The 8Asians Talk About: “Returning” to Asia When You’re American

Our internal e-mail lists have us discussing all kinds of stuff: Asian American identity, representation in the media, the experiences of activism in an academia setting and its progression as we transition to the working, adult world. And sometimes, we talk about a recent Wall Street Journal article about U.S. Born Chinese “returning to China” when most were never there in the first place. [EDITOR’S NOTE: The title has since been edited to say “Back in China” rather than “Return to China.” But the argument still holds.]

Mihee: U.S.-Born Chinese, Back in China to Set Up Shop.

Joz: How is it a “return” to China? Yay, perpetual foreigners.

John: Yes, there is the perpetual “foreigner” thing, but going “back” can also have the general meaning of one’s roots… I mean, I think Conan O’brien goes to Ireland or even Oprah goes to South Africa to visit her sponsored school, they reference going back to their roots?

Joz: To be fair, I say “back to Taiwan” in Chinese b/c that’s what my parents always used to say “I’m going back to Taiwan next month.” But for a mainstream newspaper to imply that Chinese Americans are going “back” to China when they weren’t from there is kind of weird.

Akrypti: I wrote something about this before on 8A. Like Joz, when I say I’m visiting Taiwan, I say I’m going “back” to Taiwan. But when I’m visiting China, I say I’m going “to” China. Yet every time I said that in China, I got my “grammar” corrected. (“No, dear, you’re coming BACK to China!”)

Koji: I think it’s offensive. This is the “other” type of thinking that allows bad stuff to happen… things like Japanese American Concentration Camps, etc.

Tina: Hm, yeah, I think it makes sense for me to say I’m going “back” to Taiwan because 1) I was born there and 2) I’ve been there before (Like I’d like to go “back” to Japan or Mexico etc.) But I think if a journalist labels me as an Asian American going “back”, then it’s insinuating that that’s where I belong, that I’m a foreigner. If other Americans didn’t see Asian Americans as foreigners, then this wouldn’t be an issue, but there’s definitely the hint that we’re going “back”, away from where we don’t belong i.e. America. When the Virginia Tech shooting happened, a janitor who witnessed it said on NPR when asked about the gunman: “HE LOOKED FOREIGN.” The embarrassed news reporter was like “What he means to say is that the suspect looks to be of Asian decent.” mmhm.

What do you guys think? If my TGIFriday’s loving, Kim Kardashian wedding watching Asian American self has never gone to Asia before and suddenly books a trip there, am I going back if I’ve never gone there in the first place? Darn you, semantics!