Dr. Harvey Hayashi Summary

Anuka’s decision to “act even better” when faced with Asians who act in ways that differ from what America finds socially acceptable is related to Dr. Hayashi’s reaction to Chinese and Japanese immigrants who do not conform to American culture. In “Dr. Harvey Hayashi Admonition to Japanese Immigrants, 1893,” the man expresses his opinion that white Americans despise Asians because Asians do not follow white American behavioral standards. The doctor reasons that to become accepted in American society and prevent the U.S. from enacting a ban on Japanese immigration, all Japanese immigrants to the U.S. should conduct themselves like Americans. Hayashi states, “I believe that if Japanese immigrants would be respected if they maintain good hygiene, decent clothing and etiquette compatible with those in this country” (Harvey Hayashi, 100). This quote demonstrates Dr. Hayashi’s belief that through

During the interview, she says that despite her efforts to assimilate, her classmates “didn’t kind of expect me to be really smart or really good at my grades, and I was” (Zandanshatar, 2017). This relates to the experiences of Asian Americans who mistakenly believe that conforming to white American ideals will grant them the same rights and treatment as white Americans. In her article “The Emergence of Yellow Power in America,” Amy Uyematsu asserts, “Fully committed to a system that subordinates them on the basis of non-whiteness, Asian Americans still try to gain complete acceptance by denying their yellowness” (Amy Uyematsu, 9). This quote shows that assimilating does not protect Asians and Asian Americans from racism. In this way, Anuka’s experience and the experiences of many Asian Americans display the fact that assimilation fails to provide people of Asian ancestry with respect from white American