Constructing the Asian American Identity
The Asian American experience from the beginning of Asians' and Pacific Islanders' entry into North America in the eighteenth century to the present. Investigates this phenomenon in connection with national and transnational power relations, economic structures, and political realities. Also, consider the construction of American identities in the United States and their impact on Asian American communities and individuals. Goals are to develop a historical and multi-cultural perspective on the Asian American experience, to enlarge students' capacities for analytical and critical thinking, and to achieve a better understanding of the diversity within Asian American communities and of Asian Americans' social status in North America.
Final Paper: For the final paper. You can write about a topic you are interested in pertaining to the Asian American Experience. You can pick a popular culture text by an Asian American academic, artist or cultural activist, and write a final paper about it. Make sure to make analytical connections with the topics learned from class. You need to quote 4-6 sources in this paper. For the final paper, you are required to do outside research.
Again, students will write the papers either in APA, MLA, or the Chicago Manual of Style. Whatever style you use, I require you to be consistent throughout.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Any plagiarized work will result in a score of zero for the assignment, and possibly an “F” for the course.
Constructing the Asian American Identity
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Constructing the Asian American Identity
Introduction
Globalization and the subsequent arrival of millions of incomers into America over the past decades has created a culturally and ethnically diverse nation in the U.S. The arrival of Asian and Pacific Islanders into the U.S. from the 18th century created a new identity in the Americas- the Asian America. However, there is a deficit of comprehensive studies on Asian Americans, which speaks to a group of people who have been under looked for a long period. Construction of identity means the complex process through which a person develops a clear view of themselves, including self-concept, creation of values, and personality development. This paper discusses social identity development among Asian Americans to ascertain who they believe or view themselves as by applying various research studies on the issue. Additionally, the paper analyses the current developments in racial bias against Asian Americans and how such developments have impacted the Asian American identity.
The Asian American History
The first group of Asians migrated to the U.S. in the mid-1800s, from when they have historically played a key role in shaping the Asian identity. Historically, Asian Americans have experienced racial injustice and exclusion. The California Gold Rush in the early 1800s saw a massive inflow of Chinese gold miners in search of riches. At around the same time, Japan had established diplomatic relations with the West as a response to the humane treatment of the Americans on Japanese victims of the shipwreck. With booming opportunities in the West, Asians took risky journeys to the Americas, facilitated by expansive railroads and advanced shipping technology.
Asian Americans were initially viewed as competitive disruptors of the Americans’ well-being due to their exploitation of natural resources on American soils. Thus, the Asian American identity came with hatred and discrimination from the Americans. This anti-Asian attitude is expressed by the 1875 enactment of the Page Act that prohibited labor recruitment from Japan, China, or the Southeast Asia Countries of people not brought to the U.S. by own will or for immorality purposes. Explicitly, the Act barred the importation of women for prostitution. Additionally, the Chinese Exclusion Act was enacted in 1882 and banned Chinese workers from entering the U.S. while denying immigration rights to the Chinese. The scope of this Act expanded over consecutive decades until there was a labor shortage during the Second World War, which forced the U.S. to open its borders to immigrant workers.
The Page Act and the Chinese Exclusion Act shaped the social identity of Asian Americans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Acts are silhouettes of stereotypes and scapegoating practices by the Americans against the Asians, characterized by belittling interrogations by American immigration authorities. Additionally, the Acts show the general view of Asian identities, for example, women from Oriental countries being viewed as prostitutes. Moreover, Asian Americans were not viewed as 'full Americans,' which was evident in them being denied socio-economic rights, such as schooling and labor rights. For example, Mamie Tape, an Asian-American child, was denied school admission in San Francisco due to her race. Also, 1885 was characterized by White coal miners attacking Chinese miners in the Rock Springs massacre and Chinatown mob attacks.
Asian Americans in the late 19th century were not accorded opportunities to create personal identities. The American anti-Asian cultures denied Asian Americans ample time to exercise their practices and cultures. Murdering of Asian Americans was a common practice, such as the Hells Canyon Massacre in Oregon. In the early 20th century, Asian immigrants were processed through discriminative ports of entry, majorly the Angel Island station, where they were often quarantined in prison-like environments. The 1917 Immigration Act barred Asian immigrants, excluding the Japanese, who were friendly to the U.S. however, the 1991 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor resulted in the U.S. pushing Japanese into internment camps as prisoners of war. Therefore, historical discrimination against Asian Americans denied them the opportunity to develop their identity as the general Americans' attitude dictated it.
Modern Developments in Asian American Identity
America began merging with Asian immigrants in the mid-20th century. Initial developments in this shift began in the Tape V. Hurley case (1885), where California's Supreme Court ruled that all children were entitled to education, including those of Asian origin. In 1957, Dalip Saund- an Asian American Sikh, became the first Indian representative in the Congress. 1959 saw Hiram Fng sworn in as the Hawaii Senator, being of Chinese origin. In 1956, Patsy Mink- an Asian American woman, became the first woman of color to represent Hawaii in Congress. In 1965, the Agricultural Workers Organizing Com...