Welcome to the month of June. Did you know that May is considered Asian Pacific Heritage Month? Don’t worry, most folks don’t know or care either. Honestly, I don’t like the idea of designating a month but I understand the motivation behind the month of May since it has historical importance to Asian-American history. I wasn’t going to share anything until I saw these two commercials in less than 10 minutes this weekend and I nearly puked. My point:
I am more than a stereotype.
To begin with, there aren’t that many healthy images of Asians on visible expressions of culture, including TV and Hollywood. But why do folks have to keep perpetuating these stereotypes? I’m tempted to swear, but I’ve already met my quota for the year.
Don’t understand where I’m coming from? Watch these three videos. They are only 15 seconds, 30 seconds, and 2:27 minutes. Prejudice and stereotypes are everywhere. And Asians aren’t the only ones. I may be biased, but seriously?
#1 – Wendy’s Commerical. The bowlcut? Huh? What is the point?
#2 – KFC. If this was showing in Japan, I’d get it. Here in the States? Why? What is the point?
#3 – Watch this because it speaks to this issue of ’silent racism.’ It was created by a group during Quest Church’s Faith & Race class several years ago but remains one of my favorite homemade videos:
There’s 15.2 million Asian Americans living in the United States. While these stereotypes are nonsensical, you have to wonder what Asian Americans are doing to engage the larger culture beyond their own bubbles, success, and enclaves. My point to Asian Americans: Speak up!
The nation’s Asian American population increased by 434,000 to surpass 15.2 million, or 5 percent of the estimated total U.S. population of 301.6 million, according to Census statistics released today.
Asians were the second fastest-growing minority group after Latinos, with a 2.9 percent, or 434,000, population increase between 2006 and 2007.
Five million Asians live in California, which had the largest Asian population, as well as the largest numerical increase, of 106,000, during the 2006 to 2007 period. New York (1.4 million) and Texas (915,000) followed in population. Texas (44,000) and New York (33,000) followed in numerical increase.
In Hawaii, Asians made up the highest proportion of the total population (55 percent), with California (14 percent), and New Jersey and Washington (8 percent each) next. Asians were the largest minority group in Hawaii and Vermont.
Eugene Cho, a second-generation Korean-American, is the founder and lead pastor of Quest Church in Seattle and the executive director of Q Cafe, an innovative nonprofit neighborhood café and music venue. He and his wife are also launching a grassroots humanitarian organization to fight global poverty. You can stalk him at his blog or follow him on Twitter.
