Asian-American identity highlighted at honors conference
Joe Nguyen, staff writer
Nov. 2, 2006

Photo by Joe Nguyen Peggy Lore, director of Asian American Student Services at the University of Colorado at Denver, speaks at the Metropolitan State College of Denver's Honors Program’s ninth annual honors conference Oct. 25 at St. Cajetan’s Center on the Auraria Campus. This year’s theme was titled “China and Japan: A Changing Balance of Power.”

Professors from the Universities of Colorado at Denver and Boulder discussed the struggles of Asian-American identity Oct. 25 at St. Cajetan’s Center on the Auraria Campus.

The session was part of the Metropolitan State College of Denver's Honors Program’s ninth annual honors conference. This year’s theme was titled “China and Japan: A Changing Balance of Power.”

"Asians in the U.S. have always had to link their identities to Asia,” CU-Boulder ethnic studies professor Daryl Maeda said. "But in ways that are far more complicated than simply thinking of themselves as connected to Asia as part of Asian diasporas.”

The speakers covered a wide range of subjects, from the formation of Asian-American identity during the 1960s to themes from author Amy Tan’s books.

"The construction of Asian-American identity is a fragile state,” said Peggy Lore, director of Asian American Students Services at UCD. “… I think the idea of trying to form Asian-American identity is like nailing Jell-O to a wall in some instances, because it is affected by many things.”

Photo by Joe Nguyen Daryl Maeda, professor of ethnic studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder, speaks at the Metropolitan State College of Denver's Honors Program’s ninth annual honors conference Oct. 25 at St. Cajetan’s Center on the Auraria Campus. This year’s theme was titled “China and Japan: A Changing Balance of Power.”

Maeda said it is difficult to identify the single biggest problem concerning Asian-American identity, but did list the model-minority myth.

"Asian Americans continue to face racism in the United States of America, yet at the same time, we are constantly told we are, in fact, the model minority,” Maeda said. “Asian Americans are good students, we’re industrious, Asian Americans don’t suffer from poverty or mental health. All of these assertions are false.”

At one point, Lore asked the audience to name their favorite Asian-American role model. After some initial hesitation, a few in the crowd spouted out celebrity names such as Bruce Lee and Yao Ming. Lore said she wasn’t surprised by the answers and that she receives many of the same answers in her own classes.

"Most people, when they think of Asians, they think of them as being foreign,” Lore said. “I want to credit the organizers of the (honors conference) for allowing a distinct Asian-American perspective on social, political and historical events.”

Joe Nguyen is a staff writer for asiaXpress.com. You can reach Joe at joe@asiaxpress.com.