Personal Tidbit: I rarely feel like I have much of a voice when it comes to being an Asian-American Christian or especially, when it comes to practical ministry to Asian-Americans. However, whenever I blog about such things, I get the most readership and the most feedback to the posts. Interesting!
So, here is another post on an aspect of being Asian-American. However, this time I have to chime in and say I feel like I have a lot to speak to on the issue regarding the controversy between the guys at Deadly Viper and Soong-Chan Rah. If you haven’t heard enough about the issue already, you can read the initial blog posts that started the controversy: Soong-Chan Rah’s post is here; Deadly Viper’s post was taken down yesterday, but you can see a follow-up here.
Let me start by saying I’m not here to criticize or judge anyone. I think enough has been said based on too-little information *and* too much assumption already. The fact-of-the-matter is that I truly believe that had all parties involved taken the issue seriously and worked toward solutions from the beginning, rather than being defensive this would have all been alleviated. Taking it privately where real understanding and reconciliation could emerge rather than making it public, thus drawing attention to themselves. So, I’m not adding fuel to the fire through using a public forum to call people out. Instead, I ask that we take a look at the deeper issue. The escalation was just the byproduct of the underlying issue that hasn’t really been brought to the surface yet. That is, that understanding the context of Asian-Americans in a predominantly white (western, Anglo, Caucasian) culture is excruciatingly difficult, yet important.
To Mike Foster and Jud Wilhite, I know you guys from your time with my class at Londen Institute in Corona, CA. Especially in the case of Jud, I have seen integrity and leadership revealed in a stripped down way that was incredibly humbling and eye opening for me as a seminary student with no real practical ministry experience beforehand. I know Pastor Wilhite is an amazing man of God, full of grace and that he gets the gospel of Christ on many levels as he reaches out to the marginalized and forgotten people in Las Vegas. As for Mike Foster, I sense his grace and heart for people in everything he does. His ministry work speaks for itself. However, with that said, there is one more thing I must add. Neither Jud, nor Mike can stake claim to knowing what it’s like to be Asian in America. In addition to that, I don’t think they care to know. In fact, I don’t think many Caucasian-Americans really care to know. There is just an incredible amount of indifference by white America when it comes to this subject.
As for Soong-Chan Rah, I do not know him or know much about him. However, I read and studied his book The Next Evangelicalism: Freeing the Church From Western Cultural Captivity and found it to be a great work that expressed many thoughts I resonate with. Professor Rah seems to be man of integrity and kingdom mindedness as well. However, I don’t think Rah can claim that he knows what it’s like to be a white person living in a world of mixed cultures where the slightest mis-step can lead to one being labeled a racist. Living in a world of political correctness where seconds after making a statement, social media blasts it all over the world for the judging public to chime in can be quite intimidating (and nauseating!).
You see, we can attack some white guys that appear to have used some Asian aspects to add a cool factor in marketing their book to a white consumer and give them a piece of our mind. Interestingly enough, there were quite a few non-Asians speaking about the offensiveness of the packaging/branding of the book. However, is that really the issue? It’s what’s behind the packaging that is the issue. Unfortunately, we Asians haven’t had a loud voice in America and it has hurt us in being identified as a relevant culture in the United States. Blacks took a stand and made their voice known. Even today we are talking about repression and reparation for slavery in America hundreds of years ago. We are censored in our use of the n-word and how we portray African-Americans publicly in the media. However, the same cannot be said for Asian-Americans. Being born in Japan and moving to California when I was 4 years old, my ancestry is obviously Japanese. However, one of the great injustices in the history of America was when Japanese people lived in the United States in the 1940′s, spoke clear & fluent English, worked hard to live the American dream, pledged allegiance to the American flag and wanted to serve in the US military against Japan in WWII, yet families were separated by the US government and forced into internment camps and their land was taken away. Years later when the war ended, they were released with no restitution and in most cases, no land to come home to. As unjust, unfair and irrational as that act was, did you hear any Japanese people complain about it? In some cases, some of you didn’t even know this injustice took place. And, if you did, it isn’t a burden to you to see this resolved and mad right 50 years later. No, we Asians just tend to shut up and assimilate, work with the hand we are dealt with and be happy that we live in the land of (supposed) opportunity.
Please know that I am not bitter or angry. Just because an injustice to my ancestors wasn’t made right, doesn’t mean that I won’t stand in the name of justice for others. All I’m saying is that what happened to Japanese-Americans back in WWII is an example of how we Asians tend to deal with things. I think white America takes this for granted. It’s a shame actually, because as the world becomes multi-cultural it seems to be seeking to become more Eastern. Religion, design, food, etc. With all of the Asian influences visible in the U.S. today, it is still so lacking because the culture it comes from is never really associated with it. It has been taken over and Americanized. You are getting bits and pieces of Asian culture, but mostly out of context and that is a problem. When we Asians come into the United States, we’re expected to dress like you, speak English like you, worship God like you, think like you. It’s as if it’s such a privilege to share your land, that we must do it on your terms. You take from us and put it into your context of living, yet never really give us the respect or credit. To you, being just like you is our greatest reward.
Know that while you may choose to live disrespecting other cultures that are not your own, at some point Asians and other minority groups will take a stand against it. You won’t understand why it happened and you’ll think we’re making a big deal out of nothing. What you don’t know is that when you say you look at me and see just another person, you are saying you see me as you see other *white* people. Think that’s an unfair statement to make? Then ask yourself this question: How much do you know about my Asian culture and perspective? How important is it for you to take the time to listen to what I bring to the table as an Asian-American? In reality, the answer is that you really don’t care, because you just want to see me as one-of-the-guys. I am one-of-the-guys, but my eyes don’t look like yours and they don’t see things exactly the same as yours. There is a reason for that. You can say I’m making a big deal out of nothing, or you can ask God why he birthed me in Japan to Japanese parents who gave me up for adoption and put me with my adoptive parents who moved me to the United States. If I were to live life like a Caucasian-American, I should have been born here like you and made to look just like you. I was definitely created to live as an American–that I am proud of and I appreciate my opportunities as an American, but my perspective as an Asian is important…it is relevant…it is worth your knowing about. This is the greater tragedy that I as an Asian-American have faced my entire life. It is complex, it can be confusing at times–even we as Asian-Americans don’t see things the same way. In the end, we are all unique and one of the things that distinguishes me from others is my cultural identity + my own personal life experiences. I am clothed in Christ, but that clothing consists of many layers.
In the end, you may perceive me as irrelevant because I have less than 100 blog readers and as a people group, we (Asian-Americans) don’t make or break your profit margins as a publishing house or corporation. However, know that one day that will change. I won’t be the one causing a revolution, but I will be the one that has stood here with my open hand reached out to you and inviting you into my world, just as you have been gracious enough to invite me into yours. Your indifference to me is more disrespectful than you know, but I’m not one to call you out on it. Instead, my hand is open and my arm outstretched. I’m here to join in conversation and relationship with you based on mutual respect and grace anytime.
Related posts:
- Can Acts 2 be lived out in a second-gen Asian-American church?
- Asian-American Christians, part 3: Who Am I In Christ?
- Asian-American church vs multi-cultural church, part 2
- I’m Japanese, you’re not…therefore I win, and you lose!
- Asian church vs. multi-cultural church, part 1
Tags: Asian-American, deadly viper, zondervan
Thanks for sharing Dave. Frankly, it didn’t occur to me that the Deadly Viper stuff could be offensive to Asian-Americans until people like you opened my eyes to it. I just thought it was cool.
Thank you for speaking the truth in love and showing grace to Jud and Mike. It seems their hearts are simply to help people, and while they could have responded better, your example (and others) are teaching people how to approach and handle situations like this.
Jason, knowing that you minister in a city with a 1% Asian-American population, you could exclude yourself from this issue and no one would know the difference. I commend you for taking the time to open your mind to a broader view of culture and the relevance of being someone that does not look exactly like you. I appreciate your ministry and your example of faith in all contexts!
I commend you Dave for taking off the mask and sharing a few poignant glimpses of your life and pains, for yourself, Japanese Americans, for Asian Americans, for the adopted, for a different kind of church. Very encouraged by your open hands as well because it really is about relationship, and real respect and understanding flows from that.
DJ, you’ve been a voice to the community for many years and I am humbled by your comments. Thanks for your encouragement! May we all seek to build bridges rather than take sides on this issue.
Dave, you insightfully point out the fact that the issue of race is a matter of perception (or non-perception). Because “whiteness” is perceived to be the majority culture, the assumption is that all are to be seen according to that standard. When this is done, it renders ethnicities, like that of Asian Americans, invisible.
Steve, I wouldn’t say that ethnicities are invisible, but some certainly seem to be. Responsibility for that should be accepted by all sides, so that we can move forward without hearing repeated phrases like “You’re being overly sensitive.” or “that may be how it is for you, but that doesn’t mean it has to be for me.” Thanks for your comment!
Much like Jason, I had no clue the offensive material inside of this book. To be honest I think the content screamed at me more then the pictures of ninjas and dragons.
I do appreciate the way that you have handled this post and how you came at it with a quiet confidence done in love.
You are right, the internet can escalate things and turn them into a huge fire rather then something that could have been put out in the first 5 minutes.
But I know that God is going to use this for good and that the pain suffered by some will bring healing for others.
Good stuff Dave
Kyle, I appreciate your perspective on this! We should remember that a positive outcome can happen as a result of what originally came across as insensitivity and ignorance. I too have at times in my past looked at humor such as the facebook video from Central Christian Church and thought it was funny. My environment growing up had a huge role in my perception on race and culture. My eyes are slowly being opened and it’s kinda scary, but something that needs to be done so that I too can come to a greater understand of what this all means for us as people not just Christians. Thanks for your comment!
Thank you, Dave!! I’m a white woman who has done very limited reading about the history of discrimination against Asians in this country through legislation as well as cultural oppression, but it has been enough to feel deeply on this subject. It is such a relief to me to see so many of those who identify as Asian-American standing up and speaking out. Really.
To me, the worst thing about all of this is the wealth of information that is out there about racism in this country, and an entire academic discipline of critical race theory that exists to explore this history and its effects in our culture, but the evangelical church largely remains ignorant of this. I was particularly frustrated by how many people were calling for everyone to just stop getting so angry about this. PLEASE GET ANGRY and then TALK. It’s the constant, muffling silence that allows this completely unintentional wounding of one another to persist.
Amy, it is true that with all of the information available to us in the digital age, we have no excuse for ignorance. However, race has been an irrelevant issue unless some people took a stand and made some noise. However, the perception that white America has towards Asian-Americans is substantially different than that of Blacks or Latinos. When we Asians make noise, most people don’t get what all the fuss is about. So, my contribution to this issue isn’t to be angry. I think being angry just adds to the confusion. I do, however, feel that a conversation needs to take place rather than we Asian-Americans take a backseat to American culture. Just my opinion. Thanks for your presence in this discussion! It will take people with an open mind like you to help facilitate the dialog. I look forward to seeing more of what you have to say as this issue progresses :)
Clearly you are not irrelevant.
Clearly.
peace | dewde
Dewde, it’s difficult for me and my perception in the vast world of people that have covered more ground with louder voices than mine to find relevance in this discussion. However, in the right context, I do feel my place is being made more clear, even if it just speaks to and encourages a few people. Thank you for your encouragement and kindness!
Thanks Dave for posting your vulnerable and honest thoughts. I, too, am a pastor (Torrance, CA), born in Japan and came to the US when I was young (2 years-old). My father was born in San Diego, CA and put in an internment camp during WWII. I’m still unpacking my family history and trying to figure out what it all means for me and how it informs my life today. Your blog post is helping me think with more clarity about who I am: a forgiven son of God, an Asian-American, Pastor, born in Japan, who’s US Citizen Dad was thrown into a prison camp, saved by God’s amazing grace, called to live out that grace in a world that desperately needs it…
@deanmayeda
Dean, it is comments like yours that cause me to ponder the greater message from my experiences. I disregarded so much of my heritage and tried to blend in with white America. I wouldn’t even speak about internment camps or injustices to Asians until recently. Knowing that there is a legacy carried forth from your father that will be revealed to new generations through you humbles me. To know that you are now preaching a gospel of grace shows me God is at work and that people can be transformed to make the world a better place. That some of our stories are more relevant and profound, yet can be used for a greater good in equal ways. I hope during one of visits to Torrance that I may have the honor of buying you lunch and learning more about your story and your dad. Thanks for sharing your personal insight!
Next time you are in Torrance, look me up, email or DM me and I’ll take you out to lunch.
Dean
you. are. rad.
thanks for writing this. it’s actually good for me to read this stuff. i personally was not/am not offended by any of this but i can understand why so many are.
i love how you brought all this out in love, dave!
Jenni, I wasn’t personally offended by it, but more hurt as a result of the indifference I saw. The interaction and support of the video really caused me to step back and realize that there must be a better way to communicate issues and stifle ignorance. Unfortunately, when you or I see stuff like the video and find it funny, it discredits a lot of other issues we may actually be offended by in the eyes of the people that we see causing the offense. It’s a messy issue to say the least. Thanks for your comment and for your ministry to those that don’t look exactly like you.
absolutely agree with you here. i think the bigger problem isn’t that i found the material as funny (because I didn’t), it just didn’t faze me at all. i’m really starting to wonder why it didn’t or if it really should.
whichever way, it’s making me think… and that’s always good.
can’t wait to see you!
Respect.
Thank you Pastor Cho!
this was a great post.
a year ago, i’m not sure you would have written the same thing, but in our short, online relationship, i feel like we’re really coming closer to the conviction that ethnicity matters in the kingdom of heaven and consequently, on earth as well. so i’m really grateful to know you and hear your emerging voice.
peace,
david
David, thank you! Isn’t this crazy, considering our past conversations? My perspective is being changed and shaped in order for me to understand more of what I was created for and how this will influence others, even if it’s just one or two others. I credit knowing you and your openness to even being interested in my journey as one of the things that has helped me in my understanding of ethnic culture being relevant in a world where people try to make it non-relevant. I appreciate knowing that there are people with great insight and experience and wisdom that have stretched out their hand to me. You humbly inspire me and cause me to question many things which result in a greater understanding of deeper issues. Thank you so much!
Very much appreciate your comments. Internment Camps in particular represent horribly atrocious American public policy that most Americans would rather ignore than admit to and atone for.
I have respected you, Dave, from afar, following your tweets, ever since I first became aware of you and your influence at Idea Camp in Irvine. You are far from irrelevant.
One caution — just as “Asian Americans” in reality represent a variety of cultures and backgrounds, so do “Caucasians.”
Just because I’m “white” doesn’t mean my parents weren’t immigrants to this country, didn’t suffer discrimination, didn’t have to learn a new language (no ESL back then!) and didn’t have to find a way to exist in this new land while still holding onto their born cultural identities.
Thank God we are now all one in Christ — and we all have so much to learn. Thanks for contributing so thoughtfully to the dialog.
Mark, great to hear from you for the first time. Another humbling example to me that people are out there paying attention to how God is shaping my view of culture and my role within it.
I completely agree that a white perspective isn’t truly considered most of the times when we bring our issues to the table. That is one of the underlying issues I tried to clarify in my original post. If I’m not willing to acknowledge your culture and history, how then can I ask you to acknowledge mine.
One of the differences I have in this discussion is that while I am Japanese, my father was white and from a Pennsylvania coal mining town. He was filled with prejudice and tried to influence my thoughts as a child to perpetuate his views. I grew up in an almost exclusively white farming community and have lived most of my life in the white culture and been very successful at it. So, I’ve seen and lived in both sides of the conversation and am trying to use this life experience as a way to facilitate bridging the gap between us. With people like you being open and speaking out from your perspective so we take notice, a lot of positive things can come about from this aside from just simple reconciliation. I look forward to that time and to learning more of your perspective, especially now that I know you are a fellow Idea Camper :)
Dave – Thank you for sharing your heart here. I have always admired your openness and honesty, and they’re on full display here.
In your story, I see a picture of what real grace & reconciliation look like.
Coming to a place of open arms & gracious invitation doesn’t come because we sweep things under the rug or ignore significant issues. Instead, it is precisely because we go *through* the difficult conversations and understand the deeper issues that grace & forgiveness mean anything at all.
Daniel, thank you! You have been a voice of reason and a peaceable spirit in all of the conversations we have had about this issue. You are truly an example of humble grace that all should come to know, not just Asian-Americans or those in this discussion. You ease the tension within difficult discussions and I admire you greatly for who you are and for your contribution in the greater dialog of culture awareness and unity.
Dave, thanks so much for writing this. I understood it and identified with it in a lot of ways, especially the parts about the clash between culture and language and what it means to be “American.”
I live in the South. Just this afternoon I was at the post office and overheard two women customers (one black, one white) complaining about an Asian customer who was having some trouble mailing a package because of language difficulties. They were being very snide and very loud, and kept referring to the man’s trouble with English by saying “They’re like that.”
They’re referring to one man, so who exactly is “they”? I am also Asian, and I looked at them at one point, catching their eye, but they kept on insulting “they.”
I realized it was because they probaby assumed I, like the customer they were mocking, was an immigrant and couldn’t understand their (rude, impolite) English words anyhow. Nevermind that I was born and raised in, um, California.
They see an Asian face and assume that there’s no relevant person to them behind it, no one they can emphasize with or understand. I’m very used to that, unfortunately.
Looking back I wish I had said something to these women, to let them know exactly how I felt and thought. I didn’t though. When I got home and was fortuante to read your entry, Dave, it resonated immediately.
Asian Americans have a long, long way to go before they are considered as “American” as anyone else. However, essays like yours can help. And in the future, when the country will be more culturally and racially mixed than ever- and the economic, political and culture influences of non-American, non-Western nations will assert themselves globally– we might have very different perspectives on what accepting and undestanding one another actually means.
Thank you.
F, it’s moments like the one you described that have always bothered me, yet I never really said much. I just kind of accepted it. It reminds me of a time when I worked at a car dealership and not only was I japanese, but the general sales manager was also Japanese. One of the guys was talking about how Asians didn’t know how to drive. Everyone thought it was funny. I laughed along with them, but in the inside I knew I was really laughing at myself and encouraging them to keep perpetuating the stereotype. Situations like that never really bothered me. I felt like I was above everyone else because I was not easily offended. Then, recently through the help of conversations with people like Daniel So, David Park, and DJ Chuang, I came to realize it really wasn’t about me and that I was being compelled to do something about it. It may not always be our place to say something when injustice happens, but it is always our responsibility to do our best to set a good example for others and not get sucked into things just because we’re not feeling directly attacked or prejudiced against. Thank you so much for understanding how common place things we see everyday really can hurt others and somehow, someway maybe we can do something to help see an end to it.
Thanks for your thoughts on this issue–all well-put!
Justin, thank you!
woa p. Dave, looks like you are pretty darn popular here.
Race of course is a pretty hot issue, as americans its one of our big fat elephants that we don’t like to acknowledge but once provoked does seem to make a lot of noise. I totally agree, asian americans haven’t really made a voice for themselves despite their long history in this country, countless acts of social discrimination, laws against miscegenation, immigration ect… but I have an inkling that the reason behind this pacifist may be two fold. Though I hate to make generalizations, unlike the west, the east is more communally focused rather than looking to appease the desires of the individual and if one upset “asian” stands up for him/herself well that just causes the whole group to lose face and honor. Second and maybe not as compelling is the status/stigma/stereotype of asians as model minorities. Perhaps one reason we are considered “model” is because well, we don’t cause much grief for the ruling majority. I could be way off but thoughts are thoughts.
Anyways I’m glad that you think I’m eloquent, I personally do not think I am and had to take a lot of time to reflect how I felt and use appropriate (or rather civilized) vocabulary to write that specific post. I think a very strange part of me actually invites being challenged and controversy but the reason I didn’t confront the individuals in my specific post was because one individual was a faculty member, and the other two were students who I felt took a lot from my personal presentation. But of course I tried to be anonymous in the off chance that someone from school might read it, which they usually don’t since I don’t really have any followers haha :)
I didn’t catch the whole reason for the offense, so I briefly scanned the book. I still don’t know if the content was offensive inside the cover, but I can certainly see how ninjas on the front of a book that is not about ninjas is tasteless and offensive.
I appreciate you talking about this issue and sharing your heart. I think sometimes it’s easy for people to not see a different culture than their own because they are only used to experiencing what is normal to them. And so people miss out on the beauty of what is different.
It’s not easy to understand differences and then embrace them. This is likely true for both race and class.
Do you think your experience as an Asian-American and some of the examples you wrote about helps you to more readily understand other cultures and be compassionate to some of the plights people face?
Thanks, Dave.
I am white. I grew up in a community that was 98% white and a church that was 100% white. I didn’t know any better.
My parents never said one bad word about any other culture or color of people. But through lack of familiarity with people who are different from me I have no clue how they perceive things.
It is so refreshing to hear your perspective on issues like this. You define and describe for me a part of my education that has been lacking for too long.
Jesus was not white; but for many people, “Christianity” is white. It is hard to separate religion from the culture we grow up in. Therefore we think that to “do religion” the “right” way is to do it our way. That is so wrong.
God has created a variety of people with various backgrounds and cultures. By understanding each other more we learn more about the God who created us.
One of the biggest surprises many will get in heaven is to find out who else is there.
I appreciate your ability to step into the shoes of all perspectives in this. It is so easy to become embittered toward ignorant peoples when what is really needed is education in a graceful way. By exercising your voice, all can be more reconciled than if only silence spoke.
David, your words echo my heart. It’s about time someone spoke up about this. Even in Korea, whites are privileged and so immune to that privilege. Observing the racial dynamics as an Asian American in Asia is certainly an eye-opening experience.