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Asian pride is a term that encourages celebration of Asianethnicity andculture, with various interpretations and origins.[1] In international relations, it can involve advancingPan-Asianism and critiquing theWest. In theUnited States, it has roots incounter culture, rejecting stereotypes and empoweringAsian Americans. The term gained modern use throughhip hop culture, promoting a positive stance on being Asian American. The phrase "Got Rice?" emerged as a symbol of cultural identity and pride, often tied to Asian Pride. It humorously references rice as astaple food in Asian cultures. The term was adopted in T-shirt campaigns and seen as a way for Asian Americans to define their identity and counter stereotypes.
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Asian pride is a broad term that can cover several topics. Within theinternational relations context,Asianpride can be seen within Asian politics as advancement ofPan-Asianism through heavy criticism of the West.[2][3]
While 'Asian pride' is a term often associated with international relations and the advancement of Pan-Asianism, its significance resonates within the Asian American community as well. This concept serves as a bridge between the experiences of Asian immigrants andAsian Americans in the United States. It reflects the shared journey of individuals who have migrated to the U.S. from diverse Asian countries and their descendants, who have grappled with questions of identity, belonging, and cultural pride.[4]
For many Asian Americans,[5] the notion of 'Asian pride' represents a source of empowerment and cultural celebration. It emerges as a response to historical discrimination, stereotypes, and a sense of 'otherness' that many Asian Americans have faced in the United States. By embracing 'Asian pride,' individuals within the Asian American community reclaim their cultural heritage and assert their unique identities.
The pan-ethnicity Asian American concept is not embraced by many Asian Americans in the United States.[6]
In the United States the term has older roots within thecounter culture movement among Asian Americans in the 1960s.[1] During the period there was theBlack Power movement, and Asian Americans seeing the impact it had on African-American culture and overall society, rejecting being called "Oriental" and the stereotype of the "yellow peril" used the term Asian Pride, along with "yellow power", to advance empowerment of Asian Americans.[1][7]
A more modern usage of the term "Asian Pride" (also spelledAZN pride) in theUnited States is a positive stance to being Asian American.[8] The term arose from influences ofhip hop culture withinAsian American communities in theWestern United States due to the creation of an Asian American pan-ethnicity (the concept was influenced in the late 20th century due to the influence of publications such asYolk andGiant Robot magazines) that did not specify a specific ethnicity (such asVietnamese, orHmong).[9][10] One manifestation of this was theGot Rice? term, which spun off from the advertising campaignGot Milk?.[11] Younger Asian Americans are finding strength from their Asian identity.[12] Another usage of the term wasGreg Pak'sAsian Pride Porn!, which usedpolitically correctpornography parody to present Asian Americans in a positive light compared to theirportrayal in late 20th century mainstream media.[13] Sometimes this arises due to being made to feel different from the prevalent culture surrounding the Asian American youth.[14]
The term is often used with a negative connotation to describe individuals who prefer only to have Asian American relationships, a stance supported by the majority of Asian Americans, with the exclusion of potential diverse relationships.[15] It has also been criticized as being primarily a marketing gimmick that "is wide open to model minority accusations." and allows for racial name calling.[16]
The term has been adopted by a fewFilipino Americangang members inLos Angeles, who used the term to assist them in their construction of their ethnic identity.[17] It has also been used as the name of a gang inFlorida[18][19] andColorado.[20]
The phrase"Got Rice?" is a term and an image artwork that was coined byAsian American youth, Jonny Ngo, in the 1990s shortly after the original "Got Milk?" advertising campaign for the California Milk Board in 1993.[21] The phrase has since come to be used as a symbol for the cohesiveness of Asian American cultural identity and cultural pride, especially on theInternet. It's usually mentioned close to the Asian Pride slogan.[21]
The humor is derived from the fact thatrice is a staple food in many Asian cultures. The slogan can thus be viewed as an Asian American cultural response to American media and advertising.[21]
There is also a parody song called "Got Rice?", often referred as AZN Pride, which samples2Pac's "Changes".[22][23] The song dates back to at least 2000, and has been described as being in theraptivist genre;[22] it is also noted as an example of Asian Americans, specificallyChinese Americans, adoption and adaption ofHip Hop culture.[24] It has also been referred to as "satirically pro-Asian", for its use of the AZN terminology which is not fully embraced by all Asian Americans.[25]The Fung Brothers released a modification of the song in 2010.[26]
While the phrase itself presumably began as Asian American slang, the first notable usage is theT-shirt campaign first started by the Asian American magazineYolk.[27]
Soon, other Asian American organizations began promoting the phrase and selling similar T-shirt designs. The organizations and their proponents intended for the T-shirts to be a fun way of promoting Asian American cultural heritage:
"Political identi-tees don’t all have to be so in-your-face. The Japanese American National Museum in L.A.’s Little Tokyo offers an array of kinder, gentler tees commemorating aspects of Japanese-American heritage both fun and serious. Among the most popular designs, a line of adult and baby tees feature the rallying cry of the lactose liberation movement, "Got Rice?"[28]
Many in the Asian American community viewed the design as evidence of significant progress for the viability of Asian American culture and identity; whereas before identity may have been enforced on Asians via stereotypes from the dominant society, the "Got Rice?" shirts were an attempt by Asian Americans to define their identity and to take back those symbols used to stereotype them.[29]
The Asian pride argument is not realistic in these times, at least in most cities and especially at state and national levels. For one thing, what is "Asian Pride"? There is a pan-Asian sentiment among some Asian Americans. Many Americans of Asian background, though, don't embrace the vague "Asian American" sobriquet. The identity label of choice rangers from plain old "American" to particular Asian ethnicity.
Lee, Erika. “A Part and Apart: Asian American and Immigration History.” Journal of American Ethnic History 34, no. 4 (2015): 28–42.https://doi.org/10.5406/jamerethnhist.34.4.0028.
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