Even though I realize that I am lucky
to live in the time and place that I
do and that I have many luxuries that
not everyone in the world has, I want
to look around sometimes and scream,
really loudly. I can not believe how
lazy we all have become and yes, I
do include myself in this rant. When
I say lazy I mean both physically and
mentally. People are not using their minds
to their full potential and see people
getting bigger and bigger every year
(meaning fatter). And does anyone else
think that it is ridiculous that people
who play professional sports get payed
millions of dollars when teachers get
paid CONSIDERABLY less. That is insane
to me because the teachers are in charge
of educating the future of this country
and if they are worried about paying
their bills on time or getting to their
second job, then they can not do the job
to the full extent of their abilities.
Basically, the recent election of Obama
to the Presidency has shown that the
United States has made several good steps
forward, but a quick glance around what is
going on in the country shows that we
"Still have miles to go before we sleep."
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Looking Back
Looking back over the semester, I realized that
I learned a lot and had a lot of fun doing it.
This class was one of the most entertaining
classes that I have ever taken part in. The
people in the class with me and the teacher
made the experiences that I had in the class
highly enjoyable. However, the class was not
just fun and games. Over the course of the
semester my eyes were opened to a piece of
history that had before been unknown to me.
When I was a junior in high school, I went
on a ten day trip to the south, that took me
through the major events of the Civil Rights
Movement. So, before I took this class I was
not unaware of the racial injustices that are
part of this countries history. I knew about
the Trail of Tears and about the Japanese
Internment camps after Pearl Harbor was
bombed. So, I was not completely unaware of
those pieces of history, but I did not know
the extent or the whole story. And I still don't,
even if my eyes are opened a little wider then
they were before, because the denseness of the
material can never be completely and wholey
covered in one semester. So at the end of the
semester, I realized that though I have learned
a lot, there is still more that I need to learn.
I learned a lot and had a lot of fun doing it.
This class was one of the most entertaining
classes that I have ever taken part in. The
people in the class with me and the teacher
made the experiences that I had in the class
highly enjoyable. However, the class was not
just fun and games. Over the course of the
semester my eyes were opened to a piece of
history that had before been unknown to me.
When I was a junior in high school, I went
on a ten day trip to the south, that took me
through the major events of the Civil Rights
Movement. So, before I took this class I was
not unaware of the racial injustices that are
part of this countries history. I knew about
the Trail of Tears and about the Japanese
Internment camps after Pearl Harbor was
bombed. So, I was not completely unaware of
those pieces of history, but I did not know
the extent or the whole story. And I still don't,
even if my eyes are opened a little wider then
they were before, because the denseness of the
material can never be completely and wholey
covered in one semester. So at the end of the
semester, I realized that though I have learned
a lot, there is still more that I need to learn.
Pop! Producing Our Power
This last Monday, the SFSU Ethnic Studies 210
classes gathered at the Brava theater in the
Mission and performed for the people. Even though
I am not a theater inclined person myself, or
inclined towards performance of any kind, but I
have to admit I was moved by the event. Everyone
there was so full of energy and purpose that it was
hard not to get caught up in the whirl-wind of it
all. The way that the other classes took what we
had learned all semester and taught the audience
something was really fun and funny. One group from
another class did a skit about how people should
not try to change who and what they are to fit in.
In the skit, the group showed the audience that
being Asian-American is not something to be ashamed
of, but something to be proud of. What made the skit
entertaining was that it was set in the world of
Harry Potter. What my group did was we made a news
cast about SFSU as if a full-scale strike
was taking place on campus right now. In the news
cast we interviewed students, a TA, and a teacher
about the "strike." Granted the strike that we
talked about in the news cast was fake and the
people we interviewed were peers from our class,
that did not make their answers any less truthful.
At the end of the night, I felt a sense of relief
that the madness was over and also a sense of
purpose. The purpose that I felt was not focused,
it was just a sense that I would not take any
injustice that I witnessed lying down. If I ever
see something that does not ring true or right, that
I would do everything in my power to try to change
it or at least move towards the right direction.
classes gathered at the Brava theater in the
Mission and performed for the people. Even though
I am not a theater inclined person myself, or
inclined towards performance of any kind, but I
have to admit I was moved by the event. Everyone
there was so full of energy and purpose that it was
hard not to get caught up in the whirl-wind of it
all. The way that the other classes took what we
had learned all semester and taught the audience
something was really fun and funny. One group from
another class did a skit about how people should
not try to change who and what they are to fit in.
In the skit, the group showed the audience that
being Asian-American is not something to be ashamed
of, but something to be proud of. What made the skit
entertaining was that it was set in the world of
Harry Potter. What my group did was we made a news
cast about SFSU as if a full-scale strike
was taking place on campus right now. In the news
cast we interviewed students, a TA, and a teacher
about the "strike." Granted the strike that we
talked about in the news cast was fake and the
people we interviewed were peers from our class,
that did not make their answers any less truthful.
At the end of the night, I felt a sense of relief
that the madness was over and also a sense of
purpose. The purpose that I felt was not focused,
it was just a sense that I would not take any
injustice that I witnessed lying down. If I ever
see something that does not ring true or right, that
I would do everything in my power to try to change
it or at least move towards the right direction.
"A STORY TO FAMILY"-By:Crystle Presa
I wrote this poem in response to break the media image of Asian American women, as well as break the image of how my family percieves me and how they assume they know the real me.
"A Story to Family"-by: Crystle Presa
Young, dumb, pretty, and naive is all you think of me.
Look where I've grown up, what I've gone through, and where I'm at today,
How can dumb and naive even be a possibility?
In a testosterone driven world, respect and acceptance granted to a double headed people.
Respect given based on physical strength and thoughts of cerebral smarts.
Lemme break it down to you my brotha, I own it.
Mentally capable, inner strength is what rules me to those before.
Brown colored skin resembles royalty and greatness in my book, striving for better, working hard at any cost.
Exploitation of my sisters on the screen, don’t you see it’s a white man’s corporate dollars running this fictitious game?
Educated with state smarts and street wisdom, mama didnt raise no fool.
A brown bitch under minority lines, you think you have it hard, double up on my pain.
Independent to stand alone head to the sky, following the kulintang beat of my heart.
Graciously walking through bamboo obstacles
I choose my own path, not conforming to society, but what's right for me and the god that judges me.
Error pop ups, woman enough to own up to mistakes and grown enough to learn from them.
Misunderstood, underestimated, and complex, you think you know, but the diary says you have no idea.
I'm grown. I've grown.
A woman. A pinay to be exact.
"A Story to Family"-by: Crystle Presa
Young, dumb, pretty, and naive is all you think of me.
Look where I've grown up, what I've gone through, and where I'm at today,
How can dumb and naive even be a possibility?
In a testosterone driven world, respect and acceptance granted to a double headed people.
Respect given based on physical strength and thoughts of cerebral smarts.
Lemme break it down to you my brotha, I own it.
Mentally capable, inner strength is what rules me to those before.
Brown colored skin resembles royalty and greatness in my book, striving for better, working hard at any cost.
Exploitation of my sisters on the screen, don’t you see it’s a white man’s corporate dollars running this fictitious game?
Educated with state smarts and street wisdom, mama didnt raise no fool.
A brown bitch under minority lines, you think you have it hard, double up on my pain.
Independent to stand alone head to the sky, following the kulintang beat of my heart.
Graciously walking through bamboo obstacles
I choose my own path, not conforming to society, but what's right for me and the god that judges me.
Error pop ups, woman enough to own up to mistakes and grown enough to learn from them.
Misunderstood, underestimated, and complex, you think you know, but the diary says you have no idea.
I'm grown. I've grown.
A woman. A pinay to be exact.
ROCK THE SCHOOL BELLS 2
On November 22, 2008, Skyline College produced their second annual show "Rock the School Bells 2". It's a Hip Hop conference containing workshops and a showcase of performers. This conference is used to educate the community about the history of Hip Hop and to gain a better understanding of its elements. One of the things I found interesting about the showcase is that most of the performers were Asian American or of a different nationality besides African American. A lot of the dance crews consisted of mostly Asian Americans, but some had a mix. The MCs were mostly Asian American as well and the ones with Pilipino MCs spit a little bit in Tagalog. This showcase displayed how Hip Hop is becoming more diverse not just by its listeners/viewers, but also by its performers. I think Asian Americans have gotten into Hip Hop not only because it's the most listened genre of music amongst our youth, but we also share the common struggle of those who first started this music we call Hip Hop. Poverty, corruption from the government, injustice, racism, and inequality is what we face as well as African Americans, Latin Americans, Native Americans, etc. Hip Hop became an outlet for our voices to be heard. For so long, Asian Americans were seen as quiet, kept to ourselves, and allowing others to step on us. Now, "they" no longer have that power of us because we're finally doing something about it. Hip Hop seems to be the passageway into other sources of rebellion like protest.
ASIAN AMERICAN WOMEN ON THE BIG SCREEN
In my Asian American sex history class, we watched a film about Asian American women in films and how we're portrayed by the media. Early Hollywood films, Asian American women were perceived as lotus flowers or dragon ladies, but never both. Asian American women were submissive, weak, and meek or they were displayed as promiscuous, exotic, and dangerous. These perceptions have caused men outside of the Asian American community to think that this is how Asian American women act. Perceptions like these create thoughts that Asian American women can easily be used, mistreated, and manipulated into sex toys and women who would bend over backwards for their man. This mindset is dangerous to the Asian American woman because these thoughts can lead to different types of violence like rape. In all actuality, Asian American women are not just lotus flowers or dragon ladies, but a mixture of everything. The portrayal of Asian American women in film now is a bit different than before. Asian American women roles are more realistic to the common Asian American woman next door. There are roles that display Asian American women as submissive, promiscuous, exotic, and dangerous. The more degrading traits as weak and meek rarely occur. I think these roles have changed in order to relate to Asian American women of today, instead of some made up idea created years ago by American producers and directors. Nowadays we have actresses, celebrities, and models that portray Asian American women in a better light such as Lucy Lu, the Asian girl who played the female Wolverine in X-Men 2, Kimora Lee Simmons, Masuimi Max, Margaret Cho, and much more.
Besides the overall portrayal of Asian American women in cinema, the issue of interracial relationships occurred. In the film we watched in class, it displayed Caucasian women playing Asian American roles due to the fact that interracial relationships were not allowed. This was interesting to me because the overall perception of Asian American women by ethnicities outside of the Asian community brought out generalizations and stereotypes of Asian Americans. Hollywood felt that chinky eyes and a submissive weak or dangerous personality fully represented an Asian American woman. To some extent, that was more offensive than giving an Asian American woman a stereotypical role because I felt the average Asian American woman was being mocked and misunderstood by the media and different films were giving the message to its viewers that these representations were okay and valid. If it was not for the film "Walk Like a Dragon", the idea of interracial relationships would still be unaccepted.
Besides the overall portrayal of Asian American women in cinema, the issue of interracial relationships occurred. In the film we watched in class, it displayed Caucasian women playing Asian American roles due to the fact that interracial relationships were not allowed. This was interesting to me because the overall perception of Asian American women by ethnicities outside of the Asian community brought out generalizations and stereotypes of Asian Americans. Hollywood felt that chinky eyes and a submissive weak or dangerous personality fully represented an Asian American woman. To some extent, that was more offensive than giving an Asian American woman a stereotypical role because I felt the average Asian American woman was being mocked and misunderstood by the media and different films were giving the message to its viewers that these representations were okay and valid. If it was not for the film "Walk Like a Dragon", the idea of interracial relationships would still be unaccepted.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
POPPOP
POW -BANG and it was over, haha. POP! it was fun, although it was stressful to bang it out in 2-3 days! It was no ones fault, but our own...we had all thanksgiving break and didn't do anything. But, like every big project we've done in this class, it never fails to be empowering and ...just a really good experience. If you are the type of student who puts your all in your classes then this class can't fail to teach something new about culture, whether it may be your own, or a culture that you didn't know shit about. And the reason why this class was such a good experience was because we created a safe place amongst ourselves, in this classroom, and in front of these particular people -to open up about our thoughts and feelings, we opened the floor to opinion, argument, agreement, constructive criticism, but never embarrassment or put downs. We were comfortable to perform, to speak, and at the same time stand for what we beleived was right or wrong. Creating this safe environment we've made ourselves realize that "People Power" STILL exists. This kind of power is easily forgotten in the everyday and definitely taken for granted. People forget - if you get enough people to stand with you and feel as strongly as you do about something, that you hold the power for change.
Fil-Am presence
I've noticed that we Filipino Americans have trouble holdin' down a spot in the downtown, castro and other parts of the city. I know, I know "we come from Daly City where it's foggy because we make a lot of rice"......who the heck made that up? although it is where many of the filipino americans reside, we have no significant mark in downtown like- chinatown! or japantown! or little italy? there are cultures in the city that have a designated place, even though they are mainly for tourists, it is still marked as their own. I can't help but let it bother me. I've had an uncle try to put up a cafe in the castro area...which maybe some of you knew about- it was called "Kape @ 16th & Dejon". I even worked there for a short time and there were barely any filipino americans coming to support the cafe on weekdays, but many white folks came to check it out, and even just asked what the heck was up with the word "Kape"?? Sadly the cafe closed down in less than a year. The filipino food served on the weekends attracted filipinos from daly city just to eat, but it wasn't enough to support the amount of loss during the week. That was where i realized that there were plently of folks in san francisco who barely knew anything about filipino american culture, and partly because there isn't much of a strong presence.
POETRY RESPONSE
BARBIE III
A child's play thing, once felt fortunate to own.
Pretty blonde hair, blue eyes, perfect nose,
skinny body, a fashionista with a million shoes,
a pink corvette, a dream house.
Your overall image entailed "The Good Life",
irony to your foreign makers.
Exploited factory workers.
Long hours, a few bills,
a struggle to make ends meat
and education is key,
a continuous fight over injustice and corruption,
living in a land paying for endless dues.
Poverty stricken archipelago,
Our people can make you, but can never own you.
So they try to be like you,
lightened skinned, blue eyes hovering its honest quality,
a reconstructive science project,
why can't you leave them be?
Our access to those like my sisters,
are denied...value or by order.
But why are you easily plastered?
Overlooked, am I not worth it?
INSIGNIFICANT.
Barbie, where is the life you portray?
A child's play thing, once felt fortunate to own.
Pretty blonde hair, blue eyes, perfect nose,
skinny body, a fashionista with a million shoes,
a pink corvette, a dream house.
Your overall image entailed "The Good Life",
irony to your foreign makers.
Exploited factory workers.
Long hours, a few bills,
a struggle to make ends meat
and education is key,
a continuous fight over injustice and corruption,
living in a land paying for endless dues.
Poverty stricken archipelago,
Our people can make you, but can never own you.
So they try to be like you,
lightened skinned, blue eyes hovering its honest quality,
a reconstructive science project,
why can't you leave them be?
Our access to those like my sisters,
are denied...value or by order.
But why are you easily plastered?
Overlooked, am I not worth it?
INSIGNIFICANT.
Barbie, where is the life you portray?
House of Sisig
I'm used to eating filipino food at home, and usually nothing compares to the taste or "timpla" of my family's cooking. Every filipino restaurant you go to makes something wrong, or it tastes more like mexican food -or something completely different. Especially if you go to filipino restaurants like Goldilock's, Jollibee, or Red Ribbon...it never quite tastes right. One sunday, my family and I decided to try eating at House of Sisig in Daly City (across the street from Ihop). We found that the food was not bad at all, the bangus (milk fish) tasted really good and they never failed to give you the RIGHT sauce to go with any food you were eating- like bangus goes with white vinegar---not soy sauce damnit!! (like other restaurants) There is a wait time for the food because the they cook the food fresh for you, instead of leaving it under a heating lamp all day (ahem-Goldilicks) until it gets stale and crusty. The customer service is good, but not the best! They are very polite, but sometimes forget to check on you if you need something more. Despite all that, the goodness of the food and politeness of the servers made up for everything else. If you can't find home-cooked food at home, I recommend House of Sisig!
Mmm..CRAVING THAI FOOD?
Location: 5937 Gear Blvd.
Price: $$
Portions: Moderate
Parking: Street
Parking: Street
Takeout: Yes
Attire: Casual
Overall Rating: A
If you're looking for a new experience and good moderate priced Thai food, Khan Toke Thai House is the place for you. Khan Toke Thai house provides you with an authentic Thai experience with an interior decorated like an actual Thai house. And if sitting down on chairs or benches is what you expect, then forget it! Khan Toke provides comfy cushions to sit on the floor both in the open or in booths. Like any Asian home you enter, taking off your shoes is a must, so prepare to do so when coming here. Their menu is authentic Thai food, nothing Americanized or mixed with Asian fusion. The servers here fit well with the atmosphere with their traditional Thai outfits. The overall experience was great. My boyfriend, his cousin, and I loved the food, ambiance, and the kind staff. We wanted a different dining experience and this restaurant provided that for us. I'm a big fan of Thai curry because of its spice and the tad sweetness from the coconut milk. Khan Toke had a couple good dishes of curry one of them was the duck. The portions were just right for the three of us. Overall we spent $30 something for the 3 of us and that consisted of an appetizer, salad, an entree, dessert, and 3 thai ice teas. Not bad if you're on a budget!
ASIAN AMERICAN POET: EILEEN TABIOS
Eileen Tabios ( September 10,1960)
* Born in Ilocos Sur,Philippines and moved to the United States when she was 10
* She has her B.A. in political science and M.B.A in economics and international business
* She started writing poetry in 1995
*Eileen has published and released fourteen print, four electronic, one CD poetry collection, an art essay collection, a poetry essay/interview anthology, and a short story book.
*She has also translated her poems in different languages and through different styles of art such as dance, drawings, paintings, ect.
* She helped to form an Asian American Writing Workshop to help build a strong AA writing community.
*Her style of poetry is "prose" aka abstract poetry. This type of poetry helps the reader to come up with their own conclusions and ideas about the poem. A prose poem does not have any sort of format, so its writer has the freedom for lyrical expression.
*Her reason for getting into poetry: "A reporter can't anticipate what will become the news event requiring coverage, nor an analyst what factors will come to influence the rise and fall of the stock market. She notes, "I'm rather restless; I believe Hell is boredom."-(interview with The Asian Pacific American Journal) She wanted something that would challenge her and in the end changed the way she thinks and lives.
I chose poems from her book, "The Light Sang As It Left Your Eyes", a book which was written after her father's passing. She discusses some personal experiences and other thoughts. I first Googled "Filipina American" poets and Eileen Tabios came up. I wanted a Filipina American poet because I wanted to understand their personal transition between moving to the U.S. from the Philippines, the issues they went through growing up to present, and if I can identify with them culturally, politically, economically, socially, etc. Eileen's style of writing was intriguing to me because each page had a different style like one page would look like a formal poem and another would contain pictures. I wanted to explore more about Eileen and what she was about because I could tell that by her writing style, she had a story to tell and I wanted to listen.
BARBIE
...When we arrived in the United States, we became poor. My parents could not afford to give me what I, at age ten desperately wanted: a Barbie doll. From visiting some classmates' homes, I learned that American girls love Barbie. Many owned at least a dozen Barbie dolls, complete with homes, cars, friends, surfboards...and, good Lord, so many shoes!
I only wanted one. I asked for it many times. My parents never said "No." They would only smile and promise, "Soon."
...Two years later my parents gave me my first Barbie doll, At 12 years old, I was hovering on the edge of still wanting to play with dolls and wanting something else---something larger but which I could not define.
At age 12, I ignored that Barbie doll.
At age 35, I discovered that writing poems was inseparable with facing up to those shadowed parts of the past. That's when I bought this Barbie doll who now keeps me company with her own computer,books,pens,and shoes. Six months after acquiring her, I bought her a blonde-haired friend dressed in an equestrian outfit. That friend would come to teach her something I've always wanted to do but never had the time or money to develop: expertly ride horses.
I will never feel the wind blow through my hair as it has for my Barbie doll twin riding her horse. But I do have a fireplace in my writing studio. On it, ten Filipina Barbies pose in various Filipino costumes, including "Philippine Centennial Barbie." Their packaging proclaims:
The Philippine Centennial marks the 100th year of the Philippines as a nation. It is a celebration of the emancipation of the Filipino from the tyranny of colonialism and his transformation into a citizen of an independent and proud nation.
The Philippine Independence was declared on June 12,1898 with the ratification of a Philippine Constitution in January of the following year. These events give the Philippines the distinction of having the first constitutional democracy in Asia.
The Centennial of Philippine Independence represents the history, struggle and solidarity of the Filipino people. It tells the story of the birth and growth of the Filipino race and serves as a reminder of the Filipino's moral duty to spread the inherent nobility, courage, and wealth of his heritage.
BARBIE II (from her favorite poet: Nick Carbo)
ANG TUNAY NA LALAKIMEETS BARBIE AT THE SHARK BAR
on Mulberry and Spring on a rainy night.
Her head sticks out of some woman’s tote bag
placed on top of the bar, she winks
at Ang Tunay na Lalaki. He looks at his gin and tonic,
looks back at the doll and hears her tiny voice
even though her lips aren’t moving. "Hi there,
big guy. I was made in the Philippines. You look
like you were made there too." He responds
just to humor himself, "Where, at the Subic Bay
manufacturing plants? Did you enjoy
being made by exploited laborers?" Barbie crawls
onto the sticky bar and sits herself on the edge
crossing her legs. "I remember those delicate fingers
expertly sewing the hairs to my head. Those women
were so nice to me." She bends at her waist
to let her hair down and dramatically lifts her head up
so her blond locks turn into a glamorous puff,
"See, they did a good job. You must admit."
"You’re incorrigible," he exhales a cloud of smoke
after lighting up a cigarette, "And you’re
all plastic, petroleum based plastic."
Barbie places her palms against her face
and begins to sob. Ang Tunay na Lalaki sticks out
his middle finger, strokes the back of her head,
"Now, now, doll. First time anyone ever told
you the truth?" Barbie lifts her left arm
to swipe away his finger, "My name’s Barbie!
Not Doll, Sweetie, Honey, or Dolly. It’s Barbie!"
Ang Tunay na Lalaki sips his gin,
"Look, Barbie. You have the perfect life,
you’re the world’s best-selling doll
and millions of little girls are buying you dresses.
Even the top fashion designers design
for you." Barbie straightens her back
as if she had a spine, places
her hands on her lap, "But you don’t know
how hard it is to be beautiful all the time. See,
you made my mascara run." He takes a napkin,
dips it into his drink, proceeds to wipe off
the small black streaks on her cheeks, "It’s acrylic,
a water based paint." He reaches into his pocket
for a ball-point pen, draws rich eye lashes
around her eyes. Barbie slides over to a shot glass,
stares at her reflection, "Hey, you’re good
at this. Have you ever considered a career
in make-up? I could recommend you
to our designers, you know."
Suddenly a woman’s human hand plucks
Barbie off the bar, stuffing her
back into a tote bag. His eyes follow
the tote bag out the door. All he can see
is a puff of blond hair and a stiff arm
swaying back and forth like a metronome.
* Born in Ilocos Sur,Philippines and moved to the United States when she was 10
* She has her B.A. in political science and M.B.A in economics and international business
* She started writing poetry in 1995
*Eileen has published and released fourteen print, four electronic, one CD poetry collection, an art essay collection, a poetry essay/interview anthology, and a short story book.
*She has also translated her poems in different languages and through different styles of art such as dance, drawings, paintings, ect.
* She helped to form an Asian American Writing Workshop to help build a strong AA writing community.
*Her style of poetry is "prose" aka abstract poetry. This type of poetry helps the reader to come up with their own conclusions and ideas about the poem. A prose poem does not have any sort of format, so its writer has the freedom for lyrical expression.
*Her reason for getting into poetry: "A reporter can't anticipate what will become the news event requiring coverage, nor an analyst what factors will come to influence the rise and fall of the stock market. She notes, "I'm rather restless; I believe Hell is boredom."-(interview with The Asian Pacific American Journal) She wanted something that would challenge her and in the end changed the way she thinks and lives.
I chose poems from her book, "The Light Sang As It Left Your Eyes", a book which was written after her father's passing. She discusses some personal experiences and other thoughts. I first Googled "Filipina American" poets and Eileen Tabios came up. I wanted a Filipina American poet because I wanted to understand their personal transition between moving to the U.S. from the Philippines, the issues they went through growing up to present, and if I can identify with them culturally, politically, economically, socially, etc. Eileen's style of writing was intriguing to me because each page had a different style like one page would look like a formal poem and another would contain pictures. I wanted to explore more about Eileen and what she was about because I could tell that by her writing style, she had a story to tell and I wanted to listen.
BARBIE
...When we arrived in the United States, we became poor. My parents could not afford to give me what I, at age ten desperately wanted: a Barbie doll. From visiting some classmates' homes, I learned that American girls love Barbie. Many owned at least a dozen Barbie dolls, complete with homes, cars, friends, surfboards...and, good Lord, so many shoes!
I only wanted one. I asked for it many times. My parents never said "No." They would only smile and promise, "Soon."
...Two years later my parents gave me my first Barbie doll, At 12 years old, I was hovering on the edge of still wanting to play with dolls and wanting something else---something larger but which I could not define.
At age 12, I ignored that Barbie doll.
At age 35, I discovered that writing poems was inseparable with facing up to those shadowed parts of the past. That's when I bought this Barbie doll who now keeps me company with her own computer,books,pens,and shoes. Six months after acquiring her, I bought her a blonde-haired friend dressed in an equestrian outfit. That friend would come to teach her something I've always wanted to do but never had the time or money to develop: expertly ride horses.
I will never feel the wind blow through my hair as it has for my Barbie doll twin riding her horse. But I do have a fireplace in my writing studio. On it, ten Filipina Barbies pose in various Filipino costumes, including "Philippine Centennial Barbie." Their packaging proclaims:
The Philippine Centennial marks the 100th year of the Philippines as a nation. It is a celebration of the emancipation of the Filipino from the tyranny of colonialism and his transformation into a citizen of an independent and proud nation.
The Philippine Independence was declared on June 12,1898 with the ratification of a Philippine Constitution in January of the following year. These events give the Philippines the distinction of having the first constitutional democracy in Asia.
The Centennial of Philippine Independence represents the history, struggle and solidarity of the Filipino people. It tells the story of the birth and growth of the Filipino race and serves as a reminder of the Filipino's moral duty to spread the inherent nobility, courage, and wealth of his heritage.
BARBIE II (from her favorite poet: Nick Carbo)
ANG TUNAY NA LALAKIMEETS BARBIE AT THE SHARK BAR
on Mulberry and Spring on a rainy night.
Her head sticks out of some woman’s tote bag
placed on top of the bar, she winks
at Ang Tunay na Lalaki. He looks at his gin and tonic,
looks back at the doll and hears her tiny voice
even though her lips aren’t moving. "Hi there,
big guy. I was made in the Philippines. You look
like you were made there too." He responds
just to humor himself, "Where, at the Subic Bay
manufacturing plants? Did you enjoy
being made by exploited laborers?" Barbie crawls
onto the sticky bar and sits herself on the edge
crossing her legs. "I remember those delicate fingers
expertly sewing the hairs to my head. Those women
were so nice to me." She bends at her waist
to let her hair down and dramatically lifts her head up
so her blond locks turn into a glamorous puff,
"See, they did a good job. You must admit."
"You’re incorrigible," he exhales a cloud of smoke
after lighting up a cigarette, "And you’re
all plastic, petroleum based plastic."
Barbie places her palms against her face
and begins to sob. Ang Tunay na Lalaki sticks out
his middle finger, strokes the back of her head,
"Now, now, doll. First time anyone ever told
you the truth?" Barbie lifts her left arm
to swipe away his finger, "My name’s Barbie!
Not Doll, Sweetie, Honey, or Dolly. It’s Barbie!"
Ang Tunay na Lalaki sips his gin,
"Look, Barbie. You have the perfect life,
you’re the world’s best-selling doll
and millions of little girls are buying you dresses.
Even the top fashion designers design
for you." Barbie straightens her back
as if she had a spine, places
her hands on her lap, "But you don’t know
how hard it is to be beautiful all the time. See,
you made my mascara run." He takes a napkin,
dips it into his drink, proceeds to wipe off
the small black streaks on her cheeks, "It’s acrylic,
a water based paint." He reaches into his pocket
for a ball-point pen, draws rich eye lashes
around her eyes. Barbie slides over to a shot glass,
stares at her reflection, "Hey, you’re good
at this. Have you ever considered a career
in make-up? I could recommend you
to our designers, you know."
Suddenly a woman’s human hand plucks
Barbie off the bar, stuffing her
back into a tote bag. His eyes follow
the tote bag out the door. All he can see
is a puff of blond hair and a stiff arm
swaying back and forth like a metronome.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Asian American Culture 210 - An Eye Opening Experience
In my Asian American Culture class (ETHS 210) at San Francisco State University, we're ALMOST at the final day of the class and I have to say that I'm incredibly happy that the semester is nearly over, but am incredibly sad that the class is coming to an end. I have had so much fun and have had so many good memories with my group mates (Team Awesomeness), my guerrilla invasion group (Team Awesomeness + Team Lau), with my dance group for our POP (Producing Our Power) event (Oscar, Sam, Amanda, Melisa, Khay, Nicole, Crystle), and with everyone else in the class. Although I came into the class not really sure about who I am as an Asian American individual, this class has helped me to realize and slowly understand my identity within American society. And I'm truly thankful for Irene Duller (my teacher), Lawrence (my class' T.A.), and all my peers in the class who helped shape more of my identity and who I am today.
At the beginning of the semester, I found myself constantly thinking, "What does it mean to be Asian American? Am I white washed in some ways and not truly Asian? Am I too black in some ways and not Asian? Because I don't know all of my family's culture, ancestry, traditions, etc. am I not truly Asian? What changes need to be made in today's society for Asian people to be understood and accepted?" All these questions lingered in my mind but I began finding the answers in this class. One of the most important things that I learned about my identity through my Ethnic Studies 210 course is that the term "Asian American" has a double-edged sword feel to it. Asian American people do share the similar experiences and struggles and can be encompassed into this one category or group. On the other hand, Asian Americans (and Asian people in general) are always fighting and trying to help other people understand that there are so many different cultures, traditions, histories, lifestyles with each Asian group and that each group is unique and different. Most importantly, I learned that it is important to have an Asian or Asian American categorization but also that it is important to respect the culture of each Asian group; it allows all others to understand the troubles ALL Asian people have felt as a whole but also gives respect to the differences between cultures. Another common misconception I always had was that because I didn't understand my family's culture and ancestry fully, I was too "white washed" and not "Asian" enough. My teacher Irene taught me that one truly learns their culture by learning what happened in the past and also connecting it to the present, the contemporary time. She taught me that the past, the present, and the future all coincide and interweave together and that the past lays a foundation to make change in the present and in the future. I guess all in all I learned that it is important to know and understand history and who important people are like Jose Rizal but it's just as important to understand what is going on in the Asian American community in today's society. Irene, Lawrence, and the class taught me that learning about culture means that you have to feel it, embrace it, allow it to penetrate and permeate into your body, and then retain it within you. It's not simply something you learn in just a short time. Learning and understanding culture is something that develops within you over your entire lifetime. Finally the most important thing I learned through this class is that change can occur as long as you and others are willing to fight hard and long for it. The Third World Liberation Front and the Black Student Union fighting for a college of Ethnic Studies at SF State is plenty reason to believe in fighting for your rights. Irene showed that change can be made if you put your heart and soul into it. Put some effort and you will produce.
I started out this blog saying that Hyphen Magazine was an eye opening magazine. I'd like to go full circle and state that Irene Duller's Asian American Culture class (ETHS 210) opened my eyes to new thinking, to new experiences, and to a new outlook on things in life.
So thanks Irene for everything. Although the assignments you gave pushed me out of my comfort level, I'm glad you did it in the end. I'll always have a special bond with Team Awesomeness, Team Lau, my dance crew POP team, and with everyone in the class because of the way you oriented the class to giving it that family feel.
This is a class I'll never forget and it truly was an eye opening experience.
At the beginning of the semester, I found myself constantly thinking, "What does it mean to be Asian American? Am I white washed in some ways and not truly Asian? Am I too black in some ways and not Asian? Because I don't know all of my family's culture, ancestry, traditions, etc. am I not truly Asian? What changes need to be made in today's society for Asian people to be understood and accepted?" All these questions lingered in my mind but I began finding the answers in this class. One of the most important things that I learned about my identity through my Ethnic Studies 210 course is that the term "Asian American" has a double-edged sword feel to it. Asian American people do share the similar experiences and struggles and can be encompassed into this one category or group. On the other hand, Asian Americans (and Asian people in general) are always fighting and trying to help other people understand that there are so many different cultures, traditions, histories, lifestyles with each Asian group and that each group is unique and different. Most importantly, I learned that it is important to have an Asian or Asian American categorization but also that it is important to respect the culture of each Asian group; it allows all others to understand the troubles ALL Asian people have felt as a whole but also gives respect to the differences between cultures. Another common misconception I always had was that because I didn't understand my family's culture and ancestry fully, I was too "white washed" and not "Asian" enough. My teacher Irene taught me that one truly learns their culture by learning what happened in the past and also connecting it to the present, the contemporary time. She taught me that the past, the present, and the future all coincide and interweave together and that the past lays a foundation to make change in the present and in the future. I guess all in all I learned that it is important to know and understand history and who important people are like Jose Rizal but it's just as important to understand what is going on in the Asian American community in today's society. Irene, Lawrence, and the class taught me that learning about culture means that you have to feel it, embrace it, allow it to penetrate and permeate into your body, and then retain it within you. It's not simply something you learn in just a short time. Learning and understanding culture is something that develops within you over your entire lifetime. Finally the most important thing I learned through this class is that change can occur as long as you and others are willing to fight hard and long for it. The Third World Liberation Front and the Black Student Union fighting for a college of Ethnic Studies at SF State is plenty reason to believe in fighting for your rights. Irene showed that change can be made if you put your heart and soul into it. Put some effort and you will produce.
I started out this blog saying that Hyphen Magazine was an eye opening magazine. I'd like to go full circle and state that Irene Duller's Asian American Culture class (ETHS 210) opened my eyes to new thinking, to new experiences, and to a new outlook on things in life.
So thanks Irene for everything. Although the assignments you gave pushed me out of my comfort level, I'm glad you did it in the end. I'll always have a special bond with Team Awesomeness, Team Lau, my dance crew POP team, and with everyone in the class because of the way you oriented the class to giving it that family feel.
This is a class I'll never forget and it truly was an eye opening experience.
Supermarkets, Media, Gimmicks, Rants, and Asians
The other day I was out with my family doing our weekly supermarket shopping at the Safeway supermarket in Daly City. I'm browsing around the aisles, picking and choosing food I want to eat for the upcoming week when I truly take the time to look in Aisle 9, the aisle dedicated to Asian, Hispanic, and Kosher items/meals. Usually, I would often pass by this aisle because my family and I all knew that we wouldn't get any authentic Asian and Asian American food from a big chain company like Safeway. My family instead goes to places like Ranch 99 Supermarket, Pacific Supermarket, and other Asian-oriented supermarkets to get our fix of Asian food. However, I felt the urge to see how Asian American culture and food is seen in our society. I entered the aisle with low expectations as Safeway originally called this aisle the "Oriental" food section, a term that is derogatory towards Asians and Asian Americans. As I walk through the entire aisle, I find that all my assumptions were true; there were all these stereotypical Asian-looking fonts, as well as "True Authentic ______ (name of Asian country/identity) Food" all marked on the boxes.
Honestly, what's up with the way Asian Americans are portrayed and grouped together in America today? At times when I see things like this at the supermarket with the big name companies using "Asian" fonts and the phrase "Authentic Asian Food" to persuade customers to purchasing these products, or in media today with Asians being seen as permissive, nerdy, conniving, or goofy, it makes me feel that our society is taking a step back. To me it seems like being Asian is a gimmick with stuff like the Harajuku/Gwen Stefani fad going on. Harajuku fashion was originally made for Japanese youth to express themselves through fashion! Also, why are Asian Americans, better yet, minorities grouped together into one category? I thought now-a-days people are more open and understanding to other people's cultures and struggles. Ideally, I wish our society could work to understand other people's cultures and values. Asian American people are not always about the ching-chong, anime-loving, sex-slave, nerdy people some might think we are; we are people just like you. I guess I'd like to live in a world where we could judge people purely by character and not by grouping them with others who look like them. But then again, that's asking for people to not be bias and prejudice towards others, something will never be possible. But we can all try to understand one another.
Just my random rant.
Honestly, what's up with the way Asian Americans are portrayed and grouped together in America today? At times when I see things like this at the supermarket with the big name companies using "Asian" fonts and the phrase "Authentic Asian Food" to persuade customers to purchasing these products, or in media today with Asians being seen as permissive, nerdy, conniving, or goofy, it makes me feel that our society is taking a step back. To me it seems like being Asian is a gimmick with stuff like the Harajuku/Gwen Stefani fad going on. Harajuku fashion was originally made for Japanese youth to express themselves through fashion! Also, why are Asian Americans, better yet, minorities grouped together into one category? I thought now-a-days people are more open and understanding to other people's cultures and struggles. Ideally, I wish our society could work to understand other people's cultures and values. Asian American people are not always about the ching-chong, anime-loving, sex-slave, nerdy people some might think we are; we are people just like you. I guess I'd like to live in a world where we could judge people purely by character and not by grouping them with others who look like them. But then again, that's asking for people to not be bias and prejudice towards others, something will never be possible. But we can all try to understand one another.
Just my random rant.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Restaurant Review: Tokyo Tempura House
(Front of Tokyo Tempura House.)
(Front banner of Tokyo Tempura House.)
My Rating: A-/B+
If you're looking for great Japanese American food at very reasonable prices, Tokyo Tempura House is just the place for you. Take a trip on weekday afternoons, especially during lunch time where the prices are especially low if you show them your school ID.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yesterday, I found myself craving for some Japanese food. So for dinner I drove five minutes away from my house to Skyline Plaza and made my way to this awesome Japanese restaurant (shown above). Back in high school and my middle school years, this place was always the spot to eat great Japanese food at a reasonable and affordable price. And thank god, nothing has changed since those years that I've last eaten at this place. The food, the prices, everything is GREAT!
The Restaurant itself and its Employees
(Inside the restaurant.)
(The restaurant with customers in it. For their own privacy, the smiley faces are put in front of their faces. Hopefully no one knew that I took a picture. =X)
The restaurant is clean by all means. The only place that was close to not being clean was the bathrooms in the restaurant but the only problem I had with it was that the floors were a bit sticky. Everything else was completely spotless. The restaurant looks like many typical Japanese restaurants with large wide tables, as well as small square tables for the couples (;D). Along the walls there are all the fun Japanese art and lanterns, as well as one television set right in the corner of the wall near the door with surround sound speakers all around the restaurant. Look at the Lucky Cat statue at the front. Definitely has that Japanese stereotype thing going on but that's all good.
The employees in the restaurant seem decent when it comes to customer service, not providing amazing or terrible customer service but just doing enough to get the job done. The woman that asked for my order didn't greet me in any way but went straight to the point and asked "What do you want to order?" in a serious and monotone voice. Honestly I was hoping for more enthusiasm from the waitress but didn't get any at all from her. After I had made my order she was incredibly quick to ring me up and she kind of yanked my credit card out of my hand. It might just be me being anal and one special case but who knows? In the end, she made up for it all by offering Free California Rolls with my order.
The Food
(All that I ordered for my sister and me.)
(Beef Teriyaki and Tempura Combination Meal with Salad and Tempura Sauce.)
(Chicken Katsu with Salad and Katsu Sauce.)
(Tempura Roll drizzled with the Salad sauce they provide. Also I got FREE California Rolls on the HOUSE! Good stuff.)
As you can see, the food looks absolutely amazing. And the great thing is that the food truly tastes amazing too! This restaurant offers an array of different items to choose from including sushi, teriyaki dishes, katsu dishes, etc. The great thing about this place is that the quantity and quality is there for lower prices than other high-end Japanese restaurants. At local Japanese restaurants in my area, some combination dinners go from $12 to up to $15 which is absolutely absurd in my opinion. Here at Tokyo Tempura House, the prices for combination meals is about $10-11 (not too bad in my book).
Ending Comments
Maybe I'm not too picky when it comes to my Japanese food but I really enjoyed eating from this restaurant. The food is cheap but comes at a price with so-so customer service. All in all, I highly suggest it if you're in the Skyline Plaza area for cheap, affordable Japanese food.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Showcasing Pilipino American Artists and Musicians (S.P.A.M.)
Awhile back at the beginning of the school year, my cousin Geraldine (a member of the Pilipino American Collegiate Endeavor "PACE" program at San Francisco State) encouraged me to attend this PACE-sponsored event called S.P.A.M. (Showcasing Pilipino American Artists and Musicians). I was hesitant at first and didn't want to go but ended up going with her and my sister to the show. And I have to say that I had an absolutely great time supporting and watching these Pilipino artists showcase their talents. At the show, there were artists showcasing their talents on the stage through dance and music, while there were other individuals who were making art live in front of the audience to the side of the performance stage. Some of the Pilipino stage artists sang covers of current songs and their own personal favorite songs, there were dance groups performing their groups' dance routines, and there was even a Pilipino magician showcasing his magic with a mix of comedy. The artists on the side of the stage area showcased several forms of visual art including photography, paintings, and graffiti art. Overall, I had a really great time and the show filled me with laughs, joy, excitement, and pleasure. I enjoyed that this event wasn't about "going back to our roots" and "preserving the Asian American culture" (I'm not saying that isn't important) but rather just Asian American people (and people in general) showing their love for art, whether on the main stage or off to the side of the stage. The music was contemporary and something I could personally relate to. So here are some performances from the SPAM event. All credit for the videos goes to Ilikejoaquin on Youtube.com. Go visit his other links! http://www.youtube.com/user/ilikejoaquin
(Sexy Tito Performance - Freakin' Hilarious! In order to fully understand the whole story behind the Sexy Tito, you had to/have to watch the 2008 P.C.N. "Pilipino Cultural Night" that SFSU's Pace held. But anyways, check out how accurate their dancing is to Danity Kane's "Bad Girl.")
(Future Shock Dance Group - Pretty dope dance group from San Jose.)
(MissCarolinexoxo and Lex - The two are performing a medley of "Lollipop" by Lil' Wayne, "Whatever You Like" by T.I., "Sweetest Girl" by Wyclef Jean, "Paper Planes" by M.I.A., and so many more covers of songs. Lex performing with a ukulele was pretty ill I have to say.)
(Stevie Nader with Randall on the MIDI (?) controller thing and Raener on backup guitar. Probably my favorite performance of the night! Stevie has a unique and good voice and Stevie chose a good variety of songs to cover including Robin Thicke's "Teach You A Lesson", N.E.R.D.'s "Anti Matter", T-Pain "Can't Believe It", M.I.A.'s "Come Around", and Prince's "Erotic City." The best part of the performance was when he covered "Can't Believe It" as you can hear and see that everyone got into it. I really got into it too.)
(FJD, a dance group made at SFSU, had this whole intergalactic theme going on. Very cool performance and they were pretty sharp. Good stuff.)
(Kayla singing and Mike V beatboxing. Another one of my personal favorite performances that night. Mike was on point with the beatboxing and Kayla also has a great voice. Song medley choice was really good too.)
Hope you guys enjoy! Please support SFSU PACE and go to their future events if you're in the Bay Area!
Saturday, December 6, 2008
The I-Hotel: Now and Then
In the beginning of my Asian American culture class, we watched a documentary about the struggle low-income Filipino senior citizens faced fighting to save their home, the I-Hotel. After watching the document, I knew that I had to take a trip to see the hotel so during Thanksgiving break I went with my sister to visit the remodeled hotel. When I arrived I found that the I-Hotel was split into two sections, one section was a cultural center displaying photographs and artwork from the I-Hotel protests while the other section was a low-income senior citizen housing facility. Here are some pictures of the new I-Hotel (all pictures are clickable for full resolution pictures):
(Front sign of I-Hotel.)
(Side view of building.)
(View of I-Hotel from across the Kearny street.)
(Fliers outside the window of the Filipino Cultural Center.)
(More fliers outside the Filipino Cultural Center.)
(Window photo on Cultural Center documenting a Filipino senior citizen speaking during a I-Hotel protest.)
(Window photo of protesters in front of old I-Hotel.)
(Window photo depicting life in the old I-Hotel.)
("Positively no Filipinos Allowed" window photo. Simply crazy and absurd that people use to/still think like that. )
(Poster inside the remodeled I-Hotel building.)
I was absolutely in awe at the photos that they displayed in the Filipino cultural center, as well as in the lobby area of the I-Hotel. The photos of the Filipino senior citizens in the old I-Hotel truly showed their positive character and how great the I-Hotel was them for the past. As one can see in the third to last picture above, the Filipino senior citizens were having a good time keeping each other company with music, conversation, dancing, and much more. The I-Hotel allowed all Filipino senior citizens to find camaraderie amongst themselves and to live in place where they could be who they wanted to be. No one judged them because they all understood each other and their own struggles. Although the I-Hotel building and the area completely changed from what it use to be in the past, I found an appreciation how the I-Hotel had tried to retain some of the history of Filipinos in San Francisco with the large posters and photos in the center and in the lobby area of the apartment. However, I was really upset that there was nothing left of the Manilatown that use to be in that area along with the old I-Hotel. It was really sad to go through Chinatown and that area of San Francisco and see that big businesses have truly taken over what we had left of Manilatown. All I saw was a bunch of restaurants and large corporation buildings right behind them. Large corporations always take out people out of the neighborhoods that they are so fond of in order to make profit. Originally the future of the I-Hotel was to make it into a parking lot for people to park in and I am truly glad that people dedicated their time in the past to protest and to protect the senior citizens' rights to live in that building they called their home. Those protesters helped to retain what is left in Manilatown and I have so much appreciation for them. All I can say is "Thanks." Anyways here are some pictures I took from the I-Witness event in Japantown last year showing the protests for the I-Hotel. Enjoy.
(Signs against demolition of I-Hotel.)
(View of Manilatown.)
(People coming together in I-Hotel.)
(Protesting in front of I-Hotel.)
(More protesting in front of I-Hotel.)
(Another shot of protesting in front of I-Hotel.)
(Front sign of I-Hotel.)
(Side view of building.)
(View of I-Hotel from across the Kearny street.)
(Fliers outside the window of the Filipino Cultural Center.)
(More fliers outside the Filipino Cultural Center.)
(Window photo on Cultural Center documenting a Filipino senior citizen speaking during a I-Hotel protest.)
(Window photo of protesters in front of old I-Hotel.)
(Window photo depicting life in the old I-Hotel.)
("Positively no Filipinos Allowed" window photo. Simply crazy and absurd that people use to/still think like that. )
(Poster inside the remodeled I-Hotel building.)
I was absolutely in awe at the photos that they displayed in the Filipino cultural center, as well as in the lobby area of the I-Hotel. The photos of the Filipino senior citizens in the old I-Hotel truly showed their positive character and how great the I-Hotel was them for the past. As one can see in the third to last picture above, the Filipino senior citizens were having a good time keeping each other company with music, conversation, dancing, and much more. The I-Hotel allowed all Filipino senior citizens to find camaraderie amongst themselves and to live in place where they could be who they wanted to be. No one judged them because they all understood each other and their own struggles. Although the I-Hotel building and the area completely changed from what it use to be in the past, I found an appreciation how the I-Hotel had tried to retain some of the history of Filipinos in San Francisco with the large posters and photos in the center and in the lobby area of the apartment. However, I was really upset that there was nothing left of the Manilatown that use to be in that area along with the old I-Hotel. It was really sad to go through Chinatown and that area of San Francisco and see that big businesses have truly taken over what we had left of Manilatown. All I saw was a bunch of restaurants and large corporation buildings right behind them. Large corporations always take out people out of the neighborhoods that they are so fond of in order to make profit. Originally the future of the I-Hotel was to make it into a parking lot for people to park in and I am truly glad that people dedicated their time in the past to protest and to protect the senior citizens' rights to live in that building they called their home. Those protesters helped to retain what is left in Manilatown and I have so much appreciation for them. All I can say is "Thanks." Anyways here are some pictures I took from the I-Witness event in Japantown last year showing the protests for the I-Hotel. Enjoy.
(Signs against demolition of I-Hotel.)
(View of Manilatown.)
(People coming together in I-Hotel.)
(Protesting in front of I-Hotel.)
(More protesting in front of I-Hotel.)
(Another shot of protesting in front of I-Hotel.)
Friday, December 5, 2008
What happened to Assimilation?
When I go out and mingle, or I'm in any public setting, (like parties or get togethers) I try my hardest to make no one feel left out- even though its not my party. I'm not judgemental, and I don't make fun of people because of appearance or disabilities. It is common courtesy that when you are talking in a group of people your not supposed to speak a different language if there are people standing there that might not understand. Myself and many others are known as the "Americanzied", raised in the USA, no detectable accent, and able to make friends with any race, and our parents won't yell. I've been to a significant amount of parties all very different and always very diverse. But, for some reason whenever I step into a party that contains about 98% Asians, I ALWAYS feel left out. I've observed that they are very closed to their own group of friends, and its very hard to feel welcome when all they talk about is Jenny from summer camp in '06. Even though you try to change the subject and talk about yourself or get to know others in the group, they all cut you off and eventually ignore you after they bring up another person that did something stupid and funny last semester. I just feel as though theres never any interest to open up or get to know someone new. Is this just not my scene? But, I've known quite a few people who agree with the vibes they get at these kinds of parties or get-togethers. Maybe someone has ideas as to why these vibes are present?
EYE opener
I was at the mall a couple of weeks ago with Nicole and we were in this Japanese store at serramonte called, Daiso. We didn't find anything unusual until we got to the makeup section. For a minute me and Nicole couldn't figure out what it was. It was in a small package and we could read japanese so we turned it over and there were the visual instructions. Particularly for Asian People who had no visible double eye lids--you were supposed to put this clear sticker on your eyelid right above your eyelashes so that your eyes would look more "American". Both of our jaws dropped as we stood there dumbfounded as to why such a product would still exist?! I've read about it, and watched Asian American videos about how hard it is to assimilate and try to look and act as "American as possible, but I've never actually met an Asian American person who really complained about how their eyes looked funny or any other physical feature that dissatisfied them.Trippy! I think no matter how "weird" I look, I'm comfortable with who I am and wouldn't resort to putting clear stickers on my eyelids to try and fix the problem.
My chosen Asian American Poet
Sun Yung Shin
• I chose this Poet because She comes from a completely different background, she was adopted and taken out of her Asian American family and life and was raised in Chicago by a Polish –Irish- German and Catholic family. I was interested to see what her poetry would sound like and what her main focus or theme would be.
• Sun Yung Shin was born in Seoul, South Korea and was raised in Chicago. She has lived in Boston, Pittsburgh, St. Paul, and Minneapolis and has worked at a variety of jobs including a clerk at a sheet music-and-band instrument store, drugstore delivery girl, a nanny, an often laid-off software development analyst, and a poet-in-residence. Shin's poetry, reviews, and essays have been widely published. She currently lives in Minneapolis with her husband and their two children. She recently published her first childrenÕs book, CooperÕs Lesson.
• Sun Yung Shin is the author of a book of poems Skirt Full of Black (Coffee House Press, 2007); co-editor of Outsiders Within: Writing on Transracial Adoption (South End Press, 2006); and author of bilingual Korean/English book for children Cooper’s Lesson (Children’s Book Press, 2003). Her essays and fiction are anthologized in Transforming a Rape Culture (Milkweed), Echoes Upon Echoes: New Korean American Writings (Temple University), The Encyclopedia Project, Vol. 1, A-E, and The Praeger Handbook of Adoption (Greenwood Publishing). With Rachel Moritz she publishes and edits WinteRed Press; they have recently published work by Fanny Howe, Rodrigo Toscano, and Gabrielle Civil. She lives in Minneapolis.
• Sun Yung Shin was born in Seoul, South Korea and grew up in Chicago as the adopted child of a Polish-Irish-German Catholic American family. This experience as a transcultural adoptee was highly influential on her later work and the themes and issues she addresses. She was encouraged to write by one of her teachers in school, although she had been writing in school for a long time, this teacher encouraged her to write poetry.
• She likes to work with themes like: women's economic status, class shifts, and transnationalism. As she says in her interview with Asian American Press “Read into the past. Don't just look at what your contemporaries are doing. Read criticism. Read outside the U.S. Look at how language is used for what purposes and by whom, examine how our condition has been located in language. And fight the Man! As my teacher Mark Nowak says, poetry should be revolutionary”
One of her poems:
American Missionary, 1895, Korean Peninsula
I am a union of devices. My fruit farm, my zeal.
Carve me from labor.
I will smooth the brow of any convert. My thumb fears no flesh.
I am her husband, I am his wife. I am their large and luxurious children, flinging themselves through the blue on the see-saw. Her very bare feet, my woman, my wife. The white feet and inside her white bones.
At night her body makes a white cross against the sheets. Star liquor and the red scent of freckles—
Nothing creeps under our door to paint its headlights across the headboard. No natives. No verse. No Latin.
No traffic but the blank heat of my prayer, tracing the white cross, bone against bone.
My appeal, my plea, my application of restraint.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)