The month of May in the US is Asian American History Month. I am getting a late start, so in all fairness it will run to June 12th on this blog.
Promised Posts on Asians and Asian Americans:
- Black/Asian American race relations
- Amy Tan
- Asian brain drain
- Black Women, Asian Men
- yellowface
- The Massie Affair
As Leigh has gently reminded me, the first one is long, long overdue! I will do at least that one, God willing, and hopefully three others as well.
In honour of this month, I am reading Iris Chang’s “The Chinese in America” (2003) all the way through. I have read parts of it, but not the whole thing. At least three posts will come out of that. I also want to do one on Iris Chang herself.
If I can find my Amy Tan book – “The Joy Luck Club” (1989) – I will finish that too. I got halfway through it. The beginning was great, wonderful, memorable, but then it began to drag. There will be a post or two out of that.
Commenters who have written more than 500 words on a particular topic they feel strongly about should consider doing a guest post!
If you have a suggestion for a post, please tell me about it in the comments below. If you like a suggestion someone else has made, then click on the “like” for that comment or second it with a comment of your own. Thanks!
Here are the posts I have done so far (to be updated throughout the month):
- The Asian Supremacy argument
- David Bowie: China Girl
- The two-race model
- Yuri Kochiyama
- Oppression Olympics
- Yuna ft Usher: Crush
- Asian brain drain
- yellowface
- Carl Douglas: Kung Fu Fighting
- Zaatari
- Yvonne Elliman: If I Can’t Have You
- “Y’all can go back. We can’t.”
- Ramadan
- China: the last 13,000 years
- Chinese inventions
- The Association: Windy
– Abagond, 2016.
See also:
Since you are getting some things from Iris Chang’s book, you could include a couple things on Chinese American history, e.g.,
* Famous Court cases
Most Americans have heard of the Dred Scott decision, Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v. Board, Loving v. Virginia, etc.
What about Yick Wo v. Hopkins, Tape v. Hurley, Chae Chan Ping v. US, Wong Kim Ark v. USA, Naim v. Naim? We already mentioned Lum v. Rice in a prior post.
Japanese Americans ones could include Korematsu v. USA, especially adding that ex-Justice Scalia refused to have the ruling reversed in 2014.
* Gum (Kam) Shan (Golden Mountain)
* Yellow Peril
* Transcontinental Railroad / Northern Pacific Railroad / Panama Canal, (not to mention the levees and dikes in California’s central valley and the Savannah River in Georgia) and other large US infrastructure projects that relied mostly on Chinese “coolie” labor
* 19th century Violence, eg, Rock Springs Massacre (and others)
* Sun Yat Sen (who studied in Hawaii and became a US citizen temporarily) or the role that
* Parachute Kids
Last year I got hold of not only Iris Chang’s book but also the book “Driven Out: The Forgotten war against Chinese Americans” that talks mostly about the violence in California. Maybe something could be picked from that.
Finally, May 16 this year marks the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Cultural Revolution in China (1966-1976)..While there are plenty of articles coming out about that, eg,
(https://www.hongkongfp.com/2016/05/13/explainer-five-questions-about-chinas-cultural-revolution/)
(http://edition.cnn.com/2016/05/12/asia/china-cultural-revolution-dikotter/index.html)
There is probably little in the recent articles discussing the impact on the USA at that time. One thing interesting is that it occurred just after the immigration laws were changed. Many of those entering the USA in the late 60s / early 70s included those fleeing the Cultural Revolution.
Yellowface is way overdue, but so is Asian American youtubers.
I got some information about when Chinese met Native Americans in the 19th West, but I never drafted the post on it. Maybe I will see if I can do that.
For the past 3 years, there has been little on Korean Americans. Maybe we can find topics on that?
Regarding Black and Asian American relations, that is a vast topic. Maybe it needs to be split up into several parts.
Finally, the current standoff in the South China Sea, and what that means for the USA and Asian Americans.
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@Kiwi,
Please submit your draft post this time.
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How about a post on Vietnam–its history as a colony, the war and the language.
Al
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@Kiwi:
http://www.erblist.com/abg/whitemen.html
Who would date a Martian?
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Oh, I’ll take internet cash, I’m on a diet!
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@ Kiwi
Yeah, well, George Takei has that in common with them, too.
I understand your frustrations, but there’s a point at which it feels like you’re crossing over into gratuitous bashing of interracial couples. It bothers me that you seem to have so much unresolved anger about this. It’s possible to acknowledge and address a societal problem without so much rage towards individuals.
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@Kiwi: Let me take a guess they are all married to white men.
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Also:
Anime/Manga
William Hung(The American Idol contestant)
Martial Arts (Bull-shido)
Samurai
Russian-Japanese War
Tokyo
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Agent Orange
Khmer Rouge
China in Africa
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@Abagond
I want to second Glorp’s suggestions of:
The Russian-Japanese War of 1905
Chinese involvement in Africa
I would also like to nominate the Ainu (indigenous people of Japan)
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@ Abagond
Seconding Jefe’s suggestions of:
* Yellow Peril
* 19th century Violence, eg, Rock Springs Massacre (and others)
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May I ask where that statue of Iris Chang in the post photo is found?
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A post on the Caucasus Mountains.
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1.Palestinian immigrants/refugees in the USA
2.Unexploded ordinances in Laos
3.Seconding Khmer Rouge in Cambodia
4. Asian American attitudes towards African Americans
5. Americans in North Korea
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Impact and influence of ‘Eastern’ Philosophy and spiritual practices, e.g. Taoism, yoga, meditation in America.
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Conduct a post regarding Ariana Miyamoto, Miss Japan 2015. Her father is Black man from the U.S. and her mother is Japanese. She said: “People call me a foreigner” and ”People don’t believe I’m Japanese.” She wasn’t accepted by the vast majority of Japanese due to her bi-racial heritage.
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/9/9/hafu-in-japan-mixed-race.html
Or in the alternative, do a post on the Black Chinese who were referred to as “Coolies.” They built the western half of the first transcontinental railroad in the United States.
http://cprr.org/Museum/Exhibit/_anthony_7148_detail.html
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Kiwi said: “When in the world did Chinese people become Black?”
A well trained dog will always fetch his master’s bone like he or she should. I knew you’d come running. Also, I’m not here to be your mentor nor prove anything to you. You are the least of my worries. There were Black dynasties in China (I’m not going to say which ones) and the Ainu people of Japan as well. Conduct your own damn research to find out!
You are becoming more comical by the day. How in the hell can someone or an angry Asian man like yourself, refute or contradict someone else’s post without first submitting evidence to the contrary of what was already posted, thereby, removing all doubt? You haven’t done that. Instead, you merely post some dumb and dumber question(s) pertaining to the original post. You are full of isht!
If you think you are capable of refuting a post with your mere asinine questions, you’re sadly mistaken. I highly encourage you to self enroll into some anger management courses before you self destruct.
Did you lose your set of Hot Wheels cars that I purchased for you?
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A post on the song Kung Fu Fighting. From being a poster on this blog for a few years I can see the stereotypes of Asian people and how it would be offensive to them. I even think they used the song in the soundtrack Kung Fu Panda. I wonder why didn’t the Asian community protest this?
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@ blakksage
“and the Ainu people of Japan as well.”
Where are you getting this from? Modern DNA testing says they’re Asian.
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@ blakksage
“When in the world did Chinese people become Black?”
Actually they did become ‘Black’ 2008, in South Africa.
(http://guardianlv.com/2014/04/south-africa-chinese-citizens-reclassified-as-blacks/)
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I would like a post on the geisha in Japan and the art of Kabuki theater.
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Your DNA proposition, Y-Chromosome (from father to son) and the Mitochondrial (from mother to child) is a fallacy. It was merely invented for people like YOU, to keep you in a state of ignorance and passively in support of white supremacy.
Obviously you don’t understand the depth of white supremacy and to what extent these people will go to, in order to extend their theory of being supreme in regards to everyone else. At this point, it appears that you’ve fell for whitey’s “okey doke”, hook, line and sinker. Therefore, … metaphorically stay under the water, saturated in ignorance.
Pardon me, allow me to fire up the barbecue grill without further interruption. Good bye!
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@Solitaire said: “Modern DNA testing says they’re Asian.”
I agree with your assertion that the Ainu were/are Asian. However, they were also Black, which subsequently makes them Black Asian (Japanese).
Furthermore, your DNA proposition, Y-Chromosome (from father to son) and the Mitochondrial (from mother to child) is a fallacy. It was merely invented for people like YOU, to remain in a state of ignorance and passively in support of white supremacy.
Obviously you don’t understand the depth of white supremacy and to what extent these people will go to, in order to extend their theory and hegemony of being supreme in regards to everyone else. At this point, it appears that you’ve fell for whitey’s “okey doke”, hook, line and sinker. Therefore, … metaphorically stay under the water, saturated in ignorance.
Pardon me, allow me to fire up the barbecue grill without further interruption. Good bye!
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I would like to see a post on Fredrick Cloyd,
https://dreamwaterchildren.net/category/%E6%B0%B4%E5%AD%90/
Dream of the Water Children.
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@ blakksage
Is this the albino theory?
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@Solitary and @Kiwi, blah, blah, blah, blah! Why don’t either one of you post some evidence to the contrary to prove me wrong as opposed to name calling? Wouldn’t that be the reasonable or scholarly thing to do? Perhaps neither one of you can prove me wrong. It seems as if this is where your frustrations rests.
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@ blakksage
Excuse me, could you please post some evidence to support your claim that I called you names?
Also, how can I provide scholaarly evidence when you ignore my questions about what exactly your argument is?
I don’t even know if I agree or disagree because you haven’t stated anything concrete.
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You might consider a post about whether Asian Americans consider Asian to be a single racial group.
There is a history in many Asian countries, such as Japan, of citizens regarding their nationality (for example, Japanese) in racial terms and of denying that there is such a thing as a single Asian race. Many Asian American immigrants are surprised to learn that there is an Asian race–backed up by Federal statistician at the Census Bureau. We Japanese are the same race as the Koreans?? You got to be kidding.
Some Asian Americans adopt a Latino model, by which they regard themselves as an ethnic group. But (white and many Asian) Americans don’t go for that.
Anyway, this is a kinda abstract conceptual topic, if you’re looking for one!
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@Kiwi and @Solitaire, … yawning and stretching and still waiting to be proven wrong. I’m gonna take a nap, I’ll check back later to see if I’ve been disproven.
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@ blakksage
“I’ll check back later to see if I’ve been disproven.”
Don’t hold your breath. If you don’t believe in modern science, there’s no way we can have a constructive debate on DNA. If you continue to refuse to give me your reasons for stating that the Chinese and the Ainu are black, there’s nothing else to debate because I can’t try to disprove your evidence when I have no clue what it is. There’s no point to this, and I’m done.
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Wow, I just learned that my paternal great-grandfather was one of the “Black Chinese”. 😮
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@Solitaire and Kiwi,
quit being so darn obtuse. The answers are out there, but both of you intentionally choose to ignore them. Well then, that’s not my problem. Therefore, both of you should keep your head buried under the sand because currently, it appears as if even the answer was to be placed in your face, after removing your heads from a dirt mound, neither one of you’d know that it was in fact what you were searching for (hints for the answers: the Bible, history books and the internet). Happy searching!
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Blakkage said
Why won’t he say which ones?
The photo link he provided is just of some Southern Chinese who are tanned from the sun. My father got that dark when he was doing construction projects outside. People thought he was Filipino or Thai or something.
There is some recent African ancestry in southern China which occurred when some Chinese fathers (in mississippi, Jamaica, Trinidad, etc.) sent their mixed black / Chinese children, particularly sons back to China for education or to live in their home village. I have even seen some. I have friends who have such relatives.
In the past 30 years, with the influx of Africans into China, there have been more African/Chinese marriages (this time, mostly African fathers, Chinese mothers). Some of them have kids.
Blakkage might be referring to stuff like this. Some people have advanced such theories.
The Xia and Shang: The original Black civilizations of China
http://realhistoryww.com/world_history/ancient/China_1.htm
The Black African Foundation of China: The First Chinese
http://www.africaresource.com/rasta/sesostris-the-great-the-egyptian-hercules/the-black-african-foundation-of-china-the-first-chinese/
But this is more in line with the idea that everyone on earth is “Out of Africa”. Or that some other tribes from Africa migrated to China after the initial “Out of Africa” movement. But that is true for Europe and probably the Americas also.
But this has nothing to do with the coolies imported by colonial powers to the Americas, to the Pacific Islands, to the Indian Ocean and to SE Asia.
My suggestion: if Blakkage really has so much information about these theories at his fingertips and can quote veritable sources, why doesn’t he do a guest post on it? I think many would be interested.
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You know what, I pity Kiwi and Solitaire. Therefore, for you guys not having to struggle with the fact that original Chinese and Japanese were Black, I’ve decided to provide a little assistance and hopefully, you both will be on your way of shedding the appearance of being steeply ignorant of world history and on the path to being run of the mill lemmings.
Keep in mind that the evidence promulgated here was compiled by a Chinese man, Chang Hsing-Lang, who is a Professor and an Author. These are not the findings or words of my own understanding such as what you both have been doing thus far. Unsurprisingly, your personal understandings of the world and history mean nothing to me.
One other thing, most people up to this day, still believe that martial arts originated in an Asian country. This is not so. Martial arts began in Africa, in Egypt to be exact. There are men performing martial arts on the pyramids to back this notion up as well.
Also, the Shang, Manchu, Tang and Xia Dynasties were all Black. This is further backed up by merely looking at the Terracota warriors, which clearly indicate Negroid facial features.
Ok, dumb and dumber, you should be well on your way after reading this article, for starters, because there is much more reading to be done on this topic! (By the way, the picture of the guy on the first page to the left, that could’ve been the Sageman back in the days, … still not giving a F^&K)!
http://atlantablackstar.com/2015/04/27/10-pieces-evidence-prove-black-people-first-china/
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Anthropological evidence points to conclusions that all humans originated out of Africa, and developed lighter skin complexions only AFTER leaving Africa, possibly due to several reasons, which might be related to latitude or agriculture or changes in diet. Genetic clusters in Asia, Europe, the Americas, Australsia, etc. all trace their origin to Africa. Any phenotype found anywhere in the world can be traced to Africa.
All of us have “black” ancestors. All humans.
Those studies quoted in those links served mostly to disprove that East Asians could have descended from Homo Erectus.
Not sure if any of those studies actually prove anything beyond that. They do give us something to think about. Just like those statues in Mexico / Central America that suggest that they represent people of African origin.
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@ blakksage
I’m not going to waste my time on someone who repeatedly insults me and then falsely claims that I called him names. That tells me you don’t fight fair.
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Duh, it’s not [ ].
I keep mixing up how it’s done on different forums.
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@ Solitaire
WordPress comments recognize certain basic HTML tags, which use angle brackets.
More:
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@ Abagond
Wow, that was fast! Thank you, sir. I hope you’re enjoying your weekend.
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@ Jefe
“My father got that dark when he was doing construction projects outside. People thought he was Filipino or Thai or something.”
Yep, my Filipino partner has been mistaken for African American in the summer when he’s gotten very dark and had his hair in a high and tight.
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@Abagond: A post on Yuri Kochiyama born May19,1921-June1, 2014. Japanese-American activist, Malcolm X ally and former member of the Black Panther Party died at the age of 93. She spent two years in an interment camp and helped win reparations for Japanese-Americans.
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@ Mary
Google is marking Yuri Kochiyama’s birthday with a Google doodle!
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@Abagond you beat me to it. I also asked for a post on Grace Lee B0ggs i am seeing she died last year October 5, 2015. Her husband James who was African American. She lived to be 100 years old. I hope this doesn’t get caught up in the moderation.
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I think it’s interesting the google doodle was done on Malcom X’s birthday. They were comrades together.
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I would like to suggest a post on the rendition of the song “Hawaii ’78” by IZ (Israel Kamakawiwo’ole). (He did not write it, but his cover version is the best known and in my opinion the most powerful.)
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrbaN42tDFE)
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Israel Kamakawiwo’ole (IZ) had a beautiful voice is rendition of Somewhere Over The Rainbow is my favorite. He appeared to be a gentle soul may he rest in peace.
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Reblogged this on Geeking Out about It.
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@Abagond: A post on Obama removing the word Oriental and Negro from Federal Law.
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@Abagond: A post on the Terra Cotta sculptures would be wonderful I am fascinated with them and the Tomb sculptures as well.
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Oh gee, Ann Coulter.
And a black woman has to remind them that they are Americans!
ANN COULTER CALLS ASIAN AMERICANS “MANDARINS” — AND INSISTS IT’S THE CORRECT TERM
http://blog.angryasianman.com/2016/05/ann-coulter-calls-asian-americans.html
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http://atlantablackstar.com/2016/05/31/official-wants-to-sweep-numerous-attacks-against-african-nationals-under-the-rug-because-it-will-give-india-a-bad-name/
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^ It’s horrible that these officials feels it’s alright to do nothing to help African nationals. And they’re worried that putting a spotlight on these attacks are giving India a “bad name”? Okay, maybe I feel the lack of logic there since all I’ve heard about India these days are the rapes occurring there on a huge scale.
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@ jefe:
Ann Coulter is beyond wilfully ignorant. She is a C U Next Tuesday!
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I remember in elementary school reading a story about The Five Chinese Brothers today as an adult learning what I am learning this story has lots of stereotypes and is just as bad as that story Little Black Sambo is offensive to African Americans. Even Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book (colonialism) and The Disney version from the 60’s is racist. Lots of racism in children’s books.
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@ jefe
The statue of Iris Chang pictured at top is in Nanjing, China at the Memorial for Compatriots Killed in the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Forces of Aggression.
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