The following was presented at a General Conference worship during what was billed as the Asian Pacific week. We seize every opportunity to publish thoughtful materials that recognize and celebrate our diversity as a global family. —Editors.

QUICK SURVEY AMONG NON-ASIANS reveals what people think of Asians. They think—

• We all know karate and have mind powers.
• We’re all short.*
• We’re supposed to be hardworking, gentle and quiet, submissive.
• We all like rice and noodles.
• And we women are supposed to massage our husbands’ feet—that’s what my (non-Asian) husband said!

Now, some fun things about being Asian in a Western world.

• I can call a guy a pig and smile, and he’ll think I’m complimenting him.
• I can slap someone really hard on the back and say, “You know, in my country that’s a form of respect,” and they’ll believe me.
• This is my favorite part: I once saw a police officer behind me in the rearview mirror, and I was speeding. And I said, “If he pulls me over, I’m going to pretend I don’t speak English!” I thought it was a really good plan. Problem was that he’d ask for my driver’s license and would notice some dumb name like Viola Ruth. Now, who has a name like that and can’t speak English?

And do you know what I went through in my country with that name—you know, with people trying to pronounce the V and the R? I used to tell my dad, “You really should have given me a Chinese name.” And he would repeatedly remind me that I should be thankful I didn’t have my youngest sister’s name (Winniefred Theresa), which he thought was harder to pronounce. Eventually we got used to the teasing and the butchering of our names.

Now, let’s look at what Asians have contributed to the world as a whole:

• Paper, silk, gunpowder
• Tons of medicines and herbs that can heal anything
• A philosophy of hard work
• Acupuncture
• Meditation
• And superheroes like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan

(Not fortune cookies—that actually originated in the U.S.)

The Initial Shock
Now, what is it like for me as an Asian, living in a Western world? In 1988 I embarked upon a scary journey of seeking education in the “land of milk and honey.” Everyone back home was telling me, “You really need to get married and have kids.” That’s my role in life. My uncle used to tell me, “You need to settle down. You’re going to miss the last bus.” And I would respond and say, “Well, I’m catching the plane.”

“Why seek higher education? What are you going to do with your degree?”

Well, I left my country anyway.

I enjoy the freedom of the Western world, and luxuries like bubble baths, candlelight dinner, and cable TV. At the same time, I noted America’s high crime rate and violence, teenage pregnancy, missing children, and so on. My cultural background, coupled with my perception of the violent society in which I found myself, froze me into a state of inaction. I became a nominal Christian. What can I do as a Christian in this land of the talented, affluent, and educated? I remained a nominal Christian for a few years.

Three Things I Learned
While it has taken me a while to realize it, in a world of 6 billion, there is no one like me—my fingerprint, my story, my experiences are unique. And God’s people, while they may be White, Brown, Blue or Black, experience the same discouragements, hurts, and temptations in this world of sin and pain.

I’m reminded of Matthew 18, when the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (verse 1, NIV). Who is the greatest among us? Am I greater ’cause I’m Asian? Are you greater ’cause you’re Caucasian or African? Who is the greatest?

Jesus called a little child and had him stand among them. And He said, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me” (verses 3-5, NIV).

There’s so much we can learn from children. And I can think of three things I’ve learned from my children.

The first is faith. One day my younger boy, Joshua, about 5 years old at the time, was sick with fever. That night when I was tucking him into bed, I said a prayer with him, and I said, “Let’s ask Jesus to help you feel better.” So I prayed, and then I forgot all about it. The next morning I saw Josh and said, “Good morning, sweetie. How do you feel?” He said, “Jesus didn’t answer your prayer.”

I thought, Wow, what faith. So I’m reminded of Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (NIV). Faith of a little child, that you and I need to have.

The second thing I have observed is acceptance. I’ve watched my kids play with other kids, especially on the playground, and sometimes friendships are formed with total strangers. They watch a few kids from a distance, and the next thing I know they’ve gone over there. “Hey, what’s your name? Do you want to play ball?” My kids see no color. It was just another boy in the playground to race with and kick ball with. I’m again reminded of a verse in the Bible. Ephesians 2:19 reads: “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household” (NIV). Learning to accept one another. If only adults could do that more often!

The third thing I’ve noticed about children is that they’re very honest. Kids are very honest about their feelings. Several years ago someone told me, “Viola, you have really beautiful eyes. You should learn to put on eye shadow.” OK, cool. I bought blue and brown and said, “I’m going to try it.” (And I never mastered it.)

Well, one Sabbath I said, “I’m going to try, anyway, to put on some eye shadow.” When I emerged from the bedroom, proud of my artistic abilities, my son said, “Mom, what’s that on your eyes?”

I said, “Oh, you like it?”

“No.”

Honesty. Proverbs 11:1: “A false balance is abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is his delight.” Our lives would be so much better if you and I could be honest with one another and with our spouses.

As adults we’re too busy beating around the bush instead of dealing with issues head-on. Or are we too busy worrying about how to get funding for our programs that we’ve become competitive and sometimes uncooperative and lose faith in the God of heaven?

o ultimately, for me, an Asian, what is it like to be a Christian? It doesn’t matter whether I’m an Asian living in a Western culture. I don’t have a tag that says I’m made in Malaysia, but I do want a tag that says “I’m a Christian.” I’m a Christian with the same goals as my African, Mexican, Anglo-Saxon, South American brothers and sisters. No wonder Jesus says, “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never see the kingdom of heaven.”

So it doesn’t matter if we’re diverse. I kind of like it. I used to say, I hope we have spring rolls in heaven. And now I say, I hope to have spring rolls and burritos (like the ones we get in the cafeteria) in heaven. My goal is to get to heaven. What’s your goal?

*I don’t fit the first two profiles! I can blame my height on my great-grandfather, who was from Scotland and stood at six feet six. I was really happy in the U.S.—you know, the jeans were long enough for me.

_________________________
Viola Hughes is the United Nations liaison and legislative affairs assistant at the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in Silver Spring, Maryland.