QOTD: What do you think of AAPI?

[atlasien]

What do you think about the demographic designation Asian-American / Pacific Islander?

Is it wrong to lump these two very different cultural traditions together?
Or does it kind of make sense given their shared concentration in Hawaii?

[Heyyu]

Do you mean in technical terms? Technically the Pacific Islands are in Oceania... but um, I think it's weird to lump them in with the Australians and New Zealanders. I guess appearance-wise, Pacific Islanders look like some of the SE Asian island nations like the Philippines or Indonesia or the Maori people in New Zealand. So a good question would be if Filipinos, ethnic Malays and Indonesians should be grouped into the PI category as opposed to Asians?

I actually think that culturally "Asian-American" itself is far too broad a demographic since it usually implies the East Asians in most Americans minds (i.e. Chinese/Japanese/Koreans). And again, usually they come from better socioeconomic backgrounds than other Asians (although not everyone... but generally speaking).

For instance, should there be a special cut-off for SE Asians? South Asians? Even more puzzling are the Middle Easterns and Central Asians... who may or may not be classified as "Caucasian" under the US Census Bureau (usually if you're from Turkey or Iran or Saudi Arabia you're white). However, many of the Central Asian nations are actually mixed Eurasians (mixed Mongoloid and Caucasoid blood). For instance, many Kazakhstanis look like your typical Eurasian person and not like Borat.

[Scowl]

I don't think there will ever be a really good way to classify it. I mean, just think about all the different kinds of people who get lumped together under the label of "Asian."

I believe this is primarily an American term, correct? The way I see it, the label serves two purposes - a quick and easy way to categorize people for Americans, who apparently have trouble comprehending the differences between the various peoples of the world, and an attempt to politically bolster Asian American interests because we just don't have the numbers to have much clout.

Recently I was quite surprised to find on the "Personal Information" section on a form two separate boxes for "Asian/Pacific Islander" and "Asian American." I was a bit confused, because I suppose both could apply to me. I was surprised that anyone would make the distinction, though.

I guess in the end I really don't like the term all that much, but I can't think of a better one. Of course, ideally we wouldn't feel it necessary to use such labels, but you know.

[Pat the Great]

it makes sense in some places. in others, it doesn't.