Today was the unveiling of the music video for “Be a Nigger Too” by legendary Queensbridge MC Nasir Jones; better known by his one syllable moniker, or his pen name if you would, Nas. Nas created a firestorm and has come under intense criticism by naming his 10th studio album “Nigger” and then subsequently changed the title to “Untitled” under pressure from heads of the record label. Most Asian Americans have seen this controversy in the news or a blog site or in a headline somewhere but probably haven’t give it a second thought, unless by chance they were a hip hop fan. But this album and more specifically this song and music video contains important significance to the Asian American Community. Its relevance to the Asian Americans starts with cameos by Korean American actors John Cho and James Kyson Lee. More importantly, Rik Cordero, a music video director of Filipino descent (who’s star is quickly rising not only in the hip hop landscape but in Hollywood as well) directed and produced this landmark video and who Nas heaped a great deal of praise during its initial screening. But this track’s and video’s relevance should not end there. The line Nas says “…my chink niggas, thats right yall my niggas too” invokes an idea of a relationship between Asians and Blacks that simply does NOT exist.
In fact, despite both groups being “minorities” in this country you can find more instances and examples of indifference if not contempt towards each other.
You also have the stereotypes where the Asian grocery owner keeps an eye on the black customer; the idea that Asians tend to approve of white people over other minorities; and the somewhat true idea that Asians invade black neighborhoods and takeover economically. Since I am a blogger and not a historian I cannot provide scholarly documentation of the exact state of Black and Asian relationships but I don’t think I am too far off base in saying that the bridge that connects us is very, very shaky.
Maybe I’m wishing for way too much. Maybe I am still living in memories of my high school days where my black friends would walk into a store cause a scene and I would very easily shoplift ice cream for everyone.
Okay, thats a bad example.
But why can’t there be more people like this? I mean, I’m sure you can easily find many examples of personal friendships between Blacks and Asians but in the macro-socioeconomic view of communities, the specific examples of olive branches are very few and far between. It’s tough when many influential newspapers in Asian American communities are written in their native language and not accessible by all. It’s tough that many Asian American are too busy fighting amongst themselves to give thought to other racial relationships. Did Yuri Kochiyama not heart brokenly weep over a dead Malcolm X? But I digress.
The one relationship that does exist, is the inherent racially charged terms that “chink” and “nigger” represent. “Nigger” was a hateful term that was coined on the absolute and completly asinine idea that Black people were inferior based on the single notion of their darker skin color. Not to mention the racial crimes that the term represents and holds throughout American History. The term “chink”, in my humble Asian opinion, is just as bad but for different reasons. The term “chink” marginalizes a Asian’s individuals race as a unimportant factor. Asians are put into one group by the U.S. Census Bureau, despite the fact that Asians are the most ethnically diverse group in the Unites States with a broad range of cultures and languages. The term “chink” takes away any sort of individuality that a specific Asian may have and tells us that we are all the same based on the silly notion that our eyes are slanted. Not only that, but the term “chink” causes rifts within the Asian American community; as Asians that are not of Chinese descent turn around and use the term “chink” only against Chinese Americans. I can recall many times in my life where I respond to a person calling me a “chink” saying, “NO, I’m not a chink. Chinese people are chinks.” And as embarrassed as I am to have said that, not just once but many times, I am sure that many other Asian Americans have used some sort of form of my response many times as well.
I think we should erase any sort of usage of the term “chink” from society’s vocabulary as well. For some reason it is okay to say “chink” in today’s society without any repercussions. I don’t feel that way. Its not just a word. Much like how “nigger” is not just a word. They both stem from racist ideologies that looks down on different races on pure superficial basis. Let us all stop the hate.
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Efren wrote:
Jun: This is an incredible post. I love the way how you dissect and look at how both racial slurs have impacted both the Asian and black communities, and that there is really a very tenuous connection among us, if at all, and how very, very few people (either Asian or black) are really willing to cross the divide and find commonalities, instead of trying to exoticize each other.
The one thing that I would just have to comment is that “nigger” has been used against Asians in America as well since Asians first started immigrating to the US in the 19th century, when the Chinese railroad workers were called “niggers” after the panic over increased Chinese immigration along the West Coast. Another example is when the Filipinos started immigrating into the US in the early 1900s as university students into the mainland US, we were also called “brown niggers,” etc.
It’s funny that whenever I mention the fact that Asians were called niggers by white people that the Asian American so-called hip hop fans who call themselves “nigga” suddenly become extremely quiet…
Posted on 10-Jun-08 at 8:03 am | Permalink
Derek wrote:
my parent’s were born in the US, specifically in San Francisco in the 60’s. their high school Galieo was predominantly black and asian. as you know, there was a lot of movements going on in the 60’s where equality for blacks were just as important as asian rights. bonds and friendships were formed regardless of races. my parent’s friends from high school are latin, black and asian (more asians, of course) and i love it. as for me, my very close friends are all different shades. i think newcomers to this country have different experiences and perspectives on relationships with other minorities which sadly leans negatively.
Posted on 11-Jun-08 at 1:40 pm | Permalink
CanelaNYC wrote:
There’s so much of history that we eschew, for various reasons, but people still don’t understand that the sociological etymology of a word can take centuries to change or disappear if it does at all. There’s a collective memory that people use without realizing and that leads to judgments based on perceptions and interpretations that are processed using that knowledge whether we think so or not. Hence, the term ‘bad’ when Run-DMC states ‘not bad meaning bad but bad meaning good’ can take on both meanings dependent upon context but the initial meaning, the root, is still there. So while I think that whole NAACP “funeral” mess was misguided & I see the point of young people attempting to co-opt a word and make it their own, both extremes represent a huge waste of time and energy.
As for the relationships, it would be nice to see more solidarity but the tunnel vision of the current views in this country keep minorities separated. Then by perpetuating “positive” stereotypes re: Asian Americans, and promulgating stereotypes re: African-Americans, the current majority can give the impression of “colorblindness” by setting Asian Americans up as a “model minority” while implicitly pitting minorities against each other. Then of course there is the part we play; we don’t learn enough about each other. I can’t speak for Asian Americans, but way too many African American’s don’t know about contributions from people outside their immediate “community.” (Heck, I had to give my niece Yuri Kochiyama’s biography ‘Heartbeat of the Struggle’ and her teacher almost couldn’t/wouldn’t believe her report.) Then there are the circumstances where we should have each other’s backs - Hot 97’s Tsunami song, Spanish Basketball Team’s BS - and you don’t see that interaction and reciprocity. Eh, so loaded a topic but really good post. Sorry for the book-long comment.
Posted on 10-Sep-08 at 1:56 pm | Permalink
jun wrote:
hey CanelaNYC-
thanks for the input…
I agree on the whole waste of energy of trying to kill the word “nigger”, but I didnt get into that because Im not black, so i dont feel I have the right to blog about it and two since this is a Asian American site i did not feel that topic was appropriate..and also i think that applies for any racial slur, it will not die because as you said the root is still there…
and trust me Asians (mostly asian youth) dont even know about past ASIAN AMERICAN contributions nevertheless other races, (you think Yuri Kochiyama are in US textbooks??? lol)… but i think thats the case for any ethnic group especially my age group…
i wish this post would have generated more discussion but then again, since this is a Asian American site and I think it may have scared off a lot of people…
and dont worry about book long posts!
as long as they are well thought out, we dont mind it here at 8Asians…
at least I dont, =)
Posted on 10-Sep-08 at 8:53 pm | Permalink
jun wrote:
btw….
i should have spell-checked and grammar checked my comment, lol
Posted on 10-Sep-08 at 8:57 pm | Permalink