Today was the unveiling of the music video for “Be a Nigger Too” by legendary Queensbridge MC Nasir Jones; better known by his one syllable moniker, or his pen name if you would, Nas. Nas created a firestorm and has come under intense criticism by naming his 10th studio album “Nigger” and then subsequently changed the title to “Untitled” under pressure from heads of the record label. Most Asian Americans have seen this controversy in the news or a blog site or in a headline somewhere but probably haven’t give it a second thought, unless by chance they were a hip hop fan. But this album and more specifically this song and music video contains important significance to the Asian American Community. Its relevance to the Asian Americans starts with cameos by Korean American actors John Cho and James Kyson Lee. More importantly, Rik Cordero, a music video director of Filipino descent (who’s star is quickly rising not only in the hip hop landscape but in Hollywood as well) directed and produced this landmark video and who Nas heaped a great deal of praise during its initial screening. But this track’s and video’s relevance should not end there. The line Nas says “…my chink niggas, thats right yall my niggas too” invokes an idea of a relationship between Asians and Blacks that simply does NOT exist.
In fact, despite both groups being “minorities” in this country you can find more instances and examples of indifference if not contempt towards each other.
You also have the stereotypes where the Asian grocery owner keeps an eye on the black customer; the idea that Asians tend to approve of white people over other minorities; and the somewhat true idea that Asians invade black neighborhoods and takeover economically. Since I am a blogger and not a historian I cannot provide scholarly documentation of the exact state of Black and Asian relationships but I don’t think I am too far off base in saying that the bridge that connects us is very, very shaky.
Maybe I’m wishing for way too much. Maybe I am still living in memories of my high school days where my black friends would walk into a store cause a scene and I would very easily shoplift ice cream for everyone.
Okay, thats a bad example.
But why can’t there be more people like this? I mean, I’m sure you can easily find many examples of personal friendships between Blacks and Asians but in the macro-socioeconomic view of communities, the specific examples of olive branches are very few and far between. It’s tough when many influential newspapers in Asian American communities are written in their native language and not accessible by all. It’s tough that many Asian American are too busy fighting amongst themselves to give thought to other racial relationships. Did Yuri Kochiyama not heart brokenly weep over a dead Malcolm X? But I digress.
The one relationship that does exist, is the inherent racially charged terms that “chink” and “nigger” represent. “Nigger” was a hateful term that was coined on the absolute and completly asinine idea that Black people were inferior based on the single notion of their darker skin color. Not to mention the racial crimes that the term represents and holds throughout American History. The term “chink”, in my humble Asian opinion, is just as bad but for different reasons. The term “chink” marginalizes a Asian’s individuals race as a unimportant factor. Asians are put into one group by the U.S. Census Bureau, despite the fact that Asians are the most ethnically diverse group in the Unites States with a broad range of cultures and languages. The term “chink” takes away any sort of individuality that a specific Asian may have and tells us that we are all the same based on the silly notion that our eyes are slanted. Not only that, but the term “chink” causes rifts within the Asian American community; as Asians that are not of Chinese descent turn around and use the term “chink” only against Chinese Americans. I can recall many times in my life where I respond to a person calling me a “chink” saying, “NO, I’m not a chink. Chinese people are chinks.” And as embarrassed as I am to have said that, not just once but many times, I am sure that many other Asian Americans have used some sort of form of my response many times as well.
I think we should erase any sort of usage of the term “chink” from society’s vocabulary as well. For some reason it is okay to say “chink” in today’s society without any repercussions. I don’t feel that way. Its not just a word. Much like how “nigger” is not just a word. They both stem from racist ideologies that looks down on different races on pure superficial basis. Let us all stop the hate.
