Comments on: No “Welcome” Mat At My Front Door

By: Denise

Denise — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 02:34:20 +0000

Hi Teresa,
Thanks for the insightful post. I really enjoyed reading this entry. While I'll admit that I've jokingly thrown around the term “banana” and “twinkie” before, I agree that it reduces us to a variation of the norm: white, the default race. I don't think that Asians can be neatly categorized into the two categories of “fob” and “whitewashed.” I personally have a hard time identifying with either term. Technically, I'd be in the fob category, as I've lived in America for only four years, but I can barely relate with my “fellow fobs” (that is, the Asians that Asian-Americans lump together) at all…my first language is English, I grew up watching American cartoons, I listen to Western music, my humor is American, etc, I do all those things associated with being a “banana.” But who gets to make those qualifiers? And why do I find myself resisting either category, yet desiring of some category – some populace – to belong in? I feel slightly rejected by both groups, but at the same time, I don't want them to like me based on my “Asian credentials.” I want people to like me because of who I am as a person.

Real people are full of contradictions, but I think the problem with depending on categories to relate with others is that they don't allow for them.. All “fobs” like karaoke, can sing Jay Chou, dye their hair, do Asian poses, have accents, only hang out with each other, etc. All “bananas” are afraid of hanging out with other Asians, and only date white people. Oh no, alert the presses when a fob hates taking pictures, or when her best friend isn't Asian!

Plus, they provide a supposed easy route into forming relationships. I can't count the number of times I've been introduces to somebody just because that person is also Asian, or he/she grew up in Taiwan, etc. And sure, it gives us something to talk about, but those things don't guarantee a deeper connection.

Back in the day, I used those terms in good fun, but as I grew older, I realized that by doing so, I was normalizing the use of stereotypes. The fact that those stereotypes are more pervasive than I imagined really hit me when my white roommate started identifying certain personality traits (cutesy, defensive, etc) as a distinctive “Asian things.”

By: Denise

Denise — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:34:20 +0000

By: Teresa

Teresa — Tue, 26 May 2009 16:46:03 +0000

@Ruby: I just assumed that 8asians readers would understand that I obviously do not assume that Chinese Americans do not speak English. I feel like my overall critique of the installation should speak to that. I was just pointing out how the installation is not as accessible as it could be, if Claudia Chow indeed had Chinese Americans in mind.

@Daniel: It is an old installation, but no one has commented on it on this blog. More importantly, though, the installation is still available online to anyone who has access to the internet. Plus, the issues raised are still pertinent.

@Ernie: I wouldn’t have done anything differently because I wouldn’t have created a project like this to begin with. If Claudia Chow’s intention was to “educate” and “enlighten” non-Asian, elementary to high school aged students (which I would actually disagree with), I think an interactive website introducing radical Asian history and Asian revolutionaries would be much more beneficial. There are many similar depictions of East Asian family life in movies, books and TV.

@JC: While I disagree with pretty much everything you’ve shared in your comment, I am willing to engage in discussion as long as you are critiquing what I have written. Once you start to make assumptions about my personal life, telling me what I am/am not, then I choose to step back and not have the dialogue with you.

By: Teresa

Teresa — Tue, 26 May 2009 16:46:00 +0000

By: jorge

jorge — Tue, 26 May 2009 02:31:08 +0000

Banana is extremely offensive, similar to Uncle Tom, coconut, or Oreo. It is entirely inappropriate in the context of the current exhibit and unfortunately, reinforces a negative stereotype to an audience that really doesn’t need any more of that kind of disinformation. This type of exhibit would be much better off as part of an intro Asian American course where it could be balanced better and provide greater context as well as opportunities for further dissemination and discourse. To throw about the term banana without proper context is irresponsible and intellectually lazy.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 26 May 2009 02:31:00 +0000

By: Xxxtine

Xxxtine — Mon, 25 May 2009 14:43:38 +0000

As a former editor of an Asian North American mag called Banana, I don’t find the term offensive. Sure, I came across people who found it offensive, but the content of its pages made up for it because we were able to play around with trying to understand ourselves caught between two cultures. And same with Claudia Chow’s art installation.

I agree with JC; for a person like me, who has never been to Asia as an adult has only an idea of Asian culture is as opposed to someone like the author who has spent half her life in Taiwan KNOWS.

The metaphor really only means something to Asians and I actually find the term Jooksings more offensive, but that’s a different story altogether.

By: Xxxtine

Xxxtine — Mon, 25 May 2009 14:43:00 +0000

I agree with JC; for a person like me, who has never been to Asia as an adult has only an idea of Asian culture is as opposed to someone like the author who has spent half her life in Taiwan KNOWS.

The metaphor really only means something to Asians and I actually find the term Jooksings more offensive, but that’s a different story altogether.