"As the subjects of our film explain, this perception not only devalues the experiences of other racial minorities, but it also renders the diverse experiences of Asian-Americans invisible," wrote filmmakers Geeta Ghanbhir and Michele Stephenson.
The stories might sound familiar. Most of us have had similar experiences.
One young man remembers the first time he realized he was "different," when he was 6-years old, a playmate told him, "You're the color of poop."
Another subject is amazed that children at such a young age already know the derogatory implications of calling someone, "chink" or "gook."
A young woman relates, "When my parents talked about Americans, they really meant white Americans."
Unfortunately, none of the subjects appeared to be Filipino/American, the second largest Asian group in the U.S. E.J.R. David, wrote a reaction piece in Psychology Today pointing out this oversight, entitled, Why Are Filipino Americans Forgotten and Invisible?
"This type of marginalization isn’t unique. It's not new," writes David. "The NYT documentary is not exceptional in its disregard of Filipino American stories. It's just that the NYT documentary reminded me of the painful reality that Filipinos have been historically ignored and unappreciated, and how such marginalization still happens to this day!
"The experiences expressed here provide complicated narratives of race and identity that we hope can contribute to a more nuanced understanding of how institutionalized racism works — especially as it has affected the Asian-American community," say the filmmakers.
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| "My parents meant 'white' Americans." |
One young man remembers the first time he realized he was "different," when he was 6-years old, a playmate told him, "You're the color of poop."
Another subject is amazed that children at such a young age already know the derogatory implications of calling someone, "chink" or "gook."
A young woman relates, "When my parents talked about Americans, they really meant white Americans."
Unfortunately, none of the subjects appeared to be Filipino/American, the second largest Asian group in the U.S. E.J.R. David, wrote a reaction piece in Psychology Today pointing out this oversight, entitled, Why Are Filipino Americans Forgotten and Invisible?
"This type of marginalization isn’t unique. It's not new," writes David. "The NYT documentary is not exceptional in its disregard of Filipino American stories. It's just that the NYT documentary reminded me of the painful reality that Filipinos have been historically ignored and unappreciated, and how such marginalization still happens to this day!
UPDATE: Earlier versions did not include comments from E.J.R. David.Hopefully, the Op-Doc lets non-Asians know that racial discrimination and biases affect not just African/Americans or Latino/Americans, but also the so-called "model minority," too. And that AAPI have more in common with other minorities than people realize.
"The experiences expressed here provide complicated narratives of race and identity that we hope can contribute to a more nuanced understanding of how institutionalized racism works — especially as it has affected the Asian-American community," say the filmmakers.
RELATED: Are Filipinos Asian or Pacific Islanders?"As the people in this film suggest, the way we usually discuss race does not reflect the vast range of experiences of discrimination and opportunity in this country. If we’re going to change that, we need to embrace diverse voices — and also work harder to understand and dismantle the biases around us. We think the people in this piece do exactly that — and approach these difficult themes from a position of both vulnerability and strength."
To watch the Op-Doc Conversations on Race with Asian Americans, click here.
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For more news about Asian/Americans & Pacific Islanders, read AsAm News.
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