In Min Zhou’s “Are Americans Becoming White?” he introduces and discusses several concepts and ideas that I was not at all familiar with. I found the ‘model minority’ stereotype to be particularly interesting mainly in the sense that I had never considered that there was a negative side to these stereotypes. The stereotypes that I knew of mainly involved individuals of Asian descent as being smart, structured, and successful. Initially I looked at these as good things. I thought “Who wouldn’t want to be thought of as being smarter than most people?”. But I now see how my thinking was flawed. These stereotypes can add unnecessary pressure and stress on Americans of Asian descent and limit their future career and life options as parents try to influence their children to fit these stereotypes, these imagined, but very present standards they must uphold. “Falling into this trap, a Chinese immigrant father gets upset when his son tells him he has changed his major from engineering to English. Disregarding his son’s talent for creative writing, such a father rationalizes his concern, “You have a 90 percent chance of getting a decent job with an engineering degree, but what chance would you have of earning income as a writer?”” (Zhou 34). Due to these stereotypes, many Asian families in America feel heightened social pressure to excel in STEM fields and, much of the time, disregard or look down upon many others.

Another point Min Zhou brings up that is of particular interest to me is the fact that immigrants of Asian descent are all over the spectrum when it comes to socioeconomic status, yet in the stereotypical, widespread, American cultural view, Asian Americans are thought to be highly intelligent and successful. “Chinese, Taiwanese, Indian, and Filipino Americans tend to be over-represented among scientists, engineers, physicians and other skilled professionals, but less educated, low-skilled workers are more common among Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, and Hmong Americans, most of whom entered the United States as refugees” (Zhou 31). This was particularly surprising and interesting to me because I myself fell into stereotypical thinking that Asian Americans were more likely to be successful in certain fields just because they were and that’s how it was. Clearly this thinking was incorrect and Asian Americans, similar to every other racial group, fall all over the spectrum in regards to socioeconomic status and overall success.

A third concept that caught my attention specifically was the fact that relatively few second generation immigrants classify themselves as Asian American, in reality, they identify heavily with their country of origin, followed by American (Vietnamese-American for example), and that to around 60 percent of Asian youth living in America, this identification is very important. I found this particularly interesting because I personally was unaware how crucial this specification was to many Asian individuals. I think that this is because as a white person living in America I have the privilege of not being forced to constantly answer “where are you from” questions, and my ethnic identity and ancestral countries of origin are not always in question. Because I don’t look “different” I don’t need to, and actually have never heard phrases like “Scottish American” or “Greek American” or “Canadian American”. In contrast to identifications like “Mexican American” “Asian American” and “African American” the former three do not have physical markers of their heritage, so they are not discussed.

Gene Yang closes his graphic novel American Born Chinese with an epic bridging of his three plot lines. He merges the main characters into a mindblowing journey towards self actualization. Whiteness and its arbitrary characteristics which are imposed upon all who come from ethnic backgrounds is cleverly problematized in the stories. These consequences are reiterated in Min Zhou’s article “Are Asian Americans Becoming ‘White’?”.

The Monkey King finds himself humbled by Wong Lai-Tsao’s mission and eventually transforms back into his primate body. Finally able to free himself from the rubble, he is devoted to the Lai-Tsao’s duty and follows him onward. In a shocking turn of events, Jin morphs into his white counterpart, Danny, and unveils Chin-Kee to be Monkey King. Yang connects all of his seemingly unrelated characters together in an effort to showcase how complex and intense the American assimilation process can be. Each character exemplifies a facet of migrant experience and all of the hardships that come with it.

Throughout the novel, each protagonist struggles with normalization and a need to fit in. Whether physically or psychologically, the characters try their very best to merge with the majority’s wishes. Zhou explains that “most Asian Americans seem to accept that ‘white’ is mainstream, average and normal, and look to whites as their frame of reference for attaining higher social position” (Zhou pg. 5). This idealization comes from the fact that historically white citizens have dominated the country in both political and societal spheres. Zhou points out the ways that white culture has been ingrained into this country’s collective memory so deeply yha it has found its way into our very institutional infrastructure. Many immigrants have had no choice but to whitewash their identities in the hopes that they may be successful in America. Monkey King experiences similar discrimination when he is turned away from heaven’s gatherings. Discouraged, he tries to make himself more like the accepted deities, altering his appearance to become more human-like. In a smaller scaled environment, Jin faces these hardships firsthand at his school. His efforts to gain respect from his white peers were in vain, as he is pushed away again and again. He becomes ill-tempered and impulsive, fixated on the prospect of becoming welcomed by his peers. But societal conventions have proven that “no matter how American you think you are or try to be, if you have almond-shaped eyes, straight black hair, and a yellow complexion, you are a foreigner by default” (Zhou Pg. 6).  Jin internalizes these sentiments, eventually willing himself to take on the form of Danny, a white boy struggling with his Chinese familial affiliation. Ditching his physical attributes proves not to be enough for the boy, and Chin-Kee continues to haunt his every step. It is not until Danny defeats his personified mental struggle in a fistfight, that peace of mind is brought to the characters of the novel. This dramatizes the very real struggles that immigrants deal with in this country. Yang summarizes these feelings in a lighthearted way, and suggests that self acceptance and love for one another will be the only way to break this cycle of contempt.

The last few chapters of Gene Yang’s American Born Chinese are very interesting to look at and dissect. The last few chapters are especially interesting because of the way that the stories all come full circle by the end and all start to relate to each other even through the three separate stories. Probably the most interesting part of the end to this novel is when Danny punches Chin-Kee in the face because he is tired of his constant visits and annoying ways. “I’m sick of you ruining my life, Chin-Kee! I want you to pack up and go back to where you came from!” (Yang 205) After Danny punches Chin-Kee multiple times, Chin-Kee’s head eventually falls off only to reveal the Monkey King underneath. Danny is obviously confused and is asking who the Monkey King is. Then the Monkey King says to Danny, “Now that I’ve revealed my true form, perhaps it is time you reveal yours…” (Yang 213) After the Monkey King says this Danny turns into Jin Wang. I think this is a very important scene in the novel and I think the author presents it this way to get the point across that no matter what anyone else thinks about you or the way you live, you should always be true to yourself. Then the Monkey King explains to Jin the story of his son, Wei-Chen and how he originally wanted to be an emissary but changed his mind later because e couldn’t stand the thought of serving humans. He then started to reject his father’s visits. Then Jin asks the Monkey King what he is supposed to do now and Monkey King tells him “You know, Jin, I would have saved myself from five hundred years of imprisonment beneath a mountain of rock had I only realized how good it is to be a monkey.” I think this quote really embodies the point that the author is trying to get across that people need to be comfortable in their own skin and to appreciate who they are no matter what the people around them say or think.

Another important and interesting chapter in the novel is the point that the Monkey King frees himself from beneath the mountain to help save Wong Lai-Tsao, who was sent on a mission to deliver three packages to the West. Wong was attacked by demons on his quest right in front of where the Monkey King was imprisoned after begging him to help him finish his mission. The Monkey King refused at first but eventually after being persuaded by Wong to “find your true identity” the Monkey King freed himself from beneath the mountain and helped save Wong-Lai Tsao from the demons that had attacked him. After he saves Wong, the Monkey King calls him “master” and accepts his request to help him finish his mission to deliver the three packages to the West. Before setting out on their journey though, Wong tells the Monkey King that there is one more thing he needs him to do. “On this journey…we have no need…for shoes.” Wong tells the Monkey King to get rid of his shoes and so he does and then they set out on their mission together. This is an especially important part of the novel because it only reiterates the point the author tries to make that everyone should feel comfortable in their own skin no matter what people think. The Monkey King got those shoes so that he could fit in and attend the parties that he previously been rejected at for not having shoes. But once the Monkey King realized his true identity he got rid of the shoes and set out on his way.

I think there are many different and interesting angles that we can analyze and discuss when reading Min Zhou’s article, American Born Chinese. I’d like to reflect on the idea of Americaness brought up by the article, related to my personal view. 

It would be stupid to say that we are all living in a perfect world, where nobody is discriminated or seen differently because of his or her race or country of provenience. Though, the progresses that the US has made throughout the past decades are great and significant. History takes time, and I truly believe that we are moving towards a beautiful page of history that we probably won’t even be able to see. The article tries to explain one of the biggest issues of living in the United States, which is how can you be fully considered American. Consciously or unconsciously, Min Zhou states in the title that, in order to be accepted as American, people must be seen as whites, and he supports this view with many quotes such the one that states, “The truth is, no matter how American you think you are or try to be, if you have almond-shaped eyes, straight black hair, and a yellow complexion, you are a foreigner by default… You can certainly be as good as or even better than whites, but you will never become accepted as white.” I don’t necessarily agree with these opinions though. In this article the word “white” can be always switched with the word American, which is exactly what are fighting against. Do I see whites as Americans, while “Asian Americans” and “African Americans” as something different? No. Am I the only one? I don’t think so. In 2019, the awareness of all the historical issues related to racial differences are pages of college books, taught by Americans whose families are very likely to be from different parts of the world. Every day, every discussion, every interaction is a step towards equality and fairness. Does it take time? Yes, but this is the reason why I would like to think about Min Zhou’s title as a provocation more than a real question. I personally believe that we should be proud of our ancestors origins, because what makes us different, makes us special too. No one should want to be white, because that is not where history is going. My point is brought up in the article by a quote of a Korean-american student, which stated the following: “It’s not so much being white as being American.”

The United States are a world example of how people from all over the globe can identified themselves as compatriots, as long as they share the values of this country. I’m not a fool, I know there are still many people out there who believe that the real American is who is white, but the American society is already made to fight that. If we want to help out, we have to stick with the concept that the American is not who is white, but he or she who shares those ideals of freedom, equality and justice that can make the United States the biggest and most powerful example in the world for multiculturalism and ethnic differences.

 

In her article entitled “Are Asian Americans Becoming White,” Min Zhou never really answers the question she herself poses. However, I believe that Zhou, through her repeated use of the phrase “model minorities” and her viewpoint that Asian Americans are often seen as either lesser or greater than whites, already had knows what she sees to be the answer to this. Her answer would be that Asian American will never be considered white so long as they aren’t physically white. While, they can achieve and prosper economically and educationally to heights that many other people cannot reach, Asian Americans will always be viewed by whites as simply not white. In my personal opinion, as a white American from Ohio do not see it this way. I choose not to divide and categorize people based on race and instead decide to see them for their true worth as human beings. “Progressive” ideas like affirmative action may have skewed many people’s views towards minorities and race in a negative way and i think they cheapen the concept of the American dream. In my opinion, and from what I have seen growing up around Asian Americans, they are no different from anyone else trying to make their way in this country. Sure, “44 percent of all Asian Americans over 25 years of age had at least a bachelor’s degree,” but this should be contributed to the work ethic and familial values installed within the Asian culture throughout history, not a desire to become “white.” I also disagree with Zhou when she states that “white is an arbitrary label having more to do with privilege than biology.” There is no privilege that comes with being white or to any race for that matter. Just how the Asian American and countless other communities of ethnic background work to establish themselves and their families with a future to support them, so too have white people in America. I was taught growing up that nothing is ever given freely and that everything is earned. These values were instilled in me at an early age and will forever hold true. To answer the question that Zhou focuses her article around, I do not believe that Asian Americans are becoming white, nor do i think they should be. The term “white” is an arbitrary label that has to do simply with one’s biology more than anything. To insist that it is anything more, or anyone’s skin color for that matter, is a cheapening of who they truly are as a person. Zhou also uses the example of the Chinese son choosing to witch his major from engineering to English which results in his scolding by his father. She states that “this thinking represents more than typical parental concern; it constitutes the self-fulfilling prophecy of a stereotype.” I disagree with this as well in a logical sense. Too often does our society back the idea that we must do what makes us happy or that we can be anything we want. In reality however, being anything we want will not always bring us happiness or success and in the real world, choosing to be an English major instead of engineering (i am not knocking down the freedom of choice, he can choose to do whatever he may like) will come with consequences that may result in economic instability and financial problems in the future. A parent’s “concern” over this is rooted in that logical truth and has nothing to do with a stereotype whatsoever. In conclusion, this article was a very interesting read although I disagreed with a good deal of it. I believe that being “white” should never be something that anyone should want to become or hold as a standard for things. There are many more things in life that outweigh the construct of race in importance.

            In the final chapter of Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese we see the three individual story lines come together to create an effective and exciting conclusion to the novel. Throughout the novel we met The Monkey King, Jin Wang, and Danny and his cousin Chin-Kee. In the last chapter, the reader finds out that Danny, the “all American” white boy struggling to put up with his cousin Chin-Kee, is actually Jin Wang after a transformation. The author also reveals that Chin-Kee is actually the Monkey King, who is also the father of Wei-Chen, Jin Wang’s best friend from junior high. The final chapter intertwines the three storylines in such a   way that truly highlights the themes of transformation and self-acceptance.

            One quote that I found to be very telling is when the Monkey King says to Jin Wang, “You misunderstand my intentions, Jin, I did not come to punish you. I came to serve as your conscience- as a sign post to your soul,” (Yang 221), revealing the role that Chin-Kee was meant to play in Danny’s life, and simultaneously, the role that the Monkey King was playing in Jin Yang’s life. Chin-Kee came to visit Danny once a year, which was a time that Danny dreaded very much, as Chin-Kee often embarrassed Danny. When you find out that Danny is actually Jin Wang, you realize that Chin-Kee, being a ridiculous American-made stereotype, symbolized Jin Wang’s internalized hate towards his Chinese identity. It was as if Chin-Kee served as a reminder to Danny of who he truly was, and he could not return to his true form until he overcame the internalized shame he felt about being Chinese- hence Danny’s fight with his cousin.

            After reading the previously mentioned quote, I decided to search the definition of signpost. Many of the definitions explained it as a sign at a fork in the road, or a crossroads, guiding travelers on where to go. The Monkey King came to visit Jin Wang in order to be a guiding light in Jin’s life on his journey to discovering and accepting who he truly is. Perhaps the Monkey King saw in Jin Wang the same identity struggle that he himself had once experienced and wanted to help Jin on his own journey to self-acceptance. The Monkey King says, “’You know, Jin, I would have saved myself from five hundred years’ imprisonment beneath a mountain of  rock had I only realized how good it is to be a monkey,” (Yang 223), insinuating to Jin that he could save himself a lot of pain a trouble by just accepting his identity for all that it I, both American and Chinese. The Monkey King and Jin both experienced internalized self hatred, transformed themselves in an attempt to be happier and to fit in, and then realized how important it was that they accept and embrace every aspect of their true identities. Ultimately, the book relays an important message of self-acceptance, as well as addresses several stigmas and stereotypes of what it means to be Chinese in America.

Min Zhou’s paper Are Asian Americans Becoming “White”? talks about the conflicting ethnic identities that Asian-Americans face and the pressure that the model minority stereotype places on Asians, of all ethnicities, living in the United States. I think her paper relates directly to the ideas that Gene Luen Yang tries to relay in the end of American Born Chinese. In the last chapters of the graphic novel Jin Wang separates into his two conflicting identities, Danny and Danny’s cousin from China who exhibits all the stereotypes that many Americans believe. I think that the article and the novel are both trying to convey the importance of staying true to oneself and not falling into the trap of stereotyping people.

            In Zhou’s piece she writes, “whether people are in a model minority or a downtrodden minority, they are judged by standards different from average Americans,” (5). Ultimately, she is asserting that all stereotypes, whether they are good or bad, are harmful. I think that stereotypes sometimes cause people to actually believe these things about themselves. In the case of the model minority, it can make Asian-American believe that they have to be successful, usually in a STEM field. Additionally, harmful stereotypes are equally harmful in their ability to cause people to believe them to be true. In American Born Chinese, I think that Jin’s split revealed how he felt about himself. On one hand, he aspired to be the stereotypical American high school student; however, I think that he took what others thought of him to be true. All the stereotypes that his classmates believed to be true about Asian immigrants he started to actually think about himself, and they revealed themselves in the form of his cousin. Once Danny and his cousin got into a fight, the Monkey King was revealed to be Danny’s cousin. Once the Monkey King was revealed he told Jin to return to his true form and says that “I would have saved myself from the five hundred years imprisonment beneath a mountain of rock had I realized how good it is to be a monkey” (Yang 223). Jin needed to realize how good it was to be himself and that the things his classmates believed were not true. It should not matter what other people think of you, it is important to be proud of who you are.  Zhou also explores this idea of staying true to oneself when she talks about how Asian immigrant choose to identify themselves. She states that, “Privately, few Americans of Asian ancestry would spontaneously identify themselves as Asian, and fewer still as Asian American. They instead link their identities to specific countries of origin, such as China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, India or Vietnam” (Zhou 2). The fact that more and more people are identifying with their specific countries, shows an increase in staying true to one’s ethnic roots. Although she talks later in the paper about the tendency for Asian immigrants to loss their parent’s language, their inclination to associate with their culture shows a want to maintain their ethnic culture and not fully assimilate.

Min Zhou’s article, “Are Asian Americans Becoming White?” tackles the complex issues faced by people of Asian descent in the United States, and the struggles and stereotypes of being a “model minority.” Even being Asian American is a point of contention for Min Zhou, as many people of Asian ancestry do not identify themselves as such. Rather, most choose to define their identity more specifically, by their country of ancestry. Min Zhou pens “In a study of Vietnamese youth in San Diego, for example, 53 percent identified themselves as Vietnamese, 32 percent as Vietnamese American, and only 14 percent as Asian American.” In this quote, Min Zhou not only exemplifies the diversity among those labeled “Asian American,” but also shows how important heritage is to identity..

Asian Americans are often referred to as a “model minority,” in reference to the fact that Asian American households have a higher median income and level of education than any other racial or social group in the United States. Min Zhou notes that many Asian Americans define their success by their material possessions, and strive to live the American dream. Min Zhou writes “As a Chinese immigrant said to me in an interview, ‘I hope to accomplish nothing but three things: to own a home, to be my own boss, and to send my children to the Ivy League.’” This sentiment is shared by many immigrants, as they want to make a new and successful life in the United States, thereby attaining the American dream.

This drive to succeed is what has led many to stereotype Asian Americans “model minorities.” Min Zhou mentions that many view being considered a model minority to be not so bad as far as stereotypes go. Zhou then dispels this belief by noting several of the harmful stereotypes Asian Americans face. For example, Asian Americans are stereotypes as intelligent, educated, and oriented towards STEM fields. This drives many Americans of Asian descent to turn away from areas of study not considered STEM, and in doing so perpetuating this stereotype.

Min Zhou also brings up the point that “whiteness” in the United States is synonymous with the average, normal American, and is seen as the template through which all other groups are compared to. I find this view of whiteness to be very harmful, as it means that all other identities will be compared to this ideal “whiteness.” Zhou posits that Asian Americans continually have to prove their Americanness, even if they’ve lived in the country their whole lives. For example, Zhou points Asian Americans are considered white in the fact that they have integrated, and are more affluent and educated on average than other minority group, even including white people. Despite this, they are considered, in Min Zhou’s words, “forever foreign.”

After reading Min Zhou’s article, I am left with a few takeaways. Firstly, defining the status quo in the United States by “whiteness,” is very problematic. It makes minority groups compare themselves to the most common group, that group being white people. Members of minority groups often sacrifice their identities to find more success in the United States. Secondly, this view of whiteness prevents Asian Americans from ever being seen as true Americans, which is a hindrance to their integration into the culture of the United States. Min Zhou states “Americans of Asian ancestry still have to constantly prove that they truly are loyal Americans.” In conclusion, I believe that any stereotypes pertaining to any group can have harmful effects, and defining Americanness from the lense of “whiteness” is very detrimental.

“Similarly, “white” is an arbitrary label having more to do with privilege than biology. In the United States, groups initially considered nonwhite, such as the Irish and Jews, have attained “white” membership by acquiring status and wealth. It is hardly surprising, then, that nonwhites would aspire to becoming “white” as a mark of and a tool for material success.” (page 30) In this passage, the author is trying to explain when people say Asian people are becoming white it means their social status or inner soul is becoming white not their physical appearance.  I think human beings in a rational sense would pursue a happy life or a successful life. It is the human nature. You would rather want to live a good life than a bad life. But by raising your life standards does not mean you are becoming white. The white community are considered as the more developed or richer community because they made it there earlier than other community. The European countries were leading the world during World War I and World War II. And the people from these European countries are white. And then there is America which has a population where its majority is white. That is why makes the White people look richer and having a better life. But it has nothing to do with their culture. Chasing a better life with higher life standards does not mean giving up one’s own culture and switching to the white culture. The Western countries were leading the world only because they got into industrial revolution earlier than countries and achieved modernization earlier than other countries. It does not mean their culture should be deemed as the supreme culture. Every culture has its own pros and cons.

“As a Chinese immigrant said to me in an interview, “I hope to accomplish nothing but three things: to own a home, to be my own boss, and to send my children to the Ivy League.” (page 35) In this passage, the author summarizes the three common goals of Asian Americans. I used to have a Chinese American friend. He gave me an impression that he loves to do things that other American would not think he would do so as to challenge them and prove them wrong. I think it is kind of sad that he has to try extra harder to win someone else’s trust or approval in this country as a minority. I feel lucky that I don’t have to go through that since I am not a Chinese American. If leaving your own country and coming to America means you have to try extra harder to do something that’s was not needed to do in your home country, I would say the American life is not worth it. It seems beautiful from far away but once you come closer you will see its flaws. I was a quiet popular figure in my high school back in China. When people heard that I can study abroad in Singapore then America they would look up to me. But now that I come to here, I am not popular. I ditched my most loyal fans to receive the biggest haters in my life.

I think that Min Zhou’s article “Are Asian Americans Becoming White?” was a very intriguing and eye-opening article about the struggles of growing up Asian in America. A point that Min Zhou brought up throughout this article that stood out to me was the point that being labeled white had more to do with status than the biology of someone. Min Zhou stated In the United States, groups initially considered non-white, such as the Irish and Jews, have attained “white” membership by acquiring status and wealth. It is hardly surprising, then, that non-whites would aspire to becoming “white” as a mark of and a tool for material success”. While status and wealth may come along with becoming “white”, there is also the struggle of essentially losing one’s ethnic identity or even distancing themselves from other “people of color.” Unlike their ancestors, the immigrants that come to America today tend to have a broader background and have come here for so many different reasons. These reasons include joining their family members, utilizing the U.S. economy, find a new job, to escape war, and to pursue religious and political asylum. Sadly though,  so many have trouble finding a sense of belonging when they first come to America. They also struggle to maintain their culture and language in a place that is so eager for them to change and assimilate into the “American life”

Diving deeper into the article Min Zhou explores and analysis the the “model minority” image of Asian Americans that first became in the mid 60’s, which was actually right at the peak of the civil rights movement but before the rise in immigration from Asia. As stated by Min Zhou, the “model minority” marked how “Asian immigrants and their descendants had been traditionally depicted in the media. Both articles congratulated Japanese and Chinese Americans on their persistence in overcoming extreme hardships and discrimination to achieve success, unmatched even by U.S. born whites, with “their own almost totally unaided effort” and “no help from anyone else.” Asian immigrants continue to make outstanding achievements both economically and educationally today. One of the many consequences of the“model minority”is the idea that reinforces the myth that the United States is completely without racism and there is equal opportunity across the board for everyone. This emphasizes the wrong idea that those who are behind others are only behind because of their own poor choices and minority cultures. That is completely wrong especially in regards to the United States. Racism sadly does exist and it exists everywhere.

One last thing that stood out to me in the article was the idea that Asians are not becoming white as more so they are becoming American. Just like most people, they are following the american dream. Those with a good enough education, job skills, and money are able to move into white middle-class suburban neighborhoods almost right away while others work intensively to accumulate enough savings to move their families up and out of inner-city ghettos. Interestingly enough, many children of Asian ancestry have lived their entire childhood in white communities, have mostly white friends and grown up speaking primarily english. In fact, Asian Americans are the most acculturated non-European group in the United States.

I found this article very interesting and informing. I don’t agree with the idea that Asians are becoming white, I think they are just becoming accumulated into America and living life the American way. I think immigrants will/ and should always still hold onto their cultures and traditions that they had before coming to America because as we discussed so many times in class, it holds such a huge part of their identity. Their ancestors and values make them who they are today. I learned so many new and interesting things from this article. Towards the end of the article, Min Zhou says that “second-generation Asian Americans are also more conscious of the disadvantages associated with being non-white than their parents, who as immigrants tend to be optimistic about overcoming the disadvantages of this status.” Which I thought was true for any second-generation for any race and ethnicity. It saddens me just how real racism continues to be today and just how being “not white” can set you back so much further than your white counterparts. For a country that prides itself on freedom and equality, it has done a poor job of making people feel accepted for who they are. I really enjoyed reading this article and really felt like it tied in perfectly with what we have been discussing in class since the first day of classes.