Special ThanksThis 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 encouragementOakpointe 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!

REACHING & PRAYING FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF ASIAN AMERICANS (METRO DETROIT AREA) Sponsored by Ohana Ministry (facilitated by Margaret Yu) at Oakpointe Church

W e l c o m e

(AA)IVCCF

EPIC/Campus Crusade

For Christ

Support in spirit:

•Ann Arbor CCC;

•Hmong Alliance ChurchSponsored by OHANA, a Christian Ministry for Asian

Americans

Thank 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.

Our 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 AA’s in the Metro Detroit area?

What is needed to reach and empower AA’s? (What is required of me? And our church structure?)

What are my next steps.

Who 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 Steer’s great

summary of AA’s.)

Why 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

Watershed events for APAs

Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 National Origin’s 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

5 Catagories of Asian American ID (based on Kitano/Daniels’s 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

Challenges 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.

Stories

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 race…I 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.

Our DNA as Asian Americans

5 things that shape us: (it takes 9 generations before original ethnic values are lost in a people group.) (Paul Tokunaga’s 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.)

I. 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 AA’s 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?)

Cultural Images

Asian

“The nail that sticks out gets hammered.”

Cultural Images

Western (Mainstream)

“You have to learn to toot your own horn.”

What are our challenges in ministering to AA’s 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.

How our AA ID can affect our faith?a) 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 don’t 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 ‘A’s ! We are to seek to learn. We must follow God as King. (Matt 6:33)

How 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.

How 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.

How 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 12:1-2

Positively, the church is our new family. So, we are used to serving our families!

How our AA ID can affect our faith?e) Liminality: We don’t 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 can’t others understand my AA journey?

Positively, liminal people can understand 2 worlds; thus, it can make us great leaders for God in various cultures.

What is needed to reach and empower AA’s? (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 2:9-10: (Royal Priesthood; Holy Nation; People who belong; A Purpose for life!)

** How JC asked questions? Power Discussion.

How 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 today’s discussions.

Jot this down and pray for one another and for yourself as a leader in this endeavor to reach AA’s.

Prayer 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 LeadHelen Lee and others: Building Healthy

Asian American Churches.

Additional 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

Additional 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) [Paperback]by 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)