Heritage month prompts APAs to examine multicultural identities
Sarah Kramer’s cultural portrait can be described as a blurry and indistinct image — a reflection of the intricate definition of Asian Pacific Americans. The senior dance major, adopted by an Italian mother and Jewish father from her native South Korea, finds it hard to balance her multiple ethnic identities.
Amongst spring awakening, April serves as APA Heritage Month and leaves room for reflection on the meaning of what it means to be Asian in the U.S. and the struggles that are manifested along the way in straddling various cultures and experiences.
Dr. Larry Shinagawa, director of the Asian American Studies program, recalled the history of pain behind the cross-cultural APA identity.
“I’m very proud to be Japanese. I’m very proud of being an Asian American. I would not say I’m proud to be American. There’s too much baggage under my skin to say that,” Shinagawa said.
Shinagawa, who came to the U. S. with his family in the late 1960’s, found that the racial struggles of the past are still evident in our society today, making for a difficult experience for Asian Americans to cope with their diverse backgrounds.
“It’s so painful. It’s still real. It’s still there and I don’t think it’s a figment of the past,” he said, recalling an incident just recently in which he was called a derogatory term during an argument — “chink.”
Further difficulties also lie in the dividing generation gap, which creates further struggle in experiencing two cultures for some APA students. Senior microbiology major Huong-Thu Tran found that her parents’ traditional and strict Vietnamese values have often created a barrier to adapting to both cultures.
“I was always focused on school and it was always hard to fit in because after school I had to go straight home and study. I couldn’t be out with friends at a certain time,” Tran said.
Aside from changing values, there is also an issue of communication.
“One of the biggest frustrations for me, is not being able to speak the language,” said senior cellular biology major Abe Veppumuthuru. “At family events, I regret that I can barely speak to my grandmother.”
However, a more distinct line between one culture and the other creates a major disconnect for others.
“I’m juggling three cultures — it’s inherent in the way I’ve grown up and it’s probably odd to outsiders,” said Kramer. “Generally, I don’t really see myself as Asian — it’s just a physical appearance and it’s what I’ve known all my life. It doesn’t really hit me until I’m somewhere unfamiliar and it becomes a slap back to reality: that I am really Asian.”
Many also find that accepting two cultures is a means of picking and choosing different customs from both sides in order to foster an identity.
“It’s a give and take experience in finding oneself. You figure out what’s important to you in each culture and try your best to retain it,” said sophomore engineering major Ryan Haq. “Overall, I think you go through phrases of strong identities, either one or the other, until you really figure it out.”
Kramer said that despite her upbringing among Caucasians, she tends to reach out to her “Asian side” through social means.
“In high school I started hanging out with more Asian kids with diverse backgrounds, and it kind of put my ‘white side’ on the backburner,” Kramer said.
Today, the advancement of technology and the growing communities of different APA cultures make balancing various cultures an easier feat.
“Nowadays, it is so easy to have access to movies, soap operas and music from different countries due to the rapid globalization of the Internet, economic development and mass consumption of cultural products,” said Julie Chen, a graduate assistant in the Asian American Studies Program.
Dr. Lisa Mar added that communication across generations and finding social support are often key factors in successfully managing different cultures.
Overall, many APA students find pride in their diverse heritage and can identify with both sides of their ethnic identities.
“I’m definitely proud of my origin. I consider myself to be Vietnamese-American and don’t see them as separate,” said Tran.
On being proud of the values of many APA cultures hold, Haq said, “I think being Asian in America implies a sense of hard work and pride. Some texts have used the term ‘model minority’ to describe Asian Americans because we integrate well and try our best to augment society.”
Kramer, on the other hand, has second thoughts on fully experiencing her ethnic heritage.
“When I was little, there was a Korean culture day that my adoption agency provided. Opportunities are out there for me to go back, but at this stage of my life I don’t really feel comfortable doing it — perhaps some day.”
