First of all, Asians only make up 6% of the general US population. And yes, I always do fine in any situation with people of other races. I probably get along better with non-Asians that Asian Americans. Especially with Chinese American men who still claim first allegiance to China... but that's a whole other thread topic.
And I DO understand why in Quincy, there are non-Asians that object to the creation of a new Asiatown in their town. And if Asians were trying to make an Asiatown in the North End, they would be unwelcome also. It's not about assimilation. Making a Asiatown is them refusing to integrate gracefully into the rest of society. Making an Asiatown is Asians refusing to mingle with other cultures and races.
And that's why I think that Asian Americans should avoid living in clusters with other Asian Americans. And if they need Asian groceries, then visit one of the number Asian markets in the metro Boston area. But please don't just cluster together and form an Asian American neighborhood.
25 comments
"I probably get along better with non-Asians that Asian Americans."
"I think that Asian Americans should avoid living in clusters with other Asian Americans."
Hypocrite is hypocritical.
@ Ivrum: pardon my ignorance, but why stop using the word Asian? That doesn't seem racist. It would be the same, at least to me, the same as "Stop using the word European!"
If I am missing something, please let me know.
This one, while expressing it rather ugly, does have a reasonable point to make: Any immigrant who wants to properly integrate should avoid the native cluster - Chinatown, or Little Italy, or whatever it happens to be. This is from a Russian immigrant perspective - there are either well-integrated Russians in the US, or the completely unintegrated kind, living in Brighton Beach, New York - our version of Chinatown.
And yes, I always do fine in any situation with people of other races.
This sounds a lot like, "I'm not racist, but..."
> This sounds a lot like, "I'm not racist, but..."
Actually, depending on whether Miu is actually Asian or not, it would be the exact opposite. "I am a racist, and..."
Though I don't see anything racist about the point he's trying to make. It's mostly the delivery. Meh.
Save for heritage purposes in the historic districts, Singapore actually took measures to mitigate the formation of racially divided neighbourhoods. Sure, the delivery is blunt as hell, but Miu does have an urban planning point concerning racial segregation. But when you have migrant societies - like America and Singapore - clustering is inevitable to a mild degree despite policy.
Whati is so horrible about immigrant groups clustering? The ethnic enclaves in cities often make them more interesting places to live in. He mentions the North End: it has been Boston's best known Italian neighborhood for years. People actually visit Boston partially so they can see the North End and have some good gelato. It's the same with other ethnic groups.
Also, if people naturally do this, how do you stop it? By forcing them to disassociate? That sounds like the cure is far worse than the disease.
...meanwhile, down Gerrard Street in London:
image
...notice the name: Gerrard Street.
If that isn't Assimilation, then the Borg might as well pack it in, and admit that 'Perfection' is a lost cause. [/Species 8472]
Red is the colour of good fortune to the Chinese. A colour included in the Union Flag.
Quite a few Chinese restaurants/takeaways in my locale are actually run by Vietnamese , yet they seem to have no problem assimilating
Just ask the Afro-Caribbeans here in the UK.
I was thinking of doing a "find and replace," with "Asian" then a succession of "German", "Italian", "Irish", "Jew", but you get the point.
AMERICAN HISTORY! - DO YOU READ IT?
@ Psalmanazaar:
"Whati is so horrible about immigrant groups clustering? The ethnic enclaves in cities often make them more interesting places to live in."
Actually, plenty. Not for the visitors / cities themselves, no - but for the immigrants, it's really almost like a trap. We came to the US to live in the US, not in the bits of our own countries. Yet these places have a lot of hold on a person - which is why they exist for such a long time.
In the part of London I live in there are 20,000 Koreans living and its great! It used to be a really boring middle class suburb till all the Korean, Japanese, and Sri Lankan restaurants and supermarkets moved in with live fish in tanks, fruits I'd never seen before, hundreds of different teas and spices. Food shopping and eating out has improved beyond measure and its cheap too.
Nothing wrong with Asiatowns IMO, quite the reverse in
And then what? Put the new immigrants in situations where they'll feel helpless and isolated, especially if english is not their first language? Furthermore, it's not like they get help from locals to actually integrate. It's okay apparently ok to have places like "Little Italy" but somehow its not okay for asians to band together. Double standard much?
Yeah, we never should've let all those fucking Irish cluster together in Southie, or all those damn Italians cluster in the North End. Let's just ignore the fact there are few places to get Italian food and related stuff in the whole US then in the North End.
Whilst there is a problem with communities segregating themselves from the rest of the public, forming businesses centred around their home culture is understandable in a foreign country and not an example of them separating themselves from the rest of society. It is unrealistic to expect them to abandon all their home comforts in their new country. Besides, my experience (I know, subjection) is that the owners of these stores are very welcoming to others buying produce from their store, because it gives them profit and most relish in sharing their culture with others. In the UK Indian restaurants and takeaways have become a staple part of British culture because of the immigrants from southern Asia; I'm sure there is no begrudging of this from the Indians, Pakistanis, and Bangladeshis that settled here. Then there are the Chinese who have too influenced British cuisine. Didn't think this through, did you?
@whatever
A deucedly good place is that Chinatown; I've found things not available in the Chinese food shops in my locale.
And not far away from Leicester Square/Soho.
@Yossarian Lives
And it was Asian cuisine which inspired the British equivalent: Chicken Tikka Masala. Just as Chop Suey was invented in the US.
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
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