I'm reading "The Accidental Asian" by Eric Liu. I had never heard of it before spotting it on PJ's bookshelf last week before we headed out for icecream. I flipped through it, and asked to borrow it - along with the much coveted "Algebra of Infinite Justice" by Arundati Roy.
I started reading, and was immediately caught up in Liu's first essay, where he describes his father - a first generation Chinese immigrant in the suburbs of upstate New York - and his upbringing. I immediately found parallels with my own life. Although Liu talks about the Chinese American experience, I think that it carries to almost anyone of the second generation, irrespective of ethnicity.
Anyhoo, I've progressed from essay one and continue to be impressed with Liu's insights, while not quite so profound - they are more honest than I feel I've ever been with myself.
Some of the things that I've read that prompted me to dog ear the book (I know, bad Z ... bad bad Z!! *smack on the wrist!*):
- In dealing with his father's passing - Liu explores his father's past through pictures, letters (that he can't fully comprehend because of his limited understanding of Chinese), and a tribute book prepared by his fathers friends. He points out that having never actually heard the first hand accounts of his father's immigration story, he was left to impute meaning for himself. In doing so he recognizes that his reconstruction of his father's story highlights a subtle distinction - the mere act of observing a memory changes that memory's meaning.
- Liu dissects "whiteness" and the social assimilation that every minority community feels the need to engage in.
- He discusses the rise of the "Asian American" community - once thought to be the most unlikely of communities because of the basic lacking of a common narrative. A community that lacked the glue of commonalities - language, culture, history - and in fact many of these separate communities were enemies. "The Asian American narrative is deeply rooted in threat."
Like I said, nothing incredibly profound - but still noteworthy. I do the book no justice in summarizing his themes -but wanted to touch upon things that I thought were relevant to my own search of who I am.
Very much like the Asian American community, I sometimes feel like I'm a mass jumble of characteristics that are un-cohesive, and unlikely cohorts in a persona. I'm a FOB, but I often demonstrate the traits of an ABCD. Indian-ness and American-ness. I picked up some traditions, and cultural traits from the homeland, I was blessed with a deep-rooted bond to family ... but also appreciate the distance, and free-thinking that I have engaged in while away from home.
Apart from the cultural mishmash - Liu has made me think of myself as an Accidental Muslim. Liu describes how he grew up trying to separate himself from his Chineseness, and wanted to protect himself from the pigeonhole of the "Asian" stereotype.
"I didn't avoid making Asian friends ... I simply never went our of my way to do so ... [this distinction marked] the difference between self-hate and self-respect ... the reason I gave myself [was] that I didn't want to get absorbed and lose my individuality...I didn't need that crutch"
The crutch - of South Asian friends, Muslim friends - was what I was trying to avoid. Instead I tried to assimilate - a ploy that didn't last very long - and ... well, the rest is history.
Anyhoo, just some thoughts ... borrowed, as usual ... someday they'll be original :)
