AAS Midterm 1

Bamboo ceiling

• Asians in junior levels and middle management but rarely in high leadership

• Some aspects of asian culture that do not set them up for success

• working hard is not enough

Picture brides

1900s women from Japan that were married to Japanese workers in Hawaii — Nobu’s story

“yellow peril”

1850s: During the gold rush thousands of Chinese workers came to America, but started to be despised by Whites for fear of being replaced

Chinese Exclusion Act

1882: Legislation excluded Chinese from immigrating to the U.S. for 10 years. to restrict Chinese laborers

Upheld by SCOTUS in 1889, Chae Chan Ping v. United States

Chinese immigrants had to have ID cards of legality

• had to get 2 white witnesses to sign affidavits proving their legality

Chinese Massacre

1885: Rock Springs, Wyoming

Angered by Chinese miners refusal to join their union, angry mob of white miners killed 28 laborers, wounded 15, and chased several hundred out of town. Not a single person was indicted.

Japanese American Internment

1942: Executive Order 9066 permitted the government to intern Japanese American due the bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941

the PATRIOT Act

After 9/11, allowed for the warrantless surveillance of all citizens and non-citizens by law enforcement

especially those who “look Muslim,” basically all persons of South Asian & Middle Eastern descent.

People v. Hall

(1854): People of Chinese descent cannot testify against whites in a court of law

Many Chinese people had been killed by whites and were not permitted to testify in courts

Hart-Cellar Immigration & Naturalization Act

1965 - Eliminated the national origins quota

Provided new opportunities for immigrants from Asian countries to join relatives in U.S.

Vincent Chin

1982: celebrating his bachelor party at a gentlemen’s club with his friends

Was killed with a bat by Nitz and Ebens

They got 3 years probation and served no time

First mention of the Model minority

January 1966: William Patterson, NY times magazine made an article about how successful Japanese people are

posits the success of Asian Americans proved equal opportunity existed for all races. Held up as model for for racial minorities to emulate.

Four dimensions of identity

• salience = how much does your race affect your life, the extent to which one’s racial and ethnic features are perceived and experienced as conspicuous during cross-racial interactions (external and internal catalysts)

• centrality = how important your race is to your identity

• ideology = attitudes and beliefs that one holds about race, racism, and one’s ethnicity

• regard = how one feels about being a member of a racial or ethnic group as well as perceptions about how others view that racial or ethnic group

Ethnopsychology

the psychology of races and people

race definition

Race is a sociohistorical construct—used to categorize people based on perceived physical or social characteristics— given meaning by social, economic, and political forces;

its inherently unstable and not fixed, as it is constantly being transformed by political and social change

racial identity

an individual’s identification a racial group, influenced by racial socialization.

how ppl deal with the effects of racism, give up dominant cultural views on their race, choosing self definition, and developing positive attitudes toward their own race

Helms model

Helms model

• conformity/preencounter = individuals who seek self-definition and esteem from whites, no loyalty/obligation to poc, minimize race to feel accepted, includes how you dress and present yourself

• dissonance = confused about racial issues and sense of belonging to majority vs own racial group, people enter when mode of seeking self-def from whites conflicts with increasing awareness of racism

• emersion/immersion: idealize racial group, denigrate whites, define self and others mainly by race, individuals in this stage look for positive characteristics of racial group and turn to own group for source of support, such as joining asian american community org;

• internalization = use internal criteria for self def, practice acceptance and tolerance for own racial group and for whites, involves understanding that whites are de facto standard for comparison and rejecting this comparison;

• integrative awareness = integrate identities as members of multiple groups including race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, feel kinship with other oppressed groups and attempt to eliminate racism and other forms of oppression

ethnicity definition

Social categorization based on the culture of an individual’s ancestors’ national or heritage group

A clearly defined sociocultural history and distinct cultural features that are transmitted across generations.

Ethnic identity

consists of individuals' attachment to, sense of belonging to, and identification with members from their ethnic group & ethnic culture;

not always grounded in oppression and racism

Phinney’s model

External ethnic identity

participation in ethnic activities and cultural practice

Internal ethnic identity

a sense of attachment and a feeling of belonging that sustain group membership.

the person’s self-image of his or her ethnic group and knowledge of it

Phinney stages of ethnic development

1. Unexamined Ethnic Identity

   • Little thought/concern about ethnicity.

   • May adopt parents’ or society’s views without questioning.

   • low exploration and low commitment,

2. Ethnic Identity Search

   • triggered by significant experience forcing individual to confront own ethnicity, such as trip to asian country, cultural and language classes

   • Active exploration (e.g., classes, cultural immersion, travel).

3. Achieved Ethnic Identity

   • result of personal exploration of meaning of ethnicity, appreciation of ones ethnicity + commitment to ethnic group 

exploration VS committment

• Exploration is when one actively questions and tries out various aspects of ethnic identity

• commitment = firm, unwavering decisions about one’s identity and engaging in activities to implement those decisions

How is cross-cultural psychology typically conducted?

cultural differences between the West and another culture

What are the most frequent cultural explanations in Asian American psychology?

Confucianism (e.g. filial piety obligations, prescription of roles) and face

What are common Asian American values?

collectivism, conformity to norms, emotional self-control, family recognition through achievement, humility

basis of aas psych

(a) race, culture, and ethnicity; (b) acculturation; and (c) ethnicity and identity.

Berry’s bidirectional model

posits person can identify with and become competent with, two different cultures and that the degree of such acculturation to each culture can be independent of one another.

What are the critical points of entry of psychological experiences?

migration histories (“flexible citizenship, tertiary migration), population trends (interracial and interethnic marriages*), internal processes (illusion of upward mobility but actually have downward)

How did parachute children come about?

Initially from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore; children of elite; method to escape country’s conditions, top 1%

now middle class, escaping competitive school

What are some code words for race?

multicultural, high-risk, alien, urban, at-risk, thug, posse, unskilled and illiterate illegals, welfare queens, undeserving poor, Sharia law

What is historical trauma?

a collective complex trauma inflicted on a group of people who share a specific group identity or affiliation.

It is the legacy of numerous traumatic events a community experiences over generations and encompasses the psychological and social responses to such events.

What is intergenerational trauma?

when historical trauma is passed on to subsequent generations

The orient =

is a fiction created by whites for style, artifacts and traits believed to be characteristic of the people and culture of Asia, not a real place

What are the five ways Asian Americans are portrayed in the media?

perpetual foreigners, mysterious, exotic, arm candy for White males, invisible

What does inscrutable mean?

never showing emotion or smiling, mysterious

What are stereotypes?

cognitions about people based on categorization into identifiable group

can be based on fact, fiction, or exaggerated grain of fact
For asian americans — model minority and perpetual foreigner

What is prejudice?

bias against or in favor of a group of people based upon that group’s categorization; typically involves a negative evaluation of members in the target group.

What is discrimination?

behavior towards people based upon categorization

typically intentional but can be unintentional

What is racism?

the institutionalized mistreatment of people based on their classification in a racial/ethnic group on the downside of power

Acculturation .

is the process by which an individual's behaviors and a group's cultural knowledge, identity, and behavior styles change in the directions of those of the dominant group

Assimilation

is process of taking on the dominant group's cultural knowledge, identity, and behavior.

“traumagenic”

traumatic exposures of racism disrupt psychological/physiological functioning and genetic code for generations to come

scammers, shammers, passers

do it for financial gain, don’t get any monetary or cultural capital, Asian Americans passing for the model minority

Success frame parenting

intense discipline, scant consideration for the niceties of child well being

getting straight As, graduating as the hs valedictorian, earning a degree from an elite university (focus on Ivies), attaining advanced degree, working in medicine, law, engineering, or science.

Acculturation

the process by which an individual's behaviors and a group's cultural knowledge, identity, and behavior styles change in the directions of those of the dominant group

Assimilation

process of taking on the dominant group's cultural knowledge, identity, and behavior

Triple Minority Status

discrimination on the basis of race, gender, and sexuality

Racial microaggressions:

racism whose appearance is much less dramatic than the overt violent acts often seen but are ubiquitous in lives of BIPOC

salience

• how relevant or important something is

• language is seen as a salient indicator of a willingness to fit in

fundamental attribution error:

the tendency for people to explain human behavior in terms of the traits of individual actors, even when powerful situational forces are at work.

white racial frame

the dominant group’s conception about how an individual should act

adopting white ways of thinking, and trying to enter white networks, which can lead to being given the title of "model minority" or "honorary white" by whites.

striving for whiteness

• lara’s story, trying to break asian stereotypes and conform, Jessica’s mom, and Frank developing internalized racism

• conforming aggressively to white norms and folkways, with the hope of achieving the American dream and reducing white hostility and discrimination as a defense

Psychological Impact

high levels of daily stress and pressure to conform to white expectations, psychological and physical problems, including the loss of physical and psychological energy

internalized racism

procedures like eyelid surgery, nose reshaping, and breast augmentation

Amanda differentiate herself from those who were "fresh off the boat".

Interracial Relationships

Asian American women often view white men as a means to gain power and transform their marginality in their communities and society,

Asian on Asian Stereotyping & Discrimination

Bari, a victim of a hate crime, and David, a leader in a campus association, David rationalizes the attacks on South Asian students

Frank perpetuating stereotypes and discrimination

Stereotyping other BIPOC

anti-black racism across the globe, “darkie” toothpaste, creates stereotypes in immigrants

4 prisons - Ali Shariati

1. Prison of History and Geography: historical and geographical circumstances, escapable through knowledge of science and technology.

2. Prison of History: understand historical forces to gain freedom.

3. Prison of Social and Class Structure: requires revolutionary ideology to overcome societal and class oppression.

4. Prison of the Self: internal struggle between good and evil within each individual.

what shaped the Asian American movement

malcom X and black liberation

Third World Liberation Front -

Asian American, Black, Latino, and Native American students.

Asian neoconservatives

• against racism but say the Asian American movement of the 1960s–70s was destructive.

• Racism can only end by abolishing affirmative action and breaking with civil rights frameworks.

• liberal Asian American leaders ignore community needs.

• Oppose quotas limiting Asians in colleges but blame affirmative action for favoring “less qualified” minorities.

• They acknowledge discrimination against other groups but claim their cultural values—not racism—are the main barrier to advancement.

counterframe to the white racial frame:

reevaluating and recreating certain definitions of their social world

black is beautiful

Anticipation of harassment

somatic symptoms of headaches, gastrointestinal disturbances, physical aches and pains, and an inability to fight off infections

Collective trauma:

the anticipation comes from people of your shared identity having experienced violence

sources of stress for Asian Americans

• minority status/racism:

  • seen as scapegoat, relegated to an audience member (like in business meetings),

• cultural conflicts

• immigrant status

• refugee experiences.

tokenism

• the high visibility and lack of anonymity that comes with being a token "representative" of the minority group,

• accentuation of differences between the characteristics of the minority and the dominant culture

• antagonism towards Asian groups

stress contributes to

• unhappiness

• coping and adjustment difficulties

• mental disorders

immigrant status stressors

• downward occupational mobility: they are in worse jobs they were in before in their home country

• rapid changes in a short amount of time — stress multiplier:

• when you move to the US you lack social support, family left behind

attachment

a secure sense of connection with caring people is the foundation of personality development

the quantity and quality of social connections is directly linked to physical and mental health

Parenting involves

• caring and providing for children, keeping them healthy physically and mentally and safe

• expected to pass down social and cultural customs and values

• guide their children’s social, emotional and cultural development

Parenting styles

• Authoritative: warm, responsive and encouraging environment; firm boundaries,

• authoritarian: extreme obedience and compliance, strict and rigid

  • More asian parenting

• permissive: warm and sensitive, don’t set rules and boundaries

enculturation

• change in culture-specific behaviors, values, knowledge along direction of own culture (may acculturate about work, but hold traditional values about families)

• parents are supposed to help their kid enculturate

role reversal

parents must oft en rely on their children to assume adult roles such as translators, managers of the family’s budget, and caregivers for their siblings

Social Support

A lack of community social support systems may pose additional challenges for Asian American parents and contribute to increased feelings of isolation

passers

> Model minority identity whose primary audience is loved ones, and performance powered by widely held expectations, even if don’t match reality

trauma

one’s inner experience that includes symptoms such as anger, fear, panic, and disassociation