This reminded me of Takaki’s Strangers From a Different Shore and how many Asian immigrants were tricked or fooled into thinking that they would have a great life in the U.S. I see a similarity to this happening to Lee and how many Asians feel for the deceit of America. Also, further into the reading,

After watching Enter the Dragon, the book begins to make more sense about its allegories. The book goes on to explain about the scene and Oharra on page 132, “”‘Lee’s’ face beams forth ever-changing impressions from the wrath of righteous deity, to the indignation of a woman, to the ululation of a child victimized by war.” I take this as a way of empires/countries/colonies suffering the consequences of “war for peace.” It’s ironic. Many expansions are due to this greed of power, or the true belief that one’s ruling is the best way, but the first thing that most people see is war or violence being portrayed.

Overall, I enjoyed the movie  because there was a lot of action, but I also see how it fits in perfectly with the allegories presented. As for my comparison to Takaki, I think that Lee coming up and beating Han would be the rising of the Asian cultures against invaders. Han was Asian himself and the book talks about how many Asian countries had to suffer the consequences of violence and war against other Asian invaders, so I believe that was a good representation of the protagonist and antagonist roles cast in the movie.

One of the things that was happening was that each of the races took to wearing buttons indicating their race. Another major issue that the United States was undergoing was the conflict of racial discrimination. On page 369, “It [the US] could not oppose the racist ideology of Nazism and also ‘practice’ racial discrimination. America had to put its ‘principle of equality’ into its laws and policies.” I thought that this was a great quote because it really showed the parallels between the continents where there were groups of people wearing identifying markers of a certain society and being discriminated against. Even if changes only came about to avoid being hypocritical, it possibly opened eyes to the utter bad-ness of the situations.

Chapter 11 - What made the second wave immigrants “strangers?” It’s so upsetting that highly educated individuals that immigrated were unable to get jobs that they trained for. They had to work in stations far below their abilities in both their home country and America. However, by moving to America, it would give their future generations a chance to prosper in ways that they would have had no chance to do in the home country.

Chapter 12 - I think that it’s really great that so many people took a stand to break the “model.”

Chapter 13 - I’ve never really heard much about the Los Angeles riots of ’92. I knew they happened. I knew they were bad, but to what extent and the specifics, I had no idea. I really enjoyed the quotation “There are no Asians in Asia, only people with national identities, such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indian, Vietnamese, and Filipino. But on this side of the Pacific there are Asian Americans.”

Fortunately, all of their hardwork did pay off. In the later chapters like 10 through 13, Asians eventually make their way to becoming a part of the American foundation of society. The kick-off for acceptance was the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. American’s needed soldiers and opened up the opportunity to Asians. However, asking for Asians to join would put America in a critial situation. On page 358 of Takaki’s book he states, “As the United States confronted the threat of Fascism in Asia and Europe, the nation would be asked to exeed its democratic ideals to immigrants of color and acknowledge its diversity.” Though the United States did not extend it’s protection and equality laws to the immigrants, they needed an army.

After and during the war, changes were already being made. Asians who were in the U.S. airforce were given citizenship, but even those who wore their United States Army uniform were accepted more in society, they were not equal and were treated that way. However, despite the inequality, the government began to extend it’s citizenship to many immigrants and began to have an annual quota for the amount of Asians that can come to the U.S. More asians who were coming to the U.S. were also changing with the times. Most of them were not just farmers and involved with agriculture, they were clerks, technicians, and had some sort of a higher education.

Though Asians have gone through more than enough to earn a living in America, there is still progress happening. Asians are being inspired by each other to pursue their own careers and further their education. For instance, Paull Shin, a former State Legislature and first Korean to be part of the Legislation, has inspired many Asians across the U.S. to be a bigger part of the political sphere. Asians have come a long way for the rights they have in current times and continue to grow to be a part of U.S. history.

Coming from a class that focused primarily on the Japanese American experience of WW2, it was pretty refreshing to hear about the experiences of other Asian Americans through the horrid events of the war. Of course, there were common themes that these Asian American communities experienced – unfair work conditions, blatant racism, less pay, etc. – but it was enlightening to read about some other perspectives as each group really went through their own struggle. I didn’t really know too much about the Korean experience, but learning that they were pretty ecstatic about the Pearl Harbor bombing and how it brought the United States into the war was kind of an eye opener because it’s a point of view you didn’t see too often. I also have to comment on the bravery showed by S.Chandrasekhar who, as quoted on pg. 368, compared America’s current dealings with Asian Americans with that of the Nazis – our enemy. Instead, he uses the Nazi ideology as the primary reason why they must combat the then-current immigration policy. Comparing America to that of our enemy, especially during war time, seems like such a major deal but  people are just too interested in the facade or image that America is supposed to represent, which in this case is Lady Liberty with her thumbs in her ears.

Chapter 11 – “Strangers” at the Gates Again

Moving on to the second wave, which ties closely with the Civil Rights Movement, shows more active and responsive Asian Americans. We also saw an influx of people immigrating to America post 1965, all in search for something more. In the case of the Vietnamese and Cambodians, the relocation to North America wasn’t something desired, but when left with no choice the path forward was clear – and even then, if you didn’t die from starvation or a bullet, the journey to America was torturous indeed. Reading about the Pirates who boarded these ships to rape and pillage is horrible. The way the women described it, there is a definite darkness that lies beneath here – an ugliness of mankind that needs to be fought against. I could hardly imagine what the journey and conditions were really like.

Chapter 12 – Breaking Silences

The Asian Americans are now starting to emerge more into the light, and as we reach the 1980s, we see a completely different point of view. Asian Americans became the “model minority”, a group of people put on a pedestal because of their academic achievements. All of sudden, it seemed like everyone was now acknowledging the mistakes of the past and thus the media began to paint a much better picture of Asian Americans. This reinforced a stereotype about Asian American students, and it’s something we still see to this day. The racism and hatred still burns unfortunately and reading about those horrible murders – largely due to “mistaken” ethnicity – shows an ignorance that we saw time and time again throughout our history. I hope that these racist views continue to decay further and further as generations progress.

Chapter 13 – One-Tenth of the Nation

As Asian American populations began to settle, acceptance of the cultures appears to have become more seeded in American culture. Racism persists, and through the L.A. Riots we saw a new level of vitriol when many Korean businesses were burnt to the ground. This exposed so much about the tensions between African Americans and Korean Americans, something which I had heard about but didn’t really know too much about. Both communities have had their fair share of suffering here on the soils of America, which brings me to a quote on pg 465 (chapter 11 again) in which a Hmong refugee stated “Only when I came to the country of America I had to beg”. For a long time, America was painted as a place of opportunity and equality, but time and time again has proven that as great a country the United States can be, there is still so much more to go when it comes to race and prejudice.

“Watershed of WWII” was the standout chapter for me. Many have said World War II was the turning point of the worlds modern age. Prior to the war the US was not the world power it is today, and a country’s strength was expressed through its Navy. Everything changed after the war. Airpower reigned supreme after the war. The US and USSR became the dominant forces. The nuclear age was born. Change was not lost on Takaki as he quotes Carlos Bulosan a Filipino American, “If I met him again,” says Carlos as he watches his brother leave for the Army after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, “I would not be the same. He would not be the same either. Our world was this one, but a new one was being born.” The weight of those words was heavier than anyone could have imagined.

The way “white America” would see these Strangers From A Different Shore was being forced to change. Thats not to say everything changed for the better–the myth of “military necessity” for Japanese internment camps is just one example. but people were forced to see, view… perceive Asian Americans differently. Quoting Filipino American Manuel Buaken, “No longer on the streetcar do I feel myself in the presence of my enemies. We Filipinos are the same– it is Americans that have changed in their recognition of us.” The battle for Batan earned the respect of America with Eleanor Roosevelt’s tribute to those who fought, “Fighting in Batan has been an excellent example of what happens when two different races respect each other. Men of different races and backgrounds have fought side by side and praised each other’s heroism and courage.”

So why, several days after reading so many different stories of troubles and triumphs Takaki presents did this particular section stick with me? Perhaps its because of my military background, seeing first hand the effects of war on peoples lives on both sides of a conflict. Experiencing the effects repeated deployments has on people and the way they are disregarded by the government of the country they were fighting for begins to change ones perspective; you see things differently. Either way time marches on and you do what you have to do to get by and help others do the same.

Lives of Asian Americans changed after the war. Lives of Americans changed after the war.

For me this chapter was a bit of a review because I had already studied last quarter about WWII and the internment of Japanese Americans. I was happy to learn, however, some new things about the experience from the perspective of other Asian Americans.

For instance, the Filipinos were ready to fight next to American soldiers. I was very surprised to read that 40% of the Filipino Americans in California registered for the first draft (359) and I was happy to read that they were able to receive citizenship because of how bravely they fought.

As for Korean Americans, it came as no surprise to me that they celebrated Japan’s bombing of Pearl Harbor, as this was an opportunity for the United States to take down Japan especially after Korea’s brutal history with Japan. I also understood why the Korean National Association produced a set of ‘rules’ and that one of the rules was to wear a badge that identified them as Korean and not Japanese. I feel as though more frequently, it is the Japanese and Koreans who get mixed up when people are trying to figure out which ‘one’ they are. My mother frequently gets mistaken for Korean when she is actually Japanese or sometimes she mistakes someone whose Korean for Japanese and I have seen the frustration on both of their faces when this mix up occurs. It also makes a lot of sense when Koreans would get mistaken as a Japanese that they would be furious and even more so that the Alien Registration Act classified Korean immigrants as subjects of Japan (365) . I also found it very interesting that 109 Koreans organized a Korean Unit for the national guard and called themselves the Tiger Brigade and that Koreans gained greater acceptance for their work within the unit.

As for the Chinese Americans go, with the events of WWII and the internment of the Japanese Americans they found it as an opportunity to take back some jobs that they felt was taken from them from Japanese Americans, even going as far as stating that “WWII was the most important historic event of our times. For the first time we felt we could make it in American society (373).” and it seems that this was mostly due to the fact that TIME magazine released an article that “helped” Americans tell apart the Japanese and Chinese even though it was still blatantly racist, it still wanted to show that there was a difference.

With this chapter however, my anger had reawakened from the slumber that was winter break and I was reminded yet again of the unfair treatment of Japanese Americans and the reasoning for their internment. It was very frightening to read that a Congressmen (John Ford) could say such cruel words  like “…stop fucking around. I gave them twenty-four hours notice that unless they would issue a mass evacuation, I would drag the whole matter on the floor of the House and of the Senate and give the bastards everything we could with both barrels.” (391) This excerpt has probably been of the most blunt statements I have read in regards of White Americans in a position of power that bred such hateful words towards Japanese Americans.

Ch. 11

Throughout this chapter and within the book, I have really appreciated topics of struggle and racism through the perspective of other Asian Americans. However, what I noticed the most about this chapter is that earlier in the chapter, Takaki discusses the second wave of immigrants from the country first started with “having dreams of success in America” and then eventually leading up to heartbreaking stories of escaping war and  the memories they retained of watching  those close to them suffer or even fall to their death, Takaki painted a vivid picture of the loneliness that the recent immigrated Asian Americans felt lost and uncomfortable not being in their home country. Takaki writes about the Hmong experience and quotes the experiences of a Hmong refugee: “Here, maybe the American Indians believe in spirits, but those (pointing int the direction of the nearby Laguna range) are their mountains, not ours.” (468).

A quote that really spoke to me in this chapter was “No matter how long you are here in America, you will always be an Asian, always an outsider, not an American.”(461). It makes me sad that to this day, that that statement is still so very true. Especially with the semi-recent interests in Japanese culture. With the rising popularity of Japanese culture, and the lack of Japanese Americans in Olympia, I have found that even though I was raised in the United States, people still approach me with obscure questions about Japan and expect me to know that answer because I am Japanese. With incidences like this, I feel as though I will truly never be an American here so long as I have yellow skin.

Ch. 12

I began reading this chapter in the place of my work, where I have spent many days from last quarter in a quiet section of the restaurant, reading the books that were assigned to us as I silently cried as the carpet that had hard truths about Japanese American history tucked underneath it was revealing itself to me. I thought that perhaps since I was already aware of the hard truths from last quarter that maybe I wouldn’t experience this again but it was with this chapter that my feelings of defeat overwhelmed me yet again and the tears welled up in my eyes.

Now I really appreciate reading about the Model Minority Myth because it is very important to discuss especially in a class that focuses on Asian American pop culture and how the people and the media has a tendency to view us. It was something that I dabbled in a little bit last quarter for my final research project, yet, this chapter painted this picture for me that no matter how hard I try in school, no matter how well I do, there is a chance that whatever career I go into with my life, that I will not be able to acheive higher positions and that if you were to put me side by side with someone who had the same qualifications as me but they were of European descent then they automatically have the upper hand and that I would be left struggling to find a job all because of the color of my skin, something that I will never be able to control.

As a Japanese American, I also agreed with this statement: “Asian Americans blame the education system for not including their history in the curricula and for not teaching about U.S. society in all of its racial and cultural diversity.” (482) I was amazed by the things that I learned last quarter in regards to what the U.S. did to Japanese Americans because while I remember briefly learning about WWII, I do not recall any time in my life when someone has sat me down and told me that Japanese Americans were put into concentration camps and that is upsetting to me because I feel like this country doesn’t want to discuss a part of their history that they are ashamed of yet as a Japanese American that was in the school system from 1st to 12th grade, it’s kind of a big deal to me that the school district decided to utterly skip this huge part of history!

Ch. 13

I am really happy that even though I am half white, I am still able to claim my Asian pride. I am happy to see that there are more and more people everyday whether I meet them or not, are beginning to look more like me. It makes me feel like I have more people to relate to whether it’s about our celebrations or about our struggles. My life has been so interesting because of the two different cultures that I have in me and that I have the freedom to celebrate both parts.

I love living in a time now where I can date someone who is white and neither of us will face the sort of discrimination that people in the 1940′s faced for being in an interracial relationship. I’m not saying it’s perfect and previous partners and I have faced the obstacles of people despising our relationship because I am Japanese or making very strange assumptions about our relationship. At the end of the day though, I get to share with my partners, a different part of myself, and invite them into my mothers home that smells like tonkatsu, gohan and takuan and share with them a taste of a distant home and my partner graciously accepts my invitation with love and respect.

In WWII America needed asians to help defend their country. (Those who did decide to help defend America- is that when they decide or became Asian-American?) If Asians did agree to do so, then the US somehow had to “repay” these races. Though Asians were given a “part” in society or accepted (as US citizens &able to lease land) they were still treated unequally. But Filipinos were also stating that they were not Japanese with buttons before the war was over to prevent any confusion.

During this time Japanese students had also been disappearing from school to be sent to internment camps. Not only those in school, but almost all Japanese on the mainland (CA, OR, WA) were sent to these camps. Their land was sold at cheap prices and were treated cruelly. But the Japnanese in HI remaind locals and were not shipped to the mainland since it was too much ship space and costs. In Feb. 6 1943 Nisei were questioned to either 1) enable camp authorities to process individual internees for work furlough as well as resettlement outise of restricted zones or 2) register them for the draft. Nisei, however, that volunteered were seen as “heroic,” even though they did gain a little bit of acceptance, they were still returned to the camps.

In 1940 Alien Registration Act classified Koreans as subjects of Japanese and were “alien enemies.” But in LA about 109 Koreans joined the National Guard ranging from ages 18 to 65 and then gained greater acceptance that way. Koreans also had buttons saying that they were Korean and not Japanese. Koreans, since they were annexed by Japan, were hoping that the US would take Japan down and were eager to help with the war.

In March 1944 legislature considered a bill to have a quota for immigrants from India and naturalization rights for Asian-Indians. 1772 Asian-Indians became US citizens between the eyars of 1947 & 1965. Day after Pearl Harbor bombing China & US become allies. Then US begins to portray Chinee as “saintly”

Chapter 11: Strangers at the Gate Again

In 1941 Pres. Roosevelt outlawed racial discrimination in defense-industry employment and created the Fir Employment Practices Commissions. 6 months later Truman establishes a committee on Civil Rights- courts advanced the civil rights for racial minorities. 407-420 Asians are becomming a part of America. Many more Asians start immigration to the US (2nd wave). These 2nd wave of Asians were into high technology, service ceonom instead of agriculture. During 1960 many Chinese come to US for a higher education. Women had to work as seamstresses at this time and exploited them: thus Chinatown became a big hit for textiles. Many immigrants come to US to either settle & excape the struggles- they are still making low wages, but better than their own homelands. Many Filipinos and Koreans were mostly self-employed. Second wave Indian-Asians had a low percentage in empolyed in services where as they had a high percentage employed as managers and professionals like physicians, engingeers, scientists, professionals in law etc. War was going on in Vietnam many people tried to sail over to US to escape. However, about 41% of the Vietnam populations were soujourners and wanted to return to their homeland someday. Pg. 456 “Don’t have to go home to be home” Vietnamese women all of a sudden were able to have jobs, in Vietnam they couldn’t.

Laos refugee’s also found it difficult to adjust to the American culture. They lived in the jungle, but American culture was like a technilogical jungle (461). Laos wanted to return back home because no matter how long thy stay in american they will still always be asian, never american (461). Hmon and Mien had a hard time being employed.

Cambodians also fleed to America by the threat of death. Most of them were farm folk with some who were educated. Many Cambodians suffered from PTSD (470). Refugees are the “homeless.”

Chapter 12: Breaking Silence

(473) Asians are defended by the government by laws and are slowly being accepted, but still not as equal as whites. Thus they began to exercise their political voices. Though they were slowly getting the same rights as Whites, they still weren’t getting the same opportunities. They had this “glass ceiling” where their oportunity was “seen” but never able to be accomplished. Asians were seen as technicians, not administrators. Asians had a cap on their labor position. As this happens, where asians are more successful in school and are very smart, this is where the new asian stereotype is born as being very “successful.” Because Asians were very successful in the school place therey were antagonized and bullied (479). On page (482) Chin gets killed, Chinese outraged on hate crimes &blame educational system on not teaching the struggles they have gone through to make America what it is. This is the first time &one incident where all the Asians stand together, united. (484). Slowly, here many First wave and 2nd wave asian immigrants come out about their struggles and break the silence of the past.

Chapter 13: One-Tenth of the Nation

Now in current day many Asian-Americans fill classrooms and communities in America.Blacks and Koreans saw each other on an enemy scope becasue of stereotypes on how each others race. (494). (500) balots for no more discrimination between sex, gender, ethnicity/color. There are no Asians in Asia, just national identities. Many cross-ethnic marriages.(504) interracial children are redifining a “race.” Asians trasnform America as America transforms Asians.

In 1900′s there was a major flux of Korean immigrants. Koreans moved to America because at this time Japan annexed Korea and Koreans felt they werent being treated right so Koreans did not want to move back home. Many Korean migrants were very young 90% were between the ages of 16-44 years old. In 1903 US introduced Korean workers to the plantation. In 1905 Korean government prohibited emigration to HI and cut off labor supply. Because Koreans felt that they were not being treated right by the Japanese and because their land was taken by them (Japanese) the Koreans were willing to lose any last bit of their culture. Koreans were very celibatory and made it clear that they were not Japanese and did not accept any help from them. Koreans also believed that the Chinese and Japanese provoked the US by keeping to themselves. Koreans unlike most races who were farmers, they werer government clerks, policement, uddhist, monks, and other domestic services.

Chapter 8: The Tide of Turbans

Americans are seen to have this “given right” to treat other races like they are inferior. Supreme court states that natives are caucasian but not white so they cannot be citizens of the US. Very little women population in this community so many of them married Mexican women who are also catholic and either spoke english or spanish.

Chapter 9: Dollar a day and a Dime a Dance

Filipinos usually got one dollar a day and would pay dimes to dance with white women for stress. Sometimes they would get ripped off and only have 1 minute instead of 3 minutes when they bought a ticket so they would buy rolls. Filipinos never made their own little town like Chinatown. Filipino men were seen as sexual deviants because they tried to get attention of women (pg. 327). Also, they did not really get into drugs or anything harmful, but they did do cock fights and gambled a lot.

One of the first similarities I found was, in general, all the Asians were somewhat separated. They all worked in different areas or kept with their own race; for instance, Japanese usually kept with the Japanese, or Chinese kept with the Chinese for the most part. Also, they all had their own place of work. Most Chinese worked on the railroads or in the mines. The Japanese usually worked in the fields with the Pilipino/a and Koreans. In the Hunger Games there are different districts, a total of twelve, but they are all kept to be with their own district. They know of each other and can communicate, but very minimally. Each district is known for something; for instance, District 12 is known for the coal mines and District 7 is known for its lumber. Each district is responsible for gathering what they are known for and giving what is asked to the Capital. The Capital of course is the government that runs all twelve districts.

Secondly, I found that all the Asians expected to be taken care of and be rich in America. America was portrayed as a land of opportunity and better living; unfortunately, that is not how it worked out and they ended up being oppressed by the government. In The Hunger Games the government portrays themselves as the districts saviors and is giving them better living situations, but in reality the districts are suffering.

Next, riots were handled the same. In Takaki, he talks about how when riots broke out the government would cut off all their resources and make the Asians need them; or authorities or land owners would fight them or beat who ever acted out. In the Hunger Games, any sign of resistance or riots, action was taken very quickly. The Capital would cut off food supply or punish the individuals involved physically.

Also, not only in Takaki but in The Beautiful Country, a film we recently watched, Asians were given contracts, deals, or debts to pay off for them being brought here. In The Beautiful Country Binh is supposed to pay off , $5,227 in two years of slave work. In Strangers from a Different Shore many Asian men and women had to pay off their debts as well: for the men they paid it off in slave work and women had to pay their dues off in prostitution. For The Hunger Games people from the districts can “buy” food, water, or other resources from the Capital to give to their families or business in exchange for their service in the Capital or more name entries if who was asking was under 18 years old. For instance, Gale, Katniss’s good friend is given bread from the peace keepers (officers of the government) for his name to be entered 42 times in the next reaping.

Lastly, the JACP (Japanese American Curriculum Project) was a group of Japanese who wanted to go along with the government to gain America’s trust while other Japanese members did not want to do it or did not understand. So there was sort of a divide between the Japanese based on who wanted to trust the government and who wanted to stay tied to their own cultural ways. In The Hunger Games many districts trusted Katniss Everdeen to be one of them; however, in Catching Fire (Hunger Games second movie) she goes along with the Capital and converts to their way of how they depict she should be. This leads to the other districts to distrust her and causes a divide between the districts, even her own.

I find these similarities very interesting because what is being talked about in The Hunger Games has somewhat already happened. I wonder if anyone who is not taking this class or other cultural/history class knows that these events are similar to real life happenings. Anyhow, I am anxious to see what else I can compare to the Hunger Games with this class to better my understanding and knowledge of Asian/American Pop-Culture.