ASA A03
Week 2 Blog
In the article, Why Ferguson Matters to Asian-Americans, a main circulating theme is this normalization of the Asian American behavior and the marginalization of those who fall outside the norm. Social constructions such as race and ethnicity have evolved over the times, yet they continue to impose these intangible restrictions on people of color. Historically, Asian Americans have been placed in the middle of the racial tension between white and black. Whether it was intentional or societally inflicted upon us, there have been two opposite sides of the spectrum. Some who self consciously identify as nonblack, thus harvesting all the benefits and privileges associated with such status and those who view all people of color as a unit and in turn, advocate for equal treatment. Society also reinforces this structural hierarchy where people who identify as white are predominantly successful versus minorities who experience institutional discrimination. Examples of such prejudice include predispositions, redlining, racial profiling, and so on. "Standing on the right side of the color line" implies that as Asian Americans, we have the power to either remain silent, comply, or resist these external predicaments. There have been multiple instances (Yellow Peril and Black Panthers) where Asian American and Black forces came together and consequentially progressed towards social equality. Questions I have include: Is it possible to destroy the model minority stereotype or will that always exist? Also, why must we harm our own kind? Although identifying as Asian-American, why must we bring down others for our own benefits?
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