I wanted to let you know of a recent meeting I had with some members of the executive board of UAAO. In our conversation we realized the unique connection the group has to the YK Lounge in South Quad. Specifically, this group was instrumental in the creation of this space as a multicultural lounge and the safe space it creates for Asian American students on campus. As a result, we agreed that UAAO may hold its regular and mentorship meetings in the space. That means they may go beyond the current guidelines (4 per semester) detailed in the current lounge reservation policy. While they are being given a preference to use the space, UAAO also realizes that YK is there for the residents of South Quad and will work collaboratively and cooperatively should any scheduling requests arise in the future that are in the best interests of residence hall students.
Please make an ongoing reservation for Wednesdays 5:30pm-7:30pm and Thursdays 6:30-8:30pm in the YK lounge for the remainder of the academic year. If there are existing reservations that conflict with these times, please let the e-board know as soon as possible so that UAAO may make alternate arrangements.
~Trelawny Boynton
Associate Director of Residence Education
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
The election and coalitions
I'll be taking over for Claire this time.
As you all know, this past Tuesday was the general election. And as you all know, Barack Obama was elected.
Now there's been lots of talk about what this means, for us to have elected the first African American president. It's a big question, and I'm going to leave that discussion for more participatory channels. But it does open up a window for discussion of issues of race in the United States - specifically, how issues of race can bubble to the surface during such a contentious time as the election.
This year, as in several previous elections, UAAO worked with the Asian Pacific Law Students Association (APALSA) and the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) on an election protection project. To give you a little background, AALDEF did this in 11 states this election, focusing on jurisdictions in which there's a substantial number of Asian Americans, especially those in which there's a high rate of limited english proficiency (LEP). In Michigan, these communities are Ann Arbor, Canton, Detroit, Novi, and Troy. In addition, AALDEF worked with the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) to bring this project to Dearborn and Hamtramck, communities with significant Arab American populations.
The election protection project consists primarily of exit polling - surveying Asian and Arab American voters as the leave the polls. This is necessary because we tend to be underrepresented in polls, and often excluded entirely when poll results are divided by racial groups - they tend to focus chiefly on white and black, sometimes including Latinos.
The protection part becomes necessary due to a combination of LEP and discrimination. Because many Asian American voters are less proficient at reading English, ballots can often prove difficult to use. Under the Voting Rights Act, voters are allowed to bring someone in to help them with the ballot; however, poll workers, sometimes unaware of this, try to prevent this. There's also the issue of racism and discrimination - for example, an elderly Chinese American voter may be rushed by the poll workers more than a white voter, or poll workers may make racist comments and intimidate Asian American voters. This is where AALDEF comes in.
So what we did was look out for these things, using our eyes and ears as well as our interactions with voters. If a voter reported a problem or if we noticed it, we got as much detail as possible and called it in to AALDEF - ultimately, they work to fix as many problems, case by case, as possible, as well as to fix systemic problems using our observations. And something we noticed was that simply by being visible observers, we helped influence poll workers' behavior for the better. To be sure, it would be ideal to end discrimination at the polls without having to be present physically, but in the United States, if you lose your vote, there's no getting it back. And this goes back to the central issue of how race becomes a factor in elections. Disenfranchisement occurs among Asian American communities due to relativekt higher incidents of problems with language access and racism.
I've been talking mostly about Asian Americans here, but there's lots to say about how this relates to Arab Americans. This is tied to my own experience with election protection this year - I worked at a pollsite in Dearborn, MI, the city with the highest proportion of Arab Americans in its population compared to any other city in the United States. How does this relate to Asian Americans?
Arab Americans' place in relation to Asian Americans has shifted; at times, they've been included under the label "Asian American", but conventionally, they're considered separate. And this isn't necessarily a bad thing or unjust - Arab Americans have different voting trends, face different issues, and have their own diversity and heterogeneity within the sweeping label "Arab American", as one of the voters I surveyed wryly pointed out to me. Despite these differences, however, there's at least one simple reason that led the Arab American community in Michigan to be a part of this effort - and this reason can be identified simply by looking at the organizations involved. Whatever the differences between Arab Americans and Asian Americans, AALDEF and ACCESS did partner up, because it was recognized by both organizations that their respective communities faced common problems on election day. This is, to put it simply, coalition-building.
Coalitions are a big thing with in A/PIA history as well as UAAO. The pan-ethnic Asian American identity has, at its heart, coalition politics - taking on this identity is at least in part a deliberate choice, a political act. And this election reminded me of that. It reminded me that although Asian Americans and Arab Americans may have vast differences - just as the different ethnicities under the Asian American label may have with each other - they banded together in an effort to combat injustice. It reminded me that coalitions are not a phenomenon of the 60s and 70s, but rather a way to empower ourselves and those around us - a tool for use in the struggles our communities faced decades ago and continue to face today, however those struggles may appear to us at this moment. And it doesn't have to be a fundamental identity shift, but can be as simple as working together.
- arthur
As you all know, this past Tuesday was the general election. And as you all know, Barack Obama was elected.
Now there's been lots of talk about what this means, for us to have elected the first African American president. It's a big question, and I'm going to leave that discussion for more participatory channels. But it does open up a window for discussion of issues of race in the United States - specifically, how issues of race can bubble to the surface during such a contentious time as the election.
This year, as in several previous elections, UAAO worked with the Asian Pacific Law Students Association (APALSA) and the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) on an election protection project. To give you a little background, AALDEF did this in 11 states this election, focusing on jurisdictions in which there's a substantial number of Asian Americans, especially those in which there's a high rate of limited english proficiency (LEP). In Michigan, these communities are Ann Arbor, Canton, Detroit, Novi, and Troy. In addition, AALDEF worked with the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) to bring this project to Dearborn and Hamtramck, communities with significant Arab American populations.
The election protection project consists primarily of exit polling - surveying Asian and Arab American voters as the leave the polls. This is necessary because we tend to be underrepresented in polls, and often excluded entirely when poll results are divided by racial groups - they tend to focus chiefly on white and black, sometimes including Latinos.
The protection part becomes necessary due to a combination of LEP and discrimination. Because many Asian American voters are less proficient at reading English, ballots can often prove difficult to use. Under the Voting Rights Act, voters are allowed to bring someone in to help them with the ballot; however, poll workers, sometimes unaware of this, try to prevent this. There's also the issue of racism and discrimination - for example, an elderly Chinese American voter may be rushed by the poll workers more than a white voter, or poll workers may make racist comments and intimidate Asian American voters. This is where AALDEF comes in.
So what we did was look out for these things, using our eyes and ears as well as our interactions with voters. If a voter reported a problem or if we noticed it, we got as much detail as possible and called it in to AALDEF - ultimately, they work to fix as many problems, case by case, as possible, as well as to fix systemic problems using our observations. And something we noticed was that simply by being visible observers, we helped influence poll workers' behavior for the better. To be sure, it would be ideal to end discrimination at the polls without having to be present physically, but in the United States, if you lose your vote, there's no getting it back. And this goes back to the central issue of how race becomes a factor in elections. Disenfranchisement occurs among Asian American communities due to relativekt higher incidents of problems with language access and racism.
I've been talking mostly about Asian Americans here, but there's lots to say about how this relates to Arab Americans. This is tied to my own experience with election protection this year - I worked at a pollsite in Dearborn, MI, the city with the highest proportion of Arab Americans in its population compared to any other city in the United States. How does this relate to Asian Americans?
Arab Americans' place in relation to Asian Americans has shifted; at times, they've been included under the label "Asian American", but conventionally, they're considered separate. And this isn't necessarily a bad thing or unjust - Arab Americans have different voting trends, face different issues, and have their own diversity and heterogeneity within the sweeping label "Arab American", as one of the voters I surveyed wryly pointed out to me. Despite these differences, however, there's at least one simple reason that led the Arab American community in Michigan to be a part of this effort - and this reason can be identified simply by looking at the organizations involved. Whatever the differences between Arab Americans and Asian Americans, AALDEF and ACCESS did partner up, because it was recognized by both organizations that their respective communities faced common problems on election day. This is, to put it simply, coalition-building.
Coalitions are a big thing with in A/PIA history as well as UAAO. The pan-ethnic Asian American identity has, at its heart, coalition politics - taking on this identity is at least in part a deliberate choice, a political act. And this election reminded me of that. It reminded me that although Asian Americans and Arab Americans may have vast differences - just as the different ethnicities under the Asian American label may have with each other - they banded together in an effort to combat injustice. It reminded me that coalitions are not a phenomenon of the 60s and 70s, but rather a way to empower ourselves and those around us - a tool for use in the struggles our communities faced decades ago and continue to face today, however those struggles may appear to us at this moment. And it doesn't have to be a fundamental identity shift, but can be as simple as working together.
- arthur
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Viewpoint in the Michigan Daily
Here is UAAO's stance on Housing Administration's enforcement of their space use policy. This viewpoint will soon be published in the Michigan Daily, so read it here before it comes out.
One day after Michigan voters approved Prop 2 in 2006, Mary Sue Coleman addressed the University community, proclaiming, “diversity matters at Michigan.”
“If November 7th was the day that Proposal 2 passed, then November 8th is the day we pledge to remain unified in our fight for diversity. Together, we must continue to make this world-class university one that reflects the richness of the world.”
Yet in spite of such proclamations, the University of Michigan has proven to be an unwelcoming place for students of color. Space, specifically a central location in which members of minority populations can gather, is necessary for not only the empowerment of individuals, but also empowerment of such communities as a whole. The preservation of a safe space in which students of color are encouraged to meet and foster their individual identities and values is crucial to creating a campus climate where diversity is a lived state of being and not simply an abstract concept or cliché dictum.
The University housing administration has recently decided to enforce its policy of limiting the number of times per academic term and year for which an individual or organization can conduct an activity. While this policy applies to all residence hall lounges, it has the greatest impact on minority-cultural and multicultural lounges and the student organizations that have historic ties to those rooms.
United Asian American Organizations (UAAO) has had unrestricted use of the Yuri Kochiyama Lounge in South Quad for nearly a decade. Named after Japanese American civil rights activist Yuri Kochiyama, the space is the only space on campus dedicated to the Asian/Pacific Islander American (A/PIA) community and A/PIA activism.
While it is within university policy to regulate use of residence hall space, it is also stated university policy to "create and sustain diverse learning-centered residence communities.” (See “Living at Michigan Credo”) It is crucial that UAAO and other organizations like UAAO have unrestricted access (i.e. being able to hold standing meetings) to show that our mission is to unite and empower the A/PIA community. Furthermore, we want to embody and carry on the historical current left by Yuri Kochiyama's legacy of engaging in activism and promoting diversity.
In a post-Prop 2 world, the relationships between minority students, faculty, staff and overall campus community have been tenuous ones. To deny A/PIA students unrestricted space use perpetuates the university's refusal to acknowledge the needs of students of color and directly contradicts President Coleman’s claim that "diversity matters." While there do exist other facilities dedicated to Asian/Pacific Islander Americans, none are as centrally located as the Yuri Kochiyama Lounge. The importance of a centrally located space cannot be understated, as it shows a true commitment to putting diversity at the fore.
Limiting access to the YK lounge would not only be detrimental to the success of UAAO as a student organization, but would also be detrimental to the diversity and the value we place on diversity at the U of M. Just as the Yuri Kochiyama Lounge is not the only one where this policy is being enforced, UAAO and the A/PIA community are not the only ones being affected. As members of the A/PIA community, and hence a part of the minority community at large on campus, we also stand in solidarity with other groups whose space use is also being restricted. Just as Yuri Kochiyama organized across community lines, we will not consider this issue closed until all groups with long standing history with certain lounges have their unrestricted access restored
One day after Michigan voters approved Prop 2 in 2006, Mary Sue Coleman addressed the University community, proclaiming, “diversity matters at Michigan.”
“If November 7th was the day that Proposal 2 passed, then November 8th is the day we pledge to remain unified in our fight for diversity. Together, we must continue to make this world-class university one that reflects the richness of the world.”
Yet in spite of such proclamations, the University of Michigan has proven to be an unwelcoming place for students of color. Space, specifically a central location in which members of minority populations can gather, is necessary for not only the empowerment of individuals, but also empowerment of such communities as a whole. The preservation of a safe space in which students of color are encouraged to meet and foster their individual identities and values is crucial to creating a campus climate where diversity is a lived state of being and not simply an abstract concept or cliché dictum.
The University housing administration has recently decided to enforce its policy of limiting the number of times per academic term and year for which an individual or organization can conduct an activity. While this policy applies to all residence hall lounges, it has the greatest impact on minority-cultural and multicultural lounges and the student organizations that have historic ties to those rooms.
United Asian American Organizations (UAAO) has had unrestricted use of the Yuri Kochiyama Lounge in South Quad for nearly a decade. Named after Japanese American civil rights activist Yuri Kochiyama, the space is the only space on campus dedicated to the Asian/Pacific Islander American (A/PIA) community and A/PIA activism.
While it is within university policy to regulate use of residence hall space, it is also stated university policy to "create and sustain diverse learning-centered residence communities.” (See “Living at Michigan Credo”) It is crucial that UAAO and other organizations like UAAO have unrestricted access (i.e. being able to hold standing meetings) to show that our mission is to unite and empower the A/PIA community. Furthermore, we want to embody and carry on the historical current left by Yuri Kochiyama's legacy of engaging in activism and promoting diversity.
In a post-Prop 2 world, the relationships between minority students, faculty, staff and overall campus community have been tenuous ones. To deny A/PIA students unrestricted space use perpetuates the university's refusal to acknowledge the needs of students of color and directly contradicts President Coleman’s claim that "diversity matters." While there do exist other facilities dedicated to Asian/Pacific Islander Americans, none are as centrally located as the Yuri Kochiyama Lounge. The importance of a centrally located space cannot be understated, as it shows a true commitment to putting diversity at the fore.
Limiting access to the YK lounge would not only be detrimental to the success of UAAO as a student organization, but would also be detrimental to the diversity and the value we place on diversity at the U of M. Just as the Yuri Kochiyama Lounge is not the only one where this policy is being enforced, UAAO and the A/PIA community are not the only ones being affected. As members of the A/PIA community, and hence a part of the minority community at large on campus, we also stand in solidarity with other groups whose space use is also being restricted. Just as Yuri Kochiyama organized across community lines, we will not consider this issue closed until all groups with long standing history with certain lounges have their unrestricted access restored
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
"Asian American" to me
I was born on September 14th, 1988 in Royal Oak, Michigan. Lived all my life in two affluent suburbs of Metro-Detroit. Growing up I didn’t know what being an “Asian American” was. All I knew was the color of my skin set me apart. From the time I started school until I was 12 I led the typical “Asian (Chinese)” lifestyle. I went to Chinese school once a week, played the piano against my own will, read books, and dressed in a way that society deemed nerdy. Especially when I grew to an intelligible age, my view of Asian American became those things. The going to piano recitals where all the other nicely dressed Asian kids were, the moving up into a higher math class because I was deemed too smart, and of course the never getting picked for sports. All around me I saw similar Asian kids going through the same experience. But is that truly what it meant to me to be an “Asian American”.
I quickly came to loathe the experiences. Everything that made me “Asian” I despised. After the age of 12 I became a completely different kid. I started to wear contact lenses and I fashioned my hair to become like all the other white kids. I listened to popular music (N’sync was always better). And most importantly, I surrounded myself with non-Asian friends that were athletic and played sports. It was that which I felt distinguished me most from being an “Asian American”. The fact that I could play sports and was sociable proved to me this.
Yet for all my “whiteness” I of course could never escape what I truly am. This became apparent to me in numerous ways, but one in particular stands out. I went to a basketball tournament once with a friend, and was clearly one of the best players there. Near the end of the tournament, a few players on the other team started to call me Yao Ming and make other Asian related jokes (Jackie Chan and you get the picture). At the time I took it as a complement, but looking back it always makes me wonder why even on a neutral ground such as a basketball court, I couldn’t be just like one of the guys. Therefore, I still felt to be an Asian American was something to be ashamed of.
Finally, when coming to the University of Michigan, a place where close to 15% of the student body is “Asian”, the definition of Asian American becomes that much more important. Some people feel that being Asian American refers to going to Asian events or cultural shows. Others feel one must participate in Asian organizations, take Asian American classes, or fight for Asian American rights. I’ve even heard being Asian American requires one to major in certain areas, such as Engineering or Business.
In the end, I think everyone will and should have different definitions. The most important thing is to be true to oneself. Donating money to an Asian charitable foundation or participating in a rally for Asian American rights does not make one Asian American. Nor does playing piano or getting good grades. Ultimately, I feel as if one has to be at peace with themselves. It's not what you do or how much you do of it, but how you FEEL when you do it. It’s hard to explain, but I feel I am Asian American because I am happy with myself, with how I look, feel and carry myself. I am proud to be an Asian American, I am proud that I take part in an Asian organization, I was proud when China represented itself for the Olympics. Who knows, maybe I will donate money in the future, and maybe I will become an Asian human rights activist. But I will do those things because I feel proud to be an Asian American, and because I want to. The things I do now and in the future don’t determine my label as an Asian American. They are an effect of my pride and heritage, not a cause. And it is to what extend we do the things we do and how we carry ourselves when doing them that truly represents who we are.
This may be confusing to people reading it, but it makes sense to me, and I guess my point is that is all that really matters.
I quickly came to loathe the experiences. Everything that made me “Asian” I despised. After the age of 12 I became a completely different kid. I started to wear contact lenses and I fashioned my hair to become like all the other white kids. I listened to popular music (N’sync was always better). And most importantly, I surrounded myself with non-Asian friends that were athletic and played sports. It was that which I felt distinguished me most from being an “Asian American”. The fact that I could play sports and was sociable proved to me this.
Yet for all my “whiteness” I of course could never escape what I truly am. This became apparent to me in numerous ways, but one in particular stands out. I went to a basketball tournament once with a friend, and was clearly one of the best players there. Near the end of the tournament, a few players on the other team started to call me Yao Ming and make other Asian related jokes (Jackie Chan and you get the picture). At the time I took it as a complement, but looking back it always makes me wonder why even on a neutral ground such as a basketball court, I couldn’t be just like one of the guys. Therefore, I still felt to be an Asian American was something to be ashamed of.
Finally, when coming to the University of Michigan, a place where close to 15% of the student body is “Asian”, the definition of Asian American becomes that much more important. Some people feel that being Asian American refers to going to Asian events or cultural shows. Others feel one must participate in Asian organizations, take Asian American classes, or fight for Asian American rights. I’ve even heard being Asian American requires one to major in certain areas, such as Engineering or Business.
In the end, I think everyone will and should have different definitions. The most important thing is to be true to oneself. Donating money to an Asian charitable foundation or participating in a rally for Asian American rights does not make one Asian American. Nor does playing piano or getting good grades. Ultimately, I feel as if one has to be at peace with themselves. It's not what you do or how much you do of it, but how you FEEL when you do it. It’s hard to explain, but I feel I am Asian American because I am happy with myself, with how I look, feel and carry myself. I am proud to be an Asian American, I am proud that I take part in an Asian organization, I was proud when China represented itself for the Olympics. Who knows, maybe I will donate money in the future, and maybe I will become an Asian human rights activist. But I will do those things because I feel proud to be an Asian American, and because I want to. The things I do now and in the future don’t determine my label as an Asian American. They are an effect of my pride and heritage, not a cause. And it is to what extend we do the things we do and how we carry ourselves when doing them that truly represents who we are.
This may be confusing to people reading it, but it makes sense to me, and I guess my point is that is all that really matters.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
I Will Never Love You Much Less Love You Long Time
I know that the United States has come a long way since working towards civil rights and women’s rights. But obviously hundreds of years of oppression run deep.
I was with some of my friends out one night and we decided to go to Denny’s afterward for some gossiping and breakfast eating. There as a bunch of us so we went in several different calls. My car arrived first and got a table. I went outside to take a phone call and in roll the second car. We were at a party before so we had been dressed up, we looked nice. The second car parked by a white van where a bunch of men were hanging around packing themselves into the van to leave. I was on the phone and having paying attention to my friends. I was in full attention when one loud and obnoxious line shot out at me.
“Do you want to love me long time?” said the drunkard dressed in trucker-hat-beer-belly-tight-t-shirt-flannel wearing man directed towards my friends who were exiting their car.
Something in my mind clicked and I promptly hung up on my phone conversation and started towards those guys. ARE THEY SERIOUS? What kind of world do you EVER think a line like that would ever work, and WHAT kind of women would appreciate that kind of attention. We yelled at them and decided to call the police to report sexual harassment. They told us to go ahead and call.
My friend called the police and said that we were being sexually harassed and our location and who harassed us. That call stopped short when a police car that was in the area patrolling, patrolled through the Denny’s parking lot. We told the police that those guys that were in the white van (who was now leaving) made sexual advances towards us.
The cop said, “Did they touch you?”
We told him what those guys said to us again.
The cop said with emphasis, “Did they TOUCH you?”
“No,” we replied.
“Then their fine.”
From the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission):
Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitutes sexual harassment when submission to or rejection of this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual's employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual's work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment.
Sexual harassment can occur in a variety of circumstances, including but not limited to the following:
• The victim as well as the harasser may be a woman or a man. The victim does not have to be of the opposite sex.
• The harasser can be the victim's supervisor, an agent of the employer, a supervisor in another area, a co-worker, or a non-employee.
• The victim does not have to be the person harassed but could be anyone affected by the offensive conduct.
• Unlawful sexual harassment may occur without economic injury to or discharge of the victim.
• The harasser's conduct must be unwelcome.
Under the law, we WERE sexually harassed. We had been a victim of unwanted sexual advances. The police officer did nothing and let those guys go. Did he want something to happen to one of us before he would go ahead with action? It would have been fine of he had violent crime he had to go to, but he was patrolling around and we saw him a few more times passing the same parking lot.
Turning back and reflecting on the line, “Do you want to love me long time?” Not only is this statement sexist, it is also racist. This line is from the movie Full Metal Jacket, where a Vietnamese prostitute offers her services by saying “Me love you long time.” That portion of the film is already very offensive but this is a film. Translating these lines to reality is even more obscene.
It is a really sad world when people are so ignorant about sexist and racist issues. I hope that more and more people realize that it is never okay to objectify women or men. I hope it is also not okay to generalize and stereotype people into a group. I really hope that the cop we met at the parking lot was a rarity and that law enforcement actually care about the protection of women.
-Barbara
I was with some of my friends out one night and we decided to go to Denny’s afterward for some gossiping and breakfast eating. There as a bunch of us so we went in several different calls. My car arrived first and got a table. I went outside to take a phone call and in roll the second car. We were at a party before so we had been dressed up, we looked nice. The second car parked by a white van where a bunch of men were hanging around packing themselves into the van to leave. I was on the phone and having paying attention to my friends. I was in full attention when one loud and obnoxious line shot out at me.
“Do you want to love me long time?” said the drunkard dressed in trucker-hat-beer-belly-tight-t-shirt-flannel wearing man directed towards my friends who were exiting their car.
Something in my mind clicked and I promptly hung up on my phone conversation and started towards those guys. ARE THEY SERIOUS? What kind of world do you EVER think a line like that would ever work, and WHAT kind of women would appreciate that kind of attention. We yelled at them and decided to call the police to report sexual harassment. They told us to go ahead and call.
My friend called the police and said that we were being sexually harassed and our location and who harassed us. That call stopped short when a police car that was in the area patrolling, patrolled through the Denny’s parking lot. We told the police that those guys that were in the white van (who was now leaving) made sexual advances towards us.
The cop said, “Did they touch you?”
We told him what those guys said to us again.
The cop said with emphasis, “Did they TOUCH you?”
“No,” we replied.
“Then their fine.”
From the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission):
Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitutes sexual harassment when submission to or rejection of this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual's employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual's work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment.
Sexual harassment can occur in a variety of circumstances, including but not limited to the following:
• The victim as well as the harasser may be a woman or a man. The victim does not have to be of the opposite sex.
• The harasser can be the victim's supervisor, an agent of the employer, a supervisor in another area, a co-worker, or a non-employee.
• The victim does not have to be the person harassed but could be anyone affected by the offensive conduct.
• Unlawful sexual harassment may occur without economic injury to or discharge of the victim.
• The harasser's conduct must be unwelcome.
Under the law, we WERE sexually harassed. We had been a victim of unwanted sexual advances. The police officer did nothing and let those guys go. Did he want something to happen to one of us before he would go ahead with action? It would have been fine of he had violent crime he had to go to, but he was patrolling around and we saw him a few more times passing the same parking lot.
Turning back and reflecting on the line, “Do you want to love me long time?” Not only is this statement sexist, it is also racist. This line is from the movie Full Metal Jacket, where a Vietnamese prostitute offers her services by saying “Me love you long time.” That portion of the film is already very offensive but this is a film. Translating these lines to reality is even more obscene.
It is a really sad world when people are so ignorant about sexist and racist issues. I hope that more and more people realize that it is never okay to objectify women or men. I hope it is also not okay to generalize and stereotype people into a group. I really hope that the cop we met at the parking lot was a rarity and that law enforcement actually care about the protection of women.
-Barbara
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Who is an Asian American?
This question has confused me a great deal in the past and to some extent it still does, especially as a South Asian.
Growing up in Detroit, I did not have much interaction with Asian Americans outside of those in the Indian community. It did not take much for me to realize that I was Asian American. India is in Asia and I am a resident of America so I concluded that I must be Asian American.
It wasn't until I was a little bit older that I realized that to others the concept was not so simple. This became apparent to me in three different situations.
The first account occured in high school while one of my friends was proofreading my English paper. He was confused about a line in which I discribed myself as an Asian American. He said "but you are an Indian. There is no way you are Asian!" Now does that make any sense?
The second account occured while I was taking a standardized test. I came to the race/ethinicity section and I had to fill in a bubble. The options present were Caucasian, African American, Asian, From the Indian Subcontinent, Hispanic, etc. It perplexed me that there was a different bubble for South Asians and the rest of the Asians. At first thought I figured it might be that South Asians have such a large population so it might make sense to divide it into different categories. However, I did not see a sign for those from China. It was starting to become more and more clear that people saw South Asians as being different from Asians.
This last account is one that disturbed me the most. I telling some of my Indian friends how I had this amazing oppurtunity to be a part of a cultural show called GenAPA. She responded "Why would you want to do that? You're not Asian, you are Indian." To say I was shocked would be an understatement. I found this sentiment to be common among most South Asians. They do not consider themselves to be Asian. At the same time a lot of other Asians don't consider South Asians to be Asian.
Overtime the word Asian has increasingly been used to describe those of East Asian origin. Thus the connotation of the word has been used to describe mostly those of East Asian origin. This disturbs me because where there should be solidarity there is a lack of unity. Personally I do not understand why there is a divide between South Asians and the rest of the Asian community. The only possible explanation is that they look different. Surely this cannot be a plausible explanation though. Most Asian Americans, South Asians included, face the same problems. Most people from Asia share the same fundamental family/cultural values. In America there are many South Asians who are very well off and there are many other Asians who are also well established. At the same time there are South Asians who are discriminated against and struggle to make a living. There are also other Asians who go through the same problems. We all go through the same basic struggles and triumphs. We all also hail, at one point or another, from Asia.
So why is there a divide, especially in America, when we should all be standing in solidarity?
Ravi
Growing up in Detroit, I did not have much interaction with Asian Americans outside of those in the Indian community. It did not take much for me to realize that I was Asian American. India is in Asia and I am a resident of America so I concluded that I must be Asian American.
It wasn't until I was a little bit older that I realized that to others the concept was not so simple. This became apparent to me in three different situations.
The first account occured in high school while one of my friends was proofreading my English paper. He was confused about a line in which I discribed myself as an Asian American. He said "but you are an Indian. There is no way you are Asian!" Now does that make any sense?
The second account occured while I was taking a standardized test. I came to the race/ethinicity section and I had to fill in a bubble. The options present were Caucasian, African American, Asian, From the Indian Subcontinent, Hispanic, etc. It perplexed me that there was a different bubble for South Asians and the rest of the Asians. At first thought I figured it might be that South Asians have such a large population so it might make sense to divide it into different categories. However, I did not see a sign for those from China. It was starting to become more and more clear that people saw South Asians as being different from Asians.
This last account is one that disturbed me the most. I telling some of my Indian friends how I had this amazing oppurtunity to be a part of a cultural show called GenAPA. She responded "Why would you want to do that? You're not Asian, you are Indian." To say I was shocked would be an understatement. I found this sentiment to be common among most South Asians. They do not consider themselves to be Asian. At the same time a lot of other Asians don't consider South Asians to be Asian.
Overtime the word Asian has increasingly been used to describe those of East Asian origin. Thus the connotation of the word has been used to describe mostly those of East Asian origin. This disturbs me because where there should be solidarity there is a lack of unity. Personally I do not understand why there is a divide between South Asians and the rest of the Asian community. The only possible explanation is that they look different. Surely this cannot be a plausible explanation though. Most Asian Americans, South Asians included, face the same problems. Most people from Asia share the same fundamental family/cultural values. In America there are many South Asians who are very well off and there are many other Asians who are also well established. At the same time there are South Asians who are discriminated against and struggle to make a living. There are also other Asians who go through the same problems. We all go through the same basic struggles and triumphs. We all also hail, at one point or another, from Asia.
So why is there a divide, especially in America, when we should all be standing in solidarity?
Ravi
Sunday, August 31, 2008
generational clashes
{Let me just preface this blog by saying that I am a first generation Chinese-American, my parents and immediate family immigrated to the United States in the 1980's, and finally, I am no expert in Chinese history and current events}
The 29th Summer Olympics in Beijing has the international spotlight on the People's Republic of China. From their response to the Sichuan earthquake victims to their diplomacy, or the lack thereof, toward the Tibetans; China has been under the world's scrutiny. Moreover, China has been criticized for their human rights abuse when things like the imprisonment of U.S. citizens, without trial, happen because they were protesting for Tibet. For much of it all, the PRC has been able to evade the eye of the media by withholding information and suppressing protests, which lets them avoid peaceable resolutions for their current political issues. Despite all this, the media also highlights China's performance in the international economy and in the Olympics, showing that they are in amidst of securing their role as future world power.
My parents, my aunts and uncles and probably most of the Chinese people I know have never been more proud or more nationalistic of their native country. My parents rave over how the Opening Ceremony is the best there ever was and how China will emerge from the Olympics as the world power; they even entertain the idea of growing old there. On the other hand, learning of how fettered Tibetans and the people in China's other four autonomous regions are has made me even more appreciative of having and freely exercising the rights I have as a U.S. citizen--though, let's be honest, the U.S. isn't perfect either.
To my belief, much of our differences in sentiment toward China root from the news source we rely on. My parents and relatives almost always read from a Chinese news source, which are, more likely than not, to be biased toward China. To elaborate, I recall a conversation that I had about Tibet and it's autonomy with my aunt, she described the situation as China acting like a mother, struggling to maintain unity. Tibet is like her child that needs to be disciplined to understand the importance of staying unified. When I asked her about the human rights abuse and the ongoing damage being done to Tibetan culture, my aunt even acknowledged that we are being informed from different sources and still stuck by her mother-child analogy as she tried to defend China's actions.
I've always had trouble understanding the views and sentiments of my parents and relatives toward China because I can't overlook the humans rights abuses while most of my family can't overlook China's continuous growth and prosperity.
In a conversation I had with my parents, we discussed their experience during Chairman Mao's regime. It started when I spoke of Communism in a positive light and said that if started off with the right leader and maybe on a smaller scale, the beautiful ideals of Communism could actually be realized. My parents were utterly appalled at what I said and it might have been one of the few times I've seen my dad truly angry. During the Cultural Revolution, my dad's side of the family was considered by the government lower middle class, one tier above the lower class. According to my dad, each family was given a certain number of points based on their class and received a document, which allowed them to run basic everyday errands, the extent to which was based on their class or pointage. My dad's family was basically shafted as was any other family not in the lower class.
These people, like my dad's family, were ostracized, ridiculed and some were even beaten by people who learned to hate people of higher social rank. They couldn't do everyday things without being reminded of how they weren't part of the lower class and being made to feel that it was their turn to suffer the way the poor had. This behavior was not at all discouraged by government authority, according to my dad. To that end, my great grandfather was beaten and ridiculed in public, and had been detained a couple times for unjust reason.
My great grandfather's hard-earned land and the land of others like him were stripped from them and redistributed by the government. As a result--not fully enforced--, everybody had to equally work on equal plots of land with equal effort for the community. My dad has no faith in this system because, to him, mankind will want more than what they're given. And if everybody doesn't work equally as hard, there is no motivation to keep it up when everyone is limited to fulfilling the same potential as everyone else.
At the time, people didn't see Mao as the bad guy. Every morning, in class, students would chant in reverance to China and Chairman Mao. My mom says that they were lulled into believing that China was a relatively prosperous nation when actually, millions of people died during this rule. When Mao died, my mom remembers crying in grief with her classmates. Upon learning that other developed countries had better opportunity and more successful lifestyles, much of China's people, including my parents, took disappointment in their country and grew hatred for Mao. My mom looks back in disbelief today that she actually cried for him.
China today is definitely a different country than it was then. And I suppose that much of the pride that my parents have for their country stems from the progress that China has made from the China they knew. I agree that China has come a long way, however, the oppressive characteristics of the government are still evident. For example, China goes through many unjust means to minimize the chance of revolt from the people: protesters are automatically detained whether they've been violent or not, if internet users search the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 there is no literature on it (in fact, there is a whole laundry list of words they can't search), there is extensive censorship in the media and in personal things like written mail or e-mail—just to name a few. These examples are blatant violations of basic rights we enjoy here.
With all this, it’s hard for me to understand my parents' and relatives' unwavering loyalty and sentiment toward China. When I was planning to go see the Dalai Lama, my parents didn't condone me supporting him. I do realize that we understand Tibet's situation differently but, there was no willing to understand my point of view on their part.
Perhaps this difference is a result of miscommunication or a result of this instilled nationalistic attitude they learned from growing up there. Either way, their loyalty has been something I've had trouble identifying with. It's not like I'm not proud to be Chinese because I do love and appreciate everything about Chinese culture, history, food, etc.; but, I find myself loving general humanity more. And to clarify, I'm not saying my relatives or parents are bad people; but, there is that firm loyalty to China, the miscommunication between me and them, that difference in past experiences, or [insert here whatever you think it may be] that prevents us from seeing eye-to-eye on things like Tibet's situation. Despite these differences, I still appreciate their perspectives and try my best to understand we're they're coming from.
I guess these experiences may be common amongst families with a generational crossover from an immigrant to a child of an immigrant. These attitudes of our relatives and others like them are what help us learn more about the culture we don't get to directly experience. And I suppose it is these unique experiences, these cultural fusions that give us perspective and a greater ability to understand and appreciate different people with different backgrounds.
-wendy
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