A Question Of Identity By Jay Caspian Kang

662 Words3 Pages
In his article, “A Question of Identity,” American writer and editor, Jay Caspian Kang, discusses racial prejudice against Asian-Americans. Kang explains in his article, that he grew up as an anomalous minority in the South where he and his friends faced discrimination for being a race stuck between black and whites, Asian-American. His experience of being hurt in the past is why Kang claims that “the logic of otherness never quite translates through adolescence, at least not in any clear way.” Meaning, younger generations do not fully understand why people mistreat others because of the difference in our appearance. On the other hand, the discussion about equality between races was brought up after the election of the first African-American…show more content…
Keeping the history between the two races in mind, establishing an identity is blocked by racial discrimination. At a young age, Kang experienced such hurtful situations. In fact, Kang mentions that he was punched into lockers, and that he and his friends channeled their frustrations by adding unique names on their jerseys. However, with a harsh voice, a friend of Kang told him that the Wu-Tang Clan would murder him if he tried to hang out with the group. Influenced by these exclusions, Kang filled the empty components of his identity with hip-hop music and basketball. For that reason, younger generations do not have a clear perception of the diverse cultures and people around us. After the presidential campaign of Obama, Kang explains how “there has been so much national discussion about the appropriateness of discussing race.” The reason why is because Obama is the first African-American to be elected as president. As Kang points out, “the 2008 election set the groundwork for an aggressive sort of color blindness.” With this in mind, we have the right to stop anything that will distance us from reaching equality between…show more content…
Kang believes that an accusation like “playing the race card” is becoming more “ubiquitous.” For one thing, Jeremy Lin should be treated with respect like any other person. As stated in Kang’s article, removing Lin from his position will deprive the community he represents. However, Lin’s sense of humor has particularly been missing in his commitment to the media. For example, Lin’s Xanga account name “ChiNkBaLLa88,” could only be understood in a personal context. To clarify, only Lin could understand the meaning behind the name of his account because he was the one who made it. Kang points out that Lin just wanted to fit within this “racially polarized landscape” like him. Therefore, Lin just perseveres right through it. When it comes to racism, people treat it a different way. Through Kang’s persuasive fear, he believes that if people continue to act indignant over negative comments, specifically race, that history will reverse itself. In other words, if people continue to disrespect one another, that all we did to achieve equality between different races will

    More about A Question Of Identity By Jay Caspian Kang

      Open Document