In this blog I will discuss, scenes within Chinese Girl in the Ghetto that highlight the main character's struggle in maintaining her racial integrity. The passage on page 107, describes the interaction between Chinese kids in her class amongst the other races and their choice of having pride in their heritage. She questions why they don't stand together to defend their culture's integrity within the classroom. This conflict spreads beyond the school and classes because it leaves a lasting impact on the communication when these cultures continue to collide in the years to come. "Physically, we were usually no match for those who discriminated against us. Culturally, we were predisposed to be less confrontational than our non-Asian peers." (Ma 107) The racial project that her people are inferior in the aspects of fighting is proven to be embedded within her mind. Entering into such conflicts with that mindset causes Ma & her fellow Asian classmates to stand down and continue to accept the ridicule from their peers. Although they know they could potentially stand up for each other in times of need, when the situation occurs, they all respond with the common answer of ""I'm sorry I could not defend you, but I don't know you and I was not going to risk my own safety for you.""(Ma 107) Even though she participates in this act herself, Ying hates her people's choice, she believes it brings them shame.
On the other hand, on page 111, the passage shows a fight between Ying and a Hispanic girl who confronts her. Aside from the usual American disrespectful jargon used within an argument, the girl spews racial slurs at Ying and that becomes the breaking point. After receiving the shouting from her counterpart, the punch given by Maria was finally the last straw in Ying's internal struggle of disproving a racial project. The idea that Asians don't retaliate to physical abuse from their classmates was broken in this situation. Unknown to Maria, the Hispanic girl in the fight, Ma wasn't your typical Asian student that accepted being bullied. Coming from constant fights with her older brother, Ying was more than prepared for this moment.
From both of these instances, we see the main character's pride of her ethnicity shift amongst these moments. After seeing her people continue to be placed low in her school's social ladder, a spark is lighted within Ying that allows her to break the norm and defend herself.
