Jeff's blog

4/26 Freshman year

2007-04-26T14:48:00.000-07:00

Freshmen year has been a shocking and surprising experience in many ways, good and bad. The bad includes the workload of college and the competitiveness in perusing my aspirations of becoming a doctor. I was always the kid in high school to slack and sometimes sleep in class, but not I am forced to apply myself, which is in many ways rewarding. I have adapted to college and developed new study habits. The good includes how much fun I’ve been experiencing. Living amongst friends, I am able to have an enjoyable time, all the time.
The one aspect of college that I most benefit from is the diversity here at Tufts whether in regards to race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or even the diversity of opinion and ideas. I am given the opportunity to absorb all this diversity and form new opinions by learning from dialogue and the life experiences of others. Never before had I have such a diverse group of friends. I am placed in situations where I am forced out of my comfort zone. After freshman year, my past prejudices and ideas have all changed. One change includes my ignorance in regards to homosexuality. I had been ignorant and often times used the word “gay” or “homo” as a synonym for stupid. However, now I see how ignorant and rude that was. Having gay friends has changed me for the better as I am able to understand and respect their lifestyle choices.

paragraph Essay 2 4/22

2007-04-22T17:24:00.000-07:00

Adaptation to American society is a topic explored often by authors. They demonstrate the immigrant experience by having the characters endure prejudice and stereotypes and analyze their response to them. In American Son, a novel by Brian Ascalon Roley, and American Born Chinese, a comic written and illustrated by Gene Luen Yang, both authors explore the experience of two similar protagonists, Gabe and Jin Wang, and their similar journey in adapting to America’s unforgiving society. Both authors illustrate the character’s initial attempts to “fit in” then demonstrate how the characters adapt to the pressures of society by assuming false identities. The difference between the works is shown in the conclusions as Roley implements the tragedy of Gabe accepting his false identity, while Yang exhibits optimism as Jin Wang rejects his false identity.

Extra Credit Assignment VSC Show

2007-04-21T18:16:00.000-07:00

The Vietnamese Student Council show was very interesting and insightful. It seems as if much of Vietnamese culture is influenced by Chinese culture. Although there was much Vietnamese culture, there were many guest appearances from the Chinese Student Association. This may have confused some of the audience.

The food was delicious and the show itself was entertaining. The food included various meats with fish sauce and other dips, cut up carrots drenched in vinegar, egg rolls, and various Vietnamese drinks. I personally did not enjoy these drinks. I drank coke and orange soda.

The show included fan dancing, dragon dancing, a video, a skit, a fashion show, and singing. I found the fashion show and singing particularly insightful because they revealed to me aspects of Vietnamese culture that I was not aware of. The Vietnamese dresses were beautiful and colorful. However, I was curious to know the attire of males in Vietnam. The singing was insightful because it was performed in the native tongue.

There was also a speaker who spoke about the underground hip hop movement in Asia. I spoke to him after the show, and we spoke about hip hop in Korea. He mentioned some hip hop artists that I actually listen to such as Drunken Tiger.

April 17 American Son analysis

2007-04-17T13:55:00.000-07:00

The American Son, a novel by Brian Ascalon Roley, focuses on Gabe, a half white, half Filipino adolescent, who is caught in an identity crisis as he faces pressures from both Filipino and American cultural values. The novel is a bildungsromam, which is defined as “the story of a single individual's growth and development within the context of a defined social order.” The individual in this case is Gabe and the social order is the Filipino and American societies.

Throughout Part 1, Gabe is illustrated as shy and timid, and is afraid to speak out, enduring the relentless beatings and insults from his brother. Gabe is shameful of his Filipino heritage and rejects his identity. Gabe explains how he is embarrassed of his mother, who he describes to be “self-conscious about her English.” He states, “Still, I do not like having her pick me up from school. She is short and dark and wears funny-looking giant purple glasses that are trendy on other people’s mothers but which do no match her brown skin tone” (30).

After being beat up by his brother at the end of Part 1, Gabe decides to take his brother’s car and run away. In Part 2, he explores his identity of being white and Asian. At this point of the novel, Roley essentially integrates the protagonist’s “major conflict between self and society.” On page 84, the truck driver states, after demeaning various ethnic groups, “But it isn’t near as bad as San Pedro. Cambodians, Vietnamese, Laotians,” he continues “All those mute Asians won’t even learn to speak English” (84). Afterwards, a discomfort comes over Gabe. Roley describes Gabe to be avoiding the rearview mirror in order to visually demonstrate Gabe’s shame of his own identity as an Asian. Gabe is also surprised at this point that the truck driver does not recognize his own Filipino heritage and verifies the fact that he may possibly “get by” or “pass” as a non-Asian. Throughout this experience with the truck driver, whom Gabe regards as a father-figure, he finally feels accepted and finds a place for himself.

After returning home in Part 3 and experiencing “clashes between the protagonist's needs and desires and the views and judgments enforced by an unbending social order,” Gabe attempts to develop a new identity conforming to a misconstrued image of being American. He joins a gang and follows the path of his brother, a life of violence. On page 214, Gabe describes… “Ben laughed even though I was older. But now he is respectful, his head bowed.” Afterwards he states “I feel a rush not of anxiety but of confidence” (214). Gabe finally overcomes his shame and is no longer the introverted adolescent he was.

list of possible paper topics 4/3

2007-04-03T13:07:00.001-07:00

1) Compare and contrast the identity crisis of the protagonist in American Born Chinese and Siddhartha.

2) Compare and contrast the use of personification in the comic American Born Chinese and the graphic comic, Maus by Art Spiegalman.

3) Compare and contrast the theme of prejudice in the nonfiction, We Are All Suspects Now, and the fiction novel, How to Kill a Mocking Bird.

4) Compare and contrast the comedic/light mood in American Born Chinese and The Importance of Being Earnest.

5) Compare and contrast the use of humor in American Born Chinese and The Oracles.

Analysis of pg.1-20 of American Born Chinese 3/29

2007-03-29T13:11:00.000-07:00

First, on flower-fruit mountain, the monkey king is amongst his own kind. However, as he attempts to attend the dinner party with the Gods, he is set distinctly apart. Even though he has mastered the 4 perquisites to immortality, fist-like lightening, thunderous foot, heavenly senses, and cloud-as-steed, and is equally qualified to attend, he is excluded due to his differences. The guard at the dinner party states, “You may be a king- you may even be a deity, but you are still a monkey.” The author seems to be making an allusion to the experiences of many minorities. Often times, minorities, including Asian-Americans, feel estranged or excluded due to his or her differences. Like the monkey king, he or she may be equally as qualified but are restricted due to those differences. I feel a good example of this is the music industry. I feel for Asian-Americans there is not enough representation in the American music industry, almost to non-existence. While for pop, rock, country, and various other genres, the general image is whites, for hip hop and r and b the image is for blacks. This black-white paradigm leaves out Asians as they do not fit the music image. Even though these Asian musicians are equally qualified or equally talented, due to the preconceived image, they are excluded.

paragraph from paper 1

2007-03-08T13:10:00.000-08:00

What does it mean to have a Korean American dual identity? A quixotic definition would define this as accepting both Korean and a new American culture. A more realistic definition for a majority of Korean Americans is a person with a Korean cultural identity estranged in a foreign country, America. Many institutions such as the Korean church and other organizations served its purpose for the illiterate first generation of Korean Americans, but the segregating aspect of those institutions continue to affect the second generation of Korean Americans who have fluency in English. This problem is further exacerbated by the promotion of segregation in schools through cultural clubs, which ironically is supposed to promote diversity, and social outings with just Koreans on their free time. The collective effect is the exclusive nature of Korean Americans and the segregation of the Korean community from the rest of America. A repercussion of the Korean American community’s segregation from American culture is the lack of representation in politics on both the local and national scale. In order to engage in politics, Korean Americans must submerge themselves into a larger community rather than isolating themselves. Otherwise, the community’s views will not be addressed and its voice will never be heard.

possible topics for my turn

2007-03-04T23:48:00.000-08:00

Is it possible to specifically write about the korean community ( i feel it will be more effective because of personal experience and a more extensive knowledge)

Such topics include:
1. access to health insurance in Korean immigrant families
2. lack of representation of Koreans in politics
3. Korean community's voice not being heard
4. Segregation of Asian ethnic groups and repercussions

I really can’t think of any more topics but if any of you guys have any ideas let me know.

woman warrior response 3/1

2007-02-28T23:48:00.001-08:00

Minh’s question:

Do you think that we live in a changing world where women are given opportunities to do so? Do you think that we as a society still make it harder for women to "rise"?

I feel in America, for women there are only a few limitations. In fact Hilary Clinton may have a chance winning the 2008 presidency. There are already several female prime ministers, monarchs, and chancellors. Currently, women in many developing countries are also gaining new opportunities. For example, ironically with the development of sweatshops, women in many south Asian countries are enjoying rights they never had before. The sweatshops provide many women with the opportunity to escape their duty as simple child bearers and earn a living. With this new freedom, women are now able to make choices as an economic force in the family. Although there are many strides in many countries, many restrictions still exist including in America. For example in America there is still the “glass ceiling,” disallowing women to climb to their full potential. In other countries, there is still a preference for males such as in China due to its one child policy. Much of the disparity in gender that exist in developing countries is due to its lack of cultural change.

Woman Warrior memoir 2/20

2007-02-20T21:34:00.000-08:00

My Great Uncle- A Communist Hero.
A no-name person in my ancestry is my great uncle (brother of my grandmother). The story I heard from my grandmother is one of indifference to his actions. He was a communist columnist and an activist in South Korea during the Korean War. During the war, the South Korean government persecuted communists in the country, arresting and murdering them. Additional information I know about my great uncle is that he was the aire to my great grandfather’s wealth. However, by the war’s end the Kwon family’s wealth was nonexistent. Although in current times, Democracy may seem to be the greatest form of government, to many in Korea during a time of a disparate divide between social classes, Marxist philosophy seemed to be the preferable choice. Although my grandmother’s family was wealthy at that time, my great uncle still preferred communism. I imagine him to be a hero and champion for the poor rather than a villain. I imagine him to be a sympathetic man and an activist striving to decrease inequalities and disparities within the country. As for the question- what happened to the Kwon family’s wealth? I like to think that he used his assets to bribe police officers from arresting fellow communists, giving up money and land to aid the needy. He was as Paul Farmer is to the Haitians but to the Korean communists. To me, this no name great uncle is a hero.

Memoir 2/13

2007-02-13T12:46:00.000-08:00

As an illustration of the hysteria and fear that resulted from the September 11 attacks, a friend of mine from high school faced much discrimination and racial profiling due to his appearance. This experience is similar to that of Muhammad Rafiq Butt and many other people detained due to anonymous tips from neighbors whom had feared those men.

My friend is not Muslim but a Sikh. In Sikhism, males must follow the practice of kes or leaving their hair uncut. As a result, they wear turbans, a practice often confused with the use of turbans in Muslim communities. Due to this association, much violence and contempt had been directed against Sikhs in America. Another practice of Sikhs that was questionable to American standards was their practice of carrying a kirpan or a ceremonial small sword.

As a personal anecdote, my friend told me how many times there were racist comments such as “Osama” or “diaper head” as a way to demoralize him. He told me that there were many such incidents in school and that the school’s administration neglected his pleas for having this issue further probed and resolved. In addition, he told me how throughout the country many Sikh’s were being murdered or beaten in hate crimes and that those attacks struck fear in the Sikh community. In reaction, my friend and his father traveled to schools and establishments to explain the difference between Sikhs and Muslims. This way, people would no longer be ignorant to their practices.

wiki entry ch 1. pg 1-9 2/08

2007-02-08T14:50:00.001-08:00

Muhammed Ratiq Butt:

He has a wife and five children in Pakistan. He arrived to America, working in New York City’s immigrant economy, in order to send money to his family back in his home country. Due to his inability to speak English and his old age (55years old), he was forced to work in a restaurant and sweetshop in the “Little India” sector of New York City. On September 19^th, a tip from a local caller, caused FBI agents to arrest Butt. While in a U.S detention center, he died of a heart condition. Rumors spread amongst his Pakistani community that he was actually beaten, arousing fear. His body was shipped back to Pakistan with $1000 for his family.

Interesting Facts/ Statistics:

“From September 11 through February 2002, hate crimes and incidents of discrimination toward Muslims soared to 1,717 according to the council of American-Islamic Relations” (6).

“Of the approximately 1,200 [post-September 11] detainees, 762 were acknowledged later to be of ‘special interest’ to the government’s terrorism investigation” (8).

“Since the post-September 11 fallout, community advocates and lawyers working with detainees estimate that the total arrests and detentions in the Northeast have reached up to 10,000” (8)

Should be in collaborative wiki Feb 4

2007-02-04T18:48:00.000-08:00

Should be in the Wiki:

1. A brief list and summary of violating laws, listed in the introduction
2. Summary of the experiences of the immigrants:
Ch.1 : Muhammad Rafiq Butt, Bobby Khan, Ali Raza
Ch.2: Abdullah Osman and his family, ALi Galaydh,
3. Voices of the victims- Pertinent Quotes from victims and their experiences

response to book Feb6

2007-02-04T18:46:00.001-08:00

I am surprised to hear that events like these would occur in the U.S, especially right under our noses. It is shocking to hear that paranoia would get the best of America. These events remind me of the red scare and McCarthyism during the cold war and of the internment camps for the Japanese during WWII. Although, we acknowledge these events as horrid mistakes in history books, it seems that America has yet again repeated this mistake of allowing paranoia overcome rationality. The paranoia blurs the ideals of liberty and justice, which our nation is based upon.

In fear, many innocent and unsuspecting immigrants are blamed for events for which they have no association with and as a consequence are detained. Tram Nguyen quotes Subhash Kateel who states, “After 9/11 it was just unbelievable, the scale with which specific populations started getting targeted” (7). It is also surprising to hear that many Americans are allowing such things to occur and support laws and enactments in the name of defense and protection. Also within the prisons, the fact that immigrants are treated far more poorly disturbs me. In reference to prison conditions for immigrants, Tram Nguyen states, “…the report nevertheless painted a clear picture of due process violations and human rights abuses” (19). Tram Nguyen paints a vivid picture of the post 9/11 paranoia that has taken place and is still taking place. She illustrates the human rights violations through the experiences of several immigrants with different backgrounds.

Question: Have conditions gotten better or has it been exacerbated by such things as the recent immigration debate?

1/30 Response to Racial Privilege

2007-01-29T14:12:00.000-08:00

Because of the focus on the black (and recently Latino) and white paradigm, often times Asians are left behind in any forms of benefit. In Peggy McIntosh’s article, White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Napsack, she seems to emphasize on the fact that many of the whites’ privileges comprise of social benefits, which result from being the dominant race and culture in America. She states, “I could freely disparage, fear, neglect, or be oblivious to anything outside of the dominant cultural forms. Being of the main culture, I could also criticize it fairly freely.” Although there are privileges for the whites, there are also privileges for the underrepresented, blacks and Latinos. These privileges are a result of America’s compensation to these underrepresented populations. An example of a privilege is affirmative action in universities as well as the work place. However, Asians benefit from neither the social comfort and dominance of white culture or the attempts of America to create an equal society by serving the underrepresented.

The reason for such a lack of representation of Asians in America’s focus may be a result of the lack of representation of Asians in American government. Unlike, other communities, the Asian community lacks a voice in politics. As a result, recent Asian immigrants suffer from many social injustices such as those in regards to an access to proper healthcare. For example, many members of the Korean community suffer from the lack of health insurance. Expensive prices for health insurance, undocumented immigrants’ fear, and the fact that many business-owning Koreans do not qualify for health insurance cause the lack of health insurance. As a result of not having health insurance, many Korean Americans do not have regular visits to a doctor, regular screenings, and follow-up care.

Datum's Article 1/24

2007-01-24T18:37:00.000-08:00

I found this article interesting for many reasons. First Beverly Daniel Datum points out how many students reactions to the topic of racism, classism, and sexism. At first, I disagreed with Datum, who believes that many students still think of those topics as taboos. However, after reading her explanations to the resistance of why her students refused to acknowledge and learn about those topics to the student’s full potential, I see that problems still exist.

In the novel, Blink, by Malcom Gladwell, he explains how most people are racist and prejudice to some degree. He explains that peoples’ racism and prejudice is not blatant but hidden in our subconscious. In a psychological test, which showed flashing pictures of both whites and blacks, performed by Harvard, the results showed that a large majority of people had a tendency to favor Whites, regardless of the test taker’s race (even if he himself is black). In this way, people have prejudices formed through subliminal messages and experiences from American society.

In support for Gladwell’s theory, Datum states, “the African American has absorbed many of the beliefs and values of the dominant White culture, including the notion that ‘White is right’ and ‘Black is wrong.’ Though the internalization of negative Black stereotypes may be outside of his or her conscious awareness, the individual seeks to assimilate and be accepted by Whites” (10). Another example is found by one of Datum’s student’s comment in reaction to Cleopatra being black. This student may not be racist but has a subconscious prejudice that non-blacks are most beautiful. Through a class such as the one taught by Datum that analyzes the roots of our racism, I believe we can undo the prejudices society and experience has placed in our minds.

Jan23 Asian American representation in film

2007-01-20T17:51:00.000-08:00

This image is from a scene from X-Men 2. The character Lady deathstrike is played by Kelly-Hu, an actress of Asian descent. In this image, Kelly Hu plays the role of a “dragon lady” as she is portrayed as being dangerous yet seductive. As shown by her stance in the image, her character is depicted as a kung-fu specialist. While other characters have special abilities such as controlling the climate (storm) or psychic powers (Jean grey), Lady deathstrike has blades as a nails and kung fu. Her attire further exemplifies her “dragon lady” characteristic. She wears tight leather in black, accentuating her body and her exotic nature.