Reader Mail: Greetings from another Alpha Asian

G'day James,

It's the resident Asian-Australian saying hi. First thing, I've had a look at the AA T-shirt designs and my favourite is the design scheme used in the "bumper sticker". It's where the five elements are positioned horizontally above the alphabetic logo. As a suggestion, the popular designs would also look good on a coffee mug. Let me know if the coffee mug idea will proceed, since I'm quite far away. I would prefer to buy multiple items in one parcel.

Regarding the 10 Op Orders for the Alpha Asian: That's a pretty good guide, and I've printed out a copy for my desk at home and one in my drawer at work. I like to have stuff like this in my room to keep me on track and make sure I don't deviate from my goals.

It's also one of the reasons why I read your Strength and Physique and Alpha Asian blogs on a regular basis. Like you said in one of your posts, it's good to associate yourself with positive thinking people who are driven and hard working.

By the way, we've been following the US election this week, and from my point of view, the outcome of the US election is fantastic and is seen as the start of a new era for your country and its relations to the world. I have fond memories of my trip to the US almost 10 years ago, and I'm keen to see how the country fares in the next few years.


Regards,
The Aussie Asian


My Answer: Hey good to hear from you again Aussie Asian. If you're interested in a coffee mug with the Alpha Asian logo, then guess what?! Just because you asked, we'll put it on our online store. The mugs should be up by the end of this weekend.

I'm glad you like the Op Orders for the Alpha Asian. I try to live a very focused life, and these are some of the precepts that I try to follow to keep myself focused on accomplishing things.

As far as politics, I'm hoping for an Asian American president someday. I just hope it doesn't take 30+ years for us the way it took 30 years since the Civil Rights movement for America to be comfortable with an African American president.






I came across your site while looking at Minority Militant and read [your] articles from [the] Alpha Asian and your strength and conditioning [blog]. My name is RJ, and I am also an alpha Asian American. I've served in the Army (honorable discharge) and have a bachelor's in psychology and am now working on my master's to become a psychologist. Also I am studying for my CSCS.

Your work is needed, and I've ordered a copy of Alpha Asian from Amazon. I am contacting you, because I too feel the need to make more Asian Americans into Alphas. But I fear we have our work cut out for us. I have a daughter and don't want her to put up with the racist manure that I and so many of "us" have.

In addition I too am an author and will include your tome in my meager writings. I am planning to be published first in two psychological journals, and the theme will be racism in America directed at Asian Americans. There are a million things I could write to you about, since some of my best friends are police officers also (two of my best friends are officers in TX and NV).

Once again your work is appreciated and needed. Just look at how few Asian Americans want to attain alpha status. Sad but true. You rock and are not alone. Thank you.

R J



My Answer: RJ, thanks for the praise. Seriously, it's much appreciated, especially from someone of your background, which is similar to mine. I was a psychology major and had a CPT from the NSCA. I'm going to have a daughter as well, and I want her to grow up and develop into a woman free of racist, sexist baggage. Ultimately I want her to be a good person and to be happy.

It's tough writing and blogging about the idea of improving our Asian American communities by improving ourselves, because I often wonder if I'm talking to myself in an empty room. There have been plenty of times when I thought to myself, "Am I making sense? Do people who come across my blog get anything of value from what I write?"

It's a rather lonely feeling when people just don't understand what you're saying. I've come across other blogs that consist solely of pop culture references that have a huge readership, and I think to myself, "REALLY? Would people really rather go to a blog that is the Asian American version of TMZ?"

Don't get me wrong. I like to lighten the mood up with funny videos, and I have been known to be a bit of gossip hound from time to time. But the vast majority of people (Asians and non-Asians) would rather live in a bubble of their own design.

Or you have the opposite: you get the angry Asian man who lives in cage of his own design. Tough to stay positive and fight the good fight around people who offer nothing but hurt. There has to be a balance between these two states of mind, and I try to convey this balance on the blog. When I say aggregating positive energy, I really mean it.


By the way, I want to remind you guys and gals to vote on the poll on the right side of this blog. I'm pushing for AALDEF to win, since they've taken the initiative to fight for the students at South Philly High.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I've come across other blogs that consist solely of pop culture references that have a huge readership, and I think to myself, "REALLY? Would people really rather go to a blog that is the Asian American version of TMZ?"

Well that's one of my pet peeves about much of the Asian-American blogosphere. The tone is often the same as what you would find on a gossip column - facetious, sardonic, ironic, sarcastic and pissy. The problem is that this tone is the same whether those types of blogs are reporting on the dating life of Daniel Henney or the racist beating of Asian kids. Pissy irony doesn't make for a powerful attack on racism.

I think you'll find that people simply do not like ideas that will force them out of their comfort zone - when you ask people to think too much, they generally turn on you even if it means they are "damning" themselves. But that's a by-product of thinkng outside the box and challenging the current of popular or common thinking - the lot of the outsider is lonely!

There may be an irony that to truly be an Alpha and an Asian at this time, one may have to live unappreciated and perhaps even rebuked by our general community.

G-A
J said…
This is part of the reason I've asked others to join as cobloggers. These men and women are all extremely intelligent people, but with unique perspectives, different from mine.

The tone is often the same as what you would find on a gossip column - facetious, sardonic, ironic, sarcastic and pissy. The problem is that this tone is the same whether those types of blogs are reporting on the dating life of Daniel Henney or the racist beating of Asian kids. Pissy irony doesn't make for a powerful attack on racism.

I like pissy irony, but you're right: where do you go from there? After awhile, the same facetious and sardonic tone just get annoying if that's all you've got to offer.
Larry said…
I think you'll find that people simply do not like ideas that will force them out of their comfort zone - when you ask people to think too much, they generally turn on you even if it means they are "damning" themselves. But that's a by-product of thinkng outside the box and challenging the current of popular or common thinking - the lot of the outsider is lonely!"

Yes. This has a lot to do with the nature of American society today, where political apathy is promoted through a "Bread and Circuses, Don't Worry Be Happy" culture.

Becoming conscious is a difficult and often emotionally trying process.

But that's what it means to "wake up from the Matrix."

But for many people today, ignorance indeed is bliss.
Anonymous said…
Hey James,

I've bought a copy of your book off Amazon. I hope that little bit helps those kids in Philly although, they probably need a lot more than that.

The book will be arriving in late January or early February, and when I've read it I'll write a review of it for you.

But at the moment I've had a thought that although books like these might be a little harder to market to an adult market, they might actually be PERFECT for teenagers and other youths facing growing pains.

A book like this could help and guide them a lot, open their minds to a bigger picture. I would say that it could even be a key, defining moment for them.

-RS
J said…
Hey thanks RS! I think every little bit helps, especially when we're all pitching in.

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