Asian American Studies 197A
Winter Quarter 2002

Reflection Journal 1

On the Road to Activism
By Esther Cho

When the field of Asian American Studies began thirty years ago, class dynamics in our communities were very different from now. Most of the students taking Asian American Studies classes at elite institutions came from backgrounds that were closely connected to the lives of low-income workers in their communities. They had little resources and many restrictions. But even with these obstacles, the Asian American Studies field has grown and spread. It has changed so much, that now the majority of the Asian American students are coming from suburban families with professional backgrounds. I think that this situation can be a great opportunity for Asian American students because if the Asian American Studies field was able to progress with the limited resources that they had thirty years ago, there are so many more possibilities now with the potential access to power and resources that the Asian Pacific American communities have available to them. There are many more Asian American organizations, groups of activists, and support groups. There are many more Asian American Studies centers, youth centers, classes, and magazines. There are also many more online resources, articles, and published works. Another advantage is that they no longer having the obstacle of overcoming something that’s never been done before. They have people who have already broken the ice for them and they can turn to them and gain the knowledge that they learned from their experiences.

My viewpoint might be similar to low-income immigrant workers who believe in working hard to get into elite institutions, taking advantage of the resources available to them, and fighting against the injustices that Asian immigrants have to face. However, my view may be different from that of low-income immigrant workers because they might feel that the growing gap between the rich and the poor, and the growing number of Asian American students coming from suburban families could be a contributing factor to the hardships that they have to endure. They might feel that the stereotype of successful and rich Asian Americans can be harming them. They might feel frustrated about not being able to live up to that standard, and they might also feel that affirmative action was ended to try to keep Asian American students out of school, and prevent them from rising to the top and stealing "white" jobs.

As a student taking an Asian American Studies class, I think that today’s community class dynamics has shaped my own consciousness. I realize that different Asian Americans from different backgrounds still face similar experiences as Asian Americans. I believe that it’s good for so many people from different backgrounds to come together for a common cause…to rid ignorance and fight for justice. This is my first quarter at UCLA, but I am taking two Asian American Studies classes, and I believe that I have the responsibility to start taking action in my community and doing whatever I can to help the situations of my fellow Asian Americans. From these courses I hope to gain knowledge from my research to share with low-income immigrant workers and start my activism to support their struggles.