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Re: A Chinese Teenager in America (Score: 1)
by bwfish on Tuesday, March 08 @ 11:43:28 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) | I guess we've got "the completely different issue that is difficult (if not impossible) to discuss" with this one, Apollon.
We've got another winner. I will bet that she is convinced that she is right.
The force is nil with this one. LOL.
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Re: A Chinese Teenager in America (Score: 1)
by Apollyon on Wednesday, March 09 @ 01:07:05 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) | You are correct, we do not know with certainty that his experience was the sole result of racism. However, the world is not binary. Unlike George W Bush, most of us can understand the concept of counting past two (ie. if you are not with us, then you are against us). As well, the concept of fractions may also play a part. Let us suppose this unfortunate fellow also possessed certain qualities that were conducive to bullying and tormenting, such as dressing funny, being an antisocial ass etc. So let us hypothetically assign relative proportions to each quality. For instance, 1/3 of the reason why he was picked on was because he dressed funny, 1/3 because he was an antisocial ass, and 1/3 because he was just Asian. Can he be considered victimized because of his ethnicity? Or is that outweighed by other factors. However, if you are unfamiliar with the concept of Occam's Razor, I submit this for consideration...
Occam's Razor from Wikipedia
In its simplest form, Occam's Razor states that one should not make more assumptions than needed. When multiple explanations are available for a phenomenon, the simplest version is preferred. A charred tree on the ground could be caused by a landing alien ship or a lightning strike. According to Occam's Razor, the lightning strike is the preferred explanation as it requires the fewest assumptions.
So according to this principle, it is reasonable to dispense with the fabrication of hypothetical factors that may or may not be responsible for contributing to his experiences.
Additionally, as I have previously stated, racism need not be overt. In fact it is more likely to be subtle. Consider the glass ceiling that minorities and women have traditionally faced in academia and upper management. Do you think it is likely that somebody would blatantly state that while a candidate is qualified for a particular position, they have been rejected because of either gender or ethnicity? Subtle hidden insidious racism is more of a threat because people can deny that it exists. This is a standard tactic used by apologists and conservatives alike wishing to uphold white privilege.
Please do not misunderstand the intent or tone behind my post. The intent of this post is to be an informative rebuttal rather than a personal attack, so I apologize in advance if this has been interpreted as such.
I commend you on your personal insights and your willingness to share them, but you yourself have expressed some doubt and admit to it. I can see your point very clearly, and I agree to some extent. However we should not readily dismiss the very real possibility that race is a deciding factor in our personal experiences. In the end though, we must all take personal responsibity for our actions regardless of how we have been shaped by our environment.
As for the relative treatment and experiences between Asian males and females, I shall make no comment as this is a very sensitive subject to many and there are others more qualified to discuss the issue than I. However it is my sincerest hope that Asian males and females can stand together and support each other in order to better weather this tempest. I believe an open dialogue in the spirit of cooperation rather than hostility would be conducive towards solidarity and real social and political progress.
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