The Reincarnasian: Fall 2010

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GENERASIAN

THE REINCARNASIAN NYU’S PREMIER ASIAN AMERICAN PUBLICATION

FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE • FALL 2010 VOL. 9 NO. 1 1

What is “Asian”?

The Hyphenated Koreans: in Perpetual Orbital around North Korea 2

Behind These Eyes: Circle Lenses on the Rise 3 Muted Blight: Attack on Asian Students Ignored 4

Live Free, Be Wired: Far East Movement Finally Takes Asian Mainstream

Meet the Artist: Jennie Liu 5

6

Why We’re Rooting for Jeremy Lin 7

WHAT IS ”ASIAN” ? by Sondra Morishima

P

ossibly the most difficult part about reviving

often asked whether I identify more as Chinese

content and audience. We hope to serve NYU’s Asian

or Japanese. But to me it’s an unfair question. It’s

and Asian American community, but what does

like being asked whether I identify more with

that really mean? What does it mean to be Asian or

being female or being an only child—it’s impossible

Asian American? One dictionary definition of “Asia”

to isolate the two and preference them.

included a footnote in bold stating, “can be confused: Asia, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia.” Clearly, I’m not the only one having difficulty

When asking the question “what is Asian?”, we must reach into our own experiences and pull out what we know about ourselves. For some, it may be

understanding the full breadth of the term as

growing up Muslim or Buddhist; maybe you have six

well as defining its limits. “Asian” becomes an

siblings or speak three languages. The intersection of

increasingly slippery term to define as I try to make

these characteristics defines your own Asian identity,

sense of what separates Asia from the world—is it

and any variation in your life undoubtedly impacts

geography, culture, people’s physical appearances?

that identity. Because of this, we at Generasian seem

Or maybe it isn’t about what separates Asians

to have an endless list of relevant topics to discuss.

from other races, but what brings us together. Both of these directions lead to few answers and

Undoubtedly, each issue will bring something new and unique. We can begin to discuss what it

more questions, as Asians can trace their lineage

means to be Asian, an NYU student, and a part of the

back to places as varied as Japan, the Philippines,

Generasian community. We want your feedback and

Mongolia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Samoa. And

your voice, because we all deserve a say in defining

then we are faced with what distinguishes Asians

ourselves. With the revival of Generasian, I hope

from Asian Americans, and what issues and

that the Asian community at NYU will finally have a

histories overlap. The possibilities seem endless.

voice and forum to discuss the questions we face and

With all of these variables and more, how do

Generasian

fourth-generation Chinese-Japanese American, I’m

Generasian is the plethora of questions surrounding

the issues that are important to us. I look forward

we create a publication that represents NYU’s

to a future connecting the diverse individuals in our

community of Asians and Asian Americans? I’ve

community and transforming the role of Asians in

been wrestling with this question myself: As a

NYU, the country, and the world. G

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THE HYPHENATED KOREANS in Perpetual Orbit around North Korea by Harry Lee & Chris Shim Illustration by Kristina Lim

M

ore than anything else, our

backgrounds compelled the two of us into joining Freedoms 4 North Korea (F4NK), a student-run humanitarian organization at NYU. We both spent our childhood in South Korea for ten years before migrating west—I left for Oxford, UK, and Chris moved to the suburbs of Vancouver, Canada. There, we learned to speak, think and even feel in the English language. However, despite all the fish and chips and Tim Horton donuts in the boiling cauldron, the essential Korean spices will always be there.

While attempting to adapt to our respective environments, we had turned a blind eye to our origin

Despite living on separate continents,

decade was an identity crisis, that while attempting to adapt to our respective environments, we had turned a blind eye to our origin. We realized that this origin would remain within us to the

we were exposed to current events in

inscriptions on our tombstones, no matter

Korea through the occasional flash

depart from our Eastern acquaintances

how we desired to perceive ourselves.

coverages of the peninsula on CBC

in order to attune ourselves to alien

This sparked our desire to reclaim the

and BBC and through the frequent

surroundings. We were unconsciously

primordial melodies of our race.

parental bickering over the dinner table.

transforming ourselves into what “FOBs”

Although we were intrigued by what

have come to pronounce “bananas.”

of our concern for the humanitarian crisis,

was happening in our homeland, the

Such practice of categorization seems

but because it offered us a channel of

nature of our sources left us only loosely

hardly appropriate in this day and

active participation, a sense of belonging

updated—the historical handshake

coming age of globalization; even so,

to the Korean discourse. Whatever

between the leaders of South and North,

such a problem of identification started

diverse reasons there may have been for

the tear-jerking family reunions, the

to riddle us upon entering college.

joining F4NK, meeting fellow hyphenated

shooting of a South Korean tourist by

The matter at hand eventually

We joined F4NK not primarily because

Koreans led us to the realization that

a North Korean soldier, and the first

revealed itself to our consciousness

there are others for whom Korea is still

nuclear testing by this “axis of evil.”

as we arrived in New York. It only

an immutable element—it is a celestial

occurred to our minds then that what

body around which we revolve, no matter

we had been wrestling with for almost a

how far away we have wandered. G

Regardless of our concern for Korean affairs, we were required to

2

The Hyphenated Koreans: in Perpetual Orbit around North Korea

Behind These Eyes: Circle Lenses on the Rise


BEHIND THESE EYES Circle Lenses on the Rise by Joseph Lin

E

ven before Lady Gaga’s enormous

Tutorials about the use and purchase

his eyes, but rather society’s standards of

electronically-altered eyes in her “Bad

of circle lenses are all over YouTube, such

beauty and the internalization of shame.

Romance” video, celebrities and models

as makeup artist Michelle Phan’s video

in Asia have long been sporting circle

“Lady Gaga Bad Romance Look,” which

eyes are “ugly”? Online buyers have

lenses, colored contacts that cover not

currently has more than 15 million views.

described becoming “addicted” to

only the iris, but also a part of the whites

However, beyond the cute zebra print or

searching for lenses that are green,

of the eye. Though the sale of contact

pink bear contact case that comes with

blue, purple—any color that is different

lenses without a prescription (corrective

the lenses, we should think about this

from their typical Asian brown. They

or cosmetic) is illegal, online distributors

notion of beauty and its implications

suggest how to make the lenses look

from around the world have continued to

for Asian Americans. While searching

more “natural” when taking pictures, yet

circumvent this ban. Optometrists warn

through the circle lenses tutorials, I

why is there no talk about how to bring

that ill-fitting lenses could deprive the eye

found one from “KeiPham,” a teenager

out the natural color of their eyes?

of oxygen and lead to blindness. Moreover,

who says, “I don’t want to look like a

circle lenses reveal a dangerously

squinty eyed freak. Sorry if that offended

Sistah or Broken Ends Broken Promises,”

limited vision of what is beautiful.

anybody, just talking about my eyes.”

Afro-Puerto Rican artist Mariposa

In KeiPham’s example, it pains me to

Which eyes are “beautiful”? Which

In her “Poem for My Grifa-Rican

expresses similar shame she felt as a

think that Asian Americans are buying

child when her mother used to tame

this decorative eyewear as a way to

her hair with burning wax. She saw

mask the hate of their own “freakish”

the ritual of hair-taming as a broken

eyes. Many Asian Americans have been

promise of who she could never make

taunted at least once in their lives by

herself become. Eventually, Mariposa

ignorant people who pull up their eyes

lets her afro run wild and redefines

to create those so-called slanted eyes.

beauty as a means of celebrating organic

It seems to be a universal taunt – even

self-expression, exclaiming, “Black hair

while I was riding my bike while abroad

is beautiful./Let your hair be free!”

Michelle Phan demonstrates how to achieve

in Argentina, many children thought it

If we redefine beauty as embracing

Lady Gaga’s big-eyed look from her “Bad

would be funny to pull that same stunt

one’s roots and individuality, why emulate

Romance” music video using circle lenses.

while screaming “Chino, chino!” For

the look of Gaga? The world only needs

Video viewable at http://youtu.be/bHVOxhEpjp0

KeiPham, the stigma is not merely about

one person in a meat dress anyway. G

Generasian

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L

MUTED BLIGHT Attack on Asian Students Ignored by Vicky Yau Illustration by Kristina Lim

A

no resolution for the victims. Instead, the

Asian students. This year, in addition to a

year for Asian students of South

t the first meeting of the

verdict completely ignores an entire year

new principal, SPHS began the school year

Philadelphia High School (SPHS), Otis

of randomized attacks on Asian students,

fully equipped with extensive security and

Hackney—the school’s fifth principal

some of which resulted in broken limbs

programming in the hopes of preventing

in six years—stared at the crowd of

and concussions. The investigators

further violence in the school. Students

students gazing back at him. “I am your

subsequently neglected to interview the

were also given a pamphlet by community

principal. I’m not asking you to trust

majority of the victims, witnesses, school

leaders where they could find resources

me from day one. But I am asking for

staff and community advocate members

and contacts if they fall victim to violence,

the opportunity to earn your trust.”

present at the scene on December 3. The

even if school staff members are unwilling

issue of a hate crime was essentially

to help. However, Principal Hackney seems

December 3, 2009 is still unclear, but

rendered irrelevant—there was barely any

adamant about keeping all of his students

since that day, news reports confirmed

note on the role of race in the incident.

safe and promises “to make sure nothing

that at least 26 Asians were attacked in

The long-awaited report was filed three

like [December 3] ever, ever happens again.”

and around SPHS campus, with at least

months after the attacks, but they

seven students hospitalized. Both Asian

seemed to provide no peace of mind to

What exactly happened at SPHS on

and non-Asian students have agreed that the spike in violence came after over a year of harassment and assaults of Asian students, in which the school administration had done little to end. While many accounts of the day

The new changes this school year have prompted gradual, but much needed changes. Hackney is not only devoted to

The verdict completely ignores an entire year of randomized attacks on Asian students

describe Asian students as victims

safety, but also to education. His goals for the school year include leading SPHS off the “persistently dangerous” list and being added to the list of schools with Adequate Yearly Progress. Similarly, there are several campaigns initiated by

of a mass hate crime outside of the

the victims or their families. When Judge

SPHS students in the hopes to further

school, one narrative speculates that

Giles was asked why so many areas were

enhance the safety of their school.

a group of Asian students initiated

left void in the report, his reply was less

the violence by attacking a disabled

than compassionate: he did not believe

that there will no longer be violence at

African American student.

in “Monday-morning quarter-backing.”

SPHS, students across the country can hope

But despite the validity of these

Despite the glaring ignorance of some

While it is a little unrealistic to hope

that there will never again be an incident

accounts, the report reviewed by U.S.

officials, there are a select few committed

like the one on December 3, 2009—not only

District Court Judge James Giles provided

to ending this apparent injustice towards

at SPHS, but also everywhere else. G

4

Muted Blight: Attack on Asian Students Ignored

Live Free, Be Wired: Far East Movement Finally Takes Asian Mainstream


LIVE FREE, BE WIRED Far East Movement Finally Takes Asian Mainstream by Tara Sarath

Illustration by Kristina Lim

E

THE BACKDROP by Alice Tsui

xploding out of Los Angeles’

A year ago no one would have imagined that an Asian American hip-hop group would be

underground Koreatown club scene,

topping the charts. Yet, Far East Movement (FM)—composed of Kev Nish, Prohgress,

Far East Movement already had a

J-Splif, and DJ Virman—did just that and became the first Asian American artist to not

number of credits to their name before

only appear on the Hot 100 but claim the #1 spot. Up to now, the most successful Asian

this summer’s explosion of “Like a G6”

Americans in the music industry were either DJs, e.g. Kid Koala and DJ Qbert, or members

—the YouTube video for “Like A G6”

of a multiracial group, e.g. Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park) and apl.de.ap (Black Eyed Peas).

had over a million views before it even

However, FM sought to create their own unique voice by combining underground party

aired once on the radio. Though their

records and mainstream hip-hop and pop while blending in electro and dance. Concerts

songs have played on the soundtracks

and collaborations with Wong Fu Productions and other Asian American artists, like Clara

for mainstream films and television

Chung and Dumbfoundead, helped expand the group’s fan base in both America and

shows—including Get Him to the Greek,

Asia. The group has constantly enjoyed the support of the Asian community, which is

Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, CSI:

uncommon for contemporary Asian American artists. But for FM, their sound is meant to

Miami and Entourage—YouTube was the

be energetic and engaging with the audience, regardless of ethnic background. According

harbinger of their success. They even

to them, their work is beyond race—it’s all about connecting with the audience.

toured with Lady GaGa on her Japan leg in April 2010. FM cites the energy that the

because that was how they raised their

Secret Agents Concert Series in New York

dynamic diva brings to her back to back

profiles and built their fan bases, like

and LA to give Asian American artists, like

performances as a key part of their creed:

many Asian American artists today.

David Choi, Alyssa Bernal, and Jay Park, a

Free Wired, the title of their latest album.

Entertainment in the twenty-first

According to the band, Free Wired

century has become an oddly egalitarian

promotions and YouTube antics to their

means “constantly staying interactive

and often anonymous place. With the

shot into stardom, Far East Movement

and living the lifestyle it promotes.”

advent of the internet and social media

has proven that Asian Americans have

This means not only being a part of the

platforms, dissemination of new music

the ability to shatter stereotypes and

club scene that raised them as artists

has grown exponentially easier. Ted Fu

break into mainstream culture. Now

but also keeping up with their weekly

of Wong Fu Productions said that the

think about you, sitting at your laptop,

radio music show, their blogging, and

internet had really given their crew a huge

tapping away at your phone, or shooting

their road “webisodes” shot a la spycam.

boost leading to their nation-wide tour.

with your camera, which could catapult

The band “lives free to geek” in part

Wong Fu and FM created the International

you into the limelight. Geek Hard! G

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stage to perform. From their underground

5


MEET THE ARTIST: JENNIE LIU by Rachel Lin It’s two hours before Jennie MaryTai Liu’s interdisciplinary dance theater piece titled “Soul Leaves Her Body” will receive its official opening at the HERE Arts Center, where Liu is currently an artist-in-residence. For someone who is about to premiere at a downtown institution, Liu is extremely relaxed—and with good reason. The Hong Kong transplant has been making and creating generative work since she graduated from NYU Tisch’s Experimental Theater Wing eight years ago, garnering the recognition and admiration of her peers. An artist whose latest work dwells on opposite sides of the world, Liu offers her thoughts on “making it.”

Generasian: Can you tell us where you

can meet on the stage space to explore

exploring whiteness in some way—in some

were emotionally, socially, etc. with

cross cultural encounter and engagement.

way if there’s not a recognition that there’s

your work after graduating from NYU?

It’s not necessarily completely on the

no ethnic diversity on the stage, then I

Liu: I think it’s pretty common for

surface—the representation of different

feel like it’s absolutely not relevant to this

undergraduates in the arts to graduate

cultural identities is not always what the

culture, to this moment that we live in. As

and feel all at once really overwhelmed

piece is about—but I feel that through the

artists that use human bodies, speaking,

by the seeming immensity of the struggle

abstract, through the merging of different

and the human being on stage as opposed

before them and also feel really full of

forms, I’m able to make a conversation

to plastic objects, we have to in some way

themselves, in a good way. I feel like I

about felt cultural experience.

reconcile with our individual cultural,

was sort of in between those two places. I was lucky, in that I had teachers that

ethnic, historical, familial identities.

One thing I’ve figured out over the past eight years since graduating from NYU is how to use my cultural identity as an advantage

really gave me a lot of encouragement about making work, creating original performance. So I kind of believed that I had a process—which was kind of a huge step forward, I think.

G: So what is it that you’ve been doing?

G: Is that label a crucial part of your work or does it just happen to be attached to you?

L: One thing I’ve figured out over the past eight years since graduating from NYU is how to use my cultural identity as an advantage, as a way to set myself

L: What I do is use different forms—I

G: Do you feel like the label “Asian

a part from the many hundreds, if not

use movement, non-representational

American” theater maker applies to you?

thousands, of people my age working

movement, movement that is about

L: I am a half-Chinese artist, and I will

in my field in New York City right now.

movement not about anything else. I also

always be a half-Chinese artist, and when

To figure out what is really individual

use theatrical devices—character, text,

I don’t see an exploration of cultural

to me: who I am and how it relates to

story, and design—to create a conversation

identity on the stage I completely

where I come form—so that I can be

on stage that is about cultural friction.

disengage. When I see a play or a dance

more of an individual, you know? It’s

I’m interested in how very distinct ideas

that is all white people and is not

just about figuring out my personal

6

Meet the Artist: Jennie Liu

Why We’re Rooting for Jeremy Lin


perspective that has to be completely linked to

from acting school. I knew that would be spending

where I come from, what languages were spoken

a lot of time in audition rooms being looked at as

in my household, what languages weren’t, and

an Asian first and foremost. I knew that I would

the whole crazy history of colonialism and…it

be auditioning for limited categories of roles.

has to be related to how I perceive the world.

There’s a lack of visibility in the general culture at large. So I deliberately did not pursue acting in

G: Have you ever felt like your cultural identity

commercial media because of that. And also because

was a disadvantage? Nowadays there seems to

I wanted to dance and experiment with dance, and

be a greater proliferation of Asians on the media

in that field I never felt like I was discriminated

stage. How do you feel about that change?

against in any way because dance is about a live,

L: Like Young Jean Lee? Yeah, there has been a greater

interesting bodily presence—a presence that goes

increase of Asian faces in the media—I guess, the first

beyond a racial/ ethnic frame or a gender frame…

time I thought about it was Sandra Oh. Sideways was

dance is about tapping into something deeper.

the first time I saw an Asian face in a film where that character didn’t have to be Asian you know—she just

G: What do you know now that you

was—because we’re human and people. (Laughs)

wish you knew eight years ago?

I don’t think I ever felt like it was a disadvantage,

L: That’s a good question…I don’t know. It’s about

but then I made an absolutely conscious choice

letting go, I think. Allow there to be mystery in

not to pursue commercial acting when I graduated

what you’re making. Don’t be freaked out by not knowing everything about what your making—

To learn more about Jennie Liu and HERE visit here.org

that is something that I still try to tell myself. G

Photo courtesy of Benjamin Heller (HERE Arts)

WHY WE’RE ROOTING FOR

JEREMY LIN by Kenny Hsu

I

first read about Jeremy Lin, then a little-known basketball star at Harvard,

in an online scouting report that noted his lack of ball control was the most noticeable “chink” in his armor. Although the author has since corrected the language (ball control is now merely “his biggest weakness”) the miscue made it clear that at least some sportswriters were not accustomed to seeing Asian Americans in basketball. No one could blame them—only this did October, Lin became just the first Asian American to wear an NBA uniform since 1947. Of course, the 6’3” Taiwanese American is only one of several contemporary Asian athletes to flourish in professional sports. But while others like Lin have become some of the best within their respective sports, the backup NBA point guard has quickly developed a cultlike following among basketball fans of all racial backgrounds. Lin first made national headlines in December 2009 when he scored 30 points, including two spectacular slam dunks against Connecticut, then

Illustration courtesy of Noah Dempewolf (KoreaAm)

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one of the best teams in the country. Although Harvard lost, highlights

7


of Lin’s performance circulated across

their sport much more so than Lin. The

to study economics at Harvard. His

the internet. As he literally soared

Oakland Athletics’ catcher Kurt Suzuki

father, an immigrant from Taiwan, is

past athletes much larger than him,

is one of the best in baseball, and the

a computer engineer. This is probably

bloggers asked the seemingly inevitable

Korean-American Pittsburgh Steeler Hines

a biography we are all familiar with.

question: “this guy’s Asian?”

Ward has won two Super Bowls. Why

This fascination only grew after Lin,

then has Lin become such an icon for us?

The one deviation from the Asian archetype is his NBA-worthy talent. We

although not selected during the 2010

cannot sympathize with a childhood

NBA Draft, still outperformed John

of intense athletic training, years of

Wall, the Draft’s best player, in an NBA exhibition game. This time, Lin caught national attention: the Golden State Warriors offered him a contract, and even

It’s not difficult to insert ourselves into Lin’s story—apart from his basketball career

Olympic competitions, or the college experience of an athletic scholarship that many athletes have had. But we can identify with Lin, the

ESPN jumped on the Lin bandwagon.

22-year-old Harvard grad who has

Reflecting on the large Asian American

devoted much of his life to academics,

crowd in Madison Square Garden when

The answer does not necessarily lie

almost to the fault of conforming to a

the Warriors visited, writer Matt Wong

in Lin’s athletic ability or his professional

racial stereotype. But unlike ourselves,

remarked, “This isn’t like watching Yao

basketball player status, but more

Lin can soar past seven-foot men and

[Ming]…Asian Americans can more

in our perceptions of ourselves. For

faces the likes of LeBron James and Kobe

easily relate to the path Lin had to take

Asian American students today, it’s not

Bryant everyday. He is almost a comic

to get to the NBA…I couldn’t help but

difficult to insert ourselves into Lin’s

book version of Asian American youth—

get the feeling that I knew him.”

story—apart from his basketball career.

studious and hardworking student by

In many ways but one, he complies with

day, professional athlete by night.

I share these exact sentiments when watching Lin play amongst the best

the Asian stereotype so many of us are

athletes in the world. But in these past

familiar with: he was born and raised as a

feeling that we know Lin when we watch

Like Wong, we cannot help the

years, sports fans have seen several

devout Christian in northern California,

him play. It is an inescapable feeling

other Asian American athletes dominate

where he excelled academically enough

that we ourselves know too well. G

Contribute to our next issue or blog! We want your writing, art, and ideas! Email nyu.generasian@gmail.com

EXECUTIVE STAFF

CONTRIBUTORS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

OPERATIONS MANAGERS

WRITERS

ARTISTS

Sondra Morishima

Vicky Yau

Kenny Hsu

Kristina Lim

Han Yu

Harry Lee

Patrick Yan

Joseph Lin

ART DIRECTOR Patrick Yan

ONLINE EDITOR

Rachel Lin

All content copyright ©

Patrick Yan

Sondra Morishima

their respective owners.

Tara Sarath

COPY EDITOR Kenny Hsu

STAFF COLLABORATORS

Chris Shim

Sarah Chen

Alice Tsui

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Rachel Lin

Vicky Yau

Joseph Lin

Soomi Rho

Patrick Yan

8

Why We’re Rooting for Jeremy Lin


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