Asian Posers: You guys are 100% American

[tikiyaki]

Re: Asian Posers: You guys are 100% American

In regards to American non black youth embracing the culture of other races:



Why is this a pet peeve, Tikiyaki? Is it because you believe that 95% of American non-black youth are embracing the customs and cultures of an ethnic group which they clearly are not part of, i.e., learning ebonics and wearing a mufi, whereas the American black youth are shunning their "identity" by not?

Or are you peeved by the fact that the American non-black youth who ARE embracing the customs and cultures of another ethnic group are wrongly doing so simply because the color of their skin? Are they guilty of shunning their own ethnic identity? Is it wrong for say a Caucasian youth from Minnesota to wear "gangster wear" from the Bronx, strictly on the basis that he/she is not the original intended market for this type clothing, i.e., he/she is white, if this style of clothing was indeed "intended" for a specific racial group?

I'm just curious. I'm a Caucasian who will soon have my hair styled in a fashion that is patently considered non-Caucasian. I don't believe though, that by wearing my hair in this style, that I'm shunning my ethnic background. Nor do I feel that it's wrong to embrace and enjoy the cultures of another race or nationality. I'm going to celebrate and enjoy the cultures of another race completely different from mine. I'm not going to define myself as Caucasian..eat like Caucasian, talk like a Caucasian, dress like a Caucasian...just because I am a Caucasian. Or someone thinks I should just because I am.

Embracing or "celebrating" a culture and copying one based on Popular Culture are two different things to me. Embracing a culture doesn't mean you have to imitate speech,clothing, attitude etc. To act as if you are a Black B-Boy from the South Bronx or Compton when you're a white kid from Long Island or Sherman Oaks is just flat out false.

To carry on as if you were born in the projects, when you were in fact raised in a predominantly white, uppper middle class suburban neighborhood is an insult to both cultures. For a humorous example of this phenomenon, check out "Malibu's Most Wanted" starring Jaime Kennedy to see what I'm talking about.

To me, I would think it's similar to showing up in Hawaii and attempting to speak Pidgin, or being from the Midwest, and showing up in NY and trying to talk like a guy from an Italian Mob movie or Jerry Seinfeld. These wanna be B-Boys are flat out embarrassing.

Cutting your hair a little "Urban" is not the same thing. Wearing a Raiders Cap is not the same thing.

I'm talkin about Vanilla Ice Syndrome.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Asian Posers: You guys are 100% American

I understand that the term "American" covers the entire North & South America so the correct term would be I'm a citizen of the USA. I understand the term "Hawaiian" refers to the native people of Hawaii. So the correct term for me is to be called a resident of Hawaii. But in everyday conversations, this can get tedious. It's like Prince and his name "The Artist Formerly Known as Prince". I thought that was why the term "Native" was added? You know, "Native Americans" and "Native Hawaiians". Doesn't that work for everyone? Or are people sensitive to that too? As for calling ourselves "Americans", I don't think any other country in the New World cares. They were smart enough to name their countries uniquely so they have a name to call themselves.

Canada = Canadians
Brazil = Brazilians
Panama = Panamanians
Etc = Etcarians

I think Hobart just wanted to start some flame material. I've noticed only one initial entry and then nothing more.

I was taking a shower thinking about that same observation that we haven't heard Hobart chiming in since the initial post. He must be LHAO.

I know it's tough not to call oneself American coming from the United States as it's what the world seems to call us anyway. BUT when we start to look at ethnicity and lands of origin, we must take into consideration the reality of what we really are and not what we assume to be if we are to argue the point.

I use the ethnicity of being Hawaiian and being indiginent from Hawaii to prove my point about being an American. If being a patriotic flag waving US Citizen is to be American, then what of those who aren't US Citizens? What are they even though they are ancestored from the Americas?

One must look at our country as one in many on this globe and for that we must correctly identify with what we are. We are citizens of the United States of America, not citizens of Brazil or citizens of Canada or even Mexico for that matter.

Does that make anyone born in the United States that isn't indiginent to the Americas...American? Yes? Really? Then let's put poor Hobart who is not Japanese by ethnicity and place him in Japan at his birth. Is he then Asian? Is he Japanese then? Of course not! Just as if he was born in Hawaii and have the gall to call himself Hawaiian. He's not and if he isn't then we who aren't native American cannot as well.

We cannot tell some caucasian he's not Hawaiian if he was born and raised here but wasn't Kanaka Maoli and in the same breath tell the world that we as non-native Americans are Americans. That's a bit hypocritical isn't it?

Think about it. Colombians don't call themselves American, Bolivians don't call themselves Americans but they are. In the Olympics when the stats are posted we aren't called, "Americans" we are listed as "USA"

We get all pissy when some mainland newscaster says, "Michelle Wie...a Hawaiian golfer hit an Eagle today on the 18th hole..."

We can't help it if our fore fathers gave us a name of a country that couldn't be said in less than ten syllables but that is what we are...citizens of the United States of America. Maybe we should be called United Statians or as my Itallian friends call me: OOSA (USA). At first I thought she wanted sex

BUT I know I won't win this debate so despite all my talk, I'll concede to the popular notion that I am an American.

And Hobart that in no way makes you Asian even though the arguements out there for being American say otherwise.

[buzz1941]

Re: Asian Posers: You guys are 100% American

I am not necessarily 100% "American" in the way many people define it because I don't necessarily have the same core values as the majority of people who call themselves "Americans".

That's a pretty sweeping generalization. I don't know if you're liberal or conservative, but rest assured, all citizens of the United States who are liberal or conservative or anything in-between are "Americans."

Or so you say. I’m willing to bet real cash that any Hawaiian Studies professor would vehemently disagree with you.

Probably disagree in English, too. And in writing.

[Kelly0040]

Re: Asian Posers: You guys are 100% American

I'm Japanese American (yonsei).
I'm Assyrian American. (like Andre Agassi! )
I'm 100% Americanized.

I cannot think of a greater insult to my great grandparents and especially to my grandparents if I didn't add American after "what" I am. They sacrificed a lot to get here and stay here no matter what fellow "Americans" did to them. My grandfathers were so proud to be Americans that I can't find words to describe it.

I've got some iron-on shirt thingys left. I think "Asian Poser" will look fab on my chest. Maybe I'll put a camel on the back for kicks.

[joshuatree]

Re: Asian Posers: You guys are 100% American

I was taking a shower thinking about that same observation that we haven't heard Hobart chiming in since the initial post. He must be LHAO.

I'm sure he must be but then again, I'm not too riled up on this one either. Just joining in the dialogue.

Does that make anyone born in the United States that isn't indiginent to the Americas...American? Yes? Really? Then let's put poor Hobart who is not Japanese by ethnicity and place him in Japan at his birth. Is he then Asian? Is he Japanese then? Of course not! Just as if he was born in Hawaii and have the gall to call himself Hawaiian. He's not and if he isn't then we who aren't native American cannot as well.

Well this one I'm gonna say yes, if Hobart who is not of Asian blood but let's say he was born and raised in Japan, only learned Japanese, lives his life according to Japanese customs, and holds Japanese citizenship, then yes, he is Japanese at the nationality level, at the cultural level, but not at the ethnic blood level. Then if he decided to try and learn to be American, we can call him a poser American?

We get all pissy when some mainland newscaster says, "Michelle Wie...a Hawaiian golfer hit an Eagle today on the 18th hole..."

We can't help it if our fore fathers gave us a name of a country that couldn't be said in less than ten syllables but that is what we are...citizens of the United States of America.

Well this is what I was getting at, not to win some argument, but the fact that our fore fathers picked a name for our country that actually can encompass two continents, we're stuck with calling ourselves "Americans" unless we decide something like "United Staters". Yes, the right option would be to say, "I am a citizen of the USA" but when you just want to give a quick and one worded answer, it's gonna be most likely "American". And that's why I think the term "Native American" will help separate those that truly originated from these lands.

The term "Hawaiian" is even more complex than "American" because at least with "American", this is a phrase coined by some European guy. It wasn't a name the native Indian tribes used. They got their own names like the Sioux, the Iroquois, etc. But Hawaiians called themselves Hawaiians and we are now using that term to encompass everyone residing in the state. So how well does it float to call those of Hawaiian blood "Native Hawaiians" and the rest of us "Hawaiians"? I dunno....maybe we should switch to using the name Europeans gave the Hawaiian Islands, the Sandwich Isles? So those of us who just reside here can say, "I'm a Sandwich"?

[TuNnL]

Re: Asian Posers: You guys are 100% American

The term "Hawaiian" is even more complex than "American" because at least with "American", this is a phrase coined by some European guy ... Hawaiians called themselves Hawaiians and we are now using that term to encompass everyone residing in the state.

Uhh, no. Hey this thread has real educational value for all participants! Hawaiians did not call themselves Hawaiians, joshua. They called themselves kanaka maoli. In ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i, “Hawai‘i” is a reference to the ‘aina.

[joshuatree]

Re: Asian Posers: You guys are 100% American

Uhh, no. Hey this thread has real educational value for all participants! Hawaiians did not call themselves Hawaiians, joshua. They called themselves kanaka maoli.

I stand corrected but I don't believe the word Hawaiian or Hawaii was a phrase coined by some European foreigner either, right?

[Bard]

Re: Asian Posers: You guys are 100% American

I'm proud that I am from Hawaiian Ancestry, born in Hawaii, and live in Hawaii...and can boldly state that I am Hawaiian(cuz its in my blood). Now the part where people say their american...thats great but the interesting thing is that, thats not an ethnicity, no one has American blood, do they? (correct me if I'm wrong)

You know, the kinda funny thing is that these are very similar cases. Hawaiians did not evolve (or were placed by God, whatever one believes) in the Hawaiian islands, they migrated there. A long time ago, I'll grant you, but was a new ethnicity created just because Tongans (or Menehunes, or what have you ) moved to a new area?

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Asian Posers: You guys are 100% American

The term "Hawaiian" is even more complex than "American" because at least with "American", this is a phrase coined by some European guy. It wasn't a name the native Indian tribes used. They got their own names like the Sioux, the Iroquois, etc. But Hawaiians called themselves Hawaiians and we are now using that term to encompass everyone residing in the state. So how well does it float to call those of Hawaiian blood "Native Hawaiians" and the rest of us "Hawaiians"? I dunno....maybe we should switch to using the name Europeans gave the Hawaiian Islands, the Sandwich Isles? So those of us who just reside here can say, "I'm a Sandwich"?

Yeah but then what kind of sandwich are you? Some of us have Pimento (better known as Mystery Meat cuz we don't know much about them), some of us are Balogna because we're full of it...hmmm interesting topic for another thread

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: Asian Posers: You guys are 100% American

You know, the kinda funny thing is that these are very similar cases. Hawaiians did not evolve (or were placed by God, whatever one believes) in the Hawaiian islands, they migrated there. A long time ago, I'll grant you, but was a new ethnicity created just because Tongans (or Menehunes, or what have you ) moved to a new area?

Maybe. I mean, are the Cajuns still Frenchmen? I don't think either group would agree.

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: Asian Posers: You guys are 100% American

You know, the kinda funny thing is that these are very similar cases. Hawaiians did not evolve (or were placed by God, whatever one believes) in the Hawaiian islands, they migrated there. A long time ago, I'll grant you, but was a new ethnicity created just because Tongans (or Menehunes, or what have you ) moved to a new area?

yes. Hawaiian is an ethnic group. The race is Polynesian.

Ethnic Serbs
Ethnic Tutsis
Ethnic Tamil
Ethnic Chechens
Ethnic Guarayo
Ethnic Tibetan

Google up media reports on groups like these. Their ethnic distinction is respected and noted upon when they and their governments clash. Look at why they clash. See any similarities? See any irony?

[Bard]

Re: Asian Posers: You guys are 100% American

I'm seeing plenty of irony but I'm not sure it's the irony you want me to see. Are you using "ethnicity" to refer to more of a cultural group and "race" to refer to a genotype?

Would it make sense under your definitions for someone to say their ethnicity is American and their race is German, or something like that? Thus "German American".

I don't mean this in confrontational sort of way... but I guess I'm not seeing why it's any different that the Polynesians colonized Hawai`i and became Hawaiians vs the Europeans colonizing the Americas and thus becoming Americans. Except maybe for the amount of previous residents they kicked out and the length of time since it happened.

[joshuatree]

Re: Asian Posers: You guys are 100% American

Yeah but then what kind of sandwich are you? Some of us have Pimento (better known as Mystery Meat cuz we don't know much about them), some of us are Balogna because we're full of it...hmmm interesting topic for another thread

LOL, I'm a combo #3, hold the jalapeños, no olive oil, no vinegar.

[joshuatree]

Re: Asian Posers: You guys are 100% American

I'm seeing plenty of irony but I'm not sure it's the irony you want me to see. Are you using "ethnicity" to refer to more of a cultural group and "race" to refer to a genotype?

Would it make sense under your definitions for someone to say their ethnicity is American and their race is German, or something like that? Thus "German American".

I don't mean this in confrontational sort of way... but I guess I'm not seeing why it's any different that the Polynesians colonized Hawai`i and became Hawaiians vs the Europeans colonizing the Americas and thus becoming Americans. Except maybe for the amount of previous residents they kicked out and the length of time since it happened.

Length of time is probably the biggest factor because if we look far back enough, and I mean really far back, we're all from the same stock if you subscribe to the theory of evolution.

[1stwahine]

Re: Asian Posers: You guys are 100% American

Yeah but then what kind of sandwich are you? Some of us have Pimento (better known as Mystery Meat cuz we don't know much about them), some of us are Balogna because we're full of it...hmmm interesting topic for another thread

Wait. I gotta check.

K-den. I'm a pastele, lumpia and I dunno any food dat the cherokees make...but I got a little of dat too!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I am an AMERICAN!

Auntie Lynn