Rick Yune, a 1994 Wharton grad, keynoted this year's Asian Pacific American Heritage Week. Dozens of students in the Christian Association building last night clutched Snow Falling on Cedars posters and anticipated a speech by the film's star. But instead of speaking about his movie, 1994 Wharton graduate, model and actor Rick Yune addressed the crowd about Asian-American identity and familial expectations. Yune, the keynote speaker of Asian Pacific American Heritage Week, urged the students to make their own decisions and establish their own sense of individuality. "Love your parents, but be careful of them," he said, describing his family as the "typical, normal Asian-American dysfunctional family. I had type-A Asian parents who would do anything for their children? to get a 1600 on their SAT, get into Harvard, become a doctor [and] marry a doctor." By going to Wharton, Yune conformed to his parents' high expectations for him. He graduated in 1994 and went on to become a trader on Wall Street. But in New York, Yune was "discovered" and went on to become the first Asian-American male to model for Ralph Lauren and Versace. He eventually gave up his trading job, much to his parents' dismay. "Somewhere along the line, I kind of veered away from my parents' goals," Yune said. "It didn't seem to me that it was empowering me." Yune also spoke of the image of the Asian American as a "model minority" and encouraged students to learn from the methods of other minority groups. He talked about the similarities between the Jewish and Asian communities in America. However, he maintained that while Jewish parents teach their children to express themselves, some Asian parents do not. "We're taught from a very young age that 'you're not to be the nail who sticks out,'" Yune said. Yune talked admiringly about the African-American civil rights movement of the 1960s and challenged the assembled students to look upon black activists as models for risk-taking. He said that the Asian-American community must take greater initiative in fighting stereotypes and helping others explore their identities. Yune allowed time for questions after his speech. Some members of the audience took issue with his message because they felt that he was pushing assimilation, rather than emphasizing a distinct Asian-American identity. Many questioned Yune about his comparison of America to a blender, in which people must give up some of their cultural ideas. "I understand where he's coming from but those were not the right words," said part-time Asian Pacific American coordinator and 1997 College graduate Shweta Parmar. "I think he's saying we need to compromise. At least, I hope that's what he's saying." College sophomore Debbie Eng, who chaired the group that chose the keynote speaker, felt that, above all, Yune's presentation went well. "He offered a new perspective on being Asian American, and on being Asian," she said.
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