A teacher seriously asked me if I was going to have an arranged marriage. Not only is that beyond annoying, I don’t think it is appropriate coming from a teacher either. It became such a joke in our class that my friends, who are East Asian, started joking and telling her that girls get married when they’re 15 in their countries. And even though I didn’t think I could have a lower opinion of her after that, she made it happen when she really believed what they were saying. Personally, I just find it ridiculous that this assumption is typically directed at South Asians, in spite of the fact that many other cultures engage in the same practice, but I guess I have to attribute it to the widespread association of the Indian culture with arranged marriages. I really shouldn’t take the comment as personally as I did, but my reaction was mainly attributed to her attitude that she was educated and culturally aware, when she clearly wasn’t. I’ll take ignorance over ego any day, as long as you know it too J
It's An Asian Thing
Monday, June 20, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Video Bar: K-POP
It's been a while since I posted on my blog, let alone updated the video bar. Since I was mentioning the recent increase in the availability and popularity of kpop in America in my last post I decided it was time I introduced you guys to kpop music. The videos in the bar and all of the videos on Billboard100KpopMnet's Channel23 have english subtitles. Although they may not be the exact same, they help when listening. Now it's your chance to discover your favorite kpop artist and there are PLENTY to choose from!
Clockwise from the upper left: Girls' Generation(SNSD), TVXQ, 2NE1, BigBang |
Asian American and Pacific WHAT!?!?
First off, I just wanted to say sorry for not posting for so long. I was thinking about ending the blog, but I guess notJ, so back to the point.
Ironically, one of the things that spurred me to create this blog was the lack of attention given to May as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month. I know it’s a long title, but that’s no reason to not pay attention to it. Just like Black History month, and Hispanic Heritage month, it is a time to honor one of the minority groups that has made significant contributions to the United States of America.
I usually find that there are no special television programs or information provided in schools about Asian Heritage month, unlike when it’s Black History month or Hispanic Heritage month. However, this month I was surfing through ON DEMAND and noticed the Asian Heritage section. To my surprise it as was filled with Asian music and specials and… Jackie Chan movies! Now I have a tendency to exaggerate, because it really wasn’t a lot, but it is progress if you ask me.
BUT…I will take a second to nit-pick, because in the music section there was a whole lot of K-pop, and a little Bollywood, but nothing else. I find that to be a little insulting to other Asian countries like China and Japan. (And I’m not going to lie; I take it as a slight against other languages spoken in India, but that’s just me) Anyway, it’s nice to see that Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month is finally getting some of the recognition it deserves.
To learn more about Asian-Pacific American Heritage month you can visit http://asianpacificheritage.gov/
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Japan: Nuclear Update
For the first time since the evacuations residents were allowed back to their homes. Although it was for only two hours and residents had to wear hazmat suits to protect them from any radiation in the area, this is the first step to normal; they were only allowed to retrieve a single bag worth of items. However there are talks about allowing owners to retrieve their pets from the area. As of now many pets are just scavenging the area, having been left behind due to the evacuations after the threat of a nuclear disaster. Hopefully this is a sign that Japan is on its way to rebuilding.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Guest Blogger #3: Indira
Q: What is your name? (First name is fine)
My friends call me Dee
Q: Where are your parents from?
My parents grew up in Southern India, in Tamil Nadu. My father came to the states for graduate school and when he married my mom in India, she came along with him.
Q: What was your upbringing like? Do you think your background was a significant influence in your upbringing?
I was raised in a loving Indian household, and many of the morals and values I hold originate from Indian culture and tradition. However, around the time of middle and high school, I became increasingly aware that I was straddling two different worlds in a sense. At home my family was very traditional, but at school, I wanted to be like the average American and fit in with my peers. It wasn’t until late high school and college when I found my balance as an Asian American growing up in what was a predominantly white American community. Currently I am proud of my Indian roots and have found a comfortable way to incorporate my culture into an American lifestyle.
Q: Where did you grow up? Were there other Asian students when you were going to school?
I attended my town’s public school system which was primarily white middle-class students. I had no Indian friends, but there were a few East Asian students in my class. Most of my friends were white, but I never felt uncomfortable being a minority. If anything, I sometimes feel uncomfortable when I am surrounded by other Asians because of the pressure to be knowledgeable about my Asian roots when I consider myself to be very americanized.
Q: Did you ever experience racism? If so, was it more common in your youth or as an adult?
I believe bias-related incidents are prominent in our society, but not always clearly noticeable. It is something that only time and knowledge can change. I feel lucky in that I have not been subjected to any harmful acts of racism, and that any targeted acts towards me were few and far between.
Q: Overall, how do you think that the reception towards Asian Americans has evolved?
I believe that as time goes on, Asian Americans are becoming more accepted in our society. We are a growing population in America and with time, America will truly become a melting pot of cultures and backgrounds. The stereotypes that follow Asians are still extremely prominent, but then again it is human nature to categorize individuals.
Q: How do you think being an Asian American has shaped your life? Was it an advantage or a disadvantage?
Growing up I was sometimes ashamed of my cultural background since I never seemed to fit in with the “cool kids.” However, as time went on, different experiences have made me realize the value of my diversity. I love being Asian and the different perspective it gives me. Most of my current friends are plagued with curiosity instead of judgment and are extremely respectful of my beliefs.
At the end of the day, I don’t view being Asian American as an advantage or a disadvantage. It’s just different. Everyone is human no matter what background they come from, which means we all need the same basic needs. In the long run, it really doesn’t matter what we look like or the traditions we choose to practice. Whether your family has been living in America for many generations, or you’re fresh off the boat of some foreign country, everyone has something different to bring to the table.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Senior Project
This blog has turned out to be surprisingly fun in spite of the fact that it is for my Senior Project and I HAVE to do it in order to graduate. Part of the requirement that needs to be filled is to collect evidence. This is why I would like to hear from you about what you think about my blog. Do you think it was a good representation of the concerns of the Asian American population? Did you feel as though you’ve learned something? Have any of your opinions or beliefs been changed by this blog? If so, how and why?
These are just some questions I’m tossing out there to get feedback from you guys. Please comment with your opinions. You can either comment directly on this post or on the separate tab that I’m also posting this on. *Also, vote in the poll.
JPLEASE READ & COMMENT ON THIS AND OTHER POSTSJ
"Changin' Asian" #2
Usually people tend to be under the impression that all Asians do is study, which is far from the truth. Just like with any ethnic group it varies from person to person. Lately a lot of Asian American dancers have burst onto the scene and earned recognition for what they do.
On the most recent season of “America’s Best Dance Crew” (ABDC) an Asian American crew was victorious. Poreotix was declared the winner of Season 5. The crew consists of six members: Matt “Dumbo” Nguyen, Can Nguyen, Charles Nguyen, Lawrence “Law” Devera, Justin “Jet Li” Valles, and Chad Mayate. Their innovative style focuses on popping, choreography, and robotics, which is why their name was Po-reo-tics. Their signature is wearing shaded glasses for all of their performances.
Even for those who don’t follow ABDC, you might recognize the group from several other places. If you’re a Belieber or just suffering from a case of Bieber Fever you might recognize them from Justin Bieber’s music video for the single “Somebody to Love.” Even more recently they were in Bruno Mars’ music video for “The Lazy Song.” However, these boys don’t just dance; they also have a sense of humor.
They were featured in the video “Best Crew vs Poreotics” on the YouTube channel nigahiga in which they were jokingly challenged to a dance battle against some guys who could not dance. They ‘beasted’ the competition in their signature way. They were also on an episode of Disney Channel’s “Shake it Up” where they showed off their playful, nerdy side.
Poreotix is proving to the world that Asians don’t just spend their lives with their noses in books; they can tear up the dance floor.
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