Being “Asian” in Seattle and Metro-DC
by James Na ~ October 31st, 2006. Filed under: America, Blogs & Blogging, Koreans in America, Washington Views.My latest Seattle Times op-ed is online. Not exactly about North Korea, but fellow metro-D.C. residents and workers might appreciate some parts.
On Seattle:
When I lived in Seattle, one of the city’s facets to which I quickly grew accustomed was the integration of Asian Americans into the city’s mainstream life. This was not surprising, of course. While Seattle does not boast a large number of Asians in absolute terms, they form the largest nonwhite population at over 13 percent of the total — a rarity outside Hawaii.
On D.C.:
One acquaintance attributed this to institutional racism against nonwhites in the city. That explanation might be tempting, given the persistent feel of a small Southern city beneath the surface of the political hub that is D.C. But the real answer, I suspect, is more complex.The city’s life is overwhelmingly dominated by the industry of politics, which, unlike information technology, is an old business. It requires, by nature, discretion and even secrecy. Where trust and loyalty are at such a high premium, nepotism and clannishness are often rational responses, given that family and friends are generally more trustworthy than outsiders, however capable or intelligent.
Read the whole thing here.
October 31st, 2006 at 5:27 pm
The distinction has to be made here between the Federal Government, which resides in DC and is (as you point out) the main industry here, and the city politics of the District itself.
It would be hard to argue that there is “institutional racism against nonwhites” in the latter instance, which is actually more anamolous to local Seattle politics. To make a crude comparison, the status of Asian-Americans in DC is similar to that of African-Americans in Seattle, and vice-versa. The main difference being that the Asian-American population in the DC area is on the rise, and consequently its economic and political clout.
The Post ran this piece on the Rhee Bros. and how their success is tied to this demographic shift. From that article: