Most of the Asian (Korean) men used to be the man of their house when they were in Korea. There wife did most of the work for them. The man worked outside and the wife stayed home doing cleaning, cooking, and taking care of the kids and all kinds of work for home. But when those Asian men came to U.S. they just lost their man power. Around World War II, racialized and gendered immigration policies forced them in to feminized jobs, like laundrymen, food preparation, and salons. Because the Asians were new to this country, they didn’t know anything about the economy or the job facility. The white man wasn't going to do the woman's job, so they used Asians instant. Asians didn’t have the economic support or any good jobs. Because there were no good jobs, the Asian men started too worked for the white families as a domestic servant. When the Asian men worked under the white family they used to treat the Asian male like animals. The reason Asian men worked under white families rather than Asian women, because there was shortage of Asian woman. During World War II U.S immigration political banned the entry of most Asian women. They only wanted the Asian male not their family. Because of war the Asian men lost their economic ground and their wife has to start working. By letting their wife to go to work the Asian men looses there power over there wife’s. In the article “All Man Are Not Created Equal: Asian Men in U.S. History" Espiritu mentions “In Korea my wife used to have breakfast ready for me…. She didn’t do it anymore because she said she was too busy getting ready to go to work. If I complained she talked back at me, telling me to fix my own breakfast….” (39). In this article “All Man Are Not Created Equal: Asian Men in U.S. History” Espiritu said that some women hold power over certain group of men (39).
Because of the white people the Asian men loses there power (masculinity) outside of the home by doing the feminized jobs and they looses the power over there women. And the war (camp life) created a big distance between the Asian men and the U.S. born children.
Espiritu, Yen Le. "All Man Are Not Created Equal: Asian Men in U.S. History". Men`s Lives. 5th ed. Ed. Michael S. Kimmel and Michael A. Messner. New York: Allyn&Bacon, 2001. 33-41.Print.
This post nicely traces the history of Asian men in United States and how the perception of their masculinity has been constructed by racial and economic discrimination. As you read Zinn's article, think about whether Chicano men's experience is similar to that of Asian men.
ReplyDeletePlease remember that you need a signal phrase in front of the quote. Also Espiritu's "All Men are Not Created Equal" is not a book. Good work cited entry but make sure you italicize or underline the title of the book, Men's Lives.