"Learning Our Names" (Sabrina S. Chan, Linson Daniel, E. David de Leon, and La Thao)

TITLE: Learning Our Names: Asian American Christians on Identity, Relationships, and Vocation
AUTHOR: Sabrina S. Chan, Linson Daniel, E. David de Leon, and La Thao
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2022, (240 pages).
 

"Chinese names are harder to remember. Take an English name." This is a common comment made by Westerners when they try to pronounce a Chinese name. Often, they mispronounce. This makes the title of the book quite identifiable among many Asians in Western society. For Asians who immigrated to the West, it might be a culture shock at most or an inconvenience at least. For those who grew up as natively, it is a way of life. In a book written by Asian Americans for the larger Christian public, we read several stories depicting the constant struggles to find acceptance and recognition in a largely non-Asian culture. The stories are subdivided into three categories:

1. Learning our Stories;
2. Learning our Relationships;
3. Learning our Vocations.

In "Learning Our Stories," each author shares how racialization has impacted them. David de Leon shares his Pilipino upbringing by sharing the history of the Philippines, and how the country was influenced by Spanish powers and American colonialism. He tells us that names not only point to the past but also show us the hope that parents have for the next generation. Sabrina Chan shares her Hong Kong background and how she got her English name through American movies. Linson Daniel's parents hail from India while he was born in Texas, making him a full American citizen both nationality-wise as well as culture-wise. La Thao laments about the cultural confusion happening even within her own family. Her parents' Hmong upbringing over parenting matters conflicts with the Western parenting advocated by American sitcoms and popular cultures. One of the major emotional conflicts has got to do with the different expressions of love. 

There are many stories that speak of racialization occurring in modern America. Being ethnically Chinese, Sabrina represents a minority that gains acceptance mostly through hard work and performance. With marginalization leading to fear and uncertainty, many Asian Americans are forced to accept being reclassified as a lower class or invisible as far as equal rights are concerned. Even the verbal acceptance voiced by members of the white community does not seem deep enough for emotional comfort. Reflecting on the biblical names of Daniel's three friends, many similarities are felt when reading about how their Babylonian names were used more often than their Hebrew heritage names. The following sentence is haunting: "It would have us stay quiet and focus only on our own plight in exchange for fitting in and being well thought of. But speaking up against racism and other injustices is one way we upend the model minority myth." By showing us ways in which we can battle racialization both outwardly and inwardly, we are emboldened to stand up for injustice or unequal treatment. 

On Relationships, the authors look at three significant relationships in our culture: With our parents; with our partners; with our single selves; and with one another. They reflect on what these relationships mean in the light of the love of God in the gospel. We grapple with things of culture, theology, as well as stereotypes. Cultural differences grow in complexity when we introduce matters of gender, multidimensional perspectives, and different perceptions about roles and expectations. Then there are the expectations pertaining to marriages and singlehood. Churches need to play their part to educate marriage and singleness in the light of God's calling instead of cultural expectations. 

The final part of the book looks at the struggles in finding a home at Church; understanding the meaning of calling in Western culture; and leadership.

My Thoughts
It's about time! As an Asian living in a largely non-Asian culture, this book contains many observations I find familiar. In fact, some of them are way too familiar for any comfort. Those of us who spend most of our time with homogeneous communities might not feel the tensions as much. For the rest of us who need to interact often with the majority of races, the problems described in this book become distinct. Most if not all of the stories resonate with me, especially the part about the relationships with our parents. With regard to the racialization aspect of living, it opens up our eyes to the hidden injustice and prejudices that are still happening in our modern world. Perhaps, with more open sharing and discussions like these, the next generation would be more understanding of the unique struggles of Asian Americans living in the West. The term "Asian American" is a common term used among Asians living in America. Due to the shared emotions and common traits felt among Asians in Western society, I feel that the term applies equally as well to those in largely English-speaking nations such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

This book can benefit a wide group of audiences. First, it benefits those considered members of the ethnic majority by showing them what they don't normally see. It reveals white privileges often taken for granted in all aspects of society. From jobs to social acceptance, school participation to various roles in society, we should not kid ourselves to say that ethnicities do not matter. They do matter. How else will we then understand the constant emphasis in our constitution and laws that mention the requirement to be fair and equitable to all? The truth is, things are not what they seem to be. The second group to benefit will be Asians struggling to make sense of what it means to live in America or in Western nations with an Asian minority. By learning that they are all in the same boat, they could be a source of comfort and encouragement as they eke out their own sense of identity without feeling uncomfortable about their skin colour. Third, it benefits the rest of us to learn to be more sensitive to the needs and feelings of Asian Americans. The first step toward peace and reconciliation to happen is understanding. We already live in a divided world. If there is anything we can do to bridge the gaps, it is to share our stories and invite others to learn about us. This is exactly what this book has done.

I hope that books like this will trigger more expressions which hopefully will launch a wave of stories so that we can all learn and benefit from greater understanding.  I believe that all Asians, regardless of where they are born should read this book. Why? That is simply because the world is becoming more globalized. With increasing immigration activities, perhaps, other races can take a leaf from the Asian American example to avoid injustice for the rest.

Sabrina S. Chan, a daughter of immigrants from Hong Kong, is national director of Asian American Ministries for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA. She is an ordained minister and earned a master's degree in theology from Fuller Theological Seminary.

Linson Daniel (Indian American) is associate pastor of Metro Church in Dallas, Texas. He previously served as the national coordinator for South Asian InterVarsity and is a doctoral student at Fuller Theological Seminary.

E. David de Leon (Pilipino American) is a doctoral student at Fordham University and previously served as national director of InterVarsity's Global Urban Trek.

La Thao (Hmong American) is an InterVarsity campus staff in Wisconsin and previously served as the director of InterVarsity's Hmong Christian Collegiate Conference.

Rating: 4.75 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of InterVarsity Press and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.