Bicultural Representation

There are a lot of Asian students at Exeter. There’s a strong Asian presence at Exeter as well—clubs like Korean Society, Chinese Culture Club and events like Asian Night Market and the Asian food on International Day demonstrate how prominent the Asian population is on campus. Clubs and events like these, however, largely focus on the international side of Asians. The school fails to acknowledge the implications of being Asian American.When I came to Exeter, I felt like I had to choose a side: Asian or American. There is no in-between. Being an Asian American is a spectrum between two different cultures and brings with it a variety of complications. Any Amy Tan book illustrates how Asian Americans often have to juggle two cultures as they conflict and intertwine with one another. This conflict is why so many young Asian Americans face identity issues. There is no community on campus that discusses the biculturality Asian Americans and the whole slew of racial issues that they have to encounter everyday. These include the "model minority myth," the "fetishization" of Asian females, the "forever foreigner" status and the lack of representation in media.It may be difficult for Asians to talk about race since they’re so split in their own experiences as well. Asian Americans are heavily split socioeconomically. On one side, higher class Asians, usually highly paid scientists and engineers, emigrate out of their countries to America. On the other side, there are many lower class Asians who came to America as refugees or from impoverished backgrounds in search of the "American Dream." This split can be seen at school. There are international Asian and Asian American students from wealthier, higher class backgrounds but also Asian American students who are the complete opposite, coming from lower class families of immigrant parents. Here at Exeter, we often only focus on the international side of Asians; perhaps that’s why we don’t discuss the racial or economic issues that many Asian Americans face in the world. Furthermore, if being Asian American is a spectrum between American culture and Asian culture, some Asian Americans are more "Asian" while some are more "American." Some Asian American families have been here for many generations while some students have parents who immigrated only twenty years ago.Exeter is diverse, but it has fallen into the same assumption that today’s flawed society has. It assumes that Asian Americans do not face racial issues and groups them along with the rest of the international Asians. Events like Asian Night Market and International Day are times to eat food and connect with cultural roots. Asian Americans may eat the same food and speak the same languages as international students, but it doesn’t mean that their experiences are the same. The struggles of being a child of immigrant parents and trying to fit into a Western culture are never heard because there is no place at Exeter for such a voice. I have met many people at Exeter with stories like this, but the school, in its pride in diversity, has neglected to listen to them.Even higher class Asian American families who have been here for generations still face discrimination like the model minority myth, the fetishization of Asian females, the portrayal of Asian men in media, and the forever foreigner status. Asians are often not aware of the prejudice they face or they think they face it alone since there is a lack of Asian representation in media. Here at Exeter, Asian students may feel alone in the discrimination that they face at school and at home since there is no community to discuss the issues.I live in a home where Korean is strictly spoken. My mom makes rice and other Asian food every day. I have a Korean name. My dorm room is scattered with various Asian snacks, but I come from a family of immigrant parents. My favorite musicians are Bob Dylan and Arcade Fire. I live in a country in which I am a minority. When I turn the television on, I don’t see my own race unless it is a hypersexualized Asian woman or a comedic Asian man. My culture is one that idolizes Western standards of beauty such as white skin and large eyes. I’m Asian, American and Asian American. I’m bicultural and proud, but there isn’t any place for my voice to be heard.