After reading Lung-Aman’s chapters “The New Gold Mountain” and “A Quality Education for Whom” I find that I am still grappling with the ways in which Asian Americans disrupt the “Whites on top” narrative. I know from this reading, other classes I have taken here at Bowdoin, and personal experiences, Asian Americans “outperform” Whites in many ways – especially in schools. However, I find it interesting how Whiteness continues to operate as the supreme crème dela crème when that is known to be false. Whiteness has been painted in such a way that it is the standard for everything and all things. I wonder perhaps if this is why the plight of poor Whites in rural areas is often forgotten and / or completely undermined. It seems as though whiteness is associated only with perfection – the ultimate standard of success. By virtue of being born white, you can do no wrong. In this manner, I wonder on the parts of Asian Americans – is chasing the American Dream apart of chasing whiteness? Or perhaps Asian Americans are forcing Whites to realize the holes and the fallacies of their success and their place as the “top dog.” Does this then provide explanation as to why Whites feel in many ways threatened by Asian Americans? Does it explain why Whites continue to move and create their own homogenous communities?
A year or so ago I read an article (I can’t remember the source unfortunately) that argued Asian Americans were soon to be lumped into the category of whiteness. With the changing demographics of our country and the decreasing majority of White Americans, the author asserted that the boundaries of whiteness would be expanded. Lung-Aman’s work makes me ponder this idea more closely. I wonder, is that even possible? Is it possible that Asian Americans can become associated with whiteness? And have they already? I think back to the history of other European immigrant groups that were once marked as “other” (Irish were once regarded as Black!) and I am reminded as to how whiteness (which is a ticket to opportunity and privilege) was granted to all of those groups. Are Asian Americans next? Will this fear of Asian Americans and the threat they pose to Whites change the way in which we think about whiteness? Will it restructure the way we think about minority groups in the U.S.? Or will whiteness maintain the steadfast grip it has over U.S. politics as the dominant group by expanding the conception of whiteness? (In my mind this seems so unlikely but I curious to hear what you all think)
Asian Americans blur the lines and boundaries of race-based hierarchy and class-based hierarchy in the U.S. White people know it and yet they seem to make excuses for the success of Asian Americans. Grant it, Asian American is an umbrella term that does not capture the many identities and nationalities concealed in it. Nevertheless, I find it fascinating how mass perceptions of the plight of Asian Americans are created and excuses are made to explain their success rather than actually discuss the impact it is clearly having in the U.S.
Praise, I really love the questions that you pose about how Asian Americans challenge and interact with hegemonic whiteness. When you ask, “Are Asian Americans next [to be regarded as white]? Will this fear of Asian Americans and the threat they pose to Whites change the way in which we think about whiteness?” I wonder to what extent the history of Jewish assimilation into whiteness is a helpful case study. Today, white ethnic Jews are largely considered to be white, yet I understand the persistence of anti-Semitic violence as a reminder that Jews are, in some ways, kept on the borders of whiteness. To be clear, I do not think that the discrimination faced by Asian Americans and white Jews are necessarily comparable, for they have largely occurred in distinct historical contexts. However, I do think that it may be instructive to compare the ways in which both groups have historically been excluded from whiteness and also assimilated into several key markers of whiteness. Is it possible that certain racial or ethnic groups can become quasi-white, or come to sit on the edges of whiteness, never fully allowed in?
I think that it is intriguing to consider at what point Asian Americans become White, based on discrimination and success, but at what point can we separate their success with assimilation into White, American Culture? Sure, Asian Americans in Freemont have suburbanized which is traditionally White. They have also joined White institutions : adults have entered historically White industries and youth have joined historically white school districts. Yet, at what point can their success be considered their own? Is it possible that they will continue to attain traditional American definitions of success without becoming white or quasi-white like we have seen with Jews, Italians, Germans etc? When Black people are successful through traditional avenues of success there seems to be a separation between their success and White success perhaps in part due to the discrimination they face to reach these positions. Hypothetically, if Black people were to more broadly achieve success in American society through traditionally White avenues, would we also view this as conforming to American Whiteness? If not, then how are the experiences that Black people have faced different than that of Asian Americans to suggest differing conformity to Whiteness based on their success?
Going back to your question about if the reason why plight in rural, white areas are often forgotten and undermined might be because whiteness is painted as the standard for everything, I also believe this it is correlated to pride of these community members. In addition to these rural white areas not being viewed or acknowledged by scholars and public for being poor in the same way as impoverished communities of color, they also distinguish themselves as a “separate” kind of poor that is elevated by their use of moral capital and/or reluctant acceptance of government welfare.
White residents are aware, even in a homogenous population, that racially, they are put in a very unique position that works to their advantage. While they are at the top of the social/racial hierarchy and are seen as perfect, they can also get away with lower expectations and a less pressured lifestyle, such as being unemployed, or not emphasizing success in school to their kids, (so long as they conform to whiteness and have moral capital). At the same time, these rural whites don’t exactly fit the definition of perfect whiteness, because they are poor and/or sacrificing opportunity for the leisurely amnetities of the rural lifestyle. However, Golden Valley residents are not going to admit to that, because they are a “proud group, with a powerful sense of community and strong ties to the region” (Sherman, 41). Because of this pride and lacking portrayal of vulnerability, even impoverished whites, who might be financially worse off than a middle-class black family or an uneducated Asian immigrants, are still categorized as the top dog. It really makes you rethink the systematic oppression that hardworking, non-white people constantly have to live with in comparison to the privileges associated with whiteness.
In response to the discussion about whether Asian Americans can achieve whiteness or will they achieve a quasi-white state, I think back to Professor Medford’s explanation of “racial triangulation.” In this representation, whites have “valorized, insider status,” blacks have “demonized, insider status” and Asian Americans, as a foreign model minority, are in the middle of insider-demonized status but have an outsider/foreign placement. Lung-Aman’s chapters in Trespassers? Asian Americans and the Battle of Suburbia further tells us the disconnect between whites and Asian Americans, as many white families saw the “foreign practices” and values as “inappropriate and unhealthy” (Lung-Aman, 55). Asian/Asian American families tend to hold on to their roots and culture, and parents raise their kids using the ideals and expectations that originate from their homeland. When families grow further away from the first generation of immigrants and the connections to their homeland weakens, Asian identity and values could fade out in future generations. Perhaps only then would maybe Asian Americans be seen as less foreign and more associated with whiteness; but there is no telling how long that transition would gain acceptance.
I think you bring up some really interesting ideas, Praise! When I was in middle school, we had a mini-sociology class that introduced the idea of Asians being on top (especially in education) and outperforming their white counterparts. I think the article’s argument that you mentioned is interesting though — the idea that Asian Americans can (and will) be brought into the category of whiteness. I think in some ways, that is possible. It would get rid of the notion that Asian Americans outperform whites because they would be white. And in many ways, the ‘model minority’ myth basically asserts that Asian Americans perform what has historically been labelled ‘whiteness’ (hard working, intelligent, industrious) better than most white people. Nonetheless, I think the idea of being a perpetual outsider that the reading mentioned and that we talked about in class kind of pushes back against the trajectory of Asian Americans becoming white. Even though they outperform many white people and posses qualities, in many ways the culture that they bring and hold onto allows for white people to continually see themselves as superior to Asian Americans and cast them as foreigners. Like we saw in the reading, white parents were able to take a seemingly good quality– performing well in the classroom– and turn it into a negative attribute of Asian culture– an overemphasis on competition and rigor that kept kids from being well-rounded and enjoying their youth. In this way, white people are able to protect the brand of whiteness and keep Asians from entering the fold. Asian-Americans are seen as being “too different” and “too foreign” to be considered as white.
Praise, I found myself grabbling with similar questions while doing those readings. I think that perhaps the critical question is, how does the future of equality look? The outsider status of Asian Americans is discriminatory by whites; in some ways, the ability for Asian Americans to gain education and financial success in America while maintaining their own culture is more of a success than fitting into the white identity. What I mean by this is that the perception of Asian Americans as white implies the inclusion of this group by white Americans; however, it also necessitates the acceptance of acculturation by Asian Americans. I think the goal of achieving whiteness is the “ticket to opportunity and privilege,” if Asian Americans can accomplish these goals while maintaining their culture that is a much more significant step to equality than there perception as white. This is not to say that Asian Americans today are being afforded the same privileges and opportunities as white, but rather the threat of the model minority to whites may allude that they are moving in that direction.
Praise, I really enjoyed reading your expert blog post. It raised some of the same questions and perceptions I’ve had throughout the semester and my time here at Bowdoin. Your question — is it possible that Asian Americans can become associated with whiteness? And have they already? Left me thinking about how many U.S. demographic polls classify groups of Asian’s as “white.” It seems as though these polls allow for whiteness to benefit off of the success of Asians in the United States while white populations continue to marginalize and undermine them. Furthermore, your question brought up a few more questions I had on the readings, most of them pertaining to immigration. I find it intersting that many of the immigrants who settle in the United States are typically from the well off and even elite groups in their home countries. Ultimitely, this makes it easier for white Americans to market off of the successful “model minority” Asian.
WOOOW Praise you kind of mind-fucked me (sorry that’s a lot). Although I have considered Asians and their place amongst the idea of the “model-minority” I think your question beautifully illuminates the potential that these damaging narratives have. I never thought about the way that this “evolution” could impact people of Asian ethnicity, but also those of other races. When we consider notions concerning ethnic and racial minorities, such as the fact that these minorities will soon become the majority, trajectory no longer becomes theoretical.
I am interested to see how this power dynamic surrounding whiteness will ebb and flow in the coming years. Maybe this power will shift its correlation from race to success among races.