Asian History Month: Perceptions and Community

I’m happy to be able to share some aspects of my personal Asian heritage with you. I know that feeling of being caught between being too Asian in one world and not Asian enough in the other, but I have grown out of feeling ashamed for not speaking my mother tongues fluently, because I still celebrate with my big Vietnamese family and can relate to the regular toasts at family dinners shared by other Asian cultures. In Vietnamese you cheer after every toast with “Mob Hai Baa, JOOOOO!”

 

Over spring break, I visited my aunt and uncle on my Lao side. They made my favourite dishes: dammachung (similar to the Thai papaya salad but done with cucumbers instead), laab, and khao niau (sticky rice – my absolute soul/comfort food). They used all the sauces that people usually consider stinky (fermented shrimp paste is one crucial ingredient) to cook and serve these meals. I was reminded so much of the smells of my childhood, and felt so connected to home whenever we ate together. Not only the food but also hearing Lao made me feel very conscious of this part of my identity.

 

Since I started studying migration and diversity for my master’s degree, I’ve reflected a lot more on the Asian part of my identity, and how it shaped the way I identify myself. I consider myself an “Asiatische Deutsch” – an Asian German. I wrote my thesis on different ways that people in Germany who are perceived as Asian self-identify and how that relates to the feeling of belonging to a community. I’ll share some of my main findings of my research later.

 

I’m speaking from a second-generation immigrant’s perspective. My parents migrated from Laos and Vietnam to Germany, where I was born. I’ve gone through a transition from Germany to Canada, still finding myself confused about some conventions, like the English-speaking culture of asking, “How are you doing?” as a way of greeting somebody. I still feel the urge to answer that question seriously – I guess that’s my German mindset of taking things literally.

 

Second-generation kids get asked where we are really from, or get compliments for our German or English skills. I don’t want to give so much space to these issues because it is tiring to explain why it hurts and it seems that your generation is much more aware of these issues than when I was at high school just a decade ago.

 

Asian Heritage Month is an opportunity for everyone to not only learn about the history of Asians in Canada with all the structural and institutional discrimination they have faced, but also the great Asian-Canadian personalities. There are many diverse backgrounds, and these differences strengthen us as a community. So yes, we should embrace diversity. But what does that actually mean?

 

Yes, it is celebrating different cultures and heritages, but not only one month in a year. (Please don’t get me wrong! I love this system of having a month to raise awareness for different parts of society! Germany, in comparison, is behind in that matter; it’s not a thing there yet.) These months should be more than just a “once-a-year thing” in the calendar; they should be a reminder that it is important to respect, appreciate and include people from these different backgrounds throughout the year.

 

Respecting people means to know their stories and listen to them. To know about interpersonal experiences is important, but we also need to learn about the structural and institutional level of discrimination.

 

Sadly, BC has 44 percent of Canada’s reported incidents of anti-Asian racism, most of them consisting of verbal harassment. Vancouver is the capital of anti-Asian hate crimes in North America. The pandemic and racist narratives around it, like the yellow peril, definitely played into this dynamic that many Asians around BC were already facing before and still do. We know there is structural racism and some everyday situations, even at Shawnigan, that make people who identify as Asian feel othered and uncomfortable – but let’s not end on this negative note.

 

We all have our stories, and by reaching out to others that might have similar stories to tell, we are able to connect and support each other.

 

This is the main finding of my master thesis that I promised you in the beginning: people who are perceived as Asian feel more self-confident and have a more positive attitude towards their Asian identity, even if it’s a hyphenated one (like Asian-Canadian), when they feel belonging to a group that represents them, a community.

 

And this is what Shawnigan is all about.

 

I love how welcomed and accepted I felt when I arrived here last year. The community we have at school is truly special, with many different Asian countries represented as well! At my high school, the only Asians were a half-Taiwanese girl and me, and we became best friends until today. In spite of, or because of, how annoyed we were that everyone thought we were sisters only because we are both Asian, we actually did bond like sisters. Here at Shawnigan there is such big potential for exchanging with fellow students who might face similar struggles and finding your own smaller community in this wonderful school community can work wonders.

 

At least for me, the feeling of belonging and being able to identify with people inside a group have made a big difference during my university time, and my scientific research also reflected this: being a member of an affinity group is a gamechanger.

 

Affinity groups are safer spaces where I meet with people who share similar experiences, and at times rage spaces where I can get emotional about microaggressions, but most of all an empowering space where I have reflected on so many things, and really learned to embrace my Asian heritage and laughed so hard with other Asian-Germans about shared experiences, for example Vietnamese moms and aunts cutting pizza with scissors.

 

So, I encourage the JEDI (Diversity and Inclusion) prefects for next year to think of setting up such affinity groups for people with common backgrounds and experiences to create a space for support and affirmation. They are also brave spaces that can definitely increase someone’s sense of belonging at Shawnigan.

 

So, to summarize my main take-home messages:

 

• Don’t let yourselves be biased by stereotypes, be it the “model minority myth” or the picture of the “quiet Asian girl.” If you categorize people by their looks, you are losing sight of the individual. Remember the word “sonder”: everyone is living a complex and vivid life of their own.

 

• Do not forget Asia is a giant continent consisting of dozens of countries. The term “Asian” stands for so many communities. I remind you of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s famous TED talk called “The Danger of a Single Story.” If you have not heard it yet, big recommendation! Be aware that stereotypes harm not only your own worldview but also the individual that you perceive through this simplistic narrative.

 

• And finally, to all of you who identify as Asian or partly Asian: even if some people might have specific preconceptions of what Asian means which can make you feel othered, you always create your own definition of what it means to be Asian. I want you to know that no matter whether you were born in an Asian country yourself or your parents were, you can be proud of the languages that surround you at home, the variety of foods and all the traditions that come with your Asian heritage. It is something so precious, even if there are times you might feel like the odd one out. You are amazing just the way you are.