Alpha Asian New Years Resolutions for 2010

-by anna123

What are your New Years Resolutions for 2010? According to Wikipedia, a New Year's resolution is a "commitment to a project or behaviour, often a lifestyle change that is generally advantageous" made on New Years Day. As much as we all would like to achieve all the goals we set each each year, research has found that while 52% of people are confident of success with their goals, only 12% actually achieved their goals. (http://www.quirkology.com/UK/Experiment_resolution.shtml#)

There's numerous site on the internet offering suggestions on how to best maximise your potential in achieving you New Years Resolutions, but there are three themes that are common to all of them. These are;

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1 Be Specific; The more specific and detailed the better.

2 Be Realistic; Achieveable and realistic goals set yourself up for success.

3 Be Accountable; Keep yourself accountable, and measure yourself against set goals.

As a young and determined Alpha Asian, yet to make my mark upon the world, there are many goals I have set to achieve this year. For a variety of personal and professional reasons the three main goals I will be achieving this year are;

1 Fluency in Korean and Mandarin. Langauge is not only words, it is also ideology and culture. Speaking multiple of langauges can not only open doors in your professional life, but can also open your heart to all the culture and social possibilities the world has to offer. As such, under the influence of insidious Kpop and the rising dominance of Mandarin as a business langauge I will achieve simple fluency and high school level vocab in Korean and Mandarin by the end of this year. Hopefully, the simple foundations set this year in both langauges will provide a strong base to build upon for more sophisticated langauge skills in both Korean and Mandarin into the future.

2 P Driving Licence. As a young person, gaining a Red P's driving licence symbolises independence, mobility and personal freedom. By next year I will be the proud owner of a Red P Driving Licence, which will hopefully then progress to the Green P and the Full licence in the coming years.

3 Aim for the HD's. At least two HD's (hopefully more) for my Uni results, the lowest acceptable standard will be D's. This means that in addition to performing to the highest standards academically, I must also massage the egos of my marking tutors and lecturers, and share with them my appreciation of their knowledge and publicly demonstrate my academic ability in front of them as well my peers. Pragmatically, that means participating in tutorial discussions more often with insightful contribution, and talking with my tutors after class to compliment their teaching style and teaching content.

These are my three Alpha Asian New Years Resolutions for 2010.

What are yours?

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Dont be shy now!! comment them below, according to research, stating them publicly can help you achieve them!

;

`\(^o^)/*

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When Shogun Came to America

I was 14 years old when Shogun first aired here in the United States. As I remember that week – everybody was enthralled by it. It was the talk of the town, at least in my area of the world. Because of the way my birthday falls, I was nearly a whole year older than the kids I grew up with in school. November babies often had to wait for the next year before we were allowed to start in the school system – even though we missed our age mates by only about a month.

So I was in the 8^th grade during that week – middle school. Every day while it aired, kids discussed what had occurred the night before. Toward the end of the series, I remember sitting behind three of my female classmates in homeroom when the subject of the best character in the series came up.

They were going on about Blackthorne – which I guess is not terribly surprising. I spoke up and said that I thought Omi san (played by Yuki Meguro) was the best character. As I remember my thoughts back then, I was fascinated with the background story of Omi san and Kiku san. I was quite frustrated that there was so little screen time given to that plotline.

At any rate, at some point that morning I expressed my thoughts to my classmates that Omi san was the strongest character. I think the conversation went roughly like this:

Classmates 1, 2 and 3: Blah, blah, blah John Blackthorne!!!

Me: Omi san was better.

Classmate 1: John Blackthorne is the strongest. He is the hero!

Classmate 2: He’s good looking and he is very brave.

Classmate 1: He’s the hero! And Mariko falls in love with him!

Classmate 3: He’s the best…

*pause*

Me: Omi san is the strongest, because he made John Blackthorne lay on the ground while he pissed on his back. Omi san pissed on John Blackthorne and Blackthorne had to lay there and take it.

*silence*

If I remember this correctly at all – the conversation ended that day and it was never discussed again.

This is the only YouTube video I’ve been able to find that features Omi san:

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Respect in a Name

I often work with individuals from the international community in my day job. The list of home countries is quite a lengthy one when I start thinking of who I’ve met in the last 13 years. One of the policies that I try to enforce in my department is that although there will be misunderstandings at times due to cultural and language barriers – we will do our best to be respectful to each other at the most basic level. Some things just don’t translate well – such as humor – and I warn everyone to be careful in that domain. I also ask everyone to be patient with each other – to ask for clarification before jumping to the conclusion that offense was intended on a subject.

Difficulties with names are a common situation that we run into. Recent studies seem to be supporting the concept that when sounds are not exposed to humans before the age of six, our brains won’t form the connections necessary to both hear and recreate those sounds with accuracy. If this is true – it explains some of the complications involved with correctly pronouncing someone’s name when it stems from a language that the individual trying to say it wasn’t immersed in from childhood. This can be extra problematic for a native English speaker when we encounter a tonal language. One can understand on an intellectual level that changes in tone will change the meaning of a word entirely, but one may not have a brain equipped to actually hear those changes, much less be able to form them well.

With names, which have meaning in every language, to mispronounce the sounds even slightly can result in calling someone something insulting instead of something beautiful or strong. I’m sure when people from native Asian communities travel to the West they encounter this problem quite a lot. And it is likely frustrating to some degree for both the speaker and the listener when trying to overcome this barrier. Because of this, I’ve noticed that young folk from China or Corea or other Asian cultures seem quicker than they ought to be to adopt a local name while they are here.

It is my feeling that Westerners will stumble and stutter over Eastern names – but that those bearing such names should give more opportunities for speakers of Western languages to try. I know that it won’t always – or even often – be perfect. But there’s a certain respect involved here – respect for Eastern cultures. Respect enough to keep making the attempt. Perhaps the individual bearing the name will have to be forgiving of those of us with difficulties over tonal vocabularies, but there is some value in not always giving members of a country like America the easy way out every time. By requesting, politely, that we use someone’s true name instead of something Anglicized (think Xi versus Sue), you’re expressing that you have value, and your language has value. That your ancestors and their culture have value.

America today is a country of immigrants. Unfortunately, the changing of names deemed complicated has become a common habit here. My own family name should be MacSimidh, which really isn’t that difficult to pronounce. But because it looks difficult, at some point in history it was changed. Now when I look it up there seems to be mostly references to some magical faerie story or some such. What a shame – I rather like my ancestral family name. I feel a bit cheated that somewhere hundreds of years ago one of my ancestors allowed the name to be altered into an English name by some common clerk or another.

I have a Japanese friend who just told me a story that bothered me quite a lot, although he seemed to shrug it off. He said that he used to have a generic English nickname given to him by an acquaintance who claimed his own name was too difficult to pronounce. I can’t remember the nickname offhand, but it really was very bland and random… something like “Bob” – which has no relationship at all to my friend’s Japanese name. Not sound-wise, not meaning-wise…not in any discernible way. Apparently he just snatched a name out of thin air and began calling my friend by it. I have to say that my friend’s name really isn’t that complicated. It sounds very much like it looks.

Yes – there is something to be said for adapting to the culture of a new country. Learn the language, learn the traditions, respect the laws – adjust to the culture of the land. But…you don’t have to give up your name. I believe Westerners can learn. Americans can add Asian names to the greater United States culture. I’m not saying that it will always be easy. Some names are harder to form than others. Perhaps the owner of the name will have to forgive that it won’t always be perfect – that accents will be involved, and that some sounds just can’t be heard at all by the person in question. But I don’t think that names should be given up so easily just to be polite. If you have a traditional Asian name (and I of course understand that Asian Americans/Canadians may not), ask that the people around you use it. Maybe it will be imperfect, but over time, it will be added to the common vernacular like all of the other difficult names have been – names like Duchovny or Beauchamp or Giannopoulos or Bienkowski or Gottlieb.

If you encounter someone who says, “Oh, ha, ha – that’s too hard to say. I’ll just call you George instead” - don’t let them get away with it. Insist that they make the effort to use your name. If they refuse and call you George anyway, don’t respond to it. Wait until they try to say your real name. If they get huffy about it, it is their problem, not yours. You are only asking for the same respect that they would wish for themselves.

It really is a matter of familiarity. If you don’t keep handing the locals verbal crutches, eventually they won’t think that names like Zheng or Ryong or Yamanashi or Nguyen are so strange to see, hear or say. Eventually – it just becomes another name one expects an American to possibly have. It becomes part of America.

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My Interview on BAM

So I recently did an interview with Will from Better Asian Man. We discussed The Alpha Asian Mindset, and Will had this to say:

"James, I just finished your book, and I gotta say that I really enjoyed it. At a couple of points in the book I had to stop to take action, because you drilled it in so many times. Here are the things I put the book down to do while I was reading it:

1. Logged on to my library on-line account to place a hold on Refuse to Choose
2. Create a new Google doc entitled "Alpha Asian 3-5 Method," where I outlined my 5 long term goals, and my 5 tactical goals
3. Open my weight lifting journal and plan out a new new strategy based on your recommendations and principles in Chapter 8

I just got so juiced up by reading your book, that at those points in time I literally said to myself, "I gotta do this right now," and I put your book down, took care of that item and then picked it back up to read some more."

Will, has an interesting background, because he was one of the founders of the now defunct Fallout Central, an Asian American empowerment site that had regular podcasts on Asian American issues. As far as Internet activists, Will and his compadres at Fallout Central have contributed more to the Asian American community than anybody, ever. Although Fallout Central is gone, Gil and Erin of VisualizAsian are now running with the podcast torch for the AA community. Here's Will in a 2008 interview with Min Jin Lee, author of Free Food for Millionaires:












Since Fallout Central Will's done a 180 and is into the pick up artist (PUA) scene with Better Asian Man, although he really hates being called a PUA. Will does weekly podcasts where he provides dating advice. Here's Will doing the Better Asian Man podcast about one year ago:





In a way, Will's story is similar to Neil Strauss' story in the book The Game. I think Hollywood is looking to make a movie of Neil Strauss' book and have Jack Black star in it.

PUA's live a rather fascinating subculture. If you've seen VH1's The Pickup Artist, then you know what I mean. People are quick to dismiss their strategies and techniques, but there's a lot of evolutionary psychology involved. Frankly, the stuff works much better than no game plan at all and relying on vague general advice like "Just be yourself."

Just for kicks, a friend and I attended a PUA meet-up, not having ever attended a bootcamp or read a PUA book other than The Game (which is not a PUA manual, but an autobiography). It was almost as if we were cultural anthropologists, looking to infiltrate a secret society. And in fact, it really is an underground subculture. They exchange seduction techniques online, but also get together in person and help each other out in clubs as wingmen.

Anyway, if you've got an analytical mind that's great for computers and engineering but turns you into a social retard with women, then a good book to read is The Mystery Method. It's a very dense read, but it gives you a game plan for attracting women and developing chemistry.

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Hiroshima Survivors

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Young Boy Showing Off His Hip-Hop Skills

All I can say is, "DAAAMMNNN!"

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A Perspective On "The Key Is To Emotionally Involve Others-But How?" by anna123

Hi to AMR, and welcome as a new blogger to the family of Alpha Asians!


The following is an opinion piece response to AMR's previous post:

On "The Key Is To Emotionally Involve Others-But How?"

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Everyones got their own ideas, that what they believe is the best way. I agree with AMR that the most effective and long lasting change has always been inclusive. Good leadership is inclusive, and power is effectively demonstrated when people who don't have anything to gain are believing in your message (like Asians believing in white Hollywood propaganda). For Alpha Asians, I think there seems to be two ways to convert apathetic Asians and whites/non-Asians to our side: culture and increased population.

Increased Population

Asians need to increase our population numbers in the West so that we become the statistical norm, or at least reach high enough numbers to reach critical mass and affect tipping points across sections of society.

More people = more power.

I believe this is one reason whites still have so much power in Western societies. White privilege is entrenched and institutionalised, because they have the numbers to create and enforce their white cultural values on everyone else. This Asian population increase in the West can happen in two ways:

1) AA's procreating within the AA community or
2) Increased emmigration of Asians to the West from Asia. Since AA's have among the lowest birthrates out of all ethnic groups in the West, then Asian immigration from Asia seems like the most pragmatic option. I agree with Frank Chin's perception on why this is the case in terms of cultural force. Add to this the intersection of economics and class, as wealthier and more educated people have less children.

Culture

According to Benedict Anderson, culture is what constructs a community as a nation. Ultimately, the Azn community and identity has to be socially constructed by AAs themselves, not the orientalising white mainstream. Without the shared narratives, heroes, and values of a socially constructed Azn Nation, how can effective Azn identity politics develop to serve the interests of the Azn community in the West?

These shared narratives, heroes, and values all contribute to creating an imagined community that just by its very existence is both political and social. This intersects with Frank Chin's perspective on the existence of an AA identity as a cultural and social force that simultaneously serves the interests of the AA community while attacking the hegemony of the white mainstream at the same time.

A strong, vibrant Azn culture creates the imagined community of the socially constructed Azn nation, where its members hold an affinity to other members due to shared cultural narratives, values, heroes and experiences as Azns in the West. Regardless of the class differences that may exist among cohorts of a society, a nation is always conceived as a deep comradeship based on shared cultural values. The production of cultural artifacts such as films, music, print and mass media products are important in the creation of the Azn community (as ultimately an imagined community), because it influences the hearts and minds of the people. It creates in their minds a mental image of their affinity with other individuals who also happen to be Azn. This affinity to each other creates the social and cultural force that serves the social, political and economic interests of Azns in the West. This also affects an increased Asian population, where Asians are socially protected and empowered to be able to feel sexually attracted to each other, which also impacts on culture.

How to Pragmatically Achieve Increased Population and Culture

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As individuals, the choices we make can combine with the choices of others that together add up to make a difference.

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Increased Population

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1)Use you vote to support political candidates who support increased Asian immigration. If you work in government/immigration/DFA/or policy, then try to subtly represent the socio-political interests of your own people.

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2)Make love and help produce beautiful Asian babies!

Find your special someone and make love to them every night to have as many black haired black eyed children as you can. There's nothing more beautiful than being surrounded in your sunset-years by a loving family of children and grandchildren. As an individual, you are intimately procreating with the person you love, experiencing intense physical pleasure and creating a loving family that will support and take care of you in your old age. In the context of the Azn population in the West, however, you are helping to increase our numbers by planting the seeds of those who will be a part of the critical mass that will change the ultimate destiny of the Azn community in the west.

Culture

Support AA's in the arts. Buy their goods and services. Instead of downloading or using BitTorrent to get the latest movie starring Azns who represent. Go out and buy it legitimately. If you see a great AA crew on ABDC, spend the 50 cents on the phone call and vote them up. If there's a hot Azn artist playing in your area who you like, buy a ticket and watch them live.

Not saying you should support them just because they're Azn, but if you like them for what their offering, then why the hell not? You get to see them play live and probably get to network, and meet other cool people who share your passion for the band and that genre of music. As an individual, you are spending a few dollars supporting a cool band/film. But in the context of representation of Azns in the arts, you are contributing to the creation of the imagined community of the Azn nation, and the development of Azn identity as a socio-cultural force which serves the interests of the AA community and attacks the hegemony of the white mainstream at the same time.

Concluding Remarks

"In other words, how does one incite EMPATHY in others, so that they feel emotionally involved and engaged with our struggle? The premise of such an enterprise is that a 'emotionally participatory experience' like that might motivate more of them to support us and to show solidarity for our cause. We absolutely must create a common thread with those who are not Asian and male in order for our voice to have some clout."

Higher populations of Asians and a stronger more vibrant culture will strengthen the Azn community in the West. A stronger Azn community will incite empathy among outsiders, because our size and power will force them to take our interests into account. They will have an economic and social interest in reaching a consensus with the Azn community.

If we want to be respected and listened to, then we have to make ourselves stronger. Azns must take care of their base first, outsiders come later. Instead of trying to work out ways to persuade non-Asians to listen to us, we instead must work on ourselves to become stronger so that non-Asians will have no choice BUT to listen to us.

We must build up the Azn community through increased population and a stronger culture. We cannot rely on the empathy of non-Asians to ensure the advancement of economic and political interests of the Azn community in Western societies. We have to take personal responsibility and do it ourselves, because no one else is going to do it for us!

\(^o^)/

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An Aside: The Internet and the Fundamental Nature of Information Dissemination

The internet is, in its own way, an amazing and revolutionary medium for communication.

But it does have its own set of drawbacks - the principle 'trap' being that it is still an 'active' viewing experience for the average, uninterested viewer/audience.

How is this bad, you say? Many people claim that they want an active 'online experience'. But people forget that this applies only if the audience in question desires to be presented with the information, to begin with.

In two words, the key is initial interest.

Is it a cold lead, or a warm/hot lead?

For example, a gear-head is going to be extremely receptive to an interactive automotive website. But for him to even bother looking at a site about Asian-Americans, the experience had better be as passive as possible - yet as attention-grabbing and emotionally engaging as possible - for it to even register as a blip on his radar.

Unfortunately for us, Asian-American male issues aren't exactly a mainstream 'hot topic' that commands nearly the same public outcry/attention as say, some racially-motivated attack on a black individual. That's just the place we are at in this game, and we have to find a way around it if we are to succeed.

And to add insult to injury, we're dealing with a generation of people who have quite possibly attained the lowest attention-spans ever measured - therefore it is critical to ensure that the information is calibrated to a level of 'pre-digested mush' for the average, uninterested person to even take notice of issues related to Asian-American men.

There are, granted, many Americans who aren't quite so brainwashed or desensitized to the point of catatonic stupidity.

But with any Bell Curve there are distribution patterns that stay as true as gravity on Earth - the iron-clad rule is that one attains influence by controlling the minds of the masses. As undemocratic and directly contradictory that is to the basic civic premises of these United States, that is precisely what those bigwig a-holes at FOX News and Hollywood have done.

So now the real question becomes: how do we start doing it ourselves, given this limited stage called the Internet?

- AMR

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The Key is to emotionally involve others. But how?

Hello to everyone!

I am the latest guest blogger on Alpha Asian, here at the invitation of James. Nice to meet you all. I just wanted to get my feet wet on this blog and start with something fundamental. It's also more of a question/call for ideas than a statement, so I do hope that it speaks to you - and I especially hope that you can all pitch in.

- Your humble first-time blogger, AMR.

Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand.

- Chinese Proverb

...so goes the saying, and it has probably survived all these years to become a popular proverb because it rings so true across all walks of life.

Almost anything we do in our lives involves the transfer of information and ideas to an audience - from job interviews and sales pitches or getting elected into office, to asking a woman out, and to convincing a friend to do something fun on a Saturday night.

Trying to spread awareness about Asian-American male issues is no different, and the key to success in all these pursuits is to make a personal connection with the target audience.

And as the proverb attests it is 1000 times more effective to have another person walk a few steps in your shoes, instead of drawing up diagrams, doing complex equations, writing piles and piles of novels, or whatever crazy stuff one could do in order to convey some information or an idea to another person.

But things being as they are for us Asian-Americans, there is a catch.

Figuratively, we Asian-American activist types are all 'islands' of ideas that are isolated in an ocean of "inert/unreactive Whiteness", and our options are rather limited, as far as choosing a medium on which to attach this message/information.

So due to our isolation from each other - the Internet - for now, is our only means of communication and networking, and our only vehicle for information dissemination.

The problem is that there is an inherent paradox in the nature of the Internet: despite it's immensely powerful connectivity (this is the reason we are able to 'talk' right now to each other), it is still an experience that keeps us physically separated.

In fact, one could say it's a mirror image of our state in the real world, as fractured, isolated entities that have been unable to coalesce into a single 'organism'.

Furthermore, that lack of physical immediacy - or the direct separation of our physical selves from our message - impacts the emotional tangibility of a message told over the Internet, and gives us a disadvantage compared to, say, a message conveyed via radio (which adds a sonic element) or video (which combines both the visual and sonic to create an experience that is second only to the 'live' experience).

Given this, perhaps the highest 'gear (of persuasiveness)' we can shift up to is somewhere between the 'yellow' and the 'red' (refer to color-coding in the proverb) - maybe it really isn't possible to directly help people "feel" our message, at least, with the written word.

But all things considered, that's still not such a bad place to be. So let's brainstorm here.

With the above constraint in mind, what is the best way to make some random person out there literally feel what you're trying to describe?

We must identify the ways of getting the Public's understanding of Asian-American male issues to that 'yellow-red' threshold.

How can you build that connection between our message and what a non-Asian person might conceivably feel - to the level that it is possible over the internet - while sparking an emotional reaction to such a question, in order to enhance the tangibility of that experience for the listener or audience?

In other words, how does one incite EMPATHY in others, so that they feel emotionally involved and engaged with our struggle? The premise of such an enterprise is that a 'emotionally participatory experience' like that might motivate more of them to support us and to show solidarity for our cause.

We absolutely must create a common thread with those who are not Asian and male in order for our voice to have some clout.

So in closing I present to you again, the final third of our Chinese proverb:

...involve me, and I'll understand.

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Reader Mail: Greetings from another Alpha Asian

Dear James,

I came across your site while looking at Minority Militant and read [your] articles from [the] Alpha Asian and your strength and conditioning [blog]. My name is RJ, and I am also an alpha Asian American. I've served in the Army (honorable discharge) and have a bachelor's in psychology and am now working on my master's to become a psychologist. Also I am studying for my CSCS.

Your work is needed, and I've ordered a copy of Alpha Asian from Amazon. I am contacting you, because I too feel the need to make more Asian Americans into Alphas. But I fear we have our work cut out for us. I have a daughter and don't want her to put up with the racist manure that I and so many of "us" have.

In addition I too am an author and will include your tome in my meager writings. I am planning to be published first in two psychological journals, and the theme will be racism in America directed at Asian Americans. There are a million things I could write to you about, since some of my best friends are police officers also (two of my best friends are officers in TX and NV).

Once again your work is appreciated and needed. Just look at how few Asian Americans want to attain alpha status. Sad but true. You rock and are not alone. Thank you.

R J


My Answer: RJ, thanks for the praise. Seriously, it's much appreciated, especially from someone of your background, which is similar to mine. I was a psychology major and had a CPT from the NSCA. I'm going to have a daughter as well, and I want her to grow up and develop into a woman free of racist, sexist baggage. Ultimately I want her to be a good person and to be happy.

It's tough writing and blogging about the idea of improving our Asian American communities by improving ourselves, because I often wonder if I'm talking to myself in an empty room. There have been plenty of times when I thought to myself, "Am I making sense? Do people who come across my blog get anything of value from what I write?"

It's a rather lonely feeling when people just don't understand what you're saying. I've come across other blogs that consist solely of pop culture references that have a huge readership, and I think to myself, "REALLY? Would people really rather go to a blog that is the Asian American version of TMZ?"

Don't get me wrong. I like to lighten the mood up with funny videos, and I have been known to be a bit of gossip hound from time to time. But the vast majority of people (Asians and non-Asians) would rather live in a bubble of their own design.

Or you have the opposite: you get the angry Asian man who lives in cage of his own design. Tough to stay positive and fight the good fight around people who offer nothing but hurt. There has to be a balance between these two states of mind, and I try to convey this balance on the blog. When I say aggregating positive energy, I really mean it.


By the way, I want to remind you guys and gals to vote on the poll on the right side of this blog. I'm pushing for AALDEF to win, since they've taken the initiative to fight for the students at South Philly High.

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Cung Le

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Blending into your Landscape

So here's a comment that caught my eye at the Single Asian Man blog:

For the most part, all AA’s are the same. And most just strive for what everyone else wants – nice house, 2 car garage, 2 kids, yard, decent job that pays the bills, middle class, go to church maybe, not break any laws and pay your taxes, and be a good nice citizen/neighbor. All AA’s care about is what’s inside their little bubble – anything beyond that or outside of that, it’s irrelevant and unimportant. If it doesn’t have anything to do with us directly, we don’t care.

That’s pretty much it. None of us strive to be some CEO of a fortune 500 company, none of us date supermodels, or become rock stars, and none of us travel the world and see the 8 natural wonders of the world. All we want to do is live in our little bubble, commute to work, eat out sometimes, hang with friends, play poker, drink at a bar, and come home, hope to get some sex from the wife, and go to sleep. And the entire cycle repeats next morning.

Most move to the suburbs after marriage and kids, to be able to inject the kids to a good school district. We like to buy electronic toys from time to time to keep up with technology and with the Jones, or in this case, the Kims or Wongs.

What else is there? That’s it. It’s the simple things in life. We don’t care what happens in Iraq or Afghanistan, we don’t care who is leading our country, we don’t care about politics or what shapes the world, and we don’t even probably vote. We don’t care about social injustices happening to other AA’s in the U.S., as long as the AA is safe and still in his/her own bubble.


I'd have to agree with this statement. Nothing wrong with enjoying the simple things in life. Nothing wrong with wanting to have a stable life of contentment. But I'd have to agree: Asian Americans like to keep to themselves and are not actively engaged in their communities.

Our greatest strength is self-reliance, but it is also our greatest weakness. Asians are expected to be self-reliant and not to complain about hardship, because our mentality is this: we take care of our shit. Everyone is expected to carry their own weight, so your personal shit shouldn't be affecting other people.

While this is normally a good thing, it makes things difficult when there is a call for unity within the Asian American communities. We'd rather not get involved. We operate individually and independently despite our numbers and our potential for solidarity.


Every so often, however, an event galvanizes us into action. It's usually something pretty serious like Vincent Chin. But short of that, it's tough getting Asian Americans out of their shells. Asian Americans don't pop up on the social, political or economic landscape, because we've blended so well into the landscape. Alvin Lin of Asians Not Brainwashed by the Media wrote this intriguing observation:

For magazines I've interviewed some AA entertainers trying to make it in their respective industries. You know what is sad, and what is supported by the above data? Many Asian Americans basically chase what is already considered trendy or cool, which is essentially what is pushed through mainstream media.

However, all the AA artists who make it mainstream have to first pander to mostly White/Black audiences, because they aren't getting any major grassroots support from Asian American consumers. Asian Americans aren't supporting 'their own', the same way Blacks helped created and nurture grassroots jazz, hip hop, or rap before it became mainstream.

What is sad is that you have AA artists who recognize this, and their strategy is that they know AA's will support them only AFTER they've received approval/prestige from other sources first.

It's like the story of the Little Red Hen: nobody gives you support until you find success. Sometimes I don't even bother asking for support or collaboration on a project, because I've been disappointed too many times by flakes and dead weight. I usually just go ahead and do whatever the hell I want, and people start to come around when my project starts taking off. This is what I've done with my blogs, my books and my articles. Keep doing honest work, and people will recognize it and buy it.

But I have to say, there's a big difference between my Asian readers and my non-Asian readers. I run a bodybuilding blog which has half the traffic of this blog. The readers of this bodybuilding blog are mostly white. And yet the ratio of book sales to traffic hit is 1:2 every month, which means half of my traffic translates into sales of my books. It's not as simple as that, of course, but you get the picture.

On the other hand, the Alpha Asian blog has twice the amount of traffic, but sales of The Alpha Asian Mindset are ABYSMAL. In fact, they're virtually non-existent.

I knew the book was for a very niche market, but I thought giving the profits to an Asian American cause would motivate people to buy. I guess I was wrong.

So here's my suggestion to you all: if you don't know already, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund is filing a federal civil rights complaint against the Philadelphia School District for violating the equal protection rights of its Asian students. If helping these students feel safe matters to you, then I suggest you vote for AALDEF on the Alpha Asian Challenge poll and buy the book. Profits from The Alpha Asian Mindset go to the winner of the poll.

Or if you hate my writings and think I'm a moron, then donate directly to the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund. Either way works for me. Just don't stay in your shell and blend into the landscape.

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