Chapter 12: Growth and Diversity

By Wolran Kim

Asian Americans

CONTENTS

Who are they

Model-Minority

Racial Inequality

Pan-Asian Identity

Groups by nationality (6)

2 U-Tube videos

Conclusion

Who are They?

Asian Americans and Pacific

Islanders are a diverse

One of the fastest-growing

segments

Viewed as a model or ideal

minority

Inaccurate image

Immigration is the primary

source of growth

Hawaii all Asian groups

coexist

Asian Pacific Islanders,2008

22.2

17.5

18

9.7

10.3

5.1

14.1

2

1.1

Source: 2008 data from American Community Survey 2009, Tables BO2006

Chinese

Filipino

Asian Indians

Korean

Vietnamese

Japanese

Other Asian

Other Pacific Islanders

Native Hawaiians

WHERE DO THEY LIVE ?

Understanding Racial Inequality

Robert Blauner (1972): work suggests a sharp distinction should be drawn between groups who came here voluntarily and those who came here by force.

◦Native Americans: military conquest◦African Americans: slave trade◦Puerto Rico: colonized as a result of war

◦Mexicans: conquest of Southwest ◦Asian Americans: Free immigration

The Image of Model-Minority

• Overcome prejudice• Past discrimination• Succeeds: Economically

Socially Educationally• No resorting to political• No violent confrontations

MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME ($)

Whi

te N

on-H

ispa

nics

Asia

n Am

erican

s

Pacific

Isla

nder

s

Asia

n In

dian

s

Filip

ino

Amer

ican

s

Kore

an A

mer

ican

s0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

4878456161

47442

68772 65.700

43195

MEDIAN INCOME BY RACE, ETHNICITY, AND GENDER

White men

Asian American men

Asian American women

Black men

White women

Native American men

Black women

Hispanic men

Native American women

Hispanic women

0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000

52,228

51,984

43,704

40,108

39,338

38,504

32,107

31,856

28,639

27,857

Median Income ($)

PERCENTAGE COMPLETING COLLEGE (%)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

29.7

48.2

13.8

67.9

47.950.8

DEGREE OF PREJUDICE DIRECTED TOWARD ONE’S RACIAL OR ETHNIC

GROUP

Source: Bruce E. Cain and D. Roderick Kiewiet, Minorities in California (1986), p. lll-115

Race or Ethnicity of Respondent

Degree of Prejudice Toward Respondent’s Group Black Hispanic Asian

Most people are prejudiced 17 10 5

Some people are prejudiced 63 54 52

Most people are not prejudiced 21 36 42

Political Activity and Pan-Asian Identity

Seeking to recognize themselves

Have own organizationsStill developing: many still are

not citizensNew concept to newly arrived

AsiansWeak of PanethnicityNeed to unify their diverse

subgroups as pan-Asian

Chinese Americans (22%)

Began to arrive in the 1840s as laborers

Predominantly men: Chinatowns

1882 Chinese Exclusion Act

1965 Immigration Act gave China: 20,000/year

1970s, separate immigration quotas for China,

Hong Kong, & Taiwan

1989 Tiananmen Square student protests

No returning of student leaders: imprisonment

Filipino Americans (17%)

History: 300 years colonized by Spain, 50 years from

Japan & America

Different Asian cultures: espouse egalitarian family

and gender roles

Early 20th century: immigration by colonial relationship

between the U.S.

1st generation: 1920s by employed in agricultural labor

Negative treatment: Tydings-McDuffie Act, 1934

Newest immigrants: 1965 Act. Many proffessionals

40%: immigrated since 1990

Second-class status: overt & covert racism

Asian Indians (18%)

History: colonized by Great Britain until

1947

Immigration began in 1830 as laborers

Large-scale social movements:

professionals or to seek a professional

education

Religious and political divisions between

Hindus, Muslims, and secular nationalists.

Southeast Asian Americans (10%+)

Vietnamese, Cambodians, Laotians

Ethnically and linguistically diverse

10% of the total Asian American

Refugees: gook syndrome, boat people

The current picture: permanent home, downward

social mobility (language barrier)

Encouragement children, but crime

Korean Americans (9.7%)

The fifth-largest Asian American group: 1.3 million in 2008 Three waves of immigration

1) Initial wave: 7,000 immigrants to Hawaii as laborers in 1903-1910

2) 2nd wave: 14,000 after the Korean War in 1951-19643) 3rd wave: after 1965 Immigration Act, 40% arrived

since 1990Marginal position between the cultures of Korea and U.S.Korean American women commonly participate in the labor force

Begin small service or retail businessKye: benefit from a special form of development capital (or cash)

The friction between Korean Americans and other subordinate groups

Church: 70% affiliated with Korean ethnic churches

Hawai’i and Its People

Cultural diversity (Haoles)White 25%, Japanese 13%, Filipino

14%, Pacific Islanders 12%, Hispanic 9%

Initially populated by Polynesian people

1898, during the revolution, annexed as a territory to the U.S.

Achieved good race relations Sovereignty movementHawaii is not a racial paradise, but

harmony

U-tube Video

New Asian 'American Dream': Asians Surpass Hispanics in Immigrationhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AofKyizzAko

Yellow Fever- Asian American Stereotypeshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCvpflQlfZw

Ten Things Everyone Should Know about Race2003 California Newsreel

1. Race is a modern idea. 2. Race has no genetic basis. 3. Human subspecies don't exist. 4. Skin color really is only skin deep. 5. Most variation is within, not between,

"races.”6. Slavery predates race. 7. Race and freedom evolved together. 8. Race justified social inequalities as

natural. 9. Race isn't biological, but racism is still

real. 10. Colorblindness will not end racism.

CONCLUSION

A heterogeneous population

Given the significant proportion of Asian

Americans

Helping professionals focuses on clinical

issues or individual change; racism and

xenophobia

Needed macro and micro level interventions.