Asian Americans and Religion/Spirituality

Pop quiz:  Are the majority of Asian Americans...
...Muslim?
...Buddhist?

...Christian?

...other?

Let's take a look at what the Pew Research Center survey found:

For more information, check out the following:   http://www.pewforum.org/Asian-Americans-A-Mosaic-of-Faiths-overview.aspx.

A different set of standards?

Want to go to college?  Try harder if you're Asian American. 

http://www.8asians.com/2012/10/29/florida-board-of-education-to-hold-asian-american-students-to-higher-standard/

Asian Americans aren't setting the standard, they're expected to be held at a higher standard in some areas of the United States. 

The Model Minority Myth and institutionalized policies affect Asian American youth - and others who are held to such standards. 

Racist Hollister models anger South Koreans

Fewer retail brands seem more Americanized than Hollister (and their parent company:  Abercrombie & Fitch).  When Hollister tried to branch out to South Korea recently, their models portrayed racist attitudes and angered the potential market of locals. 

Models tweeted themselves in offensive poses with statements such as:  "Hahahaha they ruhhvvvv itttt!"


Although Hollister eventually apologized, they may want to heed Suzy Danielle De Loa's words on Hollister's Facebook page:  "You make me ashamed to be part of the American culture...How can you not screen your employees on cultural awareness.”

http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-hollister-racist-models-south-korea-20120910,0,7297294.story

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/09/hollister-model-twitter-south-korea-racist_n_1868342.html

http://blog.angryasianman.com/2012/09/hollister-models-go-to-korea-act-like.html

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/hollyworld/hollister-models-fired-asian-slurs-at-south-korean-store

What do you think?  Should companies be held accountable for the actions of their employees?

Military Hazing of Asian American Soldiers

If you've ever heard the name "Danny Chen," then you might know that he faced weeks of "corrective action" at the hands of his military peers.  The corrective action included being called "chink" and "gook", dragged across gravel on his back and had rocks and bottles thrown at him to simulate artillery.  After enduring this abuse, he went up to his guard tower and committed suicide. Two of those responsible for his hazing ended up with as little as one month of jail time when they could have received up to 17 years.   

This could be a reminder of Harry Lew, who was a also victim of military hazing just last year. After over three hours of being physically assaulted and choking when having a sandbag poured over his face and in his mouth, he shot himself with his own rifle in a fox hole that he was forced to dig himself. Once again, his perpetrators were either free to walk or were given one month of jail time.

Such suicides could have been prevented.  Congresswoman Judy Chu created a petition calling for a zero-tolerance policy for hazing in our military. Read her New York Times Op-Ed piece for the background to her policy:  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/04/opinion/military-hazing-has-to-stop.html?_r=1&ref=opinion.  Or, visit her website for more information about the proposed legislation to stop military hazing. http://chu.house.gov/press-release/reps-chu-cummings-honda-and-others-introduce-legislation-prevent-hazing-military. 

What A Difference A Friend Makes

The National Alliance Mental Illness (NAMI) recognized July as National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=Multicultural_Support&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=120508. 


SAMHSA and the Ad Council ran a campain which targeted young adults in the Chinese community and encourages social networks to get educated and support those experiencing mental health symptoms. http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/adcouncil/44964/

The "What a Difference a Friend Makes" campaign is an example of what public education can do to help reduce stigma towards mental illnesses.  http://www.whatadifference.samhsa.gov/Chinese/

Apology for 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act

The U.S. recently achieved a major milestone on Congresswoman Judy Chu's resolution of regret for the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, H. Res 683. The bill passed unanimously in the House of Representatives and the Senate! To watch this historic moment, click on this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVEKx9um_jY&feature=youtu.be

To refer to some of the national press coverage, check out these clips:


L.A. Times - http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-house-apology-chinese-immigrants-20120618,0,7467392.story

CNN - http://inamerica.blogs.cnn.com/2012/06/19/in-rare-apology-house-regrets-exclusionary-laws-targeting-chinese/?hpt=us_bn1
 
During the California Gold Rush, the Chinese immigrated to the U.S. to help build America.  During the economic downturn, the Chinese served as scapegoats and congress eventually created the Chinese Exclusion Act to prevent these "Mongloids" from entering the U.S.  Many thanks to Congresswoman Judy Chu for helping the U.S. to take a step towards righting this injustice. 

National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month

Did you know that July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month?  Why is this important?  Certain cultural groups do not discuss mental health issues due to the fear of stigma and the double minority status (for example, being an ethnic minority person with a mental illness). 

How do we combat the stigma associated with double minority status?  Speaking out through awareness campaigns would be one of the ways to fight such stereotypes.  Thus, designating July as National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month gives our communities an avenue to voice our perspectives and educate the public. 

There are excellent organizations formed with the intentions of reducing such barriers.  Check out the websites below for more information. 

http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=Multicultural_Support1&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=111375

http://nned.net/index-nned.php/NNED_content/news_announcement/nmmham-webinar-II

DREAM act

President Obama offers temporary relief to DREAMers, 12% of which are Asian Americans .  Refer to the recent correspondence below by APALC (The Asian Pacific American Legal Center) for more information. 

APALC to Help Undocumented Youth, Warns of Potential Fraud
Neidi Dominguez (right) from DREAM TEAM Los Angeles speaks about DREAMer relief accompanied by APALC Executive Director Stewart Kwoh at a news conference on Tuesday.
In light of President Barack Obama’s recent announcement about temporary relief for DREAMers, APALC will help undocumented Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) youth determine if they qualify for relief from deportation from the country.

On June 15th, President Obama announced the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)’s order allowing certain young undocumented immigrants to be able to apply for work authorization and be safe from deportation for a period of two years, subject to renewal. The Obama administration announced this policy shift after organizing and mobilization by DREAMers in Los Angeles and across the country who called upon the President to grant them administrative relief according them temporary legal status.

The Obama administration estimates that approximately 800,000 young immigrants will be affected by this deferred action policy. AAPIs compose about 12 percent of these DREAMers.

To address specific questions about the requirements and process of applying for relief, APALC has put together an FAQ:

DREAMer Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Immigrants who think they may qualify for relief and live in southern California are encouraged to start collecting their documentation and contact APALC for questions at (888) 349-9695 and at info@apalc.org. APALC also can be contacted in the following languages:

• Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese) - 800.520.2356
• Khmer - 800.867.3126
• Korean - 800.867.3126
• Thai - 800.914.9583
• Vietnamese - 800.267.7395

During a news conference this week, Immigration and Citizenship Supervising Attorney Joyce Noche warned of potential fraud from those trying to exploit undocumented immigrants. Individuals should not be paying anyone to apply for this relief as there is no process to apply yet.

“We are concerned there may be some immigration consultants who may say they can help undocumented immigrants but only after paying a fee,” Noche said. “We would warn community members not to contact these ‘notarios’ and instead call us for questions.”

Youth who demonstrate that they meet the following criteria will be eligible to apply, on a case-by-case basis, for deferred action and work authorization for a period of two years, subject to renewal:

• Came to the United States under the age of 16;
• Have continuously resided in the United States for at least five years preceding the date of this memorandum and are present in the United States on the date of this memorandum;
• Are currently in school, have graduated from high school, have obtained a general education development certificate, or are honorably discharged veterans of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States;
• Have not been convicted of a felony offense, a significant misdemeanor offense, multiple misdemeanor offenses or otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety;
• Are not over the age of 30.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) expect to begin implementation of the application process within 60 days.
APALC is committed to helping thousands of undocumented young DREAMers.  The Asian Pacific American Legal Center, a member of the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice, is the nation’s largest Asian American legal and civil rights organization and serves more than 15,000 individuals and organizations every year.

Linsanity

Who is Jeremy Lin? There's certainly been a lot of buzz about this intelligent athlete. Why? Perhaps because he's helped to defy some of the stereotypes about Asian American males. In case you haven't heard, here's a little blurb to help you become more acquainted with "Linsanity." http://diverseeducation.com/article/12604/



For a more intimate look at the Jeremy Lin prior to all the Knicks hype, here's a day in the life of our protagonist:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLzrLXQIbwM



Of course, all the praises are not unnoticed by some backlash as well.
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/video/#!/on-air/as-seen-on/Is-Lin-Sanity-Getting-Lin-Sensitive-/139767573 (If you have difficulties pulling up the video using the link, try typing in "Jeremy Lin" at the site's search option.)





What do you think of all the hype? Has Jeremy Lin helped to break down stereotypes? Will the backlash lead to even more controversy? The world shall have to wait and see...

Anti-Asian Bullying

Bullying takes on many forms (e.g., physical, verbal, cyber, etc.). The effects can be devastating, as evidenced by recent suicides (http://inamerica.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/17/opinion-what-the-deaths-of-two-soldiers-say-about-anti-asian-bullying/?hpt=us_bn1). Why do people bully? Who is usually targeted? How can bullying be prevented?

There is a myth that bullies have low self-esteem, however there is evidence that they can be quite confident and charismatic. Victims can be targeted for a variety of reasons, including race, religion, gender, personal disposition. It's important to note that victims are do not provoke the bullying and do not deserve to be treated in such a demeaning manner. Effects of bullying can be social isolation, depression/anxiety, and overall feelings of hopelessness. By-standers who do nothing to intervene can create an atmosphere of tolerance for such abusive behaviors, thus exacerbating the victim's sense of helplessness. A no-tolerance policy for bullying is an effective way to stop bullying, however this needs to be enforced at all levels. Talk to someone in charge and don't stop until soemone listens. That's what students at a high school did until school administrators could create a safe learning environment for them. No one deserves to be bullied.

Bicultural Holidays

How does East meet West when living in a bicultural society? It appears that those who have learned to take parts of both cultures have a better chance at integrating aspects into a fusion culture. Consider how some of the finest cuisines in the world manage to unique aspects of two cultures to create an original taste, such as the Southern California Kogi Truck (http://kogibbq.com/) sensation.

One can also see how this can be the case for celebrating holidays. Consider the modern twist on a traditional lion dance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=053S4B5J0is. What are some other examples of products when East meets West?