While Jean Quan is the first Asian American mayor of Oakland and Ed Lee is the first Asian American mayor of San Francisco, a string of events have both of the Northern Californian mayors in the hot seat the exact same time. Ed Lee and the SF Neighbor alliance is “under fire this week after witnesses revealed to The Chronicle that they had observed workers at a Chinatown voting station on Friday filling in absentee ballots for voters,” while in Oakland Quan is facing criticism for using tear gas and rubber bullets on Occupy Oakland protesters. An unrelated official notice of intent has been filed to recall Jean Quan, due in part to “public safety issues.”
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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).
Larry has been the Executive Director of the New York Asian Women’s Center since 2007. NYAWC is the largest Asian American domestic violence and human trafficking agency in the country. NYAWC provides a 24/7 hotline, counseling, case management, advocacy and shelter to survivors and their children.
Previously, as Chief Program Officer of The Educational Alliance, Larry was responsible for 85 programs. Located in 25 sites in Downtown Manhattan the programs annually serve 40,000 people in innovative and integrated ways.
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A new study by Rui Yao (the same researcher who found that Chinese Americans prefer riskier investments), found that while 72 percent of Chinese-American households hold a mortgage, only five percent of those households have outstanding auto loans, and only three percent have any other type of consumer debt. Yao has a few ideas for why there’s not as much debt in Chinese American households. “This result may reflect some unique aspects of the Chinese culture,” Yao said. “Credit and debt are relatively new concepts to the Chinese. Having ties to a country where most purchases are made with cash, debt may not be an acceptable option for low- income households that are aware that debt needs to be repaid with interest in the future. It may also be that high levels of debt for those with relatively higher income reflect relatively higher mortgage balances.”
Continuing along with my research on the American Old West, I recently finished watching the 1998-2000 television series, The Magnificent Seven. This series was inspired by the Western movie of the same name released in 1960 which was in turn homage to the legendary Japanese film director Akira Kurosawa’s classic 1954 film, Seven Samurai.
Screw that Confucian nonsense. Let’s not even get into the quagmire of East and West cliches; that exercise has never proven productive. Let’s just state this for what it is: my Chinese mother-in-law is a monster.
She objectifies me. I am the wife of her son, a wife that thankfully has credentials she can brag about to her friends. But that’s the extent of it. Actually, my credentials bug her, because it means I don’t have the time to obey her command to have her grandbabies right now. Every time she sees me, that’s the command she gives: give me grandbabies now! Where are my grandbabies! After that, she passes me by and completely ignores my existence to dote on her son. She fusses over him, whines about how far away he lives from Mommy, all the time throwing implications my way that it ‘s my fault she’s not already living under the same roof as her son. (Okay, it kind of is. I’ve already resolved death and divorce before I live with that woman.)
Everyone should remember Space Invaders–that pixelated time suck that involved shooting little aliens with your pew-pew lasers (fun fact: the aliens only got faster as you killed them off because the computer didn’t have to work as hard to animate them). Now, show off a mixture of street sense and geek pride with this Stereo Invaders Tee ($28.50) by Teruo Artistry. The shirt comes in either purple or black, and is printed on 100% cotton. So now you can feel (and look) good about being a geek.
The recent viral video on YouTube of a two year-old girl in China being run over and ignored by as many as 18 people definitely stirs up a lot of emotions. But what is more appalling is seeing the finger-pointing in the comments of the video, its mirrors, and from various shares on the web.
“I hate Chinese people”, said one commenter. It is easy to lay blame without asking questions as to how and why abhorrent events like this can occur daily. However, this is no excuse to resort to bigoted judgments against Chinese people.
According to media reports, the Polynesians in the video above were pepper sprayed by police in Roosevelt, Utah while doing a haka. A haka is a traditional Maori dance that has been performed at sporting events around the world as a greeting and a challenge. Pepper spray for doing a dance? What happened?
Most Chinese American kids who inevitably take Chinese courses in high school or college learn pinyin, a phonetic way to record Chinese sounds to the Westernized alphabet. NPR has recently published an article on its 105-year-old creator, Zhou Youguang: “[He] has become a thorn in the government’s side. Zhou has published an amazing 10 books since he turned 100, some of which have been banned in China. These, along with outspoken views on the Communist Party and the need for democracy in China, have made him a “sensitive person” — a euphemism for a political dissident.”
Halloween is coming around the corner, so you know what that means – time to buy your obligatory candy for the year to support the sugar industry. Or, as in the Halloween greeting, “trick or treat,” technically you could show a trick to your kids. And I think you’d be equally unimpressed and not so excited about seeing a trick when expecting a treat – much like the cute Asian American girl in the middle in between her friends. I can’t recall ever seeing a trick as a kid. It’s just easier for everyone to give out candy.
Okay guys, today it’s your turn. You have been oppressed by the wrap bracelet, the panda necklace, and the cute Monopoly set for far too long. Today, stand up proud and show off your suave Asian American manliness with this Guardian Lion Tee ($20) by Akufuncture. Printed on white cotton, this tee features a male lion who will protect you from the recent girly invasion.
Special Offer: Akufuncture is partnering with GASP! to give you a special offer. With any purchase of apparel, get a free keychain by Tweeting “I am buying something from @akufuncture!” Feel free to put your own spin on it.
By Johnny C.
Usually, when most people think of events about diversity and international cultures, Indianapolis isn’t the first place they think of when they guess where these events take place. Last week, I attended the Cross Cultural Symposium at Indianapolis’ own Butler University . Aside from a great time rethinking the ways we define, interpret, and understand culture, I left with more questions than I went in with, especially about the Asian American community.
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