Having *just* read this for the first time, I will want to reserve a response to your thoughts and statements. But immediately, some texts come to might which might help further the dialogue:

1) Gary Y. Okihiro’s http://bit.ly/marginsandmainstreamsbook
2) Fumitaka Matsuoka’s http://bit.ly/outofsilencebook

Have you read any of these books? They seem very relevant to some of the issues you bring up.

I agree that we in the church should seek to find commonalities rather than be separatists, yet at the same time I am beginning to feel like the white American church doesn’t care about what they have in common with me as an Asian-American–they are only concerned about me shedding my culture and joining hand in hand with them as the white American church shrouded under the false impression of being multi-cultural. The white church desperately wants me to connect with them, yet only if I can do so just as any other white congregant.

You pointed out that there were Jews and Gentiles worshiping together in the early church. However, it was Paul that clearly stated that if someone wanted to recognize some food as unclean, we should not cause them to stumble. If they wanted to embrace their Jewish culture, even though the Gentile church thought all food to be clean, they were encouraged to keep the traditions. We as the Gentile church today don’t look upon different cultures in the same way. It only recognizes the white American Gentile culture. Until there is an openness to learning and understanding the distinctives that in reality do make us different, we can never hope to be reconciled to unity under Christ.

I have to admit to you that my position on this has changed drastically within the last year. I’ve started looking outside of myself and what I see as funny and putting the person being joked about into the scenario. Based on the Russell Peters joke about Chinese merchants and Indian consumers, there are actually several issues I have with it:

It stereotypes all Chinese and Indian people.. Even though the context of the joke was about being in a market and buying & selling, it will carry over to *any* Chinese or Indian person. That perpetuates the stereotype is unfair to others. Even as a Japanese person, I have been confused as falling within this stereotpe of being unreasonable and always wanting an impossible bargain.
The people Russell makes jokes about in-essence could be my parents. Culturally, first-generation immigrants will bring their culture with them here to the United States. Since it’s foreign to us, it’s easy to make fun of it. Then, stigma gets associated with the stereotype and then we Americans begin embracing terms like “Indian Giver” to denote something negative. Simply put, it’s just wrong. America was founded on the backs of African & Chinese laborers, yet they are often shown to be second class citizens.
It’s not really about the truth you see in the joke but it’s in the way the joke was delivered. It’s the mockery of the people in the joke you laugh at, not the joke itself. Replay the dialog in your mind, but this time do it in a clear, American English voice. Instead of saying “tur-tee doll-ahs, enunciate it and say it as “Thirty dollars.” Is it still funny? In reality, if you look at the moments you’ve laughed at ethnic humor, you’ll find the person delivering the joke always does so mimicking the broken English of the person being joked about. Whether it be Asian, Hispanic, or African-American ghetto gangster rapper. Without the dialect, the joke just isn’t funny anymore. Therefore, I argue it’s not the joke, but the humor in exploiting the ethnicity of someone that is funny. It is an expression of racism and we try to justify it as an excuse to poke fun at people different than us, but then saying things like, “There is some truth in it.” I’m a Japanese-American, but I don’t eat, say, dress, etc like every other Japanese-American. So, what you see as “some truth” in a funny joke, I may not agree with and use myself as an example of how it’s not true. Additionally, having seen the pain of racism and prejudice my Japanese mom went through living here in the US, when I see other people do the stereotypical chinky eyes and using r’s in place of l’s and saying words like lollipop or hello, it reminds me of those instances and it really makes me sad and angry because it’s just so insensitive. Kind of like making jokes about genocide in the presence of a Jewish kid. We would know that was inappropriate, yet we say heh-ro in front of Asians and expect they will find it funny.

If Russell Peters wants to tell those jokes and people want to laugh at them and repeat them to others, that is their right to do so. However, as I mentioned above, really consider if you’re laughing because it’s funny or if you’re laughing because it makes fun of people that are different than you. And, if you’re laughing and poking fun at people just because they are different than you, what does that really say about you as a person? That’s my challenge.

The original post was just typewritten thought–basically I started typing and when I was done, I posted it. It’s years of emotion and thought bubbling up to the surface and even I don’t quite understand all of it yet. The cultural captivity of the gospel is an issue I don’t quite comprehend, therefore I dare not initiate a post on it. I understand its relevance and am recognizing it has some emotional pull on my senses, but still trying to maneuver through its implication in my story and whether that aspect of my story should be revealed to the masses.

Being completely honest here, I feel as I have been a captive and a derivative of white culture. It’s like the whole Harold & Kumar Twinkie reference of being yellow on the outside, white on the inside. Assimilation into the world of white America was somehow like a big prize for me. It was a sign that I had made it because I was no different from them. It has led to much conflict in my life, but it’s always resided under the surface. I know I’m not alone in this, and maybe that is what I will ultimately lend my voice to.

I have been following your blog and the topic or discussion of American Asian is of great interest to me. I am a Chinese Canadian, albeit first generation. There are some good discussion about how should Asian Churches share the gospel in a non Asian context. My church is working through that as well.

When it comes to different diversity, in regards of ethnicity, this is nothing new in the Bible. I mean, the first churches, from Acts on, there were Jews worshiping with Gentiles (Greeks). This is a whole new concept of worship compare to OT.

The example I am reminded is of Matthew the tax collector and Simon the Zealot. They might not be different because of race but in regards to social and political status, they are as distinct as you can get. One prof said that you would expect Matthew and Simon to knife each other in the street. Yet because, (and ONLY because) of Jesus Christ, they are able to have fellowship, share a meal with one another. It is so radical that it is like today a US soldier have lunch with a terrorist. It just doesn’t happen nor does it make sense. BUT it does because of the work of the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ as the focus.

I am trying to emphasis, not our difference but our commonality that unite Christians together. The obvious answer is Jesus Christ. Can’t say better than Paul in 1 Corinthians when he talk about a church body, each has a function. Each body have different purpose. Through it all, the body works together.

Lastly, for me, it is the understanding that it is only through the Holy Spirit which we can come together and dwell together despite our differences (culture, race, social, political etc.) Acts 2 and Acts 4 are some of the beautiful picture of what happens when the Holy Spirit is alive and people come together regardless of who they are and shared lives. Simply beautiful!

good article and well thought out.
i wished you could have mentioned more cultural captivity of the gospel and church as part of the complex dialogue in race and power, but this is a helpful discussion.

no one thinks FC is a sellout to the gospel of Jesus Christ. but i think AA’s (and probably only AA’s could) have the right to call him out on the carpet as to whether or not he will or can speak for us. i think MLK went through similar phase in his formation where he was trained in white seminaries in the north, but had to become reacquainted with his roots in Atlanta before he become the tour de force he was. but i agree with you, i’m not suggesting that FC owes the AA community anything, but i do think it’s fair for the AA community to ask.

now, this is where it gets touchy. some people think that this kind of discussion is divisive, but i believe that it is holistic and descriptive.

let’s put this in mathematical terms (even though I was horrible at math):

if God created different peoples to be unique and beautiful in and of ourselves through the redeeming power of Christ, that there is a purpose to such distinction, we could perhaps represent these as different variables: x = white; y=asian; z=black, etc.

God then is most glorified when x + y + z = the sum of these different values.

But when we assimilate too quickly, or decide that the intrinsic value (calling) placed on us is not what we want, or through colonialism, another value is placed on us, then what happens is that y = f(x), where to be asian is to be derivative of white somehow. which means the equation has been distorted somewhat:
x + f(x) + f(x) < x+y+z
if that makes any sense.

in other words, something is lost particularly in multi-ethnic scenarios because each value has not been upheld. now, while i believe that ultimately God’s vision in revelation (where all tongues, tribes and nations are preserved) will win out, i believe that the Godgiven faculties of memory and imagination should be used to begin to show that richness now, to enact a profound reconciliation now, and instill a sense of ownership of ourselves as part of God’s artistic calculus.