While on facebook today, I read a status and it went:
"everyone in this asian world knows someone who knows somebody else who knows more asians"How true this is. Somehow we all know each other, despite going to different schools, having different jobs or just having radically different backgrounds. We all just know each other, which I think is pretty nifty. It pays well to know the right people. However, let me ask my fellow Asians something. How many of you know people that are not Asian? Now I don't mean, "I know his/her name" and that's it. I mean, you know person fairly well. You know some tidbits or talk to this person sometimes. It's what we call friends. Facebook may have made us use the word more loosely these days, having us know personal stuff in their lives, and yet only know them at an arms reach. But I digress.
Honestly, ask yourself. How many people do you legittimately know that are not Asian. Everywhere I go, I see varying levels of cliqueyness. Some will hang exclusively with their fellow Asian people, like the crazy Koreans (unless I'm wrong and they're not angry folk who like to tell people to die all the time =P. Really, Koreans! If I'm wrong, let me know!). And then you have dopes like me who play the equal opportunity card and branch out. I try at least.
When with the yellow people, I used to mention my little escapades in the Bronx if they ask me what's been goin on. I would get stares telegraphing the question of why I'm there. Barring school, or maybe a yankee game, I'm sure alot of them barely step foot past 125th street, saving the exception of a few. Why have the need to go in a not so hot neighborhood, when they know they're safe with their fellow people in the surrounding neighborhoods near home.
And then I ask them why not. I have friends there. I used to think that the Asians judged me alot, just because I wasn't exclusively one of them. Not so much now, since things like racial boundaries are more trivial the more I see it as that way. Rather, if they still do, they're somewhat foolish for not going outside their comfort zone. I ain't missin out on meeting new people.
That isn't saying people of other races aren't guilty of it either. Blacks stick with Blacks. Hispanics are with their people. Of course people of the same cultural background stay with each other. The reasoning is sound. Birds of a feather, flock together. But why do I have to abide by the rules. I really don't and I don't have to and you don't have to either.
Stay tuned for part 2
-Nick
