What?

This blog is part of a larger project of our anthropology class. While others pay particular attention to public communication, sex and sexuality, and body language, our focus here is the performance of race. We look at the many ways in which people or things become of an ethnic background. This can include how a person references, whether through physical attributes, speech patterns, or surroundings, another ethnicity. It can include the ways in which a person makes their own ethnicity apparent (or render them invisible). Even within one ethnic diaspora, we meticulously capture the events in which they separate themselves through even narrower ethnic classifications. Every entry displays a reenactment of a racialized characteristic in the context of American life -- and a profound sense of the meaning of culture.

Why?

We participate in the mass observation movement because we believe that it has much to contribute to the field of anthropology. We capture the "thick description" described by Geertz without the consequences of our participation. In each moment, we are able to catch power structures, cultural flows, functions, structures, an individual's or community's relationship to its environment, human agency, symbols and symbolic meaning, the difference differences make, and/or how history is played out in one simple incident.

Tuesday, December 5, 2006

I'm So Asian

While working, the co-worker/friend of mine suddenly asked, "Do you know Y***?"
"No...?" I ask. Looking at him, there is a sense of discomfort written on his face. I know immediately he's going to say something about Asian-ness. We've had a lot of arguments about it before.
"Oh, okay. I don't know whether or not to take this as a compliment, but she said I was so Asian. S*** agrees, too. Actually, a lot of Japanese told me that. But, to me, I'm just American. But actually, I can agree with them too. I feel kinda Asian but also American."
"What?" I say, incredulous and confused. This is a comment from a person who, earlier in the year told me that he preferred Asian and Latina women to American (he means White) and Black women because Asian and Latina women are quieter while Americans and Blacks are too loud and obnoxious. However, between Latina and Asian women, he prefers Asian women because he says that they are skinny the way he likes, and he likes very white skin. Does the fact that he likes Asian women make him more Asian? Not quite. Let me tell you more.

He indulges everything touted as Asian. For example, foreign movies from Asia, popular trends in Asian-American culture such as bubble tea, tae kwon do, music produced and recorded in Asia, and people. He especially prides himself in taking Japanese language, and has joined all the Asian clubs, except for the South Asian Student Association, on campus. What else could it be, but a compliment?

He continues, "You know, like, how am I Asian."
I shrug.
He says, "Let's see. Welllll, I always like Asian girls, especially from Korea. Sometimes Japan, but sometimes they are so, I don't know. I also like the food. Always. And I know a lot about Japan, and have a lot of Asian friends. Actually, all my friends are Asian. Plus, everything I do is Asian!"

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