October 12, 2006
Asians In Conservative Evangelical Circles, My Apologies
Due to recent conversations with a few national Asian leaders in the Protestant world I'd like to apologize for the fact that, even though many of you are 3rd, 4th, or 5th generation Americans, many conservative evangelicals still assume that you just got here. I'm sorry that you get asked what country you were born (even though your grandfather was born in New York, L.A., Chicago, etc.)
I'm sorry that among conservative evangelicals you have to explain that you actually grew up in Texas, Georgia, Washington, etc. in a predominantly white neightborhood and that you've never been to any country in Asia (and that eyebrows are raised at the discovery).
I'm sorry you get asked, "so where were you born" with the underlying assumption that it WAS NOT in the United States--so you get asked again, but louder and slower. "Nooo, wheeeeere--were--you--booooorn!" This must be incredibly frustrating.
It's pathetic that many Americans remain pretty ignorant to the centries-old role Asians played in building America.
Posted by anthony at October 12, 2006 06:13 AM | TrackBackInteresting. I think a more prevalent false assumption is Asian = Chinese.
Posted by: The Dude at October 13, 2006 01:55 AMDude, GREAT point!
Posted by: anthony B. at October 13, 2006 09:02 AMChalk another one up to people being just totally oblivious to life (a.k.a. stupid) and not even bothering to wake up. Why do people have to be so stupid?
Posted by: dramaturge at October 13, 2006 07:11 PMAdd interracial adoption to this mess and you have all manner of interesting conversations. :p
(And here in Houston, at least, the assumption is that we're all Vietnamese. Go figure.)
Posted by: Manders at October 14, 2006 01:07 AMHouston we have a problem!
Posted by: anthony B. at October 14, 2006 10:58 AMDidn't any of these people watch "Blazing Saddles" or "Kung Fu" (the original series...)? Even 70's pop culture recognized the positive influence of Asian Americans & that they often suffered under prejudice.
Yes, people are pretty oblivious except where it concerns them personally.
hmm. one of my pastors recently told me that they don't even think of me as being asian. but then, i now reside in southern california after having been born and raised in NE ohio. but about ten years ago, a japanese friend visited minnesota and when he came back he told me how many people complimented him on his english! (he was born and raised in the valley!)
i think an answer is to spend some time in the OT - and meditate on the implications of being a sojourner in a strange land. to borrow from star trek, i always try to keep in mind that i may be the only non-klingon in the room and what seems odd (or barbaric) to me is the norm to them. they're not being malicious, just unintentionally provincial.
Posted by: barry at October 17, 2006 03:32 PMGiven that most college graduates today cannot pass a typical civics or history test of a century ago on basic topics, it comes as no surprise that most today have no understanding of the history of Asians here.
Barry nails it; a bit of patience and the Scriptures do a world of good when one is among those who don't understand you. I learned that at a mostly Asian church in Torrance and a mixed black/hispanic church in Compton.
Posted by: Robert Perry at October 17, 2006 05:02 PMYep. The whole time I was at CTS everyone kept telling me, "You need to go church plant in Hawaii." Just because I'm a Japanese American and was born in HI (I only lived there until 4). It was a little insulting because the assumption was I'd make a nice slow moving, theologically un-nuanced, Aloha shirt wearing pastor. When they found out I was really interested in planting a liturgical church in LA and that I considered myself a high church Calvinist, I got thrown under the PCA bus.
Posted by: Garrett at October 20, 2006 07:09 PM