Observations on the "L"

The culture of the states is of course one of a kind. I came back to Chicago to spend some time here yesterday with a friend. As we were walking around downtown, a caucasian male and his friend passed us. As he walked by, under his breath, a "Konichiwa, bitches" seemed to come out. Because I have almond eyes and as does my friend, this individual assumed we were Japanese. I am quite shocked that he did not pick Chinese first though. Usually the first guess is Chinese. But this time, he chose the second. Too bad he was off. It is somewhat amusing and irritating at the same time to see that Asian-Americans are not only viewed as foreigners but also homogenous. It is as if you are Asian, you fall under whatever guess that person decides to pick. But then again, every minority seems to catergorize every caucasian person as "white". They do have blood from Ireland or Germany in there somewhere, thirty-seven generations back.

Today for New Years, after Kenny and I parted ways from Jackie, Don, and Ha, we sat in a train-full of the typical Americans and I overheard a couple of conversations; bits and pieces. Granted, these folks were drunk off their asses, but to the extent of stupidity they exerted is quite a hard thing to grasp on. Discussing the joys of drinking, how drunk they were last night, this and that. Not only were their words useless, their actions paralleled. Surfing on the train as it was moving, warming up in the train because the cake face bitches tried to look sexy wearing nothing but a rag outside in cold weather, and being loud and obnoxious. I sat and thought to myself, is this what the majority of Americans are like? Do they go living their life discussing such bland, uninteresting things? Does being intoxicated reveal their true self? On a train full of drunk Americans is always an amusing thing. But the amusement soon fades, and I begin to get annoyed. The stupid topics of discussion, the childish acts, and the beginnings of stares from them. Yes, hello sir, I am Asian. And yes, I am speaking English to my Asian friend.

America is not a white man's country. It is a country of immigrants, and caucasian peoples' ancestors were immigrants just like mine. What then allows such an elitest attitude to exist? Differences exist of course, but this acknowledgement in difference begins to change when the Konichiwa's and the shocked look of an Asian speaking English begins. It is as if Americans feel that the U.S. of A is the center of the fucking world. As if they are the superior people of the globe. I sit quietly in my seat and think to myself all these thoughts and I begin to feel sick about being an American. American culture degrades people of colour either blantantly or not. It allows those of not the colour black, brown, tan, or yellow feel as if they own the fucking world. How to change such an engraved, stitched attitude? An impossibility perhaps? I don't even know.