Asian Outlook Fall 2012 Issue #1 by Asian Outlook

ASIAN OUTLOOK volume XXVI, issue 1

Volume XXVI, Issue 1

contents OUTLOOK

featured 8 | What Obama and Romney Have to Offer the AA Community | Dale Gao

column 26 | Ways To Wear | Susi Ngo

conscience 30 | Tasmiah Rashid 31 | BUJA Haiku Contest 2012 32 | Koloquium 33 | Kyra

ASIAN

34 | Kitrena Young

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36 | Jonah Lang 37 | Eric Han 38 | Ivan Yeung

Cover image sources: http://www.vagabondish.com/photo-new-dawn-new-day-belgrade-serbia/ http://free-christian-computer-wallpaper.blogspot.com/2009/06/patriotic-computer-wallpaper-american.html

letter from the editor... Borders are scratched across the hearts of men, by strangers with a calm, judicial pen, and when the borders bleed we watch with dread the lines of ink along the map turn red. - Marya Mannes

Asian Americans. Exit polls show that 73% of Asian Americans voters voted for President Obama. Polls showed that most Asian Americans considered fixing the economy and creating jobs as the highest priority, along with immigration reform and federal healthcare and their votes expressed trust in Obama as the man for the job. With a greater turn out of Asian American voters than ever before and more Asian American Congress members than ever before, this 2012 election was a big step forward for the AAPI community. According to Disgrasian, this November, Mazie Hirono became the first Asian American woman elected to Senate, Tammy Duckworth became the first Thai American (as well as, the first disabled woman veteran) elected to Congress, Grace Meng became the first Asian American to represent New York in Congress, Mark Takano became the first openly gay person of color in Congress, and Tulsi Gabbard became the first Pacific Islander woman and first Hindu elected to Congress. As encouraging as these results are for the Asian American community, the end of this election should not mark the end of political awareness or participation. In order to continue progressing, all Americans must continue to remain politically aware, educated, and active. For many Americans, even more so than job growth and health care reform, identity was at stake. Bill O’Reilly expressed this fear on the eve of the election saying, “The White Establishment is now the minority” and “The demographics are changing. It’s not a traditional America anymore.” Although incorrect in his assertion that America consists of a White minority, his fear of a changing America reflects a fear of many conservative Americans. For those who hold the belief that the true American is a white, heterosexual Protestant, the nonwhite president and growing number of elected officials who do not fit this notion of the “traditional” or “real” American, threaten their American identity and challenge their understanding of the nation. In response to the challenge, Xenophobic and hateful hostilities, tensions and divisions arise and hinder inclusiveness and unity. In order to remove these invisible borders and boundaries that exist within our country, we must begin to shift our thinking of identity to one that is less firmly affixed to the physical location of nation. I believe that if we can begin to replace our rigid notions of nation with something more pliable, then we can begin to tear down the walls and traverse the boundaries that divide our country. If we maintain a fluid understanding of America, change will be readily accepted and embraced, rather than thrust sense of place and belonging into a tumultuous state. This is the path to a more unified, progressive, and inclusive America and we can only achieve it by remaining politically and socially conscious and inspiring others to do the same. On a lighter note, I hope you will enjoy this issue and continue to submit articles. We want our publication to reflect the interests of our readers, and I urge everyone to use this magazine as a forum and outlet to express your views and incite passion. Join us in UUW 329 on Thursdays at 7:30 for our weekly meetings followed by bubble tea. Special thanks to Jonah Lang for only cursing me in his head when I handed him the full responsibility of putting together our video for Asian Night and to all of those who got involved. If you enjoyed our video and want more of that silliness and tomfoolery, stop by a meeting or a writing workshop! Writing workshops will continue to be held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:30 to 6:30 and Tuesdays from 3:30 to 5:30. If you are still reading, I appreciate your devotion. Thanks to everyone in AO who puts up with my scatterbrained tangents! his recent election was a very important one for

Keep reading my friends. Kayla Natrella Editor-in-Chief, Fall 2012

asian outlook executive board Fall 2012 editor-in-chief conscience editors copy editors layout editors

secretary business manager publicity managers

Kayla Natrella Karen Tong Shenen Lee Jonah Lang William Mark Claire Chang Meng Zhu Susi Ngo Dale Gao Kitrena Young Farhan Hussain Her Min

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, Asian Outlook also serves to protect the voice of those in the minority, whether by ethnicity, gender, and/or political orientation. All matter contained within these b`eautiful 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 submissions. 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 punishment of pain. Please direct all questions, comments and complaints to ao.editor@gmail.com.

interested in contributing?

E-mail us at:

ao.editor@gmail.com

Or come to our weekly meetings held in the Asian Student Union office (UUW-329) every Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

Vol. XXVI, Issue 1

Ayyy~ Sexy Lady!

The Gangnam Style Sensation By Her Min

decade ago, when

I was a middle school student, I asked my American friends what they knew about South Korea. They replied, “Nothing.” They said that if someone asked an American if they knew about South Korea, the person would probably answer, “What? There are countries outside of the USA?” South Korea is so small that it is even smaller than some of America’s states. Now, however, if someone asks an American, “Do you know South Korea?” that person usually says, “Oh yeah, Gangnam Style!” For the last two months, the South Korean song, “Gangnam Style”, has been the world’s hottest new sensation. Everyone now knows the phrases, “Oppa, Gangnam Style” and “Ssanai.” In addition, while driving around listening to music in the car, we can even hear the song on popular American radio stations like ‘Kiss FM’ that are not generally known for playing this

ASIAN OUTLOOK

A decade ago, when I was a middle school student, I asked my American friends what knew about South Korea. They replied, “Nothing.” style of music. Moreover, PSY (Park Jae-sang) performed in front of Rockefeller Center in New York City, and has been featured in many other mass media outlets, including CNN, ABC News, the LA Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Huffington Post, in an effort to promote and introduce the singer and song. What is even more startling is that PSY has even taught famous American figures like Britney Spears, Justin Bieber, and Eric Schmidt (Google’s CEO) to dance the Horse Riding dance from “Gangnam Style”. So, what is the Gangnam Style? Succinctly, "Gangnam Style" is a Korean pop (or K-Pop) song released on July 15, 2012 by the South Korean rapper, PSY. The song debuted at number one on the Gaon Chart, the national record chart of South Korea, and has received over 303 million views on YouTube. It is the most watched K-pop video in history. 'Gangnam' in Gangnam style is [a city] like the Beverly Hills of Korea," PSY told ABC News. "[However,] the dance doesn't look like Beverly Hills, the lyrics don't [sound] like Beverly Hills and the music and all the situations [in the video] do not look like Beverly Hills.” PSY calls his style a “twist” on the Beverly Hills style. According to The Washington Post, "The dance has multiple influences: The 60s dance called the pony, popularized by Chubby Checker; LMFAO's 'Party Rock Anthem' shuffle (which, in turn, comes from the Melbourne Shuffle); a little bit of Monty Python; and regular old pantomime." Why has “Gangnam Style” become so famous? In tough times like now, people lose their smiles, happiness, and ability to laugh. In this situation, the sarcasm of the song is a good way to make people laugh. Although foreign viewers cannot understand the lyrics, each and every viewer bursts out laughing after seeing the comical dance. In countless reaction videos on YouTube, the foreign fans absolutely love the comical dance and even dance along to his horse riding dance. Another factor behind its popularity is the electronic beats in the song, which was a smart move by PSY since electronic music is the hottest genre in North America and Europe right now.

As America is the birthplace of disco and club culture, Americans always desire diverse dances and action. In this context, “Gangnam Style” is easy and fun to follow like “The Macarena.” Moreover, as one music scholar has said, “It is awkward that Asians try to imitate Michael Jackson because it just seems unnatural. However, “Gangnam Style” is ingenious by itself and it is original and innovative.” PSY has managed to create a new, memorable style that’s appealing to Western audiences while remaining distinctive to South Korean culture. Why is “Gangnam Style” important? Before PSY, it was not common for the mainstream mass media to deal with Asian stories. Of course, they write articles about Asia regarding economics and similar topics, but they did not write articles related to Asian entertainment. The prevalence of “Gangnam Style” in American media represents an increase of Asian presence in the United States. One music commentator mentioned that when PSY made an inroad into the American comedy and dance markets, he did so in two of the main markets of American culture. Interestingly, many Asian Americans who have to stay within mainstream American can look to PSY as an emotional and cultural inspiration in music and dance. Where Asian Americans never before had a relatable role model in the American entertainment industry, they now have PSY. So, what can Asia learn by considering the sensation? It is said that many Asians tend to cling to their own cultures and languages even though they are living in the United States. Because of this, many Americans say that it is too hard to associate with Asians because they believe that Asians prefer to be together with other Asians. In this case, however, “Gangnam Style” succeeds in creating mass appeal without alienating or excluding those who know little to nothing about Korean culture, or are not Korean themselves. It has no irksome style, and it is unique and distinctive. By doing so, it has become popular around the world. Of course, the fact that the dance is easy to follow doesn’t hurt either. Sources: -http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/culture/music/553759.html -http://www.teen.com/2012/08/22/im-bored/reasons-tolove-psy-gangnam-style/#ixzz27n0Xq0CP www.dong-a.com -http://news.donga.com/People/3/06/20120825/48864502/1

Vol. XXVI, Issue 1

Did You Hear? Bleaching Your Vagina Is All the Rage…

“How do I look?Should I fix

my hair? Do I look fat in this outfit?”

By Katherine Rimpel and John Frandolig

As if there wasn’t enough for you ladies to worry about, here is one more thing to add to the list: your vagina may be too dark. No, that is not a typo; Brazilian bikini waxes are out, vagina bleaching is in!

ecently in India, a new skin lightening product, “Clean & Dry Intimate Wash” has been released. To an unobservant passerby, it might seem to be just another one of the multitude of skin lightening products that graces the shelves of Indian stores daily. However, there is a twist: “Clean & Dry Intimate Wash” is intended to bleach a woman’s vagina. It enables women to bleach away those “dark” spots on their genital area, and make the area look “fairer” in terms of skin complexion. The company behind this controversial product advertises that it is “designed to address the problems women face in their private parts. . . to be used while showering, its special pH-balanced formula cleans and protects the affected area, and even makes the skin fairer. Life for women will now be fresher, cleaner, fairer!” In the commercial for the product, we see a woman depressingly looking at her husband, who seems to be disinterested in her. She perceives that her husband lacks desire for her because of her dark vagina. The viewer then sees the woman showering with the “Clean &

ASIAN OUTLOOK

Dry Intimate Wash” in an effort to lighten her vagina. The commercial ends on a happier note, with the woman and her husband delightfully playing and flirting, insinuating that the “Clean & Dry Intimate Wash” has restored the passion to her otherwise dead love life. And her life is now fresher, cleaner, and fairer! But what does it truly mean to be fairer, and do people buy into this notion? Priyanka Kohli, a sophomore at Adlephi University commented, saying that “Indians strive to be lighter, to be like Whites. However, I think it’s absurd. There is no reason to bleach an area that is only intended to be seen by your significant other. In the mind of an Indian woman, she is only going to have intercourse with her husband, a man she trusts and plans on spending her whole life with openly. Why should she care about some color issue? It’s stupid.” Resentment against the commercial has grown into a mass attack on the product and its advertisement. The media is continuously pushing new beauty products on women by creating new needs: to be skinnier, to be prettier, or to have the latest fashion. However,

this new product now radically implores women to chemically change an intimate area. Why are women going to such extremes? It is all about fitting in and conforming to the stereotype, especially in Indian society, where being lighter in skin tone is deemed to be “better.” In Asian societies, it has been instilled throughout generations, that the fairness, or lightness of skin corresponds with higher status. Darker skin tone is usually associated with people who worked in the fields and were exposed to the sun all day. Fairer, light toned skin color is associated with those of superior status, who stay inside all day, and are pure and innocent. This notion has led to the overwhelming obsession with fair skin among women. For example, a lighter skin tone is thought to make a woman highly desirable to a man, as well as more preferable in the job market. Also, in Bollywood films, not only are the actresses beautiful and young but they also have fairer skin. This notion of skin color superiority has also spread to the younger generations. A vitamin-enriched skin lightening lotion sold in the Philippines, “Skin White Teens” targets pre-pubescent girls. The commercial for the product depicts a young girl with fair skin claiming that by using the lotion, she is able to “start from white” and become a “brand new me!” The bleaching lotion suddenly gives the

“power to wow,” and the young girl is shown emerging as a confident woman. Many people believe that these advertisements have gone too far, preying on young innocent, insecure children, who are consumers as well, that have yet to truly discover themselves. However, this “lighter is better” idea in Asian countries is very different than European and American ideas. In these countries, it is widely believed that a tanned skin tone reflects a natural and healthy demeanor. In contrast, pale individuals are often viewed as sickly and unhealthy. This mentality is shown in the United States, where young adults frequently visit tanning salons in order to gain that summer “glow.” Girls, in particular, will go to any extreme, such as putting themselves at risk for skin cancer by excessive tanning, in order to make their skin tone reflect the bronze color that is widely idealized in Western society. Ironically, while Europe and America portrays the ideal girl as one with a darker complexion or tanned, Asian societies view fair skin as beautiful. Beauty standards have come to include a fairer complexion and lighter skin tone. Women are resorting to extreme methods, such as vaginal bleaching, to fulfill their dreams of being white. As long as the media continues to influence every facet of the modern world, women will always find reason to adapt their bodies to fit the prevailing trends.

Photo still from product commercial

Vol. XXVI, Issue 1

What Obama and Romney

Have to Offer

ASIAN OUTLOOK

to the Asian American By Dale Gao

Community Vol. XXVI, Issue 1

The Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) populations have been increasing over the past decade at a rate of 46% according to the National Asian American Survey (NAAS), and as they grow, so does their political power and influence. Although this group’s past inclination has been to vote with the Democratic Party, this year a growing number of voters within this demographic are undecided about how they will cast their vote in this upcoming presidential election. One question remains that may affect how the Asian American populations will vote: what do Obama and Romney have to offer for their communities? If you haven’t been keeping up-to-date with this year’s 2012 presidential campaign, you really should! In what may be one of the most important elections in our lifetime, there is a toe-to-toe match between President Barack Obama and Massachusetts Senator Mitt Romney, as they contend for the presidency and determine the fate of the United States of America. On the left, representing the Democratic Party, incumbent Barack Obama is running for his second term. Democrats have been known to take positions in favor of increased government-involvement, increased spending for the economy and federal mandated health care, as well as liberal stances on social issues, such as abortion, immigration, and gay marriage. On the right, challenging the current president, the candidate representing the Republican Party (GOP), is Mitt Romney. Unlike the Democratic Party, the Republican Party has been known for favoring tax cuts, military funding, smaller government, and domestic oil drilling while opposing abortion and gun control. Economy/employment According to a 2012 survey conducted by the NAAS, the economy and unemployment are what Asian Americans are most concerned about in

terms of problems associated with the United States. With a population of more than 18 million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States, unemployment has risen to 50.1% for those age 16 and up between 2010 and 2011, according to the Economic Policy Institute. When compared with other races, Asian Americans hold the highest percentage of unemployment with Blacks close behind at 49.9%, Caucasians at 42.4 %, and Hispanics at 39.8%. Under this slow economy, critics have bashed Obama for over-promising and under-delivering on his promise of a speedy recovery during the last presidential campaign. In a time where the economy isn’t at its best, would the Republican platform be better for Asian Americans? Romney plans to fix the economy by cutting government spending as well as implementing tax cuts. Through tax cuts, Romney believes that the number of jobs will increase through investments and entrepreneurship as people gain a bit more money in their pockets or through companies as firms now have the money to take in more workers. Along with the tax cuts, Romney also plans to cut non-defense related government spending such as public broadcasting television (PBS). Romney, however, bashes China for keeping the U.S. economy at a low due to China’s currency devaluing, but according to Xinhua, a news agency in China, their country’s currency has little to do with the U.S. economy and employment, saying: “Such blaming-China-on-everything remarks are as false as they are foolish, for it has never been a myth that pushing up the value of China’s currency would be of little use to boost the chronically slack job market of the world’s sole superpower, not to mention to magically turn the poor U.S. economic performance around.” Using China as a scapegoat, Romney may be hiding his inability to actually fix the U.S. current economic state.

In a time where the economy isn’t at its best, would the Republican platform be better for Asian Americans? 10

ASIAN OUTLOOK

Critics have bashed Romney for his broad plans and say that his solutions treat the US like a corporation rather than a country. Obama’s economic plan will attempt to “grow the economy from the middle class out” rather than from top as Romney’s plan. In addition to bailing out the middle class, Obama also intends for the rich and wealthy to “pay their fair share” in hopes of building revenue to reduce the debt that the United States carries. Health Care According to the Asian American Health Initiative, “more than a million Asian Americans live at or below the federal poverty level, are afflicted by various health problems, and often lack health insurances.” With such a high poverty rate, Asian Americans need health care more than ever to take care of their state of health. Under a new federal health care law called the Affordable Care Act, commonly called “Obamacare,” Obama hopes to provide accessible, affordable, high-quality health care to sickly individuals believing that “no one in the wealthiest nation on Earth should go broke because they got sick.” Under this act, insurance companies are held accountable for discrimination, overcharging, and

denying necessary medical care. Additionally, the act also strengthens Medicare for the senior citizens, and puts women in control of their own health, ending the practice of charging women more than men. Romney has promised to repeal “Obamacare” if elected president. This mirrors the sentiments expressed by Asian small business owners in New York City. In an interview with Yahoo! Finance, Cham Chun To, owner of Big Wong, a popular restaurant in Chinatown, says it will be difficult to handle the expenses of mandated health care as the added costs will cause him to lose money in an already struggling economic climate. Romney hopes to end what he believes is a “hugely disruptive” burden on the economy by eliminating the law funded by American taxpayers. Rather than relying on mandated health care, he believes in turning Medicare into an incomeadjusted voucher program as well as promoting free markets. He believes that by promoting free markets within the medical sectors, citizens would have higher quality options at a lower cost. Education In comparison to other ethnic groups, Asian Americans have the most bachelor degrees, and

Vol. XXVI, Issue 1

comprise the best educated ethnic group within the United States. Many members of the Asian American community are recent immigrants seeking better opportunities that a quality education can offer. As a result, this is an important issue for this constituency. Under the Obama presidency, Pell Grants have doubled, and college tax credit have been established which has allowed more Americans to pursue higher education. He has also capped federal student loan repayments, which allows students and their families to think more about career goals rather than price of tuition. Obama has also invested in community colleges as well as ensuring that veterans and service members can get a college education and find work through the post 9/11 G.I. Bill. Obama believes Romney would cut funding from higher education, which would increase tuition and roll back his student loan reforms. He believes this would inconvenience students, increasing the likelihood for them to “shop around.” If Romney were to become president, he plans to strengthen and simplify the financial system, attract and reward great teachers with flexibility and block grants, while eliminating unnecessary certification requirements that discourage new teachers. Romney also plans to give more control to parents over their children’s education and make Title I and IDEA Funds portable which would provide options to low income and special needs students trapped in bad schools. Romney believes that Obama has been using taxpayers’ money to pay teacher unions to help get him elected rather than producing real results. Sources: -http://www.naasurvey.com/resources/Home/NAAS12-sep25election.pdf -http://aaldef.org/blog/ -http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-obama-unemployment2012-8-v -http://www.businessinsider.com/analysis-mitt-romneys-planto-fix-the-economy-2012-7?op=1 -http://www.mittromney.com/jobs -http://www.barackobama.com/economy -http://news.yahoo.com/democratic-platform-focuses-fixingeconomy-071214560--election.html -http://www.aahiinfo.org/english/asianAmericans.php -http://www.barackobama.com/health-care -http://www.barackobama.com/immigration

ASIAN OUTLOOK

According to critics, the Obama administration has proven to be more lenient and sentimental when dealing with immigration. His policies have allowed undocumented spouses and children of U.S. citizens to stay in the U.S. while they begin the legal immigration process, as well as remove the threat of deportation for young people who came to the U.S. through no fault of their own. This is beneficial for Asian Americans whose family members are not naturalized as it allows families to stay together. The Romney campaign’s platform has been called more pragmatic when it comes to immigration. He wants to allow growth in legal immigration to expand the U.S. economy by increasing the number of functional technical visas for highly skilled immigrants, and providing permanent residency for every foreign student who obtains an advanced degree in math, science, or engineering at an U.S. university. At a rate of 46%, the population of the Asian Americans and the Pacific Islanders has been increasing over the past decade and will continue to increase. According to the NAAS, 43 % of Asian American voters prefer Obama, 24% Romney, and others 1%. Despite a higher percentage of voters leaning towards Obama than Romney, a large percentage of Asian Americans remain undecided, meaning the race can go either way when Election Day finally comes. With the fate of such a big and powerful nation at stake, voters will not only decide the fate of the United States of America, but also influence what is to come in the world. -http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/05/ why-do-asian-americans-have-the-worst-long-termunemployment/257806/ -http://www.naasurvey.com/resources/Home/NAAS12-sep25issues.pdf -http://finance.yahoo.com/news/small-business-owners-engines-of-the-american-economy.html?page=all -http://www.epi.org/publication/ib323s-asian-americanunemployment-update/ -http://marykunzgoldman.com/2012/10/the-debate-free-zone. html -http://www.mrconservative.com/2012/02/2016-18-statisticson-obama/ -http://www.fitsnews.com/2012/08/31/romney-turn-the-pageon-obama/

Imposing Diversity

Affirmative Action:

By William Mark

“...the meaning of it has been lost over time...”

ffirmative action has been

envisioned as a legal remedy to a history of social inequality and discrimination that targeted racial minorities. Its legality has been widely disputed, and for good reason. The meaning of it has been lost over time, and it is now a social mechanism for racial rebalancing and reverse discrimination. This year, in Fisher vs. The University of Texas at Austin (2012), the U.S. Supreme Court

will have no choice but to severely limit the discretionary use of affirmative action in public universities. The Fisher ruling will be central to the discussion of affirmative action, especially to race-conscious admissions to public colleges. The U.S. Supreme Court met to hear arguments on Wednesday, October 10th, 2012. The scope of the subsequent ruling will affect all public and private institutions that receive federal funding, under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It will then influence the use of affirmative action throughout the whole country, which was not thought to be revisited until the year 2028. As current college students, we would be remiss to think that we have avoided this issue. The reality is that decisions over race and diversity have come to permeate every factor of higher education administration, including admissions. In fact, diversity remains a key issue at Binghamton University, in both the academic and campus life aspects of student affairs. For example, President Harvey Stenger included a Presidential Road Map team on “Diversity and Inclusiveness”, as well as a forum on diversity and inclusiveness on September 20th, 2012. We also have an affirmative action office that focuses on equal opportunity employment, diversity, support, and training. However, diversity has been thrown into a negative light in the heated arguments over this year’s case on affirmative action and university admissions policy. Where it once was

How important is diversity in the college community?

Vol. XXVI, Issue 1

regarded as a benefit, it has become a loaded buzzword with negative connotations. For example, “classroom diversity” is a key and fallible concept in the Fisher case, and can be readily applied to our classes here. Go and take a look around the room, and take note of your classmates. Can you say that your classroom is diverse, and in what way? How much does your learning experience suffer without a specific racial or ethnic group represented among your classmates? We cannot expect the same background and life experiences between two people of the same racial group. This notion has been neatly summarized as “diversity within diversity,” which simply tells us that appearances are not everything. Affirmative action echoes this sentiment, as we cannot strictly tell who is here through its benefits. With that reasoning, we can start to question the link between affirmative action and diversity. So when did affirmative action begin to incorporate the issue of diversity? It began with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which helped bring affirmative action out of obscurity, to prevent open discrimination. It was used to provide additional opportunities to under-represented or under-privileged minorities, and to bring attention to this issue as a national interest. The reasoning behind affirmative action did not directly include diversity. Beginning in 1978, legislation struggled to curb dissent and protect against reverse discrimination against WhiteAmericans, which has been styled “reverse discrimination.”The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against a quota system, in Regents of the University of California vs. Bakke (1978), which reserved 16 spots for minorities, and used a separate admission process which clearly centered on race as a factor. In Gratz vs. Bollinger (2003), the University of Michigan undergraduate admissions policy was deemed unconstitutional by using a point allocation system that benefitted minorities in admission decisions. Where a 100 out of 150 points was needed to guarantee acceptance, the University

ASIAN OUTLOOK

“When we stop placing diversity

at the front of our discussion and separate it from affirmative action, we can start to judge each concept on its own value.” granted 20 additional points to underrepresented ethnic groups. Conversely, the Grutter vs. Bollinger case (2003) upheld the affirmative action admissions policy used by the University of Michigan Law School. A compelling state interest in diversity was shown, as long as the admissions criteria was narrowly tailored and allowed for a holistic approach which did not hold race as a prime factor. This year, the U.S. Supreme Court may severely limit affirmative action or even remove affirmative action entirely. This suggests that affirmative action is now largely irrelevant and has backfired into a form of state-sanctioned discrimination against White-Americans. Our interpretation of affirmative action is now outdated and the lack of transparency will be its undoing. It is a social and legal mechanism that is now largely ineffective and threatens to be socially regressive with the advent of reverse discrimination. Abigail Fisher, along with Rachel MulterMichaelwicz, who later dropped out of the case, filed suit in 2008 against the University of Texas at Austin on the basis of racial discrimination. Ms. Fisher was not admitted after applying for undergraduate admission, a decision that the university defends by stating that she would not have been accepted with her high school grades and SAT score. In addition, the university had already filled eighty-five percent of its 2008 freshman class, through the Top Ten Percent Plan, which left Fisher competing for significantly fewer spots. The plan guarantees acceptance to all students ranked in the top ten percent of their Texas high school graduating class, regardless of the admission process. Ms. Fisher also went on to attend and graduate

from Louisiana State University but has not elected to drop the suit. The suit alleged that the inclusion of race in the university’s admission decision violated her rights under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Fisher’s lawyers, most notably Bert Rein, pushed for severe limitations on the discretion allotted to universities in their race-conscious admission process. The most extreme option that would be a victory for Fisher would be to overturn the ruling in Grutter vs. Bollinger (2003). Although the use of affirmative action still does acknowledge the absence of social equity and equal opportunity for minorities, it does not address how far the nation has progressed. Legislation and enforcement have not reflected the changes in our society. As it is reviewed before court this year, affirmative action has been skewed to showcase racial diversity. Put together, these concepts promote an educated and diverse workforce and leadership, which neglects the individual attention so highly valued in the earlier usage of affirmative action. The idea of diversity in Grutter and Fisher has been given a negative undertone, and is compared to imposing diversity or “racial rebalancing”. It is tied to “critical mass,” a vague concept that explained how admissions policy sets an indefinable quota so that a minority student would not feel isolated or like a spokesperson for their race. This connection is essential to understanding the criticisms and attacks on affirmative action. Rather than focusing on outreach and recruitment of promising minority students, the arguments hone in on the imposition of racial diversity, the attainment of a colorful student population, and the ensuing backlash against the obvious unequal treatment. The questions that the Supreme Court Justices asked were demanding and accusatory: how does the University of Texas define critical mass and how could you measure it? As U.S. Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli, Jr. argued, this misinterpretation of critical mass “has

taken on a life of its own in a way that’s not helpful because it doesn’t focus the inquiry where it should be”. Due to this oversight, both sides are caught in a roundabout battle of definitions and transparency of diversity, and how individual discretion has gone too far. The problem is the inherent vagueness and obscurity, especially when it is viewed as a means towards a larger goal, such as a college education. We are looking at affirmative action and diversity in the wrong way. Now, the argument centers on how we view racial diversity as a façade, as wallpaper, for the sake of appearance. When we stop placing diversity at the front of our discussion and separate it from affirmative action, we can start to judge each concept on its own value. Then we can finally enter in some productive, fruitful debate about the constitutional validity of affirmative action. However, seeing how it is lumped in with the concept of diversity, this year, the U.S. Supreme Court will eventually peel back the use of affirmative action.

Sources: - http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/fisher-vuniversity-of-texas-at-austin/ -http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/09/us/supremecourt-to-hear-case-on-affirmative-action.htm -http://www.radford.edu/~kvharring/docs/ HRMDocs/3affirmingdiv.pdf -http://www.infoplease.com/spot/affirmativetimeline1. html -http://www.utexas.edu/vp/irla/Fisher-V-Texas.html

Vol. XXVI, Issue 1

Americans in Danger:

The Threat at

Home

By Kayla Natrella

ASIAN OUTLOOK

Despite the widespread fear of Islamic extremists, however, American extremists are an even bigger threat to US citizens. Driven by xenophobia, religious fanaticism, homophobia, or other forms of ignorant bias, these extremists instill fear in minority communities and their existence is all but dismissed by the media and society.

September 11, 2001, words like “terrorism” and “Islamic extremism” have dominated the media and popular discourse. The threat of terrorism has been so severe that the United States engaged in a “War on Terror” abroad, limited the right to privacy of US citizens, and employed torture techniques to extract information from those suspected of terrorism. This level of attention reveals the great fear that Americans have of the threat of terrorism. On September 11th, the attacks that left so many dead affected the lives of many people who felt safe and comfortable and may not have felt any real threat of violence. Despite the widespread fear of Islamic extremists, however, American extremists are an even bigger threat to US citizens. Driven by xenophobia, religious fanaticism, homophobia, or other forms of ignorant bias, these extremists instill fear in minority communities and their existence is all but dismissed by the media and society. Immediately following the attacks on September 11, 2001, there was a rise in violence against South Asian and Middle Eastern Americans, especially those who wear turbans—Sikhs and Muslims. The first of these victims was Balbir Singh Sodhi who was shot in his gas station by Frank Roque, a man who boasted of being a patriot and admitted to wanting to kill a Muslim in retaliation for the terrorist attacks. Because of their beards and turbans, Sikh Americans have been confused for Muslims and, consequently, the victims of post 9/11 hate crimes. ince

Balbir Singh Sodhi, a Sikh American immigrant from the state of Punjab in North Western India, was one such victim. This past August, eleven years after the attacks on 9/11, another individual with a history of xenophobia-fueled “patriotism” killed more Sikh Americans. On August 5th, Wade Michael Page shot six worshipers and injured more at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin before the police were able to shoot and kill him. Because the gunman died at the scene, we will never get a chance to hear his confession or an explanation of his motive. Controversy arose domestically, as well as internationally, over the classification of the crime. Was this shooting a domestic terrorist attack or a hate crime? When we look at the difference between a hate crime and a terrorist attack, it is evident that both crimes can be motivated by hate or prejudice against a person or people because of race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or religion. Section 802 of the USA PATRIOT Acts defines ‘domestic terrorism’ as “activities that… involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State; appear to be intended…to intimidate or coerce a civilian population;…to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or…to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and… occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States.”

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While it is much more common and likely that Americans will be victims of hate crimes than terrorist attacks, terrorist attacks have the connotation of being much more severe and threatening.

Although there is no concrete evidence to prove that Page’s massacre was racially motivated, his background strongly supports the presumption. For over a decade, he had been involved in the neoNazi, skinhead white supremacist movement. He was the founder of a white power death metal band, End Apathy, as well as a member as several others, and was even involved in organizing a nation-wide white power rally concert. Page was also an active

Wisconsin Shooting gunman, Wade Michael Page

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contributor on white supremacist blogs. Friends recalled several occasions when Page divulged his belief in the need for a “racial holy war”. By waging his racial holy war against the Sikh worshippers, his motivations were comparable to the ideology fueling Christian crusaders in the 12th and 13th centuries and modern Islamic extremists. His strong association and involvement with white supremacist groups indicates that he was likely motivated by the message he conveyed in his music— his desire for an all-white America. If Page intended the attack to be his first battle in his greater racial holy war or an attempt to “end apathy”, then the shooting would definitely constitute an act of domestic terrorism. Wade’s act, regardless of its classification, instilled terror among a community of Americans by sending the message that they are not welcome and they are not safe. In 2010, law enforcement agencies reported 7,699 hate crime offenses. While it is much more common and likely that Americans will be victims of hate crimes than terrorist attacks, terrorist attacks have the connotation of being much more severe and threatening. Although white supremacist groups instill more fear and attack more people, the attention that the media and government gives to these violent groups does not come near to the amount of attention given to Islam and the threat of terrorism. I’d like to suggest that the reason for this is the difference in the demographics of those targeted by the respective groups. If the gunman had been a Muslim man and the victims White Americans at a Protestant

Candle light vigil for victims of the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin Shooting

church in Wisconsin, would the question of whether or not this was an act of terrorism or a hate crime even be discussed? The average heterosexual white Christian American with no disability has no need to fear the possibility of being a victim of a hate crime. As long as the victims of these hate crimes are members of minority groups the severity is only moderate, but once the lives of white-Americans are threatened, the issue escalates to that of national security and has the focus and attention of all major news sources. That the nation gives less attention to the more common and frequent threats to American members of minority groups than to threats to the security of

white Americans sends the message that non-white Americans are somehow less American. These kinds of implications only strengthen and support the efforts of white supremacists in promoting White America and enable murders and massacres, such as the shooting at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin to continue. Wade Michael Page was not wrong about the problem of apathy in the US. As a society we are too apathetic to the threats to our fellow American citizens. By bringing more attention to the extremists within our own country, we can strengthen our communities, and by extension, our nation.

Sources: http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/05/us/wisconsin-temple-shooting/index.html http://www.saldef.org/issues/balbir-singh-sodhi/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/wade-michael-page-was-steeped-in-neo-nazi-hate-music-movement/2012/08/07/ b879451e-dfe8-11e1-a19c-fcfa365396c8_story.html http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/hate-crime/2010/narratives/hate-crime-2010-incidents-and-offenses http://www.fbi.gov/ about-us/cjis/ucr/hate-crime/2010/narratives/hate-crime-2010-incidents-and-offenses http://web.law.duke.edu/publiclaw/civil/index.php?action=showtopic&topicid=10

Vol. XXVI, Issue 1

Racial

A case for Victoria’s Secret “Go East” line

Oversensitivity? By Batman

he popular women’s clothing and lingerie company,

Victoria’s Secret, ran into a bit of trouble recently when a blogger took offense at their new “Go East” lingerie line. These high-end and expensive items shared an aesthetic theme that was central to the blogger’s criticism. One outfit in particular, called the “Sexy Little Geisha”, included accessories such as an oriental fan and hair chopsticks. The blogger saw this line and felt that it served to reinforce racial and gender stereotypes, such as submissiveness and exoticism. Other bloggers shared this feeling and were quick to take up the cause and put pressure on the company. Victoria’s Secret has since pulled the ‘Sexy Little Geisha’ item from their website, though they deny that it is due to the pressure from bloggers and activists. In contrast, progressive bloggers consider this a win for Asian Americans, but is it really? Now I realize that it may be in poor taste for someone, who is not an Asian female, to weigh in on this. I also realize this is not too dissimilar to instances where old male Republican politicians weigh in on issues centering on female reproductive health. Believe me, I understand your concerns on my perspective, but almost none of the Asian females that I have talked to about the “”Sexy Little Geisha” outfit felt offended by it. However, they have also expressed very little interest in buying what they consider “an ugly outfit”. Perhaps someone can help me understand why this is so offensive or why this can be considered a win for Asians or for women. The argument from the bloggers cry out that the item is reductionist to the Asian female identity, and perpetuates the “hyper-sexualized” and “submissive” stereotypes often associated with Asian women. Although one could certainly make the case that this item does reduce women to sex objects, isn’t that the objective of all Victoria’s Secret items? If the company did not design merchandise to “explore fantasies”, as one blogger said, there would be no Victoria’s Secret. It seems to be a bit of a stretch to say that this item does that to a greater extent. Yes, the “Sexy Little Geisha” would be a turn-on to individuals with fetishes for Asian women, but from an objective point of view, the outfit is far from authentic. For those with truly reductionist

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Asian fetishes, wouldn’t an actual Geisha outfit do more to get their rocks off? Victoria’s Secret is not attempting to sell the submissive Asian fantasy. I think this is clear in their choice of the model depicted with the outfit, Candice Swanepoel, who is as far as you can get from the petite, dark-haired, almondeyed submissive Asian geishas. These bloggers objected to the outfit on the grounds that it is racist and reinforces stereotypes against Asian women but they also objected to the fact that there was not a single Asian model included in the advertising of the line. To me, this shows that Victoria’s Secret is not trying to sell the fantasy of exotic Asian women any more than they are trying to sell exotic French women with their French maid outfits, or the fantasy of American women with cowgirl-themed costumes. Instead, the company drew the inspiration and idea behind the line from the aesthetics. Aside from the “Sexy Little Geisha”, the rest of the lingerie line has no overt Asian symbolism. Yes, the floral in the lace incorporates cherry blossoms, which is an image closely associated with Asian culture, but does anyone think that seeing cherry blossoms on lingerie will cause men to devolve into creatures with fits of racial and sexual ignorance? Do we not put cherry blossoms on hand bags and sun dresses? Is it racist then? Finally, it is worth mentioning that this is not an outfit meant to be worn in public. Asian women will not be walking through the streets and suddenly be shocked to see other women casually dressed as geishas and promoting the hypersexualized view of Asian women that men might have. I concede that I do not have the perspective of an Asian female, and will never understand what it is like to be an Asian female. I would never presume to tell anyone what they should or should not be offended by. But I do not see how this particular piece of lingerie is detrimental to the female Asian identity.

“To me, this shows that Victoria’s Secret is not trying to sell the fantasy of exotic Asian women any more than they are trying to sell exotic French women with their French maid outfits...”

“Sexy Little Geisha Lingerie”

Vol. XXVI, Issue 1

Racism at its most fashionable

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Model and lingerie for Victoria’s Secret “Go East” line.

A case against Victoria’s Secret “Go East” line By Claire Chang

ictoria's

Secret recently launched a controversial “Go East” line in early September, which included, just as the name suggests, lingerie that was inspired by Eastern culture. Exotification and cultural appropriation, my favorite! With descriptions such as “Your ticket to an exotic adventure. . . .” (see they even used the word exotic here) and “Indulge in touches of Eastern delight,” the whole line was dripping with problematic undertones. It immediately received a lot of backlash and critiques, and rightly so in my opinion. One particular item in the line that attracted the most attention from blogs and online news sources was the “Sexy Little Geisha” lingerie set. Not only are its Eastern influences in the form of red, pink, and white floral designs resembling cherry blossoms (duh, what else would it be? A dragon? C'mon), it also included a removable obi belt and bow as well as a cute little matching fan and hair chopsticks! Wow, that doesn't scream stereotypes to me at all! All sarcasm aside, Victoria's Secret really did goof up with this line. Honestly, the lingerie didn't look bad at all, although I could do without the little accessories. The reason why this Go East line received so much critique from people was because it perpetuated stereotypes about Asian women. The word choice in the descriptions enforces the depiction of Asians as exotic, mysterious foreigners. Now some may be wondering, why is that a bad thing? Exotic and mysterious is sexy. Well, labeling someone as exotic, labels them as the “other”, something that a person doesn't understand and will probably end up romanticizing. Once you slap the label exotic on someone or someplace, it turns into this unknown but usually magical, wonderful, sexy thing, when in reality, that person or place has as much depth as your own culture or being. By exotifying a person, the person is seen as an idea, not a human being. Hopefully many of you will find this problematic. If you want to read more about this phenomenon, just google “exotic is not a compliment”.

Aside from the blatant use of exotification in the line's marketing, it also played on a lot of cultural stereotypes such as the aforementioned floral patterns, using the color red often, the fan, the bow in the back, and the hair chopsticks. I'm not trying to claim that these aren't found in Asian cultures, but I don't think that its appropriate to just take certain aspects of a culture (and as usual, in this case, it's just lumping all of East Asia together) and just commodifying them. Like I mentioned before, I don't think that the general design of the lingerie is outright offensive, but including things like the bow, hair chopsticks and fan is pushing it. Now this is stepping into the territory of cultural appropriation. A while ago, I've become very aware of our society's tendency to find other culture's garbs to be something trendy, hip, and fashionable. Something that you can wear and take off without any consequences. I'm sure many of you have seen in the past few years, models in catalogues or people on tumblr wearing Native-American headbands or patterns and bindis and headdresses and all that. It would be nice to think that they appreciate and have some accurate knowledge about the culture of which they are “paying homage” to, but most of the time these things are done because its cool or cute. This is why naming the product as “Sexy Little Geisha” is problematic. I'm assuming they chose to use Geisha because of the West's romanticization of them. The silent, beautiful, graceful, and seeking-to-please characteristics of the Geisha are appealing in this market and selling that fantasy would make sense in the eyes of whoever is in charge of designing and producing the lingerie lines. Now these characteristics are also often applied to Asian women in general, which we can see in our media. This product is, as Nina Jacinto of Racialicious puts it, “. . .a troubling attempt to sidestep authentic representation and humanization of a culture and opt instead for racialized fetishizing against Asian women” which should make it clear as to why it is different than dressing in something like a French maid outfit.

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“By exotifying a person, the person is seen as an idea, not a human being.”

Victoria's Secret is not a one-time offender and isn't the only clothing line to pull something like this. Urban Outfitters, for example, has run into problems with the Jewish and Native American communities before due to inappropriate usage of symbols and product names. In a previous campaign, Victoria's Secret had a segment of a show called the “Wild Thing” where the majority of the models in that walk were people of color who donned tribal markings. The other segments of the show was made up of mostly white models with a token person of color. This particular runway show of VS also received a good amount of backlash which most likely led to the reason why the Go East line's page has no Asian models whatsoever. It could be that they thought they could make it “less racist” by not putting Asian models in these Eastern influenced lingerie sets because putting models with darker skin tones in tribal clothes worked out so well for them. Thankfully, people were just as upset with this line and the way they marketed it, resulting in it being pulled in late September. Jacinto sums it up concisely, “Donning a “sexy Geisha” outfit to get the ball rolling in the bedroom remains offensive because it confirms a paradigm in which Asian people and their culture can be modified and sexualized and appropriated for the benefit of the West. This particular kind of racism has existed for a long time, and we’re far from moving beyond it.” Maybe Victoria's Secret and other clothing brands will learn from this, maybe not.

Sources: - http://www.racialicious.com/2012/09/06/victorias-secretdoes-it-again-when-racism-meets-fashion/ - http://thegrio.com/2010/12/06/why-did-victorias-secretbrand-black-models-wild-things/

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(Left) “Wild Thing” model down the runway during a Victoria’s Secret show.

Is Ye Shiwen more vulnerable to accusations because she is an Asian female?

Unfair Accusations

Chinese Olympic Gold Medalist Ye Shiwen

against a

By Kitrena Young

London 2012 Olympics, the annual competition gave athletes around the world yet another chance to set new world records. Ye Shiwen, the 16-year-old female swimmer representing China, was one of these prestigious athletes who won a gold medal. She set a new world record at 4 minutes and 28.43 seconds for the women’s 400-meter individual medley. This was truly an astonishing accomplishment! She swam faster than the American swimmer Ryan Lochte had, in the final 50 meters in the men’s race. Lochte and other athletes were impressed by Ye’s performance. She is the Usain Bolt of the swimming pool! However, members of the media pointed fingers at Ye Shiwen and accused her of taking performance-enhancing drugs. They were quick at spinning a controversial story on the young female Chinese swimmer. However, Ye tested negative for dope and was exonerated. Personally, I was quick to bash China his past summer at the

Chinese Olympic

Swimming Champion for their history of cheating during the Olympics, aided by the influence of the media. As an Asian American that supported the US Olympic team all the way, I suspected the Chinese of stepping around the rules. I joked that they provided their athletes with Chinese herbal medicines that are not yet restricted by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to enhance their performances. The Chinese have surely been infamous for their cheating in the past Olympics. In addition, the American media has exploited the cases of cheating by the Chinese in these games. John Leonard, an American executive director of the World Swimming Coaches Association, was highly suspicious of Ye’s performance. This suspicion grew into a larger issue and stained the name of this young, hard-working female swimmer. Other countries, including the United States, have been involved with cases of doping in past Olympic Games. The

media was not so quick to point fingers at Michael Phelps and accuse him of using performance-enhancing drugs when he surprisingly won eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Nor were people even a little suspicious when he earned the title of being the most decorated Olympian of all-time. Is it because he is a white American male that he is not readily accused for taking performance-enhancing drugs? Is it easier to suspect the Chinese for cheating? Is Ye Shiwen more vulnerable to accusations because she is an Asian female?

Sources: -http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/01/sports/ olympics/chinese-swimmer-wins-again-as-doping-questions-persist.html?_r=0 -http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/jul/31/ china-ye-shiwen-critics-olympics -http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/jul/30/yeshiwen-world-record-olympics-2012 -http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/30/world/asia/ olympics-china-ye-shiwen-swimming/index.html

Vol. XXVI, Issue 1

Fashion Column/

Ways to Wear

By Susi Ngo

Mixing and matching your clothes can be very difficult but it can also be interesting. In my Ways to Wear (WTW) column, I understand your feelings and I can inspire you with ideas. In this issue, WTW creates different and dynamic looks by asking you to mix and match different accessories with different item choices: See Red Peplum top from Forever 21.

>> Classic Chic

With this item, the Red Peplum top, WTW chose the green mini-skirt (from Zara), the black-golden-rose belt, and the floral scarf to complete a great, classy look. For footwear, I recommend heels, wedges, or boots that will complete the look. With this outfit, you can wear it to a cocktail party, a casual meeting, or a fancy dinner.

Wild Chic <<

Wearing different styles of jeans (long, short, skinny, etc.) with the same top can create entirely different looks. This ‘Wild Chic’ look is casual, but the studded, trendy headband and studded ankle boots make it a little wild. To make this even ‘wilder’, you can add a denim jacket (chambray) for the fall weather. This wild look can be worn to a party, rock concert, school, or a dinner with friends. A very casual and daily outfit!

Classic.

Wild.

>> Creative Chic

Choose a Maxi bottom with any color top and play with your belts. Be creative this time, and follow no rules! Don’t forget a clutch or shoulder vintage bag for a perfect finish. For this creative chic look, you can choose boots like those in the photo, or canvas sneakers, like Converse. With this look you get to be ‘crazy’ with your mixand-match game.

Oxford Chic <<

This is one of my favorite school outfits. Create this vintage, yet casual ‘Oxford’ girl look created by matching a hat, blazer, shorts, and of course ‘Oxford’ style shoes. For this look, you can also add on a belt and a watch to make it even more ‘school girl’. Creative.

Oxford. Love fashion? Want to be featured in the next issue and win a gift card to ‘m.y. boutique’? Submit your mix-and-match ideas or even your own looks to Asian Outlook at ao.editor@gmail.com This fashion column is sponsored by m.y. boutique and CommuniKey. http://www.shopmyboutique.com/

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Vol. XXVI, Issue 1

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o Ph

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AO.CONSCIENCE

Vol. XXVI, Issue 1

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“Abandoned House”

Photo by Tasmiah Rashid

An empty house is like a stray dog or a body from which life has departed.

ASIAN OUTLOOK

- Samuel Butler

BUJA Haiku Contest Who didn’t flush man?! Why is the water yellow?! It smells so salty!! By Dale Gao (1st Place) 「暗戀妳的心」並走柏油路你不認識我我不認識你心喊我愛妳「夏末初秋」秋季月而明涼風吹啊蟬而鳴月下牽手行

By Joe Park

By 王博儀 Belinda Wang

Mt. Tom

Magestic mountains Swelling with vitality Sitting on her chest ;)

A thunderous cry Warriors await their fate Death is coming for them

雨がふってしずかなあきにいつまでも By Alana Payne

By Jack Rose & Co.

Vol. XXVI, Issue 1

t started with a tickle. Things that didn't appear to mean anything more than they were supposed to began changing everything around me, little by little. Then the changes grew. I didn't notice it at first but by the time I did, it was so obvious I wondered how the hell it took me so long. By the time it took over my body and gave me a sharp shake back into reality, she had already slipped through my fingers. And I don't know if I'm able to reach for her now. I don't know if I even have the right to. I didn't notice the blaring signs, the ones that she hung up for me, until I drove myself straight off a cliff. Now I'm without her and without air, and I want only her to save me. I need only her to catch me. By Koloquium

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There Was Nothing I Could Do By Kyra

I watched grandpa die with everyone I knew. Daddy was right next to me, holding on to grandpa’s hand like a drowning man holding on I can still hear that low moan to a piece of floating grass. that slipped out of my grandpa’s slightly parted lips in the last seconds of his life. It almost sounded like a sigh of relief— Maybe he was gone for good. But that almost inaudible moan bashed my eardrums so hard that my whole body trembled For a moment I felt like I was in resonance. inside a black box. Light and sound were both distorted. I didn't try to escape because I knew I would fall. And then I saw a crystal land on grandpa’s hand, its radiance almost blinding me. I didn't dare look up to find out if it came from Daddy’s eyes. Vol. XXVI, Issue 1 33

HOME

By Kitrena Young

A look into the past... A look at the present... Where do I stand? What is coming? The future? It is blurry... Take myself back to the present Reflect on the past... I am thankful Thankful for the smiles The tears... The love... Even the criticism Everything that makes me stronger

The miracles The miracles that tighten the relationships between friends, family... The bad, the good Pessimistic or optimistic It depends on oneself I will look on the brighter side I am alive The opportunity that is not given to everyone I reflect back to the dead, the broken heart I am again thankful to all that is beyond humanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s control My family prays to Buddha I know there is a supernatural, but I question who or what But I am alive I must move on and find answers I have goals, friends, family A future More importantly I am in the present Safe and at peace The place where I belong

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“Red Umbrella” by Sblourg@deviantart

I’m coming home, I’m coming home. Tell the world I’m coming home. Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday. I know my kingdom awaits, And they’ve forgiven my mistakes. I’m coming home, I’m coming home. Tell the world that I’m coming... home.

“Coming Home” lyrics by Diddy

Vol. XXVI, Issue 1

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Art By Eric Han

Vol. XXVI, Issue 1

Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.

—Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

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an Yeung

Photo by Iv

Vol. XXVI, Issue 1

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artists, writers, journalists, photographers, graphic designers, articles, opinions, interviews, stories, photographs, recipes, poems, drawings, lyrics,

a computer, projector, disco ball, glow sticks, cultural revolution (maybe), Chinese New Year holiday, more rice, moâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; money (moâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; problems), power, respect, etc.

maybe you can help?

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