generaltojo
Dec 3rd, 2004, 08:58 PM
A while ago, I made a post about opening my eyes, breaking out of a dark tunnel, seeing the light. I'd become so wrapped up in the politics of the Angry Asian Male that I'd lost perspective. That's the funny thing about passion - if not countered with a hefty dose of perspective, it turns into an obsession, which corrupts grief and turns it into a disease, of sorts.
I both blame 44 for getting into this tunnel (remember I've been on this board since its inception, in the past when it was far, far more angry, asian, male, and angry asian male), and (partially at least) for getting me out of it. I can safely say that without the MC's commitment to diversity on 44, I would not be out of said tunnel. There's something about being around a multitude of angry asian men saying the same things you're saying, thinking, that makes you think that this and the issues we care about are, in fact, the world in its totality. It warps your view on what's real and what's not. And, while the issues are very, very real, we all know that this simply isn't the case.
I'm here because I want to I talk to other people about what I care about - my pain, our pain, our shared pain as Asian men. I'm also here because I want to learn from other people their views on it, and in the process about their issues, politics, stories. And this process, this diversity that the MC has so masterfully woven with his cockamamie Integral Theory, cannot help but transform all of us for the better. Tis the nature of reaching out and communicating - a trite but beautiful thing.
The thing is that it goes both ways.
A major constituency of this board remains - and will always remain - that of the angry asian male. That's a side of Core 44 that is there, and will always be, no matter how far each and every one of us go and grow. And I know all 44 knows that the grievances (if not style) of Asian dudes are valid, based on issues that are very real, that impact the whole notion of Asian identity in this godforsaken country.
That being the case, people on this board could easily get into that dark tunnel I was trapped in, but in a different way: if you're not angry, asian, male, or an angry asian male, you might think that the vitriol is what Asian men are in this world. In totality. That this side of 44 is an accurate reflection of reality, as opposed to merely one side of it. It can warp your view on what's real and what's not. And once again, we all know that this simply isn't the case.
I know this for a fact: there are very, very few things in the "real" world like 44. Specifically, there aren't a lot of outfits whose mission and politics include (but do not comprise completely of) airing the grievances that Asian dudes have in this society, tolerating the venting, seeing it as part of the process to escape this tunnel, channeling it into something greater, more productive. In short, approaching them with compassion. Ministering to them, if you want to get kind of pretentious about it. In fact, I'd have to say that the "real" world does it opposite - it gives us only apathy, or ridicule, or even takes a perverted glee in kicking our masculine yellow asses.
Thank krishna for you, 44.
I am personally grateful for the diversity of 44. I know that 44 is better, stronger, and much, much richer with the diversity of poster and opinion on the board. I know I'm a better person for it, and I know that other people can be because of it.
But I want to encourage people never to lose track of the fact that angry asian men are out there. And 44 wants them to be here - if they have a good heart, if they haven't tipped too far off the edge. That's primarily why I'm here - to share some of my experiences, thoughts, to get others to do the same, commiserate and vent a little maybe, but ultimately grow and learn together (which is why diversity is vital to 44, and fuck stupid fuckers like dragon2 who rejects this site because we have non-Asian moderators.)
My point?
44 is not the "real" world, nor is it an accurate reflection of it. No internet message board is. The "real" world knows that women have it rough out there. The "real" world knows that male privilege is very real, and always underlies any gender / race / race and gender politics that will plague our species until the end of us as a species. The "real" world knows that Asian women do, indeed, have valid issues and problems that need to be engaged, that race and gender intersect for them just as bizarrely as any other group in The Space Between, the Tears We Cry.
But the "real" world has a plethora of channels, support mechanisms, artistic conduits, tomes and movies like The Joy Luck Club that is sympathetic and supportive of such issues.
The "real" world unequivocally does NOT have this for Asian men.
44 is all we got, kids. Please remember that when it seems like some of our Asian male members - including my own, sweet, dysfunctional self - seem militant, angry, unreasonable, forgetful of how others outside our peculiar intersect between race and culture feel, their issues, their politics, their pain.
We really, really need this. And we need you to understand this.
This has been a public service announcement from your friendly neighbourhood Tojo.
I both blame 44 for getting into this tunnel (remember I've been on this board since its inception, in the past when it was far, far more angry, asian, male, and angry asian male), and (partially at least) for getting me out of it. I can safely say that without the MC's commitment to diversity on 44, I would not be out of said tunnel. There's something about being around a multitude of angry asian men saying the same things you're saying, thinking, that makes you think that this and the issues we care about are, in fact, the world in its totality. It warps your view on what's real and what's not. And, while the issues are very, very real, we all know that this simply isn't the case.
I'm here because I want to I talk to other people about what I care about - my pain, our pain, our shared pain as Asian men. I'm also here because I want to learn from other people their views on it, and in the process about their issues, politics, stories. And this process, this diversity that the MC has so masterfully woven with his cockamamie Integral Theory, cannot help but transform all of us for the better. Tis the nature of reaching out and communicating - a trite but beautiful thing.
The thing is that it goes both ways.
A major constituency of this board remains - and will always remain - that of the angry asian male. That's a side of Core 44 that is there, and will always be, no matter how far each and every one of us go and grow. And I know all 44 knows that the grievances (if not style) of Asian dudes are valid, based on issues that are very real, that impact the whole notion of Asian identity in this godforsaken country.
That being the case, people on this board could easily get into that dark tunnel I was trapped in, but in a different way: if you're not angry, asian, male, or an angry asian male, you might think that the vitriol is what Asian men are in this world. In totality. That this side of 44 is an accurate reflection of reality, as opposed to merely one side of it. It can warp your view on what's real and what's not. And once again, we all know that this simply isn't the case.
I know this for a fact: there are very, very few things in the "real" world like 44. Specifically, there aren't a lot of outfits whose mission and politics include (but do not comprise completely of) airing the grievances that Asian dudes have in this society, tolerating the venting, seeing it as part of the process to escape this tunnel, channeling it into something greater, more productive. In short, approaching them with compassion. Ministering to them, if you want to get kind of pretentious about it. In fact, I'd have to say that the "real" world does it opposite - it gives us only apathy, or ridicule, or even takes a perverted glee in kicking our masculine yellow asses.
Thank krishna for you, 44.
I am personally grateful for the diversity of 44. I know that 44 is better, stronger, and much, much richer with the diversity of poster and opinion on the board. I know I'm a better person for it, and I know that other people can be because of it.
But I want to encourage people never to lose track of the fact that angry asian men are out there. And 44 wants them to be here - if they have a good heart, if they haven't tipped too far off the edge. That's primarily why I'm here - to share some of my experiences, thoughts, to get others to do the same, commiserate and vent a little maybe, but ultimately grow and learn together (which is why diversity is vital to 44, and fuck stupid fuckers like dragon2 who rejects this site because we have non-Asian moderators.)
My point?
44 is not the "real" world, nor is it an accurate reflection of it. No internet message board is. The "real" world knows that women have it rough out there. The "real" world knows that male privilege is very real, and always underlies any gender / race / race and gender politics that will plague our species until the end of us as a species. The "real" world knows that Asian women do, indeed, have valid issues and problems that need to be engaged, that race and gender intersect for them just as bizarrely as any other group in The Space Between, the Tears We Cry.
But the "real" world has a plethora of channels, support mechanisms, artistic conduits, tomes and movies like The Joy Luck Club that is sympathetic and supportive of such issues.
The "real" world unequivocally does NOT have this for Asian men.
44 is all we got, kids. Please remember that when it seems like some of our Asian male members - including my own, sweet, dysfunctional self - seem militant, angry, unreasonable, forgetful of how others outside our peculiar intersect between race and culture feel, their issues, their politics, their pain.
We really, really need this. And we need you to understand this.
This has been a public service announcement from your friendly neighbourhood Tojo.