james-bliss:

from the article:

This story is not an isolated one, as I have met more Asian Americans who develop an affinity with Black politics and people but then jump ship when they get a chance to be with Asian Americans.  Many of us, Asian American or not, have drunk from the fountain of knowledge we call Black politics only to spit the water back into the well when we are no longer thirsty. 

See, Asian Americans don’t tend to jump ship for ethical reasons.  It is certainly not an issue of feeling that they shouldn’t have more power compared to, or over Blacks, or because they shouldn’t have too much control in Black people’s affairs.  If they felt this way, they wouldn’t adamantly defend Asian business owners who create business enclaves in Black neighborhoods or they wouldn’t be so quick to establish Asian hip hop or spoken word collectives that tell off Black people at the same time appropriating from them. 

And so me, I jumped ship like the rest of them.  I got involved in Asian American politics to the point where I saw myself as Asian American, read and wrote about Asian American affairs, and presented myself as Asian American at political events, college settings and social gatherings.  The fucked up part of it though is that I was able to solidify my identity as both Asian American and POC by being anti-Black.  My sense of myself politically was basically established by distancing myself from Blacks. 

Me and other Asians would solidify our bonds with one another politically in forums, private organizational meetings or just quick conversation by talking about how selfish Black people were or how there is more than just Black and white and how people need to recognize Asian Americans in the mix.  I would cheer loudly for racist Asian American spoken word performances where Asian American artists would loudly sound off about “Don’t exotify my culture!” to some implied Black and white audience, at the same time using hip hop slang and Black colloquialisms or signifying Blackness through their gestures and cadences.  

•  3 June 2012  •  79 notes