GAJ
Well-known member
The majority of US Citizens like myself choose to vote AND do not own a gun.
Do you, as a LEO, think all Citizens should own guns to be a good law abiding Citizen?
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Anti-Asian Hate Crimes
- Thread starter lefty
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The majority of US Citizens like myself choose to vote AND do not own a gun.
Do you, as a LEO, think all Citizens should own guns to be a good law abiding Citizen?
Who decided "cancel culture" is a thing now? As if cancel culture hasn't always existed? Is it just because certain groups of the country don't like that people they like are getting canceled now? While they were quiet when people they don't like were getting canceled or actively wanted people they don't like being cancelled.
Not intending that to be a political post. Seems people are getting 'cancelled' all across the spectrum, political or non-political. But there's a new word for it, because reasons I don't exactly understand. Seems to me to be like the word 'twerking'. Someone decided to make a new term for something that's always existed. Women have been shaking their asses in music videos and at parties as long as music videos and parties have existed. People with enough influence have been cancelling people forever.
I'm not pointing my finger at you, bo, just a thought sparked by your post.
tzrider
Write Only User
Comparing the two rights, my opinion is that there is more benefit and less downside when more people vote than when more people own guns.
mean dad
verum super omnia
Was it cancel culture when mouth-breathers refused to watch football because someone kneeled?
Or was that justified outrage and not cancel culture at all?
Man oh man, remember when all the rednecks decided they weren't going to watch Nascar anymore because they banned the rebel flag?
That's probably not cancel culture either, is it.
Of course not! It's a fucking made-up word from the right to cry when their offensive statements and actions have consequences. Say something stupid, lose some business from one side of the aisle. That's the American fucking way.
Or was that justified outrage and not cancel culture at all?
Man oh man, remember when all the rednecks decided they weren't going to watch Nascar anymore because they banned the rebel flag?
That's probably not cancel culture either, is it.
Of course not! It's a fucking made-up word from the right to cry when their offensive statements and actions have consequences. Say something stupid, lose some business from one side of the aisle. That's the American fucking way.
KooLaid
Hippocritapotamus
HUGE difference between a group volunteering to NOT partake vs a group demanding it be destroy or removed completely from society.
The "rednecks" as you so eloquently want to call them didn't demand that they tear down the race track or remove nascar from TV.
Same goes for the "mouth breathers" who voluntarily choose not to watch football.
SVsick50
Deep in the Heart of Texas
Somebody asked to post Asian experiences, and I would like to do that. Sorry for being long winded, but I think my family's story and many like mine (which I would think is the norm and not the exception) is important to recognize.
My great grandparents (originally from the Philippines) came here from Hawaiian plantations. They realized that the working conditions in Hawaii were not good (dirt floors for their living quarters) and the main land just had more to offer. My grandfather came here in that move, and attended Santa Cruz High School.
In this interview from 1998 (video posted below) my grandfather talks about his relationships with white people. While it wasn't the best, white people, especially Santa Cruz Italians, were the most generous and welcoming people to an ethnically rare person. My grandfather used to tell my mother and her siblings "I could've taught you to hate the white man" and what he meant by that was he could've taught them that, but that wouldn't be honest.
My grandfather, and other poor Filipino immigrants, worked for, with, and live in predominantly white communities, and when he eventually passed away - outside of my family members - white people were there.
Fast forward to 1957, when my dad came here at the age of 17. My grandmother was widowed when he was 6 yrs old and never remarried, and NOTHING was left for my dad in the Philippines but low wage jobs, government corruption, and gang life (he almost stabbed a guy one night in a nightclub). So, right before the height of the Civil Rights movement, a small, poor, brown kid with a thick accent came to the US with a backpack and dream.
My dad finished his education and became an engineer, and worked through the corporate ladder for nearly 4 decades. He worked with and for white men, who entrusted him in his decision making, and promoted him and gave him pay raises based on the quality of his work. Calculating and adjusting for inflation, my dad, at his career peak, was making the equivalent to $500K/year of today's money. These old, rich white men very much respected that small, brown dude who was my dad. My dad was tenacious (he was a 2nd degree Shotokan black belt belt), hardworking, and wouldn't let his ethnicity be a factor in his life.
To the day, my dad's best friend is an old white guy, whom he met at the local ukulele club. They perform together and hang out all the time.
Fast forward to me. I'm married to a white woman who's 12 years my younger, extremely successful and a goddamn knockout 10. I am successful in my own career, again, working for a company mostly run by old white guys. My stepson is 1/2 Native American, and is a handsome young man. We've traveled all over the place. Nobody looks at us funny, nobody says anything derogatory... and in fact, we get compliments all the time as being a "beautiful family". All over the country and in foreign lands, and we have received zero negative experiences as a mixed family.
My brother is married to a white woman and they have mixed kids (obviously).
We are an AMERICAN story. Our experience is truly American, where white people and all kinds of people have been integrated into this "Asian experience", and for that I couldn't be more grateful.
I remember being in college and these Filipinos at SJSU wanted me to join their Fil Am group. Like "hey, you're Filipino, so you should join us" and I was utterly confused. The ONLY thing we had in common was our race? Not our likes, hobbies, religion, recreational activities... none of that. Just our ethnicity? I just recall back when my dad used to tell me of the Filipinos he went to college with calling him "white washed" and basically a "race traitor". I was like "no thanks".
So, the times that I can definitely point racism was an issue in my life was less than a handful of times (maybe 3 times?), and God knows it hasn't defined me. I am so grateful for the people in my life, and race never mattered to me, or my family. All the talk of us vs. them makes no sense to me. The narrative of woke segregation makes no sense to me, and why it's being pushed so hard. What kind of life would've this have been if it wasn't mixed with other races and cultures? Like, I don't buy from a store, watch a movie, or support something because it's "Black owned" or "Asian owned". That would be more racist than anything else, and from my perspective, un-American.
Lastly, I teach martial arts at a karate dojo and I am a striking coach at an MMA gym. I was talking to a fellow boxer about self defense yada yada yada and he says "Dion, ain't nobody gonna mess with you... just look at you..." and he's right. Nobody messes with me, so maybe that's a thing, too.
Here's my grandparent's interview, where they do talk about racism and such and their American experience. It took a bit for me to conserve this video and keep a digital copy of it. If you're interested in Filipino American history, here's a pretty good nibble of it through my grandparents. Both lived into their mid-90's.
Sorry for the long post, but I'm kinda tired of woke segregation. Like labeling me "Asian". Label me the person I am, not the color I was born with. I didn't have a choice to be Asian, so it doesn't define me.
My great grandparents (originally from the Philippines) came here from Hawaiian plantations. They realized that the working conditions in Hawaii were not good (dirt floors for their living quarters) and the main land just had more to offer. My grandfather came here in that move, and attended Santa Cruz High School.
In this interview from 1998 (video posted below) my grandfather talks about his relationships with white people. While it wasn't the best, white people, especially Santa Cruz Italians, were the most generous and welcoming people to an ethnically rare person. My grandfather used to tell my mother and her siblings "I could've taught you to hate the white man" and what he meant by that was he could've taught them that, but that wouldn't be honest.
My grandfather, and other poor Filipino immigrants, worked for, with, and live in predominantly white communities, and when he eventually passed away - outside of my family members - white people were there.
Fast forward to 1957, when my dad came here at the age of 17. My grandmother was widowed when he was 6 yrs old and never remarried, and NOTHING was left for my dad in the Philippines but low wage jobs, government corruption, and gang life (he almost stabbed a guy one night in a nightclub). So, right before the height of the Civil Rights movement, a small, poor, brown kid with a thick accent came to the US with a backpack and dream.
My dad finished his education and became an engineer, and worked through the corporate ladder for nearly 4 decades. He worked with and for white men, who entrusted him in his decision making, and promoted him and gave him pay raises based on the quality of his work. Calculating and adjusting for inflation, my dad, at his career peak, was making the equivalent to $500K/year of today's money. These old, rich white men very much respected that small, brown dude who was my dad. My dad was tenacious (he was a 2nd degree Shotokan black belt belt), hardworking, and wouldn't let his ethnicity be a factor in his life.
To the day, my dad's best friend is an old white guy, whom he met at the local ukulele club. They perform together and hang out all the time.
Fast forward to me. I'm married to a white woman who's 12 years my younger, extremely successful and a goddamn knockout 10. I am successful in my own career, again, working for a company mostly run by old white guys. My stepson is 1/2 Native American, and is a handsome young man. We've traveled all over the place. Nobody looks at us funny, nobody says anything derogatory... and in fact, we get compliments all the time as being a "beautiful family". All over the country and in foreign lands, and we have received zero negative experiences as a mixed family.
My brother is married to a white woman and they have mixed kids (obviously).
We are an AMERICAN story. Our experience is truly American, where white people and all kinds of people have been integrated into this "Asian experience", and for that I couldn't be more grateful.
I remember being in college and these Filipinos at SJSU wanted me to join their Fil Am group. Like "hey, you're Filipino, so you should join us" and I was utterly confused. The ONLY thing we had in common was our race? Not our likes, hobbies, religion, recreational activities... none of that. Just our ethnicity? I just recall back when my dad used to tell me of the Filipinos he went to college with calling him "white washed" and basically a "race traitor". I was like "no thanks".
So, the times that I can definitely point racism was an issue in my life was less than a handful of times (maybe 3 times?), and God knows it hasn't defined me. I am so grateful for the people in my life, and race never mattered to me, or my family. All the talk of us vs. them makes no sense to me. The narrative of woke segregation makes no sense to me, and why it's being pushed so hard. What kind of life would've this have been if it wasn't mixed with other races and cultures? Like, I don't buy from a store, watch a movie, or support something because it's "Black owned" or "Asian owned". That would be more racist than anything else, and from my perspective, un-American.
Lastly, I teach martial arts at a karate dojo and I am a striking coach at an MMA gym. I was talking to a fellow boxer about self defense yada yada yada and he says "Dion, ain't nobody gonna mess with you... just look at you..." and he's right. Nobody messes with me, so maybe that's a thing, too.
Here's my grandparent's interview, where they do talk about racism and such and their American experience. It took a bit for me to conserve this video and keep a digital copy of it. If you're interested in Filipino American history, here's a pretty good nibble of it through my grandparents. Both lived into their mid-90's.
Sorry for the long post, but I'm kinda tired of woke segregation. Like labeling me "Asian". Label me the person I am, not the color I was born with. I didn't have a choice to be Asian, so it doesn't define me.
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Not at all. I read the whole thing. Thank you for your perspective and family story.
Also, high five for another karateka and martial artist in general.
Mabuhay!
GAJ
Well-known member
SVsick50
Deep in the Heart of Texas
Not at all. I read the whole thing. Thank you for your perspective and family story.
Also, high five for another karateka and martial artist in general.
Thank you!
NSR500
すけべ
A great story and it is similar to my family's.
We were all raised as Americans and never as hyphenated Americans.
To that point, it's one of the reasons we have issues as a nation today. If we actually saw each other and identified firstly as Americans, we'd have greater progress in social harmony.
Looking at Japan as an example. They're a nation of very low crime and social unrest. One can attribute this to their largely homogenous society.
While America doesn't have that ethnic homogeneity, we can take our diversity and still turn it into a national homogeneity as "Americans".
Unfortunately, there's a deep rooted movement of identity politics that continues to drive a wedge into that.
We were all raised as Americans and never as hyphenated Americans.
To that point, it's one of the reasons we have issues as a nation today. If we actually saw each other and identified firstly as Americans, we'd have greater progress in social harmony.
Looking at Japan as an example. They're a nation of very low crime and social unrest. One can attribute this to their largely homogenous society.
While America doesn't have that ethnic homogeneity, we can take our diversity and still turn it into a national homogeneity as "Americans".
Unfortunately, there's a deep rooted movement of identity politics that continues to drive a wedge into that.
Eldritch
is insensitive
This is not a malfunction, the chain of logic is clear and I have defined it very thoroughly. A good citizen is aware of and exercises their essential civil rights. You have not offered any argument counter to that position.
Holy shit, is that right? I was not aware it was that bad.
Thanks for sharing your life experience, Bro, your voice is valuable.
Oh dear, as much as I love the Japanese, they are seriously some of the most ethnically prejudiced people in history, maybe not the best example. I think the Contemporary French Model I mentioned previously might be a better one?
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NSR500
すけべ
Maybe?
I'd have to go back, read, and research your French example.
I've not visited France before, but have spent a significant amount of time in Japan which is why I used their example.
uclaktsai
Active member
Thanks for sharing. A lot of your story resonates with me, but I also have different takeaways. I wasn't going to post given the topic of hate crime and violence, but encouraged with these stories, I feel it's also important to share my own.
My family is another one of these great American success stories. My parents are from Taiwan and moved here for graduate school. My dad has an ScD in physics and my mom has a masters in computer science. I grew up in an upper-middle class neighborhood where the school was roughly 40% Asian, 50% white, 10% everyone else. The intensity and academic pressure like that of Lowell mirror my own experience. The vast majority of my Asian peers, like me, are second generation. I have never experienced violence or had anyone express violence towards me due to my race. But like other stories shared, I have experienced my fair share of ignorance and apathy.
I recognize that kids can be assholes, so here are a few common sayings said to me by adults.
"No, where are you really from?"
"Do you have samurai in your blood?" / "Are you from the Japanese Army?"
Having random people approach me trying to speak Japanese
"Why does your food smell like that?"
"You speak English so well."
"You're pretty cool for an Asian guy."
Maybe these are silly and innocent enough. I've always been told that these are just words, and that because my life has been so good, that I should have nothing to complain about. Some of that is fair, but how do I reconcile the confusion, anger, and pain I feel?
A few more to ponder.
Does our plight not matter because it can’t possibly compare?
Are we supposed to stay silent, keep our head down, and simply abide?
Why does it feel like we have so few allies who actually care?
How much more blood before we realize we’re way past too late?
Will my country ever feel like home, when I'm constantly reminded of my race and feel like an outsider?
I am an American. It is the only thing I am and know. What does that mean? I don't even know.
Can relate to this. Meeting people from forums in real life over the last 20 decades, "I didn't know you were black". "You speak so well." Or meeting potential employers that were visibly caught off guard, because I don't have an obviously "black" name and they didn't have preconceived notions about me when they picked a resume that didn't have Jamal Jenkins at the top, or something like that.
If you could do a seance or some other method to speak with a ghost that was born 150 years ago, they'd probably say something like, "Damn... Y'all are still dealing with that racism shit?" I don't expect humanity to ever be perfect when it comes to race relations, as we are imperfect at pretty much everything, but it definitely FEELS like this country has been backsliding in recent years, not improving.
And to circle back to not get too far off topic, it's kinda rough having discussions with Asian friends, who are experiencing a different type of racism they weren't really used to before, for example, the racism of being the 'model minority' and now have first hand anecdotal experience being treated like a 3rd world person instead who doesn't belong here, the kind of way people used to speak of the Vietnamese during the war, or Japanese people after Pearl Harbor. My adopted little sister is Chinese and I don't like hearing this kinda shit from her.
SVsick50
Deep in the Heart of Texas
Thanks for sharing as well! It’s so interesting because I grew up in Santa Cruz in the 80’s. Nothing mattered except what recreational sport you did: surfing, skating, sports, MTB’ing, or for me - BMX riding (heck, I’m 46 and still ride BMX). Things got more complex in HS, because it got into academics - but let’s be honest, Santa Cruz is white and very liberal. That’s all that mattered. I hung out with kids according to our similar interests and none of us cared what color we were. Seriously, one of us looked at race. I didn’t have Asian peers. Wait, I had two. See? I had to think of them as Asian because that’s how much I regard them as them as unique individuals before their racial makeup.
Filipinos always assume I speak Tagalog and I don’t. I don’t even care to. And when I tell them I was born here, they look down on me. Worse off, they say “Oh... dats how jor parents rays joo”. White folks always ask me about pancit and lumpia. While my mom cooks those things, my mom can also make a mean lasagna. Does it make it Filipino if we eat it with rice?
My cousins lived in the Bay Area, and yeah, I saw that races were definitely segregated there. Not by some old white man sitting on top of a pile of money, but THEY segregated themselves. I couldn’t understand that. It made no sense. I’m like “don’t you hang out with people who are not Filipino? Why not???!”
I completely identify as American 100%. Not Filipino, but American. Filipino is just my ethnicity, but my values are American. When people ask me stupid shit, it gives me the opportunity to share my family’s AMERICAN story. I even share it with Filipinos by telling them my family was the first wave of Filipinos to arrive in the US, and they picked fields alongside Mexicans and Japanese and poor white people.
It’s one I can be proud of, and not hurt or ashamed or feel pain regarding any of that stuff. I’m not one least bothered by racial stuff, because I look at it like it doesn’t pertain to me. I feel more affected (like way more affected) by anti-American rhetoric.
Lastly, I really wish woke white folks would stop telling us how we should feel/vote/stand politically because of our race. Like we need to be saved by their white wokeness, or their political party is the one that sides with us. As if we’re too dumb to think for ourselves and we need to be saved. That’s more racist and condescending than anything. Like, yo, I’m my own person.
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900ss
Well-known member
Thank you for posting this story. I work with your brother, and he is one of the people for whom I have the utmost respect, both in our company and just as a human being. I too am an immigrant, although from another part of the world, and although I encountered some resentment my experiences pale to those of your family.
Take good care!
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NSR500
すけべ
100%
That’s the racism of low expectations at work right there. These Woke morons think we all need to be saved and can only be saved if they help us.
Tally Whacker
Not another Mike
Well, somebody has to. You're obviously no good at doing anything for race-based reasons, now are you?
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