Helen Zia Reinventing Our Culture Summary

(1) Helen Zia, in the article, Reinventing Our Culture, quotes a hapa (mixed heritage Asian American): People say that were a cultural bridge, or the other extreme, that we represent cultural degeneracy and we will dilute the culture Which viewpoint do you support?

When the person explained that a person with a mixed heritage can be looked upon as a cultural bridge, or a representation of cultural degeneracy, I believe that they are a cultural bridge. I think that if more and more Asians became a half breed, than society may change their views on the model minority myth. Asians are a very diverse group and its frustrating how society stereotypes all Asians. If more inter-ethnic children were born a new perception of Asians could be formed. Also,
the hapa could have the best of both of his/her parents culture.
And by doing so society can become more and more familiar with Asian cultures. Yet, not only the Asian stereotype will be challenged, Asians will change their stereotypes and prejudices of other cultures. I think that hapas are helping people rethink their class biases and enrich the Asian American mix with a new understanding of ethnic and racial diversity. Asians are also guilty of discrimination. Most Asians have their perceptions of other cultures and have prejudices against them. If their son/daughter, grand daughter, grand son were a hapa, Asians too will learn about different cultures and therefore bridge the cultural gap between two races. By mixing ones heritage a person can still be taught their roots. Just because a person is not only one heritage, does not mean that he/she is diluting their culture. That person has two different cultures to embrace and learn
about. With each generation Asians typically lose parts of their heritage. As a second generation Korean American I too am guilty of not knowing much about my cultural background. Just because a person is mixed does not mean that he/she can not learn about their culture.

(2) Name at least three (3) Pacific American groups and some of their characteristics. What do you think is responsible for the major difference(s) between Pacific Americans and Asian Americans? Similarities?
Polynesian
Hawaiian
Samoa

(3) Name at least three things you learned in class that you believe every American should know. State your reasons.
I learned a lot from this class and I feel that it should be a mandatory college class. The most important things that I learned from this class and feel that every American should know about are the Japanese Internment camps, Vincent Chin, and the LA Riots. People should know about the Japanese Internment camps so that another similar situation does not occur. By taking this class people will learn what it was like for the Japanese at that time and the hardships they endured. Secondly, I never heard about the Vincent Chin story until I took this class. I was shocked when I learned about Vincent Chin, especially because I felt that I should have known about it. I think Americans should know about Vincent because it is such a significant milestone in the APA community's quest for racial equality, and social justice. Just like Rosa Parks, Asians too need a voice and stand up for themselves. Thirdly, Americans should know about the LA riots and how it affected the different communities. They should know how it started and how it ended. I feel like people should know about the LA riots and not forget or ignore what happened. By forgetting or ignoring what had happened, the same injustices will happen again.

(A3) How useful is the descriptor Asian-American? What does it mean? What does it represent? What are its limitations? Do you have an alternative?
The term Asian American is not useful because Asians are made up of a diverse culture and are very different. Asians may tend to look like one another in a sense but are all extremely different. I think the only good aspect for the term Asian American, is that it can make things easier for people to physically identify another person. The dictionary describes an Asian American as a person of Asian ancestry and American citizenship. Everybody should know that all Asians have different cultures and backgrounds. So why should the descriptor Asian American clump all different countries into one? I do not think that words like Asian American or African American should be used because we are all American. By adding the terms Asian and African to American, we are racial profiling. The term Asian Americans represents that Asians are all the same. People should not use terms like African or Asian because I feel that it keeps racism and prejudice alive. By using the term Asian American, we are limited to think that all Asians are the same. An alternative I suggest is to just use the term American. If a person was born in America or feels that their home is in America, they should be considered American.

(B2) Describe some stereotypes of Asian males and females. Are they the same for Asian Americans as well as Asians? Give examples.
Some stereotypes for Asian males are that they are smart, short, physically weak, and not good at sports. The typical Asian stereotype is usually seen on t.v. I think the model stereotype of an Asian male is similar to William Hung. He is not very attractive, socially awkward, nerdy and short. Another perception people have of Asian males is that they know Karate. Every Asian film has Asian actors doing some form of Karate. Asian women also have a distinct stereotype. Some personality and behavior stereotypes assert that Asian women are "submissive," "humble," "passive," "quiet," "compliant," "obedient,"and unable to speak English properly. An example of the stereotypical Asian woman is Miss Swan on Mad tv. People also perceive Asian women as fragile and good house wives that always listen to their husbands. I think that the stereotypes for Asian American males are different from Asians. Asian American males are perceived as racers, successful, rich and smart. Some of the educational stereotypes identify Asian Americans as "geniuses," "over achievers," "nerdy," "great in math or science," "competitive," "uninterested in fun," and "4.0 GPAs". People tend to also think that Asian American men try to be like Americans or Caucasian. Asian American women are perceived differently from Asians, too. I think a good example of an Asian American stereotype is Susan Oh on the tv show Lost. She is educated, articulate, and successful.