Asian American Identity and Effect on Boundaries: Analytical Essay

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Abstract

This research paper explores how ethnic boundaries salience are maintained by Asian Americans through Culture, Daily experience, and Symbolic repertories. In this study three interviews are conducted with three races being Vietnamese, Thai, and Korean. I was trying to find what aspects of this Asian American life maintained their cultural identity in the United States. The design of my interviews were qualitative interviews which were very useful in finding crucial information of what construction sites made the most impact on these individuals’ lives. What I found was that for culture the main aspects were language, food, and religion that maintained cultural boundaries among Asian Americans. For daily experience, there are stereotypes being put on Asian Americans. One stereotype is put on their intelligence which gets used to benefit others around them. Another daily experience is discrimination being made fun of with interactions on a daily basis due to their small eyes. The final daily experience is the coronavirus it has been very hard for the Asian community since people are afraid to be near them and make jokes of them eating bats. For symbolic repertories, there are cultural practices, and traditions.

Introduction

For Asian Americans throughout all of history in America, they have maintained their identity from their home country. In this study, the populations that are being observed are all first-generation students meaning they were born in their home countries and are the first in their families to become citizens. There is a struggle in maintaining two different lifestyles while living in America because situations are different. This study analyzes in-depth interviews of three Asian American students that go to the University of Irvine and the aspects that maintain their ethnic boundaries in daily life. In this study boundaries in the Asian American ethnic group are maintained through culture, daily experience, and symbolic repertories.

Theory

The race is a social invention it is constructed in society based on physical characteristics, moral, and spiritual domination (Morning 2005). Groups of people that share a mutual origin, based on similar physical characteristics. Ethnicity is associated with having a shared or imagine real past (Cornell and Hartmann, 2007, p. 16). Ethnic groups believe they have a common descent like similarities through language, memories of migration, and symbolic ties. Primordialism shows that ethnic identities are given at birth due to blood ties through ancestors (Cornell and Hartmann, 2007, p. 51). This study focuses on three construction sites mainly which are: culture, daily experience, and symbolic repertories. Culture is individuals’ concepts, understandings, and analyses about themselves and others (Cornell and Hartmann, 2007, p. 191). Culture is wisdom production, and multiple identities are commodities of that process. For example, status attributions is key in identity construction in cultures since individuals implement and resist certain personalities (Cornell and Hartmann, 2007, p. 197). According to Spickard (1989) differences in the status of any group makes intermarriage decline higher and discrimination in jobs, housing, and politics increase. When groups are defined as less worthy, they are disqualified from jobs, housing, and other opportunities in society (Spickard 1989). For example, the Chinese in the United States had been seen with disrespect in society in a big way, where they were limited to areas such as Chinatown only and excluded from many jobs (Lee 2003).

Daily experience is another reason working to maintain ethnic boundary salience. These are the daily struggles experienced on a routine which are mainly due to discrimination and stereotypes being put on ethnicities. For example, there was discrimination on Arab and Muslim Americans following 911 in 2002 since hate crimes against them raised significantly from 28 to 481 which is massive (Cornell and Hartmann, 2007, p. 200). According to Selvin (2004) most of the Arab Americans that were receiving hate crimes had never been to the Middle East in their whole lives and spoke zero Arabic but, still received hate since their image matched the frame of the attackers. This shows that physical characteristics are a huge way in which we are viewed because whites would not get hate crimes during this time even though not all Muslim Americans are Arabs, they can be all of the different races. Since the attackers of 911 were Arab Americans it is assumed that only Arabs are Muslims and that all Arabs are terrorists.

A final reason, symbolic repertories, is another reason working to maintain ethnic boundary salience. Groups use stories, ritual celebrations, and cultural practices to create and bring about something unique among themselves (Cornell and Hartmann, 2007, p. 242). These symbolic repertories raise spirits among groups helping them maintain their true identities in the world. According to Jones (1994), Georgians preserved their own identities through music, stories being passed down, and art being drawn of great times in their history to remind themselves their true worth in life. By using symbolic methods, you can raise your spirits and raise your identity in life no matter what the situation is you are going through (Jones 1994).

Data and Methods

Data collection in this study was done by interviews on three co-ethnic individuals in Irvine California ranging from ages 18-22. One of the interviews was male and two were females, all were college students at UCI. Irvine California was chosen for this study because there is a lot diversity among Asian Americans that live in Irvine, so it was a perfect city to gather data. The interviews were taken at the University of California, Irvine, and each of the three interviews lasted one hour long. My subjects were chosen due to their ethnic identity, I focused on only Asian Americans in my study. All three individuals were of different races being Korean, Thai, and Vietnamese. All three of the people I interviewed were first-time citizens of their families and lived in America most of their lives. This study focuses on first-generation UCI Asian American students. The questions that I asked which were 18 questions were individual-level questions and community level about their friends and how they view their families. The interviews that I conducted were qualitative interviews where I only asked open-ended questions to gain as much information as possible about ethnic boundaries experienced in life.

Data Analysis

For Asian Americans, culture is valuable for the maintenance of ethnic boundaries. During the interviews, there were three factors that contributed to their cultural identity which were language, food, and religion. The first interviewee which is Vietnamese identifies as really Vietnamese and felt the impact most of her ethnicity she said when

“I feel my ethnicity most when I call my parents on the phone every day, it makes me feel closer to my culture because I am privileged enough to be able to speak Vietnamese to be able to communicate with them.”

Language is a huge part of one’s culture when you speak it you feel most at home and feel comfort like no other it brings joy to your soul. When speaking her native language even though she is far from her parent’s memories of good times come to mind because language is a very powerful way of communication. She also said when she goes home,

“At home, we don’t speak English because my parents make it a big deal to always be close to our culture.”

Language is so important that Asian American families restrict their children to only speaking their native language at home. Her parents feel that it is more respectable to just speak the language they were raised on. This maintains ethnic boundaries since her true native language is only spoken reinforcing roots of ethnic background.

The second interviewee which is Thai shows that language is the most important to her when she hears it spoken, she says,

I suppose I feel my ethnic identity the strongest when I listen to my mom talk in Thai to me.

Hearing her mother speak Thai to her brings back beautiful memories of herself in her home country as a little child. Thai was the first language she had learned as a baby so every time she hears it there is joy in her heart and life feels more secure.

Food is another part of one’s culture the second interviewee which is Thai, identifies as her ethnicity because she feels the most connected to it, she said when

“Whenever I go out to eat at restaurants with my friends and family, we always go to a Thai restaurant to eat food from our culture because it reminds us of home and brings back memories of the foods in our native land.”

Food is a really big part of one’s culture because it is an expression of culture identity wherever you live you feel closer to home eating your country’s traditional meals. This is how cultures preserve their cultures when they move to new areas by eating their home country’s foods and cooking them.

Religion is the third and final important part of culture the first interviewee which is Vietnamese mentions that,

“I go to an all-Vietnamese church to practice my religion of Buddhism once every week. This is a big part of who my identity is as a Vietnamese American it is crucial to continue to practice my beliefs around people of the same ethnicity as me.”

Religion is a way of life to worship god and practice key aspects of your beliefs for Buddhists always telling the truth is very important being honest in everything you do is critical. Meditating is important in this religion because it is a way to be at one and connect your body to your mind to be in a relaxed position to clear your thoughts and be enlightened.

The second interviewee which is Thai shows that even though she is not the most religious person in the world she still wants to be close to her culture when she says,

A common religion amongst my culture is Buddhism, so I go to my local temple once every week to pay respects and practice my culture’s practices.”

She is not religious at all but to feel closer to her culture not living in Thailand feels there is an obligation to go to a temple once every week to be moved by the teachings of the religion of Buddhism. This is a great way to maintain her culture she believes even though she doesn’t live in her home nation going to a temple to practice her home country’s main religion is a positive way to keep an identity intact.

Daily experience is another reason for maintaining ethnic boundaries for Asian Americans in society. The third interviewee which is Korean, mentions that Asian Americans are stereotyped as being smart in which this becomes used against them, he says,

“People want to become friends with me for the benefit most of the time. It is rare to find real honest people that want to talk to me just to get to know the real me. It is mainly the case where we talk, I help them with a class and we never talk again.”

Being thought of as smart is not always good in life because you become a target of becoming used for self-interest purposes and feel used when you are getting to know people around in school. Asian Americans feel a maintaining boundary reinforced in school systems on a daily experience that made their day-to-day interactions with whites and other races reminding them that their race affected them no matter how high their achievements were (Cornell and Hartmann, 2007, p. 203). According to Lee and Zhou (2017), Asian Americans are even stereotyped by teachers as being smart, so they are noticed more by teachers because they are known for being intelligent, hardworking, more organized, and more focused.

The first interviewee which is Vietnamese says that she feels discriminated against recently due to the breakout of the coronavirus she says,

“These past couple of months I feel like I have been treated differently with the coronavirus spreading wherever I walk I see people putting their distance between me and other Asian Americans that they see it has been very hard on the Asian community recently.”

Ethnic boundaries are being maintained where there is discrimination being put on anyone who is Asian American even though the main race that started the virus are the Chinese. This goes to show you that anyone that looks Asian is classified as having the coronavirus in America today people are scared and are making fun of them (Cornell and Hartmann, 2007, p. 200). Most of Asian American individuals that live in the United States haven’t been to their native land since this virus has spread, but people just assume and fear for the worst.

The second interviewee which is Thai says that she feels stereotyped on her physical appearance mainly in daily life she says,

“Throughout my years of education, I have always heard Asians being the butt of the joke and have always been allowed to be made fun of since we are known for having small eyes, being good at karate, and being smart.”

Asian Americans are put into all having certain features to them due to most Asians on television having small eyes and different shaped eyes. According to Gray (2004) shows on Tv misrepresent identities constructing the ways people view certain races that stick to the minds of viewers. Mass media represents viewpoints that are biased and constructs false identities that are not true to most races around the world (Cornell and Hartmann, 2007, p. 204). It is wrong that Asian Americans can just be made fun of for no reason we are all human beings and should be treated like humans, not animals.

Finally, symbolic repertories is another reason for maintaining ethnic boundaries for Asian Americans in society. The first interviewee which is Vietnamese, mentions that there are certain traditions that make her maintain the identity of her culture she says,

“A very important tradition to me is Tet, which is the lunar new year this is the most special day out of the whole year for me because me and my whole family celebrate by painting on each other, drinking red wine, using betel nuts to welcome guests, and by eating Chung Cake which is very delicious.”

Traditions are a great way to celebrate your ethnicity and maintain the boundaries between them to celebrate life. In traditions you and everyone act in similar ways which helps continue your ethnicity and the identity you were born with (Cornell and Hartmann, 2007, p. 240). There is harmony in these events which brings families together to celebrate in activities and by eating traditional foods. Days like new Year especially bring about joy in everyone and an energy that had been missing earlier it reinforces one’s true identity. The first interviewee says that there are certain cultural practices that make her maintain the identity of her culture she says,

“There is a certain cultural practice that I feel most proud of being Vietnamese that is when I get to wear an Ao dai, which is a traditional dress that is worn for special occasions only when I wear this dress, do I feel at most with my culture it is a symbolic representation.”

Cultural practices such as traditional dresses and clothing maintain ethnic boundaries. Wearing certain traditional clothing is very symbolic because you are representing your native land and honoring it. When you wear this clothing, you feel more at one with your cultural identity because of the historical representation that you have on you.

References

Cornell, S., & Hartmann, D. (2007). Ethnicity and race: Making identities in a changing world (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.
Gray, Herman. 2004. Watching Race: Television and the Struggle for Blackness. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
Jones, Stephen. 1994. “Old Ghosts and New Chains: Ethnicity and Memory in the Georgian Republic .” Pp. 149-65 in Memory, History, and Opposition under State Socialism, edited by Rubie S. Watson. Santa Fe, NM: School of American Research Press.
Lee, Erika. 2003. At America’s Gates: Chinese Immigration during the Exclusion Era, 1882-1944. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.
Lee, J. and Zhou, M. (2017). Why class matters less for Asian-American academic achievement. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 43(14), pp.2316-2330.
Morning, A. (2005). Race. Contexts, 4(4), pp.44-46.
Selvin, Peter. 2004.”Arab Americans Report abuse.” Washington Post, July 29, A-5
Spickard, Paul R. 1989, Mixed Blood: Intermarriage and Ethnic Identity in Twentieth-Century America. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press.

Appendix

Do you view yourself as having a racial/ethnic identity?
What are some things that you do that are related to your ethnic identity?
Would you consider yourself “really” Asian? Why or why not?
When/Where do you feel most Asian? In what aspects of your daily life do you feel your ethnic identity most strongly?
How strong is the ethnic identity in your family?
Do you have more friends within your ethnic group or outside of your ethnic group? Why do you think that is?
How long has your family/ancestors lived in this country (in other words, what “generation” are you)?
Do you define your identity differently from your parents or your grandparents?
Do you ever consider your ethnic ancestry to be “mixed”? Why or why not?
Are there any aspects of your racial/ethnic identity that you feel would be important to pass on to your children?
Have you ever felt obligated to do certain things based on your identity?

Community level

Do you belong to an ethnic, racial, or national community?
What are some of the stereotypes associated with your community?
What is your ethnic community’s view of intermarriage? Why do you think that is?
What is important to know about the history of your ethnic group? What do you wish American schoolchildren were taught about your people’s history?
What are some traditions that are important to your community?
Has your community ever been discriminated against solely based on your religion? Physical appearance?
How strong is your community? What kinds of events or occurrences bring your community together?
Do you get new members to your community? Who are these new members? Are any people ever discouraged from being members?

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