APA Spotlight is a weekly interview of Asian Pacific Islander Americans (APIA) community leaders. It is a spotlight on individuals who have dedicated their careers to issues surrounding the APIA community with the goal of bringing much deserved recognition to their work and cause(s).
Dr. Cathy J. Schlund-Vials is an Assistant Professor in English and Asian American Studies at the University of Connecticut at Storrs. She is the Interim Director of the UConn Asian American Studies Institute and the Faculty Director of Humanities House, a campus living/learning community. Her research interests include refugee cultural production, critical race theory, immigration law, human rights, and contemporary ethnic American literary studies.
Dr. Schlund-Vials is the author of Modeling Citizenship: Naturalization in Jewish and Asian American Writing (Temple University Press, 2011) which examines the interplay between citizenship, performance, and immigration policy in the literatures of two “model minority” groups. She has published and forthcoming articles and pieces in Life Writing, Journal of Asian American Studies, MELUS, Modern Language Studies, American Literary History, and positions. She has recently completed her second book, Cambodian American Memory Work: Genocide Remembrance and Juridical Activism (forthcoming, University of Minnesota Press), which is focused on genocide remembrance and juridical activism in Cambodian American literature, film, and hip hop.
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This article from Pacific Citizen about Asian Fraternities and Sororities is one of those throwaway human interest stories you see at the end of a local newscast after watching 30 minutes of war and crime footage – “Asian Greeks are awesome and I’m learning about my culture yeah!” If nothing else, it reminds us that Asian fraternities and sororities were created due to discrimination: The first Asian fraternal society Rho Psi was once a collegiate fraternity, formed in 1916 at Cornell University by Chinese men who weren’t admitted to existing clubs; USC’s Sigma Phi Omega was formed by Japanese American women during a period of Anti-Asian sentiment after World War 2.
But the article is so warm and fuzzy that the article casually ignores that the fraternity chapter they use for exemplary diversity – Lambda Phi Epsilon’s U of Buffalo chapter – was the subject of a criminal investigation involving pledge hazing in 2009. (That said: we’ve talked about all the hazing in Asian American Fraternities before.)
Shopping With GASP!
Take a look at the image below:
Do you see the gray blobs? Those gray blobs are tricks of the eye and don’t really exist. This illusion is known as the Herrmann Grid. Why do I show you this? Because I think of the grid every time I write a screenplay.
Let me explain…
As you know, I am a big fan of the show, Modern Family. I think it’s hilarious and have blogged about the only permanent Asian American character on the show, baby Lily. However, babies being babies, they can’t really talk so the plot lines for Lily can only go so far. Well, the producers of the show have cast an older Lily for this upcoming third season this Fall:
An ABC spokesperson confirms to The Hollywood Reporter that Aubrey Anderson-Emmons will take over the role when the sitcom returns on Sept. 21, as first reported by EW, which has the first look photo. She will replace twins Jaden and Ella Hiller, who alternately played the role for the last two seasons.
Isn’t she adorable? Aubrey happens to be the daughter of actress/comedian Amy Anderson, whom you might recognize from this funny Southwest Airlines commercial. As a four year old, I hope Aubrey will have plenty of things to say that are awkwardly funny – as the show often is. Depending on how long this show lasts, it’ll be interesting to see what issues Lily will have to confront as she grows older – like possibly coming out as a lesbian to her gay parents or asking why Asian girls go for white guys?
Our internal e-mail lists have us discussing all kinds of stuff: Asian American identity, representation in the media, the experiences of activism in an academia setting and its progression as we transition to the working, adult world. And sometimes, we talk about the push by a Chinese Queens, NY councilman to make the signs in Chinatown less Chinese.
John: Personally, since my Chinese reading is quite limited and Spanish non-existent, I like the idea of having English on signs to understand what a store’s name is and what they are.
Akrypti: I agree with Koo. I am offended by expatriate communities in China that completely eliminate Chinese from their signs and only post in English. Likewise, there should be regulations in place here as well. Mandating that all signs be at least 60% English is reasonable.
“The second annual Kollaboration San Francisco show is fast approaching, and tickets are on sale NOW! Kollaboration San Francisco is the largest Asian American entertainment event of the Bay Area, and one of the fastest growing chapters of a nationwide movement to empower Asian and Pacific Islander communities. Come September 10th, 2011, Kollaboration San Francisco’s highly anticipated return promises to be an entertaining and memorable experience for all ages!
When I was growing up in Western Massachusetts, I remember my family befriended a Chinese family who moved into the area to open a family business. I learned one day that they were descendants of Confucius–in fact, something like the twenty-something-th generation. I was amazed that Confucious’s descendants will still keeping track and stayed in touch so many generations later. So I was interested to see my friend, a “Lee,” post an article on Interim Mayor Ed Lee and the Lee family association in San Francisco’s Chinatown:
Mayor Ed Lee’s seven months on the job and ties to the city’s power brokers aren’t the only things he’s got going for him in his race for a four-year term in November. He’s also got the Lee name itself. And that means he’s got the backing of the Lee Family Association, the largest family association in Chinatown.
This video, titled “Asian Baller Schools and Dunks on Lebron James,” has been making the rounds. Lebron James was playing on an NBA goodwill tour at a game in Taiwan when, as you can see at 0:15, one of the Taiwanese players steals the ball, goes down the court and gets a dunk. While the title of the video says that he “dunks on” LeBron, some blogs point out that he really doesn’t.
For about 44 Thai immigrants to Hawaii, life was not a paradise. They had been allegedly brought to the islands on false claims, and their case was the subject of a federal investigation. Earlier this month, however, the human trafficking case against Alec and Mike Sou of Aloun Farms was finally dismissed. The trial itself started in June, and was expected to last until at least September. However, the charges were dropped in early August, with prosecutors citing “new evidence.”
Dude, Keanu Reeves knows kung-fu. And by “knows,” I mean “directs”: “Keanu Reeves is in negotiations with China Film Group and Village Roadshow Pictures to get funding for Man of Tai Chi, a Mandarin-and-English-language movie that Reeves will star in and direct, individuals familiar with the project said. Reeves also wrote the martial arts film, which, if it goes forward, will mark his directorial debut. Tai Chi also stars Tiger Chen, a member of the kung fu team in The Matrix. The Speed star plays the villain in the movie, which includes some serious fighting scenes.”
According to ABC’s Nightline, over 15 million Americans perform karaoke every month at over 100,000 bars. Karaoke, imported from Japan, has been in the U.S. for over 35 years! A high school friend of mine is a karaoke singing machine – I was amazed to see him sing to Come on Eileen. For the life of me, I have a hard time remembering any lyrics to any song, so thankfully there’s this option! Personally, I prefer KTV – small private rooms with friends rather than singing in public with strangers.
I have an unhealthy obsession with Lauren “LC” Conrad of The Hills and Laguna Beach fame (probably from watching marathons of her shows on MTV and the fact that her voice always gets weirdly hoarse every time she gets upset….how do I even know this??) so I was happy to read her latest online venture, The Beauty Department. The blog features Lauren and her two pretty make-up artist friends who prove that they know how to look prettier than you ever will be by sharing their secrets on make-up, hair care and beauty inspirations. Maybe I’m sadistic, but it’s really fun reading about girls who include curling irons and false eyelashes in their daily morning routine.
Excuse me while I go all white girl on you, but like OMG. If you love to dream about all things feminine and conditioning your hair with homemade olive oil treatments, then this is the best site ever. They also occasionally feature Jamie Chung as their make-up model, and while I did not quite appreciate her performance in Sucker Punch, it is nice to see a fellow Asian girl included in the beauty clique. (Will they let me in?? Please??)
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