Last year I wrote about our political representatives as they made insensible remarks regarding numerous ethnic groups. Additionally I touched on the sparse coverage of Asian American issues in the media and their insouciant apathy for those who make reprehensible racial comments. Unsurprisingly though these problems that have plagued our community did not concede as the year progressed. The 2003 year was preceded by the perpetuation of ignorance particularly in the area of sports as Asians have begun to make an ostensible presence both on and off the field. The most notable attention was the controversy that surrounded Shaq and Yao Ming. “Ching-chong-yang-wah-ah-soh,” were the words that straight out of the horse's mouth in response to the growing hype between the two.

Teen golf phenom Michelle Wie has also been turning heads with her skills on the green. Subsequently her success has led to a jealous antagonism that was personified by a fellow LPGA player, Jen Stephenson. “The Asians are killing our Tour. Absolutely killing it. They lack emotion, their refusal to speak English when they can. They rarely speak.” Furthermore, “Our Tour is predominately international and the majority of them are Asians. They have taken it over.”

On the professional level, Los Angeles Dodger's assistant to the general manager was the subject of the New York Mets scout Bill Singer's drunken belligerence: (taken from angryasianman.com)

Singer : Where are you from?
Ng : I was born in Indiana and grew up in New York.
Singer : Where are you from?
Ng : My family's from China.
Singer : (Nonsensically mock Chinese). What country in China?

After reading these it is natural to be upset. However, the extensive emphases on the minutia of each of these events are all typical of situations that have continued to reoccur. Each of these are extensions of the many misconceptions about Asian Americans. The nonsensical bastardized jabbering of language, the supposed inscrutable personality, and the perception as foreigners are all reflective of the narrow-minded tendencies general society still has about us. These have all become overwrought clichés that continue to define and constrain our ethnicities.

To a certain extent, I feel that writing about the newest offenses has become a trivial matter. Bluntly, it is the same story of ignorance and discrimination that runs rampant. However, there is a greater problem at hand. Since we have lived and experienced life as Asian Americans, we unequivocally know that these stereotypes are false because of our inherent cultural upbringing. Subsequently, it is not us that need to be enlightened; it is the very people on an institutional and individual basis that perpetuate this ignorance that need to be addressed. Thus, instead of expressing anger in these problems by simply exuberating curses, there needs to be a greater solution.

It is time to stop playing the passive role of victimization as Asian Americans. Racism will never go away; it is an irrefutable fact. Bigotry will always exist despite the harmonious rhetorical statements of a colorless world. As minorities we will continually be defined by our race, and creating a sustainable community basis through strength in numbers is the first step to gaining clout in our quest for equality. It needs to go beyond this editorial. It needs to go beyond analysis. It needs to start at the grassroots of a collective and uniform local community. We need to help each other out, create strong local ties with one another, and continually question and educate ourselves and others. While these are not all solving solutions, it is a start.

So as we embark on a New Year, the first few months have always been a quintessential hallmark for self-improvement and I have one resolution that fits quite well for 2004: Become active in Asian Americans issues, and you and I will be able to somewhat diminish these problems that will continue to arise in the future.

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