Being an [Asian-American] engineer while maintaining a OUT-of-THE ordinary image? A STORY TO CONSIDER!!

Face it, this nation needs engineers.

Face it, Asian-Americans need a better image in the media other than the "nerdy, passive, desexualized, submissive, kung-fu fighting people," and need to step up to the plate in terms of the political identity and the entertainment world to tell people that we are regular people part of the American fabric with our own stories to tell.

Face it, engineers need a better image in the media so we can have more life-changing moments in our world.

What about the Asian-American engineer?

Ronald Takaki: an inspiration to my Asian-American identity

UC Berkeley Professor Ronald Takaki; (April 12, 1939 - May 26, 2009)

I know I should be sleeping now (I'm pretty tired; long day), but given the news of his recent passing away (he had multiple schelrosis, and commited suicide because he could not endure the disease anymore, according to his family), I felt compelled to dedicate a post to him.

Ronald Takaki was a very, very FAMOUS, Ethnic Studies professor at UC Berkeley who helped started one of the first Ethnic Studies programs in the United States (at UC Berkeley) during the crazy 1960s at Cal, taught the first Black History course at UCLA, and wrote many different books on Ethnic Studies. 

Takaki was a huge influence in my life, and despite that I don't know that much about him as much as I should, I definitely believed he helped me value my Asian-American identity.

I remember taking a Sociology class in Community College the summer before my sophomore year in high school (Summer 2006) which changed my life forever; one of the topics we focused on was Race in California history. A book we read (too lazy to type down its title), had a review written by a Asian-American author named Ronald Takaki, who wrote a book with a title to do with "Iron Cages". Curious about his name (given that my early exposure to Asian-Americans were only limited to math and science like people, as well as working class As-Am), I decided to look him up.

I found the website: modelminority.com (unfortunately, somebody seemed to have hacked the website), and noticed Ronald Takaki's chapter, on the book, Strangers from a Different Shore: A History of Asian-Americans, dedicated to Asian-Americans and the model-minority stereotype, and wow, I learned thought-provoking stuff that challenged the way ordinary people viewed Asian-Americans. I began to learn that Asian-Americans were viewed incorrectly by the government, that while there are a good # of AAs in successful fields like science & engineering (Chinese, Korean, Japanese), medical field, etc. there were also a good # of AAs (i.e working class AAs, Pacific-Islanders or Southeast Asians) who were not, and the stereotype can definitely negatively affect how social services would be given to them (i.e lack of affirmative action toward SE Asians, lack of help for people like the Hmong ethnicity). Takaki was able to connect the amount of APAs in the professional fields (i.e. "the stable fields" )with the lack of APIAs in the managerial fields (i.e. "the somewhat risky fields"; he didn't say it like that quote, but you get what I mean). With the lack of APIAs in the managerial fields, think of the bad media image of Asian-American males (i.e. "femanized, nerdy, passive, non-social males") that makes it hard for Americans to associate with APIAs. The list goes on and on, but you can see the crazy connections. 

In other words, the Model-minority stereotype makes it hard for Americans to understand who Asian-Americans are, and that made me feel compelled to discover my Asian-American identity and VALUE it, so future generations of Asian-Am know their ethnic background and don't become erased from the fabric of American history. I want my own government to be able to understand (fortunately, the Obama adminstration recognizes APAs are not model-minorities) that we aren't model minorities, and we need to be understood in a better way so that we can properly be respected in society for who we are, while we can express our identities in a happy manner. That's America.

Because of Ronald Takaki, I began to do a lot of things. I started reading Hardboiled Magazine at Summer 2006, a monthly APA newsmagazine at Cal; I began to read more Asian-am lit to understand my identity. I talked to my friends about the issues the APIA community faced (although nobody cared). I also read up on my Asian-Am history, and now, I know a lot about Asian-Am history (although I'm still learning). Now, I am inspired to preserve Asian Architecture, and he's one of the reasons why I plan to study at UC Berkeley (even though he doesn't teach there anymore).

Takaki inspired a sense of caring about our unique identities in America, political activism, and civic virue. Many APAs, Asian-American studies majors or Ethnic Studies, or not (he's a well-known figure in the AAS and Ethnic Studies department) have been inspired by him. Rest in Peace, and may our generation provide a benefical change in the world that benefits the common good.

Francis Chen

The State of Asian American Studies in Higher Education

2009 APA Heritage Month Celebration

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

City Council Chambers, City Hall, New York City

Jennifer Hayashida

I am here as an educator at Hunter College, where I have been the Program Coordinator and Acting Director of Asian American Studies for the past two years. So, here's the good news: about 30% of Hunter's student body self-identifies as Asian or Asian American. And, the entire CUNY system serves more than 40,000 Asian American students - taken together, that's as many students as there are enrolled at most large state schools, like one of the larger Penn State campuses, or UCLA.

But, it's not just about the numbers: Asian American Studies is about more than just serving percentages of Asian American students - it is about how Asian American history is American history, Asian American experience is American experience.

To list just a fraction of what we do in Asian American Studies classes at Hunter, we study the relationships between first generation parents and their second-generation daughters and sons - in other words, we study the lives of you many of you in this room. We look at novels and poetry by Asian American writers; we look at how what happens in Pakistan impacts Asian American communities right here in New York City.

To sum it up, we look at events and experiences from U.S. history that are frequently overlooked or given just one page in the high school history textbook. These big gaps in what students learn lead to gaps in how they experience themselves as Asian Americans - just that term, "Asian American," means that we insist that we can be both Asian AND American, that we do not have to choose between being foreign and being the invisible model minority. We began this struggle 40 years ago at San Francisco State College, and we still have a lot of work ahead of us.

Right now, I frequently have students who enter my classes with no idea about the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, WWII Internment of Japanese Americans, or hate crimes against Filipino men who wanted to marry white women in the 30s. Students don't know that Chinese Exclusion is a precedent for the Patriot Act, that Japanese Internment predates post-9/11 detention and deportation of South Asians. Students don't know that Depression-era anti-miscegenation legislation against Asian Americans is currently being examined as part of the legal debate around gay marriage.

Asian American history and experience - our "heritage" - is a cornerstone of American history and identity, but right now it is buried and inaccessible to most of the students, Asian American or not, of our city.

This knowledge is especially vital to our young people who are arriving as first- or 1.5- generation immigrants, who find themselves between cultures and identities, and who are struggling to find a place where they don't have to pick between being foreigners or being invisible. Learning about their ancestors' experiences gives them a foothold in America. And, just as importantly, learning about Asian American history can build bridges between Asian Americans and other communities of color.

It is our responsibility to advocate for the rights of our daughters, sons, nieces, nephews, cousins, and, for that matter, fathers and grandmothers, to be able to attend schools in this city and expect to learn about APA heritage, the heritage we are here today to celebrate. That way, we can celebrate the triumphs of people like Fred Korematsu, who ultimately received justice from the Supreme Court, fifty years after he was jailed for refusing to be interned. Or we can celebrate the 1965 Immigration Act, which eliminated the restrictions on immigration from Asia and made it possible for many of us to be here today. Most importantly, we can then truly celebrate the everyday accomplishments of the communities we live in today, because we will have a better understanding of where we come from, the obstacles we have triumphed over, and the work that is left before us."

From Heather Park.

Who are the 30 Most Influential Asian Americans under 30?

AngryAsianMan will plan to be posting a list of the 30 most influential AAs under age 30. I'm excited to read it (once he finishes compling a list from others), because I definitely want some inspiration! 

Lena Park!

Lena Park has been performing a lot in Korea promoting her new albun, 10 Ways to Say I Love You, lately. I noticed that she has a different hairstyle from her previous albums, as shown by the first few seconds of the video:

Lena Park (Vol 7.) - 10 Ways To Say I Love You

It's been about five years (ever since year 2004) that I have been listening to Lena Park. While she may have a declining fanbase, she still is able to produce great music; however, listening to her songs on YouTube, I still miss her Vol. 5 and Vol. 4 days (ironically, Vol. 4 CDs have been sold out on YesAsia). Her next album, 10 Ways to Say I Love You, is expected to come out next week (March 2nd, 2009). The YouTube video above is the key song of her album, called Secret. 

Forever - David Choi and Kina Grannis (orig. by Chris Brown)

This song is too addicting!

Happy Valentine's Day

A couple of Valentine's songs for today. Happy Valentine's Day:

^My favorite song!

Preservation impetus for designs of Chinatown

The United Commercial Bank building at 743 Washington St. is adorned with showy Oriental features. Much of Chinatown's Asiatic architecture is a result of the rebuilding effort after the 1906 earthquake and fire, according to historian Philip Choy. (Liz Hafalia / The Chronicle)

Coicidentally, I stumbled upon an article by John King, from the SF Chroincle, about the self-preservation of San Francisco Chinatown's architecture. The Chinese wanted to keep their architecture alive after the 1906 Earthquake because it wanted to convince the SF Board of Supervisors that it can make Chinatown attractive, instead of giving it a presence of a "sinful, unclean" pleace.

The fact I didn't know was that European architects actually designed some of the buildings in Chinatown to convey its exotic feeling. 

Phillip Choy wrote a book on this, titled: "The Architecture of San Francisco Chinatown", which seems interesting to look at. I haven't read it, and don't know if I'll have time to look at it. It could help me in my future goals, I guess. 

Asian Americans and YouTube

After watching Wong Fu Productions's recent video series, "In the Club", I was reminded of an article written by Asian Pop columnist Jeff Yang back in June 2008, titled "On top of YouTube: Happy Slip, Choi, KevJumba". Basically, Yang tells us that many Asian-American internet celebrities representing my young generation (1980s-early1990s) are taking advantage of YouTube to showcase their talents. Over the past eighteen years that I have lived, I've begun to appreciate our generation. This is an amazing time for APAs to utilize a new form of medium to be a part of the American entertainment scene, while indirectly/directly examining the critical issues facing the APA community, for all future genrations of Americans to learn from.

YouTube's APA community tells America, especially future Asian-American generations (like those born in this decade) that: hey, we have a voice and want to be a part of the American fabric. Wong Fu Productions heightend its popularity four years ago with a entertaining satire on why White males go for Asian women, while pointing out the need for Asian-Am males to be confident, rather than passive, about how to approach life. The group has obviously a lot of APA actors, but its video stories are purely American and tell APA viewers that we do have a lot in common w/ other Americans. KevJumba does an excellent job just being an ordinary student, while noting here and there about his Asian-American identity (i.e. "I hate the SATs, or talking about his seemingly, traditional-Asian, conservative dad) without being a bitter Asian male; in other words, he delivers his message so that people can get him in a relaxed, non-Asian-American studies type metholodgy. R&B artists David Choi, sophomore Jennifer Chung of UC Irvine, Kina Grannis, and Olivia Thai, just to name a few (when did guitars become cool?), are the same way: instead of seeing Asian-American stereotypes, we see people who just perform, and we enjoy them for who they are. That is the way it always should be.

"We All Look The Same" - Olivia Thai (a great, relaxed song dealing with the stereotype: Asian-Americans appear the same to everybody).

Unlike the 1960s-1990s generation of Asian American civil rights movement, this is the time when we can finally approach Asian-Americans, in the media, in a more relaxed manner. My generation grew up with people, while breaking away from racism, still convinced in stereotypes about Asian-Americans (i.e. "They're too smart; they have an accent; they are only into math and sciences; they are passive, effeminate, and unathletic; Asian women are docile, etc.). With YouTube, those APAs born in this decade can see themselves in a more optimistic view; that yes, you don't have to be a bookworm in order to be cool. Be what you want to be, and you can be accepted. These stereotypes will always exist for young Asian-American schoolboys and schoolgirls, but the media can have a powerful influence on how APAs are (or should be percieved). Accepting our differences while learning how much in common everybody has should be everybody's goal, and YouTube can make a difference for APAs. 

Photo: SFSU TWLF Strike Picketline (AAPA Newspaper 1969)

I conclude by answering these critical questions: why does this all matter? Aren't there more important issues to worry about?

These stereotypes about Asian-Americans still matter and affect government public policy, and how the government uses public policy toward ethnic groups can influence how people percieve those groups. For example, the Reagan Adminstration really placed the APA community in a weird position after it concluded Asian-Americans were a model-minority, which implies that ignoring other underrepresented Asian-American communities (i.e. social services for the Hmong, or poor Chinese-Americans in Chinatown?) is okay. The adminstration makes Asian-Americans sound book-smart and successful in the American Dream, but that's about it; nothing entertainment related will stand out. that can catch on very quickly for the average American and make us look very passive. Fortunately, the Obama administration actually acknowledges that the model-minority stereotype is false, and that means more emphasis on debunking the stereotype.

In conclusion, YouTube is a great way for Asian-Americans to utilize ther talents to tell non-APAs: we're just like everybody else. Past stereotypes, or doubts that APAs can't make it to the media due to their academic focus, are debunked through this form of media. By using YouTube to watch APA video-users, we reevaluate our past perceptions of Asian-Americans to understand each other better.

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On a side note, the recent Kollaboration event, taking place in Los Angeles on Februrary 29th, has had excellent YouTube viewership and has some very humurous, yet down-to-earth truthful messages on Kollaboration's commericals. One commercial poses the question: Do you care about Asian-Americans in the media? Don't show up if you don't, is the response from Kollaboration. What do you think? 

Here's an excellent accoustic rendition, by the way, of Chris Brown's Forever by David Choi, Kina Grannis, Jane Lui, and JAZMIN, to promote the Kollaboration 9 event in LA:

If you think I left out some other APA artists (there are some I don't listen to due to personal, musical taste), post a comment and tell us what makes them great. It's just amazing that YouTube came out at my freshman year in high school, and now I'm a senior. YouTube has definitely affected my life (I use it all the time!), and will continue to use it throughout college. 

Joyce Kwon: Amazing Jazz Vocalist

Joyce Kwon (Facebook, Myspace) is a Senior at Cal who is one hell of a Jazz vocalist. I usually listen to quite a number of jazz, but she performs primarily Brazillian Jazz (this is why she sings a lot in Portuguese). She really knows how to bring the quick melodious rhythm of the language toward the audience, while vocalizing when there are no words to create a feeling like you were in a coffee-shop. Her music is somewhat upbeat and makes me want, like a friend points out, our school to have a jazz choir. 

Some of my favorites from her include Society Red, a song about North Korea (very impromptu-like song, which helps demonstrate the improvized nature of jazz) and É Festa (according to this evening's Brazillian Jazz Live Webcast in Emeryvile, Kwon states the song is about the crazy stuff lovers do when they are in love). Hardboiled Magazine notes that if you like Miles Davis (sort-of ironic, since Miles Davis and Joyce Kwon don't sound that similar, but they're both good!), then Joyce Kwon could be right to you.

For aspring Cal students (I, being one of them. Pray that I get in!), she's supposedly performing at Cal Day. For more information on her, click her homepage.