What Would a White Man Do?

I hope my audience does not think I am a racist or a sexist for writing such a title for this entry, but I wanted to expand on what I had previously written four years ago: The Psyche of Asian Submissiveness. In that entry, I reflected on my experience as a submissive Asian person who was too shy to take any iniative at job fairs and so naive to think that I could be a suitable employee anywhere. I was a complete contrast to Caucasian counterparts--individuals who had the ambition and the drive to hunt, not just for a job, but for a suitable employer.

There are days that I still think I am a novice when it comes to navigating through Americanized social mannerisms. And when I say "Americanized," I mean "white ways." It does not matter that I consider myself American and was raised in an American social environment; at the heart of it all, I was raised with Asian mentality and mannerisms. The behavior and the mentality are so innate that I do not even notice how I act unless I come across some other behavior that starkly contrasts to what I know. It is at those particular moments when I find myself asking, "What would a white man do?"

Today I needed an important document from a former professor. I gave him two weeks advance notice that I needed his assistance. I have deadlines coming up, and he has not responded. If he procrastinates any further, I could be losing a golden opportunity that could definitely change my life.

My submissive Asian side tells me that I should passively wait. I had already emailed him once before to remind him. I'm sure that he understands the importance of his assistance in this matter.

But what would a white man do? Would he sit passively and wait? Or would he take some form of action so as not to lose that life-changing golden opportunity? Would he politely ask for his professor's help as a gentle reminder? Or would he assertively request that the professor take some urgent action? Would a white man be bold and audacious to just write up the document and ask the professor to verify it with his stamp of approval? Or would he be breaking social conduct if he did that?

I ask myself: what would a white man do?

Veteran's Day

Growing up in San Diego, the military was always around me. My father served in the Navy, most of my friends' fathers served in the Navy; a few of my friends served and are still serving in the Navy, Army, Air Force, and National Guard; and now I have students who serve the military as well. I am proud of the United States military, and sometimes I wish I could do more than just declare my support for them. Veteran's Day is one way to do that, and I am glad that our veterans are here to remind us about what they fought for, and why they should be honored on November 11th.

Veteran's Day is a holiday that originated in World War I to commemorate Armistice Day. Of all the wars that I have studied during my high school years, World War I is the most dismal and grievous. Never have I read about a war in which most of the soldiers were under the age of twenty-one, most of them fresh out of high school. When the war dragged on, the recruits were getting younger and younger. So many young men, who had their whole lives ahead of them, inspired by the new technological era of the twentieth century, suddenly vanished into a valley of death created by that same technology. Never have I read about a war in which most of the soldiers never knew what they were fighting for or were confused about the reasons for the war. Nearly an entire generation of intellectual young men disappeared, men who could have contributed to our world in more positive ways than being sacrificed in a war that was deemed meaningless and tragic.

Ninety years later, I like to hope that mankind has learned something from that first world war. Yet we still find ourselves in the middle of international conflict. The soldiers range from high school graduates to experienced leaders. They are not as naive or innocent like the young men of World War I. I like to hope that our experienced leaders--whether they be on the front or here at home serving office--not only protect our freedom, but also value the lives of our young soldiers who are fighting, not discount them as expendable resources. We should honor our military so that they know they are not taken for granted. These men and women put their dreams and goals on hold to keep a threat at bay, and many have already given their blood to protect the freedom of others as well as for those here at home.

Ninety years from now, when this is all over, I hope that the future generation will not look back and say that we have sacrificed an entire generation of men and women to what might be called a meaningless and tragic war. This Veteran's Day and for all future Veteran's Day holidays, we should always remember that all our veterans in all the past wars gave their lives for their country and for their fellow man. It should not matter if the war was won or lost; we should always remember that someone died protecting us, our values, and our country.

The Five-Year Cap

In the past few months, well before I resigned my position as a department chairman, I had been feeling restless and anxious. As much as I love starting a new school year, some part of me also dreaded having to face another year of nonstop grading, meetings, lesson plans, and student apathy. Every day of my job is never ever boring, but some aspects of my daily routine are mundane, and they have lost their stimulation. If I am no longer curious or intellectually stimulated, my day can be filled with ennui and frustration.

Someone told me that five years is the cap of any career before one starts to get bored. I have been teaching for six years now. I guess this explains my restlessness. Despite the economy and the job insecurity--even for teaching, I want something new. I just don't know what will bring back that stimulation.