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Title: Raising a Flag, and a Divisive Issue
Source:
The Los Angeles Times
URL Source: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/l ... 1.story?coll=la-home-headlines
Published: Apr 23, 2005
Author: David Pierson, Times Staff Writer
Post Date: 2005-04-23 14:47:25 by robin
Keywords: Divisive, Raising, Flag,
Views: 215
Comments: 7
The first time they tried to raise the Chinese flag in Los Angeles' Chinatown two decades ago, a mob of anti-communists tore it down and burned it. On Sunday, a group of Chinese Americans will try again. And this time, they say the red banner with its signature five yellow stars is here to stay. If they are right, it would mark a significant shift in Southern California's Chinese American community, which has traditionally viewed the flag as a symbol of the Communist government's repression that many older residents fled. The region has the largest Taiwanese community outside of Asia. Taiwan broke away from China after the 1949 Communist revolution and it is on the island where anti-Beijing sentiments are perhaps strongest. Chinese flags have flown in New York and San Francisco Chinatowns for years, but Los Angeles remains a conspicuous holdout. But perceptions are changing. China's booming economy is one big reason, as many local businesses now have financial ties to the mainland. The flag-raising is supported by a group with younger Chinese Americans who see it as a way of stirring national pride. "This Chinatown is old," said Peter Lau, president of the China Unity Assn. of Greater Los Angeles, which is organizing the Sunday flag-raising. "Things are already changing here. I want the change." The heart and soul of Chinatown's traditional community has long been dictated by the 116-year-old Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Assn. and the 26 family associations that fall under it. Its members not only include those who fled the communists, but aging veterans who fought the Red Army. A Taiwanese flag flutters above the organization's headquarters on Broadway. "It's not time yet to raise the Chinese flag," said Edwin Mah, the 56-year-old president of the benevolent association. "The hatred is still in the heart of these old-timers…. They still cannot accept communism." Mah and others believe this is a particularly bad moment to raise the Chinese flag because of the renewed tensions between Taiwan and the mainland over the anti-secession law, which provides a legal framework for Beijing to use military force if Taiwan explores formal independence. The law prompted massive protests in Taiwan over the last few weeks. "Wait another 10 years or so," added David Ma, a former president of the association. "We still have the older generation here. When they pass away, it will be time." San Francisco's Chinatown saw similar divisions last year. Taiwanese American members of the Chinese Six Companies — the influential neighborhood association similar to the L.A. benevolent association — challenged an incoming president in court when he refused to be sworn in before the Taiwanese flag and staged his own inauguration with Chinese flags. A judge ruled against the critics, but a lasting rift had formed over which country to pledge allegiance to. So far, it appears there is little organized opposition to the flag-raising in Los Angeles' Chinatown. Instead, critics have responded with indifference, saying they will not attend the ceremony. But the effort has won the support of 85-year-old businessman David Lee, a fifth-generation Chinese American whose family opened the famed General Lee's restaurant in 1860. Lee tried to raise the Chinese flag briefly in 1984 in Chinatown Plaza, but it was quickly torn down. Now, Lee is offering his green office building on Bamboo Lane for Lau to display the banner. A self-proclaimed antagonist of "Taiwanese die-hards," Lee said he believes raising the Chinese flag will help unify a community that he believes is too ethnically divided. "In my community, they do not accept me as one of them because I'm American born," said Lee, sporting a black Johnny Walker whiskey baseball cap. To Lee and others, the growing ties between the mainland and the Los Angeles area are hard to ignore because of soaring business opportunities. China is Southern California's premier trading partner, accounting for $85.6 billion in two-way trade. That's double the amount in 2000 and almost twice as much as the second-largest trading partner, Japan. By comparison, Taiwan accounted for $14.8 billion in two-way trade last year, enough for fourth place, according to the L.A. County Economic Development Corp. China Unity Assn. of Greater Los Angeles, the organizer of the flag-raising, is dedicated to improving relations between China and Taiwan. Its goal is eventual reunification of Taiwan with the mainland government. Lau, the group's 49-year-old leader, is a native of China's southern province of Guangdong. He is a Chinese-language advertising director who served as president of the old-line Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Assn. in 2003 and 2004. Lau said he tried to bring the old-line association closer to China. He led a "breaking the ice trip" with 38 association members last year to 10 Chinese cities in a month, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. "We are all Chinese," Lau said through an interpreter. "We should care about our homeland. The mainland will only get stronger." Lau has won strong support in his quest from the Chinese government. Sunday's event will be attended by the Chinese deputy consul general. "I think the flag-raising in Chinatown symbolizes the support for China, not only in Chinatown, but across a wider range of the Chinese community," said Xiaomei Zhou, a spokeswoman for the Chinese Consulate. "It's not our goal to have flags everywhere. But we're very happy to see the first permanent flag there. And we're very confident there will be more in the future." Backers of Taiwan, however, see the flag-raising as the triumph of money over political principles and doubt it will have much meaningful resonance. "People in the U.S. are interested in human rights and democracy," said Matthew Chou, deputy director general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office. "You won't find that in China. In Taiwan, they have the same values as here."
Peter Lau, president of the China Unity Assn. of Greater Los Angeles, says that it's appropriate to raise China's flag, given the country's surging economy and its many ties with Chinatown businesses. Others are not so sure.
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#1. To: robin, christine, Bayonne (#0)
Asians, like virtually ALL 3rd Worlders, are big government types who support gun confiscation etc. They also ALL stick together AGAINST Whites. I have seen Japanese and Vietnamese and Chinese work together to assault the White people who get in their way.
Vietnamese gangs were a real problem in Southern California for many years. I haven't heard much lately. Asians generally only do business with other asians. They barter like Mormons. Very clannish. They help each other too, to get ahead together as a community. Adult children, living at home, hand over their entire paychecks to their father, so I've heard. The ONLY race that doesn't stick together or have a sense of community is the White race. For that they will go extinct as their enemies so hope.
Whites, are 7% of the planet, there is no way, with their homelands being inundated with people of color, that the Whites can absorb 93% genetically. See also his commentary here for more on media.
I don't think it is working all that well.
Well I often see teen White girls with Latinos and blacks and even Asians.
I hunted around google and found this info: The chart below is from here.
Interracial Married Couples: 1960–1995 That is the keyword, almost without exception, the blacks and others do not marry the White woman or teen girl but they breed with her then move on to the next meal ticket. So they all have their EBTs and FoodStamp cards and all the rest of the welfare and we pay for this. Just like we pay for Israel.
There was a case a few years ago in the State of Washington, where a White young man was held with his arms behind his back by one Vietnamese brother while the other brother stabbed him to death. The entire Asian community came to their legal defense and demanded the FBI investigate the DEAD MAN for federal civil rights violation, he apparently called them names. The 2 brothers SHOP-LIFTED the steak knives from a store after the verbal exchange then came and stabbed him to death in front of witnesses the bloody knife was found on one of the brothers. They got off. The FBI was looking at some Whites who had been standing around to see if they engaged in name-calling, also in that same community the Police Chief warned a White HOMEOWNER for having a Flag in his window, I forget if it was Confederate or a Swastika. The ONLY race that doesn't stick together or have a sense of community is the White race. For that they will go extinct as their enemies so hope.
#2. To: 1776 (#1)
There was a case a few years ago in the State of Washington, where a White young man was held with his arms behind his back by one Vietnamese brother while the other brother stabbed him to death. The entire Asian community came to their legal defense and demanded the FBI investigate the DEAD MAN for federal civil rights violation, he apparently called them names. The 2 brothers SHOP-LIFTED the steak knives from a store after the verbal exchange then came and stabbed him to death in front of witnesses the bloody knife was found on one of the brothers. They got off. The FBI was looking at some Whites who had been standing around to see if they engaged in name-calling, ...
You have a point. I would prefer to argue that Western Civilization or Christendom or the American Culture will go extinct, rather than that the White (or the once popular Anglo-Saxon) race will go extinct.
#3. To: robin (#2)
I would prefer to argue that Western Civilization or Christendom or the American Culture will go extinct, rather than that the White (or the once popular Anglo-Saxon) race will go extinct.
The MSM pushes, relentlessly, on young White girls, that it is "cool" to interracial date. See Pierce's excellent commentary on that here
#4. To: 1776 (#3)
The MSM pushes, relentlessly, on young White girls, that it is "cool" to interracial date.
Besides, the interracial couples I've mostly seen and continue to see are White men with non-White wives, especially in the military.
#5. To: robin (#4)
Perhaps our experiences are different. I have not ever, personally, seen a White guy with a black woman, I know it happens just like I know there are honest mechanics but not very common. The opposite is very common.
#6. To: 1776 (#5)
"In 73 percent of black-white couples, the husband was black. … Just over 75 percent of white-Asian couples featured a white husband and Asian wife."
The above is from a VDare.com article. Interracial Married Couples: 1960–1995
(Includes all interracial married couples with at least one spouse of white or black race.)
Interracial married couples Black/white Year Total
married couplesTotal Total Black husband,
white wifeWhite husband,
black wifeWhite/
other race*Black/
other race*1960 40,491,000 149,000 51,000 25,000 26,000 90,000 7,000 1970 44,598,000 310,000 65,000 41,000 24,000 233,000 12,000 1980 49,514,000 953,000 121,000 94,000 27,000 785,000 47,000 1990 51,718,000 1,461,000 213,000 159,000 54,000 1,173,000 75,000 1995 54,937,000 1,392,000 328,000 206,000 122,000 988,000 76,000
#7. To: robin (#6)
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