Situating East Asians in Canadian Race Discourse by Hijin Park A
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University of Alberta Situating East Asians in Canadian Race Discourse by Hijin Park O A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fùlfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education Intemational/fntercuIturd Education Department of Educational Policy Studies Edmonton, Alberta Fall 1997 National tibrary Bibliothèque nationale du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395. rue Wellington ûüawaON K1AON4 Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Canada Canada Vavr tïle Votre mif&mw ûur Ne Notre rdMli~~) The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence dowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microfonn, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfichelnlm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimes reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. A bstract This study addresses the relationship between race and ethnicitv. individual and social identities, and minority and majority cultures. Using ethnographic tools, the midy delineates how race impacts the lives of Canadians of East Asian heritage, that is Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean, who were bom in and/or grew up in Canada From an early age. Emphasis is placed on how the participants internalized representations of East Asians in order to constnrct their individual and social identities, The positioning of East Asians, in contemporary Canadian society, will be discussed by analyzing the ways in which the "mode1 minority" and the "yellow peril" stereotypes are (re)constnicted in order to maintain unequa1 race relations. The midy attempts to glean some of the issues associated with dealing with difference in multiculturaUmultiracial societies. Acknowledgments To Dr. Peggy Wilson for your ever present support of this work We have not always agreed, however, your convictions have shaped this work in ensuring that I rethink mine. Your cornmitment to equality and justice and your focus on the expression of feelings (and my reluctance to do so) will guide me for years to corne. To Dr. MaIinda Smith and Dr. Henry Hodysh for ousupport and encouragement. Your comments and suggestions will undoubtedly shape furure research. To Dr. Stan Wilson for your ability to treat me as a whole person with al1 of rny insecwïties, strengths and contradictions. To Dr. Toh for your consistent support and interest in my work. To both for pur humanity. To my sister for your many hours of painstaking reading of dl of my work over the yean. You are the person who mon directly contrïbutedto the unfolding of the ideas in this research. To my friend (and hopefully future co-researcher) Jeongmin Eom for pur strength and humility. To Troy Wallace who allowed me to discuss anything and evexything at geat length. Many of the fooaiotes in this study are a result of your thoughtful criticisms. To the support staff of Educational Policy Studies for your patience and desire io assist me at every tum. To fellow graduate students, departeci and still present for the joys you have brought to my life on a daily basis. Above ail, I would like to express my gratitude to the participants who shaped the research to its particular mani-festation. T.4BLE OF CONTENTS CWTERONE: INTRODUCTION ...................................................................... 1 BACKGROUND AM)OVERVIEW ................................................................................................... I PERSONAL BACKGROUND AND BIAS' OF THE RESEARCHER ............................................. 2 THE SIGNIFIC ANCE OF THE STUDY ....................................................................................... 2 D-G CATEGORIES ............................... .. ............................................................................. 4 a' Fmt Asim" .................................................................................................................................. 5 ........................ Rucism ............................ .... ........................ , ....................... 6 a) individual and everyday racism .......................................................................................... 7 b) institutional racism ......................................................................................................... 7 c) systemic racism ................................................................................................................ 7 d) cultural/"rdeoIogicdracism ............................................................ .. ............................ 7 CONCLUSIONIOLTLME OF THE CONTENTS ............................................................................. 8 CHAPTER TWO: CONCEPTWU FRAlMEWORK: EAST ASIANS m- CANADIAN RACE DISCOURSE ..~..........................................................................9 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 9 ETHNICISM AND CONTEMPORARY RACE DISCOURSE .......................................................... 9 MrrIricultwaZism and E~IICIdenri" ......................................................................................... 13 Cunadian IJentiw and the tfn)L 'ïszbility of Whiteness .................................................................... 16 a) ïhe Body. Race and Culture ............................................................................................ 18 EAST ASIANS REPRESENTED AND POSITIONED ................................................................... 20 The FriIow Pwif Stereorpe: Contemporq Mmifes~ations..................................................... 23 irhe Mite Racial Merarc@ .......................................................................................................... 29 The Mde/ Minorin, Sterrotpe: Contemporq Muqfkdatians ................................................... 34 CONCLUSlON ................................................................................................................................ 39 CHAPTER TEiREE: METHODOLOGY O..............,..... ................................... 40 INTRODUCTION .............................. ... ..................................................................................... 40 THE ETHNOGRAPHIC PROCESS ............................................................................................... 40 PWOR TO DATA COLLECTION ................................................................................................ 32 THE P.4RTIClPA.XTS ................................ .. ............................................. .................................. 42 GMGCONSENT AND DEVELOPNG RAPPORT .......................................................... 43 THE ETHNOGRAPHIC NERWEW .............................................................................................. $4 E~hnographicQtiestioru ........................~..................................................................................... 47 a) Descriptive Questions .................................................................................................... 47 b) Structural Questions ......................................................................................................... 48 c) Contrast Questions .......................................................................................................... 48 I AS PARTICIPANT OBSERVER .................................................................................................. 49 ANALYSIS ..................................................................................................................................... 52 CONFIDENT[ALITY ABD ACCURACY ................................................................................... 54 LIMITATIONS AND DELIMITATIONS ..................................................................................... 54 CONCLLWON .................................... .. ................................................................................... 55 CEAPTER FOUR: DATA: A PRESENTATION AND GWALYSIS ................. 57 MTRODUCTiON .................................. .. ................................................................................... 57 WHO AM I? .................................................................................................................................. 57 TO WHOM OR WHAT .Ut 1 RELATED? ........................................................................................ 66 Ensr Asians as mm1 , r~pard[vmobile and passive: elements of the mdel minor* .................... 67 731e Asian gan,, Asiarrs in "gangs": elmerrrs of the ~ilowpril ................................................ 71 a) East Asians as irnrni_mts and foreigners ............................................................. 72 b) "1 wouldn't be seen with an Asian for the life of men ....................... ... ........................... 74 c)Race . Gender and Sex