As someone who might be considered an "ABC", life is pretty interesting. Although some may find it weird, outside of school, I only hang out with asians. It's not because I hate other races, it just happens to be that all my parents' friends are also asian, and their kids are asian. Although I've never experienced discrimination as bad as Brent Staples has, I've definitely experienced it. For example, if I were to compare my life to Brent Staples, my version of being racially profiled as "an accomplice in tyranny" (Staples 205) would be being considered a nerd. People sometimes rail me for taking Chinese when I AM chinese, but Americans take English classes; why can't I cash out on my previous hard work? It's not like people are born with vast knowledge of their culture's language. I went to Chinese school every saturday morning from kindergarten to eighth grade. Hard work brings results, and I think an A or two is well deserved. Maybe I'm being self righteous but whatever. Sometimes people discriminate or berate others based on a certain tradition of their ethnicity, when in reality, they themselves have a similar tradition. People are often too quick to judge others. For example, Key and Peele's uses a comedic hyperbole to illustrate this issue.
Although cliches are frowned upon, I truly believe that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. I know I've often felt bad for judging someone, then finding out more information on the situation. As Gandhi once said, “The only difference between man and man all the world over is one of degree, and not of kind, even as there is between trees of the same species. Where in is the cause for anger, envy or discrimination?”
I just can't wrap my head around those hat commercials.
This post is so true, especially the Chinese school part. However I'm not sure if your "getting lost" after break qualifies as hard work.... Just kidding. Showing up to Chinese school on Saturday morning is an accomplishment in itself.
Your view about taking Chinese is actually very clever. People need to understand that when you grow up in a country different than from your parents, the passage of culture is diluted. Unless we try, we won't know the language, the history, and perhaps even the religion belonging to the country out parents came from as well as them. At that point, there is nothing wrong with trying to learn more about your native tongue and completing your formal education at the same time.
Ahahaha I love the part where you talk about how you get railed on for taking Chinese in school and how Americans take English but don't receive crap for it. Your post is so true and probably is parallel to a lot of other kids as well. I also agree with Angela, normally Chinese School is just showing up and doing nothing but hey showing up itself really is an accomplishment.
Your post is so true! Even though I'm not Chinese, I went to Korean school and it definitely is hard work. If THS offered a Korean class, I would take that over Spanish.
That's a really interesting perspective, but would you say that those who stereotype about you are inaccurate? Your ideas are thought provoking, good job!
I really liked your example about Chinese and Chinese school. I realized that you put in a lot of work earlier in life to get through Chinese easily, and that your high grades in that class are a side effect of your willingness to learn about your culture.
This post is so true, especially the Chinese school part. However I'm not sure if your "getting lost" after break qualifies as hard work....
ReplyDeleteJust kidding. Showing up to Chinese school on Saturday morning is an accomplishment in itself.
Your view about taking Chinese is actually very clever. People need to understand that when you grow up in a country different than from your parents, the passage of culture is diluted. Unless we try, we won't know the language, the history, and perhaps even the religion belonging to the country out parents came from as well as them. At that point, there is nothing wrong with trying to learn more about your native tongue and completing your formal education at the same time.
ReplyDeleteAhahaha I love the part where you talk about how you get railed on for taking Chinese in school and how Americans take English but don't receive crap for it. Your post is so true and probably is parallel to a lot of other kids as well. I also agree with Angela, normally Chinese School is just showing up and doing nothing but hey showing up itself really is an accomplishment.
ReplyDeleteYour post is so true! Even though I'm not Chinese, I went to Korean school and it definitely is hard work. If THS offered a Korean class, I would take that over Spanish.
ReplyDeleteThat's a really interesting perspective, but would you say that those who stereotype about you are inaccurate? Your ideas are thought provoking, good job!
ReplyDeleteI really liked your example about Chinese and Chinese school. I realized that you put in a lot of work earlier in life to get through Chinese easily, and that your high grades in that class are a side effect of your willingness to learn about your culture.
ReplyDeleteWow this blog post had a lot of personal touch and voice through the author's style. Great blog post. I hope Val enjoyed this as much as I did.
ReplyDeleteThis is such an informative post. I never knew how Chinese people thought. 10/10 would read again.
ReplyDelete