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Revisiting Pride: Asian Groups on campus
I was walking down the hall per usual at school, when I walked by the chinese club or connection, whatever it is called.
I just wondered, when is racial pride okay?
Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against this group, nor have they wronged me in anyway, theyre just being used for example. Nor do I think they would deny me affiliation even though I am not asian.
If there was a white club with a table on campus I don't think that would be very PC, nor do I think there should be one.
So when is it appropriate and why?
Is it only okay when the the group is a minority? So for example the interfaith center on campus and the gay pride group. You have the interfaith with over representation in the population, older anyway. And the gay one who are obviously a minority.
Are these special interest groups only allowed when the group is under represented? Refering back to the asian groups who have tables in the AQ, considering vancouvers racial and ethnic make up do they constitute a minority?
Again I have nothing against the asian group, but Im white and would have a problem with a white group, so how do we justify others?
I just wondered, when is racial pride okay?
Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against this group, nor have they wronged me in anyway, theyre just being used for example. Nor do I think they would deny me affiliation even though I am not asian.
If there was a white club with a table on campus I don't think that would be very PC, nor do I think there should be one.
So when is it appropriate and why?
Is it only okay when the the group is a minority? So for example the interfaith center on campus and the gay pride group. You have the interfaith with over representation in the population, older anyway. And the gay one who are obviously a minority.
Are these special interest groups only allowed when the group is under represented? Refering back to the asian groups who have tables in the AQ, considering vancouvers racial and ethnic make up do they constitute a minority?
Again I have nothing against the asian group, but Im white and would have a problem with a white group, so how do we justify others?
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
although, yes, a White Pride table would make things awkward...
One thing I'm a little wobbly on, though, is this "Canadianized Asian Club." I remember reading a thing about them where they claim to be a group for those who are constantly pulled between the competing cultures of their parents and their peers. It's an odd thing, and I still think it's a little wierd and racist to create a "asian club" (as mentioned, just try to imagine a 'white club') but that's the best explanation I've yet heard as to why it might be a legitimate thing.
sure you can have a "white club"... but is it a necessity given the number of white people or have white ethic backgrounds within the population? i don't see the need of it when the absence of it is not creating any problems.. i think we have enough on our hands to juggle right now so keeping things simple is the way to go in my books..
While they both 'can' focus on language, the chinese also involves race.
My point I'm trying to get at for example with the chinese student club is the make up the GVRD is heavily asian as it is--referring to my comment on why do we need clubs for sectors of the population that are heavily represented already eg: white people. I thought i read somewhere that within a few years asian ethnicity will be the predominant one in the general area.
I'm not saying asians have been less discriminated against compared to white people, but when do we get to a point where for example the chinese clubs reach the threshold of white clubs, and the taboo there. (I'm aware chinese arent the only asian grouped race, it just makes things less simple to mention each race and ethnicity repeatedly when my original example is the chinese club I saw)
I'm not saying the people in these clubs are there to boast about being asian, but obviously as mentioned they have similar interests/background--and ethnicity. I would consider this some form of pride, being proud (not necessarily boastfully so of shared interests--otherwise what would the point of these groups be anyway? ALso, a white club would encompass the latter also, shared ethnicity and or background.
So what makes white grouping so taboo, and when do other groups reach that taboo? Or can they...I'm trying to get at the hypocrisy
If you don't understand what I'm trying to say then quit trying to pick apart my linguistics of what I'm saying. I'm asking a question, which you are not even answering.
Now to answer your questions which are completely irrelevant to my question which you have not answered at all.
1)Why are you still referring to smaller groupings of people which don't reflect the subject matter of my OP? Again you are not answering the main question of my post or contributing anything useful to it. Lets begin:German clubs. These are mainly based on a language--this is all relative to the fact they are mainly white people. French clubs. Again this is language, which is massively used around the world, a french club means nothing as far as identifying a particular race, creed or ethnicity. Quebecois club--this gets complicated, not going to touch it with a ten foot pole. Japanese club. This is significantly smaller than the chinese club, however you are right that it is similar to the chinese club, but again not relevant cause you are not looking into the main subject matter of my OP.
2) At what point did I even claim that chinese join groups more than white people do?
3) You make a point that they join the group to be with people with a similar language and similar interests, I'm not saying thats a bad thing. So, white people could do the same thing and call it a caucasian club? To be with people who speak their native language and are from where they are born as well. Also talk about music, news, and fashion from their country.
What I'm getting to is GVRD--SFU as well is largely composed of asian, maybe even chinese people. Traditionally, in my logic white groups which would assemble the same way are taboo, due to the fact that normally white people are the majority, and historically white people, among many races, have done terrible things--often in the name of Christianity and some 'god'.
It's fine to want to be around people who speak a language you may understand better, which would greatly help in schooling in some classes.
My point is, when we reach a population threshold will it no longer be PC for a club like this to exist? Is the taboo based on population, or historical conduct? If you are not going to bother to read this last paragraph then stop responding 中国男人. I'm not in anyway trashing their club, I'm trying to get to a philisophical understanding.
As an aside, I saw a Serbian, a Polish, and a Russian club a while ago at SFU (they were quite small though). These clubs were almost exculsively white and based on simlarities in language and culture. Nobody seemed to mind them. So I guess it could be all right to have a white (or for that matter any cultural club) club if (1) its culture is not mainstream and (2) if it's united by a language and a culture. The club's purpose should also be some form of cultural preservation.
Anyways, I don't think a population threshold is all that's relevant, it could also be our laws and our culture. English is the official language of every province except Quebec and New Brunswick; the cultures in the other provinces are predominantly English-speaking and based mostly on US mainstream culture (I'm speaking in general terms, people; please don't give me any shit about these statements, OK? :shade:). There's no point in preserving something that's unlikely to die out since it's dominant. I think laws and culture have more of an impact than historical conduct, although historical conduct may have some relevance.
So, randomuser, the taboo comes from the extent to which a group must engage in cultural preservation, the mainstream culture in which a group exists, and the extent to which a group is united by a distinct language and culture.
They are like the soccer club, but instead of soccer being the common interest amongst the member, it's a activities that chinese people like to do in HK/Taiwan/China. They don't go around chanting slogans about lynching white people in their events you know :P?
But insatiable is the only person here who has actually answered my original question or contributed anything usefull here, so thank you for that. I wont proceed any further with this discussion cause I dont think Im going to get anything more than that one comment
What you hafta know is none of these clubs are discriminatory. Heck, we had a white exec for a few years, and 2 of them this semester are half white as well. So I mean, we're not racist.
It's just about being Canadian, as well as understanding/learning about Asian culture as well. We don't have a club just so we can bash white people or something....
Okay...so we're all asians...we all have slanty eyes and we eat rice. YAY, let's go have bubbletea and play video games! The problem with these groups is that they promote ethnocentrism. We go to university to expand our minds and experience new things, but what happens is the asians join the asian groups, the french join the french groups, etc. I mean, you'd probably have more variation in personality traits if you base a club on another arbitrary characteristic, like hair colour. The point is, even though the "Canadianized Asian Club" isn't discriminatory, per se, one would assume, having only heard the name, that it only welcomes...you guessed it, Canadianized Asians. I mean, if you walked by a booth, and the club name was "The Cocksuckers Club", you would probably assume that, for the most part, everybody in that club is indeed a cocksucker of some sort. Afterall, they're in the Cocksuckers Club.
Besides, the use of the word "asian" is always used wrong in those clubs anyway. They fail to include the fact that Asia encompasses 30+ countries, that aren't only China, Taiwan, Korea, or Japan.
Just putting it out there.
As well as India.
This bud's for you <3
However, let me try to understand what you're saying. So, what you think is, because the phenomenon of ethnocentrism originates from a western way of thought, it doesn't apply to those mighty and high chinese. Buddy, remember that China isn't the center of the universe, and the world DOES include other places. How so? If I can base one club on some genetic trait, why can't I base another club on some other genetic trait, such as eye/hair colour? Or height?
Many people have visited DisneyLand too, what's your point? And originally, I was saying that just because the Chinese don't have a word for Ethnocentrism, or any concept of it, does not mean that it doesn't exist. I don't know what the hell the Han country has to do with it. You completely missed the point here. I was saying that you celebrate your "Chinese-ness" like it's something that you worked your whole life to become. But it's just a genetic trait. You had no choice in the matter. Why have so much pride over something that is so arbitrary?