Sociology 269: Race and Ethnic Relations

Final Exam Study Guide – Asian Americans (Part II)

Asian American Experience:

In terms of cultural assimilation, secondary structural assimilation, primary assimilation, and marital
assimilation, how have Asian Americans fared?
Cultural: The degree of acculturation varies from group to group. Japanese Americans
are probably the most acculturated of the Asian American groups.

Secondary:
•Asian Americans are highly urbanized / less concentrated in the central city
neighborhoods / a large number are moving into the suburbs of metropolitan areas
•Asian Americans compare favorable with societywide standards for education
achievement (differences exists)
•Jobs and Income: As a single category, Asian Americans have achieved success and
equality (differences exists / closer examination warranted)

Primary & marital:

-High rates of interracial friendship choices
-Out-marriage rates for Asian Americans (15% - 34%) are higher than African Americans'
(2%) and Hispanics' (13%) rates
-The degree of acculturation varies from group to group. Japanese Americans are
probably the most acculturated of the Asian American groups.
Be familiar with the cultural viewpoint for explaining minority group success
o Value Compatibility:
-Significant compatibility between value system in country of origin and value
system of American middle class culture

-Family and Community Cohesion: The transmission of traditional values was

accomplished by the entire community

Critique:
-"Success" story diverts
attention away from continuing discrimination and other problems
-Creates a stereotype that can be used as weapon/ blames the victim
-Masks diversity
Middleman Minority Thesis / Ethnic Enclave Theory
o Middle Man
 Some minorities occupy an intermediate rather than low-status position.
Based on the idea that sojourning is necessary ingredient:

•Sojourners work hard and are thrifty in order to amass capital

•Sojourners take risks in hope of great gain
•Sojourners concentrate their funds in lines of work that permit easy
liquidation
 o Ethnic Enclave
 Based on the idea that immigrant workers may be part of a special type of economy
that provides unusual routes of upward mobility.

The ethnic enclave is based on community solidarity, the presence of a pool of

disadvantaged ethnic workers, and vertical and horizontal integration
Be able to distinguish between the first and second wave of Vietnamese refugees
o •1st Wave: Middle class / migrating for political rather than economic reasons (political
refugees)

•2nd Wave: 'Boat People'

Be familiar with cultural differentiation among the Vietnamese (e.g., phuc duc)
o -Free will vs. predestination (deterministic life force)

- Phuc Duc: "amount of good fortune that comes from meritorious or self sacrificing
action"

- One's actions impact immediate family and future loved ones

- Astrology (horoscopes)

- Configuration of celestial bodies at time of conception impacts the character of an

individual
Be familiar with the acculturation process among the Vietnamese
o •Refugees' adaptation to US life appears to vary

•Dual Cultural Conflict Theory: Second generation youth often find themselves in a
cultural conflict- they are too Americanized for their parents' liking, and too foreign for
their American peers.