readings:
Freire - excerpts from Pedagogy of the Oppressed
Umemoto - "'On Strike' San Francisco College Strike, 1968-1969: The Role of Asian American Students.
Omatsu - "The Four Prisons and the Movements of Liberation: Asian America Activism from the 1960s to the 1990s"
I think it would be interesting to consider everyone's background knowledge about the history of Asian American activism before taking this class.
Can you easily name celebrated Asian American activists or moments of activism in the same way you would be able to with Black, Chicana/o, White, etc. activists or movements?
How have the four prisons inhibited your knowledge about Asian American activism? How has our current educational system and the way we approach learning inhibited your knowledge about Asian American activism?
How do the four prisons and our educational system inhibit or promote your desire to be an activist? What is an activist?
Of course, I don't expect us to come up with ultimate answers for all of the thoughts/questions... but it should be interesting to discuss. Would love to know what you guys are thinking...
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hey everyone! =]
ReplyDeleteSorry this is a rather looong post…
As a first generation ABC (American Born Chinese for those of you unfamiliar with the term) growing up in suburbs of Los Angeles that become more and more Asian populated each day, I’ve always been somewhat familiar with at least the key events or key ideas in Asian American past and current history—Japanese and Korean picture brides, World War II, the San Francisco State College strike, the creation of the term “Asian American”, Vincent Chin, sweatshops, model minority… and the list goes on. In terms of Black, Chicana/o, and White activists and movements, most of my knowledge comes from those “educational” PBS Kids TV shows until I was at least 8, history classes from elementary through high school, and current events in the present. Although some of the Asian American history/ideas that I am familiar with come from these same sources, much of it has come from my parents, or my Asian American peers.
I remember 6th grade was Asian history. I drew pictures of samurai, and learned about Buddhism, and made a model of Chinese trading ship for the history fair. As a result of the education standards set for learning history, or as Shariati’s first prison on history, I don’t think it ever occurred to me that I would ever learn about Asian American history, the more “recent” events, in a school. I always figured that my mother always explained API history to me because I wasn’t going to learn it in school. I always thought it was because history class doesn’t include “recent” events—yet now I realize that we read the autobiography of Malcolm X in high school, a movement that was happening almost simultaneously with the Asian American movement. I feel like we were really limited in what we learned in terms of history from elementary through high school. As a result, I think I lost track of key things happening at the SAME time to groups not necessarily considered “mainstream” to some. Why learn about the Black movement, yet not the Asian American movement?
My mother went from being a Chinese newspaper reporter/editor in LA, to a union organizer winning a class-action lawsuit against the same newspaper, and now finally to a CA labor investigator. As a result, my siblings and I are all very conscious about current Asian American issues. We grew up in an environment where Gap Kids clothing made in Southeast Asia with sweatshops weren’t allowed in the house, Nike shoes were out of the question, and Wal Mart was never necessary because we had Target. Shariati’s fourth prison talks about the individual. And I think that largely from my family’s influence, I am an individual that definitely posses the awareness of various API issues, although I still don’t actually know where my part stands in the larger society.
After coming to Claremont, I began taking ASAM courses at the 5Cs, a college consortium with a much smaller Asian American population compared to home, and I participated and am currently heading an Asian American Sponsor Program for freshmen. I think I’ve discovered a place for myself in terms of being an “activist” at least in the 5C community. My personal view is that an activist doesn’t necessarily have to refer to the over-excited guy screaming in the picket line, nor does the term have to refer to the people writing very opinionated editorials in the campus newspapers (not that these are necessarily bad things).
I think that in the simplest terms, an activist builds awareness. An activist can build awareness on a number of levels, whether it be leading a march or writing an article, or even just taking a discussion based class and sharing ideas with a peer. Unlike high school, the California college system has allowed this kind of activism to happen. Taking ASAM classes and unlocking the second and third prisons increases my own awareness, while sponsor program and campus-wide activities have allowed me to share this awareness with my peers.
I was, at first, hesitant to address this question in my own mind. Why? That’s simple. I am entirely unfamiliar with Asian American activist history. Frankly, this disgusts me, that I have so little knowledge. (Yet another reason that I’m taking this class.) The only Asian American activist I can think of off the top of my head is Margaret Cho, and that’s mostly because of her comedy.
ReplyDeleteI’ve grown up being taught about Black history in school, Jewish history from my family, women’s rights and queer rights from my family and on my own. Nowhere in there can I recall anything that addressed Asian American movements.
As for how the ‘prisons’ have affected my knowledge –
My home town is, unfortunately, a relatively white-washed suburb in the San Francisco Bay Area. What’s odd about this is that there are a large number of Asian Americans living there, too, and a handful of Blacks, Chicanos, etc. What makes the area so white-washed is the mentality. When I was growing up, the area was quite conservative (likely still is), and everyone tried to fit into this sad little mold that, had it a label, would have been titled “White Christian Heterosexual American” or some such. I think it’s probably clear by now that my home town was not particularly ‘other’ friendly.
I remember, fondly, that I spent so much of my childhood and teenage years fighting back against the ideals held by so many. However, because I’m not Asian American, my fighting centered mostly on what I am. Even though at least half of my friends were Asian American, our social battles always focused elsewhere. I think that this is partially because our history texts say so little about Asian American history, with the exception of the internment camps, and also that the other issues we faced were brought to the foreground, eliminating most else from our minds.
The knowledge of what knowledge I am missing makes me want to jump right back into the activist fray. I feel like college has, ironically, made me stationary. I’m too comfortable.
An activist is, in my opinion, just a person trying to inform and bring about change. I say ‘just’ because this can happen in the smallest ways, or the grandest. Change can come about via literature, education, art, music, the way a person dresses. There are an almost infinite number of ways someone can participate in activism.
An activist is someone who has strong beliefs about certain people groups or social events. He or she wants to raise awareness and bring attention to his or her cause.
ReplyDeleteSince I am not an Asian American, I admit that I have paid very little attention to Asian American (AA) Studies at an academic setting. Most of my knowledge on AA is from the perspective of AA feminists such as Celine Parreñas Shimizu, Gayatri Spivak, and Delia Aguilar. However, as a Chinese person, I am concerned about issues such as Asian women working in sweatshops, the stereotypical portrayal of AA in mass media, and the under-represented AA artists. Because of my limited understanding on AA, I want to take this class to familiarize myself in this area.
The reason why AA activism and movements are not as prominent as Black, Chicano/a, and White activism and movements is because 1) AA do not have as long of a history in the U.S. as the other three groups. 2) There are not enough AA professors involved in inter/trans-disciplinary studies. 3) AA is too broad of a term: Chinese Americans may not necessarily be fighting for the same cause as Filipino Americans/Indian Americans/Japanese Americans. There is no one united voice among all Asian Americans.
"Four Prisons" illustrates an insightful history of AA activism from the 60s to the 90s. I found Omatsu's argument on AA neoconservatism intriguing but I am still not clear on the way neoconservatives affected AA at the time. Maybe you all will clarify this? I believe our educational system can do a lot to increase the level of AA activism. First, professors who are interested in AA issues should incorporate their thoughts into the curriculum. Secondly, students should volunteer to be in organizations that promote AA activism. Third, we all should find ways to stay connected to social issues.
Before taking this class I had a little background in Asian American activism. I knew about the strikes at San Francisco State and the emergence of the department of Ethnic Studies, as well as some Japanese Americans who protested internment, and others who demanded redress for the internment of over 20,000.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure why we cannot name noteable AA activists or movements. We can definitely name noteable Black and Chicano ones (Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Cesar Chavez). Whay are these ones fresh in our heads? Why do we name these activists and not others? I think it is interesting that Shara names Margaret Cho. I forgot about her. She is and has been a strong advocate for gay rights for a very long time. So why do we name her as an activist? Because she is famous; because she is a celebrity. On a side note, I remember when it was a big thing when textbooks started to insert Cesar Chavez into them, as American history, not just Chicano history.
The four prison system reminds me that I and many others have been limited and confined in my education. I'm not sure if this relate to the 'history' prison that Omatsu talks about, but what I am speaking of is the lack of a proper education system that teaches students about AA issues.
An activist, like others have mentioned, wants to bring about social change. It is more than helping those in need (charities).
(I've had so much trouble trying to post this. Maybe it'll work this time.)
ReplyDeleteI can probably name just about as many Asian American movements of activism as I can others. But this is only recent knowledge, and I am able to say that mostly because my knowledge of many movements at all is so limited.
Mentor training for Pomona’s Asian American Mentor Program, my involvement on campus, and my friends have exposed me to many of the movements and activists of a variety of social movements. Before college, I had very little understanding of social movements or activism. In Singapore, the identity-related issues I encountered most often were of nationality and culture, and the government prevented much activism or politicization; the only activism and movement I remember really knowing about were the 1988 protests in Burma. To be honest, I did not understand the term “Asian American” until a while into college. The first prison of history and geography has clearly inhibited my knowledge.
The third prison of society’s social and class structure also influenced what information I encountered. Beyond just the structures in Singapore’s society, I was impacted by American society’s structures, because my international American School education did not cover social movements or very much outside of ‘mainstream’ history.
In a way, the second and fourth prisons have actually increased my knowledge of Asian American activism; the historical forces that have provided the foundation for my involvement in college, and my personal experience grappling with rapid self-identification, have given me access to knowledge and an interest in taking advantage of the opportunities. My education in college is the only one that has had any real chance of including any study of Asian American activism, so my personal experience with the current educational system and approach to learning has generally been positive.
In addition to how much they have fostered my activism since being in college, the four prisons and our educational system promote my desire to be an activist, because I am passionate about education and learning. When I notice a lack of (or encounter obstacles to) relevant and meaningful education, I am compelled to help change the status quo.
To me, and activist is someone who believes in something and takes (especially productive and effective) action to effect positive change. The action can be almost anything, but what I think distinguishes an activist from someone who simply acts is the purposefulness behind their action.