It's official, ETHS-210 Fall of 2008 is officially over.
It's sad to end a semester especially having one with this class. I felt it was these past few weeks that really brought all of us together more and if this class lasted a year, who knows how much there would be to experience in this class.
I was intent on doing a live blog during the class but I guess I got caught up in the activities.
Well, to continue from where I left off on "The Big Wrap Up, Part I", I remember we did a midterm attempt that didn't turn out so well. In the end, that idea was scrapped and I wonder what ever happened to that footage of me being humiliated by our "CPG/Kamikaze" protest crew.
It was a fun experience overall. Even if we messed up, our combined group picked ourselves off the ground and created something better. I was very satisfied with the result of being more organized and very thankful that the whole class had our support during the TWLF commemoration strike. It was much appreciated.
I learned so much from this class but I wish we could experience more from it in a historic sense. To be honest, not even Asian American Studies over at City College, where we learned everything from a book, taught me that lower Chinatown used to be a Manillatown. It's very difficult to even notice the existence of one because of all the skyscrapers and small random Chinese stores on Kearny. I think that is what San Francisco is truly missing, a Manillatown. We've got everything but that for some odd reason.
I thought the I Hotel story was very interesting. I actually went by there a month ago and checked out the lower floor. It was chaulk full of historic details and I'm happy that they got a new one rather than none. Good for them!
One thing I regret from class was when we learned about Treasure Island. I wish I spoke up because I actually have a granduncle who came to America and had to stop in Angel Island for interrogation. He made it in successfully even though he was a paper son. Little known fact is that he later on apologized to the city and had his last name restored. That itself alone is some interesting history that I learned over the summer. It's too bad I was pretty young when he passed away, otherwise I would've asked him some questions because that was a piece of my history that made an impact on America at some point.
I think Lawrence did a great job on his hip hop presentation but I think it lacked one important key component: Asian Americans.
It was very well informative but the only message I got was a minority struggle. I think with the limited time we have, he didn't get to it but I was hoping for that component to kick in.
After this whole class session was over, I came up with what I see Asian Americans as in the present and the future.
Asian Americans of today are currently molding up a distinguished identity. Slowly we are breaking away from the past and creating more positives that eliminate bad stereotypes.
Culture is ever changing and I can see an Asian impact in the not-too-distant future. Pretty soon it will no longer be called an InvASIAN but...InnovASIAN.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Utada Hikaru
One week me and my friends had cravings for Japanese food, also my friend needed to buy a few things for herself so we headed off to Japan town. After we ate and were all content from our delicious meal we started to do some shopping. While walking around I noticed that many of the stores were playing songs from one my favorite artist, Utada Hikaru. It got me thinking, are they playing these songs because they she is technically Japanese American, or because she is Japanese? Utada Hikaru was born here in America and even went to school here for her early years, but after a while she moved back to Japan. Japan does not allow dual citizenship, so I am not sure what Utada's citizen ship is. I tried to do some research, but I was not able to find out anything that would answer my question. Seeing as she has been living in Japan ever since she moved back, I guess she would have Japanese citizenship. She does however, once in a while come back to American to do a few concerts or to visit her vacation home in New York. One more thing that interests me, is that her English album has themes that many American artists sing about, which are different from her Japanese sung albums. I guess she has different inspirations for each culture she sings about.
Asian American Sterotypes
The other night I was sitting in the living room and watching TV with my friends. I was flipping through the channels and happened to land on Mythbusters For those who have never heard of the show it is about a group of people called "The Mythbusters" ,who well basically look at myths that we all know very well and test to is if they are true or not. We were watching the show for a while and my friend makes a comment about how the three of could dress up as three of the mythbusters because we match them so well. I of course would be the Asian guy on the show, Grant, and my friends would be their respective counterparts. It tickled my brain that the Asian guy on the show was a computer/electronics expert who loved to build robots. Not to mention he tends to talk in technical terms. I on the other hand, have nothing more in common with Grant, except our black hair. Today's stereotype of the Asian male seems to revolve around be some sort of computer nerd or a martial arts master. Oddly enough the people who I know myself who are these types of people are Caucasian. But yeah, I was just interested to notice that one of my beloved shows that I watch has a stereotypical portrayal of an Asian male
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
The Big Wrap Up Part 1
Well, tomorrow will be the last day of our Asian American Culture class.
I guess to wrap things up, I'm going to draw the overall conclusion to every experience I had in that very class.
It all began when the summer started. I developed an interest in my own ethnic identity after reading through the history of China. I was fascinated by 5000 years of advancement in civilization. Not to mention the Olympics were going to happen in Beijing in those coming months. I had enrolled in an Asian American Studies class at City College because I wanted to broaden my knowledge. It turns out that class and our Asian American Culture 210 class were very similar. The CCSF guys were struggling with the construction of the City College of San Francisco, Chinatown branch while the SFSU guys were struggling to maintain Ethnic Studies on campus. Basically, I now realized that no matter where I am, there will always be those that are passionate about educating and maintaining our identities.
I learned a lot from that class that would eventually prepare me for this ETHS 210 class. In fact, I can't help but to admit that our team had the upperhand one time in class because I knew a lot of the facts on all the major and minor ethnic groups of Asia and their early Asian American experiences. What I wanted out of the class was to understand the concept of an Asian American identity.
I grew up not knowing what exactly that was. I would come to acknowledge that at the very minimum, Chinese American identity is a fusion of hip hop and Hong Kong identity. Hence why back then, you would see groups of teens in baggy clothes sporting dyed hair in the streets of San Francisco Chinatown. I'm not ashamed to admit that I was one of those kids.
It wouldn't be until I started participating in this class that I noticed there is a constant struggle in Asian American culture and society. The struggle to rid ourselves of past stereotypes and progress to integrate ourselves into the overall mainstream America. I had always believed that we Asians had it pretty good in the country but that was before I realized that it's just San Francisco where almost everyone is Asian.
At first I thought this class would be by the book like my Asian American Culture class but it offered much more. A hands on experience. I can not think of too many places that offer an experience like APAture and unity in SFSU where clubs like ASU, PACE, and KSU all come together for various purposes.
I really liked the whole concept of splitting into groups and creating team names. I think it was even better when groups merged together and everyone got familiar with one another. Personally, I felt our group wasn't as fully functional as the other groups. Since day one, we had 2 group members drop the class. Our roll calls wern't perfect because during attendence, we went by "If It Ain't Rice, It Ain't Nice" rather than "Kamikaze". (Thank god, that was fixed...last week)
I really had a blast doing the midterm and I didn't fully appreciate the Asian American Studies struggle until the 40th anniversary of the TWLF. The staged protest was an experience I don't think I will ever have in any other class.
*More to come*
I guess to wrap things up, I'm going to draw the overall conclusion to every experience I had in that very class.
It all began when the summer started. I developed an interest in my own ethnic identity after reading through the history of China. I was fascinated by 5000 years of advancement in civilization. Not to mention the Olympics were going to happen in Beijing in those coming months. I had enrolled in an Asian American Studies class at City College because I wanted to broaden my knowledge. It turns out that class and our Asian American Culture 210 class were very similar. The CCSF guys were struggling with the construction of the City College of San Francisco, Chinatown branch while the SFSU guys were struggling to maintain Ethnic Studies on campus. Basically, I now realized that no matter where I am, there will always be those that are passionate about educating and maintaining our identities.
I learned a lot from that class that would eventually prepare me for this ETHS 210 class. In fact, I can't help but to admit that our team had the upperhand one time in class because I knew a lot of the facts on all the major and minor ethnic groups of Asia and their early Asian American experiences. What I wanted out of the class was to understand the concept of an Asian American identity.
I grew up not knowing what exactly that was. I would come to acknowledge that at the very minimum, Chinese American identity is a fusion of hip hop and Hong Kong identity. Hence why back then, you would see groups of teens in baggy clothes sporting dyed hair in the streets of San Francisco Chinatown. I'm not ashamed to admit that I was one of those kids.
It wouldn't be until I started participating in this class that I noticed there is a constant struggle in Asian American culture and society. The struggle to rid ourselves of past stereotypes and progress to integrate ourselves into the overall mainstream America. I had always believed that we Asians had it pretty good in the country but that was before I realized that it's just San Francisco where almost everyone is Asian.
At first I thought this class would be by the book like my Asian American Culture class but it offered much more. A hands on experience. I can not think of too many places that offer an experience like APAture and unity in SFSU where clubs like ASU, PACE, and KSU all come together for various purposes.
I really liked the whole concept of splitting into groups and creating team names. I think it was even better when groups merged together and everyone got familiar with one another. Personally, I felt our group wasn't as fully functional as the other groups. Since day one, we had 2 group members drop the class. Our roll calls wern't perfect because during attendence, we went by "If It Ain't Rice, It Ain't Nice" rather than "Kamikaze". (Thank god, that was fixed...last week)
I really had a blast doing the midterm and I didn't fully appreciate the Asian American Studies struggle until the 40th anniversary of the TWLF. The staged protest was an experience I don't think I will ever have in any other class.
*More to come*
Asian American Poet: Jin
For my Asian American poet, I did Jin. To be honest, I never chose this artist simply because he was easy to grab in contemporary standards nor because he was easy and obvious to analyze.
In early 2004, I believed a dark cloud loomed over the Asian American community when American Idol reject, William Hung released an album. I believe that was one of the saddest days for mainstream Asian America. When William Hung was signed to a record label and produced a CD, I felt decades of struggles in eliminating negative stereotypes collapsing.
Shortly after the William Hung CD was released, Jin released his first CD, "The Rest Is History" and I was hooked after I listened to his first single, "Learn Chinese". At first, I felt it was something like an evolution for hip hop because we finally have a distinguished Asian person that earned his rightful contract after going undefeated in freestyle rap offs on BET.
Let me tell you a little about Jin.
Jin Au-Yeung was born in Miami, Florida and raised by two Asian American immigrants. Jin often mentions his roots being planted in America and how his family struggled to have the "American Dream". Jin became fascinated by hip-hop and rap back in the early 90's when rap was emerging as a dominating genre and culture in urban America. Jin developed a habit for freestyling and often tried to perfect it in high school, at work and literally everywhere he could find someone to listen to it.
His big break would come in 2001 when he moved to New York City. By participating in hip-hop clubs all over the city, Jin rose through the ranks despite his ethnic background and all the way to BET's Freestyle Fridays show. It was through many victories in the show that he gained national exposure and was offered a Ruff Ryders' contract in 2002 and was even dubbed, "The first Chinese/Asian rapper". From that point on, his music began to develop and advance but his image was fading. Jin would go on to release 4 albums and even 1 in full Chinese. His full Chinese album entitled, "ABC" introduces the Chinese world to what being an Asian American means to him and how identity has no boundaries even by country.
I hand picked a particular song by Jin which is dedicated to his grandfather that passed away in 2006. This song entitled, "Chinese Food" talks about his perspective on Asian America and it's progression and struggles that his family endured to achieve the American Dream. One thing I noticed in his vocals was his passion. I felt that he was very passionate about his cultural identity wasn't ashamed of it either.
Here's the rap:
My live has been likeOne long journey,
filled with a lot of ups, and definitely a lot of downs
Check it
I dedicate this verse here, to my grandfather
Who passed away earlier this year,
At his funeral I ran threw a whole box of tissues
My tears are dry, but I still miss you
And I promise that I'll never forget you
These last six bars just made it official
Yeah I know he can hear me,
Even though he don't speak English,
he can understand clearly,
What his grandson is trying to express(sigh)
It's tough, but I'm trying my best I remember as a kid just runnin' with him,
Every year I would spend a whole summer with him,
Visit him in the projects,
And he knew I was intrigued by them shiny objects
Cuttin' a Rolex out of magazine ad
Told me when I grow up, I could buy one for my dad,
So much energy like me quite clever,
These are memories I will treasure forever,
Every now and then I still shed a tear
Walking through Chinatown I feel his spirit in the air
For your legacy I go harder
Tell my kid that your great grandfather was a great grandfather,
But let me walk you to the timeline
Take you back to my pops and moms grind
They both immigrated to this country as teenagers,
You know, typical American dream chasers,
Immigrating blew up like disco,
Heads were movin' from New York and to Frisco,
My pops said, "NY, let's go,
"This was in the 70's when he used to rock a 'fro,
Bell bottoms, pimp hat with the tilted brim,
I've seen pictures and I still don't think it's him,
Fast forward to '82
That's when he met my moms, got married, and had a baby too
That baby's who?
That baby's me, Jin Au-Yeung,
My moms was wild young,
Only eighteen a senior in high school,
When I was eighteen, that was my school,
NMB, I'm a Charger for life,
I put that on every single bar that I write
Picture a young couple, tryin' to get on track
What are the options, a restaurant, a laundry mat?
So they went with plan A,
From that point on,
I was at the restaurant every damn day
But I was only twelve, I just wanted to play
When my friends would come,
I'd give the food away,
I know that's bad for business,
So I apologize now if it still makes a difference
I guess deep down,
I just hated the fact I felt trapped,
And that was my way of getting you back
I can't go back in time and I hate it
But I can't tell you your hard work is appreciated
See to the customer, that's just a plate of rice
But to my family, that shit could save a life
And this is more than Chinese food
It's a life story of a Chinese dude
And I ain't come here to tell you what to eat,
It's just food for thought over a beat
Nah, I ain't here to tell you what to eat
It's just food for thought over a beat
As a short response, I'm dedicating a poem to my late grandpa that paved the way for my big family.
My gramps was never rich but always happy,
But your presense in this land was not too shabby,
You raised us all as a cook,
You taught us all by the book,
I remember your hobby was playing mahjong,
I heard stories of your visits in Hong Kong,
it was there that you approved someone who wasn't so bad,
I'm fortunate to know that man would be my dad.
I always remembered you sitting by the TV,
understanding that achieving your American dream wasn't quite so easy,
Even though you're gone, I wanna let you know,
Your presence is still felt and I always let it show.
My mom still tells stories about your early American days,
Retaining your culture and traditional ways,
You will never be forgotten,
and I think of you everytime I'm on the corner of Clay and Stockton.
Grandma is always worried, so please look out for her,
She misses you so much, her words would end up slurred.
Thank you for taking care of me when I was young,
I hope I can be as great as you until my days are done.
In early 2004, I believed a dark cloud loomed over the Asian American community when American Idol reject, William Hung released an album. I believe that was one of the saddest days for mainstream Asian America. When William Hung was signed to a record label and produced a CD, I felt decades of struggles in eliminating negative stereotypes collapsing.
Shortly after the William Hung CD was released, Jin released his first CD, "The Rest Is History" and I was hooked after I listened to his first single, "Learn Chinese". At first, I felt it was something like an evolution for hip hop because we finally have a distinguished Asian person that earned his rightful contract after going undefeated in freestyle rap offs on BET.
Let me tell you a little about Jin.
Jin Au-Yeung was born in Miami, Florida and raised by two Asian American immigrants. Jin often mentions his roots being planted in America and how his family struggled to have the "American Dream". Jin became fascinated by hip-hop and rap back in the early 90's when rap was emerging as a dominating genre and culture in urban America. Jin developed a habit for freestyling and often tried to perfect it in high school, at work and literally everywhere he could find someone to listen to it.
His big break would come in 2001 when he moved to New York City. By participating in hip-hop clubs all over the city, Jin rose through the ranks despite his ethnic background and all the way to BET's Freestyle Fridays show. It was through many victories in the show that he gained national exposure and was offered a Ruff Ryders' contract in 2002 and was even dubbed, "The first Chinese/Asian rapper". From that point on, his music began to develop and advance but his image was fading. Jin would go on to release 4 albums and even 1 in full Chinese. His full Chinese album entitled, "ABC" introduces the Chinese world to what being an Asian American means to him and how identity has no boundaries even by country.
I hand picked a particular song by Jin which is dedicated to his grandfather that passed away in 2006. This song entitled, "Chinese Food" talks about his perspective on Asian America and it's progression and struggles that his family endured to achieve the American Dream. One thing I noticed in his vocals was his passion. I felt that he was very passionate about his cultural identity wasn't ashamed of it either.
Here's the rap:
My live has been likeOne long journey,
filled with a lot of ups, and definitely a lot of downs
Check it
I dedicate this verse here, to my grandfather
Who passed away earlier this year,
At his funeral I ran threw a whole box of tissues
My tears are dry, but I still miss you
And I promise that I'll never forget you
These last six bars just made it official
Yeah I know he can hear me,
Even though he don't speak English,
he can understand clearly,
What his grandson is trying to express(sigh)
It's tough, but I'm trying my best I remember as a kid just runnin' with him,
Every year I would spend a whole summer with him,
Visit him in the projects,
And he knew I was intrigued by them shiny objects
Cuttin' a Rolex out of magazine ad
Told me when I grow up, I could buy one for my dad,
So much energy like me quite clever,
These are memories I will treasure forever,
Every now and then I still shed a tear
Walking through Chinatown I feel his spirit in the air
For your legacy I go harder
Tell my kid that your great grandfather was a great grandfather,
But let me walk you to the timeline
Take you back to my pops and moms grind
They both immigrated to this country as teenagers,
You know, typical American dream chasers,
Immigrating blew up like disco,
Heads were movin' from New York and to Frisco,
My pops said, "NY, let's go,
"This was in the 70's when he used to rock a 'fro,
Bell bottoms, pimp hat with the tilted brim,
I've seen pictures and I still don't think it's him,
Fast forward to '82
That's when he met my moms, got married, and had a baby too
That baby's who?
That baby's me, Jin Au-Yeung,
My moms was wild young,
Only eighteen a senior in high school,
When I was eighteen, that was my school,
NMB, I'm a Charger for life,
I put that on every single bar that I write
Picture a young couple, tryin' to get on track
What are the options, a restaurant, a laundry mat?
So they went with plan A,
From that point on,
I was at the restaurant every damn day
But I was only twelve, I just wanted to play
When my friends would come,
I'd give the food away,
I know that's bad for business,
So I apologize now if it still makes a difference
I guess deep down,
I just hated the fact I felt trapped,
And that was my way of getting you back
I can't go back in time and I hate it
But I can't tell you your hard work is appreciated
See to the customer, that's just a plate of rice
But to my family, that shit could save a life
And this is more than Chinese food
It's a life story of a Chinese dude
And I ain't come here to tell you what to eat,
It's just food for thought over a beat
Nah, I ain't here to tell you what to eat
It's just food for thought over a beat
As a short response, I'm dedicating a poem to my late grandpa that paved the way for my big family.
My gramps was never rich but always happy,
But your presense in this land was not too shabby,
You raised us all as a cook,
You taught us all by the book,
I remember your hobby was playing mahjong,
I heard stories of your visits in Hong Kong,
it was there that you approved someone who wasn't so bad,
I'm fortunate to know that man would be my dad.
I always remembered you sitting by the TV,
understanding that achieving your American dream wasn't quite so easy,
Even though you're gone, I wanna let you know,
Your presence is still felt and I always let it show.
My mom still tells stories about your early American days,
Retaining your culture and traditional ways,
You will never be forgotten,
and I think of you everytime I'm on the corner of Clay and Stockton.
Grandma is always worried, so please look out for her,
She misses you so much, her words would end up slurred.
Thank you for taking care of me when I was young,
I hope I can be as great as you until my days are done.
Asian Art in American
If you live in The Bay Area, it would be pretty sweat to come and visit the Asian and Asian American Art Expo in San Francisco one day (http://www.asianart.org)
This Museum of the arts contains treasures of the Asian culture and is in display for the public to see. (see Photos)
When I found the site, and like any culture, i was immersed by the density and creative thought that was put into each work of art. to think that every culture has its own image of what art is and how it is portrayed, in the variety of form of plaster, ceramics, paper, stone, metals, etc.
To think that this art has been preserved for hundreds, maybe even thousands of years and is now in our hands, shows how far we have come. from the days of sticks and stones, to the days of silicon and binary code. Asian American Culture has a unique twist of the arts. In many exhibitions, there is an emphasis of balance and harmony, influence of nature and environments, and beauty. In addition to the vivid colors and details there is much to take away from the arts. and I believe that everyone should take the opportunity from our regular, stressful lives, and revisit the part. so that we are reminded of where we come from and how far we have come.
There is no greater pleasure than to take a day and immerse yourself to explore your more primitive and cultural side.
-Rafael De La Torre
Kamikaze Records! Were In Business!
You heard right, we as a team got so deep into our project that we have started a record company secretly and have been recruiting talented artist here in the Bay Area! take that !
HA! I wish..... =(
But seriously, I was roaming for Asian American artist around the bay and stumbled onto this site:
http://www.kamikazerecords.com/
They are a record company with a mission to promote new talent here in the Bay Area and Promote Asian American Artist, with a Mix of a variety of artist and genres. some seem so promising that the site claims we might start hearing some on local airwaves. Hopefully this will span a new generation of Asian American artist and Idols. because as we have discussed in class, Asian Americans do encounter face the issue of a lack of idol seen in mainstream media. Maybe its about time to fix that and bring a balance.
That's what Kamikaze records is looking forward to do.
-Rafael De La Torre
HA! I wish..... =(
But seriously, I was roaming for Asian American artist around the bay and stumbled onto this site:
http://www.kamikazerecords.com/
They are a record company with a mission to promote new talent here in the Bay Area and Promote Asian American Artist, with a Mix of a variety of artist and genres. some seem so promising that the site claims we might start hearing some on local airwaves. Hopefully this will span a new generation of Asian American artist and Idols. because as we have discussed in class, Asian Americans do encounter face the issue of a lack of idol seen in mainstream media. Maybe its about time to fix that and bring a balance.
That's what Kamikaze records is looking forward to do.
-Rafael De La Torre
Asian Americans in the Military: Eric Shinseki
Eric Ken ShinsekiEric Shinseki is One the the most top ranking Asian American Official is the U.U Military. He was once the Chiefs of Staff for the army and is now retired. In addition he is also the Shinseki is the first four-star general of Asian American ancestry in U.S History and also the first Asian-American to lead one of the five U.S Military Services.
One of the main reason I found him so interesting is because when he was actively in the U.S Military, he suggested that in order to succeed in the invasion of Iraq, the government would be required to send several hundred thousand troops, something Chaney and Rumsfeld openly and harshly Dismissed. Guess what? he was right, and those idiots were wrong. For what ever reason they dismissed Eric and when the invasion came they realized that what ever happened as of today in Iraq could have been prevented or be in better shape if they would have just listened to one of the most decorative men. Unfortuanately he is now retired and may serve on the Obama Administration, as he is an elected canidate for the position of Secretary of Veterans Affairs.-Rafael De La Torre
Silly Me- Belated midterm Review!
So close your and... wait don't because you wont be able to read this blog... ha !
I'm embarrassed to say but I am going to indulge you with my thoughts on our midterm this year!
I was taken by surprise at the creativity our class and how it was able to public present the issues and the memory we were commemorating for the 40th anniversary of the SFSU on-campus strike. As our class stood in from of the crowds passing by, it was not difficult to notice the attention we were getting at the moment. with awesome skits by others, we were able to blend in everyones project who presented that day and tape a feture clip. It was very interesting to act as a protester who lived 40 years ago, and even more interesting to recieve a final word from a live professor who lived and taught at our school during the real deal. we stood and presented thoughts and emotions. and drew a parallel of how history seems to be repeating itself today with all the budget cuts and overpopulating classes.
overall, the midterm added a new twist, becuase it is just not common to physically perform. and enjoyed it more than sitting at a desk and bubbling in a answer on a scantron.
-Rafael De La Torre
I'm embarrassed to say but I am going to indulge you with my thoughts on our midterm this year!
I was taken by surprise at the creativity our class and how it was able to public present the issues and the memory we were commemorating for the 40th anniversary of the SFSU on-campus strike. As our class stood in from of the crowds passing by, it was not difficult to notice the attention we were getting at the moment. with awesome skits by others, we were able to blend in everyones project who presented that day and tape a feture clip. It was very interesting to act as a protester who lived 40 years ago, and even more interesting to recieve a final word from a live professor who lived and taught at our school during the real deal. we stood and presented thoughts and emotions. and drew a parallel of how history seems to be repeating itself today with all the budget cuts and overpopulating classes.
overall, the midterm added a new twist, becuase it is just not common to physically perform. and enjoyed it more than sitting at a desk and bubbling in a answer on a scantron.
-Rafael De La Torre
Tyra Banks on Asian eyelid Surgery
In light of my post just yesterday, I thought it would be interesting to appease the advertisers at Google and feature an increasingly popular surgery among Asian Americans. Asian eyelid surgery basically emphasizes the crease or fold in the eyelids in Asians to essentially make them look more American.
Watch how the post-op Korean guest evades questions about why she had the procedure was done in the first place. She says she did it to make her look younger. But she's 25! Tyra responds with a tirade of questions and exposes the guest's true motives for having the surgery done.
I found the segment pretty interesting. Watch how the ladies in the audience look so concerned when Tyra goes off on the guest. Pay close attention to the fact that Tyra herself is wearing extensions and equates that to getting eyelid surgery!
I had a Japanese friend who got this surgery who now just looks really wierd. I never really understood what this does for people, but I guess its becoming more and more popular. EAT IT GOOGLE!
- Ernest
Yul Kwon speaks on stereotyping Asian American men
In case you don't know, Yul Kwon was the first ever Asian to win Survivor. In this clip he speaks in San Francisco about how he revolted against these stereotypes.
I agree with him about how only two images of Asian American males dominate television, magazines, and movies. Asians are usually either 'Kung-fu masters' or 'computer geeks.' In both cases, they can hardly speak English or talk to girls. I admire how Yul challenged these stereotypes when he won Survivor and frankly, made it cool to be Asian.
I always found it insulting when these images find their way into movies and television. I mean can't these producers be more creative in their portrayals of Asian Americans! I don't even know any Asian people who practice Kung-Fu and most of the computer geeks I know are white. Check out the video, he says some really interesting things.
- Ernest
Reflection A la POP!
The POP even was certainly a new way to transition out the norms of in class finals.
To start of the walk was almost scary, about 15 min of walking i finally got the Brave center and was able to catch up on what was going on. But i must say, i did enjoy getting to meet other from the other classes that we did'nt get to meet before hand.
I took on a few responsibilities that night. From taking care of door tickets sales and then transforming into a class A food security guard (all right!). although it was not assigned to me, I took the liberty of doing so.
I also went in on occasion to catch some of the acts and was amused by the creativity of others.
The mtv/Flava flav skit interesting to see on stage, I was able to witness it during prep. and was a bit confused but over all i think it turned out well.
I was kinda inpressed by our teams video performance. the snickers commercial was awesome and the response was aswell.
overall, I was also inpressed to see the number of people coming out that were not affiliated with the school, AKA the general audiance. I was glad to know that word had gotten around and that we got outside support.
yes POP was a success for having to be all cooked up in less than days i would say.
-Rafael De La Torre
To start of the walk was almost scary, about 15 min of walking i finally got the Brave center and was able to catch up on what was going on. But i must say, i did enjoy getting to meet other from the other classes that we did'nt get to meet before hand.
I took on a few responsibilities that night. From taking care of door tickets sales and then transforming into a class A food security guard (all right!). although it was not assigned to me, I took the liberty of doing so.
I also went in on occasion to catch some of the acts and was amused by the creativity of others.
The mtv/Flava flav skit interesting to see on stage, I was able to witness it during prep. and was a bit confused but over all i think it turned out well.
I was kinda inpressed by our teams video performance. the snickers commercial was awesome and the response was aswell.
overall, I was also inpressed to see the number of people coming out that were not affiliated with the school, AKA the general audiance. I was glad to know that word had gotten around and that we got outside support.
yes POP was a success for having to be all cooked up in less than days i would say.
-Rafael De La Torre
Spotlight on Margaret Cho... HELLA FUNNY
Margaret Cho, an Asian-American comedian from San Francisco, is definitely worth checking out. I like her because she exposes a lot of the misunderstanding between first generation Asians, Asian-Americans, and whites. I've seen her stand-ups a few times, and all of them were pretty hilarious.
It's nice to have a comedian who speaks about issues related to Asian culture. I think I've probably watched the Chappelle Show too many times for my own good. I find his show hilarious, but not because it had to do anything with Asians!
I included a video of Margaret Cho because her stand up reminds of Chappelle with an Asian twist. Click on the user who published the video and you will see many more videos of her on Youtube. The videos definitely relate to many of the issues this class deals with so it is certainly relevant to this blogs mission!
- Ernest
Asian American rapper in NY Times
Video - Hmong rapper featured on NY Times
Something you don't see everyday. Asian rapper featured on one of the media's largest websites.
Tou Saiko Lee, from St. Paul MN, is a poet and rapper who speaks about justice in his community. I thought it was cool that he actually made it onto the NY Times website. He is also from a place I never thought really had an Asian-American community.
Anyways, his lyrics pretty dope and he seems very aware of the issues at hand for Asian Americans. Check him out, you might like it!
- Ernest
Something you don't see everyday. Asian rapper featured on one of the media's largest websites.
Tou Saiko Lee, from St. Paul MN, is a poet and rapper who speaks about justice in his community. I thought it was cool that he actually made it onto the NY Times website. He is also from a place I never thought really had an Asian-American community.
Anyways, his lyrics pretty dope and he seems very aware of the issues at hand for Asian Americans. Check him out, you might like it!
- Ernest
Can Manny Pacquiao be considered a Filipino American hero or just Filipino?
While watching Mr. Pacquiao absolutely dominate De la Hoya this past weekend, I thought to myself: "is MP the property of American fans as much as he is the property of fans in the PI?"
For instance, is his success in boxing appropriate to be discussed in an Asian American studies class?
I think so? Although he certainly represents the Philippines wherever he may fight, his presence must now extend far beyond the islands and into America. I mean he wins his fights out here? There are just as many fans, both Asian and non Asian, out here in the US. You tell me!?
- Ernest
Asian American Culture is....
Asian American Culture was...
Placed in the back of every one's mind because we were the invisible minority
Absent from many colleges, until schools like SFSU fought for a college of ethnic studies
Scarce because there was no one in the media to represent our voices
Trying to get their voices to be heard
Asian American Culture is...
Producing it's power
Representing itself in the media nowadays
Everywhere
Squashing stereotypes, but they are still quite prevalent
Educating people about what they are all about
Needing more people to fight for change
Teaching people about their culture, through AAS classes
Asian American Culture will be...
Finding it's place still in American culture because it is not static
Universally available to study for all college students everywhere
Teaching people about the silent minorities of the world
Under constant media attention because people will no longer be silent
Reaching out and helping other minorities let their voices be heard as well
Evolving is ways we can't imagine
Placed in the back of every one's mind because we were the invisible minority
Absent from many colleges, until schools like SFSU fought for a college of ethnic studies
Scarce because there was no one in the media to represent our voices
Trying to get their voices to be heard
Asian American Culture is...
Producing it's power
Representing itself in the media nowadays
Everywhere
Squashing stereotypes, but they are still quite prevalent
Educating people about what they are all about
Needing more people to fight for change
Teaching people about their culture, through AAS classes
Asian American Culture will be...
Finding it's place still in American culture because it is not static
Universally available to study for all college students everywhere
Teaching people about the silent minorities of the world
Under constant media attention because people will no longer be silent
Reaching out and helping other minorities let their voices be heard as well
Evolving is ways we can't imagine
My POP experience...
I got to POP at 5:30--a little earlier than I had planned to. At the time, everyone was rehearsing their parts. I couldn't believe the amount of talent we had in class! Nicole was practicing her candle dance (don't know the official name), Kay and Jordan were running through their dance routine. Point is, I didn't know how many dope performers we had the entire semester.
Me and Rafael walked around the venue to find something we could do since our part of the show had already been completed. Somehow we got stuck with guarding the food, which wasn't as bad as we thought it would be. Apparently, the food was not to be served until after the show ended. There were many who challenged our authority, but me and Rafael definitely held it down. Surprisingly, neither of us were tempted enough to sneak a few bites of the food ourselves.
I thought we would be relieved of our duty so we could see the show, but nobody came. So, we guarded the food for the entirety of the show! This doesn't give me much to reflect on, but after seeing the rehearsal and listening to the reactions of some the audience outside all the classes must have done very well.
Looking forward to actually seeing next years show!
- Ernest
Me and Rafael walked around the venue to find something we could do since our part of the show had already been completed. Somehow we got stuck with guarding the food, which wasn't as bad as we thought it would be. Apparently, the food was not to be served until after the show ended. There were many who challenged our authority, but me and Rafael definitely held it down. Surprisingly, neither of us were tempted enough to sneak a few bites of the food ourselves.
I thought we would be relieved of our duty so we could see the show, but nobody came. So, we guarded the food for the entirety of the show! This doesn't give me much to reflect on, but after seeing the rehearsal and listening to the reactions of some the audience outside all the classes must have done very well.
Looking forward to actually seeing next years show!
- Ernest
POP Reflection
Our final was to put on a show for others about what we have learned about the Asian American Culture. Sadly I was not able to go watch the performance because I had a schedule conflict with one of my classes. I did however, do my part for my group's project and gave it all my effort. The video editing done by Justin was superb considering that it was done in less than a week. One of the major obstacles that we faced during the project was the very tight time constraints. It was quite stressful for me to try to come up with something amazing for my final, in such a short amount of time. This is where working in a group helped ease the load a lot.
Looking back at the semester, I have learned so much about the Asian American Culture. The class as taught me how to open my eyes and look at things much more critically now. I had a ton of fun in this class and I am really going miss everyone that I have gotten to know, especially everyone in my group, it amazes me how fast a semester can go by. I really enjoyed a lot of our assignments because they were very different from what I was normally used to. I especially enjoyed the cooking assignment, I loved trying to be creative and trying to combine two dishes to become something tasty. I had no idea that food could be used as a representation for a culture. I will never look at food the same again! The book we read Dim Sum of All Things was a very interesting book to read. At first glance I would not have guessed that it would be so focused on stereotypes. The book really taught me a lot of Asian Americans and how they live their daily lives trying to fight stereotypes. Overall I had a lot of fun and learned so much in this class, it will change the way I live my life.
Looking back at the semester, I have learned so much about the Asian American Culture. The class as taught me how to open my eyes and look at things much more critically now. I had a ton of fun in this class and I am really going miss everyone that I have gotten to know, especially everyone in my group, it amazes me how fast a semester can go by. I really enjoyed a lot of our assignments because they were very different from what I was normally used to. I especially enjoyed the cooking assignment, I loved trying to be creative and trying to combine two dishes to become something tasty. I had no idea that food could be used as a representation for a culture. I will never look at food the same again! The book we read Dim Sum of All Things was a very interesting book to read. At first glance I would not have guessed that it would be so focused on stereotypes. The book really taught me a lot of Asian Americans and how they live their daily lives trying to fight stereotypes. Overall I had a lot of fun and learned so much in this class, it will change the way I live my life.
PoPing up a Reflection
POP! Which was are final and as a class we worked hard in order to show other classes of how much we understand about Asian American Culture. I believe that even if I didn’t go to watch everyone perform in the Brava Theather I believe everyone did a great job. The video that Justin created was also pretty well made even though it was made in less than a week. I think that was probably one of the hardest parts of the final not having enough time to plan out the video and make it more organized. I for one kind of hate how I look ahaha…
Over this past semester I believe that class has taught me a lot about Asian American Culture, and has answered all the goals that I have wrote from my first writing assignment. This class was lots of fun and pretty much going to miss everyone in the class, it felt so short but I know we will see each other around campus. Some activites I’ve enjoyed was the cooking theme, it was a lot of fun combining complete two different kinds of food and greating a new product. Which leads me to say that I believe that culture is like food, made up of different types of ingredients to create a whole, and if we combine two products we get a whole new product? I have to Thank Irene for teaching me that, Thanks A LOT! Another funny part of the class was when we read the book The Dim Sum of All Things, it’s a pretty good book about Asian Sterotypes and how we live and such, its taught me a lot and was pretty interesting. And the activity we played after just reminded me of how bad I am remembering the book. All in all this class was really fun and hope you all enjoy in reading this journals since it is my last. GO AAS! FIGHT!
Over this past semester I believe that class has taught me a lot about Asian American Culture, and has answered all the goals that I have wrote from my first writing assignment. This class was lots of fun and pretty much going to miss everyone in the class, it felt so short but I know we will see each other around campus. Some activites I’ve enjoyed was the cooking theme, it was a lot of fun combining complete two different kinds of food and greating a new product. Which leads me to say that I believe that culture is like food, made up of different types of ingredients to create a whole, and if we combine two products we get a whole new product? I have to Thank Irene for teaching me that, Thanks A LOT! Another funny part of the class was when we read the book The Dim Sum of All Things, it’s a pretty good book about Asian Sterotypes and how we live and such, its taught me a lot and was pretty interesting. And the activity we played after just reminded me of how bad I am remembering the book. All in all this class was really fun and hope you all enjoy in reading this journals since it is my last. GO AAS! FIGHT!
Super Asian Americans ?
Do Asian American super heroes really exist?
Well in my opinion I think there might be some Asian American super heroes. Well in reality there aren’t really Asian American people that can shoot laser beams or use cold breaths to freeze up and defeat the bad guy. Super heroes that I’m talking about are mortal people who stand up and fight against racist and stereotypical comments. People think that if you’re Asian that you would be passive and not really fight back if they insulted you, but now some Asians would stand up for themselves and fight back they don’t to be passive if someone starts insulting them they want to fight back! That’s what makes an Asian American we fight stereotypes and racist comments. That’s what I mean by an Asian American Hero all those people on the media acting the complete opposite of what racists or stereotypically people think of how Asians would act. As time goes by more Heroes will come up and stand against this complete evil evil called Stereotypes.
Well in my opinion I think there might be some Asian American super heroes. Well in reality there aren’t really Asian American people that can shoot laser beams or use cold breaths to freeze up and defeat the bad guy. Super heroes that I’m talking about are mortal people who stand up and fight against racist and stereotypical comments. People think that if you’re Asian that you would be passive and not really fight back if they insulted you, but now some Asians would stand up for themselves and fight back they don’t to be passive if someone starts insulting them they want to fight back! That’s what makes an Asian American we fight stereotypes and racist comments. That’s what I mean by an Asian American Hero all those people on the media acting the complete opposite of what racists or stereotypically people think of how Asians would act. As time goes by more Heroes will come up and stand against this complete evil evil called Stereotypes.
Late Thanksgiving Journal
I had an okay Thanksgiving break nothing really special to brag about. Just my dad flew back in from the east coast and my family and I had dinner at a relative’s house. I guess I had to much of a high hopes for an awesome Thanksgiving dinner, I kind of hate to say it but it was probably one of the worst Thanksgiving dinners I’ve had. I mean really! There weren’t any mashed potatoes or even gravy, geez…and we only had pumpkin pie, I don’t really like that. But the desserts my mom and me made were pretty good mango pudding and almond jello mmm…Well aside from Thanksgiving dinner the family decided to throw a surprise birthday party for my oldest cousin, he’s 30, but we never said he was old ahaha….well to make up for the crappy dinner we had ice cream cake which was really good. But besides the food there was lots of activity going on around the house, I guess it was pretty fun talking to all my relatives and playing scrabble with them. Well I hope you guys had a great Thanksgiving break, kind of late for this journal but took some time to think about it with finals and analyzing the poems coming up.
Resturant Review #2
Well here comes my second review of a restaurant. To me its a little far but if people live on the other side of SF im pretty sure you're close to it. Well the restaurant name is Hamburger Haven, and like the restaurant its an "American Restaurant". But what i find interesting is that the people who work there are mostly Asians ha...go figure. Well I have to say that the service is pretty good you already have your menus next to you and the waitress/waiters asks what kind of drink you want. Also most of the drinks are refillable which is plus side, if you want to save money. I have to say all the food is good I especially like their breakfast specials which last from morning till 3:00pm, and everything is freshly hand made, so it might take a while for your order to come, but it'll come in fresh. On the plus side while waiting for the food you can have conversations with other people. The theme in the restaurant is all about the past San Francisco look, not retro but more of an olde feeling which is kind of nice. So i suggest that you should go and eat at that restaurant :)
Hamburger Haven
800 Clement St.
at 9th Ave.
Hamburger Haven
800 Clement St.
at 9th Ave.
Google pushes Asian Jaw Reduction surgery on an Asian studies blog...Wait, that's our blog!
I personally find this hilarious. But I probably shouldn't be laughing.
As I was finishing up my last entry, I noticed a small ad at the bottom of our published blog. "Asian Jaw Surgery" a procedure that narrows ones jaw to seem less Asian, must be pretty popular amongst those interested in Asian studies! Oh yeah, and if you're interested in dating Asian women because you heard how exotic and subservient they are, click on the ad directly to the right of 'Asian jaw surgery.'
FYI, this ad is of course not something we elected or allowed on our blog. It is a product of Google's Adsense program and we have no control over it :[
Geeeeezz...if only free blogging accounts didn't require that we have advertisements that counter the very message we are trying to spread! Ignorance can be found in small packages too. How ironic...
- Ernest
Filipino MVP football player? WTF?!
Yes, it's true. Check out this blurb from Wikipedia:
"Roman Ildonzo Gabriel, Jr. is a former American football player. The son of a Filipino immigrant, he was the first Asian-American to start as an NFL quarterback and is considered by many to have been one of the best players at that position during the late 1960s and early 70s."
When I first heard about this, I could not believe my ears. I hardly hear about Filipinos ever playing professional sports, let alone winning the most coveted award given by the NFL. Although he is only half-Filipino it still counts!
I think this is important to note because many Asian-Americans, at a young age, are lead to believe that they are incapable of becoming professional athletes in America. Many, including myself, don't feel we can ever be tall enough, run fast enough, or jump high enough to compete with athletes in the US.
I honestly believe that if younger Asian-Americans, especially Filipinos, knew about this they would become more empowered to become better at whatever sport they choose to play. So spread the word!
- Ernest
Asian American Poet(s) - 'Drowning' by Native Gunz
But everyday she tell herself she was so ugly
Say her butt was too big, nose too flat
Skin too dark and lips too fat
All that blush and eyeshadow just to cover the fact
What was hiding under that was her stuck in a trap
Wanted to look like a model in a magazine
Didn't care if Martin Luther King had a dream
All she wanted was a reason for some self-esteem
And to think Christine was only seventeen
Started seeing white dudes to make her feel special
Started to take the self-hate to another level
Alcohol to weed, weed to cocaine
Whatever it would take so she could feel no pain
It was a cold game; her freedom never came
Pipe to her fat lips, needle to her vein
And with emotion silently, she said ready, aim
Looked in the mirror and put the heater to her brain
It was hard finding any Asian-American poetry that I could respond to. Native Gunz is a hip-hop group based out of Los Angeles and the Bay Area who since 2007 has split up :[
I have been following their music for some time now and thought it would be cool to use this particular song for this assignment. In this verse, Native Gunz tells a story about a mislead Asian American woman who, because of American media, is incredibly sensitive about her physical appearance. The self-hatred leads her into drug addiction and eventually suicide.
My Reflection:
I have heard stories similar to this one before, but they never featured an Asian American woman. I am not sure if this is based on a true story, but I am sure there are many Chinese, Japanese, Korean women out there who feel they need to look like someone else to be pretty or beautiful. For the most part, self-hatred among Asian American women, like the one in this verse, seems overlooked. In high school, many of my female classmates were relentless in their mission to look like the white women in magazines. I never thought twice about it. I didn't realize how serious this issue really is and that it could lead to some seriously unhealthy behaviors.
I have always found Asian women to be beautiful in their own way. I find it silly when women change their appearance to hide indication of their nationality. I'm glad the Native Gunz points this out in this song as well as others.
- Ernest
Resturant Review #1
Ever heard of Noriega Teriyaki House?
Well if you haven't then I suggest you to get off your butts and stop reading this and go and see what a great place it is. Well that's just my opinion, but seriously the place is pretty nice. I've gone to that place many times, that sometimes i get sick of going their to eat ahaha...but in my opinion the service is pretty good, the waiters/waitress are really nice, and always check on you every couple of minutes to see if you're in need of any assistance. Not only is the service is good but so is the food, well in truth some of the dishes need working on, but if you go there i suggest to order some sushi its pretty much freshly made which is why its so good and also some of their noodle soups, or rice dishes, also with some dishes free soup and dessert come along with it. The atmosphere around the restaurant is pretty nice, there's music and many Japanese decorations around the place, kind of giving off a relax clam feeling, and there's also and indoor fountain. Now for the times, if you the place dull of people i suggest times like 12 or 1, and if you're the quiet type i suggest around 3-4 or so. If read all this im pretty sure you get the point of how much i love this restaurant, so why wait and go there now to eat.
Here's a link with some photos: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/YDeqSFd7qdbbFiBUO6Gpjw?select=nVCbiP2cT08K3qJx99LOLQ
1755 Noriega St
San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 664-7766
Well if you haven't then I suggest you to get off your butts and stop reading this and go and see what a great place it is. Well that's just my opinion, but seriously the place is pretty nice. I've gone to that place many times, that sometimes i get sick of going their to eat ahaha...but in my opinion the service is pretty good, the waiters/waitress are really nice, and always check on you every couple of minutes to see if you're in need of any assistance. Not only is the service is good but so is the food, well in truth some of the dishes need working on, but if you go there i suggest to order some sushi its pretty much freshly made which is why its so good and also some of their noodle soups, or rice dishes, also with some dishes free soup and dessert come along with it. The atmosphere around the restaurant is pretty nice, there's music and many Japanese decorations around the place, kind of giving off a relax clam feeling, and there's also and indoor fountain. Now for the times, if you the place dull of people i suggest times like 12 or 1, and if you're the quiet type i suggest around 3-4 or so. If read all this im pretty sure you get the point of how much i love this restaurant, so why wait and go there now to eat.
Here's a link with some photos: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/YDeqSFd7qdbbFiBUO6Gpjw?select=nVCbiP2cT08K3qJx99LOLQ
1755 Noriega St
San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 664-7766
My Definition of Asian American
In the dictionary there is a definition of what an Asian American is and it says a citizen or resident of the U.S. of Asian birth or descent. Ha! sure that's what everyone thinks it is, but there are some people who think differently about what being an Asian is really about, people like me.
My definition after learning lots of stuff from this class, being an Asian and living in the US doesn't mean you're an Asian American, but mixing up two different cultures into your own thing. Something that can explain this pretty well is that of cooking, when cooking people tend to mix things in and creating a dish, they can also mix two old things and create a new dish! Cooking is always evolving and so is Asian American's and their culture. What I really am trying to say is that my definition for an Asian American is pretty much undefined because we are always changing and nothing ever stays the same. So if you are looking for a definition for Asian American, then my advice to you is to find it yourself and you think what it means to you.
My definition after learning lots of stuff from this class, being an Asian and living in the US doesn't mean you're an Asian American, but mixing up two different cultures into your own thing. Something that can explain this pretty well is that of cooking, when cooking people tend to mix things in and creating a dish, they can also mix two old things and create a new dish! Cooking is always evolving and so is Asian American's and their culture. What I really am trying to say is that my definition for an Asian American is pretty much undefined because we are always changing and nothing ever stays the same. So if you are looking for a definition for Asian American, then my advice to you is to find it yourself and you think what it means to you.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Midterm Video + Reflection
I noticed we never put our midterm video up...why? I don't know. Forgot who uploaded it so I felt responsible -.-
Looking back at this event, I thought it really meant a lot to not just our class as a whole but to all the students of San Francisco State University.
Honestly, I admit in the beginning, all I cared about was my grade and not studdering. But once we got united into this big mob of students shouting "On Strike We're Gonna Shut It Down!" I felt empowered. This whole midterm transformed into a reality because we're following up the 40th anniversary of the TWLF. Don't get me wrong, I care a lot about this situation because it doesn't only affect Ethnic Studies but these budget cuts seemingly destroy or damage the very belief that was fought hard for back in the late 60's when Ethnic Studies didn't even exist.
I strongly believe that all the blood, sweat and tears that were shed back in 1969 would be put to waste if the university had their way in handling Ethnic studies. This would go against all that people have fought for and what they believed in.
This strike commemoration that we did for a midterm was not about us, but dedicated to them, the original strikers.
Looking back at this event, I thought it really meant a lot to not just our class as a whole but to all the students of San Francisco State University.
Honestly, I admit in the beginning, all I cared about was my grade and not studdering. But once we got united into this big mob of students shouting "On Strike We're Gonna Shut It Down!" I felt empowered. This whole midterm transformed into a reality because we're following up the 40th anniversary of the TWLF. Don't get me wrong, I care a lot about this situation because it doesn't only affect Ethnic Studies but these budget cuts seemingly destroy or damage the very belief that was fought hard for back in the late 60's when Ethnic Studies didn't even exist.
I strongly believe that all the blood, sweat and tears that were shed back in 1969 would be put to waste if the university had their way in handling Ethnic studies. This would go against all that people have fought for and what they believed in.
This strike commemoration that we did for a midterm was not about us, but dedicated to them, the original strikers.
Reflection: Pop + Commemoration Video
I would most likely consider Pop to be one of the best experiences of my college life simply because it was something fresh. I don't know of too many classes that can provide the same experience that ETHS 210 could.
As a part of the "Video" team I felt we did a great job with the Newsreel video
*Unfortunately Justin removed the video from YouTube* but I hope you all enjoyed the show.
My only regret in this project was not providing any creative output into the video because I thought it would've been awesome if we did a commercial spoof on Geico caar insurance.
The show itself was phenomenal, Ernest and I believed the show would be nothing more than a few presentations here and there but to our disbelief, it turned out to be a theatrical quality-type show.
From the first ETHS 210 class, I enjoyed the video about Yuki becoming an American. I thought it was very creative and funny. In regards to Asian American culture, that group in particular addressed the identity issue. An issue that a lot of Asians face because of traditions that conflict with American society. Although I find it hard to believe a boy from Japan has never seen a Cheeseburger before.
Even though our class went overtime, I believe we did an incredible job on it. Although I admit, we're not as organized as the other class; we managed to put on quite a show. I guess what felt odd was the ending but I stick by my belief that you leave the ending commemoration VIDEO to the VIDEO GROUP.
I missed the last class' performance but I heard a lot of cheers from the outside. Regardless, it's tough to get on stage and perform in front of people but it takes a lot of bravery to do so.
No matter what happened, even if the guy doing poetry whispered "oh...fuck" in front of a lot of people, it takes a lot to do that and that deserves a lot of credibility.
I couldn't think of a better way to have my semester of ETHS 210 come to an end.
Oh and here's our commemoration video:
As a part of the "Video" team I felt we did a great job with the Newsreel video
*Unfortunately Justin removed the video from YouTube* but I hope you all enjoyed the show.
My only regret in this project was not providing any creative output into the video because I thought it would've been awesome if we did a commercial spoof on Geico caar insurance.
The show itself was phenomenal, Ernest and I believed the show would be nothing more than a few presentations here and there but to our disbelief, it turned out to be a theatrical quality-type show.
From the first ETHS 210 class, I enjoyed the video about Yuki becoming an American. I thought it was very creative and funny. In regards to Asian American culture, that group in particular addressed the identity issue. An issue that a lot of Asians face because of traditions that conflict with American society. Although I find it hard to believe a boy from Japan has never seen a Cheeseburger before.
Even though our class went overtime, I believe we did an incredible job on it. Although I admit, we're not as organized as the other class; we managed to put on quite a show. I guess what felt odd was the ending but I stick by my belief that you leave the ending commemoration VIDEO to the VIDEO GROUP.
I missed the last class' performance but I heard a lot of cheers from the outside. Regardless, it's tough to get on stage and perform in front of people but it takes a lot of bravery to do so.
No matter what happened, even if the guy doing poetry whispered "oh...fuck" in front of a lot of people, it takes a lot to do that and that deserves a lot of credibility.
I couldn't think of a better way to have my semester of ETHS 210 come to an end.
Oh and here's our commemoration video:
Planet B-boy: Adaption to a Cultur
In my exploration of different music, and music cultures, I have been exposed to break dance for quite some time, but when a person emphasizes on culture and injects it into the break dance lifestyle, it becomes personal. B-Boy Planet presents the cultural take on break dancing, and how it has effected, changed and exposed the individual to something very personal and to his own creation. Confucius once said that music was is universal. and so is dance; Both elements are windows to the soul.
It is hard to write a detailed blog about this because everyone has a different view on music, dance and culture. but when you experience it, you know how it affects you. And in the clip above, you will get the point of view of how each culture interprets it.
-Rafael De La Torre
Monday, December 8, 2008
Response to a poem with a poem
An Older Scholar's Advice
by Ha Jin
After you get your master's degree
you will have to work hard for some years
to be promoted to a lectureship. Then you can relax.
Don't you think that if you go on working in that way
you can get your professorship. First,
you must have enough teaching experience.
In my school, only after having taught for 24 years
will you be qualified for consideration as an associate professor. Second,
you must publish enough papers.
It is not hard to write them but it is not easy
to publish them. In fact, you can publish anything
if you have connections. My colleagues told me that
publications is also an important filed of study.
Well, if you "study" it thoroughly
you may be able to get your papers out,
but you will have to pay a lot for it.
For me the most practical thing to do now
is not to worry about my professorship.
So many lecturers are not qualified for it
until they are qualified for retirement
or for death. I just ignore it for the time being.
In the morning I practice Tai Chi.
In the evening I watch TV and go to bed early.
I have to quit smoking but drink two cups of wine
everyday. Wine can warm your blood.
Don't indulge yourself in sex.
It will weaken your young kidneys.
As long as you are in good health,
as long as you live longer than others,
eventually you will get you professorship.
You can wait for that.
A Younger Scholar's Advice
by Albert Dang
After you get your High School diploma
you will still have to work hard for some years
to be promoted to a college degree. Then you can relax.
Don't think that if you go on working in that way
you can get your degree. First,
you must have enough course credit.
In my school, only after obtaining 120 credits
will you be qualified for consideration
as a graduate student. Second, you must write enough papers.
It is not hard writing them but it not easy
trying to start them. In fact, you can start anything
if you have the right creativity. My classmates told me that
starting papers is an important skill to learn.
Well, if you "learn" it thoroughly
you may be able to get your papers done,
but you will have to restart a lot.
For me the most practical thing to do now
is not to worry about my graduation.
So many students are not qualified for it
until they are qualified for their 30s
or for their 40s. I just ignore it for the time being.
In the morning i eat cereal.
In the evening I play video games and go to bed late.
I have to quit procrastinating but I have to study everyday.
Studying can make you smarter.
Don't indulge in junk food.
It will weaken your heart.
As long as you are in good standing,
as long as you are in better health than others,
eventually you will graduate.
by Ha Jin
After you get your master's degree
you will have to work hard for some years
to be promoted to a lectureship. Then you can relax.
Don't you think that if you go on working in that way
you can get your professorship. First,
you must have enough teaching experience.
In my school, only after having taught for 24 years
will you be qualified for consideration as an associate professor. Second,
you must publish enough papers.
It is not hard to write them but it is not easy
to publish them. In fact, you can publish anything
if you have connections. My colleagues told me that
publications is also an important filed of study.
Well, if you "study" it thoroughly
you may be able to get your papers out,
but you will have to pay a lot for it.
For me the most practical thing to do now
is not to worry about my professorship.
So many lecturers are not qualified for it
until they are qualified for retirement
or for death. I just ignore it for the time being.
In the morning I practice Tai Chi.
In the evening I watch TV and go to bed early.
I have to quit smoking but drink two cups of wine
everyday. Wine can warm your blood.
Don't indulge yourself in sex.
It will weaken your young kidneys.
As long as you are in good health,
as long as you live longer than others,
eventually you will get you professorship.
You can wait for that.
A Younger Scholar's Advice
by Albert Dang
After you get your High School diploma
you will still have to work hard for some years
to be promoted to a college degree. Then you can relax.
Don't think that if you go on working in that way
you can get your degree. First,
you must have enough course credit.
In my school, only after obtaining 120 credits
will you be qualified for consideration
as a graduate student. Second, you must write enough papers.
It is not hard writing them but it not easy
trying to start them. In fact, you can start anything
if you have the right creativity. My classmates told me that
starting papers is an important skill to learn.
Well, if you "learn" it thoroughly
you may be able to get your papers done,
but you will have to restart a lot.
For me the most practical thing to do now
is not to worry about my graduation.
So many students are not qualified for it
until they are qualified for their 30s
or for their 40s. I just ignore it for the time being.
In the morning i eat cereal.
In the evening I play video games and go to bed late.
I have to quit procrastinating but I have to study everyday.
Studying can make you smarter.
Don't indulge in junk food.
It will weaken your heart.
As long as you are in good standing,
as long as you are in better health than others,
eventually you will graduate.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Asian American Poet: Suji Kwock Kim
To concur with my classmate, I too found myself talking along time to decide which Asian American Poet to choose from. But after deciding, the Asian American poet of choice for me was Suji Kwock Kim.
Suji Kwock Kim is a Korean American poet and playwright born in 1969, she earned her education in Yale and has has ever 22 reprints on her work done in several languages including, Korean, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, Italian, German, Arabic, and Bengali.
The poem I have decided to write about is:
Fugue for Eye and Vanishing Point
Give me the clarity, the sharpness
of a season when things are plainly
themselves. No smear of dreaming on the dirt.
Let my eye see without seeking more
than what's there, and find what is
is sweet. Bleach-fumes. Urine. Cement.
Bus-exhaust. Oil glittering on pistons.
Soiled needles wrapped in butcher paper.
Infinite engine trapped in skin.
Like All Poetry I had to read and read and read to be able to paint a picture, an image that would be painted so bright and clear that the poets intangible thought would become mine. And as I read the poem, I began to draw the following parallel (or I think it was).
In the poem the poet write about how she wished she can see the world in clearly and visibly, without putting thought stressing the "infinite engine trapped in skin", literally the mind or imagination. when one looks at concrete, urine or the stench of bleach... it is what it is. but love, emotion, and all those things in life that are unexplainable.
With souch a limited number of Asian American Poets it is important to understand the cultural loss others don't encounter. each poet and culture is different and fision between the two creates a third. A third we should all be exposed to.
-Rafael De La Torre
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Movie Review 2: Mongol (2007)
I have decided to continue my trend and reviewing Asian American influenced films, and am very satisfied with the contents Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan.
This movie does well in producing the fictional persona Temudjin (birth name).
I really did enjoy this movie, it was very well shot, with beautiful shots of the environment and it felt very real. the culture was very well recreated for the time period. and I was very intrigued to learn that he was more of a man of honor when it came to his country and his men. As well as very respectful of the lives of women and children.
Unfortunately, in American textbooks, I was taught that he was a barbaric person and was unruly, it came to a shocking discovery when I saw the other side in this film. although I have not done full research on his history, I will now make sure i get the full and real story.
as for the film I give it a 4/5
I disliked the fact that they cut out much of how he later then became the khan of his people, they focus more on his early life than on the path to legend.
-Rafael De La Torre
Mirrors Edge and AAS
So you maybe be wondering why I am writing a review on EA's Mirror's Edge. Simply because i have decided to focus on the lack of Asian role models in pop culture in American and the controversy the public brought up after its release.
To start: Mirror's Edge is an amazing game, its new and fresh. it features a new POV of FPS gaming and it is highly entertaining. and it features the upcoming sport of Parkour or as many know it here as Freerunning.
I must say that this is one game that I choose to play over and over again without getting tired of because you always wanna keep going faster and faster, and its almost impossible. In addition, they brought in new elements than what we are use to. the main protagonist (you) is a Female and Asian character. There are just not many games out there that focus on Asian American Roles, Especially EA, a very Americanized company.
Secondly there was some controversy that relates to the issues Asian American women face everyday. I'm talking about what kim wong brought up several times: How in general Asian women are pictured as exotic figures. Now by looking at the image above we see a very regular depiction of a Asian female rolemodel, as a runner in the game she is slender and fit. but when some fans got a hold of a picture and photoshop, well look what they did:
If you notice, our protagonist is curvier in the bust area and her face was made to look a lot more younger or should i say childish. the developers did have something to say thought:"We really wanted to get away from the typical portrayal of women in games, that they're all just kind of tits and ass in a steel bikini. We wanted her to look athletic and fit and strong [enough] that she could do the things that she's doing."Althought they made every attemp to escape this stereotype, many people just dont get it. its all about exotification and eye candy to sell and dont realize what they do in the progress.
-Rafael De La Torre
Returning to my Roots
I take a lot of pride in my roots. A lot of us regardless of what ethnic background has roots planted somewhere on American soil. Mine just happens to be at a local park on the edge of San Francisco's Chinatown.
Woh Hei Yuen
It all began when my dad wanted me to get afterschool tutoring. Before the park, it was a former Chinese cemetary. Odd, I know.
For a good year at the tutoring facility, I watched that park develope into what it would shape into...
...our base.
A lot of kids would make their longtime friends at school but for me and a bunch of my close friends, it would be at this very park.
In the late 90's, Chinatown parks have been the home bases for a lot of notoriety. Willie Wong Playground (formerly known as the notorious 'Chinese Playground') was and probably still a homebase for the petty gangs of Chinatown and even plays an important role of "roots" in Bill Lee's book that was named after the park. Chinese Center is another park, not as famous as CP but a home turf for a few small gangs during the afterhours.
Woh Hei Yuen was what I call, the anti-gang park. This park was where I met most of my close friends because of random games of tag, dodgeball, four square and even the whole Pokemon card craze. It was at this park that our inner circle of friends expanded but honestly, we wern't a gang. We were just a group of 11 to 13 year olds that happen to know each other and establish friendships that seem like brotherhoods and sisterhoods now. It was more of a "clique" thing.
By the time I had hit 15, everyone had left the park. We all grew out of it and simply became to busy with growing up. Those carefree summers and afterschool hours became a memory. For a good duration of the years that followed the park was empty, hollow...lifeless.
No more kids running around trying to tag one another. No more kids dodging the full speeded ball. No more preteen love that we had all endured. Nothing but benches, structures and sand.
Today my friend and I walked by there and talked about the good old days. The park was empty still and we wish there was someway we could relive that experience again. (without getting kicked out of it for being too old) I told my friend..."I guess it's no different than that old cemetary it used to be"
Many hours later, I was on my way back to my car and I wanted to walk by the park for a possible one last time. It was dark and the park was lit up by the lamps. I hear laughing, yelling, enjoyment, innocence. It felt like my upbringing as a developing Chinese American was flashing before my eyes. I see a small group of kids playing tag and enjoying what my friends and I had enjoyed in the past.
It's a new Chinese American generation that has planted their seeds into the sands of our dying roots.
Woh Hei YuenIt all began when my dad wanted me to get afterschool tutoring. Before the park, it was a former Chinese cemetary. Odd, I know.
For a good year at the tutoring facility, I watched that park develope into what it would shape into...
...our base.
A lot of kids would make their longtime friends at school but for me and a bunch of my close friends, it would be at this very park.
In the late 90's, Chinatown parks have been the home bases for a lot of notoriety. Willie Wong Playground (formerly known as the notorious 'Chinese Playground') was and probably still a homebase for the petty gangs of Chinatown and even plays an important role of "roots" in Bill Lee's book that was named after the park. Chinese Center is another park, not as famous as CP but a home turf for a few small gangs during the afterhours.
Woh Hei Yuen was what I call, the anti-gang park. This park was where I met most of my close friends because of random games of tag, dodgeball, four square and even the whole Pokemon card craze. It was at this park that our inner circle of friends expanded but honestly, we wern't a gang. We were just a group of 11 to 13 year olds that happen to know each other and establish friendships that seem like brotherhoods and sisterhoods now. It was more of a "clique" thing.
By the time I had hit 15, everyone had left the park. We all grew out of it and simply became to busy with growing up. Those carefree summers and afterschool hours became a memory. For a good duration of the years that followed the park was empty, hollow...lifeless.
No more kids running around trying to tag one another. No more kids dodging the full speeded ball. No more preteen love that we had all endured. Nothing but benches, structures and sand.
Today my friend and I walked by there and talked about the good old days. The park was empty still and we wish there was someway we could relive that experience again. (without getting kicked out of it for being too old) I told my friend..."I guess it's no different than that old cemetary it used to be"
Many hours later, I was on my way back to my car and I wanted to walk by the park for a possible one last time. It was dark and the park was lit up by the lamps. I hear laughing, yelling, enjoyment, innocence. It felt like my upbringing as a developing Chinese American was flashing before my eyes. I see a small group of kids playing tag and enjoying what my friends and I had enjoyed in the past.
It's a new Chinese American generation that has planted their seeds into the sands of our dying roots.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Asian American Poet
I guess it took me awhile to decide what poet I kind of really want to write about, and I decided to write about Jessica Hagedorn not only because she an outstanding poet, but some of the stuff she writes I can sort of relate to what she is writing about.
Jessica Hagedorn is a Filipino American that was born in the Philippines in 1949. Her father was both Filipino and Spanish, while her mother was Scots, Irish, French, and Filipino, and was known to have one Chinese ancestor. Hagedorn moved to the US at the age of 13 at the year 1963, and began to take lessons in acting and soon became interested in the performing arts which lead her to multimedia work. Hagedorn applies the knowledge that she has learn from the past into the poems that she writes creating her own style writing and performances. Her style includes the mixture of song, poetry, images, and spoken dialogue. In order to improve her literary and multimedia skills Hagedorn moved to New York in 1978. Her novels and poems such as Dogeaters or Something About You, to give people a better understanding about how American culture affects Filipino culture or what Filipino culture is really about. She gives Filipinos a voice to show others what being a Filipino really is really about. Jessica Hagedorn now resides in New York with her family and still continues to be a poet, writer, musician, and play artist.
The poem Sorcery, I believe that Hagedorn tries to tell the readers not to always believe in what you see especially women that a beautiful on the outside. Within that beauty may lay a cheat or “witch” trying seduce you with her charms in order to gain something from you. The poem Something About You in my opinion helps expresses Hagedorns life such as all the people that has helped her in the past, and people in the present. The phrase “and this for” represents her thanks to those who had help her become what she is now. The poem Stigmata, I think gives the readers an outlook of what other people think about other racists, stereotypes. Like “IF HE'S PAINTED GOLD, HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO KNOW HE'S BLACK?” Hagedorn is trying to tell us society only looks at people from the outside and determines what they are just from that. Another meaning that I’ve thought of is that some people try to show that they’re different from what others expect like the black man painted gold, he wants to show people he’s different.
Photo: http://www.nationalbook.org/graphics/nba2005/dinner/photos/hagedorn.jpg
Asian American Poet
I have chosen Ha Jin for my Asian American poet for this unit in our class. He was born on February 21, 1956 in Liaoning, China. His real name is Jin Xuefei, Ha Jin is the pen name he has chosen for himself. "Ha" comes from the name of his favorite city, Harbin. When he was 14 he served in the People's Liberation Army in China, until he was 20. His father at that time was a solider as well. When he was released from the army he decided to teach himself English while working the night shift as a railroad telegrapher. He then later got his BA and MA from Chinese universities. It was in 1985, that he decided to move to the United States to pursue graduate work in English at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. Ha Jin decided to stay in the U.S. after the Tienanmen Massacre in 1989. The poems he has written since he began his studies in America deal mostly with the experiences of people in China during the Cultural Revolution- "experiences," as he writes, "not strictly personal, although in most cases ... stimulated by memory of hard facts which cannot be worn away by time."
In many of his poems we can hear the people of China concerned about their fate, one that no one can understand or change. Ha Jin remarks: " If not every one of these people, who were never perfect, is worthy of our love, at least their fate deserves our attention and our memory. they should talk and be talked about." The motivation behind many of his poems are letting silenced people's voices be heard. He wants to bring attention to people who are oppressed and too afraid to let their voices be heard. By bringing attention to these people, we can all learn the mistakes of the past and not allow it to repeat itself. Many of his poems also deal with the theme of individuality and how they matter more than the collective whole. Rather than just a nation, a nation of individuals who are all equally important.
I chose Ha Jin to be my author because it did not really matter to me that much who I picked as my author at first, so i just googled Asian American Poets. His name caught my eye because it had a nice ring to it. As started to research who he was and such I was glad I picked him because half of my family is Chinese and their parents came from China to American to escape all the chaos that was happening. I thought it would be good to see what their lives were like back then and as well as their lives in America today.
In many of his poems we can hear the people of China concerned about their fate, one that no one can understand or change. Ha Jin remarks: " If not every one of these people, who were never perfect, is worthy of our love, at least their fate deserves our attention and our memory. they should talk and be talked about." The motivation behind many of his poems are letting silenced people's voices be heard. He wants to bring attention to people who are oppressed and too afraid to let their voices be heard. By bringing attention to these people, we can all learn the mistakes of the past and not allow it to repeat itself. Many of his poems also deal with the theme of individuality and how they matter more than the collective whole. Rather than just a nation, a nation of individuals who are all equally important.
I chose Ha Jin to be my author because it did not really matter to me that much who I picked as my author at first, so i just googled Asian American Poets. His name caught my eye because it had a nice ring to it. As started to research who he was and such I was glad I picked him because half of my family is Chinese and their parents came from China to American to escape all the chaos that was happening. I thought it would be good to see what their lives were like back then and as well as their lives in America today.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Midterm Reflection
Initially, our groups attempt at recreating the strike didn't exactly work out. We hadn't prepared enough and did not forecast external factors that eventually detracted from our performance. We ended up being pretty disappointed in ourselves--almost as if we had failed the original participants of the SFSU strike. Immediately after, we went back to the drawing boards to see if we could develop a better plan of attack.
After much deliberation on how we could improve our skit, our commitment to honoring the original SFSU strikers had been renewed. I was much more confident this time around. However, as soon as I walked into class that day, I knew that whatever plan we originally had would be improved even further by the energy shared by the rest of the class; especially those who were not even from our group. The walk towards the quad caused my skin to tighten and a swirl of thought circulated through my head. I felt an overwhelming sense of purpose, one that I had not felt the first time we enacted our skit.
As soon as our march ended and we assembled at Cesar Chavez, a burst of energy circulated through all of us and the performance that resulted could not have been any more successful! It was especially rewarding to see one of the alumni who participated in the strike congratulate us on our efforts. After that, I no longer worried about what grade we had earned for the midterm. Her gratitude and pride said it all!
- Ernest
After much deliberation on how we could improve our skit, our commitment to honoring the original SFSU strikers had been renewed. I was much more confident this time around. However, as soon as I walked into class that day, I knew that whatever plan we originally had would be improved even further by the energy shared by the rest of the class; especially those who were not even from our group. The walk towards the quad caused my skin to tighten and a swirl of thought circulated through my head. I felt an overwhelming sense of purpose, one that I had not felt the first time we enacted our skit.
As soon as our march ended and we assembled at Cesar Chavez, a burst of energy circulated through all of us and the performance that resulted could not have been any more successful! It was especially rewarding to see one of the alumni who participated in the strike congratulate us on our efforts. After that, I no longer worried about what grade we had earned for the midterm. Her gratitude and pride said it all!
- Ernest
Midterm Reflection
Many thanks to everyone in our group for their awesome contributions and effort. Our first concept of what to do for our skit seemed like a breeze at first. We thought that it would a really cool idea to try to reenact the strike from back then. But, then we tweaked it a little bit more and decided to make it into a question and answer panel. However, once it came to trying to execute the plan that was the challenging part. The first attempt that our group tried to do our skit, we missed the passing period and not many people were watching us. We also had a few problems on our side as well. We had some what a hard time trying to look serious, we kept smiling and laughing. Since we were just asking questions out at random, the whole skit turned out not as smooth as it could have been. It probably could have turned out better had we run a few more practice runs before the real deal. For our second attempt, it was so much better than the first attempt. With the support of the whole class and having had decided to change our whole skit so it would have a much better impact, things turned out way better than I expected. We got a lot more people to watch us and got to let people know what our goal was. I hope we made some sort of foot print in people's mind about the 40th anniversary of the strike. Overall I felt like I really was a part of something big and had a blast doing it.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Midterm Review/Reflection
To start off I have to say thanks for everyone that participated on our Midterm skit. First off making a group and discussing what we were going to do was pretty simple and easy. It was doing what we planned out that was difficult, like our first attempts to do the skit. We all met early and some later, but not only that but we missed the passing period so not many people watched. Then their was our self control, which we completely failed at because everyone was smiling or laughing, and some of our group mates were spatting out random questions. I have to say that we were completely disorganized,and I believe that we didn't have enough people to make a great impact towards other people. On our second attempt, the whole class participated and I have to say that our group was more prepared, and we did a great job. In my perspective I saw that we made a lot of people watch what we were doing, and made them understand what the 40th anniversary was about. All in all it was a fun experience and we learned alot from accomplishing our duties or failing to do so.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
2 Reviews!
I had the opportunity tonight to do 2 restaurant reviews.
One is Little Tokyo which is on Geary Blvd. and another is Top Cafe which is a Chinese-American cafe down in Cupertino.
Little Tokyo Review
Top Cafe Review
One is Little Tokyo which is on Geary Blvd. and another is Top Cafe which is a Chinese-American cafe down in Cupertino.
Little Tokyo Review
Top Cafe Review
Monday, October 27, 2008
Third World
I have to say that that movie in class had so much meaning in it, most people would be speechless. I mean people in State just want a better teaching environment and the board denies this just because of their color? Man what the heck,I thought that we were over this bullshit about "different ethnicity" at that time, I guess I was wrong. So if they can't have a better environment to learn then it is time to strike my friend, we the people will stand strong to our beliefs that all people deserve and equal education. Again the board got in the way and used violence to solve the problem, but the people were only chanting, I mean we have a law stating everyone has a freedom of speech, so what does the board do, they go and call the police to beat the crap out of us and drag our leaders away. What's worst is after that whole thing they divided the school into two separate divisions, so they can "control" us easier, sounds like slavery to me but that's my opinion. Good thing the people had strong beliefs because another strike broke out, ya the people. Finally this time the school board gave in and gave the lower class people the same teaching environment as the higher class. But still the higher ups are still messing with the class funds, so they can earn more money for themselves, I really wish they would stop messing around in our school just for themselves.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Dim Sum of All Things - P 233
So far, the novel has kept me engaged and interested in the triumphs and shortcomings of Lindsey, the book's main character. The bulk of my reading has been completed over the past week and a half as I find it difficult to stop once I've started.
I just wanted to emphasize the importance of some of the themes my fellow group members have found in the book:
Stereotypes - Unlike my fellow group members, I hardly find the stereotypes used in this book offensive. I realize, however, that this is probably because I am not Chinese and do not understand the implications of these stereotypes.
Interestingly, I think Lindsey is the strongest supporter of such stereotypes even though she is Chinese. She seems almost ashamed of her own culture when she notices stereotypical behavior from family members or other Chinese. She frowns on such behavior even though these things may be essential aspects of her culture. I cannot tell if this is the author's intention.
She also seems to ignorantly categorize those who aren't Chinese throughout the book, especially males. Although I may be guilty of some the behavioral patterns Lindsey despises in men, it isn't fair to judge others before actually meeting them. This is probably why she hasn't had much success as far as romance is concerned.
Interracial dating - I never really understood what the fuss about interracial dating was all about. As a product of an interracial marriage, I have been around this all of my life. I think the more people speculate over interracial couples, the more difficult it becomes for couples to do what couples are supposed to do--love each other no matter what race the other person is. This book seems to put the spotlight on interracial couples when these things should be naturally accepted.
Overall, I do like the book. Regardless of the themes or messages, a lot can be learned about Chinese culture such as native foods and language. I find this beneficial because I haven't read much dealing with Chinese culture. I think that these pieces of knowledge will stick with me for the longer than anything else in this book.
- Ernest
I just wanted to emphasize the importance of some of the themes my fellow group members have found in the book:
Stereotypes - Unlike my fellow group members, I hardly find the stereotypes used in this book offensive. I realize, however, that this is probably because I am not Chinese and do not understand the implications of these stereotypes.
Interestingly, I think Lindsey is the strongest supporter of such stereotypes even though she is Chinese. She seems almost ashamed of her own culture when she notices stereotypical behavior from family members or other Chinese. She frowns on such behavior even though these things may be essential aspects of her culture. I cannot tell if this is the author's intention.
She also seems to ignorantly categorize those who aren't Chinese throughout the book, especially males. Although I may be guilty of some the behavioral patterns Lindsey despises in men, it isn't fair to judge others before actually meeting them. This is probably why she hasn't had much success as far as romance is concerned.
Interracial dating - I never really understood what the fuss about interracial dating was all about. As a product of an interracial marriage, I have been around this all of my life. I think the more people speculate over interracial couples, the more difficult it becomes for couples to do what couples are supposed to do--love each other no matter what race the other person is. This book seems to put the spotlight on interracial couples when these things should be naturally accepted.
Overall, I do like the book. Regardless of the themes or messages, a lot can be learned about Chinese culture such as native foods and language. I find this beneficial because I haven't read much dealing with Chinese culture. I think that these pieces of knowledge will stick with me for the longer than anything else in this book.
- Ernest
Monday, October 20, 2008
Eat First Restaurant (Review)
I’ve never been a big fan of Chinese restaurants or Chinese food for that matter but this place is better than most. If there was such a term, I would call it a Chinese and Chinese American restaurant simply because the menu works like a double-edged sword. There is your usual menu where the selections are in both English and Chinese but there is this other menu where everything is in Chinese. Non-Chinese readers don’t worry; I personally think the items on that menu are a bit too “authentic” Chinese for me but that would certainly please the older folks. There is an all-English lunch menu that consists of 100% Americanized Chinese food. Although I’m trying to be as un-bias as possible, I love the selections on this lunch menu. All the items on that single laminated page are about five-dollars and the dish is fairly big. I usually order either the Mongolian Beef, Smooth Egg over rice with beef or the Spicy Tofu with Beef over rice. When I compare with most Chinese restaurants, particularly in the Sunset district, a bowl of rice is outrageously two-dollars but over here, it is no different than Chinatown offers, unlimited refills on your bowls.
It’s a modern style atmosphere. You won’t get any old Qing Dynasty music but instead, there’s a flat panel television with whatever show on TVB or a sporting event on ESPN. Although it looks like a fairly decent sized restaurant, there is actually a second level. The problem I have with seating is when they really have no tables for you or you and your friends and they make you sit in a big round table with other customers. The staff here is friendly but often times too busy to remember your orders. I can’t tell you how many times a waiter came to our table and gave us the other table’s order. I guess another flaw with the staff is their tendency to go outside when business is slow and have a smoke during their shifts. Unfortunately, they don’t bother washing their hands afterwards. Overall, its good food and mediocre service and although the staff aren’t the best of all time, they do the best they can to give you food that is fresh. There was a time when we ordered a dinner set and they couldn’t give us the soup because it was boiling at the moment. It may have been disappointing to start with but eventually it arrived and it was amazing. Some may not like it but I guess that would make me a pretty patient guy.
Click here for My Yelp Review
It’s a modern style atmosphere. You won’t get any old Qing Dynasty music but instead, there’s a flat panel television with whatever show on TVB or a sporting event on ESPN. Although it looks like a fairly decent sized restaurant, there is actually a second level. The problem I have with seating is when they really have no tables for you or you and your friends and they make you sit in a big round table with other customers. The staff here is friendly but often times too busy to remember your orders. I can’t tell you how many times a waiter came to our table and gave us the other table’s order. I guess another flaw with the staff is their tendency to go outside when business is slow and have a smoke during their shifts. Unfortunately, they don’t bother washing their hands afterwards. Overall, its good food and mediocre service and although the staff aren’t the best of all time, they do the best they can to give you food that is fresh. There was a time when we ordered a dinner set and they couldn’t give us the soup because it was boiling at the moment. It may have been disappointing to start with but eventually it arrived and it was amazing. Some may not like it but I guess that would make me a pretty patient guy.
Click here for My Yelp Review
The Dim Sum of All Things Review
Note: I tried to be as unbias as possible but that mindset deteriorated in the process of writing this review.
Personal? Yes. Controversial? Possibly. Informative? Slightly. Positively-charged? Not at all. Those are the labels I would put down if I was capable of “tagging” a book. Kim Wong Keltner’s Dim Sum of All Things is a less-than-decent attempt to put Asian American culture into a better light than that of say, the early Chinese American immigrants? Considering this was her first attempt at becoming a distinguished author, I would try not to hold too much negativity towards her for the flaws seen in this book. It’s a light read and would most likely take less than a day or two if you become completely engaged into reading it. Let’s try to break this book down into pieces. Half of the first quarter of this book consisted of a mishmash of story background, objective and character insight/development. The other half however consisted of both assumptions and attacks on culture and gender. The following half-size chunk of this book was very slow paced and we finally get a bit of progression with the story but it never really got to the point. The final quarter of this book sums up a lot of the story’s objectives but I personally think it felt a bit rushed. Conclusively, I enjoyed the last 3/4ths of this book more than I did having to put up with the first quarter of it.
Let’s begin with the characters. I believe Keltner’s strongest attribute to her book writing style would be the way she presents her characters. The main character Lindsey is described very thoroughly from what goes on in her mind and what she assumes is going on around her. I enjoyed the descriptions of Pau Pau from Lindsey’s perspective but if I was to recall, this book is in the second person narrative. In my opinion, this book works much better in the first person narrative because there is already enough of what Lindsey assumes strictly from the narrators words. Lindsey is a character that I probably wouldn’t mind confronting in person if I could read minds. It’s amazing how Keltner chooses the absolute worst of Asian Americans as the host of this showcasing of Chinese American culture. Almost every single scene involving Lindsey and her assumptions of literally everybody around her was so negatively charged that it made me sick to my stomach. For example, Lindsey views Caucasian men as “hoarders” of all things Asian but if you had to analyze all the glamorization of White Americans and compare them to her views on Chinese Americans, you can simply call Lindsey a “hoarder” of all things White.
One of the biggest highlights that Keltner tries to showcase in her book based on the back of it are questions dealing with Chinese American culture at both its best and its worst. Keltner does a tremendous job at giving every scene of the book a lot of detail and it is easy to picture in my mind. The problem is; I saw a disrespectful attack on my heritage and even my gender in the most direct way. Keltner may not be an Amy Tam but at least Amy Tan tries to camouflage her attacks on Chinese American (and mainland Chinese) males better than the direct way Keltner does with her main character. Keltner makes it sound like Asian men are the only ethnic-gender that are cheap, Honda Civic driving, weak, nerds out in this world. The last time I checked; there are Ford loving, Star Wars idolizing, cheap white dates out in this world and that includes other ethnicities as well. Yes, this is a feministic book but this takes feminism into the more racist direction. And I quote Amazon reviewer Jay Wong, “If a WHITE person wrote something like this, then they would rightly be called an Asian hating racist.” If this book was the first Chinese American based book I had to ever read, I would totally not want to date a Chinese girl if Chinese girls would be represented by Lindsay’s almost irrational outlook on her own heritage. Having Lindsay find out that Steve was a quarter Chinese did nothing to suppress my distain either.
Overall, if you’re one to know more about contemporary Chinese American culture than you already do, look anywhere else but this book. With all due respect that I can possibly muster out of me to Lindsey Wong Keltner, nice try on your first attempt and I hope my money for your book got you something nice because I got myself some pretty expensive toilet paper. Keltner is not a sell out in my opinion despite the way I portrayed her writing style and character insights. Interracial dating and marriage is nothing new to American society in the past two decades. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it but you can not glamorize it by bashing on the other gender of your own ethnicity. It is distasteful and rotten much like your “Dim Sum” of all things.
Story Plot: C- (What was it again? Was it a neurotic girl’s goal of playing hard to get on a Caucasian man and hoarding all negativities on a culture? Trying to overcome adversity from a traditional grandmother? You get points on the second one but if it was solely the first one, you’d get D because if it wasn’t published, it’d be an F)
Character Development: B- (Your descriptions and extensive uses of the views and opinions of the characters are very well done and outweigh your lack of respect for any male both Asian or White)
Ease of Reading (level of reading/flow of reading/etc): B (It is a fast read but your lack of story continuity slows the pace down to a point where I didn’t pick up the book for 4 days)
Overall: C- (A job well done, it’s not a complete failure but at the same time the fact that you somehow got this published gives this book the much needed rescue and sums of cash into your pocket. Hopefully all that money can purchase you a nice apartment in the Pacific Heights away from the Sunset district where, you said it; most of the Chinese people live. By the way, you failed to make me be ashamed of my own culture, my own gender and my own identity.)
Personal? Yes. Controversial? Possibly. Informative? Slightly. Positively-charged? Not at all. Those are the labels I would put down if I was capable of “tagging” a book. Kim Wong Keltner’s Dim Sum of All Things is a less-than-decent attempt to put Asian American culture into a better light than that of say, the early Chinese American immigrants? Considering this was her first attempt at becoming a distinguished author, I would try not to hold too much negativity towards her for the flaws seen in this book. It’s a light read and would most likely take less than a day or two if you become completely engaged into reading it. Let’s try to break this book down into pieces. Half of the first quarter of this book consisted of a mishmash of story background, objective and character insight/development. The other half however consisted of both assumptions and attacks on culture and gender. The following half-size chunk of this book was very slow paced and we finally get a bit of progression with the story but it never really got to the point. The final quarter of this book sums up a lot of the story’s objectives but I personally think it felt a bit rushed. Conclusively, I enjoyed the last 3/4ths of this book more than I did having to put up with the first quarter of it.
Let’s begin with the characters. I believe Keltner’s strongest attribute to her book writing style would be the way she presents her characters. The main character Lindsey is described very thoroughly from what goes on in her mind and what she assumes is going on around her. I enjoyed the descriptions of Pau Pau from Lindsey’s perspective but if I was to recall, this book is in the second person narrative. In my opinion, this book works much better in the first person narrative because there is already enough of what Lindsey assumes strictly from the narrators words. Lindsey is a character that I probably wouldn’t mind confronting in person if I could read minds. It’s amazing how Keltner chooses the absolute worst of Asian Americans as the host of this showcasing of Chinese American culture. Almost every single scene involving Lindsey and her assumptions of literally everybody around her was so negatively charged that it made me sick to my stomach. For example, Lindsey views Caucasian men as “hoarders” of all things Asian but if you had to analyze all the glamorization of White Americans and compare them to her views on Chinese Americans, you can simply call Lindsey a “hoarder” of all things White.
One of the biggest highlights that Keltner tries to showcase in her book based on the back of it are questions dealing with Chinese American culture at both its best and its worst. Keltner does a tremendous job at giving every scene of the book a lot of detail and it is easy to picture in my mind. The problem is; I saw a disrespectful attack on my heritage and even my gender in the most direct way. Keltner may not be an Amy Tam but at least Amy Tan tries to camouflage her attacks on Chinese American (and mainland Chinese) males better than the direct way Keltner does with her main character. Keltner makes it sound like Asian men are the only ethnic-gender that are cheap, Honda Civic driving, weak, nerds out in this world. The last time I checked; there are Ford loving, Star Wars idolizing, cheap white dates out in this world and that includes other ethnicities as well. Yes, this is a feministic book but this takes feminism into the more racist direction. And I quote Amazon reviewer Jay Wong, “If a WHITE person wrote something like this, then they would rightly be called an Asian hating racist.” If this book was the first Chinese American based book I had to ever read, I would totally not want to date a Chinese girl if Chinese girls would be represented by Lindsay’s almost irrational outlook on her own heritage. Having Lindsay find out that Steve was a quarter Chinese did nothing to suppress my distain either.
Overall, if you’re one to know more about contemporary Chinese American culture than you already do, look anywhere else but this book. With all due respect that I can possibly muster out of me to Lindsey Wong Keltner, nice try on your first attempt and I hope my money for your book got you something nice because I got myself some pretty expensive toilet paper. Keltner is not a sell out in my opinion despite the way I portrayed her writing style and character insights. Interracial dating and marriage is nothing new to American society in the past two decades. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it but you can not glamorize it by bashing on the other gender of your own ethnicity. It is distasteful and rotten much like your “Dim Sum” of all things.
Story Plot: C- (What was it again? Was it a neurotic girl’s goal of playing hard to get on a Caucasian man and hoarding all negativities on a culture? Trying to overcome adversity from a traditional grandmother? You get points on the second one but if it was solely the first one, you’d get D because if it wasn’t published, it’d be an F)
Character Development: B- (Your descriptions and extensive uses of the views and opinions of the characters are very well done and outweigh your lack of respect for any male both Asian or White)
Ease of Reading (level of reading/flow of reading/etc): B (It is a fast read but your lack of story continuity slows the pace down to a point where I didn’t pick up the book for 4 days)
Overall: C- (A job well done, it’s not a complete failure but at the same time the fact that you somehow got this published gives this book the much needed rescue and sums of cash into your pocket. Hopefully all that money can purchase you a nice apartment in the Pacific Heights away from the Sunset district where, you said it; most of the Chinese people live. By the way, you failed to make me be ashamed of my own culture, my own gender and my own identity.)
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