美國的（亞裔）族群想像
美國是族群的大熔爐（？）
生活在這裡的人大概都知道這只是理想吧！
白人、西班牙裔、黑人、亞裔生活脛渭分明，更不論點點滴滴的日常衝突。
但是大體上稍有文明的大都市中，大家都維持著一個平衡，至少知道「歧視」要放在心裡，作得太明顯那些疵牙咧嘴的民權團體就會找上門來了。
可是心中的那些刻板印象是很難以抹去的，最近加州版的亞洲週刊搞了一個大摟子，就活生生把「黑人跟黃種人不合」長期的心結赤裸裸地搬上台面（標題就叫「為什麼我討厭黑人」Why I Hate Blacks），許多人都聽過黑人討厭亞洲人的事情，大抵就是覺得這些後來者搶了他們的飯碗、工作太勤奮給白人數落他們的藉口之類的（當然這是亞洲人的說法）；連留學生之間也都有「哪裡不是『黑人區』嗎」、「那條地鐵線都是黑人好可怕」之類的「提醒」，我就有一個朋友不願意坐公車因為「坐公車的都是黑人」...
讓人比較安慰的是，至少美國的主流社會極力維護這個熔爐的最低標準、就算這個標準是個假象。主要的亞裔社群領袖馬上跳出來譴責「這不是亞裔人士普遍的看法」「亞裔社區感謝非裔人士在民權運動上的奮鬥」。故事還在進行中不知結果怎樣，不過作者Kenneth Eng (自稱亞裔至上主義者）倒是又發表了一篇「Why I Hate Asians」以示「平衡」。http://news.asianweek.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=7db9bd5343504d52fa065fef122fc04d&this_category_id=172
我個人沒讀過Eng的書不知道他的見解如何，但是比照非裔民權運動的過程中，也是也一群人跳出來自承「黑人至上主義」，標榜非裔人士在道德、藝術、與文化上的獨特與自豪。如果Eng在「Why I Hate Asians」所述為真，他大概是厭惡透了那些面對白人唯唯諾諾、放棄自己的文化獨特性、以學到白人主流文化的皮毛為傲來譏笑同胞的那種嘴臉。這種嘴臉我們不是見過嗎？美國在台協會高高在上的華人簽證官；講著一口英國腔英文數落學生不用功，自己卻數十年不作研究的大學教授；看到白人就殷勤服務，對亞裔馬上板著臉的服務小姐...
這些問題其實我們在台灣的族群現象中也都通通看得到，不是嗎？
<摘錄亞裔美人社團部落格的討論，對於文章的背景比較有深入的探討：>
http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/archives/2007/02/asianweek_takes.html
Long-running Asian American weekly AsianWeek is facing criticism for publishing a column by writer Kenneth Eng entitled “Why I Hate Blacks.”
I have to say, I’m not a regular reader of AsianWeek. Available as a free weekly throughout the Bay Area, AsianWeek doesn’t really seem to reach the Mission District. But I am very familiar with the newspaper: I worked there as a reporter, managing editor and editor-in-chief from 2000-2003. That said, I have no familiarity with Eng or his column, which has the strange title “God of the Universe.” He does seem to be the author of two books: Dragons: Lexicon Triumvirate and Reincarnations. His Amazon.com bio lists him as the “youngest published science fiction novelist in America.”
Hmmmm. I don’t know about you, but this is certainly the resume of the guy I want to write columns about race relations!!
In an earlier column, entitled “Proof that Whites Inherently Hate Us,” Eng wrote: “Most Asians know that everywhere we go, white/black/Hispanic people hurl racist remarks at us. I have already received about 10 racist remarks in the past three months and I have only been out of my home a handful of times.” Oh AsianWeek! Did you give a column to one of those crazy recluses that never leave their house and talk to themselves on the bus??
Unfortunately, the column in question seems to have been pulled from the Internet, but you can view Eng’s other moving work by searching for his name here. Including, my favorite, “Why I Hate Asians,” which has the line: “I am also sickened when I hear Asian people imitate Negro slang in an endeavor to sound "ghetto."
Now, I can tell you, that working for AsianWeek, run by the Fang Dynasty, was a complicated job. Just like here at Hyphen, working on a pan-Asian American publication means trying to cover a lot of ground. For me that work is essentially about the intersections between communities and my favorite stories were those about multicultural alliances. Yet, I was told that the main aim of the paper was to represent the Chinese American community, the pan-Asian American-ness more of a marketing tool and less of a reality. Obviously, there seems to be very little excuse for running a column by a self-proclaimed “Asian Supremacist,” (AKA: a straight up racist) but to do it in a publication that already has such iffy ties with community. Bad idea.
Here’s the petition that’s been circulating about the column: ASIAN AMERICAN LEADERS CRITICIZE ASIANWEEK FOR PRINTING 'WHY I HATE BLACKS' COLUMN
(Feb. 23, 2007) Asian American leaders joined together Friday to criticize AsianWeek for printing Kenneth Eng's column "Why I Hate Blacks" in its Feb. 23 edition. The leaders condemn the piece as irresponsible journalism, blatantly racist, replete with stereotypes, and deeply hurtful to African Americans. They called on AsianWeek to take immediate action and issue an unequivocal apology, terminate their relationship with Kenneth Eng, print an editorial refuting the column, review their editorial policy and process, and hold those responsible accountable.
“Eng's article is unacceptable and offensive not only to African Americans, but to all Americans,” said Karen K. Narasaki, President and Executive Director of the Asian American Justice Center. “AsianWeek has a responsibility to its readers and to the community to take immediate and appropriate action to repair the serious damage it has caused by publishing this piece.”
“Most Asian Americans would not be here in America today, but for the civil rights movement led by African Americans that resulted in the change to racist immigration quotas," said Stewart Kwoh, Executive Director of the Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California.
“It's irresponsible for a publication like AsianWeek to publish an article that advocates hate and bigotry," said Vincent Pan, Executive Director of Chinese for Affirmative Action.
“The publication of these racist statements is completely irresponsible and damaging to all our communities. Not only should there be a retraction but a serious effort to repair the harm caused,” said Gen Fujioka, Program Director of the Asian Law Caucus.
“Asian Americans should recognize the debt we all owe African Americans who blazed the civil rights path we have walked on in our journey to equality," said Dale Minami, President of the Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans.
"Eng's column harkens back to a era of Jim Crow and bigotry that should not be tolerated in our society," said Eric K. Yamamoto, Professor of Law.
"Eng's vile racism is a setback to the efforts of people of color working together against discrimination, oppression and injustice," said Keith Kamisugi, Associate Director for Communications at the Equal Justice Society. "His words alone are disgusting; that it was printed in a prominent English-language Asian Pacific American newspaper is shameful."
"Asian Americans do not share Eng's extremely racist views. Asian Americans need to take this opportunity to reach out and build a constructive dialog," said Yvonne Lee, Former Member of the U.S . Commission on Civil Rights.
"It is critical that our Asian American community stands up and tells America -- and particularly our African American brothers and sisters -- that our community has no tolerance for the racism expressed by Mr. Eng," said David Chiu, President of the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area.
The leaders call on all individuals to contact AsianWeek on this matter at (415) 397-0220 or asianweek@asianweek.com.
An online petition is available at: http://www.capaweb.org/awpetition
posted by yunwang @ 4:23 PM
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