USA Today has an interesting, if maybe inadvertently stereotypical article, about the infallibility of Asian Americans and Asian immigrants in this economy. It is an article that oscillates between fascinating statistics and under reported conclusions turned generalizations. There's even a reference to a dry cleaner!
According to the article, the good news is that Asian Americans and Asian immigrants have a lower reported unemployment rate (7.5 percent) than the national average (10.2 percent). More specifically, the unemployment gap among Asians is "far lower than the rates for whites, blacks, Hispanics or the national as a whole." Of course, the strong showing among Asians in our disillusioned, disgruntled American workforce is attributed to cultural factors like "education benchmarks and cultural traditions that foster family support when someone is out of work." Cue image here of the overworked geek of indeterminate Asian origin, rising above the rest of American society .
For instance, although I can accept the statistical evidence that Asians, as a lumped together whole, appear "more educated" than other racial groups, the article merely glosses over the socio-economic disparities within the Asian American community. Although a Biblical-length epic can be written about the challenges within the Asian American community, reducing the struggles of low-income Asians to the idea that they "aren't well-educated and don’t speak English well" is rather simplistic.
Furthermore, the article cites Asian American familial ties, family businesses, and an aversion to risk as shields against unemployment. According to the article, it is possible that Asian Americans are both cautious and eager participants in the guaranteed financial doom that is running a business. Overall, I wished the piece had focused on the revived entrepreneurial spirit in this recession rather than reminding readers that Asian family ties are tighter than hipster pants.
Finally, I was a bit amused by the article’s final argument: that quite simply, unemployment is not accepted in the Asian American community. I question whether, in this apocalyptic economy, any one race endorses unemployment. Does race even factor into a desire to make a living? During my short stint clawing my way out of the jobless black hole, I remember the things that drove me to churn out cover letters. My anguished bank account. My colossal college debt. My desire to do something other than watch the Meredith Vieira version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Race was the last thing to cross my mind.
If anything, a 7.5 percent unemployment rate is not cause enough to break out the Remy Martin and celebrate. The number is still well above the mythical Clinton-era unemployment rates and shows that the economy is affecting us all -- regardless of race.
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This Saturday I was lucky enough to check out the first half of the Inaugural day-long Page Turner Asian American Literary Fest, presented by the nonprofit literary arts organization Asian American Writers' Workshop. 
"One-Way or Round Trip? Immigrant Arrival and Return" focused on the intersection between personal migration stories, diasporic identity, and immigration policy. Kavitha Rajagopalan read from Muslims of Metropolis, which takes an intimate look at three families' immigration experiences, while Mae Ngai (Impossible Subjects) tied unauthorized entry to macro factors such as the US' broken immigration system and the policy reforms needed to address immigration in a humane and practical way.
Mr. Hyphen 2009 contestant Pahole Sookkasikon will represent the Thai-American Scholarship Fund, a foundation created to assist students of Thai heritage in relieving the costs of a college education, and to encourage their participation in programs that instill appreciation and knowledge of Thai culture. The fund was started due to the limited number of scholarships available specifically for American-born Thais.