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I am a Korean American guy who calls Bayside home. Growing up as a Korean kid in Bayside was tough, as I had to face blatant racism. (it makes me laugh when the same racist people criticize, for example Texans, for being so crude and racist). To me, things seemed to have changed for the better, but in some respect, not so much. The problem with your comment, Limelight, is not that it's an inaccurate depiction of reality. It is the innuendo and the sense of cultural superiority--even a hint of racism in your comments-- that are disturbing. Hey, think of Italian and Irish slums in downtown Manhattan back in the day; or the lower east side projects populated by Jewish residents. I do not believe those people were particularly law-abiding citizens in that regard; nor did they seem to have had particular interest in integration. Well, partially because they were pariahs to the mainstream. But the first generation immigrants have definitely formed exclusive ethnic enclaves, keeping others out. Hey, but they did integrate after a generation or two. The same thing is happening with East Asians--except it's harder for us to integrate because of the color of our skin (oh, and also widespread racism against Asians that is generally accepted by our society). Your comments seem to suggest that the problems you have described are unique among Asians. You know what? I'm getting sick of this general pretentiousness. An average ******* won't discriminate against African Americans bc it's such a taboo, whereas racisms against Asians is normal. Hey we're a very small minority and few are vocal. Many seem to take advantage of that to the effect that racism against Asians is so casual. And yet the same people say they aren't racists because they aren't to African Americans. Oh yeah btw, the reason (the reality you have depicted) you see so many illegal activities in Korean enclaves is because it's the poor folks from Korea who immigrate--definitely those who have financial troubles back home; they do not represent the majority of Korean population in Korea. It was the same for Irish and Italians--poor Southern Italians and famished Irish farmers. So don't pretend that this is just an Asian thing. It sickens me. And the fact that you so deviously project your bias does not hide the pretense to such comments. It's pretty obvious where that's coming from. But my question is, what is the root cause of all this? Particularly against Asians? Is it Because we don't fight tooth and nail for our rights? Is it because of North Korea? Or the recently developing Sinophobia? Asian Americans were among the most discriminated yet patriotic Americans for generations. Bet you didn't know about the Nissei (the most decorated regiment in US military history--basically the Gov't detained Japanese Americans who had been Hawaiians for at least two generations, and gave some of them a choice; fight in the worst battlefields of Europe, engaging in near-impossible operations.. Or your family will remain in the Concentration Camp). did we ever complain? How about the Chinese Americans who fought in the Civil War?
Sheesh. Racism pisses me off so much.
not saying your right or wrong but this thread isnt the place to really get into race discrimination and i think it needs to stay on topic.
only thing ill add is this:
whatever happened in the past to divide the cultures happened and we cant go back we can only look forward.
but if you want a current view of whats going on here is an example:
my wife and i were photographing flushing over near roosevelt and main st. i have to say its about as close to leaving this country as you can get without leaving this country.
a polce officer started talking to us so i asked him how is it when the law states signs have to be in english does an entire area get away with not complying ? many many stores have not even a hint of english on their signs.
his answer: the building department is supposed to issue violations for it but they say its the police departments domain to issue the tickets. the police say they dont want to issue the tickets as thats the building department responsibility and the police need the community as friends to support them so they wont issue violations . then he brought up a point i didnt realize.
when i said i wouldnt support a business that didnt have signs in english his answer was they are telling you they dont want you as a customers through their signage.
they arent comfortable selling to americans, they dont want to sell to americans and thats their way of pretty much telling you your really not welcome in their stores....those that want to cater to americans will have signs in english, those that dont will not.
i realized he was correct, while im saying to heck with them i wont buy there they are really already telling me dont come in here.
despite my feelings my wife wanted to try a place for lunch that had no english signs posted anywhere . although i was against going in we did.
via a pre-printed sheet of paper they handed us we were informed we would have to wait until the only english speaking employee was back from an errand to be waited on , so we walked out.
something to think about when talking about assimilating into daily life in a community.
Last edited by mathjak107; 01-29-2012 at 05:34 AM..
It's pretty typical of neighborhoods in eastern Queens. The school district is better than some others. I might opt for LI or NJ as an alternative because the prices are pretty high.
not saying your right or wrong but this thread isnt the place to really get into race discrimination and i think it needs to stay on topic.
only thing ill add is this:
whatever happened in the past to divide the cultures happened and we cant go back we can only look forward.
but if you want a current view of whats going on here is an example:
my wife and i were photographing flushing over near roosevelt and main st. i have to say its about as close to leaving this country as you can get without leaving this country.
a polce officer started talking to us so i asked him how is it when the law states signs have to be in english does an entire area get away with not complying ? many many stores have not even a hint of english on their signs.
his answer: the building department is supposed to issue violations for it but they say its the police departments domain to issue the tickets. the police say they dont want to issue the tickets as thats the building department responsibility and the police need the community as friends to support them so they wont issue violations . then he brought up a point i didnt realize.
when i said i wouldnt support a business that didnt have signs in english his answer was they are telling you they dont want you as a customers through their signage.
they arent comfortable selling to americans, they dont want to sell to americans and thats their way of pretty much telling you your really not welcome in their stores....those that want to cater to americans will have signs in english, those that dont will not.
i realized he was correct, while im saying to heck with them i wont buy there they are really already telling me dont come in here.
despite my feelings my wife wanted to try a place for lunch that had no english signs posted anywhere . although i was against going in we did.
via a pre-printed sheet of paper they handed us we were informed we would have to wait until the only english speaking employee was back from an errand to be waited on , so we walked out.
something to think about when talking about assimilating into daily life in a community.
Wow that sucks....
__________________
"The man who sleeps on the floor, can never fall out of bed." -Martin Lawrence
yes it does..... everyone should be able to keep their cultures,their traditions, their food etc but not to the point of divorcing yourself from the rest of the country and those americans around you .
that is true of any culture that refuses to assimalate into our country.
As far as the Asians go. It's not the Asians I have problems with. It's the fact of how foreign their culture, language alphabet is in relation to the romantic languages, which all the various European had in common(at least). Then there is the fact that Asians are coming in substantial numbers in a very short period of time. I don't know, maybe in 30 years, everyone will look
back at the nastolgia of the Korean/Asian neighborhoods the where proliferate throughout the Queens borough. Although, I don't think so. Chinatown in Manhattan is being encroached upon by gentrification, yet the average person, be it Amerians of Italian, Irish, German, Polish, Greek, Jewish, American Hipsters aren't even shedding a tear about it, hell they aren't batting an eyelash about nostalgic Chinatown being transformed. If African Americans, with the history they've had with the various ethnic European groups in the city, have a much more substantial feeling of cultural loss when a neighborhood like Queens turns into yet another Chinatown then any sort of "Chinatown is shrinking" phenomena.
We are entering a new wave of immigrants who are worlds apart different that those already here, unlike the transition that took place when the German's replaced the Dutch, or the Irish replaced the Germans etc.. I have
seen what happened in California.
The cultureless Americans out there (besides the surfers) have been systematically driven out or breed out by the massive waves of Asians coming in. Yes, love is love. But out there, Asians girls being the geniuses they are have a subtle, yet pushy demeaner in hookin' theyselves an American boy. At least Asian girls here on the East coast aren't to much like that. But that's probably because we have a stronger culture here, that wasn't getting trampled over. We are the "damn yankees". Along with those god feerin' and maniacal (meant in good way) rebels down south, we are the only reason this country has been tramped over a long time ago. No offense to the midwest, being only "American" and all, you do offer a balance for the rest of the country. The West is a basketcase, I'm sorry, I've lived there. If they want to become China and Mexico, (comprehensively) they should secede and leave us the PNW, they at least have half a sense in them.
Maybe when I see some substantial populations of Congelese, Pakistani, Egyptian and Mexicans overturning some neighborhoods in Shanghai or Soeul, I'll retract my grift.
Woodlawn is still the destination of FOB Irish immigrants. Which looks better/less dirty - Woodlawn or downtown Flushing?
Woodlawn IMO looks better than downtown Flushing. Bayside is a very nice area but really expensive. 600k will not go very far that area for a home.
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