Angry Asian Buddhist’s Standing Up
The Angry Asian Buddhist has yet another important post to check out entitled “Will the Real American Buddhists Please Stand Up?”
The exclusion of Asians from “American” is an abhorrent trope in American society. When it comes to American Buddhism, this is one piece of American cultural baggage that’s better off checked at the door. Please don’t exclude us from our own community.
It reminded me of a post that a local journalist, Tamy Emma Pepin wrote recently speaking to the exclusion of the leader of the Green Party from being able to participate in the leader’s debate for the 2011 Canadian Elections and how she really should just do host her own event would in all likelihood be much more interesting than the debate she’s not able to participate in. It also reminded me of the Riot Grrrl movement and how girls, tired of being punched, groped and generally not welcome at punk rock shows decided to band together and create their own scene which was infinitely more vibrant and life-changing than anything that Soundgarden ever released.
I do think that our white-centric, male-dominated society silences many and doesn’t represent the “original face of Buddhism” but now more than ever there is a greater ability to find communities, self-publish, join together and make things happen. I’m not calling out Arun (aka the Angry Asian Buddhist) but I’m wondering if a conference, magazine or book can come out of a group mobilizing together to share the experience of being an Angry Asian Buddhist in America. I’d like to see that.
Buddhism in the West is generally a white male middle-class hobby. Although in Vajrayana circles there seem to be a lot of middle-aged, middle-class “church” ladies. The socio-economic reasons for all this is pretty clear, however that doesn’t meant that it should go unchallenged, if anything now is the time to challenge it.