碰撞|大選時分：共和媽的「香蕉人」孩子們

第一代華人移民經過十幾年的奮鬥，終於在美國社會成為中產階級，多多少少是實現了自己當年的美國夢。與此同時，在這些年離鄉背井的打拚中，我們形成了我們獨特旅美華人的文化，而我們的下一代則被稱為是「香蕉人「，因為他們的外貌是華人的黃皮膚，內里是白人的文化。到底這個稱呼套在他們身上合不合適呢？了解了他們的見解，我們就明白他們其實也是有著自己獨特文化，體會他們在成長和生活中的喜怒哀樂。

我們這些做父母的，儘管無微不至地照顧養育他們，其實未必這麼了解他們。相反的，我們發現這兩代人之間對很多看法都大相徑庭。比如這次美國大選，大多數二代是偏左，而第一代華人對川普的熱情令第二代跌破眼鏡，當然他們並不是沒有看見希拉里的」毒性「。

大多數的父母認為孩子們的左傾是源於：

1）受老師和所在群體的影響；

2）年紀輕，閱歷淺，過於理想主義，容易過於激進。

受師長和同伴們的影響固然重要，不過，他們從小被教導的可都是右傾的觀點。

其實，現在的二代，並不像我們想像中的那麼天真稚嫩，他們從小就在競爭中長大，高中時就學著削尖腦袋去找實習機會，大學的競爭則更加講求實際，學校在四年中安排有「出國留學」項目，使很多孩子二十歲出頭，護照上的戳就超過父母的了。這些二代從小參與社區服務，對社會各階層是有所了解和接觸的。他們是獨立思考的一代，儘管他們閱歷是不如我們深。在與他們接觸中，明顯的感覺就是他們不太追求功利（看來我們這些共和媽還是教子有方的）。比如，在對AA問題的看法上，他們很多人是經過這個體制而進入大學的，深知自己與生俱來的這個「張李王楊」的姓氏所要付出的代價，理應痛恨這個AA。可是，他們中的很大一部分人則認為，要改變美國非裔墨裔貧困高犯罪率的現狀，必須要給與他們更多的機會受良好的教育，才能使美國的整個社會走上良性循環，最終華裔是得益的。

他們的觀點也許理想主義，不過不妨做一下開明的父母，聆聽一下，因為他們畢竟是這個國家的主人，未來的管理者，說不定十年二十年後，他們中的某個人成為美國總統；而我們辛苦地把他們拉扯大，但不意味著我們自身沒有盲點，即使不同意他們的觀點，也不表示誰對誰錯。

正值美國大選進入高潮，就美國大選的議題，讓我們的「香蕉人」來說幾句吧。中文的篇幅是原文翻譯的縮減版，有興趣可以看本文後面的作者原文。

作者Emily（大四學生 ABC ）

文章大意：

對於第一代華人支持川普的種種理由，我很不同意。就舉其中的兩點：

1） 廁所案：為什麼廁所要區分性別呢？我們的課堂，餐廳，游泳池，我們自己家的廁所都不區分性別。撇開變性人這個話題不說，就是因為女廁所排隊人太多，有很多次我真的希望能用男廁所。以下是基本常識：廁所不是一個我們應該保護的聖地，廁所是我們排泄的地方，性別問題與廁所無關。另外，關於那些對於性騷擾的恐懼，我要問：父母們就不擔心你們的兒子們跟那些男性捕食者同去一個廁所嗎？你們是不是意識到，其實大多數（60%）的性騷擾發生在受害人的家裡，或朋友鄰居親戚家；10%的性騷擾發生在家以外的地方；1/12 的性騷擾發生在停車場。從以上數據看，你們的問題不是擔心性捕食者，而是對性別的解構。

2） 非法移民：這個問題是我最不能理解的。你們自己就是移民，你們在移民的抽籤中勝出。現在你們沒有身份問題了，你們難道不能打開自己的心允許其他人進來嗎？為什麼你們覺得川普會保護華裔不受種族的暴力攻擊呢？川普的所有說辭是建立在種族紛爭的基礎上的 – 儘管他最近表現出對非裔和墨裔的關心。

華人應該認識到，我們在這個國家的權利是民權運動爭取來的，是非裔用自己的身體為所有少數民族爭取來的。而川普的競選就是集中利用美國白人藍領階級的怒氣，在很多次川普的集會時，攻擊有色人種。我沒有想要說服你去選希拉里，可是從我的角度看，選川普的理由本質上是種族歧視。這是亞裔群體里的一種無視全局「我們」 對陣「他們」的心態。

蔑視非法移民態度的有趣之處就是很多表達這些情緒的人們本身也是移民。你們當然記得當時離開故土的動機和感情以及美國對你來說意味著什麼。你們幸運地成功進入美國，為什麼你們會反對那些在自己國家生活煎熬的人們來美國接受你們所接受的福利呢？你們擔心有人會欺騙系統，可是我們必須意識到這個系統本來就是不公平的。

Daniel （大四學生 ABC）

文章大意：

這次的大選絕不是一個笑話。我們要選的領袖必須不僅僅為美國服務，而且能在全球政治舞台上代表我們。這次大選不是有關於你個人，而是關於我們。所以我們要問自己: 我們要的候選人能不能把我的群體建造起來? 能不能提倡對所有人公正？ 我們需要以智慧的方式選可以把我們國家在社會、經濟、文化、政治向前推進的候選人。

我是為我們的孩子來選。我們要選這樣一位對亞裔、拉丁裔、非裔甚至女性歧視的候選人嗎？針對貧富分化的現狀，我不選加劇貧富分化的政策。用川普自己的話來說，他的經濟政策就是給富人和大公司減稅。這種從上至下的經濟政策是行不通的。

另外，我不能支持一位只關心富有美國白人利益的候選人。他不關心亞裔、非裔和拉丁裔的生活，只關心將白人至上主義繼續下去。回顧美國歷史，亞裔曾受過很多暴力種族歧視。我們不想任何人再被同樣地對待。

以下是兩位作者的原文：

Emily:

During this election season, I saw many first generation Chinese American supporting Trump for many different reasons which I , as an American Born Chinese, disagree with most. In the below paragraphs, I will point out 2 of them, and explain why I disagree.

1. political correctness, LGBT issues being incorporated into education, and the 「bathroom law.」

Most first generation Chinese immigrants state that they completely respect homosexuals and respect their right to get married. They even have some gay friends. But once they realized that their seven-year-old was being taught about LGBT issues, they were upset. They wanted to teach their kids themselves, when they were a bit older.

First off, your child is already constantly being socialized into their gender identity and sexual orientation, even at seven year old. They see it in movies, in all their friends with straight parents. You say that you have gay friends, but what does your friendship mean, when you feel uncomfortable about their lifestyle being affirmed. Your own response to it means that you do not actually respect others』 choices to love whomever they want to.

And then your issue with transgender people entering bathrooms – that men can arbitrarily decide to enter women』s bathrooms. Obviously, the fear is not impossible. But what is more important is to try to understand the position of a transgender person. Gender is a construct, and just because you and I may fit more comfortably within that construct, does not mean everyone does. Masculinity and femininity demand so much from us, from our bodies, our behaviors. Transgender people, especially non-white transgender people, must survive every day, facing threats of violence and a constant struggle to be accepted as they want to live their life. This is a radical upheaval of gender structures, and even if you cannot wrap your head around their life, at least understand that the violence against trans people characterizes much of the trans experience, and that there is much pressure to pass.

But then again, why must bathrooms be segregated by gender? Our classrooms, our dining halls, our swimming pools, our own bathrooms at home are largely not segregated by gender. Separate from the transgender issue, there have been many times when I wish I could use the men』s bathroom because the women』s bathroom was too long. Just based on common sense, the bathroom is not a sacred place that we must protect. It is where you go to relieve yourself – gender has nothing to do with that. And even more, all these fears about sexual assault – you don』t care about your sons who already go to bathrooms with sexual predatorial men? You don』t realize that a majority sexual assault cases take place at home or at the home of a friend, neighbor, or relative (6 in 10)? One in ten take place outside, away from home. And about one in 12 take place in a parking garage. Your issue clearly is not with sexual predators, but with the deconstruction of gender.

2. Your second issue is with undocumented immigration, or the encouragement of immigration. This is where I start to go in on you. This is what I cannot understand – you are an immigrant yourself – you beat the odds in the immigrant lottery, you made your way into this country through toil and struggle, and you continue. But — somehow, now that you have made it, you cannot open your heart to allow others to come into the country?

Why do you feel that Trump will protect Chinese Americans more from ethnic violence, race-based attacks? Trump』s rhetoric is based on creating racial divisions — despite recent attempts to make it seem like he cares for African Americans and Hispanics, his campaign revolves around riling up white anger – which as immigrants, viewed as perpetually 「foreign」 you bear the brunt of white anger and white resentment. There needs to be an inherent recognition that your rights in this countries have been fought for you by the civil rights movement, by Black Americans who have fought with their bodies to allow all people of color, and other marginalized identities to have an easier survival, a chance at happiness and equality. Trump』s campaign is focused on using the anger of working-class white Americans — who on many accounts at his rallies have physically and verbally assaulted people of color. I do not want to convince you necessarily to vote Hillary, but that the justification I see for voting Trump is inherently racist. It reveals a us vs. them mentality that fails to see the bigger picture of the Asian community.

A disdain for illegal immigration is interesting to me because many of these people expressing these sentiments are immigrants themselves. You can surely remember the feelings and motivations for leaving your home country and what America represented for you. you 「made the cut」 and in the luckiest circumstances was able to come to America; why does this mean that you are against other people who are facing horrid circumstances, difficult lives back in their countries to be able to enter the US and receive the same benefits that you do? You are afraid of people cheating the system – but the bigger realization should be that the system is unfair to begin with.

Daniel:

I am excited. Excited that I am able to exercise my right to vote. Many people in the world do not have this right. Therefore, I will act upon this privilege and actively participate in the 2016 Presidential Election. This upcoming election is not a joke. We will be electing a leader that has to not only work to better our country, but to represent us in the global political sphere.

So, we need to ask ourselves the big questions. This election is not about you as an individual, but it is about us as a community. Will the candidate you elect be able to build up your community as a whole? Will your candidate promote equality for all? We need to look past ourselves and our own individual interests and vote for the candidate that can move our country forward socially, economically, culturally, and politically in an intellectual manner.

I am not voting for my own personal benefits that my candidate 「says」 they will support. I am voting for the future of the children of this generation. Of every single person. Do we want a candidate who promotes hatred and racial injustice toward all minorities, Asian, Hispanic, Black, even women? Of course not. I am voting to fight against income inequality because the rich are just getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. The middle class has practically disappeared. Trump in his own words said that his plan for economic growth is to cut taxes on the wealthy and big businesses. This trickle-down economics has not, will not, and cannot work. History proves this over and over again. Right now, in America, the wage inequality is the worst we have ever seen in the history of the world. We need a candidate who is looking out for the marginalized and oppressed and willing to sacrifice to advance equality.

Furthermore, I cannot support a man who does not care for ANY LIFE besides his own and his own people- wealthy, white Americans. He does not care for minority groups. He does not care about the lives of Asian Americans, African Americans, or Hispanic Americans. All he cares about is perpetuating the status quo of Whites.

I am an Asian American. My parents were immigrants. It is very important to look at the histories of violence and racial discrimination done against Asian Immigrants in US history. From early as the 1850s, Asian immigrants migrated to the US to do hard labor in sugar plantations, gold mining, and railroad building. They were treated as slaves, as dogs. White business owners referred to Chinese as animals and the 「Yellow Peril.」 There were plenty of laws passed to discriminate against Asians, notably the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act. During the building of the Transcontinental Railroad that started from California to the Midwest, most of the workers were Chinese. When it was completed, there was great celebration throughout the nation, but not one Chinese was credited.

So, if we take a look at the history of rejection, of discrimination, of abuse of Asians in America, we do not want anyone to be treated that same way! We do not want a president who wants to maintain White supremacy and wealth.

I am speaking for this next generation and your children』s generation. I must let my voice be heard. I must fight against racial inequality, wage inequality, gender inequality. I must fight for justice because this is my country. We are responsible for this country』s future.