Survey Finds that 42% of Americans Cannot Name a Famous Asian American

In the News

So I don't know what the new agenda is now. But this new survey result being peddled by the news media is now sending mixed signals or at least mixing up the Asian hate agenda.

I think the media also reported recently that on another survey, that a third of Americans do not believe that there is a rise in Asian hate crimes. (Ok, a third is 1 out of every 3 people, in case you don't know math). 

Now I think these two surveys together support each other.

And the issue is and always was the lack of knowledge, learning, education or awareness, or to say it bluntly, ignorance, stupidity or idiocity of a lot of people who are living in the United States (regardless of race). 

Many Americans still think Asians mean Chinese or at least Chinese looking.

Most probably they cannot even point where Asia is on the globe.

Facts

1. Asia? It is the biggest continent in the world. If you would look at the world map it is a third (here it is again) of the page. And no, it is not just China. China is a big place with lots of people but Asia is bigger and has more people. 

2. Famous Asian Americans? Granted there are no "famous" Asian Americans, but well-known or widely known there are a ton, those who are always in the news, always on TV, movies, online and in many different fields. The apps that you use and the websites that you click on were mostly founded and run by, you guessed it, Asians.

3. Chinese eyes? I know this is racist but countless non-Asians make that slanting eye gesture when referring to Asians. 

Americans know who are Asians.

Yuli Gurriel caught on camera making this racist gesture towards Yu Darvish

4. We need to say this again. Asians are not just Chinese. Asian Americans come from over 50 countries. They are diverse and they aren't just recognizable by their eyes. And yes Covid 19 came from China. But most Asian Americans now, were born in California, New York, Texas, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Washington, Hawaii and major cities across America and almost all of them haven't even been to China yet, and don't intend to.

5. Asian hate? There has been Asian hate in America ever since they first started coming here hundreds of years ago. There has been hate directed towards every kind of Asian and different kinds of Asians in every generation.

6. Rise in hate? Yes there was a slight rise on Asian hate crimes because of Covid 19. But this has been going on up and down, ebbing and flowing for generations.

Invisible

Asians are largely invisible in America but have always been the whipping boys and the safest targets of jokes, crimes and violence. 

Immigrants

Asian Americans are the fastest growing ethnic group in America and expected to be the largest immigrant group in 20 to 30 years.

The largest groups that are here now are the Chinese, the Indians, Filipinos, Vietnamese, Koreans, Japanese, Pakistanis, Cambodians, Hmongs, Thais, Laotians, Bangladeshis, Burmese and Iranians.

Asian Americans or Half Asians?

Of course aside fom the founders and CEOs of big businesses, technology and internet whose names or faces many will not be familiar with. But for sure their companies and services will be, there are a lot more who are well known but only within their circles. It is hard to go to hospitals, universities, technology companies and not see Asian Americans everywhere.

But here are over 50 Asian Americans who most people would have heard of or seen at least once in their life: Kamala the Vice President Harris, Bruce Lee, Bruno Mars, Darren Criss, Tiger Woods, Hines Ward, Apolo Anton Ohno, Michelle Kwan, Kristi Yamaguchi, Jeremy Lin, Jordan Clarkson, Erik Spoelstra, Chloe Kim, Michelle Wie, Vijay Singh, Michael Chang, David Batista, Cung Le, Brandon Vera, Connie Chung, Ann Curry, Sanjay Gupta, Julie Chen, Christine Chen, Lisa Ling, Sharon Tay, Leyna Nguyen, Cher Calvin, David Ono, Rob Fukuzaki, Steven Yuen, Daniel Dae Kim, Ken Jeong, Mindy Kaling, Margaret Cho, Ali Wong, Jimmy Yang, BD Wong, Lucy Liu, Carrie Ann Inaba, Nicole Sclerzinger, Randall Park, Constance Wu, John Cho, Kai Penn, Aziz Ansari, Kumail Nanjiani, Brian Tee, Mark Dacascos, Ernie Reyes Jr., Dan Inosanto, Pat Morita, George Takei, Victor Wong, Lou Diamond Phillips, Jamie Chung, Brenda Song, Kenny Ridwan, Maggie Q, Ming-na Wen, Kelly Hu...

This list can go on, here's several hundred more. 

Possible Hate Crime

Points handgun.

Pistol whips on the face, twice.

Takes smart phone.

Takes $1,500.

Tells him to go back to China.

I don't know, doesn't look like a hate crime to me...

It's just your typical victim now, elderly looking Chinese. Doesn't even have to be Chinese, just Chinese looking and old. Male or female, it doesn't matter. 

Don't Force Asians' and Pacific Islanders' Hands

I've been saying this all along, stop pushing Asians to a corner and wait to see what they are going to do.

If you don't want a push back, stop Asian hate and also quit denying that there is hate. The hate and bullying has been in these United States since the first Asians got here hundreds of years ago. 

Hate

Asians normally do not like other Asians, but if certain Americans continue to push, bully and hurt Asian Americans then watch out.

Many Asians may not fight back physically but they can and will if pushed hard enough.

Asians can come back at you through other ways as well. Don't wait to find out how.

Asian / Pacific Islander Unity

Once all Asian Americans and along with Pacific Islanders come together, it can be a start of something big and will effect real change in America.

Asia is the biggest continent. China and India alone is already 3 out of 8 people in the planet. Add all the other Asians and the people of the Pacific Islands then thats going to be 1 out of every 2 people. 

They make up more than half of the planet.

In America and in most Western countries, when Asians and Pacific Islanders combine forces and decide to flex their muscle, they can close down entire industries, make life miserable for most Americans and even cripple economies.

Entire Industries

Asians work as doctors, engineers, tech support, accountants, dentists, pharmacists, chemists, scientists, teachers, tutors, sales professionals, nurses, caregivers, therapists and other medical professionals.

They own businesses, grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants, donut shops and beauty shops. They drive taxi cabs, they deliver the mail, do your taxes, cook and serve your food, they work in the technology sector, in government, in hotels, in childcare, retirement homes and hospices.

Asians and Pacific Islanders are essential to the most important aspects of American daily life.

Stop the hate or risk finding out the hard way what happens when all Asian Americans and Pacific islanders gets fed up.

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders come from these countries and territories.

#APAHM

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

Here is how it all started.

#APAHM

Note: Asians are just not Chinese, Japanese, Korean or Vietnamese.

Asian Pacific Americans came from all of the Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia (New Guinea, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji and the Solomon Islands), Micronesia (Marianas, Guam, Wake Island, Palau, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru and the Federated States of Micronesia) and Polynesia (New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands, Rotuma, Midway Islands, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, French Polynesia and Easter Island).

The Asian continent includes the 5 Regions of Asia.

Map of the Continent of Asia. 

Image credit: Peter Hermes Furian

• Central Asia is politically divided into five countries: Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan.
• East Asia is politically divided into eight countries and regions: China, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau.
• South Asia is politically divided into nine autonomous countries: Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal, Iran, and the Maldives.
• Southeast Asia is politically divided into 11 countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste, and Vietnam.
• West Asia is politically divided into 18 states: Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen. It also includes the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt.