In my upcoming book, “Beyond the Bamboo Curtain” I explain why, of all minorities, Asians feel that the U.S. has made a great deal or a fair amount of progress in ensuring racial equality in the last 60 years since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous speech on August 28, 1963. According to an April 2023 Pew Research poll, 58% of whites agreed with that sentiment while Asians were the next highest at 47%, Hispanics at 45%, and Blacks were lowest at 30%.
In my book, I explain why Asian Americans have achieved a great deal of racial equality since King’s speech because they have been granted “Yellow Privilege” which is almost as good as “White Privilege”. Just two of the privileges that Asians enjoy include a median household income and educational attainment that exceeds all groups, including Whites. On the other hand, this diverse group has the largest wealth gap and is least likely to be promoted, despite having the highest level of education.
In addition, I explore the current challenges of being Asian in America including:
Why Asians were the preferred alternative to Blacks in the 1960s
How the concept of Yellow Privilege developed and was promoted
Specific instances in which Asians have been given more racial equality than Blacks
Ways in which Yellow Privilege is used to drive a wedge between minorities in the U.S.
Why Asians are least likely to be shot by the police
How Yellow Privilege has caused anti-Asian violence to be at a historic level
Reasons why some people want to hurt Asian Americans
