Study Guide for Introduction: From Oriental to Asian American

Key Concepts and terms:

• Monoracialism
• Multiracial APAs
• Orientals
• Yellow
• Asian American
• Asian Pacific Islander/Asian Pacific Americans

Lecture notes:

Oriental-Eurocentric term. This was a term that was imposed upon Asian Americans by White
Americans. Connotations include east, rugs, objects, mysterious, exotic, and foreign. In
this class, we do not use this term to refer to people of Asian descent.

Yellow-developed by 2nd and 3rd generation Asian Americans in redefining themselves.

Inspired by black power movement in the 1960s. It rejected the Eurocentric term, Oriental, as
well as ideals of assimilation, while claiming ethnic pride.
Yet it excluded Filipino Americans, whom many see themselves as “Brown.” And some
Filipinos feel that they would be rather classified as Latinos, since they share a history of
Spanish and American colonialism/imperialism.

Asian American-which defines there places as Americans, but also as Asians simultaneously.
Speaks to their shared experiences as Americans.

Asian Pacific Islander-includes Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Examples of Pacific
Islanders are Americans who can trace their ancestry to the original people of Hawai’i, Samoa,
Guam, etc. In some ways including them in the Asian Pacific Islander category increases their
numbers since by themselves, they are a small percentage of the American population. Some
argue however, their specific issues become marginalized or overshadowed by Asian American
issues. Some native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders would prefer to have their own separate
category or be lumped with Native Americans.

As you can see, these terms are a social construction-constantly evolving. Not everyone is in
agreement with these terms.

Additional Study Question:

1. What Asian Pacific American ethnic groups have been more accepting of multiracial
APAs? Why is this the case? What historical circumstances led to this lower/higher
acceptance?

2. Discuss the historical context in which term “Asian American” arose.