My Life Versus the Asian Stereotype

"The first time I heard Robert Johnson sing I knew he understood what it meant to be Indian on the edge of the twenty-first century, even if he was black at the beginning of the twentieth. That must have been how my father felt when he heard Jimi Hendrix" (Alexie 35).

Sherman Alexie demonstrates the isolated feeling minorities can have; they are constantly reminded of their differences from the "societal norm." The Dad, who is annoyed by the history of abuse Whites had on Native Americans, relates to Jimi Hendrix because they both belong to minority races. By escaping society and listening to Hendrix’s rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner, the Dad is able to connect its variations with the differences in his life; the highs and lows in the song represent the highs and lows in his life, but they come together to make a unique combination. Alexie further demonstrates minorities’ isolated feelings by using humor in the movie Smoke Signals to mock the stereotypes society places on people. The movie contrasts the stereotype of Native Americans—being a primitive hunter—with an “atypical” Native American. The movie demonstrates that stereotypes are false and cannot—and should not—be applied to any group of people.

Stereotypes affect everyone in society. Whether they depict the dumb blonde or the overachieving Asian, stereotypes generalize groups of people with a few characteristics. By simplifying the diverse number of personalities in the world, they give false preconceptions of people, despite the fact that every human is different in his or her own way. How could it be possible for everyone under one stereotype to be the same?

My parents are the perfect example of not conforming to the social stereotypes. Because they are “Asian parents,” one would expect them to be extremely strict, forcing me to study 24/7. However, this is definitely not the case. They do not check Schoology obsessively and only check it after each marking period ends—they do not even have a Schoology account. They do not force me to continuously study for hours upon hours. I force myself to study as hard as I do. My parents do instill the value of education, but they have not taken it to the “Asian level.” I even asked them once what they would do if I got a grade lower than an A. They said to me that “there is nothing you can do but reflect on your mistakes and try and succeed the next semester.” They value the education I get more than the letter grade.

It is funny to think that they do not force me to become proficient at the piano and violin. Even though they encouraged me to play any instrument I wanted, I ended up deciding for myself that I would quit playing the trumpet in 9^th grade. Not to mention, my parents always try and make me go outdoors no matter how many upcoming tests or assignments I have. They believe that getting exercise or relaxing between periods of studying will keep me more focused than studying 5-6 hours straight. Their philosophy is completely different from that of the strict stereotypical Asian, and I love that my parents do not conform to the Asian stereotype because the freedom has allowed me to shape who I am today.

Stereotypes are destructive towards society; they make minorities feel even more separated from their country. Furthermore, they understate the complexity of human personalities, forcing everyone under the same stereotype to seem the same. People need to show their true personalities and prevent themselves from becoming carbon copies of what society chooses for them to be.

Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

One of the most well-known quotes from The Declaration of Independence states that we are entitled to three God-given rights: Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. Even though we are guaranteed these rights, does everyone exercise the same control over their lives? 

Life represents our control over our lives. The founding fathers set up a system of government that gives us a voice by allowing us to be represented in the government, removing the idea of "virtual representation" from the British. However, voicing our opinions is a difficult task. One cannot simply ask his/her state senator or house of representative to change a law and expect it to be done. It requires national attention from television ads, newspaper headlines, and a lot of money. 

Our social status defines the amount of control we have over our lives. The rich are able to voice their opinions while the poor are seen as less important. Take for example, the Flint water crisis. The government decided to supply Flint water from the Detroit River because it was cheaper; the pipes were extremely old and leached lead into the water. What many people do not realize is that the water crisis started all the way back in April 2014 and is still ongoing. Most people from Flint are from a lower socioeconomic status. Even though they vehemently petitioned for change, nothing was done until many months later. Once the issue got on the news, people from all over the country began to help solve the water crisis. The people of Flint are given life, the ability to control their lives; however, the degree they are able to exercise this right is determined by what our world is driven by—money. 

Liberty, as defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is "the state or condition of people who are able to act and speak freely." If I were to say at Troy High School, "I love Trump and fully support him," I would probably be ridiculed for saying something so ludicrous (and for your information, I am not a Trump or Hillary fan). Even though Trump has said some pretty negative things, it would be just as negative to completely bash him.

Our society has a set social standard of what we can say, restricting us from voicing our opinions freely. If we say something against the majority view, we are met with instant hate and scorn. Although these “rules” are not written in law, the restriction of voicing our opinions are de facto written in society.

Lastly, and by far the most defining factor of the world’s view of America, the pursuit of Happiness states that we are able to pursue any goal in life and live life the way that makes us happy. However, our society tries to hinder our pursuit of happiness. Whether it be our gender, socioeconomic status, race, religious belief, the minority will always have to work harder to achieve their goals.

Even in the Pursuit of Happyness, the main character, Chris Gardner, has to work day and night to get the job as a stock broker. Although he was able to achieve his goal, he had to work harder than any other intern to receive the job. If Gardner had connections, he could have instantly received a job; however, due to his low status and connections, he has to work diligently to get the job.

We may all be guaranteed the right of the pursuit of Happiness, but the difficulty to achieve our dreams is based on our advantages and disadvantages in life.

The rights we are guaranteed is definitely a huge step from the “Form of Government [that is] destructive of these ends.” However, we must understand these rights will never be equally shared among Americans. Unless we can completely change the ideology of our country, we will continue to be chained down by the restrictions placed on certain genders, socioeconomic statuses, races, religious beliefs, etc.