Well, I was thinking about the comments here and it may not be wise to make any absolute assumptions about the other person’s positions on issues. Based on the comments here, it’s quite neutral in some sense where it doesn’t indicate a particular view, just a big maybe.

I originally had a short list of reasons why I think many Asian-Americans “appear” to be apathetic towards social issues, but after reviewing my opinions, it may not be relevant in this thread since it’s specifically about college students.

I know that many people during the college years, oh mid-teens to even early 30s for some people, go through a lot of phases to discover their place in society, etc. It’s a life-long quest, and your opinions now may not be the same in a few years.

I had a friend in high school who was totally into the Azn pryde fling (this was in the non-urban Midwest remember)but in college went opposite and would rather have nothing to do with anything Asian unless he has too, usually meaning family events. Another aquantince of mine in high school was you could say a hard-core “twinkie” but in college had one of those so-called “born-again Asian” identity “conversions” and now is really into almost anything Asian-American. However, I still see them as the same person. It’s the same character just the visible expressions/mentality is superficially different. I’m pretty sure everyone has their own story to tell even if it’s incomplete or a work-in-progress mode.

Well, I was thinking about the comments here and it may not be wise to make any absolute assumptions about the other person’s positions on issues. Based on the comments here, it’s quite neutral in some sense where it doesn’t indicate a particular view, just a big maybe.

I originally had a short list of reasons why I think many Asian-Americans “appear” to be apathetic towards social issues, but after reviewing my opinions, it may not be relevant in this thread since it’s specifically about college students.

I know that many people during the college years, oh mid-teens to even early 30s for some people, go through a lot of phases to discover their place in society, etc. It’s a life-long quest, and your opinions now may not be the same in a few years.

I had a friend in high school who was totally into the Azn pryde fling (this was in the non-urban Midwest remember)but in college went opposite and would rather have nothing to do with anything Asian unless he has too, usually meaning family events. Another aquantince of mine in high school was you could say a hard-core “twinkie” but in college had one of those so-called “born-again Asian” identity “conversions” and now is really into almost anything Asian-American. However, I still see them as the same person. It’s the same character just the visible expressions/mentality is superficially different. I’m pretty sure everyone has their own story to tell even if it’s incomplete or a work-in-progress mode.

1) I think its important to realize the diversity of Asia America (I address it in my Epik High post, which I’m too lazy to link) in many ways impede the social growth of Asia America as a whole.

2)

” If you all think hard enough, other than physical features and politics, there is very little the very “race-conscience” people in the States can use to mentally hurt Asians. I mentioned all that, because those type of attitudes have some effect on AA’s. In a strange sense, the “model minority” myth is often kept alive by such attitudes. IMHO, it is a wrong attitude, but the point I want to make that there is very little for Asians to feel inferior or too superior to other people.

I think one reason out of many why many AA’s appear to be quite apathetic, is because of such attitudes and experiences. It’s not like Asians haven’t faced discrimination for whatever reason, but it’s a bit different for each society..”

My thoughts exactly; and that’s why I say this level of praise and comfort is both a facade and a fallacy. To assume that Asia America is doing extremely well financially is wrong, and while a part of Asia America could be, as a collective, doing well; another part is not and to generalize Asia America as well off is unfair. That’s like saying all Caucasians are well off because they’re Caucasian and statistically speaking they make more money as a collective then African Americans. That like if I said if Laotians aren’t doing as well as Koreans, but Asia America is doing well as whole, so we don’t have to support any part of Asia America (and this is just an unfounded example, don’t take that statement to heart). I mean I would look silly. A Korean community in place A could be in a horrible financial situation and a Laotian family could be extremely well off. But that’s inherently the argument people make time and time again.

But I also think its because Asian American History has been lost in the annals of American history. But I mean coming from the west coast, learning about the railroad workers or the Gold Rush, and then soon after moving to the east coast and not having a sentence on such an issue sort of reflects the status of Asian American History in most places. That sort of experience didn’t not exist, its just that no one can learn from them because no one learns about them growing up. We grow up with MLK and such, but never with Vincent Chin. It’s there, its just that America doesn’t see it. We skipped the step/rode the coattails of other social movements towards civil rights and assumed a position of equality and are comfortable with it. I think that’s the current position Gaga is in. S/he believes we are past a step where race should or is an issue in the world, and that these incidents are just isolated acts of ignorance. I think otherwise; I think these incidents play into a greater scheme of social unawareness covered by a facade of comfort we have settled into it. Of course, I’m just trying to summarize Gaga’s arguments and can’t say for sure if it is accurate.