fear here is real, but the likes of Sinophobes and warmongers are weaker at heart than they believe they are puissant in power and strong at “arms.” Even now, this nation is “imploding,” hoist on its own petard of hubris and idiocies of political propaganda AND its perceptions of realpolitik.
Finally, there is is the complex and self-encumbering if not tying conundrum of “globalization,” where “interests” are “vested” everywhere — TRANSnationally. For sure it’s scary, but the Aufmans and the swiftboaters are merely outriders and infiltrators, in this case jerks and bullies, probably well paid and the only job they can hold down, sneering at and threatening their betters in their own land and society and “mainstream,” albeit peripheral, stream nonetheless.
As Roger S. Dong puts it — GET READY, EVERYONE.
But as Huang Fong suggests, we should also be wary of becoming paranoid, and there are friends out there as well. The majority probably don’t know, nor care. Yet. But they can be easily swayed and stampeded as witness the “torch” relays.
“The distrust of Chinese people nowadays doesn’t stem from “old fashioned racism”
-Are you serious? Where do you think racism against the Chinese/Chinese Americans stems from in this country, it didn’t just crawl out from under a rock. That’s like saying racism against African Americans now didn’t stem from slavery. History has shaped where we are today, you can’t take out the events in the past that has shaped racism and prejudices today.
“one of the reasons Chinese espionage works so well is that the US decides to embrace “diversity” so we can’t tell the bad guys from the okay immigrants.”
-this is just disturbed, do you think the US doesn’t participate in their own spying as well, you don’t that that a white American can infiltrate another country and take part in espionage? You really think that the US isn’t spying on China too? So since the US can’t tell the “bad guys” from the “good” what will happen? How about another internment camp, I mean yeah some of the Japanese were ok, but since we couldn’t tell, lets lock em all up. Let’s just keep up with some racial profiling.
Look at what happened to China when they did open up for trading, parts of it were colonized! Don’t forget the Opium War. China was opened up against their will, and in control of western countries, I can understand that they do not want to bow to pressures from foreign nations. But this is still the beginning, China has changed and is still changing, but for some it’s not fast enough. And with these growing tensions, who in this country will feel the effects if not Chinese/Chinese Americans and also in turn other Asian groups here in the US who may be mistaken for the “evil Chinese.”
Globalization is invented by the West and now they are whinning about its consequences. Just like they brought the blacks from Africa to US as slaves to the Whites, now they are blaming the blacks for every ills in America. This is just excuses by the whites to manipulate and control the world. Now it is time for them to shut up and compete. No excuses.
The reason is that China is becoming #3 enemy of the US is that China’s global influence is increasing and challenged US and the West in many fronts. And they felt that they are no longer the No.1 anymore.
Look inside yourself to find the solutions to your own problems. Don’t blame others because that wont’ be helpful.
Every country is playing their best hand in the globalized world. No mercy and no excuses. Long live globalization, deomocracy, and freedom!
“Personally, I’m too old to matter here.” Frank Eng, that’s the first accurate statement you’ve ever made on this website. You might also have added “senile” or just “plain nuts.”
gotta love it here
from GET READY, EVERYONE
to EVERYBODY, GET DOWN!!
“Where do you think racism against the Chinese/Chinese Americans stems from?”
I already told you. Modern “racism” against the Chinsee stems against the espionage efforts against the US.
“How about another internment camp”
Poor attempt at sarcasm. The easier solution is to drastically reduce Chinese academic and worker visas as well as immigration. If you’re going to argue that the US cannot determine who it lets into the country then you’re going to have to argue no other nation on earth can screen their immigrants either.
“That’s like saying racism against African Americans now didn’t stem from slavery.”
It really didn’t. People were racist before European colonization or slavery. Arabs were actually the first to take African slaves, not including the innumerable slavery between warring African tribes.
“This is just excuses by the whites to manipulate and control the world. ”
Replace “whites” with “jews” and we’ve got ourselves a mini-Himmler, don’t we?
Frank Eng,
No need to apologize, we all have different view points and different solutions to the same problems.
While we are knocking down walls, we have to be careful that we are not erecting walls that could not be defended.
While we are proud of China’s progress we must understand that we are not fighting for world supremacy, but rather a much more humbling goal of coexistence.
It is important to stand our ground, however at the same time we do not need to create new enemies. Just as all Chinese need to work smarter rather than harder, we need to resist smarter rather than harder as well. I think Chinese patriotism is good, but not Chinese arrogance. By attacking “whites” in general, we are “throwing the baby out with the bath water.”
Distrusting Chinese in America because of Chinese spies, the most damaging spy cases against America were committed by the whites guys. Not Chinese. Go check the data and you will find it out the truth.
So, modern racism against the Chinese is solely based on espionage? That is just straight up silly. modern racism against the Chinese is not based on one factor, it is a culmination of many. Modern racism also exists due to racisms of the past, hence Chinese/Chinese Americans perceived as being sneaky and untrustworthy.
Thanks for the tip, i’ll try to check my “poor sarcasm attempts” In regards to the immigration comment, what about those who are American born of Chinese descent who could feel the effects of a backlash. They wouldn’t be here on academic or student visas now would they? But an example of an extreme situation could be, for instance rounding up a group even if they are legal citizens, whose only guilt is being of East Asian descent and say hmm locking their asses up.
Guys:
Stick to the subject.
I, for one, am interested ONLY in preventing a repeat of unjust and unjustified smearing and demonization of an entire community, based on whatever interpretations said mass injustice appears to require.
And I, for one, am a total believer in the “practice” of “interculturalism,” which, in my own limited experience, appears to be “unifying” rather than “divisive.” Integration, rather than ghettoization, a celebration of ALL humanity rather than its denigration, whether tribal, national, or idiological. And, on a personal level, is not “integration” of self one of maturation and self-realization? As opposed to the unintegrated immature and juvenile, who ofttimes “fear” and thereby “hate”?
Too many meaningless “words” and “precepts” are bandied about, and too much insult and vitriol re “race”.
And my personal, subjective, singular to me viewpoint is that the first substantive need of this nation is to rid itself of a corrupt, incompetent, and dangerous to one and all “administration,” then proceed to extricate itself from the obscene mess it has made in the Gulf region and contiguous environs, simultaneously address its own festering domestic sociocultural/socioeconomic conundrums, including this one, and, one hopes, in the process perhaps invoking a new version of FDR’s New Deal and maybe creating needed jobs directed at reconfiguring a tottering infrastructure.
All of which, or even a part thereof, possibly obviating all this ya-ta-ta about and between minorities and peers and subgroups within groups.
Perceptions are individual, inevitably, but, so long as they are simply “held” and not “acted-out,” as in violence directed at another, hey!, feel free to perceive and believe. But don’t try to jam it down someone else’s eyeballs or “belief systems.” With or without helium bats.
A few “progressive” gurus, like Chalmers Johnson and Paul Craig Roberts and Mike Whitney and James Petras, well, I tend to read these, have flat-out pronounced the Yankee “empire” dead-on-arrival. No tears here, but, sad that its dying entailed all the grief and loss (of jobs as well) that besieges ALL of us, one way or another.
Frank Eng
P.S.: Anh, what “Chinese” “friends” were you talking about? Should they be “turned in” to the FBI? Are they here “legally” or are they among those better “excluded” now? And when did you “arrive”?
It’s not so much that the Chinese are stealing jobs, but rather that America is digging its own grave. Firstly, it appears to me that jobs are being outsourced to China because of China. Fine. But why is it that people complain about the Chinese while they choose to turn the other way and not question WHO or WHAT is making it possible - the MNCs and rich fat cats?
Secondly, what’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander:
“He does not address the oppression of the Tibetan people, the brutal political repression directed against Chinese dissidents or the PRC’s historical support for the South African apartheid-era regime, the butcher Pol Pot, the reactionary UNITA rebels in Angola, etc., etc.”
Well, I’ve got news for you. How about this: American support for Suharto in Indonesia, for Mobutu Sese Seko in Zaire, or the Iran-Contra affair? can I mention Pinochet as well? Don’t even mention over how America decided to let innocent German civilians and children starve to death over the 2 years past V-E Day, or advocated slavery (and still possibly does) . The most insidious thing about America is that most people still believe America to be the advocate of human rights and justice it so insists to be just when we’ve seen how selective Washington D.C. can be on what to do and/or what NOT to do.
The reality is this: all countries are the same - most nations are corrupt in some way or the other. It’s just that we get to see more or less of it in one place than another, but it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist where we don’t see it.
u.s. economy relies too much
on products made in china & chinese consumer
backlash if exists would be bad for business…
perception is very important here
“Modern racism also exists due to racisms of the past”
At its core, racism exists because we are biological being with selfish genes who can discern phenotypical differences.
“But an example of an extreme situation could be, for instance rounding up a group even if they are legal citizens”
Nonsense. That didn’t even happen with Arab-Americans after 9-11. There were changes in social attitudes, but that’s normal and it’s not the government’s responsibility to police that.
“am a total believer in the “practice” of interculturalism”
How is this different from multiculturalism? The bottom line is that I am an American and I do not believe the US needs to house the world. Mass importation is not compatible with assimilation. America will eventually become racially and ethnically balkanized and I do not look forward to its day. But that’s what you get when you import the world and each group wants its grubby hands in the racial spoils basket.
Also, Paul Craig Roberts is an anti-war conservative: I’ve not idea why you would refer to him as “progressive”.
“P.S.: Anh…”
This is not a difficult concept. Chinese Americans should be and are afforded the rights of other American citizens. This is completely compatible with the belief that we should drastically reduce immigration and visas. Coming here is NOT a right, it is a privilege. The floodgates need to be closed for a while.
I am always concerned by these types of articles. There are alot of factual errors, or at least incorrect assumptions of fact.
There is also a tone that makes me feel like the author, or whoever hired him, is actually trying to play upon the paranoia any ethnic group can feel.
There are no solutions offered, no call to unite as Americans, just a whisper of beware. Who benefits from that? China does.
There is no denying the Chinese government is a threat because they see our way of life, where anyone who wants a chance and is willing to sacrifice can, with some luck, advance themselves, and most importantly, keep what they earn. That is the biggest threat to the Chinese ruling elite.
We have a place where their best and brightest can move to and thrive. That place, America, needs to go away.
It will be much harder to make that place disappear if a strong community of Chinese feel themselves to be Americans too.
So what do you? You start by eroding that feeling. It is not hard to do.
Simply ignore millions of friendships, an ever increasing and respected political leadership, considerable business success and all the other things that make Asian Americans part of the country.
Perhaps it will be as easy for you as for Mr. Dong.
Racism based on espionage? That’s funny. In that case we must really hate the Russians then because, you know, of the Russian spies. And if you think Americans can’t send spies to China because white people can’t fit in to a Chinese world then you really don’t know how spying works. Go look up the website for CIA or the MI6, cause you know, they hire people other than white. Like, Chinese people, so they can, um… send them to China to spy on the Chinese.
Like I said before, look up the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1883. It’s the very first act of law in the history of the US that makes it legalize to discriminate against a type of person. It can happen then and it can happen again now.
“The bottom line is that I am an American and I do not believe the US needs to house the world. Mass importation is not compatible with assimilation. America will eventually become racially and ethnically balkanized and I do not look forward to its day. But that’s what you get when you import the world and each group wants its grubby hands in the racial spoils basket.”
That’s really hypocritical coming from a guy with a last name Tran…
at the root of it, racism is conditional, but go ahead and believe that its because of “selfish genes.” people are taught racism, then it becomes psychological through learned associations. and conditioned as such, whether overtly displayed or guided by implicit bias, when looking at modern racism, you cannot denied learned events past.
Nonsense? Okay, they didn’t intern them into camps instead, they were sent to guantanamo bay.
China does not have a spy network in the US as the media implies. China simply puts a price on a technology that it wants to acquire, who ever can deliver the goods, gets paid. Its capitalism at its best. The people who delivered the goods were not trained by China and they are not just Chinese, but Koreans, Isrealis, Americans, Taiwanese or anybody who have access to the technology and wants to take a risk for a reward. The US does the same thing in our war on terror. We put rewards on the heads of bin Laden, Saddam, and other most wanted. These are not professional spies, they are just individuals like you or I trying to break the law for big bucks. This is a case of the media trying to spin the story to create fear and paranoia.
Yes, Chinese should be our 1st enemy. The Chinese didn’t support us to beat up on Iraq, which resulted in the $4/galon gass price. We just want to fool the rest of the wold by saying that Sadam was working on MDW, but the Chinese did not go with us. The Chinese even recently stopped the roit in Tibet. The riot only killed a number of Han and Tibetan Chinese people. This is human right abuse and goes to Chinese human rights record. We belive the Chinese police should let the roiters to kill more people and burn more stores and vehicles, so the human rights of the murderers can be ensured and protected.
China is getting stronger and no longer give in to any abuse. We need to do something to prevent it getting worse. Divide and conquer is always the best strategy to deal with a big guy like China. Remember how we made the Soviet disappear? If we can divide Taiwan from China, divide Tibet from China, take Xinjiang out of China, then Manchuria may also separate from China. Then China would no longer be a thread. It will disappear just like the biggest Communist country - the Soviet Union did. Let’s dream it, cheers.
CNN has done a good job flaming the Chinese in recent Tibet event. It magically hide out the riot attackers from a picture and gave the audience the impression that the attackers were victims in danger of caught by the Chinese authorities. It used pictures took from other countries and put a caption under it and declared that the Chinese police were brutally stopping Tibetan Chinese protesting. It successfully fooled the American audience and made them believe Tibetan is not in China, but a place Chinese occupied. In addition, it calls all Chinese people thugs ant goons and successfully sparked racial hatred between American and Chinese. Good job, CNN.
If we can stir up Tibet and let the Chinese fight them selves, why not to do it in other places, say in Shanghai? Congress can pass an article just like the Act. related to Taiwan, it can be given a name like Shanghai Democracy Supporting Act or so. Then let CIA to hire some Chinese criminals who were released from jail and teach them to kill people in the street and burn up stores and cars there. If the Chinese police take any action to stop it, it obviously is human rights violation. By the time, CNN, FOX, BBC and the whole media here can bomb the viewers with carefully edited reports and “evidences” and make them believe the Chinese is evil. Next steps would be trade embargo, and even send a nuclear bomb to China.
On the surface every country puts up their poker face. Underneath the table, they kick each other like hell. We are not the judge of who is friend or foe. With the existence of USSR, China was our friend. But with the USSR gone, we kicked China like dogs. So when Russia made a comeback, we wanted to be their friend again. But China said “hit the road George.” So then we went to India, but India didn’t want to be our pawn.
Now with the economy going bad, the war in Iraq going bad(talking about human rights violations), George really needs a good punching bag to distract the public and take the attention off our miseries. As good citizens of this country, all Chinese American must lick their wounds and swallow their prides and allow the great citizens of this country more time to be awaken to the truth. Any hatred will only delay this process. Be patient and be kind.
“China is getting stronger and no longer give in to any abuse. We need to do something to prevent it getting worse. Divide and conquer is always the best strategy to deal with a big guy like China. Remember how we made the Soviet disappear? If we can divide Taiwan from China, divide Tibet from China, take Xinjiang out of China, then Manchuria may also separate from China. Then China would no longer be a thread. It will disappear just like the biggest Communist country - the Soviet Union did. Let’s dream it, cheers.”
Honestly I will like to see how they can pull this off. With the US’s creditability going down the toilet, I doubt we can influence anyone anymore. Hell, we can’t even get public support on the war in Iraq anymore and Dick and his buddies still dream of going into Iran?! You think people are going listen to us? Don’t make me laugh.
And why do you think the Chinese is holding all these US debt? Ace up the sleeves buddy…
…and with china winning the whole enchilada
at being #1 will the avg american citizen
go into product factories to work
to sustain it’s made-in-u.s.a.-integrity
at what cost in wages per hour?
“Okay, they didn’t intern them into camps instead, they were sent to guantanamo bay”
Wrong. List me one Arab-American citizens who was sent to gitmo.
“people are taught racism”
An idiotic Lockian notion that people are also “taught” violence. We are taught sexual desire, as well?
“That’s really hypocritical coming from a guy with a last name Tran…”
No, it isn’t. Lots of legal immigrants and their children support reduction in immigration (mostly illegal).
From my own experience being discriminated by Native Cambodians at a young age, I came to just accept that I was different. When I first came to the states, the love shared by church members were heaven sent. I felt no prejudice at all, not even in elementary school. In my mind, all Americans were saints. As I grew up, I started to witness some discrimination at school, work and in various places by people of different races. I started to learn hatred, but not so much towards a particular race, but towards anybody who hates me enough to make an offensive gesture or remark. In my case, it was almost a reaction to my environment. I may have some hate genes, but it was dormant until something invoked it. Now I just hate, “hatred” in general. I tried to suppress my hatred, but sometimes its difficult. I hate Chinese that hate other groups for no good reason and I hate Americans that hate others for no good reason. I also hate all hate groups in general.
Anh:
Both “sex” AND “violence” are everpresent and latent in EVERYone’s “genes” and bod and mind.
But, I have NEWS for you: Children ARE “taught” “racism.”\
I have, personally, dealt with literal scores of children, of all races, creeds, and “cultures,” and NONE ot them evinced a shred of “racism” on their own.
No, Anh, YOU are self-deceiving. In believing in the sanctity of YOUR “legal” ingress and the anathema of “illegal” access.
Go ahead, believe in “fences” AND ex post facto legislations that fly in the face of the reality of life and living and geography AND “isms,” yours as well as mine?
As for those who fear for our borders and our holier-than=thou existences, never mind, we have already successfully disconnected with the “hopes” and “dreams” of humankind. By our myopic and bigoted perceptions of OTHERS. As well as our inadcequate and needy selves.
Ahn Tran have you ever lived or even travelled overseas?
People who claim that China are the enemy are paranoid and or may have been brainwashed by the American mainstream media in my humble opinion. From my own research, China is no where near as ugly of a monster of a picture that the US mainstream media often paint. If you pull back and look, the China-Tibet issue is used as a scapegoat of deeper issues that lie within the declining US economy, and war.
If you want to talk about human rights being violated, it is the USA that is most of all guilty of that all throughout history and at this very current day. Talking about wrongful occupation by the Chinese government, the United States of America is no stranger to unlawfully occupying countless nations at gunpoint. I do mean countless. Does anyone that complain about China do anything about that? Nope, since the US government never mentions it, and so the majority of people are uninformed about the atrocities that the US are guilty of. For all those anti-Chinese sentiment folks, do your own thorough research and educate yourself rather than follow a flock of misinformed (unaware) people. If you’ve done legitimate research you will find that China is not the enemy. It is people who have limited knowledge of China’s deep history, culture, language, politics, that point the finger at China, and sad to say even the lack of knowledge about the atrocities caused throughout the history by the United States of America (the stuff that is not taught in classrooms from k-12). Throughout history it is human nature to easily call out enemies rather than allies.
“No, it isn’t. Lots of legal immigrants and their children support reduction in immigration (mostly illegal).”
Yes and what do we call those people? With the “I’ve got mine and you can’t have yours” type of thinking?
Hypocrites
Anh Tran - I think we Americans should send you back to Vietnam. You look like one of those sneaky red communist Vietnamese spy to me. I think you better pack you back cause you don’t look “right” to me.
This is a very poorly written and potentially harmful article. I don’t know what motivations the author had in writing it. It seems to be a partial justification of the irrational, racist and xenophobic fears commonly perpetuated in western media for more than one hundred years regarding the China and the Chinese people. It simply restates the paranoid “concerns” and echoes the mindless slogans being bandied about and even going so far as to mention that some of them are “valid” and “rightly percieved”. What is the point of reiterating such nonsense without even an attempt at a well-argued for rejoinder? These racist fears *are* paranoid and unwarranted. From an economic and geo-political perspective, the fears can easily be shown irrational. The author not only did not do that but justifies them.
Dear Ace:
Hope you are correct in assuming Roger S. Dong’s “warning” is paranoid and unwarranted.
But, you yourself are the one who posited the century-long “irrational, racist, and xenojphobic fears commonly perpetuated in western media.”
Placing one’s head resolutely in the sands of nonrecognition do NOT address such matters, real or imagined. and I rather imagine they ARE real, as witness countless postings hereon and in related “comment” kitetails.
No, Ace, Chinese Americans very expecially, and ALL APAmericians should heed this piece, and our peer organizations should join together in considering all the facts and factors and proceed to logical and defensive pro-active preparations.
Frank Eng
Rob:
Please don’t advocate sending Mr. Tran anywhere other than his own safe home and environs.
Just let him stew in his own “juices” of belief systems and self-righteousness.
He deserves same.
But do not, I repeat, NOT, knuckle under to the swiftbozting and bullying balkanization of APAs that is ongoing. It’s tempting, for sure. But it’s poisoned candy nonetheless.
Frank Eng,
Are you illiterate? I didn’t say that Dong’s *warning* to Asian America was paranoid and unwarranted. In fact, I think it is perfectly appropriate. Read my post. What I said was that the many fears of China he mentioned were paranoid and unwarranted. My point is that Americans have irrational, paranoid fears of China and the Chinese and one way to get rid of this fear is to rebut it. Dong did not rebut anything (in fact, he reinforced these fears) but simply gave a warning against the “backlash” which sometimes accompanies such fears. English may be your second language but try to understand the difference.
Ace:
Point taken.
Agree almost totally.
But I think Dong was “reporting” or “reflecting” the common “American” perceptions in this current Sinophobia campaign.
And MY point is that we should take care and, as Dong adjured, be “prepared” for all possibilities stemming from the historic bigotry that is freshly ignited and incited by some powerful forces in the current China-bashing in the media and in these posts.
As for “rebutting” the unwarranted paranoia and fear on the part of the “mainstream” public, join the growing, I hope, crowd here.
Frank Eng
jt, don’t assume that those of us who vehemently criticize the fascist Chinese government don’t likewise condemn U.S. imperialism. I don’t know a single pro-Chinese democracy activist who uncritically embraces the U.S. as a bastion of freedom. My sympathies lie with those fighting for peace, justice and social equality throughout the globe. The pseudo-socialist claque that dominates the Chinese Communist Party rules through fear, repression and death; its defenders and apologists are the enemies of humanity. It’s easy to dismiss China’s critics as racist and culturally insensitive, but that doesn’t accomplish anything.
Dear Christian
and Anh:
This old fool of a candidate for a straitjacket finds the two of you two peas in the same pod.
Christian, “rule” through “fear, repression and death”?
Sounds exactly like our presence in the Middle East. And, in today’s horrific and sad chapter in Sichuan and environs, doesn’t the PRC response look a bit better than this administration’s response to Katrina? Even after four or fice days, or a week, or a month, or a year?
And your comradeship with all those who “fight” for “peace, justice and social equality” appears to me more of a HATE-China campaign than a crusade for global peace and justice.
As for you, Anh, your stance is both “mean,” in the sense of “small,” AND vindictive, like Christian’s.
But, to each his/her own.
This old fool simply hopes and wishes for simple understanding, reaching out, “talking,” negotiating, AND a peaceful and mutually beneficial outcome as a result.
Of course, such a stance is, for sure, “foolish”?
Frank Eng
P.S.: Forget the straitjacket. I’ll go peacefully.
“Ahn Tran have you ever lived or even travelled overseas?”
More than half my life.
Coming here isn’t a right. Flooding the US with a mass of foreigners is going to balkanize us. Cutting off immigration temporarily is what allowed the German and Irish to assimilate.
You have a twisted notion of what America SHOULD be (some sort of quasi-socialist balkanized rainbow race coalition, when in reality it will be more like Yugaslavia). You don’t really have any sort of historical or cultural understand of what it really means to be American.
Don’t look at every situation from a negative point of view. If we do not have immigrants coming into this nation, we would have a country with too many chiefs and not enough indians. The establish Americans want good paying jobs and a good standard of living. We need immigrants willing to do some of the low paying jobs in order to keep the inflation low. We don’t need professional dishwashers making $40 an hour, because we don’t need a $40 meals.
Anh:
Boy!, are you EVER presumptuous.
“Historic” or “cultural” “understanding: of “what it really means to be American”?
Your “hubris” here surpasses that of the theoneocons and all those who would presume to be “superior.”
In this unhumble view, YOU, sir, are beyond either belief OR comprehension.
Frank Eng
P.S.: I doubt your views even reflect the bulk of your not-yet-Balkanized “community”?
Huang Fong:
You continue to one-up everyone else hereabouts.
And I love it.
However, forty-buck meals are now history in the starched-linen precincts of our finer-diner establishments, even as four-buck meals are barely within reach for the common working stiff. Make that more likely ten bucks.
Kindly souls allowed me to sample the former, while trips to the supermarket make me wonder about how much longer the latter can be maintained.
IF you have a job, that is.
But, keep those folk wisdoms coming.
Frank Eng
P.S.: How’s about ten bucks an hour for that dishwasher? The scalding water and the suds are about as alluring as breaking one’s back in the fields, fields rife with pesticides AND lord knows what else.
“We need immigrants willing to do some of the low paying jobs in order to keep the inflation low. ”
Nonsense. Meals were not $40 before the deluge of illegal aliens. Those who supporter illegal immigrants are either big business neocons or delusional multicultural liberals; either way it’s a god-awful alliance.
Folks:
On this “APA” town-hall online venue, may I make the “motion” that most, if not all, of “us” simply consign one “Anh Tran” to “Coventry”? As in shunning, or not even bothering to scan his er, ah “contribs”?
A swiftboater with an “Asian” and not quite yet “Caucasian” surname is still just one more swiftboater in our midst, spreading division and scorn and hatred AND mischief all around.
For me, he’s just a latecomer and off-the-boater arriviste who has chosen to join the gravy train as either lackey or simple rice-bowler.
He’d be amusing were he not so insistent.
Frank Eng
P.S.: Of course, feel free to shun me as well. This is reputedly a “free” country with “free speech,” too much of which is raucous decibels. “Asian” “Caucasians” anyone? Well, of course, those Shanghai “White” Russo/Chinese beauties of a near-century ago might qualify? I doubt Tran would. Oh, who cares?
The paradox as a first generation Chinese to the USA, is that I find more open discrimination from fellow Asians than from the White Americans. The 2nd and 3rd generation Asians do not even wish to talk or associate with me and my family. They thumb up their noses as if we are inferior . They exhibit reverse cultural discrimination. They prefer to be considered as Whites rather than as Asians. While I do identify with the Asian experience with discrimination as I was in Detroit during the Vincent Cheng’s incident, I do see that the racial profiling and treatment and regard of Asians today are less blunt than it was in the 70’s and 80’s.
We must be discerning anywhere in the world regarding racial stereotyping. A White is more sucked up to in China than an Asian visitor over there. A Blcak in an Asian society is scorned upon. I just met with a group of first generation Chinese from Taiwan, and SE Asia and in the topic of raciasm there is the admission that the Chinese are the most r acist people on earth.
As a minority in the USA, there is the inevitable feeling of differences between races and all that may necessarily be construed as raciasm.
The Chinese professionals are highly regarded in the USA and my friends in the USA are all races and backgrounds.
“You have a twisted notion of what America SHOULD be (some sort of quasi-socialist balkanized rainbow race”
-Anh
Well Anh that’s what American tried to make itself as since the beginning right? A mecca for people of different religion and racial background to come here to start a new and better life. It’s really ironic you say we should stop immigrants from coming to the U.S. when this country was and is today made up of immigrants (with the exception of Native Americans).
And Germans and Irish were able to assimilate due to cutting off immigration in the past? I don’t remember the Chinese in the 1800’s being treated like Americans or integrated fully in America despite cutting off new immigration from China to the U.S. for 60+years after the Exclusion act of 1882?
The only people who are really supporting illegal immigrants are the ones who wants to close the floodgate. If America was an open country without fences and people all over the world were allow to migrate legally without quota, then we would not have any illegal immigrants.
By closing the floodgate, you are also supporting the smugglers. America is a super power able to absorb the poor and needy of our planet. We are like a church to the world. Have you ever heard a church closing its doors to new members? More members, more donations.
More citizens, more taxes. I guess Its hard for some people to look at the positive contributions of others.
Lou Dobbs:
Meet Huang Fong.
This is the finest piece of down-home, down-range wisdom of recent weeks and months and years of ethnic bashings. Decades and centuries? That too.
I get to watch, well, glance over my spectacles and read a line or two of the subtitles for the senile, at said Lou Dobbs, who, by his very mien and manner betrays his essential bully/bore stance and tactics, not to mention promoting his er, ah, “book.”
And Huang, may I address you by your given name?, your cognitive processes so far and so profoundly exceed those of your inferiors screaming their heads off and plaguing this planet, that I, bemusedly, find more than entertaining and less than reassuring.
Gordon Brown is going to “meet” the Dalai Lama, an honor for Brown, no doubt, but for the fact that it is a purely political ploy of questionable quality.
Now, if only the god-king manages a rapprochement with Beijing, God, would the gods laugh?
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, and I don’t mean Crawford, Texans face one more Waco of wretched wrackings of “cultural” impasses. Not to mention sexual.
And Dobbs and his “fences” and his “minutemen” approach to socioeconomic imponderables are but a throwback to the xenophobics of ALL tribal rabble-rousers.
Add the dimension of the “scientific” “free enterprise” think-tank gurus and you have the parallel dilemma of the killing of the golden goose.
In a self-contained, self-limiting, “finite” “global economy” of oligarchs and drones, with an occasional “queen,” there’s only so much honey that can be hoarded in the hives.
And an absolute and indivisible part of that selfsame model is the fact that drones that aren’t adequately fed/energized to perform their nectar-gathering are drones who are de trop.
This drone opts to stop and SMELL the roses. To Hell with their honey. It’s only a “medium” of “exchange” anyway.
Frank Eng
P.S.: Just don’t shoot anyone. Or even beat anyone up. Besides, some of their “legal” issue, progeny that is, may prove to be the very “engineers” and “experts” we are rapidly barring or discouraging from “entering” this paradise of “democracy,” where our “leaders” iisten ever so carefully to the cries and needs of its citizens.
Frank Eng
P.S.: Huang, I fear irony is FAR too far over their heads.
lol, yay, its Vincent Chin Round 2! maybe this time a american japanese will be bashed too death by caucasian americans thinking he is american chinese! that would be a great to demonstrate the improvement of amerikkka society ! lol.
but seriously, why do asian americans still think that by assimilating into caucasian culture they will be accepted and treated as equals by caucasians? what about american chinese who fought for amerikkka in WW2 and Korean war? or american japanese who fought for amerikka against japan in WW2? they were still called “gooks” and “chinks” when they came home, thier family locked in internment camps.
Asian Americans represent ALL Asians born in caucasian dominated countries. Since U.S leads the world in culture, Asian americans carry the hopes and dreams of other asians born in caucasian countries. Just ask any racially asian person born in the Australia, Canada, or UK. Asian Americans, please understand! you need to stop waiting for white america to represent you, because they wont unless its in stereotypes. Make more money, buy into media, newspapers, watch films made by Asian american artists, support asian american magazines and television shows, and music artists, get more representation in the media, politics.Become better, stronger, smarter.
Whats the difference between a black american and a black South African. Arent they both black? dont they have Pan black solidarity? what about Oprah and othe Black american celebrities helping out their Ancestor homelands in Africa?
Those Asian Americans that say “oh im born in america, ive never been to asia, im an american, so i dont have to care about white american racism against asian countries, because there in asia, and im american.”
Wake up! the discrimination comes from the same racist place, We are all Racially Asian no matter what our nationality or political territory we are born in. So we all need to defend other Asian people(and all people hopefully) from racist attacks because we could be next. We need Pan Asian Solidarity, not
“oh im born in america, so im not like those other Asians , im a american so i dont need to care if white america attacks an asian country, coz im american”
From a proud Asian person born in Australia.
Interesting article and comments. In my opinion and experience, China and Japan , and other nation- bashing can lead to Asian and Asian-American bashing in America. Remember Vincent Chin in Michigan in 1982? I have encountered “Remember Pearl Harbor!” and “Go Home Viet Cong!” in the US. Midwest.
My point is a lot of the mainstream Americans don’t differentiate between Asian foreigners and Asian-Americans, we are usually perceived as all foreign, and competition.
Have you seen the recent Mervyn’s TV ad showing a white store clerk beating up two Asian guys dressed in (Ninja?) black, and making stereotypical martial art noises?
I thought Ninjas were silent good fighters?
Is Mervyn’s trying to say ,to the mainstream public, it’s okay to put down
aspects of an Asian culture, and depict beating up Asian guys, as amusing? It would have been less offensive if it was an Asian store clerk beating up Asian bad guys, minus the stereotypical martial art noises. I personally BOYCOTT Mervyn’s stores, because of this offensive TV ad. I hope others boycott any store, that have negative stereotype TV ads.
Dear jing
& Ron S:
Congrats.
Both of you have got “them” dead to rights.
But, may I suggest you can proceed beyond your righteous, not self-righteous I hope, concerns and perceptions.
Let “them” stew in their own bigoted and benighted juices.
Better “we,” individually and collectively, size up and seize the valid and the valuable in “their” precincts, and add them to our own personal and collective “armor” of self-defense AND self-realization.
There is much to be admired and emulated in the “Western” model, aside from tap water and bathroom facilities, and these include the arts and the literature, film as well, the “philosophers” even, and some of the utilitarian and “adornment” serendipities.
We can even “intermarry,” to mutual benefit.
But, for those who believe and act in contempt, don’t bother to respond in kind. Tbey are, literally, beneath contempt, as in infra dig.
Frank Eng
P.S.: My personal, subjcctive, experience is that the true “landsman” exists. Everywhere, and sans reference to race, creed, and color.
I can’t recall the last time I read such an impassioned and heated discussion on the Chinese-American and other ethnic-minority experience and the socio-economic impact of China and what it means for Americans, particularly those of Asian decent.
After reading the postings, many of which quite thoughtful and enlightening, some offensive and insulting, I am reminded of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
He believed in effecting postive change through non-violence. He stood up for the rights of his people and defended it. More importantly, he knew and preached that a person should not be judged by the color of one’s skin but by the content of one’s character. That, my friends, is the the most fundamental truth that all people from all countries and faiths should keep in mind.
In this day and age, with all of the pressures of the world, and all the pressures that we “each” put on ourselves, it is important to be reminded that we are all the same and the only difference between us is the side of the fence we’re standing on. We all make valid points.
As a Chinese American and ex-patriot of Taiwan, I am loyal to the United States as this is my adopted home. I’m sure a lot of you Asian and non-Asian Americans out there feel the same about this country regardless of the extent of racism or discrimination you may have encountered. There are always a few “bad” apples no matter where you go or live. You cannot generalize and judge all for the actions of a few.
This country is great for so many reasons. The right to vote, the freedoms of speech, the right to question your own government, the right to organize and protest. Of course, these rights were not afforded to all citizens equitably at all times throughout the history of the United States. It is worth noting that we all have these rights now.
Fear and paranoia? Sure, it’s out there… we all feel it. Heck, I’m reminded of my own almost each and every day.
The moral of the story? We all need to act conscientiously and responsibly and be held accountable for our actions. That includes, recognizing the prejudice and bias within ourselves and trying to combat it.
We need to make sure we participate in the voting process… what fundamentally makes this country great. Be mindful of politicians so that we elect those who will represent not just one segment of America but all.
Let’s spend our time focusing on what’s happening in this country and how it’s being goverened. What policies are being executed… what propositions are being put forth.
Healthy and thoughtful debating is productive. Bickering and insults isn’t.
Fear? That’s a word that makes for an interersting achronym…
Fairness
Equity
Accountability
Rspect
Peace.
it’s about entitlement.
For white americans, they feel entitled to have jobs, high paying jobs.
Entitled to win the most gold medals in all and every olympics.
Entitled to blame other countries for problems created by white americans.
Entitled to be Entitled!
No one country ever made all the correct choices, befriend only friendly countries, always play fair, treated all it’s citizens equally and humanely including america.
I would implore all Asian Americans to yell back when some entitled white american tells us to go back to china.
For example:
- I pay taxes just like everybody and watch the govt waste it of pork barrel projects just like you
- I vote and try to get the best person to help straighten this country out just like you.
- I lost my job cuz it got outsourced offshore just like many other white americans
- I worry how to pay my kids college tuition
- I worry about my retirement cuz social security could be all dried up when i retire.
- I volunteer time and donate needed things to my kids school because the district is out of money for the 10th year in a row.
Yep, that’s right. Us Asian Americans living here experience the same issues as the white americans. We don’t go back to china because it’s polluted and limited freedom. Some go back for the business opportunity but many stay.
So dont tell me to go back to china, I’m as American as apple pie and proud of it. This world aint perfect and remember, people living in glass houses shouldn’t throw rocks!
the author has been keeping his eyes open i see as have many of you here. paranoia and unfounded, baseless fears? sadly i think not. human nature has not changed since as far back as i can determine and i SINCERELY believe it would be prudent for asians to remain diligent and situationally aware. the article IMHO was worthy if for nothing else but being a good sensible piece of advice.
This is just my opinion but I believe yellows have always been perceived of as outsiders in white dominated America. The Japanese internment camps in WWII were (sad to say) a blatant but accurate reflection of that perception/belief. THAT HAPPENED NOT THAT LONG AGO PEOPLE. 60 years is less than the blink of an eye when you take a step back and look at the history of mankind…
…wake up people and open your eyes.
You guys should watch this clip by Tim Wise: http://youtube.com/watch?v=J3Xe1kX7Wsc
and understand what is white privilege in this country.
Until Asian Americans learn to work together to change things, nothing will change for us.
Do you realize Asian Americans vote almost 50/50 along the party line (republican/democrats) and you wonder why we have no political voice. No one cares about our vote because we wash each other out. Do you wonder why they always talk about black vote but never Asian American vote? It is because most blacks vote along same party line and they have a strong voice.
Do you wonder why we are always treated as foreigners and others in Hollywood? It is because we don’t vote with our wallets. We don’t support our own artists. Hollywood execs think we consume like white people. BS but that’s why things don’t change. Why do we support movies that are all white or with white focus only? Until they see things that affect their bottom line, nothing will change.
Everything in Asia is tied to us. For those of us that refused to embrace Asian culture you are the ones who are completely lost. You need to wake up and realize Asian Americans will forever be associated with Asia until the mentality of this country changes. People in America are some of the most ignorant people on earth. They are that way because from day 1 of their birth they are taught stereotypes, race and racial hierarchy in this country. Do you wonder why most Asian Americans don’t know crap about stories from Asia yet we are familiar with some of the old stories from Europe? It is because our educational systems here don’t teach you anything about anyone else other than things that associated with whites.
Until we pull our collective heads out of our asses and learn to appreciate who we are and work together, nothing will ever change and we will always live under conditions like this article has pointed out.
Why do Asian Americans gather here and complain about how they are treated by Americans - or MIGHT be mistrusted, etc., when Americans who travel to Asian countries are sometimes experiencing blatant racism?
I just don’t get it.
If something happens to me here in America, I will blame my ancestors who made a stupid decision to go where they had to have known they may not be wanted, rather than blaming the huge mixture of US citizens - some of whom would fall over backwards for Asians.
Don’t let writers get you all in a stew. I hear many, many beautiful remarks made by white Americans about Asians.
Japanese people threw early missionaries to Japan (who were white) in boiling hot pools.
You need to learn about how Asia has not always thrown out the welcome mat - and how Asians had stereotypes that were dangerous to the health and well-being of whites.
Quit slamming all whites and all Americans. How racist can you get?
LOL this is too much. Lei go back to the McCain camp. You’re trying way to hard to be Asian.
“I will blame my ancestors who made a stupid decision to go where they had to have known they may not be wanted” right out of an o’reilly play book! That makes ZERO sense. Everyone in the this country EXCEPT the American Indians are immigrants.
So then by your illogical extrapolation, nobody should have come.
And YOU need to stop “slamming” Asians who come here to state their feelings. This is AsianWeek magazine. The key word here being ASIAN. You should not be suppressing what many Asians want to express. Everything you write is ANTI-Asian, and you keep praising the Caucasians in every post.
Stop trying to pretend you’re an Asian b/c it’s obvious you’re not.
Hello,
I’m not Asian. I was just bopping around the internet because I started wondering if there were a consensus among Asian-Americans about the border issue. I wonder if you have any idea how different you sound than so many pages that deal with race, culture, immigration and so on. You speak with intelligence and erudition. Many postings mentioned self-responsibility and responsibility toward others. Most presented several sides to an issue. Most were polite. Most were reasoned, rather than insulting or blindly emotive. I don’t know if we need more lower-wage workers or not. But people who can use the right of free speech to search rationally for truth are definitely the very asset America needs. You’ve given me hope that as a nation maybe we can talk about, and resolve these issues.
Elyse
Elyse Rukkila:
Welcome aboard.
We need you. As does this nation.
You are the saving-grace antithesis to the likes of those who are afraid to sign their true names to their posts.
And you are, simultaneously, proof-positive that there may be, IS?, “hope” for this nation AND its “peoples.”
As for “immigration,” the issue is complex, but those who believe “borders” can be “closed,” with or without fences, steel OR electronic, are ingenuous.
And they, sadly, betray only fearfyk sekf-interest not backed by facts and figures.
As to whether “we” need more “low-wage” workers, la borers?, the lanswer lies in those who hire them.
And “economic” “theorists” will have to be the ones to assay the parameters of the current dual-economy we ALL enjoy, or despair of, as the case may be.
Point of fact is that it isn’t “them” “out there” who are rocking the domestic boat, it’s our very own “leaders” who are emplacing the nails in the coffin for one and all, as they make mock of “democracy” AND the Constitution AND everything every “immigrant” iemigrated here for. Forgive the syntax.
Frank Eng
P.S.: And keep bopping. Please.
Sorry::
Doddering fingers.
I meant “fearful self-interest . . . ”
Not that it matters.
Check out Helen Zia’s “Asian American Dreams” and educate yourself more about Asian American trial/tribulations in our “melting pot” nation. Shouldn’t we be a little more enlightened to understand it’s not as simple, the U.S (the angel/God’s chosen people/benevolent country) versus the “evil axis”. Maybe it’s time we step out of our bubble and see what our government is doing to the rest of the world - and recognize why some can’t see a difference between China and the U.S. Do the right thing first and stop pointing fingers.
China has their system, USA have ours. Our system manages about 300 million ppl and theirs about 1.4 million. Who are we to say our system is better. You know some ppl live off your taxes, shoot each other, have the same rights as you. Is this fair, is it right? Ppl living on tax payers popping out babies have same rights as law abiding tax payers? Maybe the western system needs to analyzed, looks like there is room for improvement on both sides. Who are we to say what is right for us must be right for someone else.
Bill C:
“Popping out babies”>
Aren’t you oversimplifying a bit?
And wouldn’t THAT “problem” be more or less solved if the judgmentall authorities handed out condoms to sexually active children, in the ghettos especially, where they have scant opportunity, much less idea, of anything better? Like condescenion AND oppression?
Reminds me of that pharmaceutical now promoting, nay, demanding, of society that ALL pubertal girls be “immunized,” at 60 bucks a pop, in our “public” schools. Written into some state laws yet.
Aside from the thinly veiled insult to the poor and the oppressed in our inner cities, they azctually have the gall to hype their snake-oil as a social grace.
Why not “immunize” all ghetto males capable of erectile function by way of sterilization?
Or, better still, why not immunize their own daughters first, then their wives, and, finally, themselves?
Honi soit qai mal y pense.
Yeah.
Frank Eng
Filipinos are Hispanics as everybody knows. Part of the Hispanic World after three centuries of participation in the Spanish colonial Empire.
The name of the Filipinos comes from the great King Felipe II (Phillip II) one of the most important rulers in World History with an Empire which reached all the World.
The name of the Chinese come from the despotic Chin Dinasty. By then all basic rights were denied and it is a shame for anybody to be called under the name of the Chin Dinasty which was a Tyranny.
Will second the argument that the listed criticisms of the Chinese American community–as a whole–are valid. All those technology theft cases. You don’t hear about Indian-born or other foreign-born scientists stealing technology so often as Chinese.
There are many cities with ‘Chinatowns’. There are few ‘Japantowns’ and basically no ‘Philippinetowns’ (with Filipinos being the second largest Asian ancestry ethnicity in the United States).
There are also more interracial marriages in the Japanese and Filipino American communities, another sign of integration and assimilation into American society. The Chinese were the first Asian ethnicity to immigrate to the United States in large numbers, and yet–to some extent–they ghettoize themselves from mainstream society.
Blaming others is easy, but recognizing fault in your own community is hard.
http://htrf-asia.blogspot.com/
Hispanic is a term used for people who speak Spanish. Filipinos are Asian, not Hispanic, nor Latino.
http://htrf-asia.blogspot.com/2008/06/filipinos-are-asian-get-used-to-it.html
Besides, being Hispanic isn’t exactly something to be proud of. Every single Hispanic country, including Spain, is relatively less developed. Meanwhile, several Asian countries (Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore) are developed.
Filipinos should promote their being Asian more than being Hispanic or Latino; isn’t as though many other Asians are willing to do that for them. Many are quite ready to renounce the Philippines as being a fellow Asian country.
Another thing about the Chinese people’s bad record of assimilating. Chinese have been emigrating to Southeast Asian countries for centuries, and yet often those immigrant’s [fairly] distant descendants still call themselves Chinese, and have little local admixture due to their predecessors marrying other ‘Chinese’.
Case in point, Pchan. He writes that his parents immigrated from Southeast Asia, and yet obviously considers himself Chinese-American, not Southeast Asian American (or ASEAN American? :-)).
If you were born here, you should consider yourself American-American, even if ‘whites’ don’t quite treat you as [fully] ‘American’. Yeah, that’s tough (many Americans not accepting you as one of their own), but your national loyalty should be solely to the United States, and not China, the Philippines, Germany, etc.
Dear Henri:
I don’t know where you are getting your “facts” and information and statistics from, but you err, badly and sadly, on “Chinese-Americans.”
You may be referring to those “Chinese Americans” who arrived after WWII, but Chinese Americans existed almost a century before.
Of fhose latter, most were “assimilated” culturally a century ago, and, today, there are many many who have “intermarried” with “whites” and “blacks” and “Latinos” and, yes, even “Filipinos,” whatever their designation as Hispanic or Latino, or, as your colleague” attributes, a descendant of a “glorious” world ruler.
What I find disturbing in your diatribe is your generalizing and scattershot smearing.
And your continuing the scam and the lie of those who balkanize and divide and sneer is beneath contempt.
Each of us is an individual, regardless of blood or culture, and this includes you, and each of us deserves, at the very least, the courtesy if not the respect, of a peaceful greeting.
As in “namaste.”
Frank Eng
Dear Mister Dong:
Respectfully, your assesertions about American attitudes and “The Backlash” against Chinese Americans contains a number of blunders, serious flaws and omissions. Firstly, Chinese Scientist Wen Ho Lee plead guilty and was convicted of downloading protected United States government information. So, as you can clearly see, we ‘Americans’ of ALL ethnicities have a lot to do guarding against spies who have been planted here as stooges at the behest of foreign governments—not only China.
I think your article serves no purpose other to polarize attitudes and race relations, with the title of your article being racially inflamatory at best.
Your readers would best be served by reading articles more focused and enlightened points of view, especially in a forum called:
” The Asian American Voice’
I think Chinese Americans have very little to fear, as your article seems to suggest, but what is most important to understand here, is that we Human Beings must all strive to educate ourselves about governments who severly opress Human voices and thereby violate Human rights. Then use that education to become Activists for whatever cause we feel is just. What we have to guard against at all costs is ideas and practices that keep us apart and divided in our attitudes, and commom cultural bond as Americans. For then, we will surely lose our freedom.
The anniversary of Tiananmen square was this week, and I would hope not only Chinese Americans but all the Human Beings on this planet would be focused on the terrible Human Rights abuses Chinese people are recieving at the hands of certain Chinese officials. America has historically always been a place where people have come to escape oppression, poverty or death. Today, what we need is more new Americans who want assimilation which will lead to toleranace and acceptance. As an German, Norwegian, Irish, American Indian I can tell you if we as English 1st language American tried to install our culture into the homeland countries of our largest immigrant populations we would suffer far worse discrimnation. It begs the question if we are not American’s who are we?
Vote Republican.