“Somebody gonna get-a hurt, real bad!”
Manal’s post on child discipline reminded me of my own childhood. If you were a kid who grew up in an Asian immigrant household, chances are your parents didn’t believe in the “spare the rod” philosophy. Acting up at home or at school would get you a whuppin’ (possibly followed by a humiliating session of standing alone facing the corner to think about what you’ve done). Nothing abusive or over-the-line; just enough to knock some sense into you. But we all had that one White friend growing up who we were shocked and fascinated by because he would mouth off to his parents without the slightest repercussion. Indian comedian Russell Peters has a hilarious bit about how his dad would discipline him growing up, and his ill-fated attempt to apply suggestions on dealing with his parents offered by his smart-mouthed friend (warning: contains profanity).
January 8th, 2007 at 6:41 am
Amazingly, I used to imagine how tough a life would be for a person like you, growing as an immigrant even though you were born there….They would never accept you right? What’s your thought on the topic now after pretty much living your whole life there?
January 8th, 2007 at 2:14 pm
Hi Umar, thanks for commenting. It wasn’t tough at all. Personally, I don’t feel as if I have ever experienced any major problems here with discrimination or the like. Back when I was in school I would hear a comment every now and then, but nothing that couldn’t be shrugged off. This is a country of immigrants, and I think that informs people’s perceptions and attitudes either consciously or unconsciously. It’s true that there are challenges in being a minority anywhere, and in the case of America, there are still tangible and intangible barriers to advancement and acceptance in society for non-WASPs (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant), especially Muslim-Americans. But it helps that I was born and raised here and that I am, culturally speaking, an American. I can’t imagine living anywhere else.
Luckily, however, I grew up in a very diverse area where people are used to seeing non-White faces around. I often ask the same question you just asked when I meet Muslims who grew up in places like Wyoming or South Carolina.
January 12th, 2007 at 5:55 am
Interesting…VERY…I must say…well as long as you are happy….