Thursday, October 05, 2006

Quincy Council to Chinese Americans: Be American.

All right, thanks to Power and Politics, who brought this post up, which bugs the crap out of me.

In an address to an Asian American social service organization recently: ‘‘If you want to live in America, don’t be a hyphenated American,’’ said Ward 6 Councilor Brian McNamee. ‘‘Don’t keep one foot planted in your country of birth and another in this country. Put both feet firmly in America.’’

I'll let you decide what to think of that.

Now, mind you, the flap is over flying the communist Chinese flag, which will unruffle people much the way flying the communist version of the flags from Vietnam and Laos will, even today.

The Chinese United Association in Quincy, MA

However, the wording and the attitude of the city council people in this case leaves a lot to be desired. We'll see how this all turns out.

On an interesting note, I should also say that I find Nikita Prokhorov's article in the design magazine How excellent reading for those of us in the arts or considering logos for our companies, because I think it speaks with particular relevance to Southeast Asian Americans and our youth.

11 comments:

Avinsen said...

Wow! What fascist pigs these people are. Did no one tell them that to fly two different flags together is a sign of cooperation and friendship. Of course, the Patriot Ledger is a right wing rag, so what would you expect.

The one comment in the article about the ire of immigrants "who see the yellow-starred flag as a clear symbol of the totalitarian Chinese government that forced them to come to the United States" seemed extremely naive. Chinese people, regardless of their political leanings, generally have a very nationalistic bent. They may not agree with the government, maybe even hate it, but if they immigrated from China, they are proud of the country they came from.

Just wow!

Anonymous said...

I have never expected to see my own community become so paranoid and superficial as I did with what was said recently against our Chinese community by people with a political bent and an axe to grind.
America is and has always been a diverse multicultural reservoir which has made us a most dynamic and vibrant society.
Who ever complained about the flags that are used over any other clubs or associations?
Is the Irish flag next to be banned? The building directly across Beale St from the CUAHUSA has the American and Irish flags painted on it's windows.
What about the Polish club? Will some flag nazis march into the Italian North End of Boston and rip down Italian flags?
I happen to like the fact that I can acknowldege my cultural and ethnic heritage with the national flags of my family’s origins. Are you going to outlaw my freedom of expression next?
That is the most ANTI-AMERICAN insult I have ever heard and it deeply offends me that such ignorant and biased prejudice should be directed against Quincy’s own citizens by the very people we elected to protect our freedoms.
Who do these folks think they are talking down to anyway? - after all the Chinese community has been here as long as or longer than many others have been and now that they are giving back to the community they should be lauded for their successes in helping make Quincy a succesful rather than a struggling economic story.
Will all the people who’s ancestors didn’t face prejudice please stand up?
Rock Nemeth

Anonymous said...

Facists?,The Patriot Ledger a "right wing rag?" Obviously Avinsen is another typical miss-informed angry closed minded liberal. If the Ledger were anymore left-leaning they would have to call it "The Pheonix" and if Avinsen had taken the time to go to the corner, exspecially this weekend he/she would have found that 75% of the people protesting and handing out leaflets were Chinese. Why? Because the very orginization that Avinsen is defending is in Quincy because they were kicked out of Chinatown because of its ties to the Chinese Communist Party and the PEOPLE didn't want to be exploited by them in their own community, just as they are by the CCP in their own country. That flag does not stand for THE country that they love and are proud of. But then again liberals,communists, birds of a feather. Never let the facts get in the way of a good rant.

Anonymous said...

Oops - looks like anonymous forgot - this isn't an organization from Boston, but a organization from Quincy started by community activists, concerned citizens of Quincy and businessmen who have all banded together to give back to the community.
The C.U.A.H.U.S.A. or CUAHUSA is here to help new Chinese in America, in Quincy and the area and is not a part of the Chinese Government.
The "Chinese" protesters are part of the Falun Gong Cult who are fighting the Chinese Government and it seems they will Harass and Bully any Chinese who are not taking any part in their fight. It is too bad they even come to America to Harass and Bully ordinary community folks who are doing their part to help new Chinese in America by giving back to the community and showing the whole world they can Make Good in the Neighborhood !

Anonymous said...

Rock Nemeth you are obviously a spokesman for the organization are far from objective. Have your organization at least have the courtesy of checking the local zoning regulations and the protocol for flag flying before angering the citizens of this community.

Anonymous said...

I am a voting citizen of Quincy and I can tell you that as far as the Quincy City Council is concerned, there is no law or regulation against showing the flag of your family nationality, so much for your local zoninig law. If any City Council Member were to try to make such a Blatant violation of my right ( or yours) I would run them out of town in the very next election.
Who are you afraid of?
I for one happen to take a deep pride in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of these United States of America, and I never hesitate to say so, most especially because my forefathers and family fought or served to defend it.
Anonymous shows the typical Xenophobic prejudice used towards anyone who doesn't fit his/her model of what America "ought" to be like rather than what America is as defined by the Constitution. He/She obvoiusly doesn't believe that the Constitution says what it means, or means what it says.
Those Chinese-Americans who are actually proud enough to perform community service for those of their own ilk, among the newest members of our city, who happen to be underseved and under represented even though they constitute a one fifth to one fourth of our city population, are practicing a public service in the very best traditions of American society.
Anonymous practices only worn out prejudice, and it has nothing at all to do with solving the problems of our newest citizens or members of the City of Quincy and surrounding community. He /She ought to try practicing truth, compassion, and forbearance at least once in this life.
Maybe if anonymous actually believed the prejudice He/She spouts there would be a proud name at the end of such a statement by them, rather than a tired, worn out , discredited plea for all America to "conform" to His/Her view of how people should exercise their constitutional rights and freedoms.
Obviously the CUAHUSA is standing up to speak out for the target community of it's client base. If they didn't - you would have never heard of them! And that is what community service is about.

Anonymous said...

By the way, If standing up for the Constitution makes me a spokesman for the CUAHUSA , then COUNT ME IN! I am most happy to stand on my constitutional rights for the freedom of expression, and yours and theirs too! It's too bad you only want rights for yourself and not for those families who are trying to provide the benefit of their labor through a civic service association.

Anonymous said...

The C.U.A.H.U.S.A. or CUAHUSA is composed of Chinese Americans in Quincy and the area and is not a part of the Chinese Government as the Falun Gong Cult would have people, including the American Press, believe. The "Chinese" protesters are part of the Falun Gong Cult who are fighting the Chinese Government and it is opposed to the work of ordinary Chinese Americans who are proud to perform the civic service mission of CUAHUSA. CUAHUSA state on their website they are nonpartisan, unlike Anonymous.
One must ask - What is the Politcal Agenda of Anonymous who opposes Chinese Americans helping their own community?
While Anonymous is busy telling Americans how to live to satisfy His/Her dictates, He/She is also telling all other Americans to shut up and suffer the same suppression that was leveled against any population which had to suffer being pushed around or dictated to by someone who claims to know how everyone else should live. And that is exactly the kind of garbage nobody in the world should have to put up with.
Dictator Anonymous should try actually living in freedom with all Americans, rather than just freedom for His/Her self and to Hell with everyone else's freedoms.
While history shows that some supporters are enthralled with the dictatorial attributes as shown by Dictator Anonymous, they are usually the first to flee when the general population catches up to them with the tools of Justice, ie Saddam Hussein, or the first to terrorize society so that they can impose their own rule ie Al Quaida. That is why a free people as we are in USA realize that when you allow one person's rights to be violated, it is not long until another victim is lined up in the sights of sombebody's self imposed righteousness and dictatorial rule.
Wether Anonymous likes it or not, our Constitution assures that all Americans can live in freedom.
To defeat the constitution Anonymous tries to impose against those He/She hates "The Black Silence of Fear". It means that the philosophy of strength through free speech is being forsaken for the philosophy of fear through repression.
Anonymous tries a clear cut case of using McCarthism against people who are regular American Citizens expressing their pride for their heritage with the national flag of their families ethnic and cultural origin.
In the anonymous attack against the political structure of the Chinese Government - Anonymous never makes any distinction between ordinary Chinese Americans contirbuting to society in a constructive effort to help their society or the Chinese Communist Party which controls the government of mainland China. Yet Anonymous is completely silent on the crimes of the Kuomintang Government against the native aboriginal peoples of Taiwan so there is not even the slightest attempt for balance or "social responsibility" in His/Her Statement.
The very arrogance, intolerance and attempt to resurect blatant McCarthism belies the deep seated prejudice which Anonymous casts against ordinary Chinese Americans in His/Her attempt to "Blacklist" perceived enemies in the GREAT AMERICAN RED SCARE Anonymous promotes.
History books are full of these Legacy of McCarthyism examples. They have no place in Boston or Quincy civics, no matter what what the internal politics of China are. Anonymous's attempts to paint the hundreds of people who have put together the CUAHUSA as being Communist is an awful, sickening, disgusting and ludicrous slam against the New England Asian community in general and Chinese Americans especially. It is a sad day indeed when an "anticommunist" crusade against the chinese government becomes an ANTI-AMERICAN SLUR against Chinese Americans.

Anonymous said...

Catch your breath there Rock, My adversity has more to do with the FACT that they come into a community and erected an obvious eye-sore of signage without even bothering to check local zoning laws, and #2 protocol for flying a flag states that the US flag shall always fly at a higher height when being flown with other flags. Apparently your organization figures it can do as it pleases just as it does in the homeland where they control the laws & citizens with an iron fist. If local laws & protocols which you deem do not apply to your organization had been followed there would have been no complaint. So come down off your high horse and realize the fact that they're Chinese have very little to do with my argument, but the arrogant heavy handed bullying statement of disregard for local laws does.

Anonymous said...

What happened to Rock?? Did he run out of CUAHUSA propaganda to spew?

Rock Nemeth said...

Wow that paranoid anonymous person really needs to take a pill.
Who thinks all those families in Quincy Mass actually are part of a communist plot as that one would have us believe?
I have seen prejudice growing in society around here even as you would expect history to enlighten peoples thinking. It must be something in the water.
Such anonymous people lashing out at the world around them are like sick patients in an insane asylym - even attacking those who try to help them.
I expect such arrogance from skinhead fascists, but in Quincy Massachusetts, the very Cradle of Liberty? Hymphh - what a strange world we live in.