“Asian American” and “Asian American literature” are vague and undefined terms. Many people try to define them, but it seems that there is more than one definition for both. I think Asian Americans are people of Asian descent living in America, but there is a deeper meaning for those who are actually Asian American. I define Asian American literature as literature written by Asian Americans and about Asian Americans.
I was born in America, but both my parents are Chinese. That makes me an Asian American. As an Asian American person, I know that there is more to it than just being an Asian in America. To be an Asian American means having to choose between being Asian and being American. It means having to deal with racist stereotypes everyday. In “Corona,” Razia is an Asian American teenager …show more content…
The story focuses on a day of her summer job, but it also keeps referencing to her Muslim family back in Queens. When Razia sees the motorcycle gang, she imagines, “If I took away their motorcycles and muscles, they looked just like my bearded Muslim uncles in Queens” (19). She’s a feeling bit homesick and out of place, which is how I feel whenever I’m the only Asian person in a group/room. Something about being Muslim makes her feel more secure than being American, and I completely understand. At Stuy, I feel like I’m in a safe bubble because there are so many other Asian Americans. At the end of the story, Razia faces racism when her boss tells her that she can’t be a tour guide anymore because she doesn’t look like a white Puritan woman. He suggests that she could be a Native American, to which she replies, “But I’m not that kind of Indian” (27). I empathize with this situation because people often ask me, “Are you Chinese?
I was born in America, but both my parents are Chinese. That makes me an Asian American. As an Asian American person, I know that there is more to it than just being an Asian in America. To be an Asian American means having to choose between being Asian and being American. It means having to deal with racist stereotypes everyday. In “Corona,” Razia is an Asian American teenager …show more content…
The story focuses on a day of her summer job, but it also keeps referencing to her Muslim family back in Queens. When Razia sees the motorcycle gang, she imagines, “If I took away their motorcycles and muscles, they looked just like my bearded Muslim uncles in Queens” (19). She’s a feeling bit homesick and out of place, which is how I feel whenever I’m the only Asian person in a group/room. Something about being Muslim makes her feel more secure than being American, and I completely understand. At Stuy, I feel like I’m in a safe bubble because there are so many other Asian Americans. At the end of the story, Razia faces racism when her boss tells her that she can’t be a tour guide anymore because she doesn’t look like a white Puritan woman. He suggests that she could be a Native American, to which she replies, “But I’m not that kind of Indian” (27). I empathize with this situation because people often ask me, “Are you Chinese?