Asian Americans in 1000 Words or Less

Recently I was asked to put together an overview of Asian Americans in 1000 words or less. After several weeks of intensive research and writing, I finally handed in a draft this afternoon. I tried to make the piece as informative and balanced as I could, given the word count restrictions, but I'm still worried about how people -- in particular, Asian Americans -- will react to it. I'm always uncomfortable about any assignment that focuses on a particular ethnic or racial group, whether it be a study of voter patterns, a celebration of heritage, or something more controversial. How can one possibly describe Asian Americans -- or any other racial group -- in 1000 words or less? Just because members of a group share a certain range of skin tones and hair textures doesn't mean they all have had the same experiences or think alike. On the contrary, racial groups are as infinitely diverse and complex as the individuals who comprise them. Am I doing anyone a service by writing something that will be superficial no matter how hard I try?

I also have mixed feelings in general about being given this assignment. Normally I don't think about my race -- in fact, I have been called a "twinkie" or a "banana" (yellow on the outside, white on the inside) because of the way I react to most situations -- so I am somewhat embarrassed and nervous whenever someone believes I can write well about something because of the color of my skin. Despite what the mirror says every morning, I don't FEEL particularly Asian, so it is always somewhat of a shock to be reminded that I am by assignments like this.

I hope I have done my fellow Asian Americans justice in my piece, but I know that no matter what I write I can only barely begin to describe us. All our individual experiences as Asian Americans are unique; my perspective as a Taiwanese-American born in 1969 differs from that of a Japanese-American who was placed in an internment camp during World War II, which in turn differs from the experience of a recent refugee from Laos or North Korea. The best I can do is to stick to the facts as well as I can and refer readers to sources I consider reliable for more information or perspectives. It won't be perfect, but I hope it will at least be a good start for teaching people about Asian Americans and sparking a dialogue on the issues that concern us all.