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Asian Sisters "ASPIRE" to Excellence with Mentors' HelpBoston teens talk to Sampan about stereotypes, role models, and feelings about themselves
Cindy Moon , from Romeo, Michigan, introduced herself to the dozen or so teens and young women sitting in a circle inside a U Mass Boston lounge last Saturday morning. She works as a Web artist and associate studio designer for the advertising company Arnold Worldwide. Peering through her trendy, thick-framed glasses, Moon told the teens how she got into her job and how she is sort of a technology geek. Her young style and wild, partly dyed-red hair don't quite say 'geek,' though. She tells the good and the bad of her work. Building banner ads bores her, but the job's creativity is exciting. "If you love something, be a geek about it," she advised the girls on how to find their proper careers. Moon also told about how she was one of few Asians who grew up in the apple-orchard town of Romeo. "In my mind, I would always feel 50-steps back when someone would refer to me as 'that Chinese girl.' I'm Korean," she said. But obviously that and other stereotypes didn't stop her from doing what she wants to do.Welcome to ASPIRE -- or, if you want to set aside the helpful acronym, Asian Sisters Participating in Reaching Excellence. The four-month-old, Boston-area teen program lets Asian girls learn from working Asian women about jobs in various professions, providing them role models and mentors. This session was the third, and was about Asian women in arts professions. The other two were about medical careers and business careers. Besides Moon telling about her job (which would surely be a dream job to graphic design college students around the world), the teens got to hear about stage performing from actor and writer Christina Chan, and what goes into film programming at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston from Soo Pak. (What teen wouldn't want to watch hundreds of films and coordinate the museum's often edgy film series and get paid for it?) Adding ASPIRE to other area Asian teen programs, such as the Chinese Youth Initiative (CYI) and the Coalition for Asian Pacific American Youth (CAPAY), shows that Boston's young adults are getting more and more opportunities to strengthen their sense of identity and find direction. Sampan wanted to hear from the teens in their own voices. What are they thinking? Who are their role models? What do they face in terms of stereotyping? So, we asked them.
Sampan: Why do you think programs such as ASPIRE, CAPAY and CYI are important for teens' growth?EILEEN LEUNG: Such organizations like CAPAY are necessary because they're a good way to have different perspectives on Asian and Asian American history. They are also places where teens can express how they feel with others or share ideas. JULIANA NGUYEN: Programs like ASPIRE really help Asian American young women figure out what they want to do. CAPAY is informative. It helps my leadership skills, helps me speak out more. LAI NHU NGUYEN: I was born in Vietnam and came here six years ago. You still have that in you. In my parents' eyes, I am Americanized. But I don't know who I am Sometimes kids can turn bad when they don't realize who they are. Kids leave families and go to gangs because they don't think their parents love them - Asian parents don't tend to be emotional. HELEN QUACH: These groups are necessary for kids who don't get the support they need. They have no one to turn to. If I'm at home, I can't discuss sexism or racism to my parents. These groups give support in a world where teens are not seen as doing good things, but bad things. YING ZHOU: As part of the Chinese Progressive Association, CYI is a stepping stone, not only to allow youths to become more aware of community issues, often social injustices, but also to give youths the opportunity to arouse their sense of activism and leadership. I think that young people often have energy and spirit, and together, it's easier to make a difference. Sampan: Do you think there are issues that are particular to Asian American teens that other teens don't have to face?LEUNG: I think Asian American teens and young adults face the same issues as other people face... stress from schooling or perhaps personal issues. It varies from person to person... (Besides) some language problems or cultural differences, I don't think there are any issues that are unique to Asian American teens. I think that in non-Asian American families there are communication barriers because of the different eras in which their parents grew up. LAI NHU NGUYEN: I'm living proof (that they do). I know Vietnamese, but I'm losing it. At the same time I'm learning English. My parents can't speak English very well. My parents still think the Vietnamese way. It's definitely not the same issues. If you look at it, Asian parents are (often) much stricter. Life in some Asian countries, for them, wasn't that good, so they came here. So, there's a lot of pressure (put on the kids). Plus, there's racism. Definitely the culture and the family are different. QUACH: Cultural things...A lot of Asians face stereotypes. People say Chinese people eat cats and dogs. Others say that Asians are good at math and science. In history class we watched a film about World War II and the Japanese. Everyone in the class turned around and looked at me. I'm not even Japanese. TSANG:Yes. They have to maintain two identities. Also, if they speak only English they might not be able to communicate with their native culture. For example, if they go on a family trip to China they might feel isolated if they can't speak Chinese. ZHOU: Usually, immigrant parents cannot help their kids with homework, or a simple encouragement might just turn into an additional layer of pressure for the kids. After being in the U.S. for a few years, because kids adapt to new environments quicker than adults, more behavioral misunderstandings might result.
Sampan: Who do you look up to?NGUYEN: The coordinators at CAPAY and ASPIRE. Also, (writer and performer) Alex Luu. LAI NHU NGUYEN: Sophia Kim at CAPAY, my brothers and Alex Luu. QUACH: Helen Zia (an Asian American writer). I really admire her. She broke a lot of barriers. I can really relate to her. TSANG: My parents. Not because of any Asian American issue, but because they've gotten so far. Sampan: How do you think society is doing in combating stereotypes?LEUNG: I don't think our society is going very far in terms of spreading awareness of stereotypes. I think people only know about stereotypes when they join organizations that talk about the kinds of stereotypes that are happening or when such an organization goes to certain areas and spreads the word about stereotypes. There aren't a lot of such organizations, not that I know of. NGUYEN: I really haven't faced a lot of stereotypes. LAI NHU NGUYEN: I consider myself to be an activist. I'm surrounded by people who are advocates. Then I also see a lot of racism, and people yelling out "Chinks" or I see things like those Abercrombie & Fitch shirts (that made fun of Asians). QUACH: I don't think society is doing a good job. Not many Asians are in office or in the media who we can look up to. And then there's Abercrombie & Fitch. ZHOU: Society is far from where it should be. It is hard to raise such awareness when you have only martial arts related roles for Asian actors or the lack of Asian representation in politics.
Sampan: Do you notice any of your peers trying to live up to stereotypes?LEUNG: Yes. LAI NHU NGUYEN: Yeah. I notice it a lot lately. Like some people liked the Abercrombie & Fitch shirts. Some are trying to live up to it. QUACH: I definitely notice it. When I walk around Chinatown, I see it a lot. Girls lose a lot of weight to look really skinny like Hong Kong movie stars. And some people dye their hair and wear blue contacts. TSANG: For people who came here not too long ago I don't (think they do). But some of those Asian Americans who were born here try to fit in. Some of them also kind of shun the new immigrants. They say they just came here off the boat and think that they're embarrassing. Sampan: What can be done, in your view, to reduce people's stereotypes?LEUNG: I think we should start at the elementary level and educate children about these stereotypes - maybe through children's books or cartoons. I am not sure what can be done to the older people, because I think their minds might be set on those stereotypes... But, still, that doesn't mean we shouldn't stop trying. NGUYEN: People need to reach out more. NHU: I think the key is education. A lot of ignorance starts early. A lot of people don't learn early, and they might not be learning good things from their parents. QUACH: Classes should be taught in school. In history, you only learn about this side of the globe. Then, if you learn about the Vietnam War, the Vietnamese look bad. If you learn about World War II, the Japanese look bad. If you learn about the Korean War, the Koreans look bad. Schools have to do something about reducing stereotypes.
TSANG: Schools could probably make things better. They could ask: 'What does it mean to be Asian American?' I don't think school or the media is doing enough of that. ZHOU: As Asian Americans, for example, in school activities, simply because we're Asian, instead of participating only in the String Ensemble, (groups such as) ASIA, or the Math Team, we should get more involved in other things, like sports or the school literary magazine, to explore new things for ourselves, and to express our talents in other ways.
Related Readings
The Sampan newspaper, published and distributed by Boston's Asian American Civic Association, appears bi-monthly in English and Chinese editions. Online archives of some Sampan features in English appear here. |
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