Week 1 Readings – Blog Post 1

By Ma. Miguela Soledad Cruz (Miggy Cruz)  

        

Sau-ling C. Wong’s “Denationalization Reconsidered” article discusses issues faced by Asian Americans in the United States. Three critiques fuel the “denationalization” of Asian Americans. First, the concern cultural nationalists have on the histories versus the cultures of Asian Americans in the US. Also, there is a concern about the population growth of Asian Americans which affect the ever expanding struggle of Asian Americans as they view each other and by the other (2-4). Second, the “growing permeability between ‘Asian’ and ‘Asian American’” (5). The distinction between “Asian Asians” and “Asian Americans” are becoming blurred because of the transnational relationship of the US with Asian countries. Finally, the deviation to a diasporic perspective (9). Not all Asians who leave their homelands are immigrants, some leave involuntarily as refugees. The shift to a diasporic perspective is a form of denationalization because it encompasses Asian Americans from all over the world, expanding the walls of the US and the homeland respectively. Asian Americans are indeed “world citizen[s]” (11). More Asian Americans are becoming more educated about their homeland, especially the American born Asians. Many Filipino students in UC Davis are increasingly learning about their heritage and history.

Question: By shifting to a diasporic perspective, wouldn’t that mean Asian Americans will now have an even treacherous path in trying to assimilate to the American culture, or lifestyle?   

Source:

Wong, Sau-ling C. “Denationalization Reconsidered: Asian American Cultural Criticism at a Theoretical Crossroads.” Amerasia Journal 21:1 & 2. (1995): 1-27. Print

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Asian_Pacific_Americans_in_the_United_States_Congress#/media/File:Hiram_Fong.jpg> Fong, Hiram (1906-2004)