By Mary Kong

On October 13-18, 2009 the Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists (CAATA) hosted the Second National Asian American Theater Festival (NAATF) in New York City.

I had a chance to go to New York and attend NAATF the summer after my sophomore year with two of my college friends. When my friend told me the event was occurring again and that we were on the “right” coast, I jumped at the opportunity to head out to New York for the weekend.

My friends and I were able to catch two showings of the Asian Pacific Americans Contemporary Unilateral Theater. These panels were hosted by artists Kristina Wong, Alice Tuan, Soo-Jin Lee and guest Katie Pearl. These acts, in which audience members become participants, address and play with issues of “post modern” and “post racial” theories or what they discuss as “methodologies” in what is our own “post racial” society.

The panel focused on the blur between the hyphen of being an Asian American artist. One of the topics was the restraints to the artist in discussing strictly “Asian” issues because of his/her ethnic identity.  As artists working in theater, they stressed how it may be difficult sometimes to stretch their skills and performance opportunities because of the politics of race and representation.

As an Asian American woman, it has become important for me to support the art of many people of color because of the lack of roles that I have seen for them in mainstream media. Most importantly, it is the stories that are told by these artists and communities that help to challenge what is seen and known.

I encourage you to check out a local artist in your area or to even come out to the 3^rd National Asian American Theater Festival, whenever and wherever it may be hosted. It is important to foster these transformative communities. I know that for now my next stop while I am on  the East Coast will be in Philadelphia, where I will be catching one of the various events hosted by the Asian Arts Initiative (www.asianartsinitiative.org). Check it out!

By Mary Kong

On September 23, 2009 the National Institute on Minority Health Disparities along with the Office of Intramural Research hosted renowned poet, novelist, educator and activist Maya Angelou.  Angelou’s lecture, which packed the Masaur Auditorium, was a part of the annual J. Edward Rall Cultural Lecture Series, where intentions are to bridge the field of science with humanities.

Being that it was one of my first days as an intern Washington, D.C., it was my pleasure to attend the NIH hosted event, “An afternoon with Maya Angelou”. Angelou so eloquently opened up her presence with the African American spiritual, “There is a Balm in Gilead”, which led the way to her  discussion on  healthcare policies and our roles and everyday stakes in creating and advancing for equity.

After her parents divorced, Maya Angelou and her brother, Bailey, were sent to live and work for her grandmother and uncle in Stamps, Arkansas where they were the only black store owners in the segregated Lafayette County.

Despite being physically paralyzed throughout one half of his body, her uncle, Willie had ingrained a strong foundation for her and her brother, Bailey to learn through an intense tactic of lifting them up by the backs of their shirts and making them repeat the times tables while being next to a big potbelly stove, she jokingly had said that this tactic worked so well that she can repeat the multiplication table on the spot in her sleep. Maya Angelou had mentioned that she had not realized the impact of Uncle Willie’s tactic until his death, where in fact he became one of her “Balms in Gilead”.

On her way to the funeral, she had made a stop to visit her friend, Daisy Bates, who had told her that someone wanted to meet her. This man had wante d to give her his condolences on a man that had a great impact on his life. She questioned whether it was the same Uncle Willie she had grown up with and he had confirmed through this tactic that he used for him to learn the multiplication table. This man had told her how he was born to a blind mother and how her Uncle Willie had given him the chance to work at his store, encouraging him to learn and inspiring him to become the man he was. Maya Angelou later learned that this man was the first black mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas.

He had then given her the name of another man, a lawyer,  whom she was to meet who would help with the property and take care of her. This man would tell her how tell her the impact of her Uncle Willie on the mayor and he was the reason that he became who he was, a lawyer who eventually became a state legislator.

Maya Angelou’s personal story takes on many accounts and themes, one of them being the importance and impact of one person in the life of another. This man, despite living during a time when lynching was legal, gave others a foundation to succeed.

What I took away from the afternoon was a renewed energy that put a face to healthcare. For individuals who were in the audience (and the overflow room) I hope that they recognize that healthcare can no longer be about profit but about people. The healthcare debate has lost its focus and has become a numbers game; these numbers represent dollar signs of how much we are willing to “spend” on healthcare. I believe that if we are going to make healthcare a financial issue (although I hesitate in doing so), we need to look at healthcare in terms of an investment for the individuals and our future. 

By Stephanie Tanny

This post is part of a series to publicize the National Asian American Week of Action, a collaborative mobilization with the Asian American Institute of Chicago, Ill, Asian Law Caucus of SF, Asian American Justice Center, South Asian Americans Leading Together, Kaya Inc, National Federation of Filipino American Associations, OCA-Embracing the Hopes and Aspirations of Asian Pacific Americans, Hmong National Development, Inc. and Japanese American Citizens League.

In the late 1980s, my father was able to come to the US from Indonesia through his employer at an engineering firm, and he was then able to sponsor my mother and myself for permanent residency. I was almost two years old. Even though we had only been separated for a short amount of time, I did not recognize him as my father when we met him in the airport.  I asked him who he was and he told me he was my dad.  I told him I didn’t believe him.  Although I always found this story funny, I’m sure it hurt my dad to find out that his only daughter thought he was a stranger. Considering the briefness of our separation, I cannot imagine how difficult it must be for other law-abiding families who are forced to separate for years before they can reunite.

Many people claim that immigrants are taking resources away from the US economy, especially when it involves family immigration, but sponsors must sign a contract promising to financially support their relatives. Also, when I ask my dad about our story, he always describes how proud he is that he was able to come here and contribute his skills and hard work to this country. My mother has also created a business that employs many workers, and I currently study at a university with the ultimate goal of helping underprivileged communities in the U.S. We all fill needs in our society.

My immediate family was able to come here relatively easily because of the demand for my father’s job, and we have been very lucky to be able to stay together.  While this part of my family’s story may sound a lot like the American Dream come true, there is a harsher side to immigration that is more often the reality for Asian Pacfic American families. Although most of my extended family on my mother’s side is also here in the US, it was a long, strenuous, decade-long process before they were granted political asylum for the persecution they faced as ethnic minorities residing in a hostile country.

The stress, fear, and anxiety my mother's family went through was unnecessary and prevented them from becoming full participants in US society. Can you imagine living for an entire decade in a different country, falling in love, working, attending school, and contributing to the economy, yet always uncertain whether you would be dragged away from all your hard work at the next trial? This is a sensitive issue, and my father even warned me against asking the rest of my family about it. When I did, most of my family members dodged the question and never called me back.

Still, I am fortunate to have most of my family here with me. We work in a variety of professions that range from working class to middle class jobs. We are able to support each other through hard times, and we are able to celebrate together and share the wealth during successful times. This is much more than I can say for many Asian Pacfic American families, who have to wait 10 to 20 years before they can see each other since they are not allowed to travel as they wait for visa approval.

If my extended family members were strangers to me, like my own father was once over two decades ago, I would’ve lost the blessing of their company and an important safety net.  I’ve learned from my own history that family togetherness is essential for a stronger community.  Because of everything immigrant families have contributed to the US, we should ensure that parents, children, siblings, and spouses are never kept apart for so long that they become strangers.

Stephanie Tanny was a 2009 OCA Summer Intern placed at the OCA National office. She attends Colorado State University and is majoring in Ethnic Studies and Sociology. OCA is an organization dedicated to advancing the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans.

From OCA Intern, Jen Ju

Last week, the University of California regents made the one of the most sweeping admissions policy changes in recent years. The proposal that passed on February 5 would instate the following:

1. End the requirement that applications submit two SAT Subject Test Scores
2. Narrow from the top 12.5 to the top 9 percent of high school graduates the percentage who will be guaranteed admission to the university system (but not necessarily to the campus of their choice).
3. Expand the definition of applicants eligible for a full admission review to include all who complete 11 of 15 required high school courses by the end of their junior year, and achieve a weighted GPA of at least 3.0
   

So what does this mean for Asian-American students?

The University of California system has nine campuses with six of them having the majority population being Asian. The titles of articles on the changes the University of California will be implementing for the entering college class of 2014 include "Unintentional Whitening of the U. of California?" (Inside Higher Ed) and "Staving Off the ‘Yellow Peril'" (National Review). Both the logic and criticism behind the changes involve the potential change in the demographics of UC campuses, especially for the Asian Americans.

Some supporters claim that the intention of the policy is to broaden black and Latino eligibility and that the increases in white students and decreases in Asian students are simply "collateral damage". They argue that the policies increase the eligibility pool so that many more students, especially those who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, will receive a more subjective view of their applications.

Opponents think that this is just the UC Regent's way of getting around Proposition 209, which passed in California in 1996 to ban racial preferences (i.e. affirmative action) from college admissions. Unfortunately, they claim, the gains for Latinos and African Americans are very small but would lead to a significant drop in Asian Americans and major gains actually going to whites.

It's disconcerting that one of the articles was linked with "Yellow Peril" (the belief that Asians threaten the whites' standards of living), which simply - and obviously - suggests a sense of academic xenophobia similarly portrayed in an earlier article on prestigious northern California public high schools losing white students entitled "The New White Flight" (http://wsjclassroom.com/teen/teencenter/05nov_whiteflight.htm). Are Asians as a race really to be feared, especially in terms of something like college admissions - or anything else for that matter?

In the wake of the recent events with OCA, Miley Cyrus and the media, the Asian Pacific American and Americans at large have responded well to concerns about gestures like the slanted eye. We believe this is an opportunity for APA youth to express their views on how America can move beyond these offensive actions.

Please consider signing our petition calling for an end to such images and post your personal stories about how incidents like this have affected your life.  OCA will be collecting these stories and posting educational materials to provide and educational forum to the community to help prevent future injustices from occurring. Please visit http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/noracialtaunting

Petition

I believe there is no place in America for slanted eye gestures and other racially denigrating behavior.

I join OCA and other concerned Americans in demanding an end to such practices and I pledge to speak up in the future when such injustices occur. To find out more about OCA and the APA community, visit www.ocanational.org

OCA has learned of a lawsuit that was recently filed in Los Angeles County. OCA is not affiliated with the lawsuit, the citizen and/or any possible litigation. Our efforts have always been to increase education on this issue, not to attack an individual. 

With one short statement about one photo, OCA has managed to open a Pandora's Box of commentary about race relations, humor, and political correctness. Unfortunately, OCA's statement has been misconstrued by some as an attack on a teen, a claim of racism or an attempt at manufacturing publicity.

There was no apparent malicious or racist intent in the photo, and OCA has never specifically called Miley Cyrus racist.  But rather as Miley's apology and response indicates, the gesture seems to have been made in an attempt at humor. But for many, as an attempt at humor it was not only misguided and outdated but treaded upon a tumultuous history of Asian immigrants in the United States.  It seems many do not understand why this is so. Many people have asked OCA: "What's the big deal? It's a harmless gesture." Moreover, some have said that OCA is whining about the incident.

These physical imitations have roots reaching as far back as the late 19^th Century, when Chinese immigrants first arrived in the United States.  Images depicting Chinese people as slant eyed and buck toothed were widely used to transform Chinese immigrants into something foreign, other-worldly, and inhuman. These illustrations became propaganda that was used to legitimize excluding Chinese persons from employment opportunities, public schooling, social services, and ultimately even from immigrating the United States altogether in the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which is the only act in American history that has ever specifically barred one ethnic group for entry into the United States.

Despite her youthful age of 16, we want Miley to be aware of the far too numerous instances in American history the slant eye has been used to vilify, slander and disgrace the Asian Pacific American community and realize the ramifications of her actions. As a multimillion dollar grossing pop singer, Miley Cyrus is a public figure (Time named her as one of the 100 Most Influential People in The World in 2008), and many young and impressionable fans look up to her.  Her partaking in such behavior not only implies that it is socially acceptable, but may also perpetuate the tradition of dramatized and ignorant caricatures of races as a form of humor.

For some, the presence of an Asian Pacific American in the photo neutralized any possible offense. However, he is merely one person and not a representative of the entire Asian Pacific American community.  While he may have been fortunate enough to never encounter the slant eyed gesture used maliciously, his acceptance of the expression does not undo the discrimination that has occurred to others.

If the Asian Pacific American population does not speak up regarding the offensiveness of these characterizations it not only threatens to make these images more prevalent and socially acceptable in mainstream media, but also sow the seeds of future bigotry by perpetuating the notion that Asian Americans will stay silent even in the face of discrimination.

By being unafraid of controversy and taking a vocal stance against the slant eyed gesture, OCA has stimulated discourse about a critical issue. However, this stance is not to be misconstrued as an attack on Miley Cyrus or a claim of racism. Rather we call of attention to an outdated mimicry to ensure that future generations of young Americans do not repeat the mistakes or discriminatory practices of others, which is exactly what our organization does. OCA fights for the underserved and underrepresented every day, and though all the issues we advocate for may or may not always make the daily news, they are all equally important to us.

Taken from a couple of sites, but here's Miley Cyrus's apology...

"Ive also been told there are some people upset about some pictures taken of me with friends making goofy faces! Well, Im sorry if those people looked at those pics and took them wrong and out of context!

In NO way was I making fun of any ethnicity! I was simply making a goofy

face. When did that become newsworthy? It seems someone is trying to make something out of nothing to me. If that would of been anyone else, it would of been overlooked! I definitely feel like the press is trying to make me out as the new 'BAD GIRL'!"

I feel like now that Britney is back on top of her game again, they need someone to pick on! Lucky me! haha Anyway, I just wanted to let you guys know what is on my heart. You guys know me and have been by my side every step of the way!

You guys know my heart and know the most important things to me are my friends, family, fans, and GOD! In NO WAY do I want to disappoint any of you! But, when I have made mistakes in the past, I feel like Ive owned up to them and apologized.

Anyway, I really wish everyone would stop focusing on my personal life and get back to focusing on what I love! Music and Acting! Hopefully, I will be touring again this fall! Yayy! =] It will be a nice change to be back out on the road

again! xoxo Blessings.. Miley =)"

Great news from the White House!  Finally, health care will be guaranteed (to a certain extent) to those who cannot afford it.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h3-r4-QX2sJIwxAkeLfY3zUOHgQAD9651ON80