In Trespassers? Asian Americans and the Battle for Suburbia, Willow Lung-Amam describes the typical scene at Fremont's Mission Square Shopping Center by writing, "...Chinese American grandmothers stake their turf on parking lot benches while chatting with friends and comparing their grandchildren's latest feats... A few middle-aged women convene at outdoor tables wearing face masks, arm covers, and big-brimmed hats to shade them from the afternoon sun... A familiar parking lot dance begins as a swirl of Toyotas, Hondas, and Lexuses with lace-covered seats, Hello-Kitty trinkets, Buddha figurines, and Ivy league decals fight for the few remaining spaces" (98).
While reading this passage, it was hard for me not to raise an eyebrow, seeing that it contained sentence after sentence of stereotypes. Stereotyping is something that comes so naturally to people in our society, simply because we've done it since we could first formulate our own opinions. I first responded to these stereotypes with a sense of offense, for lack of a better word. Though it is not overtly stated, these stereotypes are outlining what others see as the worst of Asian Americans. But don't most people brag about their family? And Asian culture isn't the only one that idealizes light skin or purchase Toyotas, Hondas, and Lexuses because they are the most economical option while also being socially acceptable. Ivy leagues aren't dream schools for just Asian Americans.
Why have these stereotypes defined Asians exclusively for so long that Asian Americans use them theirselves? And why do I feel offended by these stereotypes when I very well know that there is some form of truth behind all of them?