[Letter to The Forum, Straits Times, November 14, 1997]

Dear Sirs,

We refer to Mr. Felix Soh's article "Where beggars have a taste for
Starbucks coffee" (ST, November 7, 1997) and to Ms. Wynthia Goh's
response "Wages not enough for rent" (ST, November 13, 1997).

Mr. Soh seemed to attribute the homeless situation in America almost
entirely to the alleged deterioration of "traditional values" there.  Without a
doubt, this analysis is overly-simplistic, and we cannot agree more with
Ms. Goh's rebuttal.  We wish, however, to add a few remarks.

Mr. Soh sought to illustrate his arguments by pointing to the relative
success of Asian-Americans as compared with other communities in the
United States.  In this regard, he recalled that he did not spot any Asian
beggars in San Francisco, despite that city's large number of
Asian-Americans.  His explanation for this:  Asian values.  

Perhaps Mr. Soh has a point, but we seriously doubt his conclusion.  Like
his explanation of the homeless situation in America, his treatment of the
success of Asian-Americans lacks depth.  

We do not profess to have the answer why Asian-Americans seem to
be generally better-off than their fellow citizens.  While we agree with
Mr. Soh that "emphasis on a good, solid education and importance of the
family unit" are contributing elements, these values are not uniquely
Asian.  Further, one must also consider other factors, particularly the
unique situation immigrants usually find themselves in.  The boundless
opportunities offered by an enormous country (which the United States
is) can and often will spur one to achieve miracles.  Freed from the
cultural, emotional and political shackles of their homeland, immigrants are
often more adventurous and are quick to seize these opportunities.  

More fundamentally, there is also increasing criticism of attempts to study
"Asian-Americans" as a group, for, as Mr. Soh noted, the label describes
a diverse community which includes ethnic Chinese, Indians, Koreans
and Japanese.  While these cultures are denominated by some common
traits, there are enough differences between them to prohibit a simple,
common explanation for their performances in American society.

As with any stereotyping and generalisation, the media's tendency to
portray foreign Asian communities as classic success stories overlooks
some underlying problems.  For example, in many Western cities,
countless unseen labourers are exploited in Chinatown sweatshops for
little more than  minimum wage, or less, and in many cases by their own
Asian siblings.  On academic performance, the common perception that
Asian children are super achievers not only puts unnecessary pressure
on them, it also alienates and condemns those Asian children who have
genuine learning disabilities.  Finally, let us not forget the problems many
cities face with Asian crime, where triads and gangs beseige their own
communities and others.  Therefore, to suggest that Asian values is a
ticket to success is not only misleading, but dangerous.

We applaud and share Mr. Soh's pride in our Asian heritage, but the kind
of cultural superiority complex displayed in his arguments is disturbing. 
Sadly, this attitude is typical of many Singaporeans.  Flushed with
economic prosperity, many of us fail to appreciate that the world does
not revolve around our country. Despite being only a tiny speck on a
checkered globe, we are quick to pass judgment on the societal and
economic problems of other nations, particularly Western ones.   We
compare and explain away their woes by referencing them to our own
system, experiences and "Asian values", when there is no basis for
such comparison to begin with.  In fact, does Mr. Soh not realise that in
expounding his views on the desirability of "Asian values", he is guilty of
the very same intellectual and cultural snobbery for which he criticises
Western journalists?  

We conclude where Mr. Soh began:  with an observation regarding his
encounter in San Francisco with a panhandler and the latter's plea for a
cup of Starbucks coffee.  Mr. Soh saw that as a manifestation of the
decay of American society, where beggars unashamedly demand
support from fellow citizens and "people refuse to lift a finger to help
themselves".  It seems to us that he has completely missed the point
here.  The beggar's placard and message were obviously meant to be
taken as a joke, and what a great joke it is!  Unlike Mr. Soh, we see in this
episode the strength and ingenuity of the American spirit.  After all, that
homeless person could very well have simply wallowed in his sorrow
and awaited his unenviable fate on the streets.  Instead, he relied on his
wits, literally, and utilised what could possibly be his only valuable asset:
 his sense of humour.  If we had encountered this incident, we would
have had a good laugh at that beggar's placard and rewarded him
accordingly.  Perhaps Mr. Soh was too clouded by his opinions to have
done the same.


Ho Seng Chee and Audrey Ho
Washington, DC,
USA