Asian Outlook Fall 2009 Issue #1 by Asian Outlook

BOLLYWOOD FOR BEGINNERS / FINDING ASIAN CULTURE IN A HAIRCUT / AND MORE

Fall 2009 Volume XXIII Issue 1

ASIAN OUTLOOK

Table of Contents While We Were Gone: Typhoon Morakot Sophia Lin The 2009 World Games in Taiwan Jeff Hwang The Fight Against Dirty Coal Shan Lin The Many Faces of Asian Student Union... Asian Student Union and subgroup staff A Beginnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Guide to Bollywood... Fiz Ramdhani and Jibi Alexander

Features 5 6 7 8 12

Editorials

Where are They? (The Asian Models) Jing Gao Mideast Conflict Is Over There, Not Here Calvin Prashad My New Haircut Meladel Busante A Study in Hatred: The Murder of David Kao and the Prevalence of Hate Crimes Against Asians Calvin Prashad A Tale of Two Races: A White Girl in an Asian World Clara Kittrell

If You Are The One Kelvin Chan In Brief: Reviews of all the Manga Worth Reading Nicele Arana

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14 17 18 20 22

Reviews 23 24

A Taste of Shanghai Diane Wong Tokyo: Something Different Paul Yi

Travelogues 26 28

Conscience

Pages 29-39

Featuring the Works of: Kelvin Chan Pauline Hsia Michelle Jeon Shift the MC Dennis Chen Ivan Yeung

Learn more about the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Paris of the Eastâ&#x20AC;? from someone that studied there this past Summer!

Staff Editors-in-Chief William To Calvin Prashad Assistant Editors Fiz Ramdhani Alyssa Alimurung Layout Editors Sophia Lin Sha Lisa Liu Publicity Chris Lu

Treasurer Ivan Yeung Secretary Jing Gao Conscience Editor Kelvin Chan Contributing Staff Diane Wong Olivia Cheng Jeff Hwang

Brush up on your Bollywood knowledge with our Experts!

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Thoughts from the Editor

From bringing hateful, inflammatory, and racist speakers to campus, filling the seats of the Student Assembly with their own lackeys, and launching a single-minded vendetta against campus cultural groups, Binghamton Review may well be the loudest, most unreasonable ideologues you will never meet, working as they do from the shadows. However, last semester, their bigotry and hate were blown into the open—especially after two of their members were involved in racial attacks on Alice Liou, a SA e-board member of Asian descent. Not that they’ll admit it though; in their most recent issue, BR goes so far as to accuse us of inciting hate by launching a protest against these racial incidents, and to rail on us for ignoring “Asian culture,” which apparently, does not include standing up to intolerance and injustice. Clearly no one in BR has the slightest clue of what the words “racism” or “hate” actually mean—which is no big surprise. It must take a lot of guts to talk about something which you know nothing about, but then again, gutsy is not a term we would apply to BR. Well, we’re happy to disappoint, especially if it’s BR; after all, the magazine’s layout looks like it was completed on Notepad by a three year-old and the articles are no more sophisticated.

Letter to the Readers:

This past summer, something humiliating and embarrassing happened to New York State. The State Senate was thrown into a deadlock after two conservative Democrats from New York City defected to the Republican party to block a certain piece of legislation. This legislation would have legalized gay marriage in New York State and would have finally granted same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexual couples. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Dan Choi was dishonorably discharged from the Army. His crime? He violated the Army’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy. This short sighted policy allows the Army to discharge openly gay members of the military on the basis of sexual orientation. While Lieutenant Choi leads the charge against this policy, we can take action as well. For too long, the issue of gay rights has been stigmatized as an issue for the gay community and ONLY the gay community. It’s time for this type of thinking to end. People, gay and straight alike need to understand that working towards equal rights is in the interest of everyone. Throughout the 20th century, Asian-Americans were frequently involved in progressive movements for civil rights and equality. Now, in our lifetimes we have the ability to set an example for the nation. Is it not embarrassing that smaller states such as Iowa and Vermont have already granted these rights while New York and California lag significantly behind? We Asian Americans can (and will) lead the movement in New York and YOU can get involved. The marriage equality bill has passed the Assembly and is currently in the State Senate. Find your State Senator’s address and write to him to voice your support for marriage equality. Our legislators need a push in the proper direction, and we can get them there.

Thanks to All of our Contributors! Shan Lin Kelvin Chan Pauline Hsia Michelle Jeon Shift the MC Dennis Chen Meladel Busante Nicele Arana Jibi Alexander Paul Yi Diane Wong Amy Sun Clara Kittrell Jeff Hwang Olivia Cheng

Editorial Policy Asian Outlook is the art, literary, and news magazine of the Asian Student Union of SUNY’s Binghamton University. Originally conceived and created to challenge, redefine, re-imagine and revolutionize images and perceptions associated with Asians and Asian-Americans; further, Asian Outlook serves to protect the voice of those in the minority, whether by ethnicity, gender, and/or political orintation. All matter contained within these beautiful pages do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board. Asian Outlook reserves the right to edit submissions and publish work as deemed appropriate. Prospective contributors are encouraged to discuss their work with the editors prior to submission. Articles may be submitted as an e-mail attachment to ao.editor@gmail.com, all artistic and literary pieces may be submitted to aoconscience@gmail.com. Contact Policy Uninvited contact with writers and contributors is forbidden under pain of punishment. Please direct all questions, comments, and complaints to ao.editor@gmail.com.

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While We Were Gone Typhoon Morakot hit Taiwa late on August 7, 2009, with a record rainfall of over 80 inches of rain over a three day period, causing the worst flooding in 50 years. On Monday August 10, 2009, reports started coming in with growing numbers of people who were either dead or missing from the typhoon. Homes of over 7,000 people in the mountainous area were demolished by landslides from the typhoon causing hundreds of deaths and thousands of villagers to become stranded .

has also sent thousands of soldiers to help civilians with the rescue missions, clean up, and set up of shelters. According to the New York Times, most of the homeless are “from aboriginal communities who make a living off the land.” Such villagers are now living in packed shelters run by volunteer organizations. Estimated calculations of the damage total around $910 million, mainly from losses in agriculture and transportation; reconstruction is estimated to cost around $3.6 billion. Taiwan has requesed foreign aid to help clear roads that have been blocked by debris, as well as to construct make-shift houses

phoon, a lot of criticism was aimed at Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou for his slow response in the rescue efforts of the civilians trapped in the mudslides. Critics said that he failed to efficiently mobilize the Taiwanese military to save the civilians. According to the Wall Street Journal, in his defense, President Ma “blamed the weather fo] the delay in the rescue mission during the storm’s aftermath. ‘The heavy rain prevented the rescuers from having access to the mountain area,’ Mr. Ma said. ‘We did try our best.’” Additional troops, armored vehicles and helicopters were later sent by the Taiwanese government to speed up rescue efforts. President Ma has since apologized to the public and came out to meet survivors and relatives waiting for news of the villages and survivors. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/15/ world/asia/15taiwan.html?_r=2 NY Times - http://www.time.com/time/ world/article/0,8599,1916716,00.html

Typhoon Morakot... Hsiao-lin, an isolated village located in the high mountains in Southern Taiwan, was the hardest hit village with more than 400 people buried alive by the landslide. Authorities have given up on continuing the search for survivors buried in the landslide debris, and instead have decided to build a memorial park on the site. Other villages in the mountainous areas were not hit as badly as Hsiaolin, but still had a considerable amount of casualties. Helicopters were used to transport the survivors from the villages to a safe location because roads and bridges to the villages were blocked off by the storm. A helicopter with three rescue workers in it crashed, killing evey one inside The government

for the survivors. Donations have also been pouring in from all over in forms of food, clothes, and hygienic products, as well as millions in dollars for the victims. There has been criticism directed towards the government for its tardiness in requesting foreign aid, and for letting this incident drag on.

In the aftermath of the ty-

by Sophia Lin Fall 2009

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International World Games 2009 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan Jeff Hwang

When the Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung won the rights to host the 2009 World Games on June 14, 2004, the subsequent years were slated for the history books. Not only did it impact the Taiwanese economy and political system, but it also allowed the Taiwan to finally step onto the world stage. After all, hosting an international event is an unparalleled honor for any country. Though not quite as prominent as the Olympic Games, the similarly quadrennial World Games feature a multitude of athletic events that are not featured in the Olympics.

als to obtain seventh place out of 105 participating countries, only behind Ukraine, Italy, France, and the perennial powerhouses—the United States, Russia, and China. It was, by far, the best that Taiwan had ever performed in an international sports event, having claimed eight gold medals, nine silver medals, and seven bronze medals. In years past, the small island barely skimmed the overall medal count leader boards. But then again, an international sports event is never just about the sports. What else did Taiwan have to offer? Like to other cities which suddenly found themselves host to international events, Taiwan had to incorporate some way to introduce the local culture to the myriad of foreign visitors. From July 16 to July 26, the ten days of the World Games, Kaohsiung was overflowing with tourists—the perfect opportunity for the tiny island to show off its sights and attractions. Using the theme, “I Love Taiwan (and Southern Taiwan Even More),” Kaohsiung served as a sort of summit for Taiwanese culture. In addition to the environment and landscape of Kaohsiung, the town’s history, popular culture, literary tradition, and folk customs were also on display. Two mascots, Gao Mei and Syong Ge (named after the city itself) were created for this special occasion, representing water spirits that personify the seaport city, and promoting, in particular, Kaohsiung’s pristine environment. Who knows? With the success of Kaohsiung in the 2009 World Games, Taiwan could eventually become a global tourist attraction in the near future.

Not only did it impact the Taiwanese economy and political system, but it also allowed the Taiwan to finally step onto the world stage. At the World Games, there were no weight-lifting events, no swimming events, no marathons, no volleyball, no gymnastics, no fencing, and so on. However, for fans of billiards, surfing, beach handball, tug-of-war, and dancing events, the World Games may be the perfect alternative to the Olympic Games. For both Taiwanese athletes and the Taiwanese people (who were actually listed as Chinese Taipei), the results can be considered very satisfying. Aside from being the host of the eighth World Games in history, Taiwan was able to rack up enough med-

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Picture Sources http://www.worldgames-iwga.org/ http://www.worldgames2009.tw/wg2009/eng/index.php

The by Shan Lin

FIGHT against Dirty Coal

he Sierra Club is involving Binghamton students to fight for a coal-free campus this fall. According to Lucy Midelfort, the Green Corps organizer, the club has launched nationally recently this year with over 60 campuses involved throughout the country and Binghamton University is one of them. Their priority is to prevent the university from using coal for heating and electricity and depend more on renewable resources. Coal is responsible for over 40% of the emissions in the greenhouse gases which cause global warming. Coal also contaminates the air and water by releasing toxic chemicals, such as mercury, which is dangerous to public health. Richard Andrus, an environmental professor at Binghamton University, points out that “coal is one of the biggest threats to the future” and he believes students should care about this issue if they “want to have a livable planet.” Being a fairly new organization, the Sierra Club finds it important to spread the news about the campaign throughout campus and to the public. They plan on holding media events to educate people about the issue. “We launched our media event a week and a half ago where we were covered by three TV stations and three newspapers,” Lucy said. Also, during the Kickoff Meeting on September 23rd in Lecture Hall 5, 125 people attended and were motivated to be involved. The turnout was evident that the news was spreading quickly and

to make the issue known and actually do something about it instead of just talking about it,” said Emily Fonti, an undergraduate student at Binghamton University. Students are involved in every possible way, and they might just be the grassroots the campaign needs to succeed. Currently, the Sierra Club is working to get an agreement from administrators to stop the university from burning coal and woodchips for heat, and instead, change to cleaner and renewable energy such as geothermal and biomass. Lucy hopes to get the whole campus involved and looks forward to the change hopefully by spring

“We, as college students, have taken upon ourselves to make the issue known and actually do something about it instead of just talking about it.”

semester. But the Sierra Club doesn’t stop there. The next goal is to prevent the university from using coal for electricity, which also means going up against the coal plantation which is located just a few miles away from here. “Coal is just dirty and outdated. We shouldn’t be using it if we call ourselves a green campus,” Emily said. It is not going to be an easy war, but the Sierra Club will not stop fighting until Binghamton University becomes a coal-free campus.

efficiently. Because of the university’s large dependency on coal, the Sierra Club will need to endure a long and hard fight, therefore time and support from students is essential. Students volunteer their free time to walk around campus collecting signatures and recruiting new members every week. They organize their own events, collect petitions, and talk to students and faculty members and sign them up as endorsers. “We, as college students, have taken upon ourselves

Image Source: http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/rperks/dirty_coal_in_your_stocking_no.html

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The Many Faces of The Seven Subgroups of the Asian Student Union...

...Asian Student Union Asian Student Union (ASU) is one of the largest cultural groups in Binghamton University. Representing over 20% of the campus, ASU along with our seven subgroups, serve to defy stereotypes, define culture, maintain a sense of tradition, and explore what it means to be Asian American in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s world. Every semester, ASU works hard to educate the campus through means of educational workshops, cultural events, and holiday gatherings. -SAVE THE DATEAsian Night 2009 - November 14, 2009 Come celebrate Asian heritage & culture and enjoy a great night filled with performances and Asian cuisines! For more information about Asian Student Union, E-Mail us at asu.binghamton@gmail.com

Korean-American Student Association... The Korean American Student Association (KASA) is a cultural organization that is built on the foundation of seeking, maintaining and fostering different aspects of Korean and Korean American identity, tradition and culture. We are organized and run solely by the students of Binghamton University, and our members work hard to create events which sustain our vision and goals. Through meticulous planning, KASA hosts cultural, political, social and educational events such as Korean Banquet (Fall Semester), KASA Coffeehouse and Korean Night (Spring Semester). KASA also works alongside other affiliated Korean student organizations such as Korean Christian Fellowship, Han Perspective, BUKUSA and ThiNK. Through these collaborations, KASA acts as a liaison between various segments of the Korean population, and works towards empowerment and unity on our campus and in the surrounding communities. Please contact Michelle Lee at mlee10@binghamton.edu with any questions and concerns.

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Asian Student Union By the staff and executive board members of all groups...

Philippine-American League... The Philippine-American League is a student-run cultural organization whose aim is to promote and raise awareness on Filipino culture here at Binghamton University. Founded in 1989, PAL members hail from many different ethnic backgrounds, but share a common interest regarding Filipino culture. Over the past two decades, PAL has been constantly changing members and activities; however, we have been able to keep tradition and pride for our culture vehemently clear. Our two biggest events, Barrio Fiesta and PAL Banquet, have been not only an event to share our culture, but have long been influential in helping us become a family. For more information, please contact us at Binghamtonpal89@gmail.com.

...Taiwanese American Student Coalition For students at Binghamton University who are interested in Taiwanese cultural events, the Taiwanese American Student Coalition (TASC) specializes in such affairs. Established in 1994 as a subgroup under the Asian Student Union (ASU), TASC has since served as the key representation of Taiwanese Americans on campus. Each year, TASC hosts several events that include, but not limited to: the Night Market, collaborative performances with other subgroups during Asian Night, and the highly successful TASC Banquet. For the Fall 2009 semester, upcoming events consist of the TASC Picnic on September 19, apple picking on October 17, the Night Market on November 7, and collaborative performances at Asian Night on November 14. Those who want to be involved with TASC are encouraged to join in the fun, and if you have any questions, please contact us at binghamtontasc@gmail.com.

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Chinese American Student Union... Founded in 1982, the Chinese American Student Union serves as a voice for the Chinese American community on campus. Through cultural and social events, we seek to promote Chinese and Chinese-American culture throughout the entire Binghamton campus. We are dedicated to educating and raising awareness about Asian American issues, history, and culture. Come get involved and have an awesome time by emailing BUCASU@Yahoo.com!

...Binghamton University Japanese Association Binghamton University Japanese Association is a studentrun organization whose aim is to promote Japanese culture and language both amongst the students of Binghamton University and the people of the nearby community, to bring together Japanese and Japanese-Americans and all who are interested in Japanese culture, and to help international students adjust to American culture and society. If you are interested, please join our PAWS page and facebook! If you have any question, please donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hesitate to mail us at buja.binghamton@gmail.com

Vietnamese Student Association... The Vietnamese Student Association is devoted to the advancement of the Asian and Asian American culture to the Binghamton University campus. VSA is specifically committed to preserving and promoting the Vietnamese culture while supporting and uniting individuals with Vietnamese interest. Our goals this academic year are to host events to spread the Viet culture, to collaborate with other multiethnic groups to promote diversity, and to increase the size of our family. Upcoming events include the VSA Potluck (10/9), Apple Picking with TASC and PAL (10/17), and the Halloween Party with the Hindu Student Council (10/24). For updates on future events, please join our listserv by email at vsa.bing@gmail.com or by joining our Facebook group at Vietnamese Student Association (VSA).

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Asian Outlook Magazine! Founded in 1989 to serve as the voice for Asian Student Union, Asian Outlook (AO) was originally conceived as a weekly newspaper designed to re-imagine, re-define, and revolutionize perceptions and stereotypes of Asians and Asian Americans. Since that time, however, AO has grown to become a sophisticated publication that is printed two-three times a semester, covering such issues as on-campus racism and bigotry, perceptions and stereotypes of Asian Americans in the popular media, as well as other, lighter matters, from reviews of popular television shows to tales of travel in Asian countries. AO also features literary pieces and artwork in its creative section, Conscience. For more information please contact us at ao.editor@gmail.com, or come to one of our meetings on Thursdays, 7:30pm, at UUW329 (the ASU Office).

Submissions? Or thoughts and comments? Send all work (with pictures please) via email to: ao.editor@gmail.com Creative works, please send to: aoconscience@gmail.com Meetings are Thursdays, 7:30 pm in UUW329. See you there!

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A Beginner’s Guide To Bollywood

office blockbuster Slumdog Millionaire. He is also going to star in New York, I Love You, the American version of Paris, Je t’aime.

By Nurfizny Ramdhani and Jibi Alexander

Mira Nair You have probably heard of movies like Monsoon Wedding, The Namesake with Kal Penn, or Vanity Fair with Reese Witherspoon. Mira Nair directed them

The wind blows through the trees. The bells ring. The rhythm of the drum beats steadily. Chants. People dance and move their shoulders. Laughter. Festivities. All of these remind us of the great tradition of the popular Indian culture known as Bollywood. It is this shade of brown that holds a great importance in making Asia what it is today in the 21st century. I will show you how Indian culture, particularly that of Bollywood, is already instilled in today’s popular culture You may or may not realize it, you may like or dislike it, but the fact remains: Bollywood is a part of your life. We should be proud of it. At least it means our world has increased its appreciation for diversity. Therefore, I would like to point out and highlight the ways in which Bollywood is present in your

everyday life. Whether you are familiar with them or not, these are the big names tied to the movie and television industries. Aishwarya Rai She made her debut in the pop culture world as Miss World 1994. Since then, Rai has acted in many Bollywood movies and some English movies, such as Bride and Prejudice and Provoked. She is also the face of L’Oreal and has been immortalized in Madame Tussauds’ wax museum. Shahrukh Khan Known as the “King of Bollywood,” he has starred in over 71 well-known Bollywood movies. Dubbed as one of the top 50 most powerful people in the world by Newsweek magazine, Khan came into prominence through his movies’ successes in international markets. Irrfan Khan You might not know his name, but you may have seen him in Hollywood movies such as The Namesake, The Darjeeling Limited, and the box

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all. She also directed Amelia with Hilary Swank and Richard Gere and New York, I Love You, two films coming out this October. Sendhil Ramamurthy Ramamurthy plays Dr. Suresh in another very popular American television series, Heroes. He has also guest starred in Grey’s Anatomy, Numb3rs, and Psych. Dev Patel Patel’s rise to fame began after starring in the highly successful film, Slumdog Millionaire. This ‘slumdog’ also starred as Anwar Kharral in a British teen drama, Skins. Maulik Pancholy Pancholy, along with Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Judah Friedlander, and Jane Krakowski, are part of the cast of comedy series, 30 Rock, that won awards including the Emmy, the

I hope that I have successfully convinced you that Indian culture, particularly Bollywood, is indeed a part of your life. From movies to music, the Bollywood phenomenon is catching on in the United States—and is here to stay.

Golden Globe, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Padma Lakshmi A former model and actress, she is now one of the hosts of a popular cooking show, Top Chef. Indian cultural influences are not limited to the movie industry, but also extend to the music industry as well. The beginning of this fusion of music began with Missy Elliot’s song, “Get Ur Freak On,” based on bhangra, a popular Indian dance form. Following this first use of Indian beats was hip-hop artist Jay-Z’s “Beware of the Boys,” where a sampling of the Punjabi song, “Mundian Te Bach Ke,” by Panjabi MC, further piqued the interest of both Hollywood and Bollywood artists to continue this phenomenon. One example is RDB-Akshay Kumar’s “Singh is King,” featuring rapper Snoop Dogg. Also to strengthen the argument that Indian culture, along with the people of Indian ancestry, diversified the American music industry, composer A.R. Rehman and singer Jay Sean are good examples. song, Down, is currently in the top ten of the Billboard Charts.

M. Night Shyamalan Movies like The Sixth Sense, Signs, The Village, Lady in the Water, and The Happening are all accredited to Shyamalan’s directing ability. Kal Penn He is Kumar of the stoner comedy film series, Harold & Kumar. In case you did not know, he also played Dr. Lawrence Kutner in a popular American television show, House.

Wayne and Cash stay. Money Records. His song, Down, is currently in the top ten of the Billboard Charts. I hope that I have successfully convinced you that Indian culture, particularly Bollywood, is indeed a part of your life. From movies to music, the Bollywood phenomenon is catching on in the United States—and is here to stay. Picture Sources: http://www.indango.com/buzz/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/shah_rukh_khanaishwarya_rai.jpg http://desi-box.com/pic/ images/444186Jay_Sean_-_My_Own_ Way_%28Front%29.jpg http://www.bollywoodmantra.com/albums/movie-stills/singh-is-kinng/snoopdogg_akshay-kumar___41183.jpg http://pjbottoms.files.wordpress. com/2008/04/lakshmi_padma.jpg http://www.collider.com/uploads/imageGallery/Namesake_The/the_namesake_ dvd.jpg

A.R. Rehman A.R. Rehman, who became an international hit after he collaborated with the Pussycat Dolls on his song, “Jai Ho,” also composed for the movie, Slumdog Millionaire. Jay Sean, who was already popular in India and the United Kingdom, increased his popularity in the . United States after his record deal with Lil

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WHERE ARE THEY? (the asian models) by jing gao

ost of my friends think I read a lot of fashion magazines, but that is not true. I do not even own any French Vogue or Italian Vogue because I read neither French nor Italian. I buy American Vogue only if models are on the cover, but Mrs. Wintour rarely blesses them with that honor. But after torturing myself with four continuous hours of microbiology in a library, I stumbled upon Ce’Ci, a Korean-based magazine. While not exactly highfashion by anyone’s standard, Ce’Ci certainly had the potential to offer me some entertainment and, needless to say, a much-needed rest. I got neither! The cover girl was a Korean actress. The ad campaigns in the magazine, however, were a different story. The magazine had a foldout cover, and the first prominent ad was of a brand called System featuring Polish model Anja Rubik. A few pages away, there was the Russian model Sasha Pivovarova representing Biotherm. As I continued flipping through the front cover of the first issue of Vogue China, launched in September 2005, starring Australian model Gemma Ward, and Chinese models Du magazine, I noticed one peculiar fact: Juan and Wang Wenqin excluding European beauty brands, nearly all Asian brands used foreign models in their ad campaigns. As a models in Asian brands. For instance, ad campaigns is palpable. matter of fact, Asian models were mostly Aguagirl features Kinga Rajzak; SJ SJ While I do not disapprove of located at the end of the magazine—in has Sasha Pivovarova; Moiselle employs foreign models in Asian ad campaigns, the editorials that lacked inspiration Vlada Roslyakova; and Mine recruits I believe the presence of Asian models and verged on boredom. Seeing these Lily Donaldson. Meanwhile, Anna does not need to be so heavily diminished Selezneva and Ash Stymest star in the models in dubious editorials that in order to make room for made up only a small part of the it is evident that Asian models their foreign counterparts. It magazine made me cringe, and are in a serious quagmire... seems as if foreign models have made me wonder why Ce’Ci was established a near monopoly on not showing these models more being disproportionately under- the Asian ad campaign market. love and support. represented However, these models should not be blamed, because they are not the An examination of the current current campaign for System. The list source of the problem. The problem, season’s ad campaigns also underscores goes on, but the idea stays the same. the underrepresentation of Asian The absence of Asian models in Asian instead, lies in the owners of the brands

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Japan and the editions of Numéro in Korea and Japan. Asian models have appeared on the covers of these magazines many times, though they could have appeared more frequently. And even when these models are featured on the covers, they usually either get the less important issues or have to share the spotlight with someone else—most cases, a foreign model in. Take Vogue China as an example. Established in September 2005, Vogue China is considerably younger, especially when compared to British Vogue and American Vogue. For its inaugural issue, the cover had two Chinese models along with then top Australian model Gemma Ward. Gemma stood in the middle, flanked by the two Chinese models. All three looked beautiful, but Gemma stood out the most, not only because her baby-doll face elicited the most angelic expression but also because she stood in the center. The readers’ eyes would naturally gravitate toward Gemma, and take in the models beside her seconds later. According to convention, the middle or central figure in a group is the star, and Gemma was clearly the star in that group. An optimistic perspective on this cover would suggest that the two Chinese models played the supporting role and complemented the cover. A pessimistic perspective, on the other hand, would conclude that those models were, at best, Gemma’s accessories and had to be there only to fill up the space, since the cover was not a full-on headshot of Gemma. So far this year, Vogue China, Vogue Korea, Numéro Korea, and Numéro Tokyo have published a total of 29 issues. The number of times Asian models have appeared on these covers is less than six, which averages out to be approximately 20%. The average, however, is just a crude number, so it fails to divulge the more specific details of the actual distribution. For instance, all the covers with Asian models belong to either Vogue China or Vogue Korea; neither Numéro Korea nor Numéro Tokyo have produced such covers this year. Still, a closer examination of the covers reveals that covers with Asian models are from months, such as May and June, months that traditionally have seen weak sales. On the contrary, the September issue is definitely the most important and lucrative of any fashion magazines, since that issue signals the onset of the fall fashion and brings in the most ad revenue; thus, a cover there has the potential to boost any model’s career. But

Above the front cover of the November 2009 issue of Vogue Nippon, featuring Tao, the first Japanese model to appear on the front page in nearly a decade

Right Russian model Vlada Roslyakova, as the face of Moiselle, as featured on their website

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for the covers for their September issues, Numéro Korea and Numéro Tokyo do not have Asian models, while Vogue China and Vogue Korea have actresses Maggie Cheung and Ziyi Zhang, respectively. No matter how these covers are analyzed, it is evident that Asian models are in a serious quagmire: being disproportionately underrepresented due to a two-pronged attack from both the models from other places and the actresses.

of Vogue Nippon in nearly ten years. Those two facts alone left me appalled and shocked. As momentous as this issue can be for Tao, I have to wonder why it took so long for Vogue Nippon to do such great things for an Asian model. And as revolutionary as this issue is for the tradition of Vogue Nippon, this issue alone cannot exonerate the magazine from its lack of support for Asian models over the years.

I deliberately left out Vogue Nippon from the discussions above because it deserves a special (dishonorable) mention. Among all the Vogue editions in Asia, Vogue Nippon is probably the most revered and acclaimed one, a result stemming from its long history and artistic creativity. Its most recent issue, the November issue, is a special one devoted exclusively to upand-coming Japanese model Tao Okamoto, who burst onto the modeling scene only a few seasons ago but has accumulated a phenomenal runway mileage at the recent NYC Fashion Week. I was excited for Tao and the momentum this single-girl Vogue issue is going to do for her career, until it dawned on me that she is the only Asian model to command an entire Vogue, and the first Japanese model to appear on the cover

The importance of getting magazine covers and ad campaigns to a model’s career cannot be overstated. Models often rely on the support of their home countries to gain a firm standing or build a strong résumé. Natasha Poly, who happens to be my favorite model, owes her huge success not only to her beauty, runway walk, and professionalism, but also to the continued support from Russian Vogue. But when models fail to get the support from their home countries, their careers can become an uphill battle rife with bumps and hurdles. This is the very predicament in which many Asian models are finding themselves.

Image Sources Front Cover of Vogue China. Source: http://www.danwei.org/media_and_ advertising/vogue_china_launches.php Front Cover of Vogue Nippon. Source: http://models.com/feed/?p=4529 Lily Donaldson. Source: http://forums.thefashionspot. com/f79/asian-ad-campaigns-f-w-0910-a-82101-2.html Vlada Roslyakova. Source: http://www.moiselle.com.hk/ Sasha Pivovarova. Source: http://forums.thefashionspot.com/ f79/biotherm-s-s-09-sasha-pivovarova-mirhg-tasha-tilberg-74713.html All images are property of their respective owners.

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Model Sasha Pivovarova representing SJ SJ

Lily Donaldson as the face of Mine

Mid-East Conflict Is Over There, Not Here by Calvin Prashad

the genocide we know today as the Holocaust. We know better than to trust the stereotype that Jews are greedy and moneyA few weeks ago, while walking by the bulletin board in the grubbing; we know better than to believe that Jews control the basement of the New Union, I noticed that a flier belonging to media or many world governments; and finally, we know better the Muslim Students Association had been torn down. After than to think that Jewish people were poisoning wells in the putting it back on the board, I noticed that a poster belonging Middle Ages and were responsible for the spread of bubonic to a campus conservative group had also been torn down, most plague. likely in retaliation. Now, if we know better than to believe this anti-Semitic To be honest, I don’t understand the hostility directed at the rhetoric, then why are we so willing to believe this anti-Muslim MSA. propaganda? Why are we so Recently, conservatives on willing to subscribe to these college campuses have decided idiotic conspiracy theories that it was their patriotic duty to American Muslims want to take inform their fellow citizens over the US? Clearly, ignorance about the dangers of “Islamohas been--and still is--humanifascism,” or the belief that ty’s greatest enemy. Muslims intend to overthrow Last year, I was so appalled governments worldwide and by a hateful speaker on campus impose a new world order that I became motivated to start based on Sharia (Islamic) law. writing, both for this magazine While many radical clerics in and on the internet; my goal the Middle East have supwas to do my part, however ported or preached this, it is small it may have been, to help abundantly clear that most Muslims worldwide--and indeed turn back the tide of intolerance that has gripped this nation here in the United States--do not support this. It is not just over the past decade. Just a cursory glance at that speaker’s work distressing but also downright ignorant to try to convince others reveals a career grounded in intolerance and reinforcing stereothat Muslim-Americans are a “threat”. This sort of stereotyping, types. I think we are all smarter than this. Whatever your views this sort of ignorance has several parallels in American history. may be on the situation in the Middle East, they don’t belong During the early, formative years of the United States, it was here on this campus--at least not to the extent where it means the Native Americans; during the Second World War it was hatred for Israel or hatred for Palestine. the Japanese; today it is Muslim-Americans--or, for that matter, Maybe it’s naive to think that we can all get along, but cant we anyone with brown skin. all just leave each other alone? One cannot deny that a few, prominent individuals have been extremely active in fostering an atmosphere of hostility against Muslim students. While it is my belief that our fellow students are generally tolerant, we cannot allow a few bigots to engage in intimidation and turn the MSA into scapegoats. Like other religious groups on campus, their sole purpose is to peacefully practice their religion, NOT to promote a radical agenda or engineer a takeover of the government. Groups such as the Binghamton University Zionist Organization need to understand that many of the stereotypes and conspiracy theories that are applied to Muslims were also applied to the Jewish people, especially during the heyday of anti-Semitism in the first half of the 20th Century. Ignorance about the Jewish people led to their persecution all across Europe, eventually culminating in

Fall 2009

asian outlook

my new how my hair has brought me closer to my asian identity by meladel busante

or some odd reason, I have chosen now to write this article – while sitting in Barnes and Noble on a rainy Saturday in the middle of a holiday weekend. Bob Marley plays in the background. I sip my iced green tea. I fiddle with my pen and contemplate whether or not I should get the soup of the day. I brush my bangs aside, which reminds me precisely why I am writing this article. In all actuality, this article started materializing in my mind several weeks ago. I went home for Labor Day weekend and decided to cut my hair. I asked my hairdresser for “just a trim”, but she proceeded to chop off four inches of my hair and give me bangs. Shortly after, I examined my reflection in the mirror. This was obviously not the haircut that I had asked for. Yet, I liked it. My hair fell just past my shoulders and my bangs grazed my eyes in wispy little strands. I never really had bangs before; I might

asian outlook

Fall 2009

even go so far as to say that I even avoided them. But this… this was something I liked. As I looked at myself, I admitted that this new hairstyle gave me a more “Asian” look. My suitemates and several other friends confirmed this idea upon my return to Binghamton. I loved my new haircut, not just because I liked the way it looked, but because I, after having longer hair for most of my life, felt freer, lighter, and uninhibited. I flaunted it, even teasing the strands in the front a bit. It was refreshing. I felt like a new, more unique me. That is until I realized that many other Asian girls on campus were sporting bangs just like me. Suddenly, I felt lost. I found it strange that something new and different for me had the potential to make me look like a lot of other people on campus. I dismissed my reservations as silly and unfounded. Even though I had bangs like many other Asian girls on campus, it did not mean that we all looked the same. I hadn’t really given my new haircut that much thought until I had a conversation with my boyfriend a week after. We were Skype-ing, and I decided to ask him what he thought about my hair (it was one of those bantering, playful, “Do you like it? Do you really? You’re not just saying that? Do you? For serious?” kind of questions). He responded with the usual, “Yes, I like it.”

“You look really cute.” “No, I’m not just saying that.” Needless to say, I was really pleased. I didn’t even mind when he said, like many others, that my new haircut made me look more “Asian”. And then: “You know, I really like your hair now but if I had to pick, I prefer how it was before.” Ouch. His recovery, in my eyes, was even worse. “It’s not that I don’t like it, I just felt your old hairstyle was more you.” In retrospect, I realize that he didn’t really say anything all that bad. There was no need for me to get as upset as I did, or react in a way that would prompt my roommate to wonder if I had lost one of my relatives. But this wasn’t about him being insensitive or me being too sensitive. Let’s not even blame it on PMS (this time). I felt that my own individuality was under attack, simply because I had chosen to have my hair cut this way. I felt that people viewed my hairstyle as “more Asian” and “less me”. For one, I was not born with “Asian” hair. Yes, I admit that I am not one of the lucky ones with smooth and silky hair reminiscent of Pantene commercials. Both my parents are mostly Filipino, but my dad is a quarter Chinese and my mom is very slightly Spaniard. To this, I can attribute her perfectly shaped ringlets that I admired as a child. Unfortunately, I did not

“ my own individuality was under attack ”

inherit this gene from my mom nor did I inherit my dad’s stick straight hair. My hair was pretty tame when I was a little kid, but by the time I had reached middle school, it had evolved into some kind of crazed hybrid that could not decide whether to be straight or curly, but instead settled on “poof ”.

together, but its generalized usage also has the potential to push us apart. Grouping us all together undermines the fact that the Chinese experience is different from the Vietnamese, Filipino, Indian, and Japanese experience. I felt that his single comment had unintentionally thrust me into a stream of generalizations. Asians, after all, are sort of a homogeneous people, at least in appearance. We all have dark hair and dark eyes. It’s natural that we want to stand out. A while back, I was flipping through the channels when I happened upon a documentary centered on the phenomena of Asians dyeing their hair with lighter colors. The documentary cited it as an attempt for young adults to individuate themselves from other Asians. Yet, as more and more Asians started dyeing their hair light brown, red, and blonde, the trend exhausted itself and people went back to their natural dark browns and blacks. This baffled and fascinated me at the same time. I may be over-thinking all of this. The particular Asians in the documentary may not have been dyeing their hair to escape conformity. They may have simply, for reasons of their own, just wanted to. Don’t all humans have a natural inclination towards change? I did not dye my hair brown in middle school because I wanted to be less Asian, and at the same time, I did not straighten my hair or get choppy bangs to become more Asian. I find it interesting how one feature – our hair – can say so much about our individuality. It makes sense, though, since our hair is one of the few physical features that can be easily changed. More and more, our identity is becoming something we create. Just as there is no one Asian experience, there is no one Asian identity. As a Filipino-

“ i live in my asian identity as much the same as i wear my favorite pair of sweats ”

I couldn’t take it. The summer before I entered high school, I got a Japanese straight perm. My hair has been straight, silky, and easy to manage since. People are amazed at the fact that my hair used to be in different condition. Many of them don’t even believe me. When my classmates in high school marveled at how straight my hair was and remarked that I was so lucky to have Asian hair, I could not help but feel a slight twinge of guilt since this wasn’t, after all, my “real” hair. It was hard to pinpoint exactly what I felt guilty of. As necessary as I felt my perm had been, I felt bad for not embracing my natural genes and felt even more regret as I noticed that my hair was showing some signs of over-processing. Overall, I felt that when people saw my hair, they were seeing someone else. It was as if I was running away from the real me. I realized that it was because all of this that my boyfriend’s comment had made me so upset. Even though this wasn’t the case, I couldn’t take it that one of the most important people in my life felt my new haircut made me look less like me and at the same time more “Asian”. As proud as I am of my heritage, I am not sure how I feel about society’s usage of the term “Asian”. I feel a special affinity with other Asians and I know that the term is intended to bring us

American raised in the Bronx after arriving in the US at the age of two, I am certain that I have an individual experience. I have not always been comfortable with my identity because I grew up knowing very few Filipinos. I did not have a lot of Asian friends as a child, particularly because there were only a handful of us enrolled at my school. Even when I did meet other Filipino kids, I always felt deficient because I could not speak our native language and because their family was so much more traditional than mine. Yet, at this point in my life, my Asian identity has become my second skin, something that I have nurtured my whole life whether I realized it or not. I live in my Asian identity as much the same as I wear my favorite pair of sweats. As comfortable as I have become, it gives me pause when someone distinguishes a certain feature of mine as “Asian”, such as my hair. I would hate to isolate that part of myself, to have it define me. I realize, though, that my identity is not confined to my external features, how I act, and whom I choose to be friends with, because being Asian is practically just a state of mind. My new haircut makes me look more Asian. And this is something I am more than willing to embrace.

Image Sources Alice’s Eye, Bangs. Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ gconde/486466468/ Asian Bangs. Source: http://omgasians.wordpress. com/2008/12/30/2008-in-review-selinaa/ All images are property of their respective owners.

Fall 2009

asian outlook

A Study in Hatred: The Murder of David Kao and the Prevalence of Hate Crimes Against Asians By Calvin Prashad A few weeks ago, 49 year old World Journal executive David Kao was murdered while sleeping in his car by two teenagers. The teenagers were 16 year old Corey Azor and 17 year old Chris Levy. The two snuck into his car and held him in a headlock until he passed out then dumped his body and left with his car, credit cards and the $115 dollars he had in his pocket. “I continued to hold him in the headlock and punch him in the face and then he stopped moving,” Chris Levy The two were found, along with an accomplice joyriding in Mr. Kao’s SUV two days later where they confessed to the gunpoint robbery of another

asian outlook

Fall 2009

Asian man the week before the murder. In their confessions, they claimed to be targeting Asian men that “looked drunk” as targets for robberies. In spite of this, the Queens District Attorney will not be prosecuting this as a hate crime. The lawyers for the teens have already started working on their defense with lawyer Melody Glover arguing

dom crimes. Petty criminals and youth understand quite well what to expect when they select their targets. This attack needs to be prosecuted as a hate crime. A precedent should be established that when criminals target a specific minority they can expect the hate crimes statute to be applied to their case.

“There are many innocent explanations as to why he was in possession of the car.”

If stiffer penalties exist, maybe we can cut down on the number of incidents of violence. Maybe Asians will be less of a tempting target to petty criminals, bored teenagers or gangs. Most people perpetrate these attacks on the twisted belief that they can get away with it. We need to send a strong message.

I call BULLSHIT on that. There is a consistent trend in the New York City area of teenagers attacking Asian men. I cite as example the murders of Huang Chen, Jin Sheng-Liu and Chun Lin-Jian. Notice that in all three murders, teenagers were involved. Huang Chen was stabbed and beaten to death while he begged for his life by thugs who expressed a desire to “do the Chinese man” as a gang initiation. Police would later find Chen’s body in a nearby pond. Jin Sheng Liu was beaten to death not for money, but for the Chinese food he was delivering by five teens. They ate the food while Liu bled to death. Chun Lin-Jian was reportedly shot during a holdup because he “smiled”. The crooks in this case got $13 in cash and $12 in food. The root of this is the long standing racial perception of Chinese men as weak and submissive. “Easy targets.” A brief look at recent incidents in the New York reveals that there is a degree of premeditation to these seemingly ran-

Congress, in Section 280003(a) of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (28 U.S.C. 994 note), defines a hate crime as a crime in which the defendant intentionally selects a victim, or in the case of a property crime, the property that is the object of the crime, because of the actual or perceived race, color, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, or sexual orientation of any person.

FYI - Here is the current hate crime law (from AALDEF.com, emphassis added)

ery man, Thu Nguyen was killed. His wallet and car were left untouched, but the order of food he was to deliver was taken. Police later reported that he had been lured to the building by a face

The media has been quick to report that not only is this case not being prosecuted as a hate crime, but that Kao’s colleagues at the World Journal also do not feel that it should be prosecuted as a hate crime. I understand that everyone hates injecting race into tragedy, but when the perpetrators admit to targeting a specific ethnic group, someone needs to draw the line. The legal precedent already exists to prosecute such assaults as hate crimes as seen in the case of Michael Sandy where his attackers believed his sexual orientation made him a more compelling target for robbery. After responding to a Craigslist post to meet his eventual attackers at a secluded location, Sandy fled as soon as he was attacked. He ran onto the highway where he was struck and killed. Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes, who prosecuted the attack as a hate crime at that time argued:

“We proved someone was killed because of his perceived vulnerability.” “That was Michael Sandy.” City Council Speaker Christine Quinn applauded prosecutors for applying the hate crime statute in this attack. Perceived vulnerability. That is what these twisted individuals were exploiting when they choose to terrorize the residents of Flushing. The District Attorney needs to understand the racial undertones to this killing and treat this as a hate crime. Are we going to wait until another David Kao is needlessly killed or are we going to do something about these ignorant punks? Recently, another Chinese food deliv-

his job because his ethnicity makes him an attractive target. Indeed Congressional Republicans have railed against the hate crimes bill, charging that it will “create a special class of victim“, offer “unequal protection” and “criminalise thought.“ A strong deterrent should exist so as to protect their well-being. The hate crime statute exists, but it is never applied to these cases. These men are not being attacked out of hunger, nor out of financial desperation. The motivating a factor is lack of respect, bordering on hatred for Asian-Americans.

order placed by the attacker. When individuals are shooting, stabbing and assaulting delivery men for the sole purpose of a free meal, it shows a flagrant disregard for the life of that individual. This sort of callousness is unique to this particular class of crime as well. We do not see fancy restaurants being held up for a meal, nor is the pizza delivery guy frequently in danger while he does his job. The racial perception that paints Asian men as weak, numerous and effeminate allows criminals and thugs to consider them expendable. After that, they have no problem committing horrific and brutal crimes against them. Despite what some Republicans would have you believe, hate crimes are very real and often the motivating factor is not just pure hate. Instead there is also a malicious and predatory aspect to hate crimes, one that rears its head every time someone is robbed, beaten, raped or otherwise victimized. Currently, there is no strong deterrent against such crimes and many perpetrate them on the twisted belief that they can get away with it. Therefore, not only are most of the perpetrators misguided teenagers, but also there is a high degree of premeditation behind these robberies. An individual should be fearful of doing

Last week, the Matthew Shepatd Bill passed Congress. Matthew Shepard was university student that was beaten to death over his sexual orientation. The bill extends federal jurisdiction over hate crimes. This victory did not come without a price however. The Shepard family was subject to distortions and smears about their son’s death from opponents of the bill. The consensus among the bill’s opponents was either that Shepard deserved what had happened to him, or that the motive was simple robbery (in spite of the suspects confessions to the contrary.) These are so many incidents in the New York area in the past 10 years. There are countless other anonymous cases as well. Is the life of a man worth $20 in food? Picture Sources: http://www.huffingtonpost. com/2009/06/11/david-kao-worldjournal-e_n_214313.html http://gridskipper.com/assets/resources/2007/11/chinese-delivery-a-guide. jpg

Fall 2009

asian outlook

When people find out that my main interest is in East Asian cultures—especially when I tell them that I want to live in Korea at some point—I get a wide range of reactions. Expressions have ranged from confusion, to slight amusement, and finally, to outright shock. Both my Caucasian and Asian friends have asked me, ‘Why?’ I just shrug, smile and tell them that honestly, I don’t know. Being a Caucasian-American who shows more interest in a different culture than her own, and being comfortable with this fact, has been a long and ongoing process. When I first became aware of this fascination of mine, I was too shy and unsure of myself to really let anyone know about it. Oh, of course a few of my closest friends knew, as it was often a common interest between us, but my interest in Asian cultures did not really ‘go public’ at least until my sophomore or junior year of high school. Coming to Binghamton was a huge change for me. There are more Asian people on this campus than there were in my whole hometown. So of course, as soon as I got here I did my best to make friends with anyone I met who was from an East Asian country. I quickly learned that doing that was not as easy as it sounded. When I first arrived at Bing, I was not particularly… practiced… at getting to know those who came from an Asian background. I found that I could not just walk up and start talking to a random group of people, as I might do with a bunch of Caucasian students. There seemed to be a sort of art to introducing myself to Asian people, and it took a while to figure it out. Once I had gotten past that hurdle of introducing myself, I discovered that that was really the most difficult part. Once I got to know certain people, and vice versa, I found that we got along amazingly well. Indeed, of my top five closest friends here at Bing, two of them are Korean, two are Chinese and only one is Caucasian. Of course, not

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Fall 2009

all people that I ended up talking to were open to making friends with someone whose first language was not the same as theirs, but that was a very small percentage. Overall, everyone I have met has been extremely kind, and highly amused, if not amazed, by the fact that I can spit off the names of Korean variety shows and sing along to songs by Jay Chou, DBSK and Utada Hikaru. As time has gone on, I have become more comfortable and confident in both my passions and myself; as a result of my growing confidence, I have realized and accepted the fact that I am walking a slightly different path than a lot of others my age. This is not to say that I am alone, for I have found others like me, that is, people who are interested in a culture that is very different from their own. Again I found I made friends with these people very quickly, because we could relate to each other. At the same time though, I have realized that not everyone shares my passion for ALL aspects of Asian culture. Everything from ancient history to traditional customs to the latest pop culture interests me, while others are only interested in one aspect or another. Some of the people I know have also not realized that they are trying to slip their way into the inner workings of cultures that, historically, have not always been open to outsiders, and I have seen it turn them bitter and judgmental. I look at these people and realize they were not as fortunate as I have been. All of the Asian people I have talked to here at Binghamton have turned out to be absolutely amazing – willing to share their cultures with me, and at the same time put up with my awkward American clumsiness as I try to navigate the finer aspects of their cultures. There have of course been rough spots here and there, and I feel it sometimes takes a bit more courage for me to start talking to people than it might for others, but all in all, being a Caucasian girl interested in Asian culture has been a very pleasant experience and I would not have it any other way.

Movie Review/

If You Are The One

Judging from this film, if there’s one thing China is doing right, it’s the movies. by kelvin chan

Feng Xiaogang’s “If You Are the One” (非誠勿扰) is a Chinese romance film, featuring actor Ge You and a slew of extremely talented actors and actresses from China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. I don’t want to classify it as a romantic comedy, because that would mislead the reader, putting it in the realm of “Knocked Up” or “Hitch”, which are fantastic films, but they lack the elegance in which Xiaogang package the hilarious conversations and one-liners. It is a drama and a romance first, with the humor as a pleasant bonus. In the movie, Ge You is Qin Fen, a pragmatic, middleaged man looking for a suitable candidate to take his hand in marriage, resorting to the internet to seek out such a woman. The film’s Chinese title, which translates as “If you’re not serious, don’t waste my time,” is part of his personal ad. I won’t say much about the plot line, but his encounters with the candidates who respond to his ad are hilarious and light-hearted, and balances out the more solemn atmosphere of the latter half of the movie. The dialogues flow naturally, revealing Qin Fen’s wit and the women’s charisma without feeling forceful or awkward. The acting was sublime also, as one can see the thought process plays out on Qin Fen’s face as he turns down a woman or makes a difficult decision. irector

Speaking of faces, the roster of beautiful actresses only adds to the appeal of this movie, with Shu Qi, Vivian Hsu, and Feng Yuanzheng to name a few, although the mistress to the wealthy fool, known only as Miumiu, is my favorite. Their beauty is a good distraction during the rare, dull moments in the film. Set in Beijing and Hokkaido, Japan, the film is beautifully shot, using calm, static scenes as establishing shots. A lighthouse bathing in the morning sun, the car driving through a radiant sea of sunflowers, or just a ship straddling the horizon on a cloudy evening, they all complement the quiet and undertone mood of the movie. With the beautifully subtle score, it is one of the most beautiful Chinese film I have ever watched. And because of the exceptional subtitle translations, the dialogues and thus the humor and emotions of the characters are not lost for non-Mandarin speakers. It is of little wonder that this film outdid “Titanic” to be the biggest all-time grosser in China, combining gorgeous scenery, superb acting, and a powerful, heartwarming plot to create an instant classic. It is equal parts “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” “Lost in Translation,” and Woody Allen’s “Manhattan,” creating a memorable film that would set the new standard for the Chinese filming industry.

Fall 2009

asian outlook

in brief:

reviews of all the manga that’s worth reading...

by nicele arana

the storyline seems like it can take a more serious tone in the near future. As for the artwork, the ways the delinquents and their facial expressions are drawn make every situation seem funnier.

aimed for release in the United States in 2011.

スケットダンス (Sket Dance) by shinohara kenta

GOTH By otsu-ichi

Kamiyama Itsuki and Morino Yoru both have strange preoccupations with death, and use their interests along with their analytical skills to solve several murders. But soon their interests get too personal.

べるぜバブ (Beelzebub) by tamura ryouhei

Tatsumi Oga is the stereotypical juvenile delinquent whose answer to everything is violence. His only friend is Takayuki Furuichi, a normal, cowardly guy with an eye for pretty girls. One day, Oga is beating people up by the riverbed when he meets the devil… but not in the way you think. Beelzebub is a relatively new publication being serialized in the Japanese manga anthology, Weekly Shounen Jump, a popular magazine directed towards adolescent males. The literal translation of Beelzebub is “lord of the flies,” which is occasionally used synonymously with the devil. But instead of the usual occult horror, Beelzebub is more of an action-comedy, which is typical for Weekly Shounen Jump manga. Even though the humor can get pretty bizarre,

asian outlook

Fall 2009

If you are looking for a darker manga, GOTH is a morbid psychological horror to look into. The manga is a condensed adaptation of the novel by OtsuIchi. Hiyohara Hiro and Oiwa Kenji, who is well known for his work on Welcome to the NHK, are responsible for the adaptation and artwork. GOTH can easily get confusing if you do not pay attention to details, but a good thing to note is that it does not fall into the cliché bad ending. If you enjoy the story, you can read the English version of the novel translated by anime and manga distributor, Tokyopop. Due to its popularity, Fox Atomic, a label of 20th Century Fox, is adapting the novel into a feature film

“Sket-Dance” is a club in Kaimei Gakuen dedicated to improving overall campus life by solving various faculty and student problems. The problem is, the club is extremely unpopular and only has three members. Also serialized in Weekly Shounen Jump, Sket Dance is an interesting change of pace in the shounen genre. Instead of the usual action-packed storylines prevalent in other Weekly Shounen Jump titles, Sket Dance focuses primarily on school comedy. The three club members of SketDan, Yusuke, Hime, and Kazuyoshi, are strange, funny, annoying, but are also inspiring because of their genuine desire for philanthropy. Even if the first couple of chapters may discourage some from further reading, later chapters reveal that Sket Dance is capable of a more dramatic, meaningful storyline that can make readers look forward to each release.

ダレン・シャン (Darren Shan) by darren shan and arai takahiro

Two boys have tickets to a freak show, but their curiosity ends up changing their lives forever. Like GOTH, Darren Shan is also based on a novel, this time by Irish writer, Darren Shan, author of The Saga of Darren Shan fantasy series. It is also being adapted into an American film, set for release in October 2009. Although the manga characterization seems slightly off from the novel, it actually paints a much more detailed picture of the characters’ personalities. The manga is a striking visual of Darren and Steve’s friendship, their mutual fascination with the world of the occult, and their sudden descent into it. Thankfully, Darren Shan focuses more on the terror, excitement, and horror of the vampire world, and less on the usual eroticism and romance.

⇧ front cover of the first volume of Darren Shan 君に届け (Kimi ni Todoke - Reaching You)

⇩ front cover of the first tankōbon volume, with characters Sawako Kuronuma and Shota Kazehaya

by shiina karuo

Kuronuma Sawako is a socially awkward girl who greatly admires Kazehaya, the most popular and well-liked boy in class. Initially, she is content with admiring him from afar, but Kazehaya gets to know her and helps her finally come out of her shell. Unpopular-girl-meets-popular-guy is not an unusual topic in shoujo manga (Japanese manga directed toward teenage girls). However, Kimi ni Todoke takes a completely different look into the relationship. The minimalist panels lack the pretty flowers, sparkles, and sugary dialogues that tend to overwhelm most shoujo manga found on the shelves of bookstores, and instead focuses on realistic character development. This is a story that portrays not only the gradual development of love, but also the possibility of personal growth. Image Sources Beelzebub. Source: http://www.mangavolume. com/beelzebub/ Sket Dance Jump Comics. Source: http://read. mangashare.com/Sket_Dance/chapter-001/ page001.html Darren Shaw. Source: http://www.mangafox.com/ manga/darren_shan/ Cover of Kimi ni Todoke. Source: http://oneasianworld.com/blog/anime/ All images are property of their respective owners.

Fall 2009

asian outlook

A Taste of China:

by Diane Wong

ther than Nanxiang, there are many small food stands all throughout the market selling local Shanghainese specialties. My favorite snack was the fried crabs. All over the temple, you can see people huddled around biting into whole crabs on sticks and spitting the shells into the garbage cans. My first thought of seeing the crabs was that it would just taste like oil, but my first encounter with the crabs on the stick made me fall in love with it. There are usually three crabs on a stick, and fter spending close to two months in Shanghai studying abroad, I’ve decided that my favorite spot is Cheng Huang although some people chose not to eat the shells of the crab, you’re supMiao. Cheng Huang Miao is a Taoist temple that was built during the posed to swallow everything together. I think the crispiness of the shell Ming dynasty for residents to pray for good fortune and peace. Dur- is a bit startling at first, but it’s a pleasant surprise. ing the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Japanese occupied certain parts f you walk around the temple, it’s guaranteed of Shanghai and worshippers from the concessions were cut off from the that you’ll catch a drift of something funky temple. After the end of World War II, worshippers and merchants shifted smelling. The pungent odor is no other than back to the temple. Each year, tourists flow to this market to enjoy live the famous Chinese stinky tofu. music, bargain basement priced gifts, and department stores. What’s I’ve never been a picky great about this temple is that once you’re tired from walking around, eater, but I have good food is always a stone’s throw away. to admit My favorite restaurant in this market is Nanxiang Xiao Long.

This restaurant is located in the middle of the market, and even with three floors, it’s packed every day. In the evening hours, there usually is a fifty person line, but it’s worth waiting for because Nanxiang serves the best soup dumplings in Shanghai. For anyone who doesn’t know what soup dumplings are, they’re dumplings made with meat and fat jelly. Once they are steamed, the jelly is melted filling the dumpling with soup. The trick to eating these dumplings is to first make a tiny hole in the dumpling and then suck out the soup. What’s special about Nanxiang’s soup dumplings is that the skin is made particularly thin, and that the meat inside is cooked perfectly tender. These dumplings are sold by a basket of 15 or so, for 12 kuai, which is around 1.80 USD. After 5:30 in the evening, they switch to crab dumplings, for 20 kuai a basket.

asian outlook

Fall 2009

Shanghai

0 1 Top

by Diane Wong

fter spending two months in Shanghai on a study abroad program, I’ve encountered many bizarre instances. After all these countless eye opening experiences, I’ve made a list of ten observations that have enthralled me the most:

1. Most women walk around in at least two inch heels, you can tell if a chick’s a foreigner just by noticing her flip flops.

2. You’re expected to bring your own toilet paper to public bathrooms.

If you’re planning to use one at McDonald’s, you better buy some chicken nuggets first and ask for extra napkins. I was hesitant to try stinky tofu at first. Essentially, stinky tofu is tofu that has been fermented and smells like it has gone bad, but it honestly tastes nothing like it smells. The market sold two types of stinky tofu – deep fried and steamed – the fried version is a bit less stinky and has a nice crisp to it on the first bite. The fermentation process creates a broth full of good bacteria cultures, and because bacteria cultures differ from region to region, the complex flavors of stinky tofu can vary tremendously depending on where it is made. Once the broth is ready, the tofu is marinated in the broth for five hours during which, enzymes in the broth break down the proteins in the tofu. The chemical process releases compounds such as hydrogen sulfide and ammonia which may account for the stinky smell of the tofu. Stinky tofu is an acquired taste, sort of like French cheese, fois gras or other strong tasting foods.

nother specialty often sold at this market is something known as Bingtang Hulu, which is a skewer of about half a dozen hawthorns that are dipped in a vat of sugar syrup which hardens to a delicate crunchy shell. This was one of my favorite sweet treats in Shanghai…the sweet-tart combination is absolutely to die for. It’s hard to describe the taste of hawthorns, they’re a bit sour with a slight tinge of sweetness… kind of like cranberries. It just gets a little messy eating these sticky treats because the syrup almost always ends up stuck to your teeth but it’s absolutely worth the trouble to eat.

Hope I didn’t leave you all too hungry!

3. Movie theaters have assigned seating. 4. You can buy a full meal for the equivalent of $2, but a cup of coffee could cost up to $10.

5. The subway system is rather new, and it’s easy to walk across the train because everything is connected. However, if you are caught eating or drinking on the subway, you will be fined a good 1,000 RMB.

6. People wait outside restaurants begging you to come in. Often in front of malls, workers advertise their products by speaking into headset microphones. Sometimes they’ll give you orange juice for taking a look inside.

7. it’s not required by law to wear a seatbelt in the back – better yet,

most seatbelts in taxi’s are primarily for display, they don’t actually work.

8. Avoid eating at a restaurant that fails to seat at least five tables; Pepto Bismol wouldn’t even be able to save you the next day.

9. Sometimes, restaurants get creative with the names of their dishes. Prepare yourself to see “strange taste rabbit Ding” or “open space mountain hot spice plant claw” on restaurant menus.

10. Don’t be alarmed if you see an entire family of five (and sometimes even a pet) on a two wheeler riding along side of cars. Biking is the preferred form of transportation in Shanghai.

Take these observations I’ve made into account next time you visit Shanghai. It’s truly a captivating city.

Fall 2009

asian outlook

by Paul Yi But Tokyo is not all about pop culture. There are many cultural experiences in Tokyo. A great place to see Japanese culture and history is in Ueno Park. Ueno Park is famous for its museums, including the Tokyo National Museum where historical artifacts and various works of art are displayed. The most interesting pieces are the samurai armor and weaponry.

iant robots, cosplay maids, yakitori bars, and enormous arcades.

What more can a guy ask for? Tokyo, Japan is a remarkable place to visit. It is a whole new experience to walk down the streets and have your senses bombarded with lights and advertisements while a multitude of people zoom past your shoulder trying to get to work. Giant televisions and projectors will inform you about the latest albums from various pop artists. An ample amount of vending machines will be there to serve you and to quench your thirst.

Once the sun goes down, Tokyo changes into a city with a crazy nightlife. Yakitori bars will open up selling cheap drinks and tasty foods and people on the streets will advertise their restaurant. As it gets deeper into the night, the red light district will emerge. Kabukicho is one of the famous red light districts. It is a strange experience walking down Kabukicho’s streets, but it is not necessary to partake in the activities to enjoy the area. Just walking around will be sufficient enough and soon you’ll realize that being asked if any “services” are needed is just part of the experience. Whether it’s clothes, food, anime, or culture, Tokyo has it all.

There are many places in Tokyo where you can blow your cash, but the best place to go is Harajuku. This place is known as the shopping district of Tokyo. Harajuku has a wide variety of stores ranging from high-end Prada stores to small boutiques owned by native designers. Lately it seems that more western stores are opening up in Harajuku. In April the first Forever 21 opened. However, since it is the only Forever 21 in Japan there are massive lines everyday to get in. For the manga and anime enthusiast, Akihabara is the place to go. There is a game or anime store on every single block and girls are dressed up as maids promoting their maid cafés. Akihabara is populated with huge arcades with multiple floors featuring the latest games with online play. These games can connect with other machines in Japan to play against someone in real time.

asian outlook

Fall 2009

AO CONSCIENCE

Fall 2009

asian outlook

Coney Island - Kelvin Chan

asian outlook

Fall 2009

Who Who is good at math and has got slits for eyes and Chiclets for teeth? Who eats fried chicken and watermelon and drink purple drinks all day? Who hoards the money and jewelries and picks up every penny off the floor? Who works at convenience stores and smells like hairy undergrowth? Who mows your lawn on the weekdays and washes cars on the weekends? These are people unknown but you can picture them perfect in your head.

by Kelvin Chan Fall 2009

asian outlook

∏

tContinuous Washing of Jeanst by Pauline Hsia

Last night I remember my mom with salt and pepper Tresses, a silent movie, cooked me rice and bass Doused in petroleum soy sauce so sweet That I licked my fingers and chugged shots Of gin thereafter. Which then I grabbed two carved ivory Chopsticks and curled my tongue upon them to sponge Up the fish oil to twist them in my electrical waves On a heart monitor into mini twin Blue-pressed china bowls. Last night I remember my mom with grey hair Cooked me rice and pollack Doused in petroleum soy sauce so salty That I licked my fingers and chugged Shots of vodka thereafter. Which then I grabbed two carved Chopsticks and curled my tongue upon them to sponge Up the liquid to twist them in my electrical waves On a heart monitor into mini twin China bowls. Last night I remember my mom Cooked me something Doused in petroleum soy sauce so strong That I licked my fingers and chugged Liquor thereafter. Which then I grabbed Chopsticks and curled my tongue upon them to sponge Up the liquid to twist them in my electrical waves On a heart monitor into twin China bowls.

π 32

asian outlook

Fall 2009

Tribeca - Kelvin Chan

Fall 2009

asian outlook

Broken Glass - Michelle Jeon

asian outlook

Fall 2009

ĘGÖ Is my

too big for you? EGO (remix) by SHIFT the MC

Ayo Buzz helped me out when I was just a freshmen Been rhyming for a while, I’m what you’d call a veteran I’m fresher than I was, more fresher than I’ve ever been No longer a wild child, nah, I’m now a gentlemen These haters got bad breath, y’all haters need a breath-a-mint Don’t hate me cuz ya broke, just blame it on the re-ces-sion But I’ve been making money, and cashin in my checks though I own all my ish, while y’all pushin them rentals Ain’t about the physical, ninety-nine percent mental Been puffin on that good ish, smokin presidential I ain’t from the hood, my hoods more residential I’m doing real good, but still got more potential I got big dreams of cream and pushing Enzo’s Putting mom and pop behind the wheel of that new Benzo Ain’t really moving fast, it’s only cuz y’all been slow And I’ve been on point like a freshly sharpened pencil Fall 2009

asian outlook

Len & Chrome - Amy Sun

asian outlook

Fall 2009

"Love is but a double-edge sword"

The

Final Call by Ivan Yeung

The alarming melody awakens my scenic daydream Seeing her name makes my heart beat faster As sweat begins to trickle down my forehead I answer Her silence evokes pain A familiar voice speaks only to relay heartbreak Constantly choking back tears I listen The complete absence of warmth Words of ice-cold hatred Silenced only by memories She breaks down Words of support and comfort begins their path Her feeling of pain exact to mine when she fell in love Only contributes to my jubilance She continues Set on a beautiful autumn day Began exactly like tonight Only to end with me crying I stop her Physical pain will heal Emotional scars stay forever Fairytale endings never coming true False promises never fulfilled With my last crippling words I ended the conversation And our friendship Love is but a double-edge sword To gamble and win will award the ultimate happiness To gamble and lose willâ&#x20AC;Ś End with wet eyes and a torn heart. Fall 2009

asian outlook

9/11 Memorial Service - Dennis D. Chen

asian outlook

Fall 2009

Welcome to AO Conscience, or if you flipped from the front, thank you for reading. This is the literary and creative section of the Asian Outlook Magazine, where artistic abilities is valued more than political opinions, where talents are showcased and admired. Everyone is free to submit their own work for a chance of being published. Anything that is socially acceptable will be considered, and nothing will be overlooked. Just one thing: donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t plagiarize! I hope you enjoy these submissions from your schoolmates, and if you want to see your work on these pages, please submit to aoconscience@gmail.com. Kelvin Chan AO Conscience Editor

About the AOConscience cover: taken on Greenwich St. in June. (maybe your photo will grace the next cover.) Fall 2009

asian outlook

Meetings Thursdays, 7:30pm, at UUW329 Please send all submissions to ao.editor@gmail.com All creative and artwork to aoconscience@gmail.com