I forgot to submit journal 3 when it was due, but in the syllabus it states that all assignments must be completed to pass the course. Therefore, while I enjoyed and critically analyzed Philip DeLorean’s literature, it would be impractical to submit an entire journal entry and I am presenting this instead. My apologies.

The article “Are Asian Americans Becoming White?” was quite an interesting read for me. The author brought some attention some points that had not crossed my mind. There are many things that never cross my mind as a straight, white male in America and the rights attributed to those who do not fit this specific mold. In this specific article, we see that people of Asian decent are not attributed the respect and expectations that the whites.

One of the things brought up by author Min Zhou is that there are many different perceived ideas about whites that are now commonplace more-so for the immigrants coming from China, Japan, Korea and other prosperous Asian countries. These are higher expectations. In the past, say 50 years ago, there was an expectation that if you saw a cleanly dressed white man walking down the street, he had to be a doctor or a lawyer. Now, these people immigrating into America are the ones being held to this standard. In my own personal experience, I have seen this kind of expectation be a negative thing for young Asian American kids. In high school, there was a boy in my grade who’s parents were born in Vietnam and moved to America to find work in the 80s. They eventually worked hard and were able to start a successful nail salon. But even though this was the case and his parents were not people who had extensive educational background, he still faced the teasing of “Oh, Vincent, you’re still here? Would’ve thought you’d be in college by now? Med schools not accepting 16 year olds anymore?” and it was evident that even though these comments were not insulting at their core, they did provide an incredible amount of pressure for someone who was actually wanting to study to Entrepreneurship so that he could take over his parents business. It was almost as if Vincent had to take these comments and give up his individuality and fade into the background so as to not be teased.

There was a quote in the first paragraph that seemed to sum up what I observed quite well. It was “Thus it is that I have been described as an ‘honorary white,’ by other whites, and as a ‘banana’ by other Asians… to
the extent that I have moved away from the periphery and toward the center of American life, I have become white inside.” (Eric Liu, The Accidental Asian (p. 34)) This describes the difficulties that Asian Americans face when they succeed in America. Even when they are succeeding, it is not because their culture prepared them for it because of hard working attitudes and solid principles of earning what you get, or even because they have a better understanding of the importance of education because of their parents struggles in more oppressive countries. The reason behind their struggle to hold onto their identity is summed up by the first words of the article, “But like so many other Asian Americans of the second generation, I find myself now the bearer of a strange new status: white, by acclimation.” They cannot be seen as successful if they claim the heritage of their culture, so they feel they must fade into the guise of whiteness. This is a cancerous theme when it comes to gaining true coexistence between cultures in America and finding the diversity we so desire.

“So little friend, you’ve done it. Now what would you like to become?” pg. 194. In the beginning of the book, the herbalist’s wife is talking to Jin as he waits for his mother, and she tells him that it is easy to become whatever he wants to, as long as he is willing to give up his soul. Years later, she returns to him. This time she exclaims that he has succeeded in giving up his soul and can now become whatever he wants to. But what does she mean by give up your soul?

               The same day that the herbalist’s wife returned to Jin, he had just gravely disrespected and insulted his two Asian friends that he had known since the fifth grade. This was after one of the white boys in his class asked Jin not to ask his friend on any subsequent dates because, “…She’s a good friend and I want to make sure she makes good choices, you know? We’re almost in high School. She has to start paying attention to who she hangs out with.” Pg. 179. He is implying that Jin is not the type of guy Amelia should be hanging out with but does not give any specific reasons for this. Even without telling Jin any reasons, Gene Yang has done a great job of placing this character in strategic positions to observe Jin being bullied an outcast throughout school. So, his main reason for not wanting Jin to date his friend is because he is “different” and hangs out with “different” people. This is an extremely painful thing for anyone to hear, especially in such a tumultuous time as middle school. The way Jin then treats his friends is a metaphor for him beginning to distance himself from his Asian culture by denouncing all his connection to it. Would perspectives change if he acted just like everyone else?

               In the chapters leading up to the “big reveal” Danny is talking to his basketball coach about how his cousin Chin-Kee always ruins his relationship with his classmates when he comes to visit, and that he has been to a different high school every year. After reading to the end of the book, I realized that Chin-Kee was a euphemism for Jin’s Asian heritage becoming apparent to his classmates. He will be able to uphold a façade of whiteness for a time, but eventually, all the stereotypes catch up with him and begin to permeate every interaction he has. The way that Chin-Kee is so obnoxious, the way he always puts himself at the center of attention, but most of all, the way he makes Jin want to isolate himself to hide him away from everyone. All of these things humiliate Jin more than anything, all he wants is to be recognized as no different from everyone else. He wants to be seen as a white kid.

               This problematizes the experience of innumerable immigrants and immigrant children who are trying to begin a new life in America. They come for the promise of a melting pot and a better life. Often, they are met with resistance to being accepted, whether it be direct or unintentional, by the predominant white culture here. We call ourselves a Melting Pot, but people are still forced to change themselves to fit into society like it is a puzzle.

The  article Are Asian Americans becoming white by Min Zhou has an overall theme that mirrors the book American Born Chineseby Gene Wang. They overlap in many ways, but the major factor was that both writings refer of this force that pushes Asian Americans to neglect their heritage and assimilate into the native culture, specifically white culture. We see this in Gene Wang’s book by the example of Jin Wang. The character wants to hard to fit into society that he literally transforms into a white person. This in the literal sense is what Min Zhou is arguing that Asian culture is not welcome in America, and the Asian American will always be disadvantaged and be treated as a foreigner regardless of their family background.

Many refer to Asian Americans as the model minority in America but Min Zhou challenges that assumption with this statement. “Although Asian Americans as a group have attained the career and financial success equated with being white, and although many have moved next to or have even married whites, they still remain culturally distinct and suspect in a white society.”(Pg 29) Min Zhou goes on to say that calling Asians the model minority is really just an act by America to seem not racist and ever as far to pit minority races against each other to compete. She argues that the title differentiates Asian Americans from white Americans. This belief confused me since it seemed to go against her argument that Asian Americans were turning into white Americans, so shouldn’t a differentiation be welcome? Also, the notion that a whole race in America is highly educated and financially well off is in no way derogatory or intrinsically harmful. I do concede that stereotyping a person purely on their ethnicity is never completely accurate and can always lead to negative consequences. 

            The term Asian American is actually a very diverse group but can be treated as all the same people. We see this in American Born Chinesewhen Jin Wang is introduced to his class and is immediately stereotyped by his teacher and his class just on his appearance as Asian. Jin was born in America but in the eyes of the majority culture was looked down on for being an outsider. Min Zhou addresses this diversity straight-on. She gives statistics on the many Asian countries that have immigrants in America. They come from different nations with many different ideals, languages, and societal practices. Asian immigrants also come to America for many reasons. “Unlike earlier immigrants from Asia or Europe, who were mostly low-skilled laborers looking for work, today’s immigrants from Asia have more varied backgrounds and come for many reasons, such as to join their families, to invest their money in the U.S. economy, to fill the demand for highly skilled labor, or to escape war, political or religious persecution and economic hardship.” (Pg 31) This statement attests to the diversity of the Asian population in America and backs up the notion that Asian American is too diverse a category to group together. I agree with this because with the current grouping many groups of Asian Americans are vastly underrepresented and overlooked because of the successes of other groups of Asian Americans.

I found it very interesting the way Gene Yang decided to conclude American Born Chinese. Essentially, the author interconnected all three stories and drew many parallels between them all. Jin dreams one night of the herbalist’s wife, and in the dream she asks him “Now what would you like to become,” (Yang 194). The next morning Jin wakes up white, meaning he had wished to no longer be himself but to become what he felt was a better version of himself. The white version of himself. Jin is now the character Danny, and from the cartoon pictures you can see Jin, now Danny, is very happy with this transformation. In addition to transformations, as always Danny becomes annoyed with his cousin Chin-kee, and they end up getting into a fight, where Chin-kee is revealed to be the Monkey King.The Monkey King tells Danny that “Now that I have revealed your true form, it is time to reveal yours,” (Yang 213). Danny then turns back into Jin per the Monkey King’s request. This part of the book I found impactful since the Monkey King’s story revolved a lot around the Monkey King not being satisfied with who he was and constantly wanting to change himself. He changed the way he dressed, he mastered the art of many different chinese fighting techniques, and he even changed his name, This all led to the Monkey King going on a quest with Wong Lai-Tsao to truly find himself. Monkey tells Jin about his struggles elaborating how “[He] would have saved [him]self from five hundred years imprisonment beneath a mountain of rock had [he] only realized how good it is to be a monkey,” (Yang 223). This lesson the Monkey King is trying to teach Jin is one of self acceptance, and deciding for oneself not to change who they are but to embrace it. This book concludes with an overall message of embracing one’s identity, and not comparing yourself to others, but instead just being you. This is a concept I feel a lot of minorities struggle with to understand and accept, because they are surrounded by white people who have less hard lives. They see how white people are treated compared to how they and other minorities are treated, and how opportunities seem to be handed to them. It is a hardship every minority faces, and it is a common wish to want your life to be as simple as theirs. Wishing to wake up one morning and be white is not an uncommon hope, but it does neglect the fact that no matter how much more challenging life is, it is your life, and you have to embrace who you are or no one else will. This is similar to the Monkey King once he accepted that he was indeed a monkey, so did Wong Lai-Tsao, and that in turn made the Monkey King’s life easier. Life isn’t about being easy, but as Yang depicts, once you accept who you are and embrace your identity, it definitely becomes a lot more bearable.  

Min Zhou’s “Are Asian Americans Becoming ‘White?'” tackles the question posed in the title by analyzing the ways in which Americans have accepted Asian Americans while simultaneously keeping them in the minority. This acceptance of the asian American, however, doesn’t extend to the acceptance of their culture, just their work ethic and success that aligns with the core principles of the American Dream. Asian Americans have been dubbed the “Model Minority” since the mid 1960s. Despite being discriminated against, Asian Americans “median household income in 1999 was $55,525—the highest of all racial groups, including whites—and their poverty rate was 10.7 percent, the lowest of all racial groups”(4). Surpassing even the largest and most culturally accepted ethnic group, the white American, Americans use this statistic to counter the argument that America is inherently racist and doesn’t give equal opportunity to ethnic groups. Thus, titling other ethnic groups as lazy or not as motivated. The term Asian American has derived from activist and historian Yuji Ichioka during the ethnic consciousness movement of the 1960s. Though many people under the umbrella term of Asian American define themselves with closer relation to their country of origin, this term has been the predominately acceptable phrase. The term “white” Zhou defines as a “label having more to do with privilege than biology” which historically in America, holds true. Groups like jews and Irish Americans who at once weren’t accepted as white have gained their acceptance through economic status. Thus being accepted as white is seen as a costive many minorities understandably want to achieve, though it may mean giving up a piece of culture. Though Asian Americans have been seen as “honorary whites”, they do not see themselves or define themselves as white. White is typically accepted as mainstream or what being American is. This relationship between being white and American makes it difficult for many asian Americans to see themselves as just American. With this acceptance of being the “honorary white”, Zhou describe the phenomenon of being simultaneously the “forever foreigner”. Though their success aligns with American culture their cultural practices will always be seen as the “other” to many white Americans.

This is something Jin-Wang experiences in “American Born Chinese” throughout the book he is marginalized as the Asian kid whom nobody make an effort to accept. The only white classmate who engages with Jin-Wang is Amelia Harris, his beautiful blonde love interest. After a great first date, another classmate Greg tells Jin-Wang that boys like him and girls like Amelia can’t date, as it’s bad for her image. This enrages Jin-Wang who throughout the entirety of the book has been making attempts to separate himself from his Chinese culture, and fully be accepted as American. From changing his lunches to changing his hair, and even taking not physical but mental form as “Danny” the standard for a typical white American, Jin cannot completely escape his identity and Jin, a Chinese American. As Danny, he struggles with the racially stereotyped character Chin-Kee, Danny’s cousin. Once Chin-Kee exposes his true identity as the monkey king from asian folklore, Jin sees that his transformation to Danny has lead him to hate his own cultural identity. 

In the article “Are Asian Americans Becoming More White?”, by Min Zhou, the issues of social equality and whether certain social expectations are fair or not. To understand the context of the positions that Min Zhou has presented, one must understand Zhou’s perspective of what is an Asian American and what is “white”. According to Min Zhou, the term Asian American has a simple meaning but a complex issue comes about its simple nature. The term was first coined by historians for immigrants “from Asia east of Pakistan” (Zhou). This allowed a simple understanding of a group of people that could be a number of actually countries of where they could be from. Thus the complex issue of ethnic identity comes about; is one “Asian American or Japanese American” (Zhou). Since there are many different countries in Asia with “oriental” traits, the identification of one is clouded and causes for easy cases of confusion and possible racism. The term “white” that Min Zhou uses has more to do with “privileges than biology” and is something that one has to obtain (Zhou). What she is saying here is that the idea of “white” in America, where most of the inequalities stem from mainly relating to physical looks, is just an idea that people in America try to become and this is based off one’s material success. Zhou points out the Irish and Jewish communities when they first arrived in America, though their skin color is truly white, were still scrutinized and where not given the same rights as others until the attained this material success. In this scenario then, for people of Pan-ethnic decent, to obtain this idea of being “white” usually means disowning ones past hereditary. In the article Zhou mentions that the Asian American communities are typically viewed as the “model minorities” because of their success in their occupations once they arrive to America and how that they attained this by little to no help from others who have been residing in America (Zhou). This term came around in the 1960s and the Asian Americans were glorified by their discipline and the wealth they were gaining when they immigrated to America. Thus the arrival of new stereotyping labels grew from this. The idea of all Asians were hardworking and smart and would not need aid from others, thus them becoming closer to “whiteness” than other groups that have migrated to America. They were called “the new Jews” by the media because of the similarity of success once a group made it to America. The first generation were hardworking people and the second generations became groups of students and highly educated college graduates just like the “first wave” of Jewish immigrants (Zhou). Nowadays many people have begun to recognize that “white” is more of a mainstream term relating to the average American and their success. This though causes for many unsettling racial differences and stereotypes that are harmful for all people in America. Though the Asian Americans were the “model minority” it does not mean they were immune to the stereotyping. Just new and different ways of stereotyping were presented and made.

As the story of Jin comes to a close within the final chapters of American Born Chinese, the debate between whether or not Asian-Americans are considered white lingers yet unanswered. The conclusion of the graphic novel features a face off between the two extrapolations of Jin’s social identity: The idealized white American, Danny, whom he desires to become, and the racially pejorative caricature of Chin-Kee, who portrays how Jin feels he is perceived by his white classmates. While neither of these identities truly embody Jin’s ethnicity and social identity holistically, they do give us several important points of insight into how Jin, and through him Gene Yang, view the dichotomization of Asian-Americans. In her article, Are Asian-Americans Becoming White?, Zhou asserts that whiteness is less of a biological or geographically determined title, but rather one of privilege and class. As such, while it is not impossible for racial minorities to adopt a white identity, it is often much more difficult, involving social challenges such as assimilation into ‘white’ culture and dissociation from minority groups: “…Becoming white can mean distancing oneself from “people of color” or disowning one’s ethnicity”(1). This claim mirrors the advice bestowed upon Jin at the beginning of the novel by the herbalist, and as such it is fitting that she reappears near its end to sardonically congratulate Jin on his transformation into Danny. However, his transformation is incomplete, as he is still haunted by his metaphorical ‘cousin’. After knocking off the head of Chin-Kee in a violent confrontation, it is then revealed that Chin-Kee is none other than the Monkey King. In a suprising move, Danny then transforms back into Jin, and the Monkey king explains to him that he has been disguised as Chin-Kee and has visited Jin to “serve as [his] conscience- as a signpost to [his] soul”(221). This begs the question, why would the Monkey King take the form of an inaccurate and racist stereotype in order to remind Jin of his identity? Would not it have been significantly more effective had he guided him in his true form instead? The answer lies within the interactions between Jin and Wei-Chen following the revelation to the audience that Wei-Chen is the Monkey King’s son, as well a former emissary to mankind, now disillusioned with humanity and facing his own internal conflicts of identity. As a reader observing these interactions, this gives us insight into the struggles faced by many Asian-Americans in their desire to “become white”; it is not until Jin realizes that while he can never truly become Danny, and that he is likewise not bound to Chin-Kee, that he finally recognizes that being Chinese and being American are not mutually exclusive categories. No longer concerned with conforming to the identities and desires of others, and refusing to let them define him by racist stereotypes, Jin has not ‘become white’. Rather, he has recognized the arbitrariness and ostentatious nature of the category, and as such is no longer interested in attaining its status. Identity as a whole is idiosyncratic by necessity, and how and if Jin chooses to express and explore his culture is entirely his own decision to make. Similarly, it is not that Asian-Americans are becoming white, or assimilating into a privileged class; in fact the opposite holds true in that they consistently face discrimination that is largely ignored in the public eye. However, many, like Jin, have realized their values as unique individuals, refusing to be limited by an ethnocentric worldview. One’s own ethnicity merely comprises a part of who they are, and that whiteness in of itself is a meaningless word, with so many diverse and unique cultures present throughout all areas of the world.

In her article “Are Asian Americans Becoming White?” Min Zhou explores the socio-economic status, demographics, and diversity in identification of Asian Americans. Zhou first talks about what it means to become “white”. And in this article to become white and to become American pretty much mean the same thing. White and American are synonymous and very much interchangeable. “A Vietnamese high school student in New Orleans told me in an interview, “An American is white. You often hear people say, hey, so-and-so is dating an ‘American.’ You know she’s dating a white boy. If he were black, then people would say he’s black.”(page 35) However Zhou also discusses how actually becoming white is simply not possible, no matter how hard an individual assimilates to mainstream American culture and forfeits the culture of their ancestors. As long as they looked different, they will be considered different.

Through reading the article, you can also see a shift in second generation Asian Americans in how they think of becoming. “Even though U.S.-born or U.S.-raised Asian Americans are relatively acculturated and often intermarry with whites, they may be more ambivalent about becoming white than their immigrant parents. Many only cynically agree that “white” is synonymous with “American.” (page 35)” The article claims that this a direct result of realizing the American reality versus the American Dream. Second generation Asian Americans can see through the myth of equal opportunity and see the privilege that White Americans hold.

The author then further describes the diversity that is under the umbrella of Asian American and how different national backgrounds are represented differently in different socio-economic levels. This stratification is reflective of the different situations by which these individuals decide to immigrate to the United States. I think that this phenomenon is indicative of the different states of different countries from which Asian Americans immigrate. By this I mean, that this stratification shows you that not all Asian countries are the same, and the experiences of individuals that come from different national origins are distinct from one another. This makes me to think critically of the term ‘Asian American’ and wonder whether it’s a term that creates an acknowledgement of someone’s identity or a sort of erasure. As someone who does not hold that identity, I am only left to imagine and wonder about what it would mean to be in that position. That, and of course listening to the voices of those who do identify as Asian American.  Zhou writes about this and says “Privately, few Americans of Asian ancestry would spontaneously identify themselves as Asian, and fewer still as Asian. They instead link their identities to specific countries of origin, such as China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, India or Vietnam.” (page 31). However, I must concede that l claiming identities is a very personal practice, and I don’t think any one person could decide what is right and accurate for another.

The outcome that I came out with after reading this article is regardless of the degree of assimilation that any Asian American decides to undergo, it has not seemed possible for them to actually become white such as the Irish and the Jews did. Even when they are being praised as the ‘model minority’ they are set above the average, or otherwise considered below the average in fits of negative discrimination. However, it seems that America has deemed it too difficult to recognize Asian Americans as regular Americans; as regular humans.

Min Zhou’s article, “are asian americans becoming “white”’ is a very compelling article for me and I learned a lot through my read. Zhou tackles the issues of having several different identities, as both an Asian person and an American, with both of these identities being a big part of a person’s identity. As Zhou stated in this article, very few Asian Americans simply identify as Asian. As Zhou states in her article, “‘Asian American’ is an umbrella category that includes both U.S. citizens and immigrants whose ancestors came from Asia, east of Iran,” (30). Many “Asian Americans” would rather identify and connect to specific countries, such as China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, India or Vietnam. It makes sense why “Asian Americans” would prefer to link their identities to specific countries as opposed to a continent as it is seen with many Euro-Americans. People want to be able to follow one specific culture that they are descended from, or be able to honor all the ones that their ancestors have followed, and it is easier to do that by linking yourself to specific countries, as opposed to one giant continent.

In saying that people would prefer to link themselves to specific countries in order to follow specific cultures, many things that Min Zhou states in this article goes against what I just stated above. Min Zhou discusses in her article how many Asian Americans seem to be forgetting their own cultures and assimilating and adopting the larger, white American culture as their own. “On the surface, Asian Americans seem to be on their way to becoming white, just like the offspring of earlier European immigrants. But the model-minority image implicitly casts Asian Americans as different from whites,” (33). Zhou is absolutely right when she makes this statement that, regardless of how much Asian Americans adopt white American culture as their own, there will always be separating the groups. Discrimination is, sadly, extremely common in the United States today and people are discriminated for all different types of things, ranging from their sexuality, their gender identity, their race, their culture, and so many other things. Zhou states in her article, “white is an arbitrary label having more to do with privilege than biology,” (30) I think that this is true in certain cases and false in others. I think it is fair for me to say, as a white American, that white privilege is a thing. I’ve never had to face any sort of discrimination based on the color of my skin and I think that this statement is true for many other white Americans. While there are certain groups that this hasn’t always been true for, such as “the Irish and Jews, (they) have attained “white” membership by acquiring status and wealth,” (30). 

With Zhou stating this, it might be easier to state that Asian Americans are becoming white due to the status, wealth, and success that many of them are attaining in America today. I don’t, however, believe this to be true, at least not at this moment in time. As I stated above, I believe that white privilege is a thing, but I think that many Asian Americans, regardless of their wealth and status, still face discrimination based on the color of their skin and aren’t viewed as “white.” Over time, there might be a possibility that Asian Americans might eventually be viewed as white, much like the Irish and the Jews, but in the current time, I cannot say that Asian Americans are becoming white, simply due to the fact that many of them tend to be adopting “white culture.” Many Asian Americans still identify with a specific country and tend to practice and celebrate those cultures, while also practicing white culture. I think it is unfair to make people choose one specific culture to practice, when they can be celebrating many.