So, suicide has been on my brain lately. Not me committing it personally, but it seems to be popping up a lot.
I went last weekend to see "The Science of Sleep" with Gael Garcia Bernal and Charlotte Gainsbourg. See it! It's great. But before we got to see Gael's handsome mug, came the trailers. And I saw a one that I will never forget, for the rest of my life.
Warning: This blog entry has turned out to be extremely depressing. and don't hold your breath for a happy ending.
The trailer was for a film called "The Bridge." You've probably heard about it. Filmmaker Eric Steel told bridge authorities he was filming "the interaction between the monument and nature" or some such malarky, and then for most of 2004 spent every daylight hour catching jumpers and would-be jumpers on film.
It was chilling to see the bridge --my beautiful Golden Gate Bridge that I twice cross every day, that I don't even look at anymore as I zoom through it's spans. And in the ordinariness of that, a human being perched on the railings, looking down. And thinking, "oh crap, that person is about to kill themselves." I don't care how much realilty TV has jaded us, there is something singular and horrifying about watching someone poised to die.
The final scene of the trailer is a wide shot of the bridge --and it is such a beautiful bridge, the rusty red angles and arches, the clear blue sky. And then a surprisingly large splash mars the scene. It took me a moment to realize what that splash was.
The crew captured about 20 suicides. Which comes out to about once every other week. On this bridge, that I cross every weekday.
(As I work in the documentary film biz, there are HUGE ethical issues surrounding all of this --the false pretenses, the voyeurism, the rights of the deceased, yadi yadi yadi. I would love to talk endlessly about them, but not right now).
I put this all out of my mind --it was immediately distracting to see the antics of Gael as he navigates his dreams and reality, and you can't figure out which is more absurd. And I didn't think about any of it again until 8:30 this morning, when I found myself on the bridge. And without even realizing it, I started scanning all the pedestrians. Did anyone look like they were about to jump? Was anyone too close to the rails?
The same thing on the way back tonight--it was pretty empty now, and I had a clear view to both sides. What would i do if I did see someone climbing over? Honk really loudly? That might scare them and make them jump. Call out to them? Pull over? Call 911?
I started thinking about an amazing NPR story I heard a few months ago. (Click on the link, it's really worth your 6 minutes). A Chinese man, Chen Si, has taken it upon himself to patrol the Nanjing bridge on a suicide watch. Every weekend, for 3 years, he has traversed the bridge, looking for people who seem aimless and depressed. Physically dragging people back to solid ground. Falling into depression when he doesn't get there on time. (Sorry, are you getting depressed? I'm actually crying as I write this, now.)
But get this, he's actually saved 99 people. Because by getting them at the moment of utter despair, pulling them literally down from the ledge, at least some of them find a way to go on.
That's the argument for putting suicide barriers on the Golden Gate. Apparently a lot of people come to our fair city because of the relatively low railing on the bridge. By making it just a little harder, the argument goes, lives could be saved.
I was in New York right before the 5th anniversary of 9/11, and wandering around the east village, I found myself in a gallery exhibition of photos of that day. They were taken by professional photojournalists, and many were shockingly graphic. As horrifying as the images I had seen on tv, it turns out they were actually quite sanitized.
I don't know how many people jumped from the Twin Towers that day, but i think it was a lot. And once they landed, it was a gruesome scene. Body parts, corpses--I'll spare you a description. And you immediately think... how hellish it must have been in the tower, with fires burning and chaos all around, to drive people out the window.
And, as I pointed out to my sister in an argument (I don't know how you even get into arguments about suicide, but we can disagree about anything) --the people who are jumping off the bridges, slitting their wrists, ODing on pills--they must feel the same way: a mess of fire and misery behind them, the better option is to jump.
Since this is supposed to be an Asian American blog, I'll tie this up by reminding you that Asian American women have some of the highest rates of suicide in the nation. I had a friend in high school, Anne, who committed suicide after coming out of a very severe depression. And I don't care what anyone says, I'll always wish I'd done something, anything.
Because Chen Si does it. He has to physically drag them off the railing and bring them home, but he saves them. It really disproves the notion of, "there's nothing anyone could have done," doesn't it?
I'll be on the lookout every time I cross the bridge, now. I don't think I can help it.
Maybe if we all keep watch...
Posted by jennifer at 9:54 PM | Comments (1)
So, suicide has been on my brain lately. Not me committing it personally, but it seems to be popping up a lot.
I went last weekend to see "The Science of Sleep" with Gael Garcia Bernal and Charlotte Gainsbourg. See it! It's great. But before we got to see Gael's handsome mug, came the trailers. And I saw a one that I will never forget, for the rest of my life.
Warning: This blog entry has turned out to be extremely depressing. and don't hold your breath for a happy ending.
The trailer was for a film called "The Bridge." You've probably heard about it. Filmmaker Eric Steel told bridge authorities he was filming "the interaction between the monument and nature" or some such malarky, and then for most of 2004 spent every daylight hour catching jumpers and would-be jumpers on film.
It was chilling to see the bridge --my beautiful Golden Gate Bridge that I twice cross every day, that I don't even look at anymore as I zoom through it's spans. And in the ordinariness of that, a human being perched on the railings, looking down. And thinking, "oh crap, that person is about to kill themselves." I don't care how much realilty TV has jaded us, there is something singular and horrifying about watching someone poised to die.
The final scene of the trailer is a wide shot of the bridge --and it is such a beautiful bridge, the rusty red angles and arches, the clear blue sky. And then a surprisingly large splash mars the scene. It took me a moment to realize what that splash was.
The crew captured about 20 suicides. Which comes out to about once every other week. On this bridge, that I cross every weekday.
(As I work in the documentary film biz, there are HUGE ethical issues surrounding all of this --the false pretenses, the voyeurism, the rights of the deceased, yadi yadi yadi. I would love to talk endlessly about them, but not right now).
I put this all out of my mind --it was immediately distracting to see the antics of Gael as he navigates his dreams and reality, and you can't figure out which is more absurd. And I didn't think about any of it again until 8:30 this morning, when I found myself on the bridge. And without even realizing it, I started scanning all the pedestrians. Did anyone look like they were about to jump? Was anyone too close to the rails?
The same thing on the way back tonight--it was pretty empty now, and I had a clear view to both sides. What would i do if I did see someone climbing over? Honk really loudly? That might scare them and make them jump. Call out to them? Pull over? Call 911?
I started thinking about an amazing NPR story I heard a few months ago. (Click on the link, it's really worth your 6 minutes). A Chinese man, Chen Si, has taken it upon himself to patrol the Nanjing bridge on a suicide watch. Every weekend, for 3 years, he has traversed the bridge, looking for people who seem aimless and depressed. Physically dragging people back to solid ground. Falling into depression when he doesn't get there on time. (Sorry, are you getting depressed? I'm actually crying as I write this, now.)
But get this, he's actually saved 99 people. Because by getting them at the moment of utter despair, pulling them literally down from the ledge, at least some of them find a way to go on.
That's the argument for putting suicide barriers on the Golden Gate. Apparently a lot of people come to our fair city because of the relatively low railing on the bridge. By making it just a little harder, the argument goes, lives could be saved.
I was in New York right before the 5th anniversary of 9/11, and wandering around the east village, I found myself in a gallery exhibition of photos of that day. They were taken by professional photojournalists, and many were shockingly graphic. As horrifying as the images I had seen on tv, it turns out they were actually quite sanitized.
I don't know how many people jumped from the Twin Towers that day, but i think it was a lot. And once they landed, it was a gruesome scene. Body parts, corpses--I'll spare you a description. And you immediately think... how hellish it must have been in the tower, with fires burning and chaos all around, to drive people out the window.
And, as I pointed out to my sister in an argument (I don't know how you even get into arguments about suicide, but we can disagree about anything) --the people who are jumping off the bridges, slitting their wrists, ODing on pills--they must feel the same way: a mess of fire and misery behind them, the better option is to jump.
Since this is supposed to be an Asian American blog, I'll tie this up by reminding you that Asian American women have some of the highest rates of suicide in the nation. I had a friend in high school, Anne, who committed suicide after coming out of a very severe depression. And I don't care what anyone says, I'll always wish I'd done something, anything.
Because Chen Si does it. He has to physically drag them off the railing and bring them home, but he saves them. It really disproves the notion of, "there's nothing anyone could have done," doesn't it?
I'll be on the lookout every time I cross the bridge, now. I don't think I can help it.
Maybe if we all keep watch...
Posted by jennifer at 9:54 PM | Comments (1)
So, suicide has been on my brain lately. Not me committing it personally, but it seems to be popping up a lot.
I went last weekend to see "The Science of Sleep" with Gael Garcia Bernal and Charlotte Gainsbourg. See it! It's great. But before we got to see Gael's handsome mug, came the trailers. And I saw a one that I will never forget, for the rest of my life.
Warning: This blog entry has turned out to be extremely depressing. and don't hold your breath for a happy ending.
The trailer was for a film called "The Bridge." You've probably heard about it. Filmmaker Eric Steel told bridge authorities he was filming "the interaction between the monument and nature" or some such malarky, and then for most of 2004 spent every daylight hour catching jumpers and would-be jumpers on film.
It was chilling to see the bridge --my beautiful Golden Gate Bridge that I twice cross every day, that I don't even look at anymore as I zoom through it's spans. And in the ordinariness of that, a human being perched on the railings, looking down. And thinking, "oh crap, that person is about to kill themselves." I don't care how much realilty TV has jaded us, there is something singular and horrifying about watching someone poised to die.
The final scene of the trailer is a wide shot of the bridge --and it is such a beautiful bridge, the rusty red angles and arches, the clear blue sky. And then a surprisingly large splash mars the scene. It took me a moment to realize what that splash was.
The crew captured about 20 suicides. Which comes out to about once every other week. On this bridge, that I cross every weekday.
(As I work in the documentary film biz, there are HUGE ethical issues surrounding all of this --the false pretenses, the voyeurism, the rights of the deceased, yadi yadi yadi. I would love to talk endlessly about them, but not right now).
I put this all out of my mind --it was immediately distracting to see the antics of Gael as he navigates his dreams and reality, and you can't figure out which is more absurd. And I didn't think about any of it again until 8:30 this morning, when I found myself on the bridge. And without even realizing it, I started scanning all the pedestrians. Did anyone look like they were about to jump? Was anyone too close to the rails?
The same thing on the way back tonight--it was pretty empty now, and I had a clear view to both sides. What would i do if I did see someone climbing over? Honk really loudly? That might scare them and make them jump. Call out to them? Pull over? Call 911?
I started thinking about an amazing NPR story I heard a few months ago. (Click on the link, it's really worth your 6 minutes). A Chinese man, Chen Si, has taken it upon himself to patrol the Nanjing bridge on a suicide watch. Every weekend, for 3 years, he has traversed the bridge, looking for people who seem aimless and depressed. Physically dragging people back to solid ground. Falling into depression when he doesn't get there on time. (Sorry, are you getting depressed? I'm actually crying as I write this, now.)
But get this, he's actually saved 99 people. Because by getting them at the moment of utter despair, pulling them literally down from the ledge, at least some of them find a way to go on.
That's the argument for putting suicide barriers on the Golden Gate. Apparently a lot of people come to our fair city because of the relatively low railing on the bridge. By making it just a little harder, the argument goes, lives could be saved.
I was in New York right before the 5th anniversary of 9/11, and wandering around the east village, I found myself in a gallery exhibition of photos of that day. They were taken by professional photojournalists, and many were shockingly graphic. As horrifying as the images I had seen on tv, it turns out they were actually quite sanitized.
I don't know how many people jumped from the Twin Towers that day, but i think it was a lot. And once they landed, it was a gruesome scene. Body parts, corpses--I'll spare you a description. And you immediately think... how hellish it must have been in the tower, with fires burning and chaos all around, to drive people out the window.
And, as I pointed out to my sister in an argument (I don't know how you even get into arguments about suicide, but we can disagree about anything) --the people who are jumping off the bridges, slitting their wrists, ODing on pills--they must feel the same way: a mess of fire and misery behind them, the better option is to jump.
Since this is supposed to be an Asian American blog, I'll tie this up by reminding you that Asian American women have some of the highest rates of suicide in the nation. I had a friend in high school, Anne, who committed suicide after coming out of a very severe depression. And I don't care what anyone says, I'll always wish I'd done something, anything.
Because Chen Si does it. He has to physically drag them off the railing and bring them home, but he saves them. It really disproves the notion of, "there's nothing anyone could have done," doesn't it?
I'll be on the lookout every time I cross the bridge, now. I don't think I can help it.
Maybe if we all keep watch...
Posted by jennifer at 9:54 PM | Comments (1)
Enjoyed this story about Scott Fujita, who is a linebacker for the New Orleans Saints. Fujita and his brother, who are both white, were adopted by Rod (a third-generation Japanese American) and Helen (who is white).
The Fujitas proudly celebrate their Japanese heritage at family gatherings, especially at New Year's when large groups of family members from California and Chicago get together for a huge celebration.Fujita recalls eating steamed rice with every meal as a kid, using chopsticks and not eating a baked potato until he was 8, at a neighbor's house.
"I didn't know what to do with it," Fujita said. "I didn't know how you were supposed to cut it, and butter it, all that kind of stuff."
Scott Fujita is not biologically Japanese, but he was raised in a Japanese American family. So, is he Asian American? What makes someone Asian American?
Posted by Melissa at 12:26 PM | Comments (32)
Enjoyed this story about Scott Fujita, who is a linebacker for the New Orleans Saints. Fujita and his brother, who are both white, were adopted by Rod (a third-generation Japanese American) and Helen (who is white).
The Fujitas proudly celebrate their Japanese heritage at family gatherings, especially at New Year's when large groups of family members from California and Chicago get together for a huge celebration.Fujita recalls eating steamed rice with every meal as a kid, using chopsticks and not eating a baked potato until he was 8, at a neighbor's house.
"I didn't know what to do with it," Fujita said. "I didn't know how you were supposed to cut it, and butter it, all that kind of stuff."
Scott Fujita is not biologically Japanese, but he was raised in a Japanese American family. So, is he Asian American? What makes someone Asian American?
Posted by Melissa at 12:26 PM | Comments (32)
Enjoyed this story about Scott Fujita, who is a linebacker for the New Orleans Saints. Fujita and his brother, who are both white, were adopted by Rod (a third-generation Japanese American) and Helen (who is white).
The Fujitas proudly celebrate their Japanese heritage at family gatherings, especially at New Year's when large groups of family members from California and Chicago get together for a huge celebration.Fujita recalls eating steamed rice with every meal as a kid, using chopsticks and not eating a baked potato until he was 8, at a neighbor's house.
"I didn't know what to do with it," Fujita said. "I didn't know how you were supposed to cut it, and butter it, all that kind of stuff."
Scott Fujita is not biologically Japanese, but he was raised in a Japanese American family. So, is he Asian American? What makes someone Asian American?
Posted by Melissa at 12:26 PM | Comments (31)
Dr. Neela Rasgotra (Parminder Nagra) married Dr. Michael Gallant (Sharif Atkins) on ER.
I don't know if this writer got the idea for her article by reading Hyphen's blog, but we touched upon Asian woman-black man TV couplings last year. She's done some research and makes some interesting points.
Rinku Sen is with Colorlines magazine and she talks a lot about real-world reasons why there may be mutual attraction between Asian women and black men. But I'm not so sure "Americans have moved so far past race they don't even notice."
And I really don't buy the quote from the producer of ER, who says of the two Asian woman-black man couples he's had on his show, "Honestly, we really don't even talk about it or consider that it's an interracial couple."
TV is so white, how can you not notice?
In the fine tradition of Asian spotting on Hyphen, I think we've neglected to mention Xiao Mei (Gwendoline Yeo) of Desperate Housewives, who at the end of last season, was hopping in bed with Carlos and perhaps starting a trend of Asian women and Latino men TV couplings.
Posted by harry at 9:26 AM | Comments (187)
Dr. Neela Rasgotra (Parminder Nagra) married Dr. Michael Gallant (Sharif Atkins) on ER.
I don't know if this writer got the idea for her article by reading Hyphen's blog, but we touched upon Asian woman-black man TV couplings last year. She's done some research and makes some interesting points.
Rinku Sen is with Colorlines magazine and she talks a lot about real-world reasons why there may be mutual attraction between Asian women and black men. But I'm not so sure "Americans have moved so far past race they don't even notice."
And I really don't buy the quote from the producer of ER, who says of the two Asian woman-black man couples he's had on his show, "Honestly, we really don't even talk about it or consider that it's an interracial couple."
TV is so white, how can you not notice?
In the fine tradition of Asian spotting on Hyphen, I think we've neglected to mention Xiao Mei (Gwendoline Yeo) of Desperate Housewives, who at the end of last season, was hopping in bed with Carlos and perhaps starting a trend of Asian women and Latino men TV couplings.
Posted by harry at 9:26 AM | Comments (187)
Dr. Neela Rasgotra (Parminder Nagra) married Dr. Michael Gallant (Sharif Atkins) on ER.
I don't know if this writer got the idea for her article by reading Hyphen's blog, but we touched upon Asian woman-black man TV couplings last year. She's done some research and makes some interesting points.
Rinku Sen is with Colorlines magazine and she talks a lot about real-world reasons why there may be mutual attraction between Asian women and black men. But I'm not so sure "Americans have moved so far past race they don't even notice."
And I really don't buy the quote from the producer of ER, who says of the two Asian woman-black man couples he's had on his show, "Honestly, we really don't even talk about it or consider that it's an interracial couple."
TV is so white, how can you not notice?
In the fine tradition of Asian spotting on Hyphen, I think we've neglected to mention Xiao Mei (Gwendoline Yeo) of Desperate Housewives, who at the end of last season, was hopping in bed with Carlos and perhaps starting a trend of Asian women and Latino men TV couplings.
Posted by harry at 9:26 AM | Comments (187)
So in important breaking news (and in our ongoing habit here at Hyphen to engage in Asianspotting), tonight is the season premiere of America's Next Top Model (the 7th season if anyone is counting) and there’s a South Asian gal in the lineup! Anchal is 19, and a salesclerk from Florida. I hope she represents in a good way.
The last time there was a South Asian woman (actually, the only other time) was Julie from season 2. She got axed after only two weeks on the show because she admitted she was more interested in starting a garment company than being a model. Doh.
Let’s hope that Anchal has got her act more together than Gina from last season. Seriously, anyone would be better than Gina, who was so clueless and confused. First she says, she’s proud to be Asian and wants to represent since there aren't many Asian models. Then in the same interview, she says she doesn’t date Asian men. What’s up with that? Even Tyra Banks called her on the contradiction. In a later episode, during a mock press conference, Janice Dickinson asks her how being Asian affects her desire to be a model. Gina meekly answers that she doesn’t know. When pressed, she says she’s having an identity crisis. Sigh. Why do you have to have your identity crisis on national TV?
Sadly, Gina (who is Korean) seemed to fulfill the stereotype of the model minority: didn’t stick up for herself, let others bully her, quietly and passively did what she was told in hopes that she would be recognized and achieve her dream.
Here’s a clip of the disaster that is Gina:
Of all the Asian Americans on ANTM, I kind of miss April, who is half Japanese, from Season 2.
She seemed strong and confident. I was rooting for her to win. I found it interesting that on the one hand, judges would tell her to embrace her Asian heritage more. But then they would stereotype her too, saying she didn’t show enough emotion and was like a workaholic robot in pursuit of technical perfection.
Here’s an interview with April.
So, here's the essay question for today: Reality TV, good or not for minority representation?
Posted by Melissa at 12:30 PM | Comments (60)
So in important breaking news (and in our ongoing habit here at Hyphen to engage in Asianspotting), tonight is the season premiere of America's Next Top Model (the 7th season if anyone is counting) and there’s a South Asian gal in the lineup! Anchal is 19, and a salesclerk from Florida. I hope she represents in a good way.
The last time there was a South Asian woman (actually, the only other time) was Julie from season 2. She got axed after only two weeks on the show because she admitted she was more interested in starting a garment company than being a model. Doh.
Let’s hope that Anchal has got her act more together than Gina from last season. Seriously, anyone would be better than Gina, who was so clueless and confused. First she says, she’s proud to be Asian and wants to represent since there aren't many Asian models. Then in the same interview, she says she doesn’t date Asian men. What’s up with that? Even Tyra Banks called her on the contradiction. In a later episode, during a mock press conference, Janice Dickinson asks her how being Asian affects her desire to be a model. Gina meekly answers that she doesn’t know. When pressed, she says she’s having an identity crisis. Sigh. Why do you have to have your identity crisis on national TV?
Sadly, Gina (who is Korean) seemed to fulfill the stereotype of the model minority: didn’t stick up for herself, let others bully her, quietly and passively did what she was told in hopes that she would be recognized and achieve her dream.
Here’s a clip of the disaster that is Gina:
Of all the Asian Americans on ANTM, I kind of miss April, who is half Japanese, from Season 2.
She seemed strong and confident. I was rooting for her to win. I found it interesting that on the one hand, judges would tell her to embrace her Asian heritage more. But then they would stereotype her too, saying she didn’t show enough emotion and was like a workaholic robot in pursuit of technical perfection.
Here’s an interview with April.
So, here's the essay question for today: Reality TV, good or not for minority representation?
Posted by Melissa at 12:30 PM | Comments (60)
So in important breaking news (and in our ongoing habit here at Hyphen to engage in Asianspotting), tonight is the season premiere of America's Next Top Model (the 7th season if anyone is counting) and theres a South Asian gal in the lineup! Anchal is 19, and a salesclerk from Florida. I hope she represents in a good way.
The last time there was a South Asian woman (actually, the only other time) was Julie from season 2. She got axed after only two weeks on the show because she admitted she was more interested in starting a garment company than being a model. Doh.
Lets hope that Anchal has got her act more together than Gina from last season. Seriously, anyone would be better than Gina, who was so clueless and confused. First she says, shes proud to be Asian and wants to represent since there aren't many Asian models. Then in the same interview, she says she doesnt date Asian men. Whats up with that? Even Tyra Banks called her on the contradiction. In a later episode, during a mock press conference, Janice Dickinson asks her how being Asian affects her desire to be a model. Gina meekly answers that she doesnt know. When pressed, she says shes having an identity crisis. Sigh. Why do you have to have your identity crisis on national TV?
Sadly, Gina (who is Korean) seemed to fulfill the stereotype of the model minority: didnt stick up for herself, let others bully her, quietly and passively did what she was told in hopes that she would be recognized and achieve her dream.
Heres a clip of the disaster that is Gina:
Of all the Asian Americans on ANTM, I kind of miss April, who is half Japanese, from Season 2.
She seemed strong and confident. I was rooting for her to win. I found it interesting that on the one hand, judges would tell her to embrace her Asian heritage more. But then they would stereotype her too, saying she didnt show enough emotion and was like a workaholic robot in pursuit of technical perfection.
Heres an interview with April.
So, here's the essay question for today: Reality TV, good or not for minority representation?
Posted by Melissa at 12:30 PM | Comments (53)
Shahzia Sikander, who was profiled in the very first issue of Hyphen, was named a recipient of one of this year's MacArthur Foundation "genius" grants. Damn!
I first heard of Shahzia when I was living in Houston. (She was a fellow at the Glassell School of Art’s Core Program there and now lives in New York.) Shahzia is known for her contemporary take on the traditional South Asian art of miniature painting.
Other Asian Americans on the list:
Atul Gawande Surgeon and author (he writes for the New Yorker) applying a critical eye and fresh perspective to modern surgical practice, articulating its realities, complexities, and challenges, in the interest of improving outcomes and saving lives.
Terence Tao Mathematician (at UCLA) bringing technical brilliance and profound insight to a host of seemingly intractable problems in such areas as partial differential equations, harmonic analysis, combinatorics, and number theory.
Full list of this year's 25 winners here. It's a pretty impressive list. The winners get $500,000 over five years, with no strings attached. Congratulations!
Posted by Melissa at 12:00 PM | Comments (1)
Shahzia Sikander, who was profiled in the very first issue of Hyphen, was named a recipient of one of this year's MacArthur Foundation "genius" grants. Damn!
I first heard of Shahzia when I was living in Houston. (She was a fellow at the Glassell School of Art’s Core Program there and now lives in New York.) Shahzia is known for her contemporary take on the traditional South Asian art of miniature painting.
Other Asian Americans on the list:
Atul Gawande Surgeon and author (he writes for the New Yorker) applying a critical eye and fresh perspective to modern surgical practice, articulating its realities, complexities, and challenges, in the interest of improving outcomes and saving lives.
Terence Tao Mathematician (at UCLA) bringing technical brilliance and profound insight to a host of seemingly intractable problems in such areas as partial differential equations, harmonic analysis, combinatorics, and number theory.
Full list of this year's 25 winners here. It's a pretty impressive list. The winners get $500,000 over five years, with no strings attached. Congratulations!
Posted by Melissa at 12:00 PM | Comments (1)
Shahzia Sikander, who was profiled in the very first issue of Hyphen, was named a recipient of one of this year's MacArthur Foundation "genius" grants. Damn!
I first heard of Shahzia when I was living in Houston. (She was a fellow at the Glassell School of Arts Core Program there and now lives in New York.) Shahzia is known for her contemporary take on the traditional South Asian art of miniature painting.
Other Asian Americans on the list:
Atul Gawande Surgeon and author (he writes for the New Yorker) applying a critical eye and fresh perspective to modern surgical practice, articulating its realities, complexities, and challenges, in the interest of improving outcomes and saving lives.
Terence Tao Mathematician (at UCLA) bringing technical brilliance and profound insight to a host of seemingly intractable problems in such areas as partial differential equations, harmonic analysis, combinatorics, and number theory.
Full list of this year's 25 winners here. It's a pretty impressive list. The winners get $500,000 over five years, with no strings attached. Congratulations!
Posted by Melissa at 12:00 PM | Comments (1)
John Hyphen's staff at KSW's 8th annual APAture which opens tonight.
Opening night reception and kickoff is tonight, 6 to 9, at KSW's space180, 180 capp street @ 17th street, in San Francisco.
Can't make it tonight? Don't worry, APAture runs through September 30th and there are events taking place all month. They are featuring the work of more than 100 local, emerging artists and 7 different venues. There's a literature night, film night, music, dance, performace, zines. Lotsa lotsa stuff. Want to make your own art instead of watching others show off theirs? You can do that too. APAture offers a bunch of workshops as well. Some of them start this Friday, so sign up now.
The full festival schedule and more information is here.
You can always purchase advance tickets and discount festival passes at APAture media sponsor manja.org.
OK, Hope to see some of you out there tonight!
Posted by Melissa at 11:12 AM | Comments (0)
John Hyphen's staff at KSW's 8th annual APAture which opens tonight.
Opening night reception and kickoff is tonight, 6 to 9, at KSW's space180, 180 capp street @ 17th street, in San Francisco.
Can't make it tonight? Don't worry, APAture runs through September 30th and there are events taking place all month. They are featuring the work of more than 100 local, emerging artists and 7 different venues. There's a literature night, film night, music, dance, performace, zines. Lotsa lotsa stuff. Want to make your own art instead of watching others show off theirs? You can do that too. APAture offers a bunch of workshops as well. Some of them start this Friday, so sign up now.
The full festival schedule and more information is here.
You can always purchase advance tickets and discount festival passes at APAture media sponsor manja.org.
OK, Hope to see some of you out there tonight!
Posted by Melissa at 11:12 AM | Comments (0)
John Hyphen's staff at KSW's 8th annual APAture which opens tonight.
Opening night reception and kickoff is tonight, 6 to 9, at KSW's space180, 180 capp street @ 17th street, in San Francisco.
Can't make it tonight? Don't worry, APAture runs through September 30th and there are events taking place all month. They are featuring the work of more than 100 local, emerging artists and 7 different venues. There's a literature night, film night, music, dance, performace, zines. Lotsa lotsa stuff. Want to make your own art instead of watching others show off theirs? You can do that too. APAture offers a bunch of workshops as well. Some of them start this Friday, so sign up now.
The full festival schedule and more information is here.
You can always purchase advance tickets and discount festival passes at APAture media sponsor manja.org.
OK, Hope to see some of you out there tonight!
Posted by Melissa at 11:12 AM | Comments (0)
This story in the Onion is cracking me up: I Have A Thing For Asia. Not Asians, but Asia the continent.
It began in high school, when I was first exposed to different landforms. It was then that I realized my deep attraction to the remote, demure, but utterly entrancing continent of Asia. In college, I double-majored in geography and earth science, but only so I could get closer to Asia.
Posted by Melissa at 6:00 PM | Comments (4)
This story in the Onion is cracking me up: I Have A Thing For Asia. Not Asians, but Asia the continent.
It began in high school, when I was first exposed to different landforms. It was then that I realized my deep attraction to the remote, demure, but utterly entrancing continent of Asia. In college, I double-majored in geography and earth science, but only so I could get closer to Asia.
Posted by Melissa at 6:00 PM | Comments (4)
This story in the Onion is cracking me up: I Have A Thing For Asia. Not Asians, but Asia the continent.
It began in high school, when I was first exposed to different landforms. It was then that I realized my deep attraction to the remote, demure, but utterly entrancing continent of Asia. In college, I double-majored in geography and earth science, but only so I could get closer to Asia.
Posted by Melissa at 6:00 PM | Comments (4)
Guest blogger Marianne Villanueva reviews some 9/11 movies...
I was sitting there, in my local Century 12, it was the 1 PM show, and the only other people in the vast theatre were two senior citizens, white-haired ladies in matching pink jogging suits who kept up this low, whispery conversation all through the previews. I didn't really want to be there, but I felt I had to see this movie, I felt it was somehow important.
This year, I happened to be in New York when "World Trade Center" movie opened, and I only just realized that I was holding my breath, waiting for the bad reviews. I have known New York friends to make the most vicious fun of Oliver Stone - he's the kind of director everyone loves to kick for his excesses. But when this movie opened, in New York, the reaction I saw was one of - reverence? It was August, a full month before the anniversary of Sept. 11. I saw people lined up on street corners to see this movie.
As for myself, I kept saying I would get to it. And then finally I ran out of excuses.
And in fact, this movie - this movie seemed to have been made by a completely different director from the one who made "Platoon." I sat there, not quite able to wrap my mind around the warp speed with which Oliver Stone seemed to have transmuted from the stridently anti-war, anti-military rebel of that earlier movie to this one, which shows an ex-Marine, standing in an IBM-like office, staring at a TV screen and intoning, without a trace of irony, "This means we're at war."
The most moving character in the movie was a rookie Port Authority cop named Will Jimeno. I don't know where they found this actor, but he looks like every young Latino man I've ever taught at Foothill College. The scene where Nic Cage looks at his men and asks for volunteers to go inside the World Trade Center - that scene was saved from extreme corniness by the sheer simplicity of this actor's "I'll do it, sarge." (The other two volunteers, one Rodrigues and another O'Reilly, were too stalwart in their "I'll do it" phrasing.)
Then, the cuts back and forth to the anguished families. In the "United Flight 93" A & E movie, one of the things which made it so awful to me was the way in which the camera cut constantly to the families on the ground. I mean, honestly, when you have a band of plucky airline passengers undergoing mortal peril, you don't need to
hear the voices of their crying families to underscore the fact that they are in mortal peril. In one of the family scenes, they even show a birthday party in progress, which is totally ridiculous since United 93 took off at 8 or so in the morning, East Coast time, which would have made it 5:30 or 6 a.m. California time. So explain to me how you could have a children's birthday party with balloons and cakes and what-nots - puhleeze!
But here, strangely, the scenes with the frantic wives (played by two fine actresses, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Maria Bello) were as riveting as the scenes shot at the World Trade Center. And, in the end, I thought to myself how strange it was that the movie seemed so - conventional? Almost the last words in the movie are those of a marine saying, "This doesn't end here. Not until we get the bastards who did this." And off he goes to a tour of duty in Iraq.
WHAT HAPPENED TO Oliver Stone? Did 9/11 turn him into a bleeding-heart pro-war PATRIOT?
In contrast, when I saw "United 93", the Paul Greenglass movie, every moment was so fraught, I felt I could hardly breathe. In the opening scenes, Greenglass chose to focus on the young hijackers. We watch them going through their ritual ablutions and praying in their hotel rooms. All this is very disconcerting. In fact, it's an extremely canny device because the effect it creates is one of incredible, almost unbearable tension, which just builds and builds as the movie progresses. By the end of the movie (and, at the time I saw it, the audience was also composed almost entirely of fragile-looking old people), you could clearly make out, here and there, from different parts of the theatre, deep, guttural groans. They arose spontaneously, but in tandem. If I closed my eyes, I could almost imagine I was in some OTHER kind of movie - maybe even a porn flick (except that of course the audience would have been from an entirely different demographic). There were no people shouting "Bastards!" at the screen, or even any actors shouting "Bastards" ON the screen, and yet the anguish felt deeper.
In the last scenes of "United 93," the camera is jiggling so much that you can't make out who is doing what. The actors are tumbling and tumbling, impossible to distinguish man from woman, young from old. THAT is what it must have been like in the plane, in the last moments. I left so shaken, it was difficult for me to drive.
THIS movie was different. If anyone doubts how profoundly America has been changed by the events of 9-11, they have only to watch "Platoon." Watch it, and then watch "World Trade Center." It's a complete U-turn
Oliver Stone makes. It's scary, because it's what happened to a lot of us.
+ + +
Marianne Villanueva is the author of the short story collections GINSENG AND OTHER TALES FROM MANILA (Calyx Press) and MAYOR OF THE ROSES: STORIES (Miami University Press). Her short story "Mayor of the Roses" was published in Hyphen #6.
Posted by momo at 3:00 PM | Comments (1)
Guest blogger Marianne Villanueva reviews some 9/11 movies...
I was sitting there, in my local Century 12, it was the 1 PM show, and the only other people in the vast theatre were two senior citizens, white-haired ladies in matching pink jogging suits who kept up this low, whispery conversation all through the previews. I didn't really want to be there, but I felt I had to see this movie, I felt it was somehow important.
This year, I happened to be in New York when "World Trade Center" movie opened, and I only just realized that I was holding my breath, waiting for the bad reviews. I have known New York friends to make the most vicious fun of Oliver Stone - he's the kind of director everyone loves to kick for his excesses. But when this movie opened, in New York, the reaction I saw was one of - reverence? It was August, a full month before the anniversary of Sept. 11. I saw people lined up on street corners to see this movie.
As for myself, I kept saying I would get to it. And then finally I ran out of excuses.
And in fact, this movie - this movie seemed to have been made by a completely different director from the one who made "Platoon." I sat there, not quite able to wrap my mind around the warp speed with which Oliver Stone seemed to have transmuted from the stridently anti-war, anti-military rebel of that earlier movie to this one, which shows an ex-Marine, standing in an IBM-like office, staring at a TV screen and intoning, without a trace of irony, "This means we're at war."
The most moving character in the movie was a rookie Port Authority cop named Will Jimeno. I don't know where they found this actor, but he looks like every young Latino man I've ever taught at Foothill College. The scene where Nic Cage looks at his men and asks for volunteers to go inside the World Trade Center - that scene was saved from extreme corniness by the sheer simplicity of this actor's "I'll do it, sarge." (The other two volunteers, one Rodrigues and another O'Reilly, were too stalwart in their "I'll do it" phrasing.)
Then, the cuts back and forth to the anguished families. In the "United Flight 93" A & E movie, one of the things which made it so awful to me was the way in which the camera cut constantly to the families on the ground. I mean, honestly, when you have a band of plucky airline passengers undergoing mortal peril, you don't need to
hear the voices of their crying families to underscore the fact that they are in mortal peril. In one of the family scenes, they even show a birthday party in progress, which is totally ridiculous since United 93 took off at 8 or so in the morning, East Coast time, which would have made it 5:30 or 6 a.m. California time. So explain to me how you could have a children's birthday party with balloons and cakes and what-nots - puhleeze!
But here, strangely, the scenes with the frantic wives (played by two fine actresses, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Maria Bello) were as riveting as the scenes shot at the World Trade Center. And, in the end, I thought to myself how strange it was that the movie seemed so - conventional? Almost the last words in the movie are those of a marine saying, "This doesn't end here. Not until we get the bastards who did this." And off he goes to a tour of duty in Iraq.
WHAT HAPPENED TO Oliver Stone? Did 9/11 turn him into a bleeding-heart pro-war PATRIOT?
In contrast, when I saw "United 93", the Paul Greenglass movie, every moment was so fraught, I felt I could hardly breathe. In the opening scenes, Greenglass chose to focus on the young hijackers. We watch them going through their ritual ablutions and praying in their hotel rooms. All this is very disconcerting. In fact, it's an extremely canny device because the effect it creates is one of incredible, almost unbearable tension, which just builds and builds as the movie progresses. By the end of the movie (and, at the time I saw it, the audience was also composed almost entirely of fragile-looking old people), you could clearly make out, here and there, from different parts of the theatre, deep, guttural groans. They arose spontaneously, but in tandem. If I closed my eyes, I could almost imagine I was in some OTHER kind of movie - maybe even a porn flick (except that of course the audience would have been from an entirely different demographic). There were no people shouting "Bastards!" at the screen, or even any actors shouting "Bastards" ON the screen, and yet the anguish felt deeper.
In the last scenes of "United 93," the camera is jiggling so much that you can't make out who is doing what. The actors are tumbling and tumbling, impossible to distinguish man from woman, young from old. THAT is what it must have been like in the plane, in the last moments. I left so shaken, it was difficult for me to drive.
THIS movie was different. If anyone doubts how profoundly America has been changed by the events of 9-11, they have only to watch "Platoon." Watch it, and then watch "World Trade Center." It's a complete U-turn
Oliver Stone makes. It's scary, because it's what happened to a lot of us.
+ + +
Marianne Villanueva is the author of the short story collections GINSENG AND OTHER TALES FROM MANILA (Calyx Press) and MAYOR OF THE ROSES: STORIES (Miami University Press). Her short story "Mayor of the Roses" was published in Hyphen #6.
Posted by momo at 3:00 PM | Comments (1)
Guest blogger Marianne Villanueva reviews some 9/11 movies...
I was sitting there, in my local Century 12, it was the 1 PM show, and the only other people in the vast theatre were two senior citizens, white-haired ladies in matching pink jogging suits who kept up this low, whispery conversation all through the previews. I didn't really want to be there, but I felt I had to see this movie, I felt it was somehow important.
This year, I happened to be in New York when "World Trade Center" movie opened, and I only just realized that I was holding my breath, waiting for the bad reviews. I have known New York friends to make the most vicious fun of Oliver Stone - he's the kind of director everyone loves to kick for his excesses. But when this movie opened, in New York, the reaction I saw was one of - reverence? It was August, a full month before the anniversary of Sept. 11. I saw people lined up on street corners to see this movie.
As for myself, I kept saying I would get to it. And then finally I ran out of excuses.
And in fact, this movie - this movie seemed to have been made by a completely different director from the one who made "Platoon." I sat there, not quite able to wrap my mind around the warp speed with which Oliver Stone seemed to have transmuted from the stridently anti-war, anti-military rebel of that earlier movie to this one, which shows an ex-Marine, standing in an IBM-like office, staring at a TV screen and intoning, without a trace of irony, "This means we're at war."
The most moving character in the movie was a rookie Port Authority cop named Will Jimeno. I don't know where they found this actor, but he looks like every young Latino man I've ever taught at Foothill College. The scene where Nic Cage looks at his men and asks for volunteers to go inside the World Trade Center - that scene was saved from extreme corniness by the sheer simplicity of this actor's "I'll do it, sarge." (The other two volunteers, one Rodrigues and another O'Reilly, were too stalwart in their "I'll do it" phrasing.)
Then, the cuts back and forth to the anguished families. In the "United Flight 93" A & E movie, one of the things which made it so awful to me was the way in which the camera cut constantly to the families on the ground. I mean, honestly, when you have a band of plucky airline passengers undergoing mortal peril, you don't need to
hear the voices of their crying families to underscore the fact that they are in mortal peril. In one of the family scenes, they even show a birthday party in progress, which is totally ridiculous since United 93 took off at 8 or so in the morning, East Coast time, which would have made it 5:30 or 6 a.m. California time. So explain to me how you could have a children's birthday party with balloons and cakes and what-nots - puhleeze!
But here, strangely, the scenes with the frantic wives (played by two fine actresses, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Maria Bello) were as riveting as the scenes shot at the World Trade Center. And, in the end, I thought to myself how strange it was that the movie seemed so - conventional? Almost the last words in the movie are those of a marine saying, "This doesn't end here. Not until we get the bastards who did this." And off he goes to a tour of duty in Iraq.
WHAT HAPPENED TO Oliver Stone? Did 9/11 turn him into a bleeding-heart pro-war PATRIOT?
In contrast, when I saw "United 93", the Paul Greenglass movie, every moment was so fraught, I felt I could hardly breathe. In the opening scenes, Greenglass chose to focus on the young hijackers. We watch them going through their ritual ablutions and praying in their hotel rooms. All this is very disconcerting. In fact, it's an extremely canny device because the effect it creates is one of incredible, almost unbearable tension, which just builds and builds as the movie progresses. By the end of the movie (and, at the time I saw it, the audience was also composed almost entirely of fragile-looking old people), you could clearly make out, here and there, from different parts of the theatre, deep, guttural groans. They arose spontaneously, but in tandem. If I closed my eyes, I could almost imagine I was in some OTHER kind of movie - maybe even a porn flick (except that of course the audience would have been from an entirely different demographic). There were no people shouting "Bastards!" at the screen, or even any actors shouting "Bastards" ON the screen, and yet the anguish felt deeper.
In the last scenes of "United 93," the camera is jiggling so much that you can't make out who is doing what. The actors are tumbling and tumbling, impossible to distinguish man from woman, young from old. THAT is what it must have been like in the plane, in the last moments. I left so shaken, it was difficult for me to drive.
THIS movie was different. If anyone doubts how profoundly America has been changed by the events of 9-11, they have only to watch "Platoon." Watch it, and then watch "World Trade Center." It's a complete U-turn
Oliver Stone makes. It's scary, because it's what happened to a lot of us.
+ + +
Marianne Villanueva is the author of the short story collections GINSENG AND OTHER TALES FROM MANILA (Calyx Press) and MAYOR OF THE ROSES: STORIES (Miami University Press). Her short story "Mayor of the Roses" was published in Hyphen #6.
Posted by momo at 3:00 PM | Comments (1)
Melissa Hung, our esteemed editor in chief, recounted an experience that is all too familiar to many Asian Americans during a panel discussion last night on stereotypes co-presented by Hyphen and hosted by the Asia Society in San Francisco.
It happened for Melissa at the airport, but it could be anywhere, any time. The circumstances may not be the same, but the reasons behind it are if you’ve experienced it.
As Melissa was going through security, one of the TSA agents processing her said to another, “You have to say xie xie (thank you in Mandarin) to her.”
Oh, no you don’t was Melissa’s reaction to the agents, who then started getting on Mel’s case for being sassy. She didn’t want to make a scene in the airport and just wanted to get on her flight, so she let it go. But Melissa was pissed.
Why would someone just assume that she was Chinese or that she spoke Mandarin Chinese? Why would you make that leap just because of someone’s perceived race? She had a California driver’s license, not a Chinese passport? What gives?
She just got stereotyp’d.
Last night’s panel, Confronting Asian American Stereotypes, was at times an interesting discussion on a subject, that, if we weren’t still discussing it and the world was perfect, Hyphen and this Web site wouldn’t exist.
Part of the reason I chose journalism as a career and perhaps, for better or worse, part of what drives my personality is how I’ve been stereotyped by others and how I internalized those beliefs.
There were the many times that “ching chong” was thrown my way. There was the time the emergency room doctor treating my badly sprained thumb said, “Does it hurt? Oh, even if it did, you wouldn’t say anything, you’re Asian.” There was also the childhood spent in the rural California, where there were hardly any Asian Americans, always feeling different and unsure of myself.
This blog entry is starting to sound like therapy, as were some of the comments and questions audience members threw at Melissa and her fellow panelists, Nguyen Qui Duc of KQED radio, Asian American studies Professor Elaine Kim of UC Berkeley, Pueng Vongs of New America Media and Phil “Angry Asian Man” Yu.
One woman, who only came to the panel because her friend brought, complained that it seemed because she was Chinese and Asian, it was expected that she should behave a certain way, such as always using chopsticks when for her, sometimes it was just easier to put a fork into it.
One guy lamented the fact that news coverage of drug addiction seemed to gloss over the fact that substance abuse is a problem among Asian Americans.
“While I’m not advocating taking drugs to battle the model minority stereotype,” Pueng said, in perhaps the best line of the night, better coverage “does provide a fuller picture.”
A psychotherapist in the audience said that in her practice she’s found that identity issues are common among Asian Americans.
It’s a sentiment backed by Professor Kim, who said she’s met Koreans in Argentina, Japan and Kazakhstan who don’t seem to have the issues with identity that Koreans in the United States have. There’s something about the history of U.S. colonialism, racism and its wars in Asia that fuel this, I think.
We here in the San Francisco Bay Area like to revel in how diverse the population is, but Duc pointed out, and I believe it’s true, we segregate ourselves. Even at the panel, “there are no black members in the audience and maybe three who can pass for Latino,” Duc said. “We’re talking to ourselves.”
The media has a role in how stereotypes are formed. It doesn’t take a scientific study to see that there aren’t many realistic portrayals of Asian Americans in the entertainment or news media, which can feed stereotypes.
Phil started his blog and named it so it would be “an assault on the senses,” he said. What’s more in your face and breaks the “Asian American” mold, RegularAsianMan.com or ANGRYASIANMAN.COM?
I said earlier that the panel “was at times interesting” because I’ve been discussing and writing about this and similar subjects since I minored in Asian American Studies 15 years ago. That’s a long time, and quite frankly, there hasn’t been much positive movement. It’s the same conversation and story, over and over again. Asian Americans are still marginalized in ways big and small.
There’s no magic pill that makes stereotyping go away. When it comes down to it, Duc put it pretty well:
“We have to look at ourselves. When we see something we don’t like, we have to write that letter to the editor . . . We have to raise our voices.”
He was talking about poor news coverage, but I think the principle applies elsewhere. Asian Americans can’t let stereotyping bring them down, but it can’t be ignored either.
Posted by harry at 1:00 AM | Comments (24)
Melissa Hung, our esteemed editor in chief, recounted an experience that is all too familiar to many Asian Americans during a panel discussion last night on stereotypes co-presented by Hyphen and hosted by the Asia Society in San Francisco.
It happened for Melissa at the airport, but it could be anywhere, any time. The circumstances may not be the same, but the reasons behind it are if you’ve experienced it.
As Melissa was going through security, one of the TSA agents processing her said to another, “You have to say xie xie (thank you in Mandarin) to her.”
Oh, no you don’t was Melissa’s reaction to the agents, who then started getting on Mel’s case for being sassy. She didn’t want to make a scene in the airport and just wanted to get on her flight, so she let it go. But Melissa was pissed.
Why would someone just assume that she was Chinese or that she spoke Mandarin Chinese? Why would you make that leap just because of someone’s perceived race? She had a California driver’s license, not a Chinese passport? What gives?
She just got stereotyp’d.
Last night’s panel, Confronting Asian American Stereotypes, was at times an interesting discussion on a subject, that, if we weren’t still discussing it and the world was perfect, Hyphen and this Web site wouldn’t exist.
Part of the reason I chose journalism as a career and perhaps, for better or worse, part of what drives my personality is how I’ve been stereotyped by others and how I internalized those beliefs.
There were the many times that “ching chong” was thrown my way. There was the time the emergency room doctor treating my badly sprained thumb said, “Does it hurt? Oh, even if it did, you wouldn’t say anything, you’re Asian.” There was also the childhood spent in the rural California, where there were hardly any Asian Americans, always feeling different and unsure of myself.
This blog entry is starting to sound like therapy, as were some of the comments and questions audience members threw at Melissa and her fellow panelists, Nguyen Qui Duc of KQED radio, Asian American studies Professor Elaine Kim of UC Berkeley, Pueng Vongs of New America Media and Phil “Angry Asian Man” Yu.
One woman, who only came to the panel because her friend brought, complained that it seemed because she was Chinese and Asian, it was expected that she should behave a certain way, such as always using chopsticks when for her, sometimes it was just easier to put a fork into it.
One guy lamented the fact that news coverage of drug addiction seemed to gloss over the fact that substance abuse is a problem among Asian Americans.
“While I’m not advocating taking drugs to battle the model minority stereotype,” Pueng said, in perhaps the best line of the night, better coverage “does provide a fuller picture.”
A psychotherapist in the audience said that in her practice she’s found that identity issues are common among Asian Americans.
It’s a sentiment backed by Professor Kim, who said she’s met Koreans in Argentina, Japan and Kazakhstan who don’t seem to have the issues with identity that Koreans in the United States have. There’s something about the history of U.S. colonialism, racism and its wars in Asia that fuel this, I think.
We here in the San Francisco Bay Area like to revel in how diverse the population is, but Duc pointed out, and I believe it’s true, we segregate ourselves. Even at the panel, “there are no black members in the audience and maybe three who can pass for Latino,” Duc said. “We’re talking to ourselves.”
The media has a role in how stereotypes are formed. It doesn’t take a scientific study to see that there aren’t many realistic portrayals of Asian Americans in the entertainment or news media, which can feed stereotypes.
Phil started his blog and named it so it would be “an assault on the senses,” he said. What’s more in your face and breaks the “Asian American” mold, RegularAsianMan.com or ANGRYASIANMAN.COM?
I said earlier that the panel “was at times interesting” because I’ve been discussing and writing about this and similar subjects since I minored in Asian American Studies 15 years ago. That’s a long time, and quite frankly, there hasn’t been much positive movement. It’s the same conversation and story, over and over again. Asian Americans are still marginalized in ways big and small.
There’s no magic pill that makes stereotyping go away. When it comes down to it, Duc put it pretty well:
“We have to look at ourselves. When we see something we don’t like, we have to write that letter to the editor . . . We have to raise our voices.”
He was talking about poor news coverage, but I think the principle applies elsewhere. Asian Americans can’t let stereotyping bring them down, but it can’t be ignored either.
Posted by harry at 1:00 AM | Comments (24)
Melissa Hung, our esteemed editor in chief, recounted an experience that is all too familiar to many Asian Americans during a panel discussion last night on stereotypes co-presented by Hyphen and hosted by the Asia Society in San Francisco.
It happened for Melissa at the airport, but it could be anywhere, any time. The circumstances may not be the same, but the reasons behind it are if youve experienced it.
As Melissa was going through security, one of the TSA agents processing her said to another, You have to say xie xie (thank you in Mandarin) to her.
Oh, no you dont was Melissas reaction to the agents, who then started getting on Mels case for being sassy. She didnt want to make a scene in the airport and just wanted to get on her flight, so she let it go. But Melissa was pissed.
Why would someone just assume that she was Chinese or that she spoke Mandarin Chinese? Why would you make that leap just because of someones perceived race? She had a California drivers license, not a Chinese passport? What gives?
She just got stereotypd.
Last nights panel, Confronting Asian American Stereotypes, was at times an interesting discussion on a subject, that, if we werent still discussing it and the world was perfect, Hyphen and this Web site wouldnt exist.
Part of the reason I chose journalism as a career and perhaps, for better or worse, part of what drives my personality is how Ive been stereotyped by others and how I internalized those beliefs.
There were the many times that ching chong was thrown my way. There was the time the emergency room doctor treating my badly sprained thumb said, Does it hurt? Oh, even if it did, you wouldnt say anything, youre Asian. There was also the childhood spent in the rural California, where there were hardly any Asian Americans, always feeling different and unsure of myself.
This blog entry is starting to sound like therapy, as were some of the comments and questions audience members threw at Melissa and her fellow panelists, Nguyen Qui Duc of KQED radio, Asian American studies Professor Elaine Kim of UC Berkeley, Pueng Vongs of New America Media and Phil Angry Asian Man Yu.
One woman, who only came to the panel because her friend brought, complained that it seemed because she was Chinese and Asian, it was expected that she should behave a certain way, such as always using chopsticks when for her, sometimes it was just easier to put a fork into it.
One guy lamented the fact that news coverage of drug addiction seemed to gloss over the fact that substance abuse is a problem among Asian Americans.
While Im not advocating taking drugs to battle the model minority stereotype, Pueng said, in perhaps the best line of the night, better coverage does provide a fuller picture.
A psychotherapist in the audience said that in her practice shes found that identity issues are common among Asian Americans.
Its a sentiment backed by Professor Kim, who said shes met Koreans in Argentina, Japan and Kazakhstan who dont seem to have the issues with identity that Koreans in the United States have. Theres something about the history of U.S. colonialism, racism and its wars in Asia that fuel this, I think.
We here in the San Francisco Bay Area like to revel in how diverse the population is, but Duc pointed out, and I believe its true, we segregate ourselves. Even at the panel, there are no black members in the audience and maybe three who can pass for Latino, Duc said. Were talking to ourselves.
The media has a role in how stereotypes are formed. It doesnt take a scientific study to see that there arent many realistic portrayals of Asian Americans in the entertainment or news media, which can feed stereotypes.
Phil started his blog and named it so it would be an assault on the senses, he said. Whats more in your face and breaks the Asian American mold, RegularAsianMan.com or ANGRYASIANMAN.COM?
I said earlier that the panel was at times interesting because Ive been discussing and writing about this and similar subjects since I minored in Asian American Studies 15 years ago. Thats a long time, and quite frankly, there hasnt been much positive movement. Its the same conversation and story, over and over again. Asian Americans are still marginalized in ways big and small.
Theres no magic pill that makes stereotyping go away. When it comes down to it, Duc put it pretty well:
We have to look at ourselves. When we see something we dont like, we have to write that letter to the editor . . . We have to raise our voices.
He was talking about poor news coverage, but I think the principle applies elsewhere. Asian Americans cant let stereotyping bring them down, but it cant be ignored either.
Posted by harry at 1:00 AM | Comments (23)
A couple interesting things in the news lately: