Dear Daniel Patrick Moynihan,

I sympathize with your conviction of a black culture of poverty, a "tangle of pathology". You identified the family structure of black American culture as the root of their problems. Their female-headed households are will not allow them to succeed or integrate as they should.

I agree that the family unit is crucial and natural. Homosexuality perverts this. It weakens our moral fiber and, in case of nuclear war or similar disaster, destroys our economic and political success.

The Asian ethnic minority in the United States shows a sympathy with our beliefs, demonstrating a strong family unit and, therefore, economic success and moral strength. We need other groups, such as the homosexuals and blacks, to step into line with nature and American values. Our success as a country relies on it.

Sincerely,
Talcott Parsons

Questions:
1) Recently I've attended two a capella shows that made open Asian jokes, starring the complicit Asian members of their group. Why are these seen as acceptable by our peers on campus? I don't think that either group would have felt comfortable making fun of other minorities (although there was an ongoing cross-dressing gag in one of the shows) Is there a difference? Why?

2) I found Lee's discussion of the Life spread on how to differentiate between Chinese and Japanese people fascinating, especially contrasted with the homogenizing stereotypes and portrayals of Asians throughout much of the other history of the "Oriental." How are Asian groups divided and homogenized through portrayals?