Those Asian People

Have you ever noticed that there is no NAAAP? (National Association for the Advancement of Asian People) Or that when you go into Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Safeway and other places that there are no signs or directions in any Asian Language?

My grandson was honored along with many other grammar school kids by the Local VFW for writing an essay on how we should appreciate veterans who have fought and died for our country. Just looking at the beautiful faces of these kids and hearing their names, it was obvious that almost half of the 40 to 50 kids that entered the contest were of Asian ancestry. Most were first generation Americans and their parents or at least grandparents came to this country and have fully assimilated into society.

We have a lot of Asia people who live here in the northwest. I went to school with many. Most, at that time, were Japanese and had been born in concentration camps or were put in them when they were kids. I never heard any of those kids talk about that time or ever complain, and they had a right to do so in my opinion.

I enjoyed their culture and would visit their homes as they visited mine. They and their parents could speak other languages but used English in everyday communication. They wanted to be treated just like any other American. No better no worse. They did not expect people to bend to fit what they brought to the country but wanted to be like every other ethnic group who came before. Other people would refer to them hyphenated. Like Japanese-Americans, Korean-Americans, or Vietnamese-Americans. But I never heard them say they were such, unless asked where they or their parents came from. They were just plain old Americans. I like that. I never refer to myself as an English-American, or German-American. How dumb would that sound?

Still many ethnic groups who have been in this country longer than most Asians still feel compelled to hyphenate their background. In most cases their ethnicity is obvious so I never know if they are bragging or complaining.

Many Asian folks here have built strong businesses in our community. Their kids have studied hard in school and many time they are the top students in our high schools. I drove school bus for 5 years after I retired and to be honest, I can never remember having to discipline any Asian students. It is not to say they did not have fun like other kids. They liked to dress and have crazy fads just like the rest, but they were always respectful. When I was a manager of a large computer center, I had many Asian employees and they were some of my best workers. They watch out for each other and have little groups of friends, but they seem to welcome everyone in as well. When I was a kid you would have to tell me the Asian kids I ran around with were different. I did not notice, they were just my crazy buddies. My wife had the same experience and she lived in a community where there was a very high degree of Asian kids. The pattern in her school was the same great kids and friends.

The reason I am singling out the Asians in our society is because how they act, and fit into society should be a model for all. You can bring you culture into the country, continue your traditions while striving to melt into the rest of society. They do not expect or want any special privileges. Just a chance to work hard and do their best on their own without complaint. When I compare them against some hyphenated groups, I just shake my head and wonder why they can not be like the Asian population in my community. Demanding rights will not get you as far as society giving you rights because of respect.