一期一会

I seriously want to puke right now.

In the past few months or since forever, a number of celebrities and public figures like Rosie O'Donnell and Adam Carolla have gotten in a bit of hot water over two words: Ching Chong. (A note to all the those who don't know, it is offensive to Asian Americans, it is a racial slur, and my mother tongue has more than two syllables).  The latest little scuffle in this arena has been over the band, Ching Chong Song.  After having its performance canceled by Bryn Mawr in December, the band's lead writes a tirade lack any merit in content or style at the college. Campus responds and lays the smackdown.  The band is also met with protest when they were scheduled to perform at NYU on V-day.  Band changes its name (to Church of Lurch), but gives a rather insincere apology.  Hopefully the end of the story, right?

Being the masochist I am, I jumped over to the band's MySpace and then to their website.  A HUGE HUGE WARNING to anyone who wants to click on the video, I HIGHLY ADVISE AGAINST IT!  I have no idea what they're trying to express but IT SICKENS ME.  Can you be more fucking misleading than printing "You win. I'm sorry." and then putting up a video of SOMEONE'S FUCKING LEG being SAWED OFF?!  NO!  NOT FUCKING ON!  I don't know what the website was like before they decided to change their name, but I doubt this was what was on it.

Is this what you think being edgy is about?  Is this what's considered being punk?  I am so angry and disgusted that most of my coherent thoughts are flying out the window.

When I get my thoughts more together and coherent, and verify this little tidbit, I am so writing in to these people.

I find it intriguing that when people ask me, "Where are you from?" and I naturally answer, "New York."

They always stare strangely at me for a second before saying, "No, I mean where are you originally from?"

I can't really fault them for asking that because there's an answer to it. I wasn't born in the US, I was born in Hong Kong and I am qualified to receive an ID card that the Hong Kong government issues to all its legal citizens. I have still yet to figure out if that makes me a pseudo-citizen of the People's Republic of China by extension.

Actually, I just don't care to find out.

I do know I don't qualify for British citizenship, but it's fun to claim being so by technicality.

Had I not been born out of this country, I would probably be a lot more offended by that question. What probably most curious is that most people that follow that line of questioning are from a minority group themselves. You wouldn't go up to a black person and ask, "So...where in Africa are you originally from?" Hell, they'd probably slap you around a few times for asking that.

Goddammit, I am as American as the next person. I have a US passport, social security card, a birth certificate issued by the States Department, and a voter's card registered to my Pennsylvania residency. I pay my taxes. The government took $65.10 for social security tax (Will it still be there by the time my generation comes of age with the way they keep proding and poking at it?) and $15.23 for medicare tax this past year. I was working under NYC's Department of Youth and Community Development last summer.

I also received a 4 out of 5 on my AP American History exam.

I am a 100% legal bona fide American citizen.

I am, however, still awaiting my first time to try and shirk off jury duty.

I came over here when I was just four months old. I have spent all but four months of my life on American soil. Guess that makes me not quite American enough.

What could be so incredulous about an Asian from New York? We are about 10% of the city population.

Would they feel stupid if I had just replied New York again? If they had asked my brother instead, who was born here in New York, would they realize how stupid a question that is if you didn't happen to ask the Asian with the right circumstances?

Why can't Asian Americans simply be Americans too?