As a straight, White male living in the United States, I have a very limited perspective on a lot of issues that affect other Americans and I took this class in order to broaden my perspective, just as I did last Jan Term when I took Identity, Race and Power with Dr. Mig. One thing that I will say is that I never really understood that there even was a struggle for Asian Americans because I bought into the "model minority myth" which is still so destructive, even today. After all the literature that I have been exposed to in this class, a few of the pieces that impacted me the greatest were Recipe by Janise Mirikitani and Beetle on a String by Vince Gotera. The concept of "Passing" is a very important topic in this class and that is demonstrated in Mirikitani's Recipe. A lot of social experiences for Asian Americans were based on how well they could "pass" for white and in attempting to do this many people were forced to abandon their own culture in order to assimilate into white America, a thought that forces Mirikitani to remind herself "Do Not Cry," (Mirikitani 85). As a sentimental person, this pains me to think about. So many immigrants came to American seeking a better life and were greeted with nothing more than discrimination because they couldn't "pass," and even those who would throw everything away to try to be white were still discriminated against. Another thing that is demonstrated, this time in Gotera's Beetle on a String, is that many Asian American immigrants simply felt invisible to white society. It also pains me to imagine that people who have come to America seeking to better their own lives are discriminated against or looked past to the point that they wonder, like Gotera, "what thoughtless boy holds my string?" (Gotera 120).
Some of the history that we've learned in this class has also really shocked me. First of all, I never realized how poorly the Japanese were truly treated in World War 2. I knew that the interment of the Japanese took place but I was never aware of how severe and disgusting the entire situation was. It kind of sickens me to think that the American government, looking over "the land of the free," would not only imprison their own citizens based on what they look like, but then force them to serve in the military, against their ancestral land, in order to "prove their loyalty" to the United States. Additionally, I also was never aware that a Korean War even took place and I didn't recognize that there was a Japanese occupation of Korea. Learning about the Korean American experience, for me, has been one of the most interesting parts of this class because I know it's very common for people to mistake a Korean American for a Japanese American, which I've come to learn might be very offensive to a person of either of those cultures. Obviously, it is never polite to assume someone's race or nationality or whatever else, but for the Korean American it could be especially offensive, and I had no idea until very recently.
One thing that this class has taught me is perspective. The fifth Critical Race Theory tenet is extremely relevant to me now. It states that everyone has a compound and complex identity and from all the literature and history we've encountered, I can see that this is true. If nothing else, I feel that I am learning to be more understanding and compassionate toward others. In the last chapter of Takaki, the Rodney King riots are mentioned and how the destruction of Koreatown is the result of misunderstanding. I see that this is true and I see that misunderstandings like that can lead to very big happenings. One's one culture contributes so much to how we interpret a given situation and I feel that taking a chance to understand the other side before taking action is the best way to approach those situations. The Asian American perspectives are not taken into account throughout history and that's how we end up with disgusting happenstances such as Chinese Exclusion Acts and people stuck on plantations in Hawaii and L.A. Riots.
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