Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin Racial and Ethnic Relations NINTH EDITION Chapter Chinese, Filipino, Korean, Vietnamese, and Asian-Indian Americans 11

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin Big Picture Questions What role have Asian-American groups played in building up this country’s wealth and institutions? How has systemic racism affected the Asian-American experience? Why have numerous Asian groups recently migrated to the United States?

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin MIGRATION: AN OVERVIEW Asian Americans often find themselves pressured by dominant Eurocentric culture to conform Since 1980s, Filipinos, Chinese, Koreans, Vietnamese, and Asian Indians have been among the fastest-growing U.S. immigrant groups 1924 Immigration Act excluded people in Asian countries from immigrating to U.S.

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin Legal Permanent Residents, by Country of Last Residence (1820–2009)

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin Immigration Acts 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act  Established principles for immigration policy -1 – Reunification of families -2 – Protection of the domestic labor force -3 – Immigration of persons with needed skills 1965 Immigration Act and its amendments gave preference to family members of people already in U.S., so recent legal permanent residents are relatives of previous immigrants

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin MIGRATION: Chinese Americans Chinese immigration began in substantial numbers in the decade before the U.S. Civil War, with a quarter-million coming during three decades after 1860  Most were men who entered as low-wage workers, brought in to do the “dirty work” for white employers in the West  The few women who immigrated came alone, often brought by force to work as prostitutes

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin MIGRATION: Chinese Americans, continued 1870s: U.S. economy depression led whites to accuse Chinese of driving wages to substandard level and taking white jobs 1882: Chinese Exclusion Act:  Officially prohibited direct immigration 2 nd major period of immigration took place after 1965 immigration reform  Between1960 and 1979, more than 300,000 Chinese, mainly from Hong Kong and Taiwan, came to U.S.

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin MIGRATION: Filipino Americans U.S. took over Philippines after Spanish-American War  Imperialistic relationship established Philippines a U.S. colony  Filipinos exempt from anti-Asian exclusionary provisions of 1917 and 1924 immigration acts Filipinos held ambiguous legal position until allowed U.S. citizenship  30,000 were recruited to fight during WWII  These veterans were not granted right to U.S. citizenship until Immigration Act of 1990  Most still ineligible for many veterans’ benefits until 2009, when key provisions of Filipino Veterans Equity Act went into effect

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin MIGRATION: Korean Americans Immigration began in early 1900s Picture Brides  Korean men sent their pictures to prospective brides in their homeland, and marriages were arranged on the basis of photographs, without the bride and groom having met  : More than 1000 such brides came to U.S. U.S. intervention during Korean War led to admiration of Americans and U.S. Changes in immigration laws in 1965 opened up possibilities Recent Census estimate: 1.6 million Americans with Korean ancestry, nearly 10% of Asian American population

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin MIGRATION: Vietnamese Americans Most Vietnamese immigrants have come since 1975, when U.S. involvement in Vietnam War ended  U.S. military was ally of South Vietnamese government Large numbers of Vietnamese refugees were admitted outside usual immigration process as political refugees  : Number of Americans with Vietnamese ancestry grew 142%  : Population again increased dramatically  20,000-30,000 immigrate annually  Population over 1.7 million today

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin MIGRATION: Asian-Indian Americans Of all Asian-Pacific groups, least well known – Asian Indians from India  1800s: 1 st were Sikhs -- worked on railroads, in agriculture Three periods evident in the migrations  1960s: male professionals--wives uneducated  1970s: included more of an occupational mixture -- more well-educated women  1980s on: larger, more diverse group – some similar to earlier immigrants & some relatives sponsored by earlier immigrants Have had economic resources to move directly into suburbs, resulting in more geographical dispersion

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin Asian Women as Immigrants Stereotyped as being withdrawn and docile Asian immigrant families include many women who are strong in their own right Agents of their own destiny, often making painful decision to come to U.S. Immigration experience often reshapes traditional gender relationships  Take a more active role in providing economic and other support for their families  This reshapes their relationships with men in their families

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin STEREOTYPES Orientalism  Uninformed and stereotypical way of thinking of Asian people Common stereotype is that Asians are the same, physically and culturally Television and films portray as criminal, dangerous, or fanatical Model minority stereotype overstates economic situation and progress and underplays racist barriers faced

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin Specific Images of Asian Americans West Coast whites angry over Chinese arrivals  Called “coolies,” “heathens,” “mice-eaters,” or “Chinks” Modest changes in white attitudes came after U.S. declared war on Japan in 1941 Stereotypes of Filipino immigrants have fluctuated according to their usefulness to white employers as low-wage workers Vietnamese arrived when unemployment high, creating fears refugees would take jobs or drain government resources

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin Effects of Stereotyping Movie industry long perpetuated variety of negative stereotyped images of Asian men & women  Men portrayed as weak, sexless, or effeminate, especially in recent years One severe type of stereotyping  Asian-American women as exotic sex objects  Many have written that white men seek them out with images of exotic sexual relationships and/or submissive wives in their heads 3 most common surgeries to look white:  Eyelid surgery, nose reshaping, and breast augmentation

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin More Stereotyping in the Media Over many decades, mostly white-controlled media have negatively stereotyped and mocked Asian groups  Study found widespread trivialization of Asian customs, ridicule of pronunciation, and use of inflammatory phrases Recently, several Asian Americans targets of stereotyping in investigation of alleged illegal Clinton campaign contributions  Old racist images resurfaced  U.S. Chinese-language media subsequently turned away from San Francisco Clinton fundraiser in 2008

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin Perceptions Elite, media, and public stereotypes of Asian Americans still include notions of the latter as threatening, relatively unassimilated, culturally odd foreigners Asian immigrants interviewed by researchers noted that they did not see themselves in racialized terms until arrival in U.S.

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin DISCRIMINATION AND CONFLICT Harassment and violence have occurred since earliest days of Asian immigration Periodically, some anti-Asian hate crime is reported in the media U.S. Commission on Civil Rights has noted that such hate crimes are underreported  Police distrust and limited understanding of civil rights along with language barriers -Few interpretive services for those who don’t speak English -Adequate police protection often not provided -Controversial police strategy is photographing youth because they fit “gang profile”

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin DISCRIMINATION: Chinese Americans 19 th century: Openly anti-Chinese sentiments and discrimination common in union policies and political platforms 1982: Murder of Vincent Chin  Killers sentenced to 3 years probation and fine of $3780  Commission on Civil Rights concluded “suggestive of very little value placed on an Asian American life” Anti-Asian attacks often illustrate not only racist violence but also confusion of non-Asians about Asian Americans 2009 survey: 7 in 10 Chinese Americans said they faced “a lot or some prejudice”

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin DISCRIMINATION: Filipino Americans Among earliest of Asian-Pacific immigrants and suffered many violent attacks  White workers bitter about farmers’ use of Filipinos Prolonged riot by whites in 1930  Reflected decade of tensions exacerbated by newspaper commentaries In more recent decades, whites have periodically directed hostility towards Filipinos Also targeted via racial profiling by government

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin DISCRIMINATION: Korean Americans Korean-American merchants in some communities of color have faced hostility  Black residents have sometimes charged that some merchants treat black customers rudely and discriminate against black employees and customers  Merchants cite high level of crime they face from black criminals Each group accuses the other of racially motivated violence  During LA riot, Koreans felt betrayed as police officers protected larger shopping centers owned by whites  One factor contributing to tensions is that many Asian immigrants already have antiblack stereotypes

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin Korean-Black Relations Negative stereotypes Korean and other Asian immigrants bring with them can become basis for negative interactions with African Americans Such conflict is not just about stereotyping by blacks or Koreans, but is a reflection of a larger system of mostly white-generated racial framing Another source of bitterness for blacks is unfounded belief that federal government helps Koreans start small businesses  Koreans usually pool family resources to start businesses

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin DISCRIMINATION: Vietnamese Americans Many fished as a livelihood in their homeland, and some have moved to fishing communities on U.S. Gulf Coast  Generally took low-paying jobs such as cleaning fish or working in kitchens; mostly accepted in these jobs  When they began to buy boats and started to compete with white fishers, white attitudes changed Have also faced conflict with black residents in communities where they operate their businesses

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin DISCRIMINATION: Asian-Indian Americans Their children have been called derogatory names such as “dot heads” and “terrorists” They have been the subject of racist remarks by white politicians They have faced significant violence They have faced significant harassment by police and other community members  Edison, N.J., rally was held recently to protest incidents seen as police brutality

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin ORGANIZING AND ACTIVISM Number of Asian-American voters increasing dramatically  Vote called a “sleeping giant” of U.S. politics Nationally, large proportion have immigrated too recently to be eligible to vote, and registration rate of eligible voters is low, though this is changing Recently, face periodic discrimination at the polls  Faulty translations of candidates’ names, racist remarks, and lack of assistance

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin Little Representation 2008: Representative Anh Cao (R-La.) became the only Vietnamese American to ever serve in Congress 2003: Bobby Jindal (R-La.) became only the second Asian-Indian American ever elected to Congress; he then became governor of Louisiana Over the decades, only a few Asian Americans have served in the U.S. Congress; just11 voting members in both houses of Congress as of early 2010 Advances at state level slow though growing numbers have run for office since 1990s

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin Pan-Asian Organizations and Coalitions Panethnicity  The generalization of solidarity among ethnic subgroups  Began on college campuses in the 1960s -Women, however, restricted to subordinate roles in panethnic organizations Term “Asian American” now generally preferred to the term “Oriental,” which has its roots in European colonialism and imperialism Coalitions with non-Asian groups also created

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin ORGANIZING: Chinese Americans Long history of immigration and among the most politically active With new immigration after 1965 came renewed political activity In 2000s, concerned about local and national issues, Asians became more politically active Chinese Americans are growing in political influence and are increasingly active in national politics

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin ORGANIZING: Filipino Americans United Farm Workers created by merger between Mexican American organizing drive and Filipino labor organization The National Filipino American Council  Fought for fairer immigration laws In spite of commitment to becoming citizens, Filipinos rarely elected or appointed to major political offices Numerous Filipino organizations have responded to Philippine government call for investment in the islands to overcome economic crises

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin ORGANIZING: Korean Americans Since the 1980s, Korean American Coalition chapters have been formed in several cities Became very active after 1992 LA riot Periodically have vigorously demonstrated against discrimination and other mistreatment Many maintain close ties to Korea  After riots, officials from Korea visited area even before U.S. presidential candidates  Sent more than $1 million dollars for North Korean food shortage  Have become involved in U.S. policy debates over the securing of nuclear weapons by North Korea

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin ORGANIZING: Vietnamese Americans Home country remains important for Vietnamese Americans  Half favor establishment of diplomatic ties with Communist homeland Like other Asians, still stereotyped as foreigners Recently created numerous important community organizations and institutions Developed important national organizations working for southeast Asian-American concerns

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin ORGANIZING: Asian-Indian Americans Because of relatively recent arrival in large numbers, have relatively little political visibility By 1990s, forming organizations designed to increase political influence and fight discrimination 1990s: New York Taxi Workers Alliance  Organized large group of South Asian taxi drivers to protest poor working conditions and poor treatment by city officials Organized to counter numerous hate crimes since 9/11

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin THE ECONOMY Recently U.S. Civil Rights Commission has documented exploitation of Asian and other immigrant groups Even highly educated Asians have faced significant barriers 1990s study found discrimination to be even more severe for Asian-American women Discrimination based on physical appearance, language proficiency, or verbal accent is common

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin Occupational Distribution by Group (2008)

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin THE ECONOMY: Chinese Americans 19 th century: Chinese immigrants recruited to fill less-skilled jobs in the U.S. Recently, Chinese immigrants’ prospects not good because they lack money, skills, and ability to speak English well  Most have settled in preexisting urban Chinese communities  Better educated among these postwar immigrants have generally found better jobs Globalization of U.S. economy since 1970s seen in major growth in high-tech industries with a desire for cheap labor

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin THE ECONOMY: Chinese Americans, continued By early 2000s, white executives at some major companies doing business in Asia discovered hiring Chinese and other Asian Americans for management positions smarter than sending white executives Chinese community represented at both extremes of economic spectrum  At other end, nearly 9.2% of Chinese families live below poverty line Economic discrimination takes many forms

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin Income Level by Group (2008)

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin THE ECONOMY: Filipino Americans First recruited as farm workers for Hawaiian sugar plantations and west coast farms 1930s: Filipino Labor Union formed  Led strike of workers met with violent force by whites backed by police Military-related Filipino communities were created on West Coast when military recruited Filipinos as civilian workforce Have faced serious job discrimination for decades

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin THE ECONOMY: Korean Americans Language barriers and racial discrimination kept early Korean immigrants from obtaining employment in accordance with their abilities Many moved into self-employment because of exclusion from professions in which they were trained Many prefer the freedom of self-employment given discriminatory barriers Many arrived with some capital and often have the support of the larger Asian community

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin THE ECONOMY: Vietnamese Americans Relatively short history in U.S. Those who immigrated right after the Vietnam war more affluent and better educated than those who came later  Many faced downward mobility Later immigrants faced low-wage jobs and poverty  Not been as economically successful as first arrivals Still face significant discrimination As with other Asians, many live in relatively high- cost state of California

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin THE ECONOMY: Asian-Indian Americans Most of country’s more than 2.7 million Asian- Indian Americans are relatively recent immigrants  Many brought monetary capital and cultural capital in form of college education and professional training Since 1980s many skilled immigrants have gone to California’s Silicone Valley Those reporting only Asian-Indian ancestry are by far the largest proportion of college graduates and professional/managerial employees of all Asian-Pacific American groups

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin EDUCATION In earlier decades, Asian children often segregated in separate schools  1927 Supreme Court decision upheld Mississippi’s segregation of children of “Mongolian race”  Began to break down after WWII, but de facto segregation persisted Most Asian American groups place heavy stress on educational success Some, particularly suburban youth, have come to accept this stereotype of themselves

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin School Problems Many immigrant children face problems of limited English proficiency and shock of unfamiliar culture when they enter schools 1990s report of U.S. Civil Rights Commission reported only small proportion of limited-English- proficiency Asian children had teachers who spoke their native language Public schools in various cities are settings for substantial hostility against Asian students

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin Educational Achievement Research indicates problems faced by Asian college students; anti-Asian hate crimes common on numerous college campuses Many observers noted fact that Asian Americans have higher educational levels than population as a whole Various explanations offered to explain success  Rooted in Asian culture’s traditional reverence for learning or in strong family support Educational achievement often compared by whites with black or Latino/Latina groups  Comparison, however, is not so simple

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin FULL ASSIMILATION FOR ASIAN AMERICANS Assimilation analysts underscore Asian American progress in economic integration Argue that anti-Asian discrimination is collapsing and assimilation into dominant institutions is well underway National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA)  Opposed appointment of Clarence Thomas to U.S. Supreme Court, challenging his image of Asian Americans as “model minorities”

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin Transitions Asian Americans who fall into high assimilation/low ethnic identity category are more “core American” than Asian Asian Americans in high assimilation/high ethnic identity category differ from those in first category because they retain strong group identity Study of Chinese and Japanese Americans found that those in 3 rd and 4 th generations often highly oriented to white middle-class cultural styles  Yet, most still have strong sense of group identity

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin Transitions, continued Low assimilation/high group identity Asians are usually recent immigrants or those who have spent their lives in traditional enclaves Recent surveys of children of Asian immigrants indicate 70-90% can speak only English; few are fluent in parents’ language In Asian-American communities, generational conflicts are still conspicuous Vietnamese Americans, as an example, use various methods to combat a too-rapid assimilation of the younger generation

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin Ties to Culture of Origin Many 1 st generation Korean immigrants also committed to home-country language and culture Studies of Korean youth show a significant assimilation to dominant culture, especially with regard to popular culture, but a respect for traditional filial obligations Many Asian-Indian Americans relatively well integrated into dominant culture  Often know English well -- once colonized by Britain  Still marry within group and maintain religious institutions One sign of slower overall assimilation of most Asian- Pacific groups compared to Japanese Americans is lower out-marriage rates to non-Asians

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin Relationships and Identity In some areas, rate of marriage within Asian American umbrella group has grown in recent years Recent study of Asian-white interracial relationships in Southwest found that “interracial intimacy is still regulated by racial, gender, class, and national hierarchies” Construction of Asian American identity is a “process that involves recognition of the shared personal experiences and orientations of Asian-origin persons, including that of being racially labeled as Asian by the dominant society”

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin Questions from a Power-Conflict Perspective Image of Asian immigrants is often one of poor immigrants working their way up to success  However, majority of Asians who came between 1960s and mid-1970s were middle- class with white-collar backgrounds Power-conflict analysts showed how, over centuries, powerful whites have positioned non-European groups in the established racial hierarchy

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin Power-Conflict Perspective, continued New immigrant groups are placed somewhere in the long-established white-to-black hierarchy of exploitation and status At certain times in U.S. history, powerful whites have elevated some Asians as individuals or groups from a lower rung to an intermediate rung However, at earlier points in history, most Asians were placed on or near the bottom rung of the racial hierarchy Today, certain Asian Americans constructed as “nearer-to-white,” but this serves white purposes

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin Power-Conflict Perspective, continued Whites can move to criticize African or Latino/Latina Americans for not being like stereotyped Asian American model Model minority perspective obscures problems and needs of many Asian Americans who face continuing discrimination, stereotyping, and social problems Secondary-structural integration of Asian Americans into economy is not untroubled; many suffer racial discrimination in employment and educational institutions

Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Racial and Ethnic Relations, Ninth Edition Joe R. Feagin Clairece Booher Feagin Conclusion Pressure to conform to whiteness is intense, yet conforming does not bring acceptance because of the white racial framing of Asian Americans Nonetheless, Asian Americans have long struggled to protect their civil rights and growing political power