DIVERSIVITY Asian Heritage
4/24/21
Our Mission:
At Diversivity, we strive to create a more inclusive community that embraces diversity amongst different identities and cultures. We hope to do this by providing a safe platform for teens to share their perspectives, stories, and thoughts, while also advocating for solutions to issues relating to race relations, global events, identity, and more.
Team Message:
As members of Diversivity, we wanted our electronic magazine to be a safe space for people from a multitude of backgrounds to share their stories, opinions, and perspectives about a diverse range of topics. We believe that writing is a powerful tool that can help create a more inclusive and diverse world. Each month we hone in on a certain theme, opening up submissions to anyone who wants to write about their experiences. This month’s theme, Asian Heritage, drew many responses and shines a light on new issues. We believe it's important for every voice to be heard and we hope that our e-magazine can accurately portray Asian Heritage and its numerous parts.
Chief Writer:
Katie MacDonald Hillary Xu
Writers:
Michelle Li Sahithi Lingampalli
Chief Editor: Rhea Kaw
Director of Graphics Design: Harshana Jawahar
Graphic Designer: Megha Patel
CELEBRATING HISTORIC ASIAN-AMERICAN LEADERS
1. Anna May Wong (Wong Liu Tsong) January 3, 1905 – February 3, 1961 Considered the first Chinese-American Hollywood movie star, her career spanning silent film, the first color films, television, and radio in the mid-20th century. Born in Los Angeles to Taiwanese parents, Anna May Wong started acting at an early age. She debuted in her first film, The Red Lantern, at age 14, later securing her first lead role in The Toll of the Sea at age 17. Many of her early roles played into ethnic stereotypes, such as Asian women portrayed as either submissive butterflies or evil dragons. However, Wong was an advocate for greater representation of Asian Americans in film and television, seeking to humanize roles for Asian-Americans. After losing the lead role in The Good Earth to Luise Rainer, who used yellowface to perform as the main character O-Lan, Wong spoke out against the racism of the film industry in a 1933 interview for the Film Weekly: “Why is it that the screen Chinese is nearly always the villain? And so crude a villain—murderous, treacherous, a snake in the grass. We are not like that. How should we be, with a civilization that is so many times older than the West?” Her legacy lives on, inspiring Asian-Americans to pursue their Hollywood dreams and pioneering the way for Asian representation in films.
2. Dalip Singh Saund September 20, 1899 – April 22, 1973 Born in Punjab, India, Saund emigrated to the U.S. via Ellis Island in his early 20s to further his education. He earned master and doctoral degrees in mathematics from the University of California, Berkeley, and after becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1949, he campaigned for various government positions in Stockton, California. He represented the 29th District of California from 1957 to 1963. In 1955, he began his campaign to run for the U.S. House of Representatives. Saund won the position twice, which made him the first Sikh American, the first Asian American, and the first Indian American to be elected to the U.S. Congress.
3. Duke Kahanamoku (Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku) August 24, 1890 – January 22, 1968 If you’ve ever gone surfing, you have “Big Kahuna” to thank. In 1890, on the island of Hawaii, Duke Kahanamoku was born towards the end of the Kingdom of Hawaii regime. The first Native Hawaiin to earn a gold medal in the Olympics, he became a five-time medalist in swimming, having competed in the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp, and the 1924 Olympics in Paris. He also joined the U.S. water polo team at the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles, serving as an alternate. His legacy is most prominent in his work to popularize the Hawaiian sport of surfing, often referred to as the “Father of Surfing.”
4. I.M. Pei (Ieoh Ming Pei) April 26, 1917 – May 16, 2019 Born in Guangzhou, China, Ieoh Ming Pei moved to the U.S. in 1935 to enroll in the University of Pennsylvania’s architecture school, but transferred to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He designed some of the nation’s most iconic buildings, including the John F. Kennedy Memorial Library, the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, World Trade Center in Baltimore, Roosevelt Field, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. He’s the visionary behind the glass and steel pyramid of the Louvre, and even as a building named after him. He is among a select few architects whose work has defined city skylines around the world, cementing him as an architecture legend.
5. Tammy Duckworth March 12, 1968 – Present Born in Bangkok, Thailand, Tammy Duckworth is the first Thai American woman elected to the U.S. Congress, the first woman with a disability elected to the U.S. Congress, and the first U.S. senator to give birth while in office. A former U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and veteran of the Iraq War, Duckworth lost both of her legs (double amputation) while in service. She is a Purple Heart recipient and former Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Currently advocating for the passing of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, she strives to break the status quo of treating Asian Americans as second-class citizens.
I speak my mother’s tongue, But I dream in English. I look like my ancestors, But I don’t venerate their spirits.
Firecrackers and Fireworks I square-danced in school,
Kicking my legs to Cotton Eye Joe. I dragon-danced after school, Lifting the Pearl of Wisdom. I eat moon cake and macaroons, I read Li Bai and Walt Whitman, I wear qipao and dresses, I am Eastern and Western--
Firecrackers and Fireworks.
EXTRAS
Here are some stories that aren't about this month's theme, but we felt should be included!
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR
Verse 1 This is a story Which you might have heard But within is a lesson That is yet to be learned It is believed that, three hundred years ago On this exact day Midmorning, the sky was dark And the clouds called for rain A usual day for the market The town was loud and busy But far from the crowds A little girl stood by quietly No one noticed her For everyday she stood there With her pale skin And her dark brown locks of hair Pre-chorus But then at noon A merchant arrived with a mirror He handed it to the girl "Turn it one way," said the merchant “And you will see where you want to go.” “But if you turn it the other way” “You will see where you are needed the most." Chorus Turn around And what do you see? Piles of gold and a throne Or does the little cottage hold the key? Which place lies your destiny? Which one is yours to own? Right now all I hope is that Everything will be so much clearer If I ever find myself On the other side of the mirror
Verse 2 She saw in blue But they told her color was wrong The mirror brushed by her hands Then she saw where she belonged There was no one there The girl looked around Everything was the same But the merchant was nowhere to be found By now it was dark And the setting changed The mirror turned once more Then it began to rain Pre-chorus Cause at noon A merchant arrived with a mirror He handed it to the girl "Turn it one way," said the merchant “And you will see where you want to go.” “But if you turn it the other way” “You will see where you are needed the most." Chorus (2) If you turn around What will you see? Piles of gold and a throne Or does the little cottage hold the key? Which place lies your destiny? Which one is yours to own? Right now all I know is that Everything will be so much clearer Once I find myself On the other side of the mirror Outro For if you turn me one way And you will see where you want to go But turn the other You will find where you are needed the most
NOT ALL MEN I watch the news with horror filling my heart. A chilling sensation creeps up my arms. I am unable and unwilling to move from the chair. Sarah Everard was walking home. She was walking home. She was kidnapped and murdered by a police officer. Those who swear to protect us. I am tired of hearing that as women, we need to be in public spaces, be covered up, and not walk home alone. It is not about us. It is about men. I am tired. I am exhausted. I demand change. I was at the park at 7 pm. A group of men came out of the forest, were obviously drunk, and began yelling at me to come over there, and that I had nothing to be afraid of. They then chased after me as I ran home. I thought I was going to die. I thought I was going to become another number. I was 13. I was in math class and we were being taught data management. My teacher sat us down and felt he had to teach us a “life lesson.” He said that women would never make it as far as men. He said we were lucky because while it was up to men to play sports, we could make babies, and that made it fair. I was 14. I refused to go on a date with a mutual friend and he messaged me multiple times saying he was coming to where I work. He sent me videos of him entering the store and zooming into the counter where I was. I was alone in the store. All because I rejected him and told him “No.” I was 15.
I was alone at work and was approached by an older man. He kept saying how beautiful I was and explained what he wanted to do. I had nowhere to go, and I was afraid he would wait for me after my shift. As I stood there, frozen in fear, he came closer and began saying how he wanted to date me. I couldn’t do anything. I was never told what to do, only that it was somehow my fault. I was 16. I was talking to my family and my brother was picking fights. I left the room and on my way out, I heard him say, “you need to be taught some respect, young woman”. My parents demanded I apologize to him. This was yesterday. When I hear the phrase, “Not all Men,” it makes me sick to my stomach. While it may not be “all men,” it is ENOUGH men. EVERY man is brought up in a society that values the male perspective and potential more than they value women. EVERY man is brought up being taught that ‘boys will be boys,’ while women are brought up learning how to defend themselves. EVERY man is taught that they can change the world, while women are taught how to satisfy the male agenda. It is ENOUGH men where I have to wonder if my life is at risk when I see a man looking at me on the street. It is ENOUGH men where I have to go out of my way to ensure I can be respected. It is ENOUGH men where it doesn’t matter if it isn’t all men, because if I am wrong, I may not come home.
Environmental Racism: Cancer Alley The Mississippi River Valley is home to 188,075 residents, 40% of whom are African American. It’s also home to Louisiana’s petrochemical industry, including more than 150 petrochemical plants and refineries lined 85 miles along the Mississippi River, from New Orleans to Baton Rouge. Instead of uplifting the communities and bringing economic prosperity, the petrochemical industry causes the death of community members by releasing carcinogenic pollutants in the air, leading to a severely increased risk of cancer—hence the morbid moniker “Cancer Alley.” There are 12 parishes (i.e. counties) within 5 kilometers of petrochemical plants in this area; the parishes closest to the plants are 90% Black. In 1940, during the era of Jim Crow laws, the petrochemical industry replaced the former sugar plantations and sharecropping operations. In 1969, DuPont opened a chemical factory to produce chloroprene, which is used to make synthetic rubber material in wetsuits, athletic gear, computer sleeves, and more. Ever since then, the DuPont plant (Denka) has been fined and investigated several times for violations of the Clear Air Act and the Clean Water Act. Yet it wasn’t until 2017 that Denka signed an agreement with the Department of Environmental Quality to reduce chlorepene emissions. The damage that the petrochemical plants have caused to these communities is long-lasting and spans generations.
So what’s the connection between petrochemical plants and cancer? Chloroprene is a chemical compound consisting of a colorless liquid and forms neoprene once mixed with acetylene and hydrochloric acid. It’s used to make neoprene, which is a synthetic polymer akin to rubber. In 2010, the EPA classified chloroprene as a likely carcinogen. Exposure to carcinogens (like the chemicals released by petrochemical plants) increase the risk of liver cancer, skin cancer, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, and lung cancer. Not only is the air quality poor, but so is the water and soil. Pollutants and carcinogens that are expelled into the air eventually land on the ground and infiltrate the drinking water. Since the people living in this area are frequently exposed to high amounts of petrochemicals, they are more likely to develop cancer and subsequently pass away from it. This is reflected in the demographic statistics collected from Cancer Alley. Rates of leukemia (a blood cancer) is 30% higher in communities within 5 kilometers of a petrochemical plant compared to communities with no petrochemical plants nearby. In a conservative estimate, the petrochemical industry is responsible for 58.7% of new cases of leukemia between 2011 and 2015.
This isn’t unique to just Cancer Alley: systemic racism and environmental injustice have created health problems that persist throughout society. This phenomenon was given a name in 1982: Environmental Racism. It describes the government and corporate decisions, plus the lax enforcement of zoning and environmental laws, that result in communities of color being disproportionately exposed to toxic conditions, leading to long-term health problems. This usually manifests itself as a disproportionate percentage of people of color living in environmentally hazardous areas (e.g. nuclear-waste dump sites, coal mining sites, or industrial activity sites.) and consequently develop asthma, chronic diseases, and cancer at higher rates. It’s clear that the activities of petrochemical plants impact public health. When companies fail to uphold their moral obligation to the community, to keep their communities safe, and to prevent carcinogens from entering children’s playgrounds and homes—the consequences wreak havoc for generations.
BROKEN WORLD
Thrust into a world so broken Filled with hatred, division, pain Left with so many words unspoken. Living our lives as if we are watched Judged like a circus act. Act after act, show after show, the pain never stops Our pain only grows. Thrust into a world so broken, We believe we must be more. More than enough, more than ourselves. We see things that need to be fixed But if we only looked, we would see beauty in our flaws. The scripts are written before we are born, Either live up to them or be rejected. Embedded in everyday lives, sharp as thorns. It feels like I am drowning Every time I take a breath, another wave crashes down. Living our lives as if we are watched, Judged like a circus act. Act after act, show after show, the pain never stops. The pain only grows But what happens, when the curtains finally close?
What is Environmental Science? In recent years, the environment has changed rapidly because of human population growth and activities. Creating residential neighborhoods, constructing factories, and building stretches of asphalt roads all affect the ecosystems around it. Thus, understanding our relationship with nature and learning how to mitigate our impact is increasingly necessary. Environmental science aims to do just that. According to Margaret Cunningham, an instructor in Environmental Science and Biology, the three main goals of environmental science are: 1. Learn how the natural world works. 2. Understand how we interact with the environment. 3. Determine how we affect the environment. These goals are accomplished by combining natural science disciplines (e.g. biology, chemistry, geology, ecology, zoology, etc.) and social sciences (e.g. politics, humanities). The interdisciplinary aspect of environmental science allows for a holistic understanding of how nature and humanity interact and affect the environment and society.
Specific careers related to environmental science can be categorized into 5 types: Environmental Science Careers Agriculture & Forestry Careers Environmental Policy & Planning Careers Sustainability & Green Careers Public Health Careers These careers encompass everything from fish and game wardens to solar panel engineers to field-scientists. Work settings include research laboratories (both academic and independent), government (local, state, and federal), companies (environmental remediation, oil & fossil fuel, etc.), and independent contractors. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor, the 2019 median pay for environmental scientists was $71,360 per year ($34.31 per hour). The demand for the job is expected to increase by 8% in the next 10 years, which is faster than average. If this field of study interests you, check out these book recommendations! Apocalypse Never: Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All by Michael Shellenberger (2020) The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-Wells (2019) The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert (2014) Silent Spring by Rachel Carson (1962)
SHOUTOUTS
Here are some of the organizations we have collaborated with and their missions in conjunctions with ours!
DIVERSIVITY X THE AFFAIR MAGAZINE
We are The Affair Magazine, a by students, for students magazine publication, that aims to educate busy students about current affairs with captivating articles and vivid graphics. The monthly issues of The Affair summarize current affairs and report upon ongoing issues of the world. We want to help educate the students not only with privilege but also those without, so our publications are made available on a website (https://issuu.com/theaffairmag/) accessible by all. We strongly believe that as we grow, areas of the underprivileged grow with us. Our core team consists of writers, editors, artists, and layout designers, and the magazine itself has 6 sections, including ArtMedia, Technology, Science, WorldPolitics, Lifestyle, and Opinion-Writing. We work to improve our eye-catching graphics, engrossing writing style, and grammar skills with each new issue. One of Diversivity’s goals is to encourage teens to speak on issues they are passionate about, and The Affair promotes the same! We have a dedicated Opinion writing section in which a multitude of students expresses their varying opinions on the same topic. Another goal of Diversivity is to foster open-mindedness and a holistic picture of global issues and politics. The Affair has a World Politics writing section in which articles summarize current politics from an inclusive approach. Writers and editors work together to make our articles come from an unbiased stance so that readers can view issues from a neutral stance and foster their own opinions. Together, Diversivity and The Affair Magazine can encourage teens to display their interests and opinions in an inclusive approach.
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