And I thought I had lots of 'splaining to do
Ya' know... because of the Japanese last name and the Italian-looking face?
But then I saw Scott Fujita, a linebacker for the New Orleans Saints. And I thought how cool it was that a Japanese American was a linebacker.
And then I thought, "A Japanese American big enough to be a linebacker? In the NFL?"
Well, it turns out that Scott Fujita is indeed part of the Japanese American community. His father is Japanese American and his mother is not (sound familiar? Yup, that's my recipe too). But Scott himself is adopted. So he's Japanese American culturally but not by birth.
Which brings up an issue that the JA community is increasingly facing. While there are lots of Asian Americans out there with non-Asian names due to adoption, marriage, etc. But there aren't too many white faces with Asian names, especially by birth or adoption rather than marriage.
But Scott's situation is one rare example of how it could happen, but not too many white kids go to Asian couples (for a number of reasons). In vitro fertilization is allowing more and more Asian couples to have kids of mixed racial backgrounds. And of course, there are children of multi-racial heritage, such as your truly.
And my brothers.
And one of my brothers -- the one who looks most like my mother's side of the family out of the three of us -- married a woman who isn't Asian American. So, if he and his wife have kids, they'll be 1/4 Japanese American. Presumably, those kids will also have the Asian last name. But they probably won't have a very Asian face (since my brother doesn't either).
This is already the case with a friend of mine who is 1/2 Japanese American and 1/2 Dutch. His wife is not Asian, but she has taken his name. And all three (or is it four now?) of their sons have his (very long) Japanese last name. And those kids are blond. With that whopper of a Japanese last name.
I love that folks like Scott and my friend, pictured above, make people question their assumptions.
It's a good reminder for all of us that
a Lee
is a Lee
is a Lee.
Or something like that.
(The gallery above of famous Americans named "B. Lee" includes Robert E. Lee, Bruce Lee and Congresswoman Barbara Lee.)
But then I saw Scott Fujita, a linebacker for the New Orleans Saints. And I thought how cool it was that a Japanese American was a linebacker.
And then I thought, "A Japanese American big enough to be a linebacker? In the NFL?"
Well, it turns out that Scott Fujita is indeed part of the Japanese American community. His father is Japanese American and his mother is not (sound familiar? Yup, that's my recipe too). But Scott himself is adopted. So he's Japanese American culturally but not by birth.
Which brings up an issue that the JA community is increasingly facing. While there are lots of Asian Americans out there with non-Asian names due to adoption, marriage, etc. But there aren't too many white faces with Asian names, especially by birth or adoption rather than marriage.
But Scott's situation is one rare example of how it could happen, but not too many white kids go to Asian couples (for a number of reasons). In vitro fertilization is allowing more and more Asian couples to have kids of mixed racial backgrounds. And of course, there are children of multi-racial heritage, such as your truly.
And my brothers.
And one of my brothers -- the one who looks most like my mother's side of the family out of the three of us -- married a woman who isn't Asian American. So, if he and his wife have kids, they'll be 1/4 Japanese American. Presumably, those kids will also have the Asian last name. But they probably won't have a very Asian face (since my brother doesn't either).
This is already the case with a friend of mine who is 1/2 Japanese American and 1/2 Dutch. His wife is not Asian, but she has taken his name. And all three (or is it four now?) of their sons have his (very long) Japanese last name. And those kids are blond. With that whopper of a Japanese last name.
I love that folks like Scott and my friend, pictured above, make people question their assumptions.
It's a good reminder for all of us that
a Lee
is a Lee
is a Lee.
Or something like that.
(The gallery above of famous Americans named "B. Lee" includes Robert E. Lee, Bruce Lee and Congresswoman Barbara Lee.)
Labels: Asian America, random observation
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