Strangers From A Different Shore: Preface

An interesting issue highlighted in the preface of this book is the distinction between Ellis Island and Angel Island.  While both involve the immigration of peoples to the United States, one is much more commonly known than the other.  Angel Island, who to many residents of San Francisco, is nothing more than a "scenic island" on which to "bike, hike, and picnic."  The island was in fact the entry into the United States for Chinese and Japanese immigrants.  The overshadowing of this information demonstrates a certain lack of "cultural literacy," or at least, a skewed version of it.

Such skewing can also be seen in the popular but flawed idea that the terms "American" and "White" are synonymous.

The preface then proceeds to give an account of the significance and involvement of Asian Americans in the Civil Rights movement, and the discrimination and they faced.  A noteworthy piece of information is how people would interpret the words of Thomas Jefferson ("all men are created equal…") with his intention in mind of creating a "White America," rather than a multi-racial society.  Asian Americans would not see social inclusion and justice until World War II and following.  Fighting and dying alongside other Americans caused arguments for the full institution of Asian Americans as proper Americans to carry significantly more weight than they had previously carried, ultimately leading to what many today consider to be "equal status."

Asian Americans are still easy targets for stereotypes and other forms of discrimination, however.  A popular example of this was demonstrated just this past March, when a UCLA student posted an insensitive YouTube rant targeting Asian Americans (provided link.)  The video successfully demonstrates the ever-wide cultural gap between White Americans and Asian Americans, as many of the stereotypes were regarding their mannerism and culture.