CR#7 Are You a Minority?

I was born and raised in Vietnam for half of my life, there I was a majority because Vietnam is a monoethnicity country (we do have different ethnicities, 54, but we all look alike, speak the same language and identified as Vietnamese.) Since I moved here to the US, in the beginning, I was a minority because I did not speak the language, I don’t look like a typical white American, I have an accent, and especially I did not fit in the middle class socioeconomic. However, since then my family and I moved up the imagination “social-status ladder”, Baldwin talks about, simply because I speak the language, I am going to college, and we fit in the middle class socioeconomic.

What? What is the difference between Majority and the Minority according to James Baldwin? What is that fear he talks about?

Majority in this sense is not refer to the number or power but it is the influence “ the word ‘majority’ does not refer to number, and it does not refer to power. It refers to influence.” We can see the reality through our prison system, the “majority” of the prisoners are black, latino, asian and people of color, it does not mean any of the prisoners have any influences, power over our prison system. In fact, they are the one, who is being oppressed and racially profiled by the perpetuate problematic, and racist system.

The fear Balwin brought up in his writing is terrified to all of immigrants, and people of color. Why? A lot of use worked hard to climbed up the imagination “social-status ladder” that Americans have toward for us, the one who is not belong in this country. The fear of falling down this “peculiar ladder” is humiliating to all of us, immigrants, people of color! In fact, this sounds outrage and cruel “the Negro tells us where the bottom is: because he is there, and where he is, beneath us, we know the limits are and how far we must not fall.” But it is fact, that is where the concept of model minority (Asian) come from, we are as Asian wanted to fit in this “perfection” system. We created the say, Asian are the model minority that every minorities should look up to us. In a way that model work for the older generation, but it put many pressure on the younger generation, we have to be “perfect” in every aspects, if not we do not belong in the “model minority” standard and we will be shun away from our culture and family.

So What? How does Paul Farmer, through his stories, illustrate the issues that Baldwin brings up? Do you have other examples, either from your own life or from working with the community, that can help demonstrate the dynamic Baldwin is talking about?

Acephie’s story is a perfect example of majority vs minority. Acephie is black Hatian, and she live in Haite, in reality, she is a majority because she live in a country of monoethnicity. However, she is not a majority because of he socioeconomic class, where she come from and especially her education.

Now What? How does this “fear” that Baldwin articulates compare to the current politics in our society? How could the fear affect the community you are working with?

In the current politic, many white American, black American, older immigrants, and offsprings of immigrants are trying to put the new immigrants (especially undocumented Mexican immigrants) down at the bottom of the “status ladder” to replace them. It is disgusting because we are all immigrants or offspring of immigrants in this Nation except the indegious people. It is effect Health Hub and the Mexican community because they are the one who being blame for the down fall of our economy, they are the one being blame for our shortage of jobs, and funds.