succinct, beautiful.

Dan – I think a very simple place to start is by recognizing that *every person* has a cultural perspective – that includes Asian American and white people, along with everyone else.

Much of James 4 centers around humility and understanding. In this particular conversation, if you’re willing to listen to the stories of others, you might hear that many Asian Americans grew up hearing messages (even from the church) such as: you don’t belong, your ethnicity means nothing, why can’t you just try and fit in, etc. I think empathy and understanding can begin if you can grasp how hurtful that is — and recognize that many Asian Americans cannot “return” to an Asian culture that was never fully theirs either.

So, when Scripture tells us that we are all made in the image of God (including our ethnic backgrounds), perhaps you can see how redemptive that is.

I think I hear what you’re saying above: “I was raised to love everyone. I was raised to get to know people” — This is a wonderful perspective. However, this does not mean that you should ignore or obliterate a person’s ethnic background. While it’s not *everything*, neither is our ethnic heritage *nothing* — inevitably, our culture shapes who we are and is vital to understanding people, if you really want to get to know them.

I’m not saying that this is what you mean, but I grew up among mostly white friends who, with good intentions, would say things like, “I don’t even think of you as being Korean.” While they meant it as a compliment, it’s actually quite insulting (for all the reasons listed above).