This article reminded me of the complex connection between Asian Americans and Whites. The nature of this race relationship can be illustrated as a power hierarchy, where races that have the most privileges have the highest power, and are on top of the triangle. On the other end are those that face discrimination and other inequalities, such as ethnic minorities. Connections to a contemporary example is the tragic incident that happened to Doctor Devin Dao, a passenger on a United Airlines flight. Over night, the video of him being manhandled by city police went viral, with many viewers sympathizing with his treatment. The garnered support was so polar that people were very angry and upset with United’s approach. This event was not only an Asian American issue, as many others were distraught with what they had witnessed.
As petitions arose, news articles also popped up with headlines that emphasized his troubled past. These articles were a tactic employed to discredit and to reframe the current situation. It is commonly used with African Americans involving police brutality and shootings. It attempts to justify or explain the prior actions so that others may perceive it as deserving. A possible dogma for Orient can be defined as “the bottom of something either to be feared or to be controlled” (Said 1976.) Similarly, Asian Americans are only allowed privileges when they follow the rules in order to be a “good Asian”. For if they were to disobey the current societal regulations, they would be subjected to the same inequalities and treatment as other underrepresented minorities. The quote parallels the idea that Asians are on a line that when crossing a specific boundary, they are faced with discrimination in order to control their actions and behavior.
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