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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() (CNN) -- The term "Asian-American" encompasses an array of national origins, cultures, languages, dialects, religions, generations and histories. It refers to experiences so diverse that in many ways it defies definition. In a quest for understanding, CNN.com asked readers for their perspectives on the Asian-American experience. The vast differences in the Asian-American community are reflected in the different realities expressed in these responses. Here is a selection of e-mails, some of which have been edited for length and clarity. Roger Dong from Alameda, California Occasionally, it has irked me when a few people still distrust me and question my loyalty to America and wonder if I have any allegiance to the Chinese govt. After 32 years of federal government service -- 28 years as a military officer, and four years in the diplomatic corps -- serving our nation, I should not have to defend myself. ... ... We have made many contributions to America, but no one knows about the contributions, not even us. It will be extremely tragic if our fellow Americans get irrational and Chinese Americans are [made scapegoats] for our frustrations in dealing with a China that is getting more powerful. Chao Moua from Menomonie, Wisconsin Ravi Ransi from Hainesport, New Jersey Conan Hom from Lexington, Massachusetts Though born here there are those in the U.S. who would consider me not truly an American, yet they would assume a non-Asian who is born abroad to be more of an American. Being of Asian heritage, I am not considered a minority in many things even though I really am. Also strangely enough, I have been the object of racial slurs by the majority as well as other minorities -- including those which are larger than the Asian contingent. Steven Cho from Diamond Bar, California Fan Yang from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania As the years went by, I moved from Montreal to an upper-middle-class suburb of Boston for the sixth grade. This transition was quite difficult for me. At my new school, I was surprised at how arrogant some of the students were. I was Chinese-American, and that defined me whether I liked it or not. I made many great friends, but some of the students felt necessary to subtly degrade me and to remind me of my race. For example, on a daily basis, a few classmates would comment in a derogatory way about my facial features. "Did someone drop you on your face as a baby? Is that why it is so flat?" This treatment went on for years, but I eventually became numb to it. In the middle of high school, my parents moved to Houston, Texas. I felt right at home in Houston since many students in my high school were also Chinese-American. For the first time, being Chinese-American no longer defined who I was. During my two years there, no one asked why my face was so flat. Life was great. After high school, I attended college at a school that was almost 40 or 50 percent Asian- American. I pursued my studies and got into medical school. I did not stand out one bit and I loved it. Now, I am a medical student living the American dream. My parents are both professors and they now live in a brand new four-bedroom house in an upper-middle-class suburb in Philadelphia. This suburb reminds me so much of the Boston suburb where I experienced the subtle racism and prejudice, but this time, I know that things are different. The journey to reach the American dream is a long and difficult one, but now that I am here, I am so thankful for the life that my parents provided for me here in America. God bless America. John Sanda from Sweet, Idaho S.K. from Tucson, Arizona ... I remember sitting in a darkened living room and having my mother come and ask me why I didn't want to go outside. I asked my mom, "Mom, when am I going to turn white"? I was so confused because I knew my father was white and didn't know why I wasn't. I had been trying to avoid the sun so I could be lighter. So as a mixed-race Asian, who grew up in a "white" culture, I felt somewhat rejected from that culture. On the flip side, if I were to tell an Indian from India that I were Indian they would at first not believe me. I don't look like a typical Indian I guess. So, in some ways, I have felt disassociated from both cultures. Marquis Leu from Garland, Texas Makoto Hirata from Paramus, New Jersey Jessie Park from Gabriel, California Each demographic has had their own personal struggles while integrating into American society, as if the label "Asian" had no bearing on their vastly different experiences: the sweat of the Chinese workers during the construction of the first transcontinental railroad, the Japanese- Americans' detention during World War II, the missing recognition of Filipino WWII veterans, the Korean-Americans' dilemma as the world settles a nuclear standoff on the Korean peninsula. These situations hardly had anything to with each other, but it was all part of the American experience. ... We all must realize that each one of us has a rich history, that a simple label based on the color of our skin is a poor sampling of history. Tommy T. from Houston, Texas Socially, Asian women are looked at as exotic and a prize, but the Asian men have it the hardest out of all the ethnic groups in the United States. Dealing with physical deprivation and having to stand at the cultural presence of being the breadwinner in a society which see Asian men as weak is hard to overcome. We need to involve Asian men in the mass media in the most positive ways to overcome these stereotypes. Yiu Wai Chan from Brooklyn, New York Our most difficult challenge, I believe, is when we try to keep our culture and language largely intact through ongoing generations. Americanization, while having many advantages, inevitably erodes any culture to the point where a fifth-generation Chinese-American will have nothing in common with a first-generation Chinese, except for, possibly, the last name, some facial features, and common ancestry. I'm not sure this challenge can be overcome or even if it's a good idea to try. But hopefully this homogenization will go hand in hand with a more racially tolerant society. Coco Upton from Highlands Ranch, Colorado Sunetra Chavan from Webster, New York Hope it sums it up! Ravi Upadhyay from Jersey City, New Jersey Chun Yeung from Sacramento, California It means being humble yet aggressive, honest yet conniving. To succeed in something so those parents who emigrated from hardship, war, and poverty can feel proud, that they did not go through the hardship to find their way to the "Land of Gold" for nothing. To make the best cars yet [be] viewed as the worst drivers. ... ... Those are just some random thoughts about the subject. But the pioneering generations definitely went through much more hardship paving the way for us. ... Although we have somewhat assimilated into American culture, we will never be viewed as just plain ol' American. But I am proud. I am Chinese-American. Farzana Choudhury from Los Angeles, California Gururaj Pare from Sunnyvale, California Dennis Lee from Staten Island, New York Ultimately, we had to change schools and go back to Chinatown, New York, where there were more Chinese students. It was a shame that even in American cities people of different ethnic groups needed to stay in their Chinatowns, Spanish Harlems, and neighborhoods of their own national origin just to feel safe and "at home." However in 2007, my brother is attending the same elementary school that I originally started at on Staten Island. He hasn't faced as many issues as my sister and I faced. Of course he gets a racial comment here and there but kids will be kids. You may ask why I think my brother faced less problems then me ... I think it comes down to more education from school, parents, racial awareness, and more diversity in our neighborhood. Anjali Jones from Memphis, Tennessee All in all, there were some crappy times, but it definitely taught me how to stand up for myself. It also helped me figure out what I love and don't love about my background, about my culture, about ME. So my approach now is to take what I like about my culture and what I like about American culture to help make myself into a better person. As a result, I'm a pretty firm believer in difficulties making a person stronger, so long as they have positive influences in their life that can help keep them on track. Aditi Samarth from Dallas, Texas Because of this awareness and the ubiquitous Asian and Indian restaurants and grocery stores springing up all across the U.S., it is much easier to be Asian in America today. The H1B's and other immigrants since 1995 have it really easy in America. There is so much comfort for them now. They may be away from home, but their "home" has been recreated here. They can -- and do -- everything like they did back home. They face fewer challenges because they are certainly not pioneers [and] don't have to carve a place for themselves. They come ready with a visa to work and earn good salaries right from day one of landing in the U.S. The first generation has created many possibilities and opportunities -- opened doors -- for the next generations (and new immigrants). The hard work, resilience, perseverance, entrepreneurship, and many other personal and cultural/collective qualities have led to the acceptance of Asians in America. The next generation -- the younger generation -- has fewer battles to fight. I predict their task will be to enter areas of public domain and gather visibility and not lose the "Asian" connection. They will continue to struggle for family name and success. They will also tread into non-traditional Asian educational/vocational areas. I am looking forward to seeing what my 3-year-old son makes of being Asian (Indian) in America. It should be fun. ![]() Hong Pham, with her daughter Hana, said being Asian-American sometimes means feeling like you are "stuck in the middle," where you are neither Asian nor American. SPECIAL REPORT![]() Gallery: Asian-American notables
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