Jonathan "Prince" Garcia
Section A01
A Response to "The Four Prisons' and the Movements of Liberation"by Glenn Omatsu
The article introduced us to the concept of the Asian American people being put into four different prisons: history and geography, history, society's social and class structures, and finally, ourselves. Throughout the different movements of the 1960's up until the movements of the 1990's, the Asian American people have attempted to follow the example of their fellow minority counterparts, in how to influence government policies and tried to change public perceptions of them. Unlike the movements of the African Americans, the movement turned out to be more resilient, as the elites in power focused more on stopping the movements of the African American people. Within the Asian American communities, dissension arose between those who favored more liberal policies like affirmative action and those who called themselves neo-conservatives. Neo-conservatives believed that through merit and success in education and within the work place, would be enough for the people to travel up the proverbial ladder. I disagree with this concept however, because not everyone has the same access to opportunities to better education and other resources. Additionally, the "glass-ceiling" also prevents Asian Americans from reaching the top; which I believe that ultimately keeps us confined within our own prison.
Question: What can we as Asian Americans do to bridge the gaps in political ideology between the neo-conservatives and those who oppose their ideals?
The article introduced us to the concept of the Asian American people being put into four different prisons: history and geography, history, society's social and class structures, and finally, ourselves. Throughout the different movements of the 1960's up until the movements of the 1990's, the Asian American people have attempted to follow the example of their fellow minority counterparts, in how to influence government policies and tried to change public perceptions of them. Unlike the movements of the African Americans, the movement turned out to be more resilient, as the elites in power focused more on stopping the movements of the African American people. Within the Asian American communities, dissension arose between those who favored more liberal policies like affirmative action and those who called themselves neo-conservatives. Neo-conservatives believed that through merit and success in education and within the work place, would be enough for the people to travel up the proverbial ladder. I disagree with this concept however, because not everyone has the same access to opportunities to better education and other resources. Additionally, the "glass-ceiling" also prevents Asian Americans from reaching the top; which I believe that ultimately keeps us confined within our own prison.
Question: What can we as Asian Americans do to bridge the gaps in political ideology between the neo-conservatives and those who oppose their ideals?
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