Introduction
Being a Chinese student in a United States university today has made me appreciate what identity means. Identity is a complex affair. It is based on how one sees himself, how the social groups to which you belong are seen, and the perception of ‘the others’ towards you. It is subject to the duality of perception and reality. In this essay, I will examine what it means to be a member of an exclusive social group in the United States, commonly known as Chinese Students in America.
Definition of Chinese Students in America
‘Chinese Students in America’ is a term that is usually used to refer to persons originating from China mainland or of Chinese origin who are not American citizens living in America for a certain duration during which they are pursuing education. Simply put, it is Chinese persons who are in America solely for educational purposes. This lumping together of such a diverse group of cultures, has also been accompanied by certain stereotypes’ ascription. These stereotypes have taken both physical and cultural dimensions. The Chinese’s stereotypical physical attributes include slant eyes, straight dark hair, yellow-toned skin, and slight build.
It is on the cultural front of stereotypes. However, those really interesting things are to be found. As has already been explained, the term ‘Chinese’ is so loosely applied that it has come to encompass quite a wide range of cultures and histories. In addition to this, there are to be found an indefinite number of possible personality types within groups that share similar cultural and historical experiences. Therefore, the stereotypes ascribed to particular social groups will often be found to be at variance with the way these groups perceive themselves and with the self-concepts of the particular individuals who constitute them. Such complex intersections of factors have characterized how I see myself and how the average American perceives me.
On being branded Asian American
Foremost, I do not consider myself a Chinese American. By no stretch of the imagination, the four years that I have lived in the United States be considered sufficient basis for my being considered one. However, this has hardly hindered the people I meet on the streets from frowning on hearing my accent. I probably fit their conceptualization of the Chinese American so well that it has become the natural unconscious consequence for them to view me as such. I’m, however, Chinese, born and bred. I speak fluent Cantonese and Mandarin. I also speak good English, but it is just but a second language to me. I am well versed in Chinese culture but only got acquainted with American culture when I started living here. As such, I am Chinese through and through.
Stereotypes
For instance, when I was six years of age, I was given a personal computer by my father, assembling himself. Since then, I have been fascinated by what computers can do and had since then assembled two personal computers of my own. , My love for computers has unfortunately been interpreted as evidence of the technology expert stereotype associated with male China Americans. The ‘geek’ stereotype circumscribes young China American males to being exceptionally good at mathematics and deeply interested in technology. They are so devoted and passionate about technology that they mostly do not fit very well in mainstream society.
The media, too, is to blame for the entrenchment of this stereotype. It has even been taken up by marketers of electronic goods, with more and more Chinese Americans appearing in commercials as technology’ nerds.’ This is especially so if one wears dark-rimmed glasses. I have found myself consistently warding off insurmountable expectations of adeptly solving technology-related problems from acquaintances. Those who have found me tinkering with my computer and are aware that I take finance in college have been the most difficult to convince that my knowledge of computers does not go all that much beyond that of the average American.
Chinese Americans, the fastest-growing race in the U.S., have historically had to rely on academic excellence for social mobility. They have not been able to adequately penetrate the high ranks of the commercial enterprise in America. Likewise, they have not been that successful in politics either. Activism has never been adopted to surmount the hurdles that racism has put in their way. Academic excellence has, therefore, presented the most practical way for Chinese Americans to achieve social status.
Parents of Chinese American children have been thought to be more demanding than their white counterparts when it comes to their children’s academic performance. Chinese Americans have been quite successful on the academic front, even earning the term ‘the model minority.’ This term refers to minority groups that end up doing better than the average member of the dominant population.
The numeric might of the dominant population is always used to hamper the progress of minority groups on the social and economic fronts. However, the minority might come up with means to overcome these hurdles and surpass the social and economic status of the majority of the dominant group. With a higher percentage of Chinese Americans obtaining college education than whites and subsequently being absorbed into the middle class, they have come to be labeled America’s model minority. This label comes with stereotypical perceptions. For instance, Chinese Americans are thought to be inherently intelligent, especially in mathematics and sciences, hardworking, self-reliant, stoic, and uncomplaining.
While such a stereotype is positive, it might be wrongfully thought to always yield positive results. Its downside, however, is that great expectations are placed on the members of such groups. Those who fail to live up to such expectations, for whatever reasons, are likely to be labeled lazy. On my part, I have found out that being a student majoring in finance, most of my classmates naturally expect me to be better than them in mathematics-related courses. Disappointment will mostly be implicitly and subtly expressed if this proves not to be true. This has the effect of lowering my self-esteem and promoting feelings of inadequacy at times.
There are quite several derogatory terms that are used to refer to Chinese Americans. They are usually used by white Americans to refer to us and are never used by Chinese Americans to refer to themselves. While their use is at times benign, they are more often than not meant to degrade. I have often heard them used in my presence. I am at times meant to hear them, but at other times I accidentally overhear them. These words are such as Chink and Chinky. Of all the negative aspects of perception I’ve come across, this particular one is the most demeaning.
It also seems that the general American public always has, and consciously so, refused to acknowledge the divergent nature of the Chinese American nation. This refusal to accept the existence of these identities has, at times, been extended to the level of the individual. I have found that it is virtually impossible to tell Chinese Americans apart still rife in American society. This has a dehumanizing effect since a great part of our humanity can be attributed to our uniqueness.
As I have said before, I consider myself Chinese. As a Chinese male, I think of myself as open-minded and hardworking. As a result of being the product of Chinese culture, I have great regard for my parents and those older than me. The family, to me, is a valuable entity. Dignity is of great essence, too, as in every Chinese man; so is friendship and loyalty. As a person, I’m passionate and ambitious. I harbor great feelings for my country and my culture. I have internalized a lot from my culture, which is to be found in all aspects of my life. My take on things, my use of language, and others’ view have been greatly influenced by how I’ve been brought up. I am different from the average white American.
The Concerns of Chinese students in America
Of great concern for Chinese students in the U.S. at the moment is the relationship between the U.S. and China. China, the most populous country in the world, has grown its economy so fast to the extent that it is currently perceived as a threat to the status of the U.S. as a superpower. This has made the Americans very suspicious of Chinese people. At times, this suspicion has even turned into hostility. That I plan to go back to China after completing my studies has, for instance, not been taken very well by some of my American acquaintances.
This has not always been overtly put across, but it is nevertheless noticeable. We are seen as Chinese envoys whose only aim is to craft means for Chinese ascendance to superpower status. This could not be further from the truth. My reasons for studying in the U.S. are personal. I would not be a student there had I not harbored great regard for their education and culture. The result of this perception by the American public has been that we are forced to always be defensive of our presence in the U.S. It has also served, to some extent, to increase our feeling of patriotism and to raise the need to find companionship from other Chinese immigrants.
Conclusion
I have taken time to consider how others perceive me. Being an immigrant student, I have not quite felt at home in America. It could be that I estrange myself. Americans do not always make me feel at home, either. However, in retrospect, I cannot blame them. They probably cannot help feeling as they do. They are as much the products of their culture and history as I am a product of mine. I, however, think that we should do better than to rush to judge people based on stereotypical attributes. It is not easy, but we can do better. I’m not just a victim of stereotypes: I have often found myself judging others on their basis too.