This past weekend I went to a large Asian-owned grocery store here in town. I hesitate going there most of the time, because, well…the seafood section makes the whole building smell kinda funny. I went there after going to my favorite garden center to get a bag of potatoes for $.88–but not to cook…I bought them because I thought they would be “old enough” to soon grow eyes that will make sprouts for planting. But while I was in the checout line, I saw three “mini businesses” housed inside the market. One was a real estate concern, another was an anime character shop, and the last was a business selling custom shutters. All of them were owed by people living in the Asian community in my town.

All the checkers were Asian. All the stock people were Asian. And most of the customers were Asian, too. So when I hear all the whining about how black people in America can’t get a break because of the White Supremacy Boogeyman, my eyes nearly roll out of my head.

The thing is, Asians, like African Americans, were a conquered people. Not to compare notes on who was discriminated against more is pure victimology nonsense, so I (and you) shouldn’t go there. Asian people have been pretty unapologetic about AGREEING that white people are “the best,” and they have a thriving skin care industry completely dedicated to skin lightening and whitening, and plastic surgeons have no lack of business from all the demands for blepharoplasty (double eyelid surgery). They unapologetically practice oppressive sexism and colorism against their own people.

But even with aaaallllla that, they STILL manage to create thriving businesses and build wealth within their communities. Their women date and marry interracially more than any other minority of women, and they STILL build. Asians are, and continue to be the butt of bigoted “jokes” and they STILL got the highest SATS, highest enrollment in STEM courses, and create entire CITIES WITHIN CITIES that are all focused on catering to Asian people–from banking, markets, clothing, restaurants, cleaners, real estate, beauty–all the essentials for a neighborhoods to keeps it’s people spending money IN the neighborhood. In their own sovereign countries that were previously colonized by Europeans, they are BUILDING skyscrapers, glass bridges, luxury resorts, cutting edge technology, and even nuclear weapons.

The sad thing is, there is really NO STRATEGY that black people as a COLLECTIVE have to thrive in a country built on CAPITALISM. I’ve talked to some folks that think HAVING A BUNCH OF ILLEGITIMATE  BABIES is a viable option to overthrow white supremacy. Are these people serious??! These people actually think it is a black woman’s responsibility to birth black children at ANY cost to be gambits in a fruitless, unproductive war.

So what’s the difference between Asians and African Americans? One CREATES the opportunities while the other BEGS AND PROTESTS for a handout. But that’s not to say there aren’t pockets of brilliance…I see black people creating their own opportunities out of thin air all the time. Shonda Rhimes. Issa Ray. Barak Obama. Michelle Obama. Oprah. Aliko Dangote. And that’s just a few contemporaries. We didn’t even touch on those of the past. But unfortunately, these people have been shooting stars, singular lightening rods, diamonds in the rough. The COLLECTIVE is lacking, and at this point, I don’t know if that can be remedied. Is there some small, yet essential characteristic that the African American collective lacks to the point that we can not rise beyond the role of supplicant?

Am I missing something?

Like… is it the Illuminati?