Defining the 2nd Gen
John Lee
Sorry it's been such a long time, I've been busy with re:charge
(www.re-charge.net), but mostly I've been incapacitated this past
month due to a herniated disc - it's been pretty crazy.
Recently I was talking with one of re:charge's leaders and we came to
the conclusion that 2nd Generation Asians don't really have an
explicit, concrete identity. Talking with Dave Park a while back, we
discussed the music styles of 2 ethnic groups in America - African
Americans and Latino Americans. We realized that each ethnic groups
had a distinct musical style, whereas 2nd Gen Asians typically don't
have their own style so much as they have mimicked the styles of
others - when it comes to praise and worship, we typically adopt a
mainstream style of music, which is basically an acoustic or rock
sound. We never utilize Asian instruments in our worship.
Based on this observation, I realized that one factor that contributes
to the identity of African Americans is their centuries of history in
America; whereas Asians typically have MAYBE up to a century of
history in the US. Looking at Latino Americans, I also realized that
one advantage they have is a shared language, for the most part,
whereas Asians have their own unique language.
While talking, we also came to the realization that our 2nd Gen
Identity is due to social forces around us - such as living in a
majority/minority environment (Asian at home, non-Asian outside)...
Anyway, of course these are generalizations, but I wanted to bring up
this question for our discussion (since it's been so long!):
What IS the 2nd Gen Identity? How is it defined?
john;)
Joyce Chun
have a unique that stands out like the African or Latin American
counterparts. However, you put me in a room with a Black, Mexican,
and White, and I know I'm different....even if it's a musical
context. I believe that all music in the U.S. was evolved. Rock is
an evolution of r&b, and r&b is an evolution of the blues. I think
the 2nd gen. has a certain sound. I know this because so many of my
friends will hear a recording of a Korean worship leader and say...oh,
he's Korean, isn't he? Or, "He's got such an Asian voice." I think
that sound is what you're asking for, but I can't seem to really
pinpoint it either right now. Most of the time, unfortunately, I
think people usually mean, "unpolished." I'm going to have to think
about this one a bit more.
As for the Korean instruments...I have a dream of seeing more Korean
worship leaders using our native Korean instruments in modern bands.
I think the Korean instruments could add a lot, just like the djimbe
did a few years back.
I'd write more, but I'm tired... glad to see the discussion
continuing...
John Lee
Thanks for the response! Actually, I did mean "how do we define the 2nd Gen" in a much broader context than musically... that was just an example ;)
My question is how exactly do we describe the 2nd Gen experience - being 2nd Gen Asians? Also, can we even identify ourselves at this point in time in history? Is our identity defined for us by society at large, or can we come up with our own definition? Is our identification a reactive process, or can it be a proactive one?
DJ Chuang
its diversity and complexity. I think the term of "2nd Gen Asian
American" is a descriptive one, not so much reactive nor proactive,
and chronologically describes the children of Asian immigrants born in
the United States.
Having said that, there are many common characteristics for those who
are 2nd Gen Asian Americans, but those characteristics do not apply to
everyone who is 2nd gen. Like Joyce has mentioned, it goes beyond
music. It's been my experience that there's not a music style that has
emerged from 2nd Gen Asian Americans. What I do find is a kindred
spirit among those who are 2nd Gen Asian Americans, and a quick
identification with one another in social and spiritual settings, and
how most of us can easily understand the challenge of being in the
liminal space between 2 cultures, the parental expectations, and the
communal group activities that we gravitate towards.
DJ Chuang
On Jul 26, 8:42 am, "John Lee" <johneh...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hey Joyce,
>
> Thanks for the response! Actually, I did mean "how do we define the 2nd Gen"
> in a much broader context than musically... that was just an example ;)
>
> My question is how exactly do we describe the 2nd Gen experience - being 2nd
> Gen Asians? Also, can we even identify ourselves at this point in time in
> history? Is our identity defined for us by society at large, or can we come
> up with our own definition? Is our identification a reactive process, or can
> it be a proactive one?
>
Samuel Kim
this discussion. Korean are by nature a more deeply spiritual people;
very passionate, although overtly it's not readily seen. I've come
across many older adults who are deep, but not necessarily on the
right foundation (ie. buddhist, shamanist, christian, etc). They also
have an affinity to one another, as is evident outside Korea (ie.
Korea town, newspaper, church, alumni clubs, etc). This can be seen
even amongs 2nd gen, but not to the extent of 1st gen. So, in a
nutshell, there are a few distinctives about the 2nd gen. I think we
can begin to identify this group from our experience and observation,
and from the perspective of outsiders to some degree (I say this
because outsiders lack the subtlety of the culture). What I've noted
over the years is that we have tried to shape this group through
various efforts. I've experienced most of this from the church
culture but assume that much also exists in non-church settings.
It would be interesting to have some categories of observations so we
can collect data from various places and compile a list of
observations that come up frequently. This would give us some
concrete markers to identify the 2nd gen. This would be a great
resource for those who aim to shape this generation and hear from God
on how He wants to grow and use this generation for His purpose. This
would also give great vision and purpose for those of this generation.
As for music, there seems to be a common thread amongst 2nd gen. I've
been in an American church context for the past 3 yrs and find that
the songs used for worship and other settings are very different from
what you might find in a group where the majority and leadership is
Kor-Am. I find this a very interesting observation. The songs used
by 2nd gen seems to be those that touch deeper spiritually, with
choruses that often cry out in notes that allow for a greater
expression of the intended mood of the song itself. I would love to
verify some of my observations.
Anyways, I'll cut my response here, since I don't like to read long
notes. I found that a lot of people of this gen (all cultures) take
things in small bites. I look forward to more responses here. Thanks
to all who are posting and part of this forum. Ghamsah!
...Sam