Ethnicity, Taiwan and the Moderate Ex-Pat

I recently commented on 8asians about an article pointing out that Asians-American youth in California are the fittest kids in that state.

I facetiously replied to a question posed if Filipino = Asian. My reply was in the context of admiring Manny Pacquiao who recently won a boxing match with Josh Clottey. I didn't grow up with any Asian sports idols so I'd like to claim Pacquiao as Asian and someone who is like me that I can look up to. I also feel a closer connection because my parents grew up in the Philippines and I understand why Manny is so polite and generally happy. He fights with a smile on his face and makes every attempt to be cordial to someone he's punching in the face.

But back to my point.

Someone replied to my comment and used it as a soap box to preach about adding a category of Taiwanese to standardized forms.

I wish this guy would get off his high, Taiwanese horse.

The classification of ethnicity in America is a tool to determine someone's socio-economic status. There is Asian (generally those perceived as well-to-do from Asia), Pacific Islander (P.I.'s tend to be of a lower socio-economic class and lesser opportunity). I'm of the opinion that Hmong should definitely be it's own class since so many came to the US as refugees and that further more there should be a class of Asian that is considered "refugee" or otherwise disadvantaged so as to not constantly associate "well-to-do" with Asian.

This guy (not the guy that commented back to me necessarily) identifies as Taiwanese American. KUDOS!

I identify as "Chinese from Southern FuJian via Philippines". But our roots are still Chinese and our socio-economic is similar enough to "Chinese" to be grouped as such.

WHAT'S MY FUCKING POINT?!?!?!?

This is the wrong platform to fight this fight. Not on this blog post, not in the 2010 Census but, rather, in the international relations arena. Fight it in China, fight it in the government of the US as it applies to foreign policy. Fight it as China's influence grows (believe it, it'll grow fast from here on out). Fight it economically (China is messing with their monetary policy . . . what does that mean for all the money the US owes them?).

How can Taiwan be an ally to the US as China's influence grows?

Pick your fights and pick them well.

Follow the money, aka, "find the rich white man"

I've been shopping for a house with Bee (my soon to be fiance) and the broker/lawyer we're working with is a wealth of information. He makes great suggestions on where to live based on availability of public transportation, trends of where people with money are buying and where the greatest return on investment will be in 10-15 years.

What he has failed to calculate is that as a Chinese person, in a Chinese couple, I'd like to live where other Chinese people are. It's not about being away from White people or excluding any other ethnicity but rather being comfortable in finding sanctuary with those that most certainly share my values and traditions.

It seems to have never entered his mind that his clients would be concerned with that, but at the same time, he may not care.

This all led to a terse and slightly loud conversation I had with Bee on the T. It started with "I DON'T WANT TO LIVE NEAR A BUNCH OF WHITE PEOPLE!" and ended with a softer discussion about white privilege. During that time I got some knowing looks from the Black girl sitting nearby and some unhappy looks from the progressive Whites on the train that undoubtedly feel they don't belong in a group identified as having White privilege.

I don't feel guilty at having brought the conversation into public but I do feel guilty for presenting my STBF (soon to be fiance) with my past demons. She understands the concepts, but not the intense feelings I have on the subject.

I'm lucky that all she wants is to help me but she still doesn't know how. The worst thing about all this is that I've created a situation where she feels lost and detached from me and I'm not sure how to let her into that part of my life.

I am slowly trying to organize those feelings and find a way for her to understand the intensity of the kind of discrimination I grew up with and it starts with my suggestion to her to read Lac Su's "I Love Yous are for White People".

Until then, we'll keep looking and with the emphasis that we should live near other Asians.

I know what it's like to live in an all White community. I cherish the diversity/tolerance that it forced me to cultivate. I'd like my children to be able to grow up where they can adequately form their ethnic identities before being faced with those that constantly question their identities whether through curiousity or pig-headed ignorance.

Six, Three, Zero . . . sigh

In the past 2 months I've been on at least 6 interviews. I've gotten 3 job offers.

1 offer was at a company where I would be doing something I didn't care about but with a huge raise. At least that would have been better than my current situation of not caring about what I do and crappy pay.

Another offer was a contract position in a volatile industry. The pay was in the six figure range (a 40% raise for me) and was enticing. But the commute would have been more than an hour each way and I would have to live in fear that I would be dismissed any day.

The offer that was the best was from a medical robot start-up company. Exactly the same work I did in grad school with the opportunity to be in on the ground floor of something that might be great. Unfortunately I wasn't sure about the product and the overly ambitious time line and vague promises of benefits led me to stay at my more stable position.

So where am I now? At home, sighing and feeling guilty for lamenting my job situation when others don't have jobs.

Sigh . . .