Title: Reaching
1- Special Thanks
- This historic meeting was sponsored and organized
by OHANA. OHANA is a Christian ministry
outreaching to Asian Americans in metro Detroit
(http//www.ohanaministry.org) - We would like to express our deepest thanks to
- Our speaker Margaret Yu for being flexible and
taking time to speak to us. - Our attendees/Leaders from Chinese Bible Church,
Chinese Alliance Church, Chinese Gospel Church
and Oakland Chinese Church and IVCCF (MSU) for
their contributions or open sharing with
encouragement - Oakpointe Church of Novi, Michigan for providing
a wonderful gathering place with great facility
and support. - Most importantly, God, for gathering us together
to be part of a great movement joining hands
together in reaching out to Asian Americans!
2Reaching Praying for the next generation of
Asian Americans (Metro Detroit Area)
- Sponsored by Ohana Ministry (facilitated by
Margaret Yu) at Oakpointe Church
3W e l c o m e
- Support in spirit
- Ann Arbor CCC
- Hmong Alliance Church
Sponsored by OHANA, a Christian Ministry for
Asian Americans
4Thank you for your heart for Asian Americans!
- Ministry to hidden people group not much out
there. - Ministry that is challenging due to navigating
diversity of generational and language barriers. - Sometimes thankless job. Yet, you are faithful!
- I am a product of Sunday School ministry at CBC
and a product of parachurch ministry. - What you do matters to God! He sees! He knows. I
thank God for you.
5Our Discussion and Prayer together
- Who are the Asian Americans? Who are the ones
that I am called to reach in my setting? - What are our challenges in ministering to AAs in
the Metro Detroit area? - What is needed to reach and empower AAs? (What
is required of me? And our church structure?) - What are my next steps.
6Who are Asian Pacific Americans?
- Traditionally four (4) groups
- Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Korean
- Southeast Asians
- Vietnamese, Cambodian, Hmong, Laotian
- Asian Indians
- Other APA populations
- Thai, American Samoan, other Pacific Islanders
- Mixed race the hapas
- (Included in your notes Tom Steers great summary
of AAs.)
7Why did they come to the U.S.?
- Five different strands
- Low cost labor
- Economic / labor opportunity
- Colonization / changes in immigration policy
- Refugees from wars and other homeland traumas
- Educational opportunities
8Watershed events for APAs
- Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882
- National Origins Act of 1924
- Tydings-McDuffie Act of 1934
- Japanese Interment, 1942
- McCarran-Walter Act of 1952
- Fall of Saigon, 1975
- Vincent Chin case, 1982
- Los Angeles uprising, 1992
95 Catagories of Asian American ID (based on
Kitano/Danielss descriptive model)
- A assimilated into dominate culture (usually
Euro American culture) - B bicultural values are adopted and chosen (can
belong and feel comfortable in 2 cultures
dominant and Asian American) - C connected to culture of ancestors.
- D does not want to belong to Asian or Euro or
dominant culture. Feels hostile in both cultures.
(disenfranchized) - E or H Hapas made up of mix races or Bi Racial
or multi-racial
10Challenges of navigating our AA ID
- Western and Eastern Values are at times total
opposites. - Survival of Shame Based Cultures become a very
lonely, saving face process. - Often times froth with lots of pressures within
and beyond. - Integrating this with Racism makes this an
insurmountable task. - Without God, it has no core as AA ID changes and
shifts according to community influence.
11Stories
- In Aug 09, 3 Asian Americans committed suicide on
one campus yet, not ever talked about. (Shame
news?) - The growing trend of AA women having double eye
lid operations to look more western or American?
Or other body parts. - One Vietnamese student I consider myself as a
Caucasian because all of my friends were that we
grew up with all kinds of different values
ranging from food to dating habits. I never ID
myself as an Asian,nor did I know what being an
Asian really stood for. Throughout my life time,
I was influenced by my White friends, and
believed in the same negative stereotypes about
Asians being skinny,short, ugly, and old
fashioned. I developped a negative feeligna bout
my own raceI dreamed of getting breast implants,
nose surgery, and taking medicine to make my skin
lighter in order to fit more in with my white
friends. (from a student paper.) - Recent Violence Dec 2009 South Philly High
School 30 AA students beaten by African American
students but Admin did not inititally hear or
care for the AA students. Thus, they staged a sit
in or protest and got some actions then.
12Our DNA as Asian Americans
- 5 things that shape us (it takes 9 generations
before original ethnic values are lost in a
people group.) (Paul Tokunagas Invitation to
Lead) - Confucianism Filial Piety 3 obediences for
women father/son prominence 5 virtues of
Kindness, Uprightness, Decorum, Wisdom and
faithfulness A healthy society comes from a
healthy family. (Thus, order in family gives
order in community.) This order brings lots of
DUTY.Confucius was a philosopher/educator.
Education is key to wisdom. - Shame not just guilt Saving face Family
secrets we represent our families race. - Suffering/Fatalism in our home lands or in
America (It causes Fatalism It can not be
helped! We endure hardship and swallow the pain.
Han Gaman Hen.) Shi kata Ga Nai. - Our Families and its allegiance to our families.
- Liminality A foot in one world and a foot in
another world. (More than 2 sides to place our
foot in and feel at home with it differs at
various times.leanings and acceptances varies.) - (we often feel like the other we may act or
behave very western or americanized yet, our
values are also still very much the other foot!
We are very complex people.)
13I. Who are they in your setting?
- (Take 10 minutes to discuss this with each
other.) - Discuss who you are trying to reach? What are
they like? If you can try to describe a profile
of a couple of these AAs that you are seeking
tor reach? - (Age, Language, Generation, Values, Worldviews,
Church views, What concerns them the most? Who
are their friends?) - What are these folks like? (We have Epic Eddies
and Epic Esthers in our ministry?)
14Cultural Images
The nail that sticks out gets hammered.
15Cultural Images
You have to learn to toot your own horn.
16What are our challenges in ministering to AAs in
Metro Detroit?
- Brainstorm some of your thoughts? (Big group)
- Share the burden and pray for the kingdom of God
here! - (Discussion for 5 minutes) In small groups,
list your top 2 challenges with each other. Keep
in mind as you pray for one another.
17How our AA ID can affect our faith?
- Confucianism is so ingrained in us. We can follow
family instead of God. Where gender roles are
defined by this ancient philosopher or our
parents roles in our families. Women do not have
a voice and thus, we think we dont have a voice
when God gives all a voice so he can hear them.
We respect those in Authority. - Our relationship becomes more of an
obligation and DUTY. We experience felt pressures
in our walks with God. -
- Education can be our God and we want to
please our parents. But we must do all things to
honor God and do our best. Not all As ! We are
to seek to learn. We must follow God as King.
(Matt 633)
18How our AA ID can affect our faith?
- b) Shame based we do not trust that God has
finished the work of making us Right or that we
are justified. (Romans 5 1-5) We are forgiven.
But that we now have a relationship of Love and
grace with him. We find it hard to forgive
ourselves. We sometimes hide from God when we
blow it instead of knowing it is all paid for by
God. Or we hide from others and not live in
authentic community. We become very LONELY! The
positive of this is that we are responsible and
hold ourselves highly accountable to our actions
and how it impacts the community.
19How our AA ID can affect our faith?
- c) Suffering/Fatalism We are passive in allowing
things to happen instead of trusting God when he
asks us to step up and step out to trust him and
stand up for justice or for Him. - We begin to sound like the victim Well, it is
because I did not have the best set of
circumstances. I will never change. I can never
change. Just let it be instead of taking God
actions when he calls us to.Positively, we know
how to wait on God and can be long suffering in
our relationships.
20How our AA ID affect our faith?
- d) Our families we follow our families. We
people please to do whatever they want instead of
following Jesus wholeheartedly. We seek idols
with them! God is a jealous God who deserves our
all. Romans 121-2 - Positively, the church is our new family. So, we
are used to serving our families!
21How our AA ID can affect our faith?
- e) Liminality We dont ever feel like we belong.
So, we get used to NOT making commitments any
where. We like sitting on the fence instead of
trusting God with our lives even if we are not
sure! We get timid. - We want to be understood more than loving.
Wanting this can also lead to an idol. Why cant
others understand my AA journey? - Positively, liminal people can understand 2
worlds thus, it can make us great leaders for
God in various cultures.
22What is needed to reach and empower AAs? (What
is required of me? And our church structure?)
- Reaching them means that I must know my context!
- (Who are they? Really know them and their
stories.) - I must grow in self awareness of my own cultural
identity and seek to minister to their specific
needs. - Key Words Authenticity in real life Wisdom for
life Service and Volunteerism Social Network
Stories Power Dynamics Liturgy that matters!
Structures that empower next.leaders - I Peter 29-10 (Royal Priesthood Holy Nation
People who belong A Purpose for life!) - How JC asked questions? Power Discussion.
-
23How can we support each other in this endeavor?
- In your groups, share with each other what this
AA ministry is requiring of you as a leader?
(Character wise.) - Also, share your one or 2 next steps in light of
todays discussions. - Jot this down and pray for one another and for
yourself as a leader in this endeavor to reach
AAs.
24Prayer time together!
- May God bless you and keep you in this endeavor!
- Resources for Evangelism IWA.org (AA
evangelistic tools) - Resources for AA ministry
- Paul Tokunaga Invitation to Lead
- Helen Lee and others Building Healthy Asian
American Churches.
25Additional Resources for AA
- Pursuing the Pearl, by Ken Fong
- Growing Healthy Asian American Churches by Peter
Cha and Others. - More than serving Tea, by Nikki Toyama and others
- Out of Silence Emerging Themes in Asian American
Churches by Fumitaka Matsuoka - Asian American Youth Ministry (Published by
L2Foundation) Look under DJ Chuang. - Conversations Asian American Evangelical
Theologies in Formation (Published by
L2Foundation) look under DJ Chuang - Faithful Generations Race and New Asian American
Churches by Russell Jeung - True Story A Christianity Worth Believing in by
James Choung - DJChuang.com and L2Foundation.org
26Additional Resources for AA (non-Christian)
- (Non Christian Resources that could help you
understand the mindset of AA's) - Balancing Two Worlds Asian American College
Students Tell Their Life Stories by Andrew Garrod
and others. Very honest from college students
who are not Christians. (Not for children to
read) But helpful to understand some of the
psyche's of AA's. - A Postmodern Psychology of Asian Americans
Creating Knowledge of a Racial Minority
(Alternatives in Psychology) Paperbackby Laura
Uba (Great resource to understand this generation
of folks) - Asian Americans Personality Patterns, Identity,
and Mental Health Paperback by Laura Uba PhD
(An older resource that helps to understand some
of the mindset of AA's)