Model Minority Immigrants: Overcoming a Lifetime of Stereotypes

Serene Grace, ,

I’m not sure if I posted this already, rediting my blog is causing confusion. 🤔

My parents legally immigrated from South Korea in the early seventies. My father worked his hands to the bone for decades as an electrical engineer; both of my parents instilled the old-fashioned value of living honestly and the virtues of hard work. Everything we achieved came from the principle of self-accountability. We lived in an affluent, upper-middle class neighborhood because my father was always up at dawn, off to work. He almost always returned home late too, he loved working double shifts (for time and a half pay). His hands were calloused and gnarled from the work he did. He would often joke with me by raising his permanently hardened hands up and saying, “monster hands” and then he would compare them to my delicately soft ones. He doted on me (I was the youngest in my family and so was he), and he often called me a “yang ban” indicating that I was gentry—an upper class korean, while he was a working-class peasant.

During the seventies and eighties Korean Americans experienced routine racism both directly and indirectly. I was called Ching-Chong at elementary school—black and white kids pulled their eyes into stretched slits and would sing-song gibberish at me, pretending to speak “chinese”. Then they would ask me why my eyes were “slanted”. “Why is your face so flat? Like a pancake!” they giggled.

“Are you Chinese or Japanese?” they loved to tease me—but they always omitted Korean as an option.

I remember feeling embarrassed at the asian stereotypes that were presented on tv shows and films. Shows like “Kung Fu” featured a caucasian actor, David Carradine who portrayed a slow-speaking, half-asian man. Scenes of his Shaolin kung fu training had his blind monk grandfather (who looked bizzare—he was played by an actual asian) who referred to him as, “Grasshopper”.

Why did they make his blind grandfather look like an albino alien? Ridiculous racism. Carradine giving the 666 sign shows his allegiance.

Carradine was once again showcased as a martial arts “master” in Tarrantino’s “Kill Bill”—Uma Thurman stole Bruce Lee’s signature yellow jumpsuit look and they were highlighted as the caucasian experts of martial arts. The racism in that popular film wasn’t subtle to those that have experienced it; but the majority of the audience never seemed to notice the cultural appropriation because we were all groomed to think of asians as being inferior, even within the arena of their own expertise.

Notice how tall (prominently highlighted) the non-asian actors are in comparison to the asians? One Uma Thurman defeated hundreds of tiny “Katos”—none of this is by accident.
In western films, Asians are: stereotypical, cartoon-like, caricatures; they are the side characters—not the lead roles in Tarrantino films. The asian females are depicted as being violent, “exotic” and hyper-sexualized too.

The concept of “Kung Fu” was allegedly stolen from the martial artist/actor, Bruce Lee who wanted to play the lead character (but Hollyweird was too racist to have an actual asian in the lead). Black and white films like “Charlie Chan” were even worse they had non-Asian actors in yellow face using thick Asian accents and exaggerated prosthetic eyelids plastered onto their faces.

All of those westernized, caricatured portrayals made me feel ashamed of my asian ethnicity, for a very long time those images programmed people to view asians in an inferior way. I still dislike the show “MASH” (which was very popular during the 80s). Once again none of the actors on the show were Korean, (Pat Morita was Japanese, he and the other non-koreans would terribly butcher the korean language when they pretended to speak it) and all of the episodes normalized the image of empoversished, thick accented korean peasants during wartime. Now that I think about it, there was a trans man on the show, (all for laughs? he was trying to get out of serving in the army by faking insanity?)—his cross-dressing ruse was showcased often; I think it normalized the spectacle of gender confusion that we’re currently drowning in.

My parents were model minority, they didn’t complain: they followed rules, paid taxes, started businesses from scratch and they successfully raised all of their children. They put us all through college without loans or government assistance and all of their children are now well-paid professionals with graduate degrees.

I am their one exception—the spoiled prodigal, the rebellious fool. My parents and siblings were conservative Christians but I wasted my God-given intelligence and the hardworking sacrifices of my parents; to end up with nothing of notable importance: no career, no home ownership, no marriage—but when I was a child I was considered gifted and talented with an above average IQ.

The moral of my story is don’t fall for liberalism. Don’t expect anything for free. Don’t be a lazy, entitled, taker. Give back more than what was given to you. Appreciate kindness and return the favor to those that are less fortunate. Don’t ever reject your family, no matter the circumstances. God sees all and justice will be served. God alone is the judge, not us. Forgive everyone for whatever divides you and be forgiven by God’s grace.

https://www.openbible.info/topics/forgive_and_you_will_be_forgiven

Family is designed by God to be a blessing, a lifelong gift from God. We’re not meant to live alone in this lost world. Don’t ever abandon your family; support them with your love, friendship, help and gratitude. I choose to forgive the racism that I experienced throughout my life as a minority Asian-American living in the US, but I will continue to point it out. Ignorance is not bliss but knowledge is power.

21 Comments

  1. Unfortunately this country was built on racism, prejudice and racial stereotypes. I remember those Charlie Chan black and white movies and the Kung Fu series being a blatant ripoff job. This world will always have an ass backwards spin to it.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I agree, the US was built on the suffering of every group except the ruling group. Human nature is easily corrupted by greed and vanity. When I briefly worked at the SF library there was a collection of Charlie Chan films, (newly purchased) I asked if those films were popular and unfortunately they were. Some folks never seem to notice racism, films like “Cloud Atlas” are still made without much pushback, I guess because it’s against Asians.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. I do believe many people are tone deaf when it comes to racism and discrimination. They enjoy feeling superior and will do anything to maintain that feeling.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. It’s strange, I think some folks would only notice if they were being subtly attacked. Nowadays reverse racism is prevalent and I strongly push back against that, two wrongs don’t make a right.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. I do sense the chaos of discordant thoughts and words are the work of the Great Deceiver. Only with God in our heart and full knowledge of his commandments and covenants that we strive daily to obey, will we recognize how far we have drifted into apostasy. Upon this realization, the opportunity to repent is always present and we can choose righteousness over right and privilege.

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Insight and repentance is a beautiful realization to into action. I often beat myself up for being lost in the New Age for 29 yrs but you’re right, while we’re alive, it’s never too late to change for the better.

        Liked by 1 person

      5. Absolutely agree. I’ve gone through a similar sense of loss from my 45 years of service to my country and my marriage of 35 years. I’ve realized old ways and beliefs cannot sustain me but changing to a reborn life is difficult. My work in the Church and relationship to God the Father and my Savior, Jesus Christ has allowed the Holy Spirit to guide me through this process. I was recently ordained to Elder in the Melchizedek Priesthood which moves me from Staff Service to Service to the congregation and ministry to the world. I am teaching my first convert and performed an anointing ceremony. These are first steps toward mastery and I may not have enough time on our angry planet to master the word and teachings of God but the effort is worth the reward.

        My transformation took a lifetime because for most of my life I felt unworthy. My sins, tho forgiven, were too much for me to surpass. Then a miracle happened that opened my eyes and made me realize I was being called to fulfill my mission here.

        Only good people go through the agony of their life choices. Those lost to the darkness have no such regrets. They merely mourn the fact life didn’t lift them up to all the things they desired and so blame is their only religion. It’s understandable from a human perspective but God expects more from us.

        The struggle is real, Judy. Your calling from God is real also. Remember St. Paul’s struggle as he left his past as a persecutor of Christians and became the Champion of the Gentiles, us. He was a firm person that taught tough love and even fought with Peter, Jesus’ favorite disciple, to guide the newly formed Churches away from the sins of the Jewish elites to a new world of peace, love, and freedom through the Covenants and Commandments of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

        Setting aside our human temporal world for His world of Salvation is everyone’s calling but only a few can do it. It is hard and full of tribulation but this is the road to mastery of the soul and eternal life. Took me 3/4ths of my life to reach the start point. I’m truly a hard headed slow learner. But, it is never too late to start anew unless death claims us first.

        Liked by 1 person

      6. Thank you for sharing your humble perceptions and experiences. I am impressed with your commitment to serving God. Serving brings much wisdom and connection to God and brings out the best in us. Beautiful that you are teaching as an Elder, I’m happy for you 🌷.

        Thank you for reminding me of Paul, he made up for his time as a persecutor (that gives me a sweet hope, true, it’s not too late). Self-forgiveness is a struggle for me, especially because no one else will condemn me, but myself—but if I had known then what I now understand; I would never have gone down the briar path of stupidity :)! God’s patience and protection makes me even more grateful too, I dodged many bullets, I’m sure that you literally did as well. God held each of us in His hands, never let go, thank goodness!

        I can relate very much to starting, 3/4 of the way :), I love how you describe it. I too was a “gifted and talented”, head full of rocks, know-it-all, (who knew very little) but it’s better to be a late bloomer than to never bloom at all, my friend 🤗✝️🕊️🌷!

        Liked by 1 person

      7. Amen to your comment, Judy. Let us travel our path with Jesus looking forward as everything behind us is a memory intended to teach our souls.

        Liked by 1 person

    1. I think that’s a wise change to have authenticity. I wondered why Lord of the Rings used CGI to create fake dwarfs. I think Cate Blanchette portrayed Bob Dillon too; it seems like it’s all to show off acting and CGI illusions.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. My family has suffered many of the same slights of racism but my daughters remained strong and resolute and never let a willful act of racism toward them or their friends go unpunished. When you poke the dragon, you get the fire, fangs, and claws.

    We can learn the ways and punishments of racism in the Old Testament and we learn how to vanquish it in the New Testament. The largest majority of Christians have not studied and contemplated the Word of God and are doomed as the Israelites were for their consistent failure to keep their covenants and obey the 600 laws God gave to them.

    In the New Testament, Christ set aside all sins, and old ways to make life and salvation possible. He simplified everything with his commandment to love God and love each other. In this way we do not arrive at the threshold of sin.

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    1. I think racism has always been fueled by egoism—which is fueled by fear/insecurity, which is satanic to the core. I agree that Jesus preached love, forgiveness and humility as well as living in alignment with God. He said, “Go and sin no more”.

      I think we have to continually try to follow Jesus’ example/do God’s good/just will, but because this world is fallen, we’re continually bombared by temptations.

      I can relate to the Israelite’s repeated foolishness. I get depressed with myself when I lose my temper or judge others, but all I can do is pray for guidance and discernment. The Holy Spirit is gentle, but demonic thoughts provoke guilt/ego. I have a long way to go, but I have hope. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” ✝️🕊️🌷

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      1. You are absolutely right. If we were so perfect in our ways that we had no need of God’s grace or Salvation through Christ, we might have bored God to the point of just vaporizing us into stardust and starting over again. We are a strange conglomeration of imperfection and as such we need God in every hour of our lives. The difference to me is in striving to walk in His path, Jesus as our guide and example. Still we will fail and can seek forgiveness meaningfully. Otherwise, we join the fallen world and all its temporal traps. We know where that leads us. 🔥👹

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      2. Sorry for the very late response, I’ve been thinking of how evil came into the world, I’m going to post about that soon hopefully. Anyway, I believe that hell is a total lack of goodness/justice/love/grace—a total void of God; and it’s not God that punishes us to go there, it’s brought on by ourselves rejecting His sovereignty and grace, (humanity is deceived by evil/d’evil disguised as goodness). Ego = G.O.A.T = antichrist.

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      4. I’m starting slowly to let God soften my heart, I hope to eventually have compassion for them vs anger. I’m a hot-head so there’s much work to be done :).

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