Asian American Studies 197A
Winter Quarter 2002

Reflection Journal 1

The Struggle for Dignity and Value
By TJ Lee

Today, Asian Americans have unprecedented access to vehicles of power, including professional occupations and higher education. There are Asian Americans in professions that 50 years ago would have been impossible to break into. In addition, Asian Americans are a strong presence on universities all over the country. Naturally, these changes have greatly affected the way Asian American Studies functions in today’s academic environment.

I see this "period of great opportunities" as having both opportunities and dangers. Asian Americans are more able to attend elite institutions and gain insight into the inner workings of American academia. That, in turn, empowers them to influence greater societal change. In addition, with more Asian American university graduates in circulation, there are more opportunities for these graduates to enter into the mainstream economic market, and thereby diversify it. And more university graduates mean more professors, bringing a different perspective to the historically white male face of academia.

In contrast, one of the big dangers of this new period is the demographical change that has affected the Asian American student body. Because Asian Americans have more opportunities in the economic sector, that has changed the Asian Americans in the academic sector as well. Asian Americans in college, particularly in the more elite universities, are more from the upper classes than ever before, and come from families that are able to financially support them beyond high school. To generalize, these students are less likely to reflect the originators of Asian American Studies in economic status and life history. The focus of AAS may then shift from immigrant and low-income issues to more middle class issues, such as Affirmative Action and real estate discrimination. And while these issues are important to Asian Americans, they should not overshadow the foundation on which Asian American Studies was formed.

I believe that the viewpoint of a low-income immigrant worker might differ on this topic. They might believe that any progress by Asian Americans is good. And while the shift of Asian American Studies might affect the books students read, the entrance of Asian Americans in professional occupations and government could help immigrants and low-income workers in more tangible ways.

Being an Asian American Studies major has helped me to understand the struggles that have occurred to enable me to be in the position I am in today. It forces me to look past the bubble of my own experiences and sheltered world. And while it has helped me to see that there are so many similarities in the experiences of different Asian ethnic groups in America, it has also allowed me to see the many differences. It also has enabled me to see that "the struggle" still continues today. What we read about in our books is still affecting people right down the street from us.

At this period in time, being an Asian American Studies student does present many responsibilities, as well as possibilities. I am learning that I need to take the knowledge gained to the outside world, beyond the hallowed walls of UCLA. People everywhere, even at UCLA, are unaware of so much. This period also forces us to go outside of the classroom and interact with communities that we may not have much knowledge of. In the past, because Asian American Studies students came from lower-income immigrant families, there may have been an assumption that they knew what they were studying first-hand. Today, however, with the knowledge that we come from different backgrounds, we are challenged to go and discover on our own. I’m glad that AAS classes, such as this one, force me to go and learn, not through books, but through interaction.

One way I can help support the struggles of low-income immigrant workers is to take part in projects, such as the one for AAS197A, that help educate others. I can also continue the research into graduate school to broaden the bank of knowledge on the topic. In addition, in the long run, if I remain in academia and become a professor or some sort of educator, I can also challenge students to take part in these struggles as well. Hopefully, by that time, the struggle for immigrant workers’ rights will be over and they will be treated with dignity and value.