"Whatever my individual desires were to be free, I was not alone. There were many others who felt the same way." ~ Mrs. Rosa Parks

November 2005

What Did You Say!?!?
By Staff

“Asian Americans don’t count as marginalized peoples because they are the model minority.”

This week’s “What did you say? ” column is purposefully directed toward Oberlin’s entire Community of Color. Hopefully, after reading this column we will understand the importance of inclusion in forming coalitions across different communities on campus.

Given the recent events concerning Afrikan Heritage House, and the growing concern with minority recruitment—not to mention the dismal retention rate of students of color at Oberlin College—I am glad to see that students on campus are mobilizing around these issues, which are all central to the current state and future of Students of Color at Oberlin.

However, what worries me is that we sometimes prioritize certain groups over others, for reasons that are out of the control of those being ignored, in this case: Asian and Asian Americans. It is particularly troubling because it precludes the possibility of ever forming alliances among communities of color because of the preference for a select few.

Recently, a conversation with a Black American friend revealed that the exclusion of Asian and Asian Americans in coalitions on campus has something to do with their status in the United States as “the model minority,” a rhetoric which is often the weapon of choice for politicians, journalists (and even academics) to explain Asian American “economic and educational success.” And it is often used against their African American and Latino/a counterparts.

Model minority rhetoric emerged in the mid-1960s as a response to the Civil Rights movement and Black and Brown Power movements. It is an ideological construction employed by the dominant group to subordinate the group it praises while also chastising those who do not fit the model minority profile.

Now while it may seem on the surface that Asians and Asian Americans do not confront the same forms of racism and discrimination, we forget that Asian and Asian Americans were also subject to racist social policies in the early half of the twentieth century and during World War II. Also, Asians and Asian Americans have never been free from discrimination on American soil. The recent incident at the University of Michigan, involving two Asian American students, should serve as reminder that this designation as the model minority does not make Asian Americans immune to similar forms of racism and discrimination that afflict other racial/ethnic groups in this country. The fact of the matter is that these groups continue to suffer from similar, if not the same, racialized constructions of race, gender and sexuality.

We have to be keen to the fact that now our South Asian brothers and sisters confront similar forms of exclusion, racism and discrimination on both the international and national level in the post-9/11 era.

Furthermore, it benefits no one to use this “model minority” myth, that was used against Blacks and Latino/as, against Asians and Asian Americans. They should not be made to pay the price for a title to which they never consented, a title that has been more of a burden than anything else. By using this myth against them, we are only continuing the old trick of “divide and conquer.”

We, as students at a place like Oberlin College, should therefore not buy into these social constructions intended not only to maintain the status quo but also prevent coalition building among communities of color. While I understand that there are strong commonalities among Latino/as and Black Americans, I have to argue that this by no means implies that we should ignore other potential allies who face similar struggles. Especially, since we are only a few on this campus, I see no reason why we should not invite our other brothers and sisters to join the struggle, whatever it may be. Remember that in this big world of ours, we are not the minority—the dominant group is; and that exclusions based on either race, gender or sexual orientation are not only wrong, but counter-productive to the struggle for social justice. Just think about all the things we can accomplish together on this little campus.

“What Did You Say!?!?” is an informational column where the editors take an uneducated/offensive/insensitive comment and deconstruct the stereotypes around the comment. It serves to further educate the wider Oberlin community on these issues. If you would like to submit comments/questions that you feel need to be addressed, please email ocinsolidarity@yahoo.com. All entries will be anonymous.


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INSIDE THIS WEEK'S IN SOLIDARITY

Letter from Francisca Chaidez-Gutierrez
Hate Crime hit close to Oberlin
Marjane Satrapi
Lord/Saunders and Sewage
New World Boder
Ramadan in Oberlin

John Roberts
What Did You Say?!?!?
Students Advocating for Peace in Sudan
Columbus Day
Hate groups, post-Katrina
Violence in New Orleans



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