【Written by CJ】

I once thought it's a waste of time to complain about glass ceiling. But as you can see, African Americans have complained at a glass ceiling for the past two centuries and their children are reaping the benefits that have been gained at our expense. This article notes the Jews as a reference point. It doesn't matter if we "beat" the Jews.  This is not about "beating" any minority.  This is about being heard in a democracy. And the only way to be heard in a democracy is to have a voice.  Do I think this is the most effective way to solve the problem?  No, but our government has never used the most effective way to solve a problem. The beauty of this land is that things can change, but that will never happen if Asian Americans stay hardworking and silent. 

This article is NOT about first generation immigrants. Yes the first generation has been unbelievably successful against incredible odds. This is about my generation.  There is no reason why we have to work harder than anyone else because our parents worked harder than anyone else.  The parents generation has made leaps and bounds in the business world but what about the political world?  How many Asians are there in the senate?  How many of us are present in discussions about taxation, about elections?  Very few. How about media?  How far have Asian Americans gone in the media?  How many pop stars are Asian American?  How many news anchors are Asian American?  It's not a coincidence our voice is not heard in public because you guys have only broken barriers in the business world. Our generation faces a world of problems - if we are truly American, then why does our skin color never appear on TV - and if it does why are we always portrayed as "nerds"?  

"All men are created equal and are endowed by their creator certain unalienable rights..." states the opening of the Declaration of Independence. Chinese Americans that immigrated to California, built the nation's railways on their blood and lives, were not allowed to become citizens by law. China is the only country ever that the USA banned immigration in the past. Japanese Americans were placed into camps because of their skin color and Japanese Americans in the U.S. army were used as front line human shields to block enemy ammunition. America should not be proud for a moment, or pretend for a single second, that it has not discriminated against Asian Americans or that it is ok to discriminate against Asian americans. Fair college admissions, job offers, etc. MUST become a birthright for every American. It is something that defines our liberty, opportunity, and freedom in this country. Why did I finally voice my opinion on this matter?  Because I've seen that this country is capable of change. Because I see hope in the future. But it's a small flame that needs to be nursed and nurtured.  It needs support. It needs to rally every single Asian American who has ever wondered why they don't fit in and we need to say it together. 

I remember someone once said "if every Asian American walked out on Wall Street just for one day, the American economy will collapse". Yes. But we have not made the movement. These articles are necessary. These articles that muckrake and whistleblow are the essential first steps.  They're necessary to wake up the children in my generation who don't know how much they are at a disadvantage. And they are necessary to bring public attention to this issue.

我所看到的是我们这一代的挣扎。我们要用的是American way来挣回原本该属于我们的自由和权利。但是光“believe”是不够的。

附：经济学人文章

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10月4日更新

春燕注：昨天发出后，有群友惊诧，猜测文章是否有准备，我告知朋友后，她的回复：“春燕，很有意思你提到群里有人认为是准备的。我辗转反侧难以入睡。非常高兴意外的收获了她的真实想法，同时也有点儿惊诧于她的敏锐，果敢和思辨。从她身上我看到了二代的希望，担当和勇气。真的是长江后浪推前浪。看了你的提示，我认真地查看了一下每段文字发出的时间，在7-13分钟之间，没有太多的语法错误，我只看到有个句子缺了动词。你已经改过了。

读了经济学人的文章，很有感触。这是我在讨论中的一段话：从美国建国Asian Americans 就work very hard至今。我们没有看到所期待的glass ceiling being naturally broken. 这位名记者写出这篇有分量的文章是多少1st, 2nd generations 华裔振臂呐喊催生的，我们需要勤奋，更需要入乡随俗，让我们的声音被听到✊ 我们能做的是有钱的出钱，有力的出力[Fist]。”

我们一直以来做申诉，写文章，有批评者说，二代感兴趣吗？听听这位大学新鲜人的心声。她上了藤校，但并不因此说那些因隐形限额没上去的是有何不可逾越的自身缺陷；而且心怀天下，思考之深，眼光之广，是我们一代该学习的。不得不讚赏朋友带出这样的好孩子。亲爱的CJ，看了你的感受，阿姨起了鸡皮疙瘩，这是仅在读了极为震动我的文字时才有的。这位小鱼阿姨是半小时内译出，足见你的感染力！

转：“哈佛申诉的春燕教授转发一位二代的心声。我深知我力量有限, 但我希望当我的孩子有一天与我有这样的对话的时候, 我可以问心无愧地说一句: 孩子, 妈妈尽力了。我用尽全力, 我从未停下脚步, 我做了我该做的和我能做的。我希望我的孩子对我说: I'm proud of you. ”