Oh, Saigon is a 2007 personal documentary by Vietnamese American director Doan Hoang about her family that is separated during the Fall of Saigon and her attempt to reunite her family after years of separation. Oh, Saigon was executive produced by Academy Award and Emmy winner, John Battsek. Oh, Saigon won prestigious film grants from the Sundance Institute Documentary Fund, ITVS, the Center for Asian American Media, and the Fund for Reconciliation and Development.
Airlifted out of Vietnam on April 30, 1975, Doan Hoang’s family was on the last civilian helicopter out of the country at the end of the war. Twenty-five years later, she sets out to uncover their story. The film follows her family as they return to Vietnam after decades of exile, where her father, a former South Vietnamese major, meets his brothers again to confront their political differences: one was a Communist, the other a pacifist. Meanwhile, Hoang tries to reconcile her own difficult past with her half sister, who was mistakenly separated from the family during the escape.
I went to a screening of Oh, Saigon at Berkeley the other day, and it's a layered, gorgeous film about the Vietnam War that stayed on my mind for a while. Afterwards, I found myself discussing it with my roomate and friends who I saw the film with for days. Things would occur to us later on about situations or characters in the film. The documentary shows a fairly normal family who are put in a really horrible situation during the end of the Vietnam War. The film displayed a sort of multi-tiered perspective of a family in a war where each of its members had a different set of choices and experiences that set them apart from each other.
Many years later, you see how members of this family act out or feel about these defining events in their lives, and see how they handle themselves and each other now. It made me think of what the people in war zones all around the world are going through, and how long their experiences will affect them and their children. This movie is not just about war, but there are sibling, mother/daughter, political/idealism, immigrant issues. It shows how people on the winning and losing sides feel. There's guilt, there's love. There are riveting, shocking and sad moments. There's humor and hope. It covered a lot of a film of its length, and was well-paced, well-edited, and really took me in. It's kind of unbelievable that what real people live through. Anyway, a great film, and I would highly recommend it.
I moved here with my family when I was 2 years old and so I don't recall anything from my true homeland. As much as I love America and am grateful for all of her opportunities, I have always felt like I had a missing link to my past. I think that Doan's film had everything that a movie could ask for - comedy, emotion, a beautiful in-depth story-line, and dramatic historical events.
This film was moving in that it addressed the turmoil of an internal war. A war after the war, so to speak. I was too young to remember, but I do know that wars can leave many different types of scars. I think the ones inflicted on this family are especially deep but I believe that time does heal some of the wounds. This film moved me and it brought out emotions that I also seek answer to within my family. My family really never discusses what happened as we made our way here.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Reflections on Obasan
After reading Obasan, I am glad that Chia-Chi and Christine chose this to be the last novel. I think this is the ideal novel to end the class because it ties in many themes of previous novels and class lectures. I was completely new to the historical context of Obasan. Before reading the novel, I heard of Japanese internment in the US, but I did not know that Japanese internment occurred in Canada. This last topic provoked a question. While reading Obasan, I asked myself, why are we reading about Japanese Canadians in an Asian American class?
I guess the answer to this question relates to the Wen Ho Lee case. Asians in non-Asian countries are seen as perpetual foreigners. Even Asians who are born in this country or in any other non-Asian country are continuously seen as outsiders. They are seen as outsiders because natives believe that Asians are more loyal to their ethnic country. Perhaps the most obvious explanation for the perception of Asians as perpetual foreigners, is the difference in appearance. Either way, if Asians are seen as perpetual foreigners, then they will never be accepted into the societies that they live in. Another issue addressed in Obasan, is racial profiling. All Japanese Canadians were seen as spies simply because they were Japanese. I guess we are reading about Asian Canadians in an Asian American class to be aware that mistreatment of Asians can occur anywhere.
A dialogue between Aunt Emily and Naomi was strikingly interesting to me. Aunt Emily points out that Germans can kill and relocate people because Germany is an authoritarian state and asks, how could this be happening in Canada-- a democracy? This excerpt was particularly alarming because I observed that internment in Canada was not that different from the ghettoes of Germany, except for the mass genocide. This historical example shows that this could happen to any of us. Thus, this is a call for a cohesive Asian identity and a call to action. Aunt Emily's character illustrates the importance of political involvement in order to have a say on government policies.
Perhaps the biggest obstacles for a cohesive Asian identity are inter-Asian animosities and passivity. One example of inter-Asian animosities is between Chinese and Japanese. Some Chinese children are instilled with the idea that the Japanese are bad people. These children are told about how Japanese soldiers ransacked villages, killed men, and raped women. It is no wonder that it is difficult for some Chinese to care about the welfare of Japanese or let alone be included under a same identity: Asian. Another prominent obstacle for an Asian identity is passivity. As children, most of us are taught to stay out of people's business because this will only bring trouble upon ourselves. Therefore, it's not hard to believe the inaction of some minority groups during the Japanese internment. But by allowing this to occur, we are indirectly approving the actions of the wrongdoers and allowing the possibility for this to happen again.
I guess the answer to this question relates to the Wen Ho Lee case. Asians in non-Asian countries are seen as perpetual foreigners. Even Asians who are born in this country or in any other non-Asian country are continuously seen as outsiders. They are seen as outsiders because natives believe that Asians are more loyal to their ethnic country. Perhaps the most obvious explanation for the perception of Asians as perpetual foreigners, is the difference in appearance. Either way, if Asians are seen as perpetual foreigners, then they will never be accepted into the societies that they live in. Another issue addressed in Obasan, is racial profiling. All Japanese Canadians were seen as spies simply because they were Japanese. I guess we are reading about Asian Canadians in an Asian American class to be aware that mistreatment of Asians can occur anywhere.
A dialogue between Aunt Emily and Naomi was strikingly interesting to me. Aunt Emily points out that Germans can kill and relocate people because Germany is an authoritarian state and asks, how could this be happening in Canada-- a democracy? This excerpt was particularly alarming because I observed that internment in Canada was not that different from the ghettoes of Germany, except for the mass genocide. This historical example shows that this could happen to any of us. Thus, this is a call for a cohesive Asian identity and a call to action. Aunt Emily's character illustrates the importance of political involvement in order to have a say on government policies.
Perhaps the biggest obstacles for a cohesive Asian identity are inter-Asian animosities and passivity. One example of inter-Asian animosities is between Chinese and Japanese. Some Chinese children are instilled with the idea that the Japanese are bad people. These children are told about how Japanese soldiers ransacked villages, killed men, and raped women. It is no wonder that it is difficult for some Chinese to care about the welfare of Japanese or let alone be included under a same identity: Asian. Another prominent obstacle for an Asian identity is passivity. As children, most of us are taught to stay out of people's business because this will only bring trouble upon ourselves. Therefore, it's not hard to believe the inaction of some minority groups during the Japanese internment. But by allowing this to occur, we are indirectly approving the actions of the wrongdoers and allowing the possibility for this to happen again.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Hyphen
Place Hyphen magazine next to some of the more established Asian publications in the United States and several things immediately distinguish it: First, it’s in English, which identifies its audience as primarily American-born. Second, it sports an artsy, unconventional design that further defines its audience as young and hip. Finally, the content—which spans pop culture, politics and social commentary—is doing more than simply selling an image and its advertisements like so many identity-driven niche publications today.
The staff of Hyphen Magazine
The target is younger Asians who speak English as a first language and are as familiar with punk rock as they are with bok choy. Yes, we’re Asian. But we’re American too, and these are the issues that we think about. Hyphen was released in early 2003 partly due to the folding of A. magazine—a glossy lifestyle monthly that was aimed primarily at an educated 35-and-under Asian American readership, preferably with disposable income to boot. With its image-driven emphasis on celebrity, fashion and trends, A. magazine lasted for an impressive 13 years before shutting down in 2002.
Hyphen emphasizes news oriented, more critical, more focused on social justice issues. This is a publication out there that reflected progressive Asian Americans. Hyphen’s all-volunteer staff has the persistence to raise money on its own to spread its Asian American ideas. They run as a non-profit venture rather and most of the staff also have experience in “progressive” areas like community organizing, teaching, and underground arts. People in the magazine seem to be doing it because they really want to do the magazine. On a societal level, they seek to combat complacency and redefine what it means to be Asian American. On an industry level, they seek to be a thought-leader in the mainstream media. On another level, they seek to produce revelatory journalism that profiles, explores, and illuminates the lives, culture and politics of Asian America.”
Some might find the tone of the magazine harsh and confrontational compared to other Asian media in the United States. It’s important to examine things that aren’t always going to be pretty. There’s a tendency among older Asian Americans to only expose what’s nice. Ironically, the most popular pieces in are on looking back on political and cultural awakening.
In addition to probing political and social justice questions, Hyphen places heavy emphasis on its pan-Asian scope. It is part of a small, but growing number of media that transcend the divisions of separate Asian ethnicities. Multiculturalism is very important. It is important to present a united Asian front that translates into more power politically.
Rather than focus strictly on issues of politics or ethnic identity, however, they try to appeal to the broader tastes of popular culture. The goal behind all this is that we want to be a catalyst for change in the community. There are a large number of young people out there who are apathetic about things and the world Asian Americans live in. While this could be said about mainstream Americans, it’s particularly annoying to me when that person is Asian, considering all our community has been through historically.
The staff of Hyphen Magazine
The target is younger Asians who speak English as a first language and are as familiar with punk rock as they are with bok choy. Yes, we’re Asian. But we’re American too, and these are the issues that we think about. Hyphen was released in early 2003 partly due to the folding of A. magazine—a glossy lifestyle monthly that was aimed primarily at an educated 35-and-under Asian American readership, preferably with disposable income to boot. With its image-driven emphasis on celebrity, fashion and trends, A. magazine lasted for an impressive 13 years before shutting down in 2002.
Hyphen emphasizes news oriented, more critical, more focused on social justice issues. This is a publication out there that reflected progressive Asian Americans. Hyphen’s all-volunteer staff has the persistence to raise money on its own to spread its Asian American ideas. They run as a non-profit venture rather and most of the staff also have experience in “progressive” areas like community organizing, teaching, and underground arts. People in the magazine seem to be doing it because they really want to do the magazine. On a societal level, they seek to combat complacency and redefine what it means to be Asian American. On an industry level, they seek to be a thought-leader in the mainstream media. On another level, they seek to produce revelatory journalism that profiles, explores, and illuminates the lives, culture and politics of Asian America.”
Some might find the tone of the magazine harsh and confrontational compared to other Asian media in the United States. It’s important to examine things that aren’t always going to be pretty. There’s a tendency among older Asian Americans to only expose what’s nice. Ironically, the most popular pieces in are on looking back on political and cultural awakening.
In addition to probing political and social justice questions, Hyphen places heavy emphasis on its pan-Asian scope. It is part of a small, but growing number of media that transcend the divisions of separate Asian ethnicities. Multiculturalism is very important. It is important to present a united Asian front that translates into more power politically.
Rather than focus strictly on issues of politics or ethnic identity, however, they try to appeal to the broader tastes of popular culture. The goal behind all this is that we want to be a catalyst for change in the community. There are a large number of young people out there who are apathetic about things and the world Asian Americans live in. While this could be said about mainstream Americans, it’s particularly annoying to me when that person is Asian, considering all our community has been through historically.
Friday, April 18, 2008
To be passive, or not to be...
So, since we're on the topic of Wen Ho Lee...
I have been thinking a lot about the role of the Asian American community in politics. Asian Americans have only recently received the right to vote in comparison to our nation's history, and it is both appalling that it took so long for us to get here, and at the same time it is amazing that we have such a power to participate. I remember when I first became interested in politics--the California recall election, the results of which I mourn everyday (funny fact, Schwarzenegger used to work out in a gym that is super close to my house). I rooted for Peter Camejo, a Green party candidate who had no chance. With my obsession with Peter, I became enthralled in the world of politics, and the idea of making a change.
I even made it a point to convince my entire family to vote. I was successful with my older sister and my dad. My mom, on the other hand, was a lost cause. She refuses to vote. I still to this day make a point to say "you know, mom, if you don't vote, you can't really complain about who's in charge." You know, just to get her thinking about being more active. I suppose her reasons for not voting have to do with her apathy towards the political system, or maybe just the idea that one vote will not make a difference. Or maybe she doesn't trust herself to be a part of the decision making process. Who knows. Point being, my mom is what we would call an example of the passive Asian American stereotype.
Wen Ho Lee stayed out of politics because he didn't want to cause any trouble. He just wanted to live out the American dream in peace and quiet and the company of his family. I don't think the reason for my mom's apathy is the same as Wen Ho Lee's. I don't think all Asians who don't vote have the same reason for not participating in politics (if in fact they are in the majority that do not participate), but somehow collectively we have drawn attention towards this stereotype that we are all passive.
Wen Ho Lee made a point at the end of his book to say that he hopes his children's generation is more politically active than himself, or his own generation. I initially criticized this statement, but upon second thought I am beginning to think: Maybe Wen Ho Lee's generation could not have afforded to be in the spotlight of political activity to get where they did. Maybe it is the responsible of the next generation to make a comeback in the political world and to change the stereotype that has become us. My generation of Asian Americans lives in a world where we are sitting on the shoulders of those before us, like Newton once said, and we have the freedom to speak out if necessary, without worrying about our simple states of well-being and economic security. I feel pretty lucky to be able to get a college education, and that my parents can pay for it. I also feel like I have been given a chance to make a difference--so maybe I will.
I have been thinking a lot about the role of the Asian American community in politics. Asian Americans have only recently received the right to vote in comparison to our nation's history, and it is both appalling that it took so long for us to get here, and at the same time it is amazing that we have such a power to participate. I remember when I first became interested in politics--the California recall election, the results of which I mourn everyday (funny fact, Schwarzenegger used to work out in a gym that is super close to my house). I rooted for Peter Camejo, a Green party candidate who had no chance. With my obsession with Peter, I became enthralled in the world of politics, and the idea of making a change.
I even made it a point to convince my entire family to vote. I was successful with my older sister and my dad. My mom, on the other hand, was a lost cause. She refuses to vote. I still to this day make a point to say "you know, mom, if you don't vote, you can't really complain about who's in charge." You know, just to get her thinking about being more active. I suppose her reasons for not voting have to do with her apathy towards the political system, or maybe just the idea that one vote will not make a difference. Or maybe she doesn't trust herself to be a part of the decision making process. Who knows. Point being, my mom is what we would call an example of the passive Asian American stereotype.
Wen Ho Lee stayed out of politics because he didn't want to cause any trouble. He just wanted to live out the American dream in peace and quiet and the company of his family. I don't think the reason for my mom's apathy is the same as Wen Ho Lee's. I don't think all Asians who don't vote have the same reason for not participating in politics (if in fact they are in the majority that do not participate), but somehow collectively we have drawn attention towards this stereotype that we are all passive.
Wen Ho Lee made a point at the end of his book to say that he hopes his children's generation is more politically active than himself, or his own generation. I initially criticized this statement, but upon second thought I am beginning to think: Maybe Wen Ho Lee's generation could not have afforded to be in the spotlight of political activity to get where they did. Maybe it is the responsible of the next generation to make a comeback in the political world and to change the stereotype that has become us. My generation of Asian Americans lives in a world where we are sitting on the shoulders of those before us, like Newton once said, and we have the freedom to speak out if necessary, without worrying about our simple states of well-being and economic security. I feel pretty lucky to be able to get a college education, and that my parents can pay for it. I also feel like I have been given a chance to make a difference--so maybe I will.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
If anyone knows, CARLOS KNOWS!
“Middle Eastern people you guys are upset, that’s cool. Complain to white people though. They are going to sympathize with you. Yeah, not us Blacks and beaners though, leave us alone. We are the last people you want to bring that too.
‘But you don’t understand they are looking at me funny because of the way I look. Racial profiling!’ said in a “Middle Eastern” accent.
Welcome to the club Mohammed!”
This exert was taken from a stand up comedy special by the controversial Carlos Mencia, a Honduran-American comedian. In the special, Mencia takes on the topic of race and racism in a post 9/11 world. In his in-your-face, apologize for nothing manner, Mencia strikes an interesting point.
“And you see everyone got picked on, everyone had a good time. But no. This is what people are afraid of; us enjoying making fun of each other… we go too far with this stuff. We go too far with political correctness… but apparently it’s not ok to have a sense of humor. No, that’s not cool. Because instead of uniting America we want to separate each other because Mexicans eat tacos and white people eat beef stroganoff and black people each fried chicken.
‘That makes us different,’ said in a satirical tone of voice.
‘No that makes you hungry… You see America is a giant game of tag. first it was the blacks. Then the Mexicans. And now its Middle Eastern people. Eventually, every race is going to be picked on for the stupid shit a handful of people did. But that’s just the way it is.”
This brings me to My Country Versus Me. Mencia would easily attribute what happened to Wen Ho Lee as Asian Americans being used as a scapegoat by mass media and the country as a whole. Top secret information was leaked to Chinese officials, who would do such a thing? A Chinese man! In the book, Lee goes on to describe how white counterparts, who visited China just as frequently and could have just as likely leaked the information, were free of suspicion. He also goes on to describe how the media proceeded to use tactics so as to convince the public of Lee’s involvement.
And as we have learned in class this year, this is the first time Asians have been used as scapegoats. First there was the Chinese in California during the gold rush which leads to the Chinese exclusion act. Later it is the Japanese and the Gentlemen’s Agreement at the turn of the twentieth century. Then it is Filipinos like Carlos Bulosan. Then back to Japanese after Pearl Harbor. Then Vietnamese during the Vietnam War. Koreans during the Korean War. The list goes on and on. And then who’s going to be next? Will it be North Korea and Kim Jong-il? Or how about China and its poor human rights history in dealing with Tibet and Burma, as is manifested in the protests against the 2008 Beijing Olympics?
Mencia is convinced that this game of tag is a necessary part of society because we are human, and we naturally look for someone to blame when things don’t go our way. But Mencia argues that instead of resulting to violence as in the case of Vincent Chin or Wen Ho Lee, we resolve our issues with comedy. As much as I would want something like this to work, I don’t think that the rest of America would be satisfied with making an Osama Bin Laden or Kim Jong-il joke.
‘But you don’t understand they are looking at me funny because of the way I look. Racial profiling!’ said in a “Middle Eastern” accent.
Welcome to the club Mohammed!”
This exert was taken from a stand up comedy special by the controversial Carlos Mencia, a Honduran-American comedian. In the special, Mencia takes on the topic of race and racism in a post 9/11 world. In his in-your-face, apologize for nothing manner, Mencia strikes an interesting point.
“And you see everyone got picked on, everyone had a good time. But no. This is what people are afraid of; us enjoying making fun of each other… we go too far with this stuff. We go too far with political correctness… but apparently it’s not ok to have a sense of humor. No, that’s not cool. Because instead of uniting America we want to separate each other because Mexicans eat tacos and white people eat beef stroganoff and black people each fried chicken.
‘That makes us different,’ said in a satirical tone of voice.
‘No that makes you hungry… You see America is a giant game of tag. first it was the blacks. Then the Mexicans. And now its Middle Eastern people. Eventually, every race is going to be picked on for the stupid shit a handful of people did. But that’s just the way it is.”
This brings me to My Country Versus Me. Mencia would easily attribute what happened to Wen Ho Lee as Asian Americans being used as a scapegoat by mass media and the country as a whole. Top secret information was leaked to Chinese officials, who would do such a thing? A Chinese man! In the book, Lee goes on to describe how white counterparts, who visited China just as frequently and could have just as likely leaked the information, were free of suspicion. He also goes on to describe how the media proceeded to use tactics so as to convince the public of Lee’s involvement.
And as we have learned in class this year, this is the first time Asians have been used as scapegoats. First there was the Chinese in California during the gold rush which leads to the Chinese exclusion act. Later it is the Japanese and the Gentlemen’s Agreement at the turn of the twentieth century. Then it is Filipinos like Carlos Bulosan. Then back to Japanese after Pearl Harbor. Then Vietnamese during the Vietnam War. Koreans during the Korean War. The list goes on and on. And then who’s going to be next? Will it be North Korea and Kim Jong-il? Or how about China and its poor human rights history in dealing with Tibet and Burma, as is manifested in the protests against the 2008 Beijing Olympics?
Mencia is convinced that this game of tag is a necessary part of society because we are human, and we naturally look for someone to blame when things don’t go our way. But Mencia argues that instead of resulting to violence as in the case of Vincent Chin or Wen Ho Lee, we resolve our issues with comedy. As much as I would want something like this to work, I don’t think that the rest of America would be satisfied with making an Osama Bin Laden or Kim Jong-il joke.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Racial Profiling
Racial profiling seems to be very common within our nation. Racial profiling has become second nature to most people because we readily make inferences about people and it is really hard to prevent that fact. It is almost a subconscious thought process that pretty much everyone has. It's kind of hard to protest against something that even you cannot help but do yourself. When airport security guards stop Middle-eastern looking people for "random" security checks, we think it is unjust. And it is. But most of us cannot deny that we get slightly suspicious when we see a Middle-easterner, especially at the airport. When we all have been traumatized by 9/11, and force-fed all the news about Al-Qaeda, we unfortunately have imprinted into our minds the image of people in the Middle East blowing themselves up. This is why racial profiling is so hard to fight against, and still exists strongly today.
Racial profiling--it's wrong, no matter how useful and helpful it is for the government or the nation. But is it even advantageous at all? I mean, if I were a foreign government sending in spies, I would send in the least suspicious individuals, i.e. those who don't look like people from my country. I would look for individuals who are in need of money, and are not necessarily loyal to the country on. There is no question that bribery is all powerful. No matter how terrible the act, someone will always do it for the correct amount of money. So almost certainly the American government's unwritten racial profiling policy is just wasted time and energy.
Yes, Clinton's administration felt they had to prove the GOP wrong, and perhaps show the American public that something was being done about China, but they had no cause to use racial profiling as their sole policy.
In the case of Wen Ho Lee, it was racial profiling to the extreme. I cannot believe how the government could single out one Chinese person with no real evidence, and take over his entire life, seemingly creating evidence as it went. How could so many ridiculously unjust things go on in the very government that is created for the people, by the people? No matter how many checks and balances there are, the corruption of power will always exist.
Now it is entirely possible that Lee was exaggerating a bit. It is understandable how having your life ruined would spur you to get sweet revenge. But I believe Lee is telling the complete truth. While it is crazy what the government did, I think a major reason why they so relentlessly attacked Lee again and again was the fact that he couldn't defend himself. With English as his second language, he couldn't say much more than "uh, um... I'm innocent", as evidenced in the section where he wrote down the exact conversation he had with the FBI. After reading that section, I could see that the language barrier was a significant reason why the FBI couldn't see the evidence for his innocence. I felt that if he had the ability to speak as he did in the book (with the help of Helen Zia), he would have been found innocent much earlier.
Racial profiling--it's wrong, no matter how useful and helpful it is for the government or the nation. But is it even advantageous at all? I mean, if I were a foreign government sending in spies, I would send in the least suspicious individuals, i.e. those who don't look like people from my country. I would look for individuals who are in need of money, and are not necessarily loyal to the country on. There is no question that bribery is all powerful. No matter how terrible the act, someone will always do it for the correct amount of money. So almost certainly the American government's unwritten racial profiling policy is just wasted time and energy.
Yes, Clinton's administration felt they had to prove the GOP wrong, and perhaps show the American public that something was being done about China, but they had no cause to use racial profiling as their sole policy.
In the case of Wen Ho Lee, it was racial profiling to the extreme. I cannot believe how the government could single out one Chinese person with no real evidence, and take over his entire life, seemingly creating evidence as it went. How could so many ridiculously unjust things go on in the very government that is created for the people, by the people? No matter how many checks and balances there are, the corruption of power will always exist.
Now it is entirely possible that Lee was exaggerating a bit. It is understandable how having your life ruined would spur you to get sweet revenge. But I believe Lee is telling the complete truth. While it is crazy what the government did, I think a major reason why they so relentlessly attacked Lee again and again was the fact that he couldn't defend himself. With English as his second language, he couldn't say much more than "uh, um... I'm innocent", as evidenced in the section where he wrote down the exact conversation he had with the FBI. After reading that section, I could see that the language barrier was a significant reason why the FBI couldn't see the evidence for his innocence. I felt that if he had the ability to speak as he did in the book (with the help of Helen Zia), he would have been found innocent much earlier.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Hyphen's newest journalist
I want to talk about a topic we talked about early on in the semester. What constitutes Asian American literature? Where is the line drawn? Do half Asian half Caucasian writers still count? What about writers who are only one fourth Asian? Does Hyphen magazine have a criteria its writers must meet in order to be published, or can anyone write about their experiences?
My grandmother’s name is Yufei Li. She was born in Hanzhou China, a small village outside of Shanghai. Growing up, there were many pull and push factors in the reasons for her departure from China. Times were rough and the family was struggling to get by in a time when the whole world was feeling the impact of the Great Depression of the United States. A small bright spot in the world was the booming agricultural sector in the Caribbean, specifically Cuba. With a decrease in cheap labor from African countries, companies looked to new sources of cheap labor. Thus resulted the migration of my grandmother’s family to Cuba. But years later when the Cuban revolution began to gain power and become a serious threat to succeed in installing a communist regime in Cuba, my grandmother decided to leave and seek refuge in Central America. First they traveled to Mexico, then Belize, and then finally settling in El Salvador. There my grandmother met and married Silvestre Salinas, my grandfather. Since that day she arrived in El Salvador, my grandmother was completely devoid of her Chinese culture. Part of her family was still in China, another part in Cuba, and only but a cousin with her in El Salvador. She no longer spoke Chinese, instead learning to speak Spanish. Instead of cooking traditional Chinese meals, rice and beans dominated her cuisine. My mother eventually ended up marrying Raul Arteaga, a Salvadorian. As it was, my mother didn’t speak of word of Chinese, and the only tie to China she had were the stories my grandmother would tell her. So for the most part, I felt myself as being 100% Salvadorian. Outside a strong affinity for Chinese food and a couple of Chinese friends during high school, Chinese culture had been absent from my life.
Both of my grandparents are Salvadorian. Both of my parents are Salvadorian. Everyone in my family as far as I know is Salvadorian. I was born and raised in Daly City, a city with an unusually high population of Filipinos. Growing up, most of my friends were Filipino. 80% of my middle school was Filipino. In high school I participated in all of my friends Debuts. Along the lines I even managed to pick up some Tagalog, the most popular dialect spoken by Filipinos. Everything about my life was Filipino, except for the fact that I was born Salvadorian.
So what if both of these backgrounds were brought to the editors of Hyphen magazine? Do both backgrounds constitute Asian American experiences? Or do both backgrounds constitute as something completely different?
My grandmother’s name is Yufei Li. She was born in Hanzhou China, a small village outside of Shanghai. Growing up, there were many pull and push factors in the reasons for her departure from China. Times were rough and the family was struggling to get by in a time when the whole world was feeling the impact of the Great Depression of the United States. A small bright spot in the world was the booming agricultural sector in the Caribbean, specifically Cuba. With a decrease in cheap labor from African countries, companies looked to new sources of cheap labor. Thus resulted the migration of my grandmother’s family to Cuba. But years later when the Cuban revolution began to gain power and become a serious threat to succeed in installing a communist regime in Cuba, my grandmother decided to leave and seek refuge in Central America. First they traveled to Mexico, then Belize, and then finally settling in El Salvador. There my grandmother met and married Silvestre Salinas, my grandfather. Since that day she arrived in El Salvador, my grandmother was completely devoid of her Chinese culture. Part of her family was still in China, another part in Cuba, and only but a cousin with her in El Salvador. She no longer spoke Chinese, instead learning to speak Spanish. Instead of cooking traditional Chinese meals, rice and beans dominated her cuisine. My mother eventually ended up marrying Raul Arteaga, a Salvadorian. As it was, my mother didn’t speak of word of Chinese, and the only tie to China she had were the stories my grandmother would tell her. So for the most part, I felt myself as being 100% Salvadorian. Outside a strong affinity for Chinese food and a couple of Chinese friends during high school, Chinese culture had been absent from my life.
Both of my grandparents are Salvadorian. Both of my parents are Salvadorian. Everyone in my family as far as I know is Salvadorian. I was born and raised in Daly City, a city with an unusually high population of Filipinos. Growing up, most of my friends were Filipino. 80% of my middle school was Filipino. In high school I participated in all of my friends Debuts. Along the lines I even managed to pick up some Tagalog, the most popular dialect spoken by Filipinos. Everything about my life was Filipino, except for the fact that I was born Salvadorian.
So what if both of these backgrounds were brought to the editors of Hyphen magazine? Do both backgrounds constitute Asian American experiences? Or do both backgrounds constitute as something completely different?
Kabba Modern
During spring break, my friend from UC Irvine came back home to San Jose. And of course being from UC Irvine, she knows a lot about Kabba Modern and also Jabbawockeez. To give her some background, she is Vietnamese and she is also in a dance crew down there. She currently dances in MCIA, which is an abbreviation for Modern Completely Insane Anteaters. MCIA is a relatively big dance crew and have also grown quite popular. They even perform for the Los Angeles Clippers game every year during halftime which means that they reach a population outside their University.
Well, my friend tells me that there is a vast amount of students who do hip hop in Irvine. She talks about it as if it is the thing to do. I guess her view is kind of biased since she is a dancer, but it amazes me how much time she is able to commit to dancing. She then talks about Kabba Modern and how amazing they are. It seems that Kabba Modern is a highly selective dance crew and is apparently the best dance crew in Irvine according to my friend. She talks about how they have become known in both the international and national scale for hip hop. It seems that the style they show on America’s Best Dance Crew is very limited since the whole team is a lot bigger than five people. They range on styles just like how Movement at Berkeley showcases Jazz, Swing, Hip Hop, Lyrical, etc … It is just apparently just that the five people who are competing and representing Kabba Modern specialize in isolations, popping and other dance moves. Kabba Modern was also originally a branch from the Phillipino Club on the UC Irvine campus and it just split of and became just its own exclusive dance club. Kabba Modern is not selective on what ethnicity the person is, just as long as the person can dance. Apparently though, UCI contains a huge population of Asians who dance.
So apparently the five people who represent Kabba Modern on television are alumni or seem to be taking a quarter off to participate in the show. This shows the dedication these students have for dancing and it is awesome that they are able to communicate through dance. It also seems that Kabba Modern is very intense as they train almost everyday and practice ranges from most of the night leading into an all nighter for practices. This shows that being a member of the group must be a big time commitment, but they are able to be in a renown dance crew.
Well, my friend tells me that there is a vast amount of students who do hip hop in Irvine. She talks about it as if it is the thing to do. I guess her view is kind of biased since she is a dancer, but it amazes me how much time she is able to commit to dancing. She then talks about Kabba Modern and how amazing they are. It seems that Kabba Modern is a highly selective dance crew and is apparently the best dance crew in Irvine according to my friend. She talks about how they have become known in both the international and national scale for hip hop. It seems that the style they show on America’s Best Dance Crew is very limited since the whole team is a lot bigger than five people. They range on styles just like how Movement at Berkeley showcases Jazz, Swing, Hip Hop, Lyrical, etc … It is just apparently just that the five people who are competing and representing Kabba Modern specialize in isolations, popping and other dance moves. Kabba Modern was also originally a branch from the Phillipino Club on the UC Irvine campus and it just split of and became just its own exclusive dance club. Kabba Modern is not selective on what ethnicity the person is, just as long as the person can dance. Apparently though, UCI contains a huge population of Asians who dance.
So apparently the five people who represent Kabba Modern on television are alumni or seem to be taking a quarter off to participate in the show. This shows the dedication these students have for dancing and it is awesome that they are able to communicate through dance. It also seems that Kabba Modern is very intense as they train almost everyday and practice ranges from most of the night leading into an all nighter for practices. This shows that being a member of the group must be a big time commitment, but they are able to be in a renown dance crew.
You can be the next victim!
After reading Wen Ho Lee's account of his incident, one of his messages reverberated in my mind. Before he begins to describe the details leading to his arrest, he states, "I want everyone to know that if these incredible things happened to me, they can happen again, to any American" (13). Looking back at these words in hindsight, I feel that they should not be taken carelessly. Lee chronicles his experience to warn Americans, especially those of color, that anyone can be a scapegoat for the government when the time is ripe.
Before reading this narrative, I have never heard of Wen Ho Lee, not even in my AP US History class or AP Government class. Perhaps, it is my ignorance that prevented me from learning about this controversial figure. Or perhaps, Americans are too embarrassed about this horrific mistake that they do not mention it in public. Either way, by just hearing of it, even though it was a recent event, makes it frightening.
Frightening can be an understatement for the power that the government exercise. Frightening is the way in which Lee was kept in custody even though he was presumed under law --from the land of freedom and opportunity-- to be innocent. Frightening is the way in which Janet Reno "coincidentally" appointed a Chinese American to prosecute Lee (6). Frightening is the way in which the FBI, a prestigious and organized institution, lost files and had to "reconstruct" the information (26). Frightening is the way in which agents of the government distort information to incarcerate an innocent man. Frightening is having a country turn against a life-long patriot and contributor of defense.
In addition, it is frightening and humiliating for one's face to be printed with ESPIONAGE on the front page of prominent newspapers. In class, we had a discussion about the limited appearance of Asian Americans in the media. From this incident, I guess the only way for Asian Americans to prominently appear on print media is through notoriety.
After reading this narrative, I was somewhat infuriated. Even though all the evidence suggested that Lee was innocent, he was still convicted and incarcerated for 278 days. Although a cliche, the time he lost is priceless. Even after his release, one can be certain that he and his loved ones were emotionally scarred.
This incident highlights the importance for a cohesive Asian American identity. If not so, Asian Americans should alienate themselves from national laboratories or just patiently wait to be the next victim on the cover of a newspaper. A cohesive Asian American identity may provide the needed political support to prevent similar incidents from occurring.
Before reading this narrative, I have never heard of Wen Ho Lee, not even in my AP US History class or AP Government class. Perhaps, it is my ignorance that prevented me from learning about this controversial figure. Or perhaps, Americans are too embarrassed about this horrific mistake that they do not mention it in public. Either way, by just hearing of it, even though it was a recent event, makes it frightening.
Frightening can be an understatement for the power that the government exercise. Frightening is the way in which Lee was kept in custody even though he was presumed under law --from the land of freedom and opportunity-- to be innocent. Frightening is the way in which Janet Reno "coincidentally" appointed a Chinese American to prosecute Lee (6). Frightening is the way in which the FBI, a prestigious and organized institution, lost files and had to "reconstruct" the information (26). Frightening is the way in which agents of the government distort information to incarcerate an innocent man. Frightening is having a country turn against a life-long patriot and contributor of defense.
In addition, it is frightening and humiliating for one's face to be printed with ESPIONAGE on the front page of prominent newspapers. In class, we had a discussion about the limited appearance of Asian Americans in the media. From this incident, I guess the only way for Asian Americans to prominently appear on print media is through notoriety.
After reading this narrative, I was somewhat infuriated. Even though all the evidence suggested that Lee was innocent, he was still convicted and incarcerated for 278 days. Although a cliche, the time he lost is priceless. Even after his release, one can be certain that he and his loved ones were emotionally scarred.
This incident highlights the importance for a cohesive Asian American identity. If not so, Asian Americans should alienate themselves from national laboratories or just patiently wait to be the next victim on the cover of a newspaper. A cohesive Asian American identity may provide the needed political support to prevent similar incidents from occurring.
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