A LiveScience article reports on an interesting, new study finding that interracial couples invest more resources on their children. The study posits that the trend can be explained as compensation to balance social prejudices.
So-called biracial (aka interracial or multiracial) parents are more likely than their "monoracial" counterparts to provide their children with a home computer, private schooling and educational books and CDs and to make sure they participate in reading activities, dance, music or art lessons outside of school and get trips to the zoo, library and other cultural venues.
This year marks the fortieth anniversary of the Virginia v. Loving Supreme Court decision, striking down a state law prohibiting interracial marriage between whites and individuals of other races. Since 1967, the number of multiracial couples in the United States has more than tripled, as Asia Nation highlights, particularly among Asian Americans.
The study notes that the findings on an advantage for children of multiracial parents only holds when comparing the biracial couple with respective monoracial couples.
Posted by melanie at 12:58 PM | Comments (0)
A LiveScience article reports on an interesting, new study finding that interracial couples invest more resources on their children. The study posits that the trend can be explained as compensation to balance social prejudices.
So-called biracial (aka interracial or multiracial) parents are more likely than their "monoracial" counterparts to provide their children with a home computer, private schooling and educational books and CDs and to make sure they participate in reading activities, dance, music or art lessons outside of school and get trips to the zoo, library and other cultural venues.
This year marks the fortieth anniversary of the Virginia v. Loving Supreme Court decision, striking down a state law prohibiting interracial marriage between whites and individuals of other races. Since 1967, the number of multiracial couples in the United States has more than tripled, as Asia Nation highlights, particularly among Asian Americans.
The study notes that the findings on an advantage for children of multiracial parents only holds when comparing the biracial couple with respective monoracial couples.
Posted by melanie at 12:58 PM | Comments (0)
A LiveScience article reports on an interesting, new study finding that interracial couples invest more resources on their children. The study posits that the trend can be explained as compensation to balance social prejudices.
So-called biracial (aka interracial or multiracial) parents are more likely than their "monoracial" counterparts to provide their children with a home computer, private schooling and educational books and CDs and to make sure they participate in reading activities, dance, music or art lessons outside of school and get trips to the zoo, library and other cultural venues.
This year marks the fortieth anniversary of the Virginia v. Loving Supreme Court decision, striking down a state law prohibiting interracial marriage between whites and individuals of other races. Since 1967, the number of multiracial couples in the United States has more than tripled, as Asia Nation highlights, particularly among Asian Americans.
The study notes that the findings on an advantage for children of multiracial parents only holds when comparing the biracial couple with respective monoracial couples.
Posted by melanie at 12:58 PM | Comments (0)
Guest blogger Carmina Ocampo
--
Immigration reform has forever been one of those make or break issues for Asian Americans. To put things way too simply, the Chinese Exclusion Acts of 1882 told Chinese people to stay the heck away while the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act let everyone and their Asian mothers in. Given how fundamental immigration reform has been in constructing the varied racial/ethnic/sexual identities of Asian Americans, it's no understatement to say that the outcome of the immigration reform bill currently being debated by the Senate really matters.
It matters who stands to benefit from immigration reform. You'd think immigrants would benefit the most from immigration reform but that might not be the case. Unfortunately, the interests of big business and concern for furthering American global domination have wielded too much influence over the current immigration bill so far. Corporations are divided over what immigrants they prefer. Some corporations have advocated for reform that will yield highly skilled professionals while other corporations want greater access to lower skilled workers.
One of the most offensive provisions is the so-called "merit-based system" which would favor factors such as an immigrant's job skills, English-speaking ability, and education level in awarding green cards. That means that one's chances of getting a green card could depend on their class background and level of assimilation, meaning that poor uneducated immigrants could potentially be left by the wayside.
Meanwhile, the bill would favor visas for highly skilled workers, which could generate a wave of Asian professionals immigrating to the United States. That aspect of the bill is reminiscent of the 1965 Immigration Act that similarly enabled Filipino doctors, engineers and nurses to enter the country.
Family reunification is one of the most important immigration issues to Asian Americans. There are many Asian Americans and Latinos who have to wait decades to be reunited with loved ones. The Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) of Southern California, an organization that I've volunteered for, worked with local API community organizations to draft the APIA Principles for Immigration Reform [pdf], which states that China, India and the Philippines have some of the longest wait periods. Filipino Americans who sponsor their siblings have to wait an outrageous 23 years before their siblings can get an immigrant visa!
Some proposed legislation would limit family visas while the Clinton-Hagel Amendment purports to keep families together and is supported by Asian American civil rights organizations like the Asian American Justice Center in Washington D.C., (which works with the APALC and Asian Law Caucus in San Francisco). Disproportionately separating the families of certain racial and ethnic minorities for long periods of time runs counter to the popular conception of traditional American values concerned with promoting family and lamenting the disintegration of American families.
The livelihood of undocumented Asian American immigrants is also at stake. The Pew Hispanic Center reports that 1.5 million of the 12 million undocumented immigrants in this country are Asian. The National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) reports that 1 in 5 Korean Americans is undocumented, including a large percentage that is under 18. A plan that can offer a humane and legitimate path to legalization for undocumented immigrants is a step towards acknowledging the humanity of undocumented immigrants and stopping the raids, racial profiling, detention and deportation of Latino, Cambodian, South Asian, and Filipino immigrants. The passage of the Dream Act would also ensure the ability of undocumented Latino and Asian American youth to attend and afford college.
In trying to keep up with the all the changes being proposed, I've wondered how much influence Asian Americans have had in Congressional deliberation. Given that Asian Americans are woefully underrepresented in the House and Senate, the chances are slim that there have been any Asian Americans at the drawing table at all. Thank goodness for the many Asian American organizations that have continuously advocated to increase the visibility of APIs in the immigration debate that has been framed primarily as a "Latino issue." Asian American organizations like the AAJC and the APALC have also worked to build coalitions with Latino immigrants rights groups advocating for comprehensive reform.
Will the immigration bill be a watershed or a blip? Will it actually be comprehensive or fall short of its potential? We'll have to wait and see what the outcome is. In the meantime we can do what we can to demand that our politicians on Capital Hill prioritize families and the human rights of immigrants.
You can help play a vital role in influencing immigration legislation so that it benefits APIs by calling both your Senators and urging them to support family reunification for APIs by supporting the Clinton-Hagel amendment. You can call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to the offices of your Senators.
--
(This post is representative of my viewpoint only and should not be taken as representing the viewpoint of Hyphen, the APALC or any other community organizations).
Carmina is a student at UCLA School of Law and is specializing in Critical Race Studies. She has worked as a legal intern at the Asian Pacific American Legal Center and is currently a legal intern at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in New York. She has served as the Co-chair of the UCLA Asian Pacific Islander Law Student Association (APILSA) and as a Comments Editor for the Asian Pacific American Law Journal at UCLA.
Posted by rebecca at 8:53 AM | Comments (7)
Guest blogger Carmina Ocampo
--
Immigration reform has forever been one of those make or break issues for Asian Americans. To put things way too simply, the Chinese Exclusion Acts of 1882 told Chinese people to stay the heck away while the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act let everyone and their Asian mothers in. Given how fundamental immigration reform has been in constructing the varied racial/ethnic/sexual identities of Asian Americans, it's no understatement to say that the outcome of the immigration reform bill currently being debated by the Senate really matters.
It matters who stands to benefit from immigration reform. You'd think immigrants would benefit the most from immigration reform but that might not be the case. Unfortunately, the interests of big business and concern for furthering American global domination have wielded too much influence over the current immigration bill so far. Corporations are divided over what immigrants they prefer. Some corporations have advocated for reform that will yield highly skilled professionals while other corporations want greater access to lower skilled workers.
One of the most offensive provisions is the so-called "merit-based system" which would favor factors such as an immigrant's job skills, English-speaking ability, and education level in awarding green cards. That means that one's chances of getting a green card could depend on their class background and level of assimilation, meaning that poor uneducated immigrants could potentially be left by the wayside.
Meanwhile, the bill would favor visas for highly skilled workers, which could generate a wave of Asian professionals immigrating to the United States. That aspect of the bill is reminiscent of the 1965 Immigration Act that similarly enabled Filipino doctors, engineers and nurses to enter the country.
Family reunification is one of the most important immigration issues to Asian Americans. There are many Asian Americans and Latinos who have to wait decades to be reunited with loved ones. The Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) of Southern California, an organization that I've volunteered for, worked with local API community organizations to draft the APIA Principles for Immigration Reform [pdf], which states that China, India and the Philippines have some of the longest wait periods. Filipino Americans who sponsor their siblings have to wait an outrageous 23 years before their siblings can get an immigrant visa!
Some proposed legislation would limit family visas while the Clinton-Hagel Amendment purports to keep families together and is supported by Asian American civil rights organizations like the Asian American Justice Center in Washington D.C., (which works with the APALC and Asian Law Caucus in San Francisco). Disproportionately separating the families of certain racial and ethnic minorities for long periods of time runs counter to the popular conception of traditional American values concerned with promoting family and lamenting the disintegration of American families.
The livelihood of undocumented Asian American immigrants is also at stake. The Pew Hispanic Center reports that 1.5 million of the 12 million undocumented immigrants in this country are Asian. The National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) reports that 1 in 5 Korean Americans is undocumented, including a large percentage that is under 18. A plan that can offer a humane and legitimate path to legalization for undocumented immigrants is a step towards acknowledging the humanity of undocumented immigrants and stopping the raids, racial profiling, detention and deportation of Latino, Cambodian, South Asian, and Filipino immigrants. The passage of the Dream Act would also ensure the ability of undocumented Latino and Asian American youth to attend and afford college.
In trying to keep up with the all the changes being proposed, I've wondered how much influence Asian Americans have had in Congressional deliberation. Given that Asian Americans are woefully underrepresented in the House and Senate, the chances are slim that there have been any Asian Americans at the drawing table at all. Thank goodness for the many Asian American organizations that have continuously advocated to increase the visibility of APIs in the immigration debate that has been framed primarily as a "Latino issue." Asian American organizations like the AAJC and the APALC have also worked to build coalitions with Latino immigrants rights groups advocating for comprehensive reform.
Will the immigration bill be a watershed or a blip? Will it actually be comprehensive or fall short of its potential? We'll have to wait and see what the outcome is. In the meantime we can do what we can to demand that our politicians on Capital Hill prioritize families and the human rights of immigrants.
You can help play a vital role in influencing immigration legislation so that it benefits APIs by calling both your Senators and urging them to support family reunification for APIs by supporting the Clinton-Hagel amendment. You can call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to the offices of your Senators.
--
(This post is representative of my viewpoint only and should not be taken as representing the viewpoint of Hyphen, the APALC or any other community organizations).
Carmina is a student at UCLA School of Law and is specializing in Critical Race Studies. She has worked as a legal intern at the Asian Pacific American Legal Center and is currently a legal intern at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in New York. She has served as the Co-chair of the UCLA Asian Pacific Islander Law Student Association (APILSA) and as a Comments Editor for the Asian Pacific American Law Journal at UCLA.
Posted by rebecca at 8:53 AM | Comments (7)
Guest blogger Carmina Ocampo
--
Immigration reform has forever been one of those make or break issues for Asian Americans. To put things way too simply, the Chinese Exclusion Acts of 1882 told Chinese people to stay the heck away while the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act let everyone and their Asian mothers in. Given how fundamental immigration reform has been in constructing the varied racial/ethnic/sexual identities of Asian Americans, it's no understatement to say that the outcome of the immigration reform bill currently being debated by the Senate really matters.
It matters who stands to benefit from immigration reform. You'd think immigrants would benefit the most from immigration reform but that might not be the case. Unfortunately, the interests of big business and concern for furthering American global domination have wielded too much influence over the current immigration bill so far. Corporations are divided over what immigrants they prefer. Some corporations have advocated for reform that will yield highly skilled professionals while other corporations want greater access to lower skilled workers.
One of the most offensive provisions is the so-called "merit-based system" which would favor factors such as an immigrant's job skills, English-speaking ability, and education level in awarding green cards. That means that one's chances of getting a green card could depend on their class background and level of assimilation, meaning that poor uneducated immigrants could potentially be left by the wayside.
Meanwhile, the bill would favor visas for highly skilled workers, which could generate a wave of Asian professionals immigrating to the United States. That aspect of the bill is reminiscent of the 1965 Immigration Act that similarly enabled Filipino doctors, engineers and nurses to enter the country.
Family reunification is one of the most important immigration issues to Asian Americans. There are many Asian Americans and Latinos who have to wait decades to be reunited with loved ones. The Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) of Southern California, an organization that I've volunteered for, worked with local API community organizations to draft the APIA Principles for Immigration Reform [pdf], which states that China, India and the Philippines have some of the longest wait periods. Filipino Americans who sponsor their siblings have to wait an outrageous 23 years before their siblings can get an immigrant visa!
Some proposed legislation would limit family visas while the Clinton-Hagel Amendment purports to keep families together and is supported by Asian American civil rights organizations like the Asian American Justice Center in Washington D.C., (which works with the APALC and Asian Law Caucus in San Francisco). Disproportionately separating the families of certain racial and ethnic minorities for long periods of time runs counter to the popular conception of traditional American values concerned with promoting family and lamenting the disintegration of American families.
The livelihood of undocumented Asian American immigrants is also at stake. The Pew Hispanic Center reports that 1.5 million of the 12 million undocumented immigrants in this country are Asian. The National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) reports that 1 in 5 Korean Americans is undocumented, including a large percentage that is under 18. A plan that can offer a humane and legitimate path to legalization for undocumented immigrants is a step towards acknowledging the humanity of undocumented immigrants and stopping the raids, racial profiling, detention and deportation of Latino, Cambodian, South Asian, and Filipino immigrants. The passage of the Dream Act would also ensure the ability of undocumented Latino and Asian American youth to attend and afford college.
In trying to keep up with the all the changes being proposed, I've wondered how much influence Asian Americans have had in Congressional deliberation. Given that Asian Americans are woefully underrepresented in the House and Senate, the chances are slim that there have been any Asian Americans at the drawing table at all. Thank goodness for the many Asian American organizations that have continuously advocated to increase the visibility of APIs in the immigration debate that has been framed primarily as a "Latino issue." Asian American organizations like the AAJC and the APALC have also worked to build coalitions with Latino immigrants rights groups advocating for comprehensive reform.
Will the immigration bill be a watershed or a blip? Will it actually be comprehensive or fall short of its potential? We'll have to wait and see what the outcome is. In the meantime we can do what we can to demand that our politicians on Capital Hill prioritize families and the human rights of immigrants.
You can help play a vital role in influencing immigration legislation so that it benefits APIs by calling both your Senators and urging them to support family reunification for APIs by supporting the Clinton-Hagel amendment. You can call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to the offices of your Senators.
--
(This post is representative of my viewpoint only and should not be taken as representing the viewpoint of Hyphen, the APALC or any other community organizations).
Carmina is a student at UCLA School of Law and is specializing in Critical Race Studies. She has worked as a legal intern at the Asian Pacific American Legal Center and is currently a legal intern at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in New York. She has served as the Co-chair of the UCLA Asian Pacific Islander Law Student Association (APILSA) and as a Comments Editor for the Asian Pacific American Law Journal at UCLA.
Posted by rebecca at 8:53 AM | Comments (7)
Guest blogger Carmina Ocampo
--
Amidst tense negotiations and angry protests, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority board of directors voted to increase bus fares Thursday in a decision that will hurt the poor communities of color. The plan came as a result of a compromise proposed by Supervisors Gloria Molina and Zev Yaroslavsky, after the Board rejected the Mayor's plan that called for lower fare hikes.
The LA Times reported that under the new MTA plan, bus fares will increase from $1.25 to $1.50; the daily pass will go from $3 to $5 on July 1 and $6 in 2009; and the monthly pass will go from $52 to $62 on July 1 and $75 in 2009. (The original proposal was much more devastating, proposing to raise the fare from $1.25 to $2 and the monthly pass from $52 to $120 over the next two years).
According to the Bus Riders Union, most of MTA's 500,000 bus riders are members of the black and Latino working class who rely on public transportation on a daily basis. According to the MTA, the median household income of a bus rider is $12,000. Given these facts, the new plan will no doubt have a devastating impact on the poor people of Los Angeles, who struggle to support their families, commute long hours to work, and face a lack of affordable housing.
The bus fare issue has also concerned API community groups, considering that there are many API immigrants, especially undocumented immigrants, that rely on the bus for daily transportation. One Filipino careworker I recently met told me that she relies on the bus to commute to work everyday and attend meetings at the Pilipino Workers' Center.
Members of the API community have supported the efforts of the Bus Riders Union in solidarity. The Korea Times on May 16, 2007 reported that Korean American organization leaders, led by the Korean American Federation, opposed the MTA fare hike. One of the Bus Riders' Union most active organizers is Hee Pok Kim, aka "Grandma Kim," a spirited advocate in her 80's that has been fighting for the rights of bus riders since joining the organization in 2001. The Bus Riders Union also allied with the Pilipino Workers Center in April in calling for the Mayor to adopt its Social Movement Platform that included, among its many initiatives, a rejection of the proposed bus fare hike.
One positive aspect of the story is the amazing community organizing that took place around this issue. The Bus Riders Union and its multi-ethnic community partners worked tirelessly to educate others about the fare hikes and surely played a significant role in the defeat of the more severe plan initially proposed. As a result of their efforts, a diverse group of over 1,500 students, organizers, bus riders and disabled community members showed up at the MTA building Thursday where the directors were meeting to protest the fare hikes. The efforts of the many people who lobbied against the fare hikes serve as an inspiring reminder of the power of community organizing.
--
Carmina is a law student at UCLA.
Posted by rebecca at 1:54 PM | Comments (0)
Guest blogger Carmina Ocampo
--
Amidst tense negotiations and angry protests, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority board of directors voted to increase bus fares Thursday in a decision that will hurt the poor communities of color. The plan came as a result of a compromise proposed by Supervisors Gloria Molina and Zev Yaroslavsky, after the Board rejected the Mayor's plan that called for lower fare hikes.
The LA Times reported that under the new MTA plan, bus fares will increase from $1.25 to $1.50; the daily pass will go from $3 to $5 on July 1 and $6 in 2009; and the monthly pass will go from $52 to $62 on July 1 and $75 in 2009. (The original proposal was much more devastating, proposing to raise the fare from $1.25 to $2 and the monthly pass from $52 to $120 over the next two years).
According to the Bus Riders Union, most of MTA's 500,000 bus riders are members of the black and Latino working class who rely on public transportation on a daily basis. According to the MTA, the median household income of a bus rider is $12,000. Given these facts, the new plan will no doubt have a devastating impact on the poor people of Los Angeles, who struggle to support their families, commute long hours to work, and face a lack of affordable housing.
The bus fare issue has also concerned API community groups, considering that there are many API immigrants, especially undocumented immigrants, that rely on the bus for daily transportation. One Filipino careworker I recently met told me that she relies on the bus to commute to work everyday and attend meetings at the Pilipino Workers' Center.
Members of the API community have supported the efforts of the Bus Riders Union in solidarity. The Korea Times on May 16, 2007 reported that Korean American organization leaders, led by the Korean American Federation, opposed the MTA fare hike. One of the Bus Riders' Union most active organizers is Hee Pok Kim, aka "Grandma Kim," a spirited advocate in her 80's that has been fighting for the rights of bus riders since joining the organization in 2001. The Bus Riders Union also allied with the Pilipino Workers Center in April in calling for the Mayor to adopt its Social Movement Platform that included, among its many initiatives, a rejection of the proposed bus fare hike.
One positive aspect of the story is the amazing community organizing that took place around this issue. The Bus Riders Union and its multi-ethnic community partners worked tirelessly to educate others about the fare hikes and surely played a significant role in the defeat of the more severe plan initially proposed. As a result of their efforts, a diverse group of over 1,500 students, organizers, bus riders and disabled community members showed up at the MTA building Thursday where the directors were meeting to protest the fare hikes. The efforts of the many people who lobbied against the fare hikes serve as an inspiring reminder of the power of community organizing.
--
Carmina is a law student at UCLA.
Posted by rebecca at 1:54 PM | Comments (0)
Guest blogger Carmina Ocampo
--
Amidst tense negotiations and angry protests, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority board of directors voted to increase bus fares Thursday in a decision that will hurt the poor communities of color. The plan came as a result of a compromise proposed by Supervisors Gloria Molina and Zev Yaroslavsky, after the Board rejected the Mayor's plan that called for lower fare hikes.
The LA Times reported that under the new MTA plan, bus fares will increase from $1.25 to $1.50; the daily pass will go from $3 to $5 on July 1 and $6 in 2009; and the monthly pass will go from $52 to $62 on July 1 and $75 in 2009. (The original proposal was much more devastating, proposing to raise the fare from $1.25 to $2 and the monthly pass from $52 to $120 over the next two years).
According to the Bus Riders Union, most of MTA's 500,000 bus riders are members of the black and Latino working class who rely on public transportation on a daily basis. According to the MTA, the median household income of a bus rider is $12,000. Given these facts, the new plan will no doubt have a devastating impact on the poor people of Los Angeles, who struggle to support their families, commute long hours to work, and face a lack of affordable housing.
The bus fare issue has also concerned API community groups, considering that there are many API immigrants, especially undocumented immigrants, that rely on the bus for daily transportation. One Filipino careworker I recently met told me that she relies on the bus to commute to work everyday and attend meetings at the Pilipino Workers' Center.
Members of the API community have supported the efforts of the Bus Riders Union in solidarity. The Korea Times on May 16, 2007 reported that Korean American organization leaders, led by the Korean American Federation, opposed the MTA fare hike. One of the Bus Riders' Union most active organizers is Hee Pok Kim, aka "Grandma Kim," a spirited advocate in her 80's that has been fighting for the rights of bus riders since joining the organization in 2001. The Bus Riders Union also allied with the Pilipino Workers Center in April in calling for the Mayor to adopt its Social Movement Platform that included, among its many initiatives, a rejection of the proposed bus fare hike.
One positive aspect of the story is the amazing community organizing that took place around this issue. The Bus Riders Union and its multi-ethnic community partners worked tirelessly to educate others about the fare hikes and surely played a significant role in the defeat of the more severe plan initially proposed. As a result of their efforts, a diverse group of over 1,500 students, organizers, bus riders and disabled community members showed up at the MTA building Thursday where the directors were meeting to protest the fare hikes. The efforts of the many people who lobbied against the fare hikes serve as an inspiring reminder of the power of community organizing.
--
Carmina is a law student at UCLA.
Posted by rebecca at 1:54 PM | Comments (0)
Contestant Luke Patterson will represent Great Leap at Mr. Hyphen 2007. Founded by Nobuko Miyamoto, Great Leap is a multicultural performing arts organization rooted in the Asian American community that promotes cross-cultural exchange through the creative and collaborative process of performances, workshops and community residences.
About Luke:
Rapper. Graffiti artist. Non-profit office hooligan. Mentor. Luke Patterson is many things to many people. He's an MC for the L.A.-based hip-hop group Aesthetics Crew. He's an organizer against police brutality. He's a role model to youths who need it the most, through his work at the APA Youth Resolution Center. Most importantly though, Luke wants to bring together the multi-cultural communities and he'll even tame a lion while riding a unicycle blindfolded to do so. With a multi-talent like this it shouldn't take much to make that great leap to Mr. Hyphen infamy!
I would hope to do a lot of work in building bridges between the Asian & Asian American communities with other communities of color. Through my work I have seen that there is still a lot of ignorance, stereotypes and mis- or non-communication between our community and other Black and Brown people. I would like to do a lot of work breaking down stereotypes and pre-conceived notions of who “Asians” are, what we can be beyond the model minority ideas, and how strong we can be politically and community organizing-wise. I think that if our communities are all united on a deeper level of understanding and respect, not just on the surface of acceptance of each other, then we can make real progressive change for all of us together.
--
Mr. Hyphen 2007 will take place on Saturday, June 9
at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center.
Buy tickets here.
Posted by rebecca at 8:16 PM | Comments (5)
Contestant Luke Patterson will represent Great Leap at Mr. Hyphen 2007. Founded by Nobuko Miyamoto, Great Leap is a multicultural performing arts organization rooted in the Asian American community that promotes cross-cultural exchange through the creative and collaborative process of performances, workshops and community residences.
About Luke:
Rapper. Graffiti artist. Non-profit office hooligan. Mentor. Luke Patterson is many things to many people. He's an MC for the L.A.-based hip-hop group Aesthetics Crew. He's an organizer against police brutality. He's a role model to youths who need it the most, through his work at the APA Youth Resolution Center. Most importantly though, Luke wants to bring together the multi-cultural communities and he'll even tame a lion while riding a unicycle blindfolded to do so. With a multi-talent like this it shouldn't take much to make that great leap to Mr. Hyphen infamy!
I would hope to do a lot of work in building bridges between the Asian & Asian American communities with other communities of color. Through my work I have seen that there is still a lot of ignorance, stereotypes and mis- or non-communication between our community and other Black and Brown people. I would like to do a lot of work breaking down stereotypes and pre-conceived notions of who “Asians” are, what we can be beyond the model minority ideas, and how strong we can be politically and community organizing-wise. I think that if our communities are all united on a deeper level of understanding and respect, not just on the surface of acceptance of each other, then we can make real progressive change for all of us together.
--
Mr. Hyphen 2007 will take place on Saturday, June 9
at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center.
Buy tickets here.
Posted by rebecca at 8:16 PM | Comments (5)
Contestant Luke Patterson will represent Great Leap at Mr. Hyphen 2007. Founded by Nobuko Miyamoto, Great Leap is a multicultural performing arts organization rooted in the Asian American community that promotes cross-cultural exchange through the creative and collaborative process of performances, workshops and community residences.
About Luke:
Rapper. Graffiti artist. Non-profit office hooligan. Mentor. Luke Patterson is many things to many people. He's an MC for the L.A.-based hip-hop group Aesthetics Crew. He's an organizer against police brutality. He's a role model to youths who need it the most, through his work at the APA Youth Resolution Center. Most importantly though, Luke wants to bring together the multi-cultural communities and he'll even tame a lion while riding a unicycle blindfolded to do so. With a multi-talent like this it shouldn't take much to make that great leap to Mr. Hyphen infamy!
I would hope to do a lot of work in building bridges between the Asian & Asian American communities with other communities of color. Through my work I have seen that there is still a lot of ignorance, stereotypes and mis- or non-communication between our community and other Black and Brown people. I would like to do a lot of work breaking down stereotypes and pre-conceived notions of who Asians are, what we can be beyond the model minority ideas, and how strong we can be politically and community organizing-wise. I think that if our communities are all united on a deeper level of understanding and respect, not just on the surface of acceptance of each other, then we can make real progressive change for all of us together.
--
Mr. Hyphen 2007 will take place on Saturday, June 9
at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center.
Buy tickets here.
Posted by rebecca at 8:16 PM | Comments (5)
Anonymous, free, racy... and a bit racist as well. Blossoming behind the silkscreen of anonymity, Craigslist personals reveal deep-seated racism, discovers Wendi Muse, writing at Racialicious. Muse trained her gaze on America's most cosmopolitan city, New York, monitoring and analyzing a full week of the Craigslist Personals section.
The posts offer an array of stereotypes---the Asian, the Black, the Latino and the White---including the expected fetishism and outright racism, but also more subtle clues of association. The things people will admit to when they think no one knows who they are.
Why so much racial discrimination when seeking a mate on the urbanite's favorite site for free furniture and new apartments? Posters seem to use the ethnic and racial sterotypes as prepackaged descriptions of what they seek, instead of answering the probing questions a personals ad requires: Who am I?, What am I looking for in a date?. It's far easier to default to tag-lines and pre-packaged images of 'the kind of person' one wants, riddled with racist cues though they may be: a traditional Asian girl, a spicy Latino man, a bossy Black woman, just a normal white guy.
Read Muse's post for a thorough, hand-picked run of the grittiest dregs of the dating scene, where the meat market sells by the color of the skin.:
While some ads include the user’s thoughts on race in more subtle ways, for example, simply stating a racial “preference” (still, arguably, a sign of prejudice), others are more obvious in their descriptions—ranging from the utilization of explicitly racist phrases or terms to describe his/her own background and/or the background of the person being sought to downright exclusion a la Jim Crow style (“No -insert race here- need apply”).
Posted by melanie at 12:05 AM | Comments (0)
Anonymous, free, racy... and a bit racist as well. Blossoming behind the silkscreen of anonymity, Craigslist personals reveal deep-seated racism, discovers Wendi Muse, writing at Racialicious. Muse trained her gaze on America's most cosmopolitan city, New York, monitoring and analyzing a full week of the Craigslist Personals section.
The posts offer an array of stereotypes---the Asian, the Black, the Latino and the White---including the expected fetishism and outright racism, but also more subtle clues of association. The things people will admit to when they think no one knows who they are.
Why so much racial discrimination when seeking a mate on the urbanite's favorite site for free furniture and new apartments? Posters seem to use the ethnic and racial sterotypes as prepackaged descriptions of what they seek, instead of answering the probing questions a personals ad requires: Who am I?, What am I looking for in a date?. It's far easier to default to tag-lines and pre-packaged images of 'the kind of person' one wants, riddled with racist cues though they may be: a traditional Asian girl, a spicy Latino man, a bossy Black woman, just a normal white guy.
Read Muse's post for a thorough, hand-picked run of the grittiest dregs of the dating scene, where the meat market sells by the color of the skin.:
While some ads include the user’s thoughts on race in more subtle ways, for example, simply stating a racial “preference” (still, arguably, a sign of prejudice), others are more obvious in their descriptions—ranging from the utilization of explicitly racist phrases or terms to describe his/her own background and/or the background of the person being sought to downright exclusion a la Jim Crow style (“No -insert race here- need apply”).
Posted by melanie at 12:05 AM | Comments (0)
Anonymous, free, racy... and a bit racist as well. Blossoming behind the silkscreen of anonymity, Craigslist personals reveal deep-seated racism, discovers Wendi Muse, writing at Racialicious. Muse trained her gaze on America's most cosmopolitan city, New York, monitoring and analyzing a full week of the Craigslist Personals section.
The posts offer an array of stereotypes---the Asian, the Black, the Latino and the White---including the expected fetishism and outright racism, but also more subtle clues of association. The things people will admit to when they think no one knows who they are.
Why so much racial discrimination when seeking a mate on the urbanite's favorite site for free furniture and new apartments? Posters seem to use the ethnic and racial sterotypes as prepackaged descriptions of what they seek, instead of answering the probing questions a personals ad requires: Who am I?, What am I looking for in a date?. It's far easier to default to tag-lines and pre-packaged images of 'the kind of person' one wants, riddled with racist cues though they may be: a traditional Asian girl, a spicy Latino man, a bossy Black woman, just a normal white guy.
Read Muse's post for a thorough, hand-picked run of the grittiest dregs of the dating scene, where the meat market sells by the color of the skin.:
While some ads include the users thoughts on race in more subtle ways, for example, simply stating a racial preference (still, arguably, a sign of prejudice), others are more obvious in their descriptionsranging from the utilization of explicitly racist phrases or terms to describe his/her own background and/or the background of the person being sought to downright exclusion a la Jim Crow style (No -insert race here- need apply).
Posted by melanie at 12:05 AM | Comments (0)
Mr. Hyphen 2007 contestant Tingwei Lin will represent the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation, which develops affordable housing and community facilities with integrated services, focusing on Asian and Pacific Islander communities and diverse low income populations in the East Bay area of California.
About Tingwei:
I hope to be a positive representation for Asian American males and the Asian American community as a whole. I guess I'd like to help that one awkward kid struggling with his identity by perhaps giving him an alternative archetype of Asian-ness than is typically presented. Damn, I know i struggled with it a lot growing up.
For Tingwei Lin, pride and humility comfortably coexist. A champion swimmer, he credits his humbleness to his years spent a la Speedo in the public eye. Although he still maintains that coveted swimmer physique, Tingwei now channels his efforts into helping those in the APA and low income community buy their first homes, save for college and start their own businesses. With that athletic build and heart of gold, you'll agree there's not a "Ting" wrong with him!
As a friend observed, I have been growing more and more into my Asian-ness, my Asian identity, since I moved to California almost 2.5 years ago. Envisioning myself as Mr. Hyphen is a culmination of all of that self-acceptance.
--
Mr. Hyphen 2007 will take place on Saturday, June 9
at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center.
Buy tickets here.
Posted by rebecca at 2:52 PM | Comments (3)
Mr. Hyphen 2007 contestant Tingwei Lin will represent the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation, which develops affordable housing and community facilities with integrated services, focusing on Asian and Pacific Islander communities and diverse low income populations in the East Bay area of California.
About Tingwei:
I hope to be a positive representation for Asian American males and the Asian American community as a whole. I guess I'd like to help that one awkward kid struggling with his identity by perhaps giving him an alternative archetype of Asian-ness than is typically presented. Damn, I know i struggled with it a lot growing up.
For Tingwei Lin, pride and humility comfortably coexist. A champion swimmer, he credits his humbleness to his years spent a la Speedo in the public eye. Although he still maintains that coveted swimmer physique, Tingwei now channels his efforts into helping those in the APA and low income community buy their first homes, save for college and start their own businesses. With that athletic build and heart of gold, you'll agree there's not a "Ting" wrong with him!
As a friend observed, I have been growing more and more into my Asian-ness, my Asian identity, since I moved to California almost 2.5 years ago. Envisioning myself as Mr. Hyphen is a culmination of all of that self-acceptance.
--
Mr. Hyphen 2007 will take place on Saturday, June 9
at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center.
Buy tickets here.
Posted by rebecca at 2:52 PM | Comments (3)
Mr. Hyphen 2007 contestant Tingwei Lin will represent the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation, which develops affordable housing and community facilities with integrated services, focusing on Asian and Pacific Islander communities and diverse low income populations in the East Bay area of California.
About Tingwei:
I hope to be a positive representation for Asian American males and the Asian American community as a whole. I guess I'd like to help that one awkward kid struggling with his identity by perhaps giving him an alternative archetype of Asian-ness than is typically presented. Damn, I know i struggled with it a lot growing up.
For Tingwei Lin, pride and humility comfortably coexist. A champion swimmer, he credits his humbleness to his years spent a la Speedo in the public eye. Although he still maintains that coveted swimmer physique, Tingwei now channels his efforts into helping those in the APA and low income community buy their first homes, save for college and start their own businesses. With that athletic build and heart of gold, you'll agree there's not a "Ting" wrong with him!
As a friend observed, I have been growing more and more into my Asian-ness, my Asian identity, since I moved to California almost 2.5 years ago. Envisioning myself as Mr. Hyphen is a culmination of all of that self-acceptance.
--
Mr. Hyphen 2007 will take place on Saturday, June 9
at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center.
Buy tickets here.
Posted by rebecca at 2:52 PM | Comments (3)
Mr. Hyphen 2007 contestant Jason Woo will represent the California Dragon Boat Association, which provides education and instruction to the general public on dragon boating; enhances bonding and interaction among different ethnic and cultural groups locally, nationally and internationally; and provides youth programs centered on paddling activities and leadership.
About Jason:
At the age of 20, I was blessed with the opportunity to join the San Francisco Fire Department. Being exposed to the real world so early in life, I felt that I had to mature quickly. Life is short, enjoy it. I never waste a second in my life.
Jason Woo can probably kick your ass. An avid snowboarder, cyclist, swimmer and any-form-of-physical-activity enthusiast, Jason was the recipient of the Firefighter of the Year award in 2004 for rescuing people whose boat had capsized off of Ocean Beach. And if that isn't enough, he's mentored youth in Daly City, CA through Asian American Recovery Services and is a member of the Asian Fire Association. However, it is his work with the Dragon Boat Association that has led him to forge cultural understanding using paddling sports, turned him into a high school Dragon Boat coach and ultimately, a competitor at the World Championships of Dragon Boating. Not that he'll use his incredible powers against if you if you don't, but giving Jason a hearty "Woo!" when hits the stage couldn't hurt.
--
Mr. Hyphen 2007 will take place on Saturday, June 9
at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center.
Buy tickets here.
Posted by rebecca at 4:37 PM | Comments (0)
Mr. Hyphen 2007 contestant Jason Woo will represent the California Dragon Boat Association, which provides education and instruction to the general public on dragon boating; enhances bonding and interaction among different ethnic and cultural groups locally, nationally and internationally; and provides youth programs centered on paddling activities and leadership.
About Jason:
At the age of 20, I was blessed with the opportunity to join the San Francisco Fire Department. Being exposed to the real world so early in life, I felt that I had to mature quickly. Life is short, enjoy it. I never waste a second in my life.
Jason Woo can probably kick your ass. An avid snowboarder, cyclist, swimmer and any-form-of-physical-activity enthusiast, Jason was the recipient of the Firefighter of the Year award in 2004 for rescuing people whose boat had capsized off of Ocean Beach. And if that isn't enough, he's mentored youth in Daly City, CA through Asian American Recovery Services and is a member of the Asian Fire Association. However, it is his work with the Dragon Boat Association that has led him to forge cultural understanding using paddling sports, turned him into a high school Dragon Boat coach and ultimately, a competitor at the World Championships of Dragon Boating. Not that he'll use his incredible powers against if you if you don't, but giving Jason a hearty "Woo!" when hits the stage couldn't hurt.
--
Mr. Hyphen 2007 will take place on Saturday, June 9
at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center.
Buy tickets here.
Posted by rebecca at 4:37 PM | Comments (0)
Mr. Hyphen 2007 contestant Jason Woo will represent the California Dragon Boat Association, which provides education and instruction to the general public on dragon boating; enhances bonding and interaction among different ethnic and cultural groups locally, nationally and internationally; and provides youth programs centered on paddling activities and leadership.
About Jason:
At the age of 20, I was blessed with the opportunity to join the San Francisco Fire Department. Being exposed to the real world so early in life, I felt that I had to mature quickly. Life is short, enjoy it. I never waste a second in my life.
Jason Woo can probably kick your ass. An avid snowboarder, cyclist, swimmer and any-form-of-physical-activity enthusiast, Jason was the recipient of the Firefighter of the Year award in 2004 for rescuing people whose boat had capsized off of Ocean Beach. And if that isn't enough, he's mentored youth in Daly City, CA through Asian American Recovery Services and is a member of the Asian Fire Association. However, it is his work with the Dragon Boat Association that has led him to forge cultural understanding using paddling sports, turned him into a high school Dragon Boat coach and ultimately, a competitor at the World Championships of Dragon Boating. Not that he'll use his incredible powers against if you if you don't, but giving Jason a hearty "Woo!" when hits the stage couldn't hurt.
--
Mr. Hyphen 2007 will take place on Saturday, June 9
at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center.
Buy tickets here.
Posted by rebecca at 4:37 PM | Comments (0)
Former AsianWeek columnist Kenneth Eng was arrested and jailed last week on harrassment and assault charges.
Eng allegedly approached his neighbors, a mother and daughter who were in their driveway with their pet and said, "If your dog bites me, I will kill you and your family." He then called the mother fat and lazy and swung a hammer at her and the dog, the San Francisco Chronicle says.
Eng, a self-proclaimed Asian supremacist, was fired by AsianWeek after his column listing reasons to hate blacks raised a firestorm. After the Virginia Tech shootings, Eng also said killer Seung-Hui Cho was inspired by his writings.
Gawker has Eng's book proposal.
Eng's attorney wants his client to undergo a mental examination. Good idea.
Posted by harry at 2:46 PM | Comments (0)
Former AsianWeek columnist Kenneth Eng was arrested and jailed last week on harrassment and assault charges.
Eng allegedly approached his neighbors, a mother and daughter who were in their driveway with their pet and said, "If your dog bites me, I will kill you and your family." He then called the mother fat and lazy and swung a hammer at her and the dog, the San Francisco Chronicle says.
Eng, a self-proclaimed Asian supremacist, was fired by AsianWeek after his column listing reasons to hate blacks raised a firestorm. After the Virginia Tech shootings, Eng also said killer Seung-Hui Cho was inspired by his writings.
Gawker has Eng's book proposal.
Eng's attorney wants his client to undergo a mental examination. Good idea.
Posted by harry at 2:46 PM | Comments (0)
Former AsianWeek columnist Kenneth Eng was arrested and jailed last week on harrassment and assault charges.
Eng allegedly approached his neighbors, a mother and daughter who were in their driveway with their pet and said, "If your dog bites me, I will kill you and your family." He then called the mother fat and lazy and swung a hammer at her and the dog, the San Francisco Chronicle says.
Eng, a self-proclaimed Asian supremacist, was fired by AsianWeek after his column listing reasons to hate blacks raised a firestorm. After the Virginia Tech shootings, Eng also said killer Seung-Hui Cho was inspired by his writings.
Gawker has Eng's book proposal.
Eng's attorney wants his client to undergo a mental examination. Good idea.
Posted by harry at 2:46 PM | Comments (0)
Mr. Hyphen 2007 contestant Anthem Salgado will represent Babae SF. Though not a card-carrying member, he believes in Babae's mission of addressing the rights and welfare of multi-generational Filipino women through educational discussions and organizing campaigns.
About Anthem:
He's run 26 miles for an AIDS marathon, learned steer wrestling from Apache Native Americans and walked little old ladies across the street. All this in addition to being a production manager at Kularts and a board member of the Mind Power Collective! An artist in his own right, Anthem is the Jan Brady in the middle of nine siblings. He also has Jedi mind powers. We bet you'll be pledging your allegiance to this Anthem by the end of the night.
I've been mistaken for about every type of Asian, even by other Asians. And after learning about the Vincent Chin story as a young adult, I realized my responsibility to self-represent that pan-Asian connection rather than simply undergo it.
--
Mr. Hyphen 2007 will take place on Saturday, June 9
at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center.
Buy tickets here.
Posted by rebecca at 3:04 PM | Comments (5)
Mr. Hyphen 2007 contestant Anthem Salgado will represent Babae SF. Though not a card-carrying member, he believes in Babae's mission of addressing the rights and welfare of multi-generational Filipino women through educational discussions and organizing campaigns.
About Anthem:
He's run 26 miles for an AIDS marathon, learned steer wrestling from Apache Native Americans and walked little old ladies across the street. All this in addition to being a production manager at Kularts and a board member of the Mind Power Collective! An artist in his own right, Anthem is the Jan Brady in the middle of nine siblings. He also has Jedi mind powers. We bet you'll be pledging your allegiance to this Anthem by the end of the night.
I've been mistaken for about every type of Asian, even by other Asians. And after learning about the Vincent Chin story as a young adult, I realized my responsibility to self-represent that pan-Asian connection rather than simply undergo it.
--
Mr. Hyphen 2007 will take place on Saturday, June 9
at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center.
Buy tickets here.
Posted by rebecca at 3:04 PM | Comments (5)
Mr. Hyphen 2007 contestant Anthem Salgado will represent Babae SF. Though not a card-carrying member, he believes in Babae's mission of addressing the rights and welfare of multi-generational Filipino women through educational discussions and organizing campaigns.
About Anthem:
He's run 26 miles for an AIDS marathon, learned steer wrestling from Apache Native Americans and walked little old ladies across the street. All this in addition to being a production manager at Kularts and a board member of the Mind Power Collective! An artist in his own right, Anthem is the Jan Brady in the middle of nine siblings. He also has Jedi mind powers. We bet you'll be pledging your allegiance to this Anthem by the end of the night.
I've been mistaken for about every type of Asian, even by other Asians. And after learning about the Vincent Chin story as a young adult, I realized my responsibility to self-represent that pan-Asian connection rather than simply undergo it.
--
Mr. Hyphen 2007 will take place on Saturday, June 9
at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center.
Buy tickets here.
Posted by rebecca at 3:04 PM | Comments (5)
Contestant Jeffrey Sichaleune will represent the Midwest Asian American Students Union at Mr. Hyphen 2007. As a coalition of Asian American student groups, MAASU fosters political unity in the Midwest. It promotes leadership, encourages APIA students to work toward social change, and assists schools with the establishment of APIA student organizations and programs.
About Jeffrey:
Personality-wise, I am like a durian--so weird, but so good.
The Washington-born librarian is no stranger to the pageant circuit. A runner-up in the Mr. Asian University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign pageant, Jeffrey has taken an incredibly active role in the Asian American community from his days at the Midwest Asian American Students Union and helping develop the UIUC Asian American Cultural Center in 2005, to his involvement with the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association today. Discovering early in his academic life that engineering wasn't the path for him, Jeffrey eventually went on to earn a master's degree in Library and Information Science. His tenacity and intelligence sure puts the Dewey in our decimal!
I choose all of my activities with deliberate intention and hope to inspire and motivate others ... I would like to continue working with college students and mentor the next generation of conscious Asian American activists. Anecdotal evidence states that college is the best time of a person's life. Research points out that many people develop their Asian American identity in college, so the intersection of these statements can imply that college students are the foundation of the Asian American community. They are going to be our future leaders that serve interdisciplinary interests and are united by their common Asian American identity. ... As a self-identified Southeast Asian, I also think it is important to work with underrepresented Asian American groups to highlight the diversity of Asian Americans.
--
Mr. Hyphen 2007 will take place on Saturday, June 9
at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center.
Buy tickets here.
Posted by rebecca at 2:57 PM | Comments (1)
Contestant Jeffrey Sichaleune will represent the Midwest Asian American Students Union at Mr. Hyphen 2007. As a coalition of Asian American student groups, MAASU fosters political unity in the Midwest. It promotes leadership, encourages APIA students to work toward social change, and assists schools with the establishment of APIA student organizations and programs.
About Jeffrey:
Personality-wise, I am like a durian--so weird, but so good.
The Washington-born librarian is no stranger to the pageant circuit. A runner-up in the Mr. Asian University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign pageant, Jeffrey has taken an incredibly active role in the Asian American community from his days at the Midwest Asian American Students Union and helping develop the UIUC Asian American Cultural Center in 2005, to his involvement with the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association today. Discovering early in his academic life that engineering wasn't the path for him, Jeffrey eventually went on to earn a master's degree in Library and Information Science. His tenacity and intelligence sure puts the Dewey in our decimal!
I choose all of my activities with deliberate intention and hope to inspire and motivate others ... I would like to continue working with college students and mentor the next generation of conscious Asian American activists. Anecdotal evidence states that college is the best time of a person's life. Research points out that many people develop their Asian American identity in college, so the intersection of these statements can imply that college students are the foundation of the Asian American community. They are going to be our future leaders that serve interdisciplinary interests and are united by their common Asian American identity. ... As a self-identified Southeast Asian, I also think it is important to work with underrepresented Asian American groups to highlight the diversity of Asian Americans.
--
Mr. Hyphen 2007 will take place on Saturday, June 9
at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center.
Buy tickets here.
Posted by rebecca at 2:57 PM | Comments (1)
Contestant Jeffrey Sichaleune will represent the Midwest Asian American Students Union at Mr. Hyphen 2007. As a coalition of Asian American student groups, MAASU fosters political unity in the Midwest. It promotes leadership, encourages APIA students to work toward social change, and assists schools with the establishment of APIA student organizations and programs.
About Jeffrey:
Personality-wise, I am like a durian--so weird, but so good.
The Washington-born librarian is no stranger to the pageant circuit. A runner-up in the Mr. Asian University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign pageant, Jeffrey has taken an incredibly active role in the Asian American community from his days at the Midwest Asian American Students Union and helping develop the UIUC Asian American Cultural Center in 2005, to his involvement with the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association today. Discovering early in his academic life that engineering wasn't the path for him, Jeffrey eventually went on to earn a master's degree in Library and Information Science. His tenacity and intelligence sure puts the Dewey in our decimal!
I choose all of my activities with deliberate intention and hope to inspire and motivate others ... I would like to continue working with college students and mentor the next generation of conscious Asian American activists. Anecdotal evidence states that college is the best time of a person's life. Research points out that many people develop their Asian American identity in college, so the intersection of these statements can imply that college students are the foundation of the Asian American community. They are going to be our future leaders that serve interdisciplinary interests and are united by their common Asian American identity. ... As a self-identified Southeast Asian, I also think it is important to work with underrepresented Asian American groups to highlight the diversity of Asian Americans.
--
Mr. Hyphen 2007 will take place on Saturday, June 9
at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center.
Buy tickets here.
Posted by rebecca at 2:57 PM | Comments (1)
Mr. Hyphen 2007 contestant Billy Yeh will represent My Sister's House, which provides services for battered Asian and Pacific Islander women and children. Services include a shelter, culturally and linguistically appropriate domestic violence intervention, support groups, community outreach and intervention and a 24-hour multilingual crisis line.
About Billy:
Given the stark difference in the exposure given to Asian men vs. Asian women in the media, and the underrepresentation of API issues, I believe Mr. Hyphen has a duty to generate positive exposure for not only Asian men everywhere, but also API issues. Moreover, the seemingly irreparable damage done to our species by one William Hung, with whom I'm embarrased to admit sharing the same alma mater, needs to be undone.
An enthusiast of "long walks on the beach, beautiful sunsets," Billy Yeh wasn't always the Adonis you see today. After years of physical intimidation by his older brother, Billy hit the gym and transformed himself into what he humbly refers to as "the body of a god." In doing so, and subsequently wrestling his sibling into submission, Billy demonstrated the strength and willpower that served him well as a chair of UC Berkeley's Asian Political Association. He's hoping you'll feel the same and give him a big "Yeh" as he struts it down the stage.
Where others zig, I zag. Where others tic, I tac and toe. Where others rock, I scissor... you get the point.
--
Mr. Hyphen 2007 will take place on Saturday, June 9
at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center.
Buy tickets here.
Posted by rebecca at 2:39 PM | Comments (3)
Mr. Hyphen 2007 contestant Billy Yeh will represent My Sister's House, which provides services for battered Asian and Pacific Islander women and children. Services include a shelter, culturally and linguistically appropriate domestic violence intervention, support groups, community outreach and intervention and a 24-hour multilingual crisis line.
About Billy:
Given the stark difference in the exposure given to Asian men vs. Asian women in the media, and the underrepresentation of API issues, I believe Mr. Hyphen has a duty to generate positive exposure for not only Asian men everywhere, but also API issues. Moreover, the seemingly irreparable damage done to our species by one William Hung, with whom I'm embarrased to admit sharing the same alma mater, needs to be undone.
An enthusiast of "long walks on the beach, beautiful sunsets," Billy Yeh wasn't always the Adonis you see today. After years of physical intimidation by his older brother, Billy hit the gym and transformed himself into what he humbly refers to as "the body of a god." In doing so, and subsequently wrestling his sibling into submission, Billy demonstrated the strength and willpower that served him well as a chair of UC Berkeley's Asian Political Association. He's hoping you'll feel the same and give him a big "Yeh" as he struts it down the stage.
Where others zig, I zag. Where others tic, I tac and toe. Where others rock, I scissor... you get the point.
--
Mr. Hyphen 2007 will take place on Saturday, June 9
at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center.
Buy tickets here.
Posted by rebecca at 2:39 PM | Comments (3)
Mr. Hyphen 2007 contestant Billy Yeh will represent My Sister's House, which provides services for battered Asian and Pacific Islander women and children. Services include a shelter, culturally and linguistically appropriate domestic violence intervention, support groups, community outreach and intervention and a 24-hour multilingual crisis line.
About Billy:
Given the stark difference in the exposure given to Asian men vs. Asian women in the media, and the underrepresentation of API issues, I believe Mr. Hyphen has a duty to generate positive exposure for not only Asian men everywhere, but also API issues. Moreover, the seemingly irreparable damage done to our species by one William Hung, with whom I'm embarrased to admit sharing the same alma mater, needs to be undone.
An enthusiast of "long walks on the beach, beautiful sunsets," Billy Yeh wasn't always the Adonis you see today. After years of physical intimidation by his older brother, Billy hit the gym and transformed himself into what he humbly refers to as "the body of a god." In doing so, and subsequently wrestling his sibling into submission, Billy demonstrated the strength and willpower that served him well as a chair of UC Berkeley's Asian Political Association. He's hoping you'll feel the same and give him a big "Yeh" as he struts it down the stage.
Where others zig, I zag. Where others tic, I tac and toe. Where others rock, I scissor... you get the point.
--
Mr. Hyphen 2007 will take place on Saturday, June 9
at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center.
Buy tickets here.
Posted by rebecca at 2:39 PM | Comments (3)
Super-popular blog Feministing has been running a series of brief commentaries by Asian American women -- mostly from the grassroots membership-based org National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF) -- entitled "Voices of API Women."
The posts have been about reproductive rights, queer issues, trafficking, being an adoptee, and being a young feminist leader.
I have often spoken to the ladies at NAPAWF for articles and find them to be a great resource. I think that this series is failing a little bit though because it often reads as an advertisement for their org and doesn't seem to really get into APA women's issues in a powerful way. Though, I did really appreciate Ahuja's post on being one of the youngest women in the movement at 35. It is interesting that they haven't seemed to garner a lot of attention either, in terms of comments. I wonder: is this because they are too press release-y or because -- just like at this blog -- people would much rather respond to a post about something easy and pop culture-esque than serious issues?
On a side note, I had a scene from a play I'm working on read in the last class of my MFA career (!!) yesterday and it had a Indian woman dealing with an asshole Indian man in an arranged meeting situation. There might have been some feminist undertones to the thing. Anyway, after class this older (70s) French woman who has been auditing the class approached me and gave me props for my feminism, saying that it seemed like only "minority" women were feminist anymore. Interesting. What do y'all think? Are Asian American women epseically powerful in the feminist movement of today?
Posted by neela at 12:35 PM | Comments (19)
Super-popular blog Feministing has been running a series of brief commentaries by Asian American women -- mostly from the grassroots membership-based org National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF) -- entitled "Voices of API Women."
The posts have been about reproductive rights, queer issues, trafficking, being an adoptee, and being a young feminist leader.
I have often spoken to the ladies at NAPAWF for articles and find them to be a great resource. I think that this series is failing a little bit though because it often reads as an advertisement for their org and doesn't seem to really get into APA women's issues in a powerful way. Though, I did really appreciate Ahuja's post on being one of the youngest women in the movement at 35. It is interesting that they haven't seemed to garner a lot of attention either, in terms of comments. I wonder: is this because they are too press release-y or because -- just like at this blog -- people would much rather respond to a post about something easy and pop culture-esque than serious issues?
On a side note, I had a scene from a play I'm working on read in the last class of my MFA career (!!) yesterday and it had a Indian woman dealing with an asshole Indian man in an arranged meeting situation. There might have been some feminist undertones to the thing. Anyway, after class this older (70s) French woman who has been auditing the class approached me and gave me props for my feminism, saying that it seemed like only "minority" women were feminist anymore. Interesting. What do y'all think? Are Asian American women epseically powerful in the feminist movement of today?
Posted by neela at 12:35 PM | Comments (19)
Super-popular blog Feministing has been running a series of brief commentaries by Asian American women -- mostly from the grassroots membership-based org National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF) -- entitled "Voices of API Women."
The posts have been about reproductive rights, queer issues, trafficking, being an adoptee, and being a young feminist leader.
I have often spoken to the ladies at NAPAWF for articles and find them to be a great resource. I think that this series is failing a little bit though because it often reads as an advertisement for their org and doesn't seem to really get into APA women's issues in a powerful way. Though, I did really appreciate Ahuja's post on being one of the youngest women in the movement at 35. It is interesting that they haven't seemed to garner a lot of attention either, in terms of comments. I wonder: is this because they are too press release-y or because -- just like at this blog -- people would much rather respond to a post about something easy and pop culture-esque than serious issues?
On a side note, I had a scene from a play I'm working on read in the last class of my MFA career (!!) yesterday and it had a Indian woman dealing with an asshole Indian man in an arranged meeting situation. There might have been some feminist undertones to the thing. Anyway, after class this older (70s) French woman who has been auditing the class approached me and gave me props for my feminism, saying that it seemed like only "minority" women were feminist anymore. Interesting. What do y'all think? Are Asian American women epseically powerful in the feminist movement of today?
Posted by neela at 12:35 PM | Comments (19)
Just in case you didn't catch the May email newsletter, the following Asian American men will battle it down on stage for the chance to win the Mr. Hyphen crown and a prize donation to their chosen nonprofit:
Tingwei Lin, East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation
Luke Patterson, Great Leap
Anthem Salgado, Babae
Jeffrey Sichaleune, Midwest Asian American Students Union
Jason Woo, California Dragonboat Association
Billy Yeh, My Sister's House
Saturday, June 9
7 - 10pm
Oakland Asian Cultural Center
Stay tuned for more on the contestants' finer points [ahem]...
Posted by rebecca at 4:55 PM | Comments (2)
Just in case you didn't catch the May email newsletter, the following Asian American men will battle it down on stage for the chance to win the Mr. Hyphen crown and a prize donation to their chosen nonprofit:
Tingwei Lin, East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation
Luke Patterson, Great Leap
Anthem Salgado, Babae
Jeffrey Sichaleune, Midwest Asian American Students Union
Jason Woo, California Dragonboat Association
Billy Yeh, My Sister's House
Saturday, June 9
7 - 10pm
Oakland Asian Cultural Center
Stay tuned for more on the contestants' finer points [ahem]...
Posted by rebecca at 4:55 PM | Comments (2)
Just in case you didn't catch the May email newsletter, the following Asian American men will battle it down on stage for the chance to win the Mr. Hyphen crown and a prize donation to their chosen nonprofit:
Tingwei Lin, East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation
Luke Patterson, Great Leap
Anthem Salgado, Babae
Jeffrey Sichaleune, Midwest Asian American Students Union
Jason Woo, California Dragonboat Association
Billy Yeh, My Sister's House
Saturday, June 9
7 - 10pm
Oakland Asian Cultural Center
Stay tuned for more on the contestants' finer points [ahem]...
Posted by rebecca at 4:55 PM | Comments (2)
What have some of our past Mr. Hyphen contestants been doing? Well, if you're Alain Dang, you've been authoring ground-breaking studies.
Alain is the author of this just-released national survey of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Asian and Pacific Islander Americans.
Almost all the respondents reported experiencing discrimination or harassment, which sadly does not seem surprising. Most agreed that Asian Americans experience racism within the LGBT community, which is predominantly white. One of the most interesting findings is that media representations (how APIs and queer APIs are portrayed, if at all, in the media) is a top concern of the respondants.
Posted by Melissa at 10:48 AM | Comments (1)
What have some of our past Mr. Hyphen contestants been doing? Well, if you're Alain Dang, you've been authoring ground-breaking studies.
Alain is the author of this just-released national survey of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Asian and Pacific Islander Americans.
Almost all the respondents reported experiencing discrimination or harassment, which sadly does not seem surprising. Most agreed that Asian Americans experience racism within the LGBT community, which is predominantly white. One of the most interesting findings is that media representations (how APIs and queer APIs are portrayed, if at all, in the media) is a top concern of the respondants.
Posted by Melissa at 10:48 AM | Comments (1)
What have some of our past Mr. Hyphen contestants been doing? Well, if you're Alain Dang, you've been authoring ground-breaking studies.
Alain is the author of this just-released national survey of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Asian and Pacific Islander Americans.
Almost all the respondents reported experiencing discrimination or harassment, which sadly does not seem surprising. Most agreed that Asian Americans experience racism within the LGBT community, which is predominantly white. One of the most interesting findings is that media representations (how APIs and queer APIs are portrayed, if at all, in the media) is a top concern of the respondants.
Posted by Melissa at 10:48 AM | Comments (1)
Just a quick note to say Yau-Man Chan, one of the favorites to win Survivor: Fiji, got voted out in the final episode. My colleague Chuck Barney describes the episode here. In other Survivor news, previous winner Yul Kwon has a gig on CNN.
Kwon will be a special correspondent reporting on stories for CNN's Uncovering America: The Asian American Journey series the network is producing for Asian American Heritage Month.
The stories he's working on and the days they air are:
May 14: The changing image of Asian American men in film and
television
May 15: The glass ceiling for Asian Americans in corporate
America
May 16: Affirmative action in education
Posted by harry at 2:50 PM | Comments (0)
Just a quick note to say Yau-Man Chan, one of the favorites to win Survivor: Fiji, got voted out in the final episode. My colleague Chuck Barney describes the episode here. In other Survivor news, previous winner Yul Kwon has a gig on CNN.
Kwon will be a special correspondent reporting on stories for CNN's Uncovering America: The Asian American Journey series the network is producing for Asian American Heritage Month.
The stories he's working on and the days they air are:
May 14: The changing image of Asian American men in film and
television
May 15: The glass ceiling for Asian Americans in corporate
America
May 16: Affirmative action in education
Posted by harry at 2:50 PM | Comments (0)
Just a quick note to say Yau-Man Chan, one of the favorites to win Survivor: Fiji, got voted out in the final episode. My colleague Chuck Barney describes the episode here. In other Survivor news, previous winner Yul Kwon has a gig on CNN.
Kwon will be a special correspondent reporting on stories for CNN's Uncovering America: The Asian American Journey series the network is producing for Asian American Heritage Month.
The stories he's working on and the days they air are:
May 14: The changing image of Asian American men in film and
television
May 15: The glass ceiling for Asian Americans in corporate
America
May 16: Affirmative action in education
Posted by harry at 2:50 PM | Comments (0)
A couple months out of the year I get no sleep because not only am I working on Hyphen stuff outside of my day job, but I’m also working on Slant, a little film festival in Houston. We’re in our 7th year, and it takes place next weekend.
Slant screens Asian American shorts (each film is 30 minutes or less). We’ve shown a lot of emerging filmmakers who have gone on to do great things. (Michael Kang, Alice Wu, Greg Pak, just to name a few)
Hope you can check it out if you’re in the Houston area. We’ll also have issues of Hyphen and other Hyphen goodies there. As we’re not really carried in many places in Texas, this is a good chance to get your hands on an issue.
And not to leave out the Bay Area, for the first time this year, the festival will also travel to San Francisco. More details coming soon, but mark your calendars for July 21st at the 4 Star Theater (an Asian American-owned theater which we wrote about in issue 11).
Many thanks to the Aurora Picture Show, a nonprofit microcinema in Houston, which has been hosting and funding Slant all these years.
Here’s the detail on the film programs:
The 7th annual Slant Film Festival
May 19-20, Aurora Picture Show, Houston
$6 or Free with All Access Pass
You can purchase tickets online at Aurora Picture Show
Program 1: Children, Young & Grown | Saturday, May 19, at 8pm
Children try to find safety from a harsh world, whether it's the little boy practicing his karate moves in Siu Ta's Kata Practice, or the children in Tze Chun's Windowbreaker, who build traps to protect their home. Vivid imaginations take hold during the summer in Suzi Yoonessi's whimsical Dear Lemon Lima and in Kimi Takesue's The Summer of the Serpent.
Two films also explore the relationships between parents and their grown children. A mother and son take a final journey together in Jae-Ho Chang's The Last Vacation while a movie director confronts his father in Lead Role: Father by PJ Raval.
Program 2: Best of Slant & More! | Sunday May 20, at 3pm
Dragon of Love by Doan La
Get ready for some of Slant's greatest hits! In celebration of a Best of Slant DVD compilation to be released later this summer, this program includes a few audience favorites from past years of the festival. Wes Kim's Profiles in Science takes a quirky look at one man's unwavering pursuit of scientific knowledge. A pie maker tries to explain himself in Nobu Ailman's faux documentary I Pie (A Love Story). Maritess V.S. the Superfriends, an animation by Dino Ignacio, tells the plight of the Superfriends' Filipina maid. And Doan La's comedy Dragon of Love chronicles one man's dating disaster when he meets the woman of his dreams.
But wait, there's more! Sunday's program will also feature the Texas premieres of three films: Josh Kim's The Police Box, a charming story of romantic crushes; Frank Yeean Chan's cycling adventure Russian Hill Roulette; and Ling Liu's Officer Tsukamoto, a documentary about the unsolved 1970 murder of a police officer.
Posted by Melissa at 8:58 PM | Comments (0)
A couple months out of the year I get no sleep because not only am I working on Hyphen stuff outside of my day job, but I’m also working on Slant, a little film festival in Houston. We’re in our 7th year, and it takes place next weekend.
Slant screens Asian American shorts (each film is 30 minutes or less). We’ve shown a lot of emerging filmmakers who have gone on to do great things. (Michael Kang, Alice Wu, Greg Pak, just to name a few)
Hope you can check it out if you’re in the Houston area. We’ll also have issues of Hyphen and other Hyphen goodies there. As we’re not really carried in many places in Texas, this is a good chance to get your hands on an issue.
And not to leave out the Bay Area, for the first time this year, the festival will also travel to San Francisco. More details coming soon, but mark your calendars for July 21st at the 4 Star Theater (an Asian American-owned theater which we wrote about in issue 11).
Many thanks to the Aurora Picture Show, a nonprofit microcinema in Houston, which has been hosting and funding Slant all these years.
Here’s the detail on the film programs:
The 7th annual Slant Film Festival
May 19-20, Aurora Picture Show, Houston
$6 or Free with All Access Pass
You can purchase tickets online at Aurora Picture Show
Program 1: Children, Young & Grown | Saturday, May 19, at 8pm
Children try to find safety from a harsh world, whether it's the little boy practicing his karate moves in Siu Ta's Kata Practice, or the children in Tze Chun's Windowbreaker, who build traps to protect their home. Vivid imaginations take hold during the summer in Suzi Yoonessi's whimsical Dear Lemon Lima and in Kimi Takesue's The Summer of the Serpent.
Two films also explore the relationships between parents and their grown children. A mother and son take a final journey together in Jae-Ho Chang's The Last Vacation while a movie director confronts his father in Lead Role: Father by PJ Raval.
Program 2: Best of Slant & More! | Sunday May 20, at 3pm
Dragon of Love by Doan La
Get ready for some of Slant's greatest hits! In celebration of a Best of Slant DVD compilation to be released later this summer, this program includes a few audience favorites from past years of the festival. Wes Kim's Profiles in Science takes a quirky look at one man's unwavering pursuit of scientific knowledge. A pie maker tries to explain himself in Nobu Ailman's faux documentary I Pie (A Love Story). Maritess V.S. the Superfriends, an animation by Dino Ignacio, tells the plight of the Superfriends' Filipina maid. And Doan La's comedy Dragon of Love chronicles one man's dating disaster when he meets the woman of his dreams.
But wait, there's more! Sunday's program will also feature the Texas premieres of three films: Josh Kim's The Police Box, a charming story of romantic crushes; Frank Yeean Chan's cycling adventure Russian Hill Roulette; and Ling Liu's Officer Tsukamoto, a documentary about the unsolved 1970 murder of a police officer.
Posted by Melissa at 8:58 PM | Comments (0)
A couple months out of the year I get no sleep because not only am I working on Hyphen stuff outside of my day job, but Im also working on Slant, a little film festival in Houston. Were in our 7th year, and it takes place next weekend.
Slant screens Asian American shorts (each film is 30 minutes or less). Weve shown a lot of emerging filmmakers who have gone on to do great things. (Michael Kang, Alice Wu, Greg Pak, just to name a few)
Hope you can check it out if youre in the Houston area. Well also have issues of Hyphen and other Hyphen goodies there. As were not really carried in many places in Texas, this is a good chance to get your hands on an issue.
And not to leave out the Bay Area, for the first time this year, the festival will also travel to San Francisco. More details coming soon, but mark your calendars for July 21st at the 4 Star Theater (an Asian American-owned theater which we wrote about in issue 11).
Many thanks to the Aurora Picture Show, a nonprofit microcinema in Houston, which has been hosting and funding Slant all these years.
Heres the detail on the film programs:
The 7th annual Slant Film Festival
May 19-20, Aurora Picture Show, Houston
$6 or Free with All Access Pass
You can purchase tickets online at Aurora Picture Show
Program 1: Children, Young & Grown | Saturday, May 19, at 8pm
Children try to find safety from a harsh world, whether it's the little boy practicing his karate moves in Siu Ta's Kata Practice, or the children in Tze Chun's Windowbreaker, who build traps to protect their home. Vivid imaginations take hold during the summer in Suzi Yoonessi's whimsical Dear Lemon Lima and in Kimi Takesue's The Summer of the Serpent.
Two films also explore the relationships between parents and their grown children. A mother and son take a final journey together in Jae-Ho Chang's The Last Vacation while a movie director confronts his father in Lead Role: Father by PJ Raval.
Program 2: Best of Slant & More! | Sunday May 20, at 3pm
Dragon of Love by Doan La
Get ready for some of Slant's greatest hits! In celebration of a Best of Slant DVD compilation to be released later this summer, this program includes a few audience favorites from past years of the festival. Wes Kim's Profiles in Science takes a quirky look at one man's unwavering pursuit of scientific knowledge. A pie maker tries to explain himself in Nobu Ailman's faux documentary I Pie (A Love Story). Maritess V.S. the Superfriends, an animation by Dino Ignacio, tells the plight of the Superfriends' Filipina maid. And Doan La's comedy Dragon of Love chronicles one man's dating disaster when he meets the woman of his dreams.
But wait, there's more! Sunday's program will also feature the Texas premieres of three films: Josh Kim's The Police Box, a charming story of romantic crushes; Frank Yeean Chan's cycling adventure Russian Hill Roulette; and Ling Liu's Officer Tsukamoto, a documentary about the unsolved 1970 murder of a police officer.
Posted by Melissa at 8:58 PM | Comments (0)
Two New York radio show hosts were fired for airing a prank call to a Chinese restaurant in which the caller ordered "shrimp flied lice," claimed he was a student of kung fu, and compared menu items to employees' body parts.
The Dog House with JV & Elvis, was hosted by Jeff Vandergrift and Dan Lay. They aired the bit a few weeks back, but nobody complained until it was rebroadcast after the Don Imus firing. Then Asian American groups started a campaign to have the Dog House crew canned.
I looked around for the clip in question, but didn't find it. I'll keep looking, but if anyone knows a link, please post.
Is it offensive? Without hearing it, I don't know, but it would seem to be on the surface. But to some people it may be funny. There's a fine line between satire that's humorous and has a point and something that's offensive, especially when it comes to race.
Here's some other blogs commenting about it:
Posted by harry at 4:13 PM | Comments (13)
Two New York radio show hosts were fired for airing a prank call to a Chinese restaurant in which the caller ordered "shrimp flied lice," claimed he was a student of kung fu, and compared menu items to employees' body parts.
The Dog House with JV & Elvis, was hosted by Jeff Vandergrift and Dan Lay. They aired the bit a few weeks back, but nobody complained until it was rebroadcast after the Don Imus firing. Then Asian American groups started a campaign to have the Dog House crew canned.
I looked around for the clip in question, but didn't find it. I'll keep looking, but if anyone knows a link, please post.
Is it offensive? Without hearing it, I don't know, but it would seem to be on the surface. But to some people it may be funny. There's a fine line between satire that's humorous and has a point and something that's offensive, especially when it comes to race.
Here's some other blogs commenting about it:
Posted by harry at 4:13 PM | Comments (13)
Two New York radio show hosts were fired for airing a prank call to a Chinese restaurant in which the caller ordered "shrimp flied lice," claimed he was a student of kung fu, and compared menu items to employees' body parts.
The Dog House with JV & Elvis, was hosted by Jeff Vandergrift and Dan Lay. They aired the bit a few weeks back, but nobody complained until it was rebroadcast after the Don Imus firing. Then Asian American groups started a campaign to have the Dog House crew canned.
I looked around for the clip in question, but didn't find it. I'll keep looking, but if anyone knows a link, please post.
Is it offensive? Without hearing it, I don't know, but it would seem to be on the surface. But to some people it may be funny. There's a fine line between satire that's humorous and has a point and something that's offensive, especially when it comes to race.
Here's some other blogs commenting about it:
Posted by harry at 4:13 PM | Comments (13)
I [heart] spelling bees. I was totally one of those kids, even though I never got that far. After my local fifth grade victory, I sank into despair with an early disqualification the next year, crying silently onstage as the winner was slowly and painfully revealed. I'm not sure which was more embarrassing: losing out early or crying onstage.
Incidentally, 'embarrass' was one of the words that my parents started me on in the first grade, prompted by the 'D' I received in spelling. They LOVED to pop-quiz me, especially while at the grocery store. ('Grocery' was also one of the words.) It could have been one of those tricks parents pull to keep kids tame while in public. But they also were dedicated to pop-quizzing me and having me memorize lists of factoids in general--the order of American presidents, world and state capitals, name-that-symphonic-tune. (Handel's Water Music! Copland's Appalachian Spring!) My knack for the factoidal carried on through high school, where I competed in the Knowledge Bowl amongst the Central American consortium of American schools. Unfortunately, it all fell out of my brain upon freshman year at Humboldt State.
Before we make any assumptions about an inherent Asian-ness to all of this, both my white and Asian parents were really into providing me with this sort of classical, well-rounded education. That's just the way they rolled. And I suck at math. My science knowledge was really about memorizing the terms, since I was slow on the calculations. What can I say, I'm a werd nerd.
Despite what I just said about Asian-ness and nerdiness, and by extension SPELLING BEES [heart heart heart], I find stories about young Asian Americans and spelling bees to be among the most compelling ever told. Call me biased.
This week's New York Times tells the story of 13-year-old Kunal Sah, who hopes to win the nationals this month in order to draw attention to the case of his deported parents. They've also produced a video. The parental pressure usually attributed to the success of Asian American kids is of a different sort, that of reuniting: “The anger is pushing me ... The anger is just telling me that yes, this year I have to win.”
Did you watch The Girl Who Spelled Freedom (1986) in elementary school? It's based on the true story of a Cambodian refugee girl who becomes a spelling bee success shortly after arriving in the US. Totally tugs at the American dream heartstrings.
Posted by rebecca at 6:23 PM | Comments (2)
I [heart] spelling bees. I was totally one of those kids, even though I never got that far. After my local fifth grade victory, I sank into despair with an early disqualification the next year, crying silently onstage as the winner was slowly and painfully revealed. I'm not sure which was more embarrassing: losing out early or crying onstage.
Incidentally, 'embarrass' was one of the words that my parents started me on in the first grade, prompted by the 'D' I received in spelling. They LOVED to pop-quiz me, especially while at the grocery store. ('Grocery' was also one of the words.) It could have been one of those tricks parents pull to keep kids tame while in public. But they also were dedicated to pop-quizzing me and having me memorize lists of factoids in general--the order of American presidents, world and state capitals, name-that-symphonic-tune. (Handel's Water Music! Copland's Appalachian Spring!) My knack for the factoidal carried on through high school, where I competed in the Knowledge Bowl amongst the Central American consortium of American schools. Unfortunately, it all fell out of my brain upon freshman year at Humboldt State.
Before we make any assumptions about an inherent Asian-ness to all of this, both my white and Asian parents were really into providing me with this sort of classical, well-rounded education. That's just the way they rolled. And I suck at math. My science knowledge was really about memorizing the terms, since I was slow on the calculations. What can I say, I'm a werd nerd.
Despite what I just said about Asian-ness and nerdiness, and by extension SPELLING BEES [heart heart heart], I find stories about young Asian Americans and spelling bees to be among the most compelling ever told. Call me biased.
This week's New York Times tells the story of 13-year-old Kunal Sah, who hopes to win the nationals this month in order to draw attention to the case of his deported parents. They've also produced a video. The parental pressure usually attributed to the success of Asian American kids is of a different sort, that of reuniting: “The anger is pushing me ... The anger is just telling me that yes, this year I have to win.”
Did you watch The Girl Who Spelled Freedom (1986) in elementary school? It's based on the true story of a Cambodian refugee girl who becomes a spelling bee success shortly after arriving in the US. Totally tugs at the American dream heartstrings.
Posted by rebecca at 6:23 PM | Comments (2)
I [heart] spelling bees. I was totally one of those kids, even though I never got that far. After my local fifth grade victory, I sank into despair with an early disqualification the next year, crying silently onstage as the winner was slowly and painfully revealed. I'm not sure which was more embarrassing: losing out early or crying onstage.
Incidentally, 'embarrass' was one of the words that my parents started me on in the first grade, prompted by the 'D' I received in spelling. They LOVED to pop-quiz me, especially while at the grocery store. ('Grocery' was also one of the words.) It could have been one of those tricks parents pull to keep kids tame while in public. But they also were dedicated to pop-quizzing me and having me memorize lists of factoids in general--the order of American presidents, world and state capitals, name-that-symphonic-tune. (Handel's Water Music! Copland's Appalachian Spring!) My knack for the factoidal carried on through high school, where I competed in the Knowledge Bowl amongst the Central American consortium of American schools. Unfortunately, it all fell out of my brain upon freshman year at Humboldt State.
Before we make any assumptions about an inherent Asian-ness to all of this, both my white and Asian parents were really into providing me with this sort of classical, well-rounded education. That's just the way they rolled. And I suck at math. My science knowledge was really about memorizing the terms, since I was slow on the calculations. What can I say, I'm a werd nerd.
Despite what I just said about Asian-ness and nerdiness, and by extension SPELLING BEES [heart heart heart], I find stories about young Asian Americans and spelling bees to be among the most compelling ever told. Call me biased.
This week's New York Times tells the story of 13-year-old Kunal Sah, who hopes to win the nationals this month in order to draw attention to the case of his deported parents. They've also produced a video. The parental pressure usually attributed to the success of Asian American kids is of a different sort, that of reuniting: The anger is pushing me ... The anger is just telling me that yes, this year I have to win.
Did you watch The Girl Who Spelled Freedom (1986) in elementary school? It's based on the true story of a Cambodian refugee girl who becomes a spelling bee success shortly after arriving in the US. Totally tugs at the American dream heartstrings.
Posted by rebecca at 6:23 PM | Comments (2)
I was poking around make-up megastore Sephora the other day while waiting for a meeting and came across this display for Shalini Vadhera’s Global Goddess line. Come to think of it, I was actually looking for some concealer that would match my skin tone and there it was – a whole line of beauty products made by a South Asian woman, catering to different skin tones.
I have to confess, I had a really mixed reaction to it. At first, I was like, "Wow, finally make-up that accounts for my ethnic background!" Then I was like: "Ew, does that really say Chai Cheek Color and Moroccan Mystique Lip Veils?”
The make-up, which is runs mid-range to pricey, seems like good quality and Vadhera – who is a make-up artist – seems to really understand that women from all across the pigment range need make-up that makes sense for them. But, is it necessary to market on the exotic factor in order to catch the attention of these women, and others? I mean, maybe it is – the gaudy, silk-wrapped display got my attention in a hurry but the names stopped me from buying the products.
But of course, this is very personal – I would be more prone to buying Urban Decay’s Big Fatty Mascara or Urban Ammo Eye Palette -- with colors like Smog and Maui Wowie – because I feel like they are kind-of ironically tackling the whole beauty market and having a bit of fun with it. And I am one of those girls who came to make-up late in life and still don’t really have the hang of it. Whenever I go into Sephora, I feel kind of guilty anyway, like I am supporting some huge fucked-up industry. Plus, one time I had a REALLY bad experience there.
But, I have been thinking about the Global Goddess line as my Walgreen’s make-up dries up. To tell you the truth, I’ve been considering going back and picking up some of Vadhera’s products. Does that make me a sell-out?
Posted by neela at 12:49 PM | Comments (5)
I was poking around make-up megastore Sephora the other day while waiting for a meeting and came across this display for Shalini Vadhera’s Global Goddess line. Come to think of it, I was actually looking for some concealer that would match my skin tone and there it was – a whole line of beauty products made by a South Asian woman, catering to different skin tones.
I have to confess, I had a really mixed reaction to it. At first, I was like, "Wow, finally make-up that accounts for my ethnic background!" Then I was like: "Ew, does that really say Chai Cheek Color and Moroccan Mystique Lip Veils?”
The make-up, which is runs mid-range to pricey, seems like good quality and Vadhera – who is a make-up artist – seems to really understand that women from all across the pigment range need make-up that makes sense for them. But, is it necessary to market on the exotic factor in order to catch the attention of these women, and others? I mean, maybe it is – the gaudy, silk-wrapped display got my attention in a hurry but the names stopped me from buying the products.
But of course, this is very personal – I would be more prone to buying Urban Decay’s Big Fatty Mascara or Urban Ammo Eye Palette -- with colors like Smog and Maui Wowie – because I feel like they are kind-of ironically tackling the whole beauty market and having a bit of fun with it. And I am one of those girls who came to make-up late in life and still don’t really have the hang of it. Whenever I go into Sephora, I feel kind of guilty anyway, like I am supporting some huge fucked-up industry. Plus, one time I had a REALLY bad experience there.
But, I have been thinking about the Global Goddess line as my Walgreen’s make-up dries up. To tell you the truth, I’ve been considering going back and picking up some of Vadhera’s products. Does that make me a sell-out?
Posted by neela at 12:49 PM | Comments (5)
I was poking around make-up megastore Sephora the other day while waiting for a meeting and came across this display for Shalini Vadheras Global Goddess line. Come to think of it, I was actually looking for some concealer that would match my skin tone and there it was a whole line of beauty products made by a South Asian woman, catering to different skin tones.
I have to confess, I had a really mixed reaction to it. At first, I was like, "Wow, finally make-up that accounts for my ethnic background!" Then I was like: "Ew, does that really say Chai Cheek Color and Moroccan Mystique Lip Veils?
The make-up, which is runs mid-range to pricey, seems like good quality and Vadhera who is a make-up artist seems to really understand that women from all across the pigment range need make-up that makes sense for them. But, is it necessary to market on the exotic factor in order to catch the attention of these women, and others? I mean, maybe it is the gaudy, silk-wrapped display got my attention in a hurry but the names stopped me from buying the products.
But of course, this is very personal I would be more prone to buying Urban Decays Big Fatty Mascara or Urban Ammo Eye Palette -- with colors like Smog and Maui Wowie because I feel like they are kind-of ironically tackling the whole beauty market and having a bit of fun with it. And I am one of those girls who came to make-up late in life and still dont really have the hang of it. Whenever I go into Sephora, I feel kind of guilty anyway, like I am supporting some huge fucked-up industry. Plus, one time I had a REALLY bad experience there.
But, I have been thinking about the Global Goddess line as my Walgreens make-up dries up. To tell you the truth, Ive been considering going back and picking up some of Vadheras products. Does that make me a sell-out?
Posted by neela at 12:49 PM | Comments (5)
Begrudgingly, I awoke this morning to attend a “mandatory” 9 AM class because the instructor had written me an email specifically asking me to attend. My attendance record is substandard at best. While walking along the empty streets of Telegraph Avenue, I was well aware that today was International Workers’ Day and the anniversary of the Great American Boycott of 2006, but my main objective was to get my name on the class sign-in sheet and then promptly zone out. From the estimates I’d read in most major newspapers, I was doubtful that this year’s protests would bring out millions, shut down major freeways and make the voices of 12 million undocumented immigrants and their allies heard around the world like the protests of 2006.
However, despite my low expectations I was surprised by the paltry attendance of this major event by the students at the supposed activist capital of the world, UC Berkeley. Last year I remember the campus was nearly shut down as hundreds of students crowded Sproul Plaza, chanting “Si, se puede!” and holding signs that declared: “The Pilgrims Didn’t Have Green Cards!” and “No Human is Illegal!,” all in solidarity with the protests rocking the nation from March to May in 2006 – the largest protests in American history. Instead, this year’s contingent was a jumbled group of 30 or so impassioned students imploring walkers-by to join the boycott. People ignored them, figuring that it was just another ineffectual “Berkeley thing.” Embarrassed and slightly ashamed, I grabbed a flyer and sauntered off to class.
As I shuffled through the door, the graduate student instructor smiled and said with more than a hint of sarcasm, “I’m glad you made it.”
Racked with guilt coming from all sides, I looked at him and said, “Uhm, you know, there’s a boycott of classes today…”
He looked at me incredulously and said, “Dude, are you serious? Don’t walk out. I used to do that shit all of the time and there’s nothing more useless you could do to help immigrants than walking out of class. Trust me.”
Dumbfounded and intimidated, I took my normal seat in the back. I thought of all the responses I could have thrown back at this disillusioned former activist. But I couldn’t escape the mental image of the trash cans filled with crumpled flyers, the articles about the politically apathetic Asian American population at Cal, and protestors giving zealous speeches into loudspeakers that only motivated passersby to turn up the volume on their iPods.
For the record, I am far from being a strong political activist. Nearly a decade ago, when I first began my undergraduate studies, I joined a protest to end discrimination against Arab Americans after 9/11. After waving signs and shouting at the top of my lungs, I felt great. I felt mobilized, active, and more than anything, proud. But as the weeks passed and the political uproar dwindled, it dawned on me that our efforts had done little to curtail the continuing violent attacks against Arab Americans and the slow appropriation of American civil rights.
After that sad epiphany six years ago and reading more than my fair share of Milan Kundera (quote# 2), I swore to myself that I would never again march with a massive protest, shout slogans, nor pump my fist in the air (unless it was at a sporting event). I decided that journalism would be the avenue through which I expressed my political inclinations, a decision that would prohibit me from feeling good about myself for simply standing in a crowd with others.
Now that I’m a “super-duper senior” (AKA “super slacker”), I’ve steadfastly abided by this mantra throughout my undergrad career. However, at that moment the hypocrisy was agonizing, especially after I had written multiple articles about the importance of immigrant rights, lambasting my fellow Asian American students for not understanding the importance of the last year’s protests (page 3). Even hyphen represented last year at these major events. But this year, when the immigration movement needs more support than ever with the continuing raids by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agencies that are separating families, where were all of last year’s galvanized and fervent students? My face burned red.
Five minutes before the march was set to begin, I gritted my teeth and walked out of class. The instructor smirked at me and said, “Have fun,” as if that were my goal. “Believe me,” I thought, “fun would have been to ditch class completely and sleep in like I normally do when there are picket lines on campus.”
About forty strong, we left campus and walked against traffic along Telegraph Ave towards the Oakland City Center. I looked at all the students hustling past us to class, as I had only an hour ago, and felt disheartened. Among us, I counted very few actual students, and after a few blocks, and quite a few angry honks from already irritated morning commuters, most of the twenty-somethings with backpacks on began to peel off.
What began as a solidified march of the penguins-style protest turned into a rag-tag group of individuals trying their best to retain courage in the face of road rage. Despite my impulse to be interpellated, I tried my best ignore the double yellow lines and traffic lights against the behest of our small police escort. At Alcatraz Avenue, the Berkeley Police Department left us to the traffic. Soon after, the batteries in the protest leader’s microphone gave out, children began to whine asking to be carried by piggy-back, and my feet began to hurt when I saw the hazy outline of the Oakland Federal Building in the distant horizon.
But as we continued marching into the less affluent areas, we garnered more and more support. While we still received the occasional middle finger, drivers began to honk in encouragement, giving us a wave and a thumbs-up. People cheered as we walked past, and every few blocks or so a new contingent of American-flag waving protestors would join the walk. Every additional member was greeted with a huge cheer. As we passed 40th Street, our entourage had grown into the hundreds. High school and middle school students, who had joined us by jumping over fences chained by campus administrators in anticipation of the walkout, cajoled us with their antics and high-spirits. Soon a large contingent of Oakland police officers walked alongside us and blocked off intersections. We were too large to ignore. Suddenly, a six mile walk on a spring day didn’t seem too bad.
One of the marchers I was lucky enough to meet was Ramon, a recently laid-off construction worker and father of five. He had just turned in a job application in Berkeley when he saw us impeding traffic and spontaneously joined. Upon meeting me, he noted that I was the only Asian in our brigade. After having my morning caffeine, I was fully prepared for the conversation this time, and I informed him that out of the projected 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US, over a million originate from Asia. We just happened to be walking through Oakland Koreatown, and I pointed at the stores and restaurants and estimated that a few of the onlookers were in all likelihood immigrants that had overstayed their visas and were now working for poverty wages in this ethnic enclave. I then went on to tell him about how racist and unfair immigration laws had been leveled against Asian Americans since the mid 19th century, culminating with the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. Using cheap labor to bolster the economy is an American tradition.
Ramon then asked me, “Then how come more of Asians aren’t marching with us?”
A variety of responses flashed through my head, but none seemed adequate. I tried to explain that there hadn’t been much effort to reach out to this marginalized, but massive populace, and that myths perpetuated about Asians being the model minority had made it significantly harder for them to mobilize politically. I even forwarded a hypothesis that the media’s portrayal of the immigrant rights movement as being just a “Mexican issue” had convinced them that it wasn’t their struggle.
In the end, I just told him: “Well, I’m here.” And he smiled.
Just as our conversation ended, we rounded the corner of 14th and Broadway and met with a huge roar. We looked ahead to see thousands of protestors that had marched to the city center from the Fruitvale BART station. Cheers erupted from our ranks, as we scuttled to join the group moving towards the rallying point.
As I sifted through the enormous crowd in a fruitless search for my sister who had marched with the coalition from Laney College, I was happy to see people of all ethnicities, Asian included, chanting: “Si, se puede!”, “Pueblo escucha! Estamos en la lucha!” (“People listen! We’re in the fight together!”), and “El pueblo unido, jamas sera vencido!” (“The people united will never be defeated!”).
I felt like a visa-less Mayflower pilgrim that had just sighted land after nearly a year at sea. This was the promise of America: opportunity for everyone, not just those that have the financial means to obtain a green card. After all, except for those of American Indian descent, we’re all the children of immigrants. This is everyone’s fight, even mine
Posted by jason at 5:29 AM | Comments (10)
Begrudgingly, I awoke this morning to attend a “mandatory” 9 AM class because the instructor had written me an email specifically asking me to attend. My attendance record is substandard at best. While walking along the empty streets of Telegraph Avenue, I was well aware that today was International Workers’ Day and the anniversary of the Great American Boycott of 2006, but my main objective was to get my name on the class sign-in sheet and then promptly zone out. From the estimates I’d read in most major newspapers, I was doubtful that this year’s protests would bring out millions, shut down major freeways and make the voices of 12 million undocumented immigrants and their allies heard around the world like the protests of 2006.
However, despite my low expectations I was surprised by the paltry attendance of this major event by the students at the supposed activist capital of the world, UC Berkeley. Last year I remember the campus was nearly shut down as hundreds of students crowded Sproul Plaza, chanting “Si, se puede!” and holding signs that declared: “The Pilgrims Didn’t Have Green Cards!” and “No Human is Illegal!,” all in solidarity with the protests rocking the nation from March to May in 2006 – the largest protests in American history. Instead, this year’s contingent was a jumbled group of 30 or so impassioned students imploring walkers-by to join the boycott. People ignored them, figuring that it was just another ineffectual “Berkeley thing.” Embarrassed and slightly ashamed, I grabbed a flyer and sauntered off to class.
As I shuffled through the door, the graduate student instructor smiled and said with more than a hint of sarcasm, “I’m glad you made it.”
Racked with guilt coming from all sides, I looked at him and said, “Uhm, you know, there’s a boycott of classes today…”
He looked at me incredulously and said, “Dude, are you serious? Don’t walk out. I used to do that shit all of the time and there’s nothing more useless you could do to help immigrants than walking out of class. Trust me.”
Dumbfounded and intimidated, I took my normal seat in the back. I thought of all the responses I could have thrown back at this disillusioned former activist. But I couldn’t escape the mental image of the trash cans filled with crumpled flyers, the articles about the politically apathetic Asian American population at Cal, and protestors giving zealous speeches into loudspeakers that only motivated passersby to turn up the volume on their iPods.
For the record, I am far from being a strong political activist. Nearly a decade ago, when I first began my undergraduate studies, I joined a protest to end discrimination against Arab Americans after 9/11. After waving signs and shouting at the top of my lungs, I felt great. I felt mobilized, active, and more than anything, proud. But as the weeks passed and the political uproar dwindled, it dawned on me that our efforts had done little to curtail the continuing violent attacks against Arab Americans and the slow appropriation of American civil rights.
After that sad epiphany six years ago and reading more than my fair share of Milan Kundera (quote# 2), I swore to myself that I would never again march with a massive protest, shout slogans, nor pump my fist in the air (unless it was at a sporting event). I decided that journalism would be the avenue through which I expressed my political inclinations, a decision that would prohibit me from feeling good about myself for simply standing in a crowd with others.
Now that I’m a “super-duper senior” (AKA “super slacker”), I’ve steadfastly abided by this mantra throughout my undergrad career. However, at that moment the hypocrisy was agonizing, especially after I had written multiple articles about the importance of immigrant rights, lambasting my fellow Asian American students for not understanding the importance of the last year’s protests (page 3). Even hyphen represented last year at these major events. But this year, when the immigration movement needs more support than ever with the continuing raids by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agencies that are separating families, where were all of last year’s galvanized and fervent students? My face burned red.
Five minutes before the march was set to begin, I gritted my teeth and walked out of class. The instructor smirked at me and said, “Have fun,” as if that were my goal. “Believe me,” I thought, “fun would have been to ditch class completely and sleep in like I normally do when there are picket lines on campus.”
About forty strong, we left campus and walked against traffic along Telegraph Ave towards the Oakland City Center. I looked at all the students hustling past us to class, as I had only an hour ago, and felt disheartened. Among us, I counted very few actual students, and after a few blocks, and quite a few angry honks from already irritated morning commuters, most of the twenty-somethings with backpacks on began to peel off.
What began as a solidified march of the penguins-style protest turned into a rag-tag group of individuals trying their best to retain courage in the face of road rage. Despite my impulse to be interpellated, I tried my best ignore the double yellow lines and traffic lights against the behest of our small police escort. At Alcatraz Avenue, the Berkeley Police Department left us to the traffic. Soon after, the batteries in the protest leader’s microphone gave out, children began to whine asking to be carried by piggy-back, and my feet began to hurt when I saw the hazy outline of the Oakland Federal Building in the distant horizon.
But as we continued marching into the less affluent areas, we garnered more and more support. While we still received the occasional middle finger, drivers began to honk in encouragement, giving us a wave and a thumbs-up. People cheered as we walked past, and every few blocks or so a new contingent of American-flag waving protestors would join the walk. Every additional member was greeted with a huge cheer. As we passed 40th Street, our entourage had grown into the hundreds. High school and middle school students, who had joined us by jumping over fences chained by campus administrators in anticipation of the walkout, cajoled us with their antics and high-spirits. Soon a large contingent of Oakland police officers walked alongside us and blocked off intersections. We were too large to ignore. Suddenly, a six mile walk on a spring day didn’t seem too bad.
One of the marchers I was lucky enough to meet was Ramon, a recently laid-off construction worker and father of five. He had just turned in a job application in Berkeley when he saw us impeding traffic and spontaneously joined. Upon meeting me, he noted that I was the only Asian in our brigade. After having my morning caffeine, I was fully prepared for the conversation this time, and I informed him that out of the projected 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US, over a million originate from Asia. We just happened to be walking through Oakland Koreatown, and I pointed at the stores and restaurants and estimated that a few of the onlookers were in all likelihood immigrants that had overstayed their visas and were now working for poverty wages in this ethnic enclave. I then went on to tell him about how racist and unfair immigration laws had been leveled against Asian Americans since the mid 19th century, culminating with the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. Using cheap labor to bolster the economy is an American tradition.
Ramon then asked me, “Then how come more of Asians aren’t marching with us?”
A variety of responses flashed through my head, but none seemed adequate. I tried to explain that there hadn’t been much effort to reach out to this marginalized, but massive populace, and that myths perpetuated about Asians being the model minority had made it significantly harder for them to mobilize politically. I even forwarded a hypothesis that the media’s portrayal of the immigrant rights movement as being just a “Mexican issue” had convinced them that it wasn’t their struggle.
In the end, I just told him: “Well, I’m here.” And he smiled.
Just as our conversation ended, we rounded the corner of 14th and Broadway and met with a huge roar. We looked ahead to see thousands of protestors that had marched to the city center from the Fruitvale BART station. Cheers erupted from our ranks, as we scuttled to join the group moving towards the rallying point.
As I sifted through the enormous crowd in a fruitless search for my sister who had marched with the coalition from Laney College, I was happy to see people of all ethnicities, Asian included, chanting: “Si, se puede!”, “Pueblo escucha! Estamos en la lucha!” (“People listen! We’re in the fight together!”), and “El pueblo unido, jamas sera vencido!” (“The people united will never be defeated!”).
I felt like a visa-less Mayflower pilgrim that had just sighted land after nearly a year at sea. This was the promise of America: opportunity for everyone, not just those that have the financial means to obtain a green card. After all, except for those of American Indian descent, we’re all the children of immigrants. This is everyone’s fight, even mine
Posted by jason at 5:29 AM | Comments (10)
Begrudgingly, I awoke this morning to attend a mandatory 9 AM class because the instructor had written me an email specifically asking me to attend. My attendance record is substandard at best. While walking along the empty streets of Telegraph Avenue, I was well aware that today was International Workers Day and the anniversary of the Great American Boycott of 2006, but my main objective was to get my name on the class sign-in sheet and then promptly zone out. From the estimates Id read in most major newspapers, I was doubtful that this years protests would bring out millions, shut down major freeways and make the voices of 12 million undocumented immigrants and their allies heard around the world like the protests of 2006.
However, despite my low expectations I was surprised by the paltry attendance of this major event by the students at the supposed activist capital of the world, UC Berkeley. Last year I remember the campus was nearly shut down as hundreds of students crowded Sproul Plaza, chanting Si, se puede! and holding signs that declared: The Pilgrims Didnt Have Green Cards! and No Human is Illegal!, all in solidarity with the protests rocking the nation from March to May in 2006 the largest protests in American history. Instead, this years contingent was a jumbled group of 30 or so impassioned students imploring walkers-by to join the boycott. People ignored them, figuring that it was just another ineffectual Berkeley thing. Embarrassed and slightly ashamed, I grabbed a flyer and sauntered off to class.
As I shuffled through the door, the graduate student instructor smiled and said with more than a hint of sarcasm, Im glad you made it.
Racked with guilt coming from all sides, I looked at him and said, Uhm, you know, theres a boycott of classes today
He looked at me incredulously and said, Dude, are you serious? Dont walk out. I used to do that shit all of the time and theres nothing more useless you could do to help immigrants than walking out of class. Trust me.
Dumbfounded and intimidated, I took my normal seat in the back. I thought of all the responses I could have thrown back at this disillusioned former activist. But I couldnt escape the mental image of the trash cans filled with crumpled flyers, the articles about the politically apathetic Asian American population at Cal, and protestors giving zealous speeches into loudspeakers that only motivated passersby to turn up the volume on their iPods.
For the record, I am far from being a strong political activist. Nearly a decade ago, when I first began my undergraduate studies, I joined a protest to end discrimination against Arab Americans after 9/11. After waving signs and shouting at the top of my lungs, I felt great. I felt mobilized, active, and more than anything, proud. But as the weeks passed and the political uproar dwindled, it dawned on me that our efforts had done little to curtail the continuing violent attacks against Arab Americans and the slow appropriation of American civil rights.
After that sad epiphany six years ago and reading more than my fair share of Milan Kundera (quote# 2), I swore to myself that I would never again march with a massive protest, shout slogans, nor pump my fist in the air (unless it was at a sporting event). I decided that journalism would be the avenue through which I expressed my political inclinations, a decision that would prohibit me from feeling good about myself for simply standing in a crowd with others.
Now that Im a super-duper senior (AKA super slacker), Ive steadfastly abided by this mantra throughout my undergrad career. However, at that moment the hypocrisy was agonizing, especially after I had written multiple articles about the importance of immigrant rights, lambasting my fellow Asian American students for not understanding the importance of the last years protests (page 3). Even hyphen represented last year at these major events. But this year, when the immigration movement needs more support than ever with the continuing raids by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agencies that are separating families, where were all of last years galvanized and fervent students? My face burned red.
Five minutes before the march was set to begin, I gritted my teeth and walked out of class. The instructor smirked at me and said, Have fun, as if that were my goal. Believe me, I thought, fun would have been to ditch class completely and sleep in like I normally do when there are picket lines on campus.
About forty strong, we left campus and walked against traffic along Telegraph Ave towards the Oakland City Center. I looked at all the students hustling past us to class, as I had only an hour ago, and felt disheartened. Among us, I counted very few actual students, and after a few blocks, and quite a few angry honks from already irritated morning commuters, most of the twenty-somethings with backpacks on began to peel off.
What began as a solidified march of the penguins-style protest turned into a rag-tag group of individuals trying their best to retain courage in the face of road rage. Despite my impulse to be interpellated, I tried my best ignore the double yellow lines and traffic lights against the behest of our small police escort. At Alcatraz Avenue, the Berkeley Police Department left us to the traffic. Soon after, the batteries in the protest leaders microphone gave out, children began to whine asking to be carried by piggy-back, and my feet began to hurt when I saw the hazy outline of the Oakland Federal Building in the distant horizon.
But as we continued marching into the less affluent areas, we garnered more and more support. While we still received the occasional middle finger, drivers began to honk in encouragement, giving us a wave and a thumbs-up. People cheered as we walked past, and every few blocks or so a new contingent of American-flag waving protestors would join the walk. Every additional member was greeted with a huge cheer. As we passed 40th Street, our entourage had grown into the hundreds. High school and middle school students, who had joined us by jumping over fences chained by campus administrators in anticipation of the walkout, cajoled us with their antics and high-spirits. Soon a large contingent of Oakland police officers walked alongside us and blocked off intersections. We were too large to ignore. Suddenly, a six mile walk on a spring day didnt seem too bad.
One of the marchers I was lucky enough to meet was Ramon, a recently laid-off construction worker and father of five. He had just turned in a job application in Berkeley when he saw us impeding traffic and spontaneously joined. Upon meeting me, he noted that I was the only Asian in our brigade. After having my morning caffeine, I was fully prepared for the conversation this time, and I informed him that out of the projected 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US, over a million originate from Asia. We just happened to be walking through Oakland Koreatown, and I pointed at the stores and restaurants and estimated that a few of the onlookers were in all likelihood immigrants that had overstayed their visas and were now working for poverty wages in this ethnic enclave. I then went on to tell him about how racist and unfair immigration laws had been leveled against Asian Americans since the mid 19th century, culminating with the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. Using cheap labor to bolster the economy is an American tradition.
Ramon then asked me, Then how come more of Asians arent marching with us?
A variety of responses flashed through my head, but none seemed adequate. I tried to explain that there hadnt been much effort to reach out to this marginalized, but massive populace, and that myths perpetuated about Asians being the model minority had made it significantly harder for them to mobilize politically. I even forwarded a hypothesis that the medias portrayal of the immigrant rights movement as being just a Mexican issue had convinced them that it wasnt their struggle.
In the end, I just told him: Well, Im here. And he smiled.
Just as our conversation ended, we rounded the corner of 14th and Broadway and met with a huge roar. We looked ahead to see thousands of protestors that had marched to the city center from the Fruitvale BART station. Cheers erupted from our ranks, as we scuttled to join the group moving towards the rallying point.
As I sifted through the enormous crowd in a fruitless search for my sister who had marched with the coalition from Laney College, I was happy to see people of all ethnicities, Asian included, chanting: Si, se puede!, Pueblo escucha! Estamos en la lucha! (People listen! Were in the fight together!), and El pueblo unido, jamas sera vencido! (The people united will never be defeated!).
I felt like a visa-less Mayflower pilgrim that had just sighted land after nearly a year at sea. This was the promise of America: opportunity for everyone, not just those that have the financial means to obtain a green card. After all, except for those of American Indian descent, were all the children of immigrants. This is everyones fight, even mine
Posted by jason at 5:29 AM | Comments (10)
Alright all you bay people, here's one for you:
Celebrate APA Heritage Month by joining (H)API Hour for an event with the Coalition of Asian American Government Employees (CAAGE) at The Chinese Historical Society of America!
There, you can check out the new exhibit & museum theatre piece, Remembering 1882: Fighting for Civil Rights in the Shadow of the Chinese Exclusion Act.
*The special guest will be San Francisco Assessor-Recorder Phil Ting, the city’s highest ranking elected APA.*
DATE: Thursday, May 3rd
TIME: 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM
LOCATION: Chinese Historical Society of America (CHSA), 965 Clay Street (cross street Powell).
COST/DONATION: A $10 voluntary donation at the door will support CHSA.
RSVP: click here or go to (H)API Hour's evite.
About Remembering 1882...
In 1882, Congress passed the nation’s first immigration legislation–a law to prevent people of Chinese descent from entering the United States. The act would tear apart families, cut the nation’s Chinese American population in half, and remove their right to become citizens.
Featuring an exhibit and museum theater piece, Remembering 1882 culminates in a panel discussion & reception May 9 from 4:30-6:30 pm at the Philip Burton Federal Building at 450 Golden Gate. The panel will investigate the historical significance of 1882, the subsequent civil rights struggle, and its ramification today.
Posted by lisalee at 2:09 AM | Comments (0)
Alright all you bay people, here's one for you:
Celebrate APA Heritage Month by joining (H)API Hour for an event with the Coalition of Asian American Government Employees (CAAGE) at The Chinese Historical Society of America!
There, you can check out the new exhibit & museum theatre piece, Remembering 1882: Fighting for Civil Rights in the Shadow of the Chinese Exclusion Act.
*The special guest will be San Francisco Assessor-Recorder Phil Ting, the city’s highest ranking elected APA.*
DATE: Thursday, May 3rd
TIME: 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM
LOCATION: Chinese Historical Society of America (CHSA), 965 Clay Street (cross street Powell).
COST/DONATION: A $10 voluntary donation at the door will support CHSA.
RSVP: click here or go to (H)API Hour's evite.
About Remembering 1882...
In 1882, Congress passed the nation’s first immigration legislation–a law to prevent people of Chinese descent from entering the United States. The act would tear apart families, cut the nation’s Chinese American population in half, and remove their right to become citizens.
Featuring an exhibit and museum theater piece, Remembering 1882 culminates in a panel discussion & reception May 9 from 4:30-6:30 pm at the Philip Burton Federal Building at 450 Golden Gate. The panel will investigate the historical significance of 1882, the subsequent civil rights struggle, and its ramification today.
Posted by lisalee at 2:09 AM | Comments (0)
Alright all you bay people, here's one for you:
Celebrate APA Heritage Month by joining (H)API Hour for an event with the Coalition of Asian American Government Employees (CAAGE) at The Chinese Historical Society of America!
There, you can check out the new exhibit & museum theatre piece, Remembering 1882: Fighting for Civil Rights in the Shadow of the Chinese Exclusion Act.
*The special guest will be San Francisco Assessor-Recorder Phil Ting, the citys highest ranking elected APA.*
DATE: Thursday, May 3rd
TIME: 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM
LOCATION: Chinese Historical Society of America (CHSA), 965 Clay Street (cross street Powell).
COST/DONATION: A $10 voluntary donation at the door will support CHSA.
RSVP: click here or go to (H)API Hour's evite.
About Remembering 1882...
In 1882, Congress passed the nations first immigration legislationa law to prevent people of Chinese descent from entering the United States. The act would tear apart families, cut the nations Chinese American population in half, and remove their right to become citizens.
Featuring an exhibit and museum theater piece, Remembering 1882 culminates in a panel discussion & reception May 9 from 4:30-6:30 pm at the Philip Burton Federal Building at 450 Golden Gate. The panel will investigate the historical significance of 1882, the subsequent civil rights struggle, and its ramification today.
Posted by lisalee at 2:09 AM | Comments (0)
In a YouTube posting, Kenneth Eng, the former AsianWeek columnist says the Virginia Tech shootings were the "funniest thing" he'd ever read about.
Eng tells the Village Voice that his writings may have influenced Virginia Tech killer Seung-Hui Cho.
"It's speculative but I think that there is a good chance that Cho may have read my work," says Eng. "I might have had something to do with [the VT shootings] because it's kind of conspicuous that [Cho] would shoot all these people so shortly after AsianWeek published all my articles."
Eng also says that he had contemplated a mass killing when he was a student at New York University and compares himself to Cho.
Eng's column about why he hates blacks got him fired back in March. He'd also written about why he hates whites and why he hates Asians.
If that whole incident wasn't bad enough, now this video surfaces. This guy is really off his rocker.
Posted by harry at 3:34 PM | Comments (4)
In a YouTube posting, Kenneth Eng, the former AsianWeek columnist says the Virginia Tech shootings were the "funniest thing" he'd ever read about.
Eng tells the Village Voice that his writings may have influenced Virginia Tech killer Seung-Hui Cho.
"It's speculative but I think that there is a good chance that Cho may have read my work," says Eng. "I might have had something to do with [the VT shootings] because it's kind of conspicuous that [Cho] would shoot all these people so shortly after AsianWeek published all my articles."
Eng also says that he had contemplated a mass killing when he was a student at New York University and compares himself to Cho.
Eng's column about why he hates blacks got him fired back in March. He'd also written about why he hates whites and why he hates Asians.
If that whole incident wasn't bad enough, now this video surfaces. This guy is really off his rocker.
Posted by harry at 3:34 PM | Comments (4)
In a YouTube posting, Kenneth Eng, the former AsianWeek columnist says the Virginia Tech shootings were the "funniest thing" he'd ever read about.
Eng tells the Village Voice that his writings may have influenced Virginia Tech killer Seung-Hui Cho.
"It's speculative but I think that there is a good chance that Cho may have read my work," says Eng. "I might have had something to do with [the VT shootings] because it's kind of conspicuous that [Cho] would shoot all these people so shortly after AsianWeek published all my articles."
Eng also says that he had contemplated a mass killing when he was a student at New York University and compares himself to Cho.
Eng's column about why he hates blacks got him fired back in March. He'd also written about why he hates whites and why he hates Asians.
If that whole incident wasn't bad enough, now this video surfaces. This guy is really off his rocker.
Posted by harry at 3:34 PM | Comments (4)
Hello Southern California!
(H)API Hour is hosting a "warm up" party for Visual Communications' VC FILMFEST 2007 this Wednesday, May 2nd, 2007. Attend and meet filmmakers and their cast members!
This will be YOUR opportunity to be among the first to get the festival calendar and plan your movie-going week with the festival. VC will invite all the participating local filmmakers along with their respective casts to join in the festivities and mingle with the (H)API Hour folks.
This event will be supporting Project by Project (PbP)
DATE: Wednesday, May 2, 2007
TIME: 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
LOCATION: Chop Suey Cafe + Lounge / Far Bar (347 E 1st Street, Little Tokyo)
COST/DONATIONS: $10 voluntary donations at the door will go to Project by Project (PbP)
RSVP: click here or e-mail keith
For more information, check out VC's FILMFEST 2007, and L.A. (H)API Hour.
About VC...
Visual Communications, the nation's premier Asian Pacific American media arts center has put together some great films for your enjoyment between May 3rd - 10th. In celebration of Asian Pacific Heritage Month, there will be over 150 films and videos from both Asian Pacific American and Asian international directors
Sponsored by...
Hyphen magazine, APA|FIVE, bSocial, APA Bar Association of LA County, the Organization of Chinese Americans-Orange County, and Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics (LEAP)
Presented by...
Philip Kan Gotanda's 'Life Tastes Good' Now on DVD
Co-hosted by...
Keith Kamisugi, Ling-ling Chang, Diane Tanaka, Derek Tran and Brian Wang
Posted by lisalee at 11:00 AM | Comments (0)
Hello Southern California!
(H)API Hour is hosting a "warm up" party for Visual Communications' VC FILMFEST 2007 this Wednesday, May 2nd, 2007. Attend and meet filmmakers and their cast members!
This will be YOUR opportunity to be among the first to get the festival calendar and plan your movie-going week with the festival. VC will invite all the participating local filmmakers along with their respective casts to join in the festivities and mingle with the (H)API Hour folks.
This event will be supporting Project by Project (PbP)
DATE: Wednesday, May 2, 2007
TIME: 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
LOCATION: Chop Suey Cafe + Lounge / Far Bar (347 E 1st Street, Little Tokyo)
COST/DONATIONS: $10 voluntary donations at the door will go to Project by Project (PbP)
RSVP: click here or e-mail keith
For more information, check out VC's FILMFEST 2007, and L.A. (H)API Hour.
About VC...
Visual Communications, the nation's premier Asian Pacific American media arts center has put together some great films for your enjoyment between May 3rd - 10th. In celebration of Asian Pacific Heritage Month, there will be over 150 films and videos from both Asian Pacific American and Asian international directors
Sponsored by...
Hyphen magazine, APA|FIVE, bSocial, APA Bar Association of LA County, the Organization of Chinese Americans-Orange County, and Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics (LEAP)
Presented by...
Philip Kan Gotanda's 'Life Tastes Good' Now on DVD
Co-hosted by...
Keith Kamisugi, Ling-ling Chang, Diane Tanaka, Derek Tran and Brian Wang
Posted by lisalee at 11:00 AM | Comments (0)
Hello Southern California!
(H)API Hour is hosting a "warm up" party for Visual Communications' VC FILMFEST 2007 this Wednesday, May 2nd, 2007. Attend and meet filmmakers and their cast members!
This will be YOUR opportunity to be among the first to get the festival calendar and plan your movie-going week with the festival. VC will invite all the participating local filmmakers along with their respective casts to join in the festivities and mingle with the (H)API Hour folks.
This event will be supporting Project by Project (PbP)
DATE: Wednesday, May 2, 2007
TIME: 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
LOCATION: Chop Suey Cafe + Lounge / Far Bar (347 E 1st Street, Little Tokyo)
COST/DONATIONS: $10 voluntary donations at the door will go to Project by Project (PbP)
RSVP: click here or e-mail keith
For more information, check out VC's FILMFEST 2007, and L.A. (H)API Hour.
About VC...
Visual Communications, the nation's premier Asian Pacific American media arts center has put together some great films for your enjoyment between May 3rd - 10th. In celebration of Asian Pacific Heritage Month, there will be over 150 films and videos from both Asian Pacific American and Asian international directors
Sponsored by...
Hyphen magazine, APA|FIVE, bSocial, APA Bar Association of LA County, the Organization of Chinese Americans-Orange County, and Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics (LEAP)
Presented by...
Philip Kan Gotanda's 'Life Tastes Good' Now on DVD
Co-hosted by...
Keith Kamisugi, Ling-ling Chang, Diane Tanaka, Derek Tran and Brian Wang
Posted by lisalee at 11:00 AM | Comments (0)
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