Friday, April 27, 2007

My last semester confirmed my concerns from two posts ago; my cultural diversity was quite a disappointment. The book was, in my opinion and those of some of my classmates, inflamatory and more upsetting than helpful. When I mentioned this to my professor, he allowed me to borrow another book from him, which I read throughout the semester to supplement the required readings for our class. I skipped around and happened to end with Asian Americans. Toward the end of the last chapter I read, I came across this:

Although these findings provide some insights into what might comprise effective counseling strategies when mental health professionals treat Asian American clients, none of the studies, except for Merta et al. (1992), employed actual clients who were engaged in a realistic counseling situation... As a result, it can be questioned whether the findings have external validity to actual counseling sessions.

So, as of 2004, the author of this chapter knew of only one study of Asian American clients in realistic counseling situations. Great conclusion to my introduction to multicultural counseling. My cultural diversity class and the additional reading I did this semester have left me wondering why I'm in a field that makes me feel entirely invalidated. How can I do something that makes me so mad, that makes me feel so insignificant? How do I keep caring about something that doesn't seem to care about people like me? I am still fairly convinced that this is what I'm supposed to be doing and where I'm supposed to be for the time being, but I'm not sure what my place in the field will be or what the future will look like for me.

:: redeemed4hisglory @ 8:06 PM :: (0) comments


  Friday, April 06, 2007
Racial/Cultural/Ethnic identity

"What would it be like to have not only color vision but culture vision, the ability to see the multiple worlds of others?" ~Mary C. Bateson

People often make judgments based on impressions that are only skin deep, as if a person's color defines who they are. However, how, where, and by whom a person is raised determines more of who a person will become than skin color itself. Of course, because of societal factors, skin color does have some bearing on person's opportunities. I just really like that quotation because it highlights the tendency for people to overlook people's heritage, upbringing, and worldview and make assumptions based on superficial characteristics.

The transmission of a minority culture from one culture to the next is an interesting thing. I realized this from observing my three-year-old cousin. Her parents are both ethnically Chinese; however, her parents speak different dialects of Chinese. Although my aunt would probably prefer to speak to my cousin in Chinese, my cousin, who can count in English, says that counting in Chinese is difficult. I don't remember having a very hard time counting in Chinese (not more than learning to count in English), but my parents' families speak the same dialect. As I was watching my cousin, I was struck by how difficult preserving a minority culture can be; however, because people make judgments based on physical features such as skin color, figuring out one's ethnic identity can be very challenging.

:: redeemed4hisglory @ 6:33 PM :: (1) comments


  Saturday, December 16, 2006
from the Graduate Psychology Department chair

As you end this busy semester the faculty wants to wish you the very best of holidays. We prayerfully hope that the New Year will bring the blessing of new life promised by the celebration of the birth of the Christ child.

We want you to know that we care deeply about the many conflicts and issues that are a part of any class, department or school, not the least of these being cultural diversity. We want to create a safe yet productive environment to discuss the issues that arise. In light of that we will be paying special attention to this issue in the coming months and hope for your full participation as we explore diversity issues as they play a part in our program. At all times we welcome your visits and conversations with us as your advisors, teachers, and people who care about you.

I have no idea what prompted that or what the issues at the school are right now. Honestly, I'm a little worried. This could be really good, really difficult, in between... I guess I'm mostly scared of being disappointed, and I would also like to know what will be expected of me. I guess we'll see in January.

:: redeemed4hisglory @ 11:02 PM :: (0) comments


  Sunday, October 08, 2006
quote from an Asian American civil rights activist

"My sincere hope is that Asian Americans will continue to side with the oppressed." ~Yuri Kochiyama

:: redeemed4hisglory @ 12:32 PM :: (0) comments


  Tuesday, October 03, 2006
thoughts on interracial marriage

My response to this post on interracial marriage:

My parents, both ABC's, each have a sister who married a Caucasian man, so while I sense my mom's preference is for me to marry an Asian guy, I am pretty sure she'll get over it if I don't. She's seemed critical of my grandmother's reluctance to accept my uncle, but at the same time my mom can be very ethnocentric. I guess I struggle with how the "good" (i.e. deferential) daughter is supposed to deal with that in a Christian family.

I grew up in a large Chinese church—800-900 people now (I think), where a majority of them are somehow related by marriage (a couple times over in some cases). When I moved home after Westmont, I taught at that church's Christian school, which has diversified quite a bit since I was a student there (it's still called Chinese Christian Schools, but they've had a significant influx of Koreans as well as increases in representations of other ethnic groups, primarily from a few families with a lot of kids). I did start attending another church, though, because I wanted to physically see the diversity of the Body. I have felt like somewhat of a black sheep in my peer group there; sometimes I wonder if I'd get voted "Most likely to marry a white guy," largely because one of my friends asked (in a way that suggested I would be more likely to do so than most of the other people there)... I think I said I was open to it, to which she replied with something along the lines of having cute kids, as if that was the only positive thing that could come from an interracial marriage. I get bugged by comments about interracial marriages producing cuter kids, and I am realizing that it probably has to do with the superficiality. Looking back at that conversation, I wonder what my friend really asked—if she asked about Caucasian specifically or someone of an different ethnicity generally—because the feeling I get is that people assume that if an Asian doesn't marry an Asian, they'll marry a Caucasian. It seems to me that people see Asians marrying Asians as having a strong sense of their ethnic identity and Asians marrying Caucasians as being more assimilated (but oh well, that's the price of living in this country); I don't feel there is much of a place for other interracial marriages in the Asian community. Sometimes I want to marry an African American or Latino guy just to mess with people's thinking; the one thing I do worry about in interracial marriage is communication because that can be hard enough between people with similar backgrounds.

:: redeemed4hisglory @ 12:36 AM :: (0) comments


  Friday, September 15, 2006
media

LET THE GAMES BEGIN
Aboard an ancient ship in the heart of the South Pacific, 20 Survivors meeting for the first time are divided into four tribes: Asian-American, Caucasian, Latino and African-American. They pillage the old sailing vessel for supplies in which to help them live for the next 39 days. Jumping overboard and beginning the arduous paddle to their beaches, it is clear to them that this social experiment is like nothing else before it.

Giving perspective to this unusual situation, Yul from the Asian-American tribe is apprehensive about being divided based solely on his ethnicity. "I'm a little worried that it might play out to caricatures and stereotypes." Even the carefree Parvati hesitates for a moment at being grouped entirely with Caucasians "Different ethnic groups… I mean is that kosher?"

I really wish I understood the point behind the decision to separate the teams by ethnicity. I can't really see any good coming out of it, just more tension, more stereotypes. I've never really kept up with Survivor, but maybe I should to watch the interplay between ethic groups and the implications it will have on contemporary culture in this diverse country.

Further thoughts since this is really bugging me...

After pondering why this kind of division would even be allowed, I began wondering if racial division is still sanctioned in 21st Century American society despite all the talk of tolerance and diversity, and I truly think that is the sad and startling truth. If the division was along lines of, say, sexual orientation, people would be furious because such discrimination is not acceptable in our society. However, if the division was based on political parties, I, for one, would find that really entertaining, and it would not be offensive because in our society, given our political system, divisions between political parties are accepted, expected, and, to some extent, encouraged. This raises the question of whether racial divisions are accepted, expected, and encouraged in our society, and the fact that a popular television series is highlighting those divisions suggests that the answer to that question is yes. So what happened to Civil Rights? What happened to "separate but equal isn't equal"? I'm not really sure, but my guess is that those working toward equality have lost sight of the bigger picture and have grown comfortable with merely helping their own, creating a more or less voluntary segregation built on shared anger and frustration. I do know that racism is still an issue in this country, but it's not just a problem that lies with white people or established institutions; there are a lot of people from a lot of different backgrounds who pertpetuate divisions either overtly or covertly, consciously or unconsciously.

:: redeemed4hisglory @ 11:47 AM :: (0) comments


  Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Christian heritage and the West

I was looking at the web site of an organization that sends missionaries to Europe, and I came across this line:

Although our Christian heritage began there, Europe continues to drift further away from those roots.

I really don't know what to make of that. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, my guess would be that they referring to a certain denomination that originated in Europe, but I don't really know because I didn't see any affiliation with a particular denomination. I trace my "Christian heritage" back to Jesus, who lived in the Middle East. I grew up believing in a Jesus that looked White, though, and sometimes, I think I still see Him that way... I don't really know where I'm going with this, but I feel like this should bother me more than it does.

:: redeemed4hisglory @ 9:15 PM :: (0) comments


  Saturday, June 17, 2006
L.A. Times article

A Wok With Jesus: Saving Souls in Chinese Kitchens

:: redeemed4hisglory @ 5:17 PM :: (0) comments


  Wednesday, June 14, 2006
cross-cultural understanding from 12.12.05

At the teachers' meeting last Friday, the middle school principal, who is an Anglo male, was saying that he would never understand some aspects of the school's culture. Now, for those of you who don't know, the school's culture is largely, though not entirely, influenced by Chinese culture because it was opened to minister to Chinese students struggling in the public schools because of discrimination, economic disadvantages, etc. Anyway, at one point he said that he did not and would not understand the idea of shame, which is somewhat of a controlling factor in how Asians interact with each other, see themselves, etc. Shortly after he said that a couple teachers walked in (late) and started to take seats toward the back; his preference was for them to sit closer, and he said so quite directly to one teacher in particular who happened to be the closest of those walking in. He didn't intend to be offensive or, as for as I can tell, mean, but the look on that one teacher's face told quite a different story; he obviously didn't understand the idea of shame. Some of the other teachers picked it up because there was whispering "Speaking of shame..." but I guess he didn't hear or make sense of what they were saying because he didn't address their comments.

That raises questions in my mind: how important is it for a person to understand how those to and with whom he/she ministers? Considering how difficult understanding a culture that is not one's own is for most people, I think merely trying to understand counts for something, but can a person ever be justified in saying "I'll never understand this (aspect of culture)" if that person has tried and, in fact, can't understand? If that is the case, should that person stay in that culture? I'm not saying I think the principal should leave; he seems to fit there better than I do. It's an interesting situation, though, because my thinking that he should stay creates a tension and challenges the importance I've given cross-cultural communication.

:: redeemed4hisglory @ 9:55 PM :: (0) comments


  Monday, May 29, 2006

My mother asked why there any Asian Republican candidates running for office. At first I didn't really care because I don't have a desire to see Asian Republicans running for office, but then I came up with an answer and figured I'd better keep my mouth closed. To me, it's quite simple, really: conservative Asians are so absorbed in their own little worlds—primarily their families and their money—that they would never run for office. They listened to their parents who drilled into them the importance of financial stability and doing something "practical." In order for an Asian to get involved with politcs, that person has to be in some respects liberal, caring about social issues on a larger level, and I think that kind of person would end up with values very different from those of the Republican party. I guess I see the desire for Asian Republican politicians as self-defeating at best or utterly hypocritical at worst. People want to be represented, but they encourage their own to represent them; they leave that to other people to do and go on enjoying the freedom to live happy, contented, self-absorbed lives.

:: redeemed4hisglory @ 3:43 PM :: (0) comments