Generality:“Yellow”. 157
I perception of my ethnicity is very much came from my surroundings,
as well as my own choices. My parents tell me stories back in Vietnam,
they teach me words and phrases in Vietnamese thatI am unfamiliar
with, and they encourage me to go to the temple forevents or to help,
which I try my best to accompany them.
Nothing that I know was ever within myself. I learnedthrough my
parents, and my family. They would teach me things,and if I didn’t
know something, I would ask, and they would respond.
My response to my ethnicity isn’t really a responseto racism, but is an
contradiction to racism. People often have this interpretationof Asians
as everything running down the blood line. They thinkthat because we
are of a certain race, that we automatically knoweverything about that
race, or that we speak that language fluently. It’snot true obviously.
Everything we know, we learn from our parents. Andit is up to us
whether or not we keep up with what we learn, andwhat ideologies we
decide can be imprinted onto us from our parents.
Differ from Asian stereotype(s).
I differ because I can be very lazy, I procrastinatea lot, and I’m not
really doing the best in school. I’m also not reallythe most calm person
you’ll meet. Sure I have a filter, but I can be veryobnoxious at times.
My thought on Asian stereotypes are a bit mixed.
Some of them sort of make sense, like Asian studentsbeing smart, or
Asian people being very respectful or quiet. But alot of times, the
stereotypes come off as very ignorant.
The stereotypes, although are often harmless and misinformed,they do
have an affect on me.
A lot of people, especially those of my generation,sometimes expect
me to act a certain way. It almost makes me feel asif I have a
reputation to live up to. This type of stereotypingmakes me feel
insecure, but it does sort of make sense. I’ve alwaysbeen taught to
listen to my elders. To respect authority. As wellas to do well in school.
And though I didn’t care too much about it as a child,I kind of started
acting like the stereotype as of recently.
I’ve become a very quiet, almost shy person, and sometimesI’m
referred to as a smart kid, and there were times whenpeople would
copy off my work because I was considered a good student.
I don’t really consider these stereotypes as bad,but it does put a lot of
pressure on Asian kids, especially when they are youngand have strict
Asian parents who regularly enforce these rules ontothem.
A theoretical space without racism.
It would feel, I guess sort of relieving. It’s hardto put into words, but I
guess I would feel at peace. If racism was gone, Iprobably wouldn’t
have much to say.
mchaos
(mchaos)
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