Anti-Asian Racism & Violence: past, present and futur

Ever since the first Asians arrived in America, there has been anti-Asian racism. This includes prejudice and acts of discrimination. For more than 200 years, Asian Americans have been denied equal rights, subjected to harassment and hostility had their rights revoked and imprisoned for no justifiable reason, physically attacked, and murdered.
From Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 till now there are many cases symbolizing discrimination and racism behaviors against Asian-Americans. These behaviors have sought to deny Asian-Americans' right of land ownership, citizenship and other rights in state and federal level. In some important times these treatment became harsher such as unjustified imprisonment of Japanese Americans during World War II, just because of their ethnic ancestry.
Asian-Americans have been, also, scapegoat during problems occurred in American society, political or economical during recent decades. One of these cases is the murder of Vincent chin in 1982, one who was beaten to his death by two white men because they blamed him and other Japanese automakers for current recession, although Vincent was a Chinese. In trial court both White men were just punished for $ 3,700 with no confinement. After developed protests by different groups and organizations another court was sentenced one of men to 25 years in prison but the latter was acquitted of his crime, because he just had held the Vincent for other man to beat him better, but in surprise of all both men in a new retrial were acquitted. The men just were fined to pay $ 1.5 million to Vincent's widow but a very little of that money was paid. Finally Mrs. Chin, distraught of all these incidents came back to China.
Another example of these cases is Dr. Wen Ho Lee ,a Chinese-American working as researcher scientist at the Los Alamos Nuclear Laboratory on military missile system. He was charged with 59 counts of mishandling classified information and arrested.He was maltreated by criminal Justice system and even imprisoned in solitary confinement aswell as wearing leg shackles and chains for nine months.The court struggled to charge him with handling information by building a case but failed and he was acquitted of his charges.They only apologized him very briefly.
According to what Asians have seen and known about Americans' treatment toward them, they have come to ideas that if they live in America for some hundreds more, Americans will never admit them as real Americans.
What we can anticipate about this relation is that we can foresee more tensions between Asians and Americans in terms of economic, because as you know Chinese products are going to cover all over the world, it, inevitably will cause many economic problems in all countries, especially in industrial countries, such as unemployment, so Asians must be ready for more tensions as what happened in the past.

The Impact of Racial and Ethnic Diversity on Educational Outcomes:
Cambridge, MA School District
January, 2002

As a survey in a high school in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it tends to identify the impact of diversity among higher education students (senior) in terms of Education outcomes.
As directors have stated, finally, they wanted to know whether students in this high school, from different races and ethnic groups, are treated good. About how they (students) treat or work with other ethnic groups after graduate.
Cambridge is a city with 100,000 populations and a single high school, so it is inevitable that students from different racial and ethnic groups attend in it.
This study administered in this high school among all students, when all were at school. The research was a part of a series by The Civil Right Project across the country. Every student was delivered a Questionnaire with some question about Diversity.
The research had been done among students in last school year. The survey included 70 distinct items, which were created to test several distinct dimensions of experiences and attitudes.
Finally, the researchers concluded that the research had positive news, but it showed that racial equity has not been fully achieved and there are still, in spite of desegregation policy in this city, certain kinds of unequal treatment within the school that could be improved with appropriate school leadership and staff training. They also have acknowledged leadership’s attempts to provide educational opportunities for students. Moreover, they appreciated their (leadership and staff) cooperation in doing research.
Some important points come in the mind, when you are looking at tables of the results. In most of the cases answers were very close together, for example in table about this question: “How comfortable are you working with students from different racial and ethnic backgrounds on group projects in your classes?” , the responds were as follow: ((Af-Am 90%-- Asian 94%-- Latinos 92%-- Whites 99%-- other 96%-- Multiracial 95%))
Or to this question: “To what extent do you believe that these discussions have changed your understanding of different points of view?”(Discussion about racial issues in social studies and history class): these are the answers: ((Af-Am 38%--Asian 43%--Latinos32%--Whites 40%--other 38%--Multiracial 50%)).
About first question, there is tendency among all groups especially Whites to work with other groups, but in second question you see the highest rate is fifty percent and the rest are less than that. Maybe it shows that they are not agree with the issues had discussed in classes. There is an exception about Asian in table 6 about their “prepare to work in a job setting where people are of a different racial or ethnic background”, in which they are 100 percent agree with it.
In sum, as researchers have argued, it is true that all the races have come close to a mutual agreement, but it requires more time for them to come toward a complete mutual comprehension, as we can see in cases like counselors in high school who should advise and encourage students, we can see Whites and Asian are more content than others. Again, as researchers have recommended, maybe high school’s staff need more training. I think there is no need, necessarily, to train them just if they can refer to their conscience.

War on Terror: Cultural Misunderstanding or Intentional Neglect
Seyyed Hassan Salehzadeh
MA student in Institute for North American & European studies
University of Tehran
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The misunderstanding is reason for many historical events, especially when they were cultural. Sometimes, men in an alien environment do something that is a sign of their unfamiliarity to the specific culture, so the people in the other side can endure, neglect the action and inform them with their action.
The cultural misunderstanding or cultural contrast, sometimes cause profound and main splits between nations that sometimes lead to long wars. Formally, the process of these contrasts is firstly to accuse each other to Barbarism and then a sudden incident leads to a bloody war.
Can we name "war on terror" a sort of cultural misunderstanding? Can anyone claim, today, with such a great progresses in science and media, there are nations who are unfamiliar with general characteristics of different cultures? In the era that every day, many pictures and news of different cultural, political and economical events are being sent round the world in shortest time as far as possible, can we believe there is lack of information about other cultures?
The "Hijab" or veil is one of the traits in Muslim communities. According to Islamic trainings, women's hair can be seen by those males who have close relation with her like father, brother, husband, maternal uncle and paternal uncle and not by anyone else, and Muslim women should cover themselves against others. The Hijab for a Muslim woman is like haven to prevent others not to attract on her beauties and cause trouble for her in society. Hijab insures social security for woman to some extent. One of the reasons for lack of social security for women in non-Muslim societies is lack of attention to moral issues and lack of appropriate clothing as well as behavior. Hijab gives a respectful personality to woman so she can be respected only as a means of sexuality. Just look at the churches, when people there gaze at Marry's pieta with such a respect. If you compare Muslim and non-Muslim societies in the term of census of rape, you can find out the role of Hijab in society.
Now, using Hijab to show Islamic societies non-democratic and Muslim women under pressure is not an issue to be considered as a sign for lack of cultural knowledge but it should be considered as a political conspiracy. A factor that is respected to be a symbol of hostility between Muslims and West, and they (western countries) announce against it. They look at it as a devil, like Americans' view of blacks because of their complexion in 17th century, certainly on purpose, because they all know that their idea is not correct, so what is the reason? Why in France, Muslim girls can not attend in schools and universities veiled? Why today, western countries look at Hijab as an unknown and devil factor? Certainly it is not a misunderstanding but it's on purpose.
Another Muslims' religious trait is to believe in "Jihad", that is fighting with those who invade on Muslims and they should defend themselves against invaders or fighting with pagans to direct them to the right way. War for just occupation and to plunder other societies has been forbidden according to Islamic beliefs. Now this has led to another mistaken or intentional misunderstanding between Islam and west. The West introduces Islam as an aggressive religion. Maybe the recent Pop's manifestations about Islam are the most obvious one. Do we consider the matter a misunderstanding?
The so-called "war on terror" started for identification and destruction of 9/11 terrorists, but its deviated way has been known to all. The congress election on November 7, 2006 proved that. But what was Iraqis' and Afghanis' fault to be punished so severely? Upto what time it will continue? And what will be its results? Do American leaders believe that Muslims will forget these humiliations, opperessions and ravages (Iraq's petrol)? When the West will end this "Judgment about Muslims with closed eyes"? Isn't it the time for "Dialogue among Civilizations"(Dr. Khatami's Doctrine)? Imam Ali (P.B.U.H) one of Muslims' leaders in (750 A.D) has said:" Neglect will lead to regret".
To neglect human rights can not be lasting, as in colonial era southern states of America could not continue slavery till they desired. But what is important is the impressions of this neglect that might be harmful. Accusations, humiliations of Muslims' identity and religion are not acceptable to alert Americans' watchful conscience. The wrong actions of every group can be looked at due to their religions because they may misinterpret their religious beliefs; like Al Qaeda, that use violence and terror to confront their enemies. If western countries have no respect to Hijab, it should not cause to abuse Muslims, because they are aware of its behind.
The "war on terror" is in itself the goal of all countries and civilizations. But what is terror? And who is terrorist? Muslims, nowadays, are victims of terrorism; they have been killed by superpowers' puppets because they have acted against the superpowers' interests. Today no one pays attention to governmental terrorism existing around world and all consider it as defending the interests, why? Is it not terrorism? All governments dodge from it. There is also saying among Iranians that says:" you can awaken one who sleeps, but you can not awaken the one who pretends to sleep".
For The White House leaders, this is another savage war for peace, war against Barbarism. They postulate Middle East people as Indians required to be civilized. But by which civilization? How using pressure, violence, horror, terror, threat and killing will lead to civilization? Whom they are going to civilize? Those who belong to the oldest human civilization? Those who from their region civilization started and then developed to other parts of the world? Maybe they have forgotten where the basic sciences were formed and western countries from what points continued them.
The White House leaders have not yet suppressed, want to democratize mid- east people. Can democracy in United States please Americans, so they think to present it to other countries? Americans' dissent of federal government and its functions in recent decades has implicated the entity of American democracy. So what is the worth of this democracy? The democracy that wants to enter the countries by force. Isn't it an abuse to say to someone " you don’t know how to live, let's live like us".
For George W. Bush, Iraqi people are the Seminoles and he ,also is Andrew Jackson who wants to suppress them and learn the others how to live in American way, while he and other American foreign policy leaders have not yet compromised on what should do at first , to liberalize Iraqi people and then democratize or vice versa.
By the way, late or soon, the "war on terror" will end but Americans will ask themselves: "Indeed, what was the consequence of this war? What we have obtained against our dead? Was this war glorious?" and will be answered "nothing, nothing, nothing".
Indeed, how terrorism will be disappeared? Will it end by demonization of nations and attack on them? Will it finish by humiliation, abuse and horror? What about by end of oppression and beginning of respect among nations? Yes, the only way to end terrorism is mutual respect. If you force a child to do something or oppress him, he, at last will be aggressed and reacts against you, though you are older than him, but if you respect him, he also will lean and will respect you.
Now, the White House leaders have one way to go, that is going out of Iraq and let Iraqis to decide about their countries .Iraqis can administer a kind of democracy according to their culture and tradition. The democracy will last long, when people, themselves, establish it and accept it, not by force.

Surgeon General's report on Women and Smoking African-American Women and Smoking

What you are studying right now,is the results of an overall research on smoking and its effect on American women from different races and ages , from girlhood to adolescents.
What is attractive in this research is the condition of black women who are under focus. It has been carried out during 20th century, ranged from 1920s to the late1990s.Blak women smoking prevalence was intermediate in comparison with Indian and Alaska Native women who were in highest among others.Smoking of the black women increased from 1965 through 1985 that it may be a sign of civil rights on blacks or increasing their social status because smoking is a funny act. White women were heavy smokers ( 14 percent) than black women who were ( 4.5 percent) or Hispanic women ( 2.1 percent) . I think black women , in this case, were more affected by surgeon's warning against smoking or they may be more family-lovers than others.
The survey (1978-80),also, showed the three most popular brands for black women were Kool (24 percent) Salem (19 percent) and Winston (10 percent). This may refers to their sensitivity on the special properties of nicotine because some of them produce more dependency. It may be because of the blacks women's deep inhaling. The blacks , usually, are more powerful in physical acts than other groups.
Among girls, also , whites were more attracted to smoking .One of the factors was considered by researchers was the effect of sibling in which black girls showed themselves as less affected by their sibling or other family members in smoking than whites,Hispanic or Indians . It may show the blacks' more self-relience than others.
Smoking prevalence during pregnancy, also,differs among different races and ethnic groups. More quitting smoking occurred among black pregnant women (from 17.2 percent in 1989 to 9.6 percent in 1998) than whites, but , unfortunately, trlapsing among black women was also more than whites after childbirth. They quitted smoking because of its harmful to embryo and fetus. It may refer to their strong motherhood feeling but relapsing may be for influence of nicotine or their lack of knowledge about effect of smoking on born child like during pregnancy.
About some diseases are cause by smoking , there is no differencebetween races and ethnic groups, but according to hospital-based study, the probability for lung cancer were higher among black women.
In general, the African-American women are interested in quitting smoking more than others by 79 percent but they are behind of black men in this case.
I think it should not be considered any rogue against blacks in this research because it is a medicalresearch and it ay not have relation with political issues or white supremacy.If you compare this report with my p[revious report about effects of Alcoholism on blacks , you will see no difference and they may be not considered as a hypocrisy and unusual.