NOTE - Minor update to statistical figures in first paragraph made on April 19, 2007. Changes in bold.
It's stunning news. Horrible in every imaginable way. When I heard the news and had some time to digest the tragedy, I did think that there was a greater than chance probability that the killer was Asian, given the past incidences on college campuses (here and here and here). Four out of fifteen of the major shootings since 1966 is a pretty alarming statistic, especially given the low number of Asians in the jails and prisons in the United States (i.e., as low as 1% according to two sources from the US Dept of Justice and Bureau of Justice Statistics - page 3).
It's alarming and disturbing and forces us to reflect on what leads to such tragedies. However, it's important to reflect on this matter without stereotype or mischaracterizations.
One of the racial issues to emerge from this tragedy is the way in which Seung-Hui Cho has been characterized. In an NPR interview, one witness described in as foreign looking. Other sources keep referring to him as a South Korean or a resident alien or as a foreign student. In truth, according to the latest CNN report, Mr. Cho was an immigrant to this country. He immigrated in 1992 and was a permanent resident. He was probably as American as the next person living in this country, despite not being a naturalized citizen.
We also are reminded that Asian Americans, despite public portrayals, are not model minorities who seem to only succeed in the American Dream. This myth is fraught with socio-cultural problems, discussed widely elsewhere (just do a quick google search). Yet it is a persistent myth that is conveniently used to scapegoat Asian Americans when discussing race relations in this country and then quickly discarded when tragedy strikes such as the Virginia Tech shootings. People are quick to blame the foreigner whom they only moments earlier saw as the model minority.
Asian Americans are just as likely as other groups to struggle with mental health problems. Such problems seem to be even more challenging for individuals who grow up as children in this country, as noted in a recent NLAAS study. The unspoken other tragedy in the aftermath of this event is the fact that this young man did not receive the needed treatment to address his mental health problems and that could have perhaps prevented this rage. To what extent is this likely lack of intervention due to the model minority myth?
The recent tragedy reminds us to to NOT mythologize a group of people as model anything and to NOT scapegoat this same group as foreigners. Instead, it should remind us to view all people of all races and ethnicities as individual people. Moreover, it should remind us as Americans that immigration and acculturation are stressful life experiences, rife with discrimination, racism, and other cultural barriers, that put an added strain on human functioning. As such, a more appropriate question is what can we do as local communities and as a society to address these challenges?
Posted by richlee at April 17, 2007 10:47 AMRich--
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this. I immigrated to the U.S. from Seoul back in '78 when I was six and my brother was almost nine years old. I went to a high school in Chicago that had a large population of recent Korean immigrants, and we even had some classes that were taught in Korean. I know that 8 years of age (Seung-Hui Cho's age when he immigrated) seems young enough for someone to adapt to a new culture, but I think some people may find it harder than others, depending on their own personality and capacity to adapt to change, individual family situations, the specific community's attitude towards immigrants. I know my brother had a much harder time adapting to the U.S. than I did even though he was only a couple of years older than I. I know that he was picked on and called racial slurs. Even now, as adults, I can see that he sometimes feels out of place and unsure of his cultural identity.
Thank you for bringing to light the state of mental health for Asian Americans. I didn't know about the NLAAS study, but it makes sense to me from my own experiences with family and friends in the AA community. This is something that we need to talk about openly, for the sake of our relationships with our parents and for the sake of our children now and in the future.
Thanks again,
Sarah
Immigrant peoples face many problems whether they have moved because ofreligious, education, work,marriage or political reasons.some accept new situations better than others. It is never easy being "new" in a place. I have been one and I am glad I view all changes positively. The reception by the new country may not be fantastic but we have to prove that we are fine,trustworthy people and that we can be useful people wherever we go. We may be different but we should be treated as equals. that is one of the hopes we nurture when we migrate to our new country which we view as the "better country", and that we can become better and contribute more to the world community. And we should be very grateful for folks who provide support and love every where. Thank you to all positive thinkers who accept people who are different in religion, colour, status,education,etc..thank you.
Posted by: chung yi at April 22, 2007 05:51 AM