Here's a great interview Channel APA did with Christopher Wong, director of the documentary Whatever It Takes which follows the story of high school principal Edward Tom.
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
I wanted to piggyback on some things James mentioned in his previous post on the Blog and the Facebook discussions. James said he wanted to impart some wisdom to make life easier on the younger guys, to have them be fulfilled. That got me thinking about what makes a person happy? What would make you, the reader, happy? Those that feel isolated, what would make you have a good life?
As I kind of mentioned in my response to James' post, whining isn't good if you do it all the time. You can whine to vent and blow off some steam about the debilitating social images we have, but you also have to do something about it and go about living your life. So what would make you happy?
You'd probably answer "money", right? Well, that might not be so true. There has been research done by academics and economists about the link between money and happiness and the findings are interesting. It's mostly an illusion. Sure, money is important in that we have to pay the rent and put food on the table. It sure does provide a bit happiness to those who are struggling financially, but it's more likely to reduce the stress of daily survival.
A 2006 Princeton study concluded that money and happiness is illusory:
While most people believe that having more income would make them happier, Princeton University researchers have found that the link is greatly exaggerated and mostly an illusion.
People surveyed about their own happiness and that of others with varying incomes tended to overstate the impact of income on well-being, according to a new study. Although income is widely assumed to be a good measure of well-being, the researchers found that its role is less significant than predicted and that people with higher incomes do not necessarily spend more time in more enjoyable ways....
For the new study, the researchers examined data from the 2004 survey to illustrate misperceptions that more money buys more happiness. Their experiment extended previous studies in which people have exhibited a "focusing illusion" when asked about certain factors contributing to their happiness -- attributing a greater importance to that factor once it has been brought to mind. For example, when people were asked to describe their general happiness and then asked how many dates they had in the past month, their answers showed little correlation. But when the order of the questions was reversed for another group, the link between their love lives and general happiness became much greater.
Ted Leonsis, former AOL executive and owner of the Washington Capitals NHL franchise, is a fascinating and successful businessman, having grown up in a working class household. He is accessible to the fans, blogs, and interacts with fans making him one of the more popular sports franchise owners in the US. He also has written a book about happiness and it's not so much a book to build up his ego about what a great savvy business guy he is; rather, it's about life lessons he's learned along the way. What he's basically found is this: happiness brings success, not the other way around.
On his blog, he writes:
While I think money can help, I certainly don’t think it’s the key to ultimate happiness - particularly since I know some pretty wealthy people who are very unhappy souls. As I’ve commented on previously, I’ve noticed that there are five traits that the happiest people I know - all happen to share:
1. Being connected to multiple communities of interest in an active way. The more people on your buddy list the happier you are;
2. Giving back through volunteerism and sharing with others. (YouTube, MySpace and other social networks prove this point on the importance of sharing);
3. Pursuing the higher calling in all of your major efforts, by doing what is right in the right way.
4. Self expression. Having a good third place to exchange ideas, be creative and have your voice be heard (why do you think there are 54 million blogs out there?)
5. Showing gratitude by being thankful and optimistic.
In his book, he also writes about how he bought a Ferrari only to find out it really didn't have much meaning to his life, that it was like an empty calorie. A nice thing to have but so what? It's about being multi-dimensional rather than singularly focused all the time. It is the variety of life's experiences that creates a full life and that lends itself to happiness.
Expand your social circles. Get out there and don't let life pass you by.
As I kind of mentioned in my response to James' post, whining isn't good if you do it all the time. You can whine to vent and blow off some steam about the debilitating social images we have, but you also have to do something about it and go about living your life. So what would make you happy?
You'd probably answer "money", right? Well, that might not be so true. There has been research done by academics and economists about the link between money and happiness and the findings are interesting. It's mostly an illusion. Sure, money is important in that we have to pay the rent and put food on the table. It sure does provide a bit happiness to those who are struggling financially, but it's more likely to reduce the stress of daily survival.
A 2006 Princeton study concluded that money and happiness is illusory:
While most people believe that having more income would make them happier, Princeton University researchers have found that the link is greatly exaggerated and mostly an illusion.
People surveyed about their own happiness and that of others with varying incomes tended to overstate the impact of income on well-being, according to a new study. Although income is widely assumed to be a good measure of well-being, the researchers found that its role is less significant than predicted and that people with higher incomes do not necessarily spend more time in more enjoyable ways....
For the new study, the researchers examined data from the 2004 survey to illustrate misperceptions that more money buys more happiness. Their experiment extended previous studies in which people have exhibited a "focusing illusion" when asked about certain factors contributing to their happiness -- attributing a greater importance to that factor once it has been brought to mind. For example, when people were asked to describe their general happiness and then asked how many dates they had in the past month, their answers showed little correlation. But when the order of the questions was reversed for another group, the link between their love lives and general happiness became much greater.
Ted Leonsis, former AOL executive and owner of the Washington Capitals NHL franchise, is a fascinating and successful businessman, having grown up in a working class household. He is accessible to the fans, blogs, and interacts with fans making him one of the more popular sports franchise owners in the US. He also has written a book about happiness and it's not so much a book to build up his ego about what a great savvy business guy he is; rather, it's about life lessons he's learned along the way. What he's basically found is this: happiness brings success, not the other way around.
On his blog, he writes:
While I think money can help, I certainly don’t think it’s the key to ultimate happiness - particularly since I know some pretty wealthy people who are very unhappy souls. As I’ve commented on previously, I’ve noticed that there are five traits that the happiest people I know - all happen to share:
1. Being connected to multiple communities of interest in an active way. The more people on your buddy list the happier you are;
2. Giving back through volunteerism and sharing with others. (YouTube, MySpace and other social networks prove this point on the importance of sharing);
3. Pursuing the higher calling in all of your major efforts, by doing what is right in the right way.
4. Self expression. Having a good third place to exchange ideas, be creative and have your voice be heard (why do you think there are 54 million blogs out there?)
5. Showing gratitude by being thankful and optimistic.
In his book, he also writes about how he bought a Ferrari only to find out it really didn't have much meaning to his life, that it was like an empty calorie. A nice thing to have but so what? It's about being multi-dimensional rather than singularly focused all the time. It is the variety of life's experiences that creates a full life and that lends itself to happiness.
Expand your social circles. Get out there and don't let life pass you by.
Monday, 29 March 2010
You know you're getting older when there's a movie called Hot Tub Time Machine. I've always been a fan of the time travel genre, but when you cross the genre with VH1's I Love the 80's, that's an irresistable combination for me. I can't travel through time and be my own mentor, but I do feel an obligation to give younger men a heads up on life to come.
A lot of Asian American sites catering to men talk about improving the AA male image and picking up women. But as a female co-blogger once wrote, there isn't enough talk about how to maintain a good relationship:
"What I come across most frequently is advice on how to pick up women or other dating tips. Guys will ask each other if they 'scored' but rarely will guys have an in-depth discussion about their long-term relationship. Men (and women) become far less interested in making a relationship good once it goes into the long-term maintenance phase. But why? How do you get better at a relationship without having people (that you don't have to pay) to turn to?"
My wife and I have been married for 9 years. Here are some of the things I've observed of our relationship and of the relationships of other couples, both young and old:
1) Give her some sugar. Women desire ambitious men. Ambition shows that you have drive, goals and dreams in mind. These things are very appealing to most women, because it shows that you have emotional depth, you have interests and you have foresight.
The problem is that women also want you to spend lots and lots of time with them. They will start complaining about how you're always working or how you spend too much time on your hobbies or how you should just give up on your dreams of being the next American Idol.
It's sort of a paradox: women want you to be ambitious and interesting, but at the same time they don't want to play second or third fiddle to your ambitions and dreams. Not only this, but they only want you to have ambitions in practical interests they're interested in. You may want to be the king of Donkey Kong or give up your career as a doctor to pursue acting and comedy, but your lady is not going to have that. No siree!
The bottom line is you got to give your wife or your girlfriend "some sugar." She may want you to spend more time with her and the kids. She may want you to play a more active role as a father and husband. She may just want you to quit playing video games all the time and go out. You got to give the lady some sugar on a regular basis to let her know she's the number one person in your life. As long as you maintain a balance between your interests and your loved ones, then your wife or girlfriend should be supportive of you pursuing your interests.
2) She will always up the commitment level, so you better go along if she's the one. Women have a nesting instinct, so they will push for greater and greater levels of commitment as time goes on. If it weren't for women, then humanity would be stuck in the Stone Age. Guys have a tendency to want stay put in a relationship, "Why should we get married? It's only a piece of paper, and we're already living together?"
But once a woman attains a level of commitment, she will always want to up it to next the level. Forget the fact that you like how things are, and that you think things are pretty good, "Kids? But that'll cut down on spontaneous sex all over the house!"
You guys been dating for awhile? Time to move in together!
You guys living in an apartment? Better save up for a down payment on a house.
Enjoying these dates with your wife every weekend? Forget about it, because she wants lots of kids.
You want to retire on a quiet farm? That's not what she has planned for you, bub! She wants to travel the world till the day you die and long after.
Men value stability in a relationship, but to women that's simply boring. Women are always looking to progress the relationship to the next level, and ultimately, men become better people because of this.
3) Your relationship dynamic will change over time. Whereas men supposedly hit their sexual peak at 20, women supposedly hit their sexual peak at 30-35. So while you're waning, she's rising.
The funny thing is that over the years, your relationship dynamic will change and follow this pattern as well. At the beginning of your relationship, you're at or approaching your prime and she'll be head over heels with you. She'll do whatever you want to do and support you in whatever you want. For lack of a more PC term, you're wearing the pants in the relationship.
Over the years, however, your significant other is going to know all your tricks. You won't be able to woo her so easily, and she'll tire of your shenanigans. If anything, she's calling the shots now in the relationship. Just like the sexual energy, the relationship dynamic is shifting from you to her. Before you know it, you'll be a senile fogey, and she'll be the one wearing the pants in the family. You, well, you'll probably be wearing diapers.
Friday, 26 March 2010
Wednesday, 24 March 2010
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
If I eat too much American cuisine for a long time, I get a huge hankering for Asian cuisine. I gotta have some rice and get away from potatoes. I don't care what it is: Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, or Chinese, Korean. I am partial to Chinese cuisine and I am always amazed at the culinary variety of things that can come from a Chinese chef. I can be a little bit of a noodle freak, though---seriously, who doesn't like noodles? Be it won ton noodle soup, or a chow foon, a pad thai, key mow, or udon. It's all good stuff.
The other month, the Washington Post's food section did a story on Asian noodles:
Whether they're buckwheat-based soba, wheat-based udon, cellophane, rice or egg, Asian noodles are hitting their stride as one of the city's most versatile, inexpensive comfort foods. And while a bowl of noodles is gaining cachet -- just ask foodies waiting to see whether the London-based Wagamama really opens in Penn Quarter this May -- noodle houses have flourished in Washington for as long as the area has been home to Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and Thai immigrants. When the Lunar New Year begins Sunday (coincidentally, Valentine's Day), the two-week celebration will see many Asian families feasting on long, uncut noodles, which symbolize longevity, as well as fish, various meats, mandarin oranges and dumplings, the latter two a nod to good fortune.
Which cultures use what noodles? Author Corinne Trang says, "Noodles are actually simpler than they seem," but for the noodle illiterate, the vast array is dizzying. How do you know what to order where, or what to buy if cooking them at home? Ingredients aside, noodles can be long or short, thick or thin, curly or flat or round, fresh or dried, any of which might be better suited for boiling, steaming, stir-frying or braising....
One of the darlings of the noodle world, New York chef David Chang, likens Americans' lack of familiarity with Asian noodles to the situation with Italian noodles 20 or more years ago. "Today, people know tagliatelle, pappardelle, bucatini, linguini, fettuccini," says Chang, who owns such restaurants as Momofuku and Noodle Bar. "Hopefully, the next decade will be the same for Asian noodles, and people will come to know Asian noodle flavors, shapes and sizes...."Who doesn't like noodles?" says DC Noodles' manager, Tom Farobon, who is originally from Thailand. "In my culture, we eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner." Farobon says the shop is doing well in a down economy because it's the right price point.
You can't read an article like that and not get the craving for noodles. Oh, and I had a big plate of Singapore rice noodles for lunch yesterday in Chinatown!
The other month, the Washington Post's food section did a story on Asian noodles:
Whether they're buckwheat-based soba, wheat-based udon, cellophane, rice or egg, Asian noodles are hitting their stride as one of the city's most versatile, inexpensive comfort foods. And while a bowl of noodles is gaining cachet -- just ask foodies waiting to see whether the London-based Wagamama really opens in Penn Quarter this May -- noodle houses have flourished in Washington for as long as the area has been home to Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and Thai immigrants. When the Lunar New Year begins Sunday (coincidentally, Valentine's Day), the two-week celebration will see many Asian families feasting on long, uncut noodles, which symbolize longevity, as well as fish, various meats, mandarin oranges and dumplings, the latter two a nod to good fortune.
Which cultures use what noodles? Author Corinne Trang says, "Noodles are actually simpler than they seem," but for the noodle illiterate, the vast array is dizzying. How do you know what to order where, or what to buy if cooking them at home? Ingredients aside, noodles can be long or short, thick or thin, curly or flat or round, fresh or dried, any of which might be better suited for boiling, steaming, stir-frying or braising....
One of the darlings of the noodle world, New York chef David Chang, likens Americans' lack of familiarity with Asian noodles to the situation with Italian noodles 20 or more years ago. "Today, people know tagliatelle, pappardelle, bucatini, linguini, fettuccini," says Chang, who owns such restaurants as Momofuku and Noodle Bar. "Hopefully, the next decade will be the same for Asian noodles, and people will come to know Asian noodle flavors, shapes and sizes...."Who doesn't like noodles?" says DC Noodles' manager, Tom Farobon, who is originally from Thailand. "In my culture, we eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner." Farobon says the shop is doing well in a down economy because it's the right price point.
You can't read an article like that and not get the craving for noodles. Oh, and I had a big plate of Singapore rice noodles for lunch yesterday in Chinatown!
Saturday, 20 March 2010
By Mojo Rider
I've written here before about art and creative endeavors and this post will follow in the same vein. I believe I'm older than most people here, so my cultural frames of reference are much different.
Alex Chilton, an American singer/songwriter guitarist and influential performer, died last Wednesday before his reunited band Big Star could perform tonite at this year's SXSW. He was a child star, having a hit single at the age of 16 with The Box Tops' "The Letter" in the late 60's. Forming Big Star in the early 70's, Chilton exhibited an incredible sense of melody and power pop sensibilities. He had a huge influence on bands like REM, Wilco, The Bangles, and my favorite artist, Paul Westerberg. The theme song to TV's "That 70's Show" was a Chilton and Big Star song. Even though Chilton recorded just three albums with Big Star back in the early 70's. Still, he managed to develop a cult following with poignant and power pop songs like "September Gurls" (covered by The Bangles).
I had never heard of him before until Paul Westerberg wrote a song about one of his rock heroes. Rock radio never played Chilton when I was growing up, so how could I ever know who he was?
Children by the million
sing of Alex Chilton when he comes 'round
they sing I'm in love
what's that song?
I'm in love, with that song
But when one your favorite artists starts name checking someone, it's probably a good bet to check that person out. See, it's about knowing history, about knowing influences and tracing it back to the source. There would be no Paul Westerberg in the way that I know his music today if it weren't for Alex Chilton and others. It's great to see more Asian American musicians posting their songs and performances on the internet but have roots, be rooted in something. Your work and endeavors will be richer if someone can trace your lineage to someone or some thing.
Furthermore, Alex Chilton is another great example of being true to one's self and a re-inforcing example of what I posted earlier about art. Do it because you love it and because there's something that you want to express to the world. Don't do it if you just want attention or to just to have a lot hits on being viewed on you tube. Success and recognition is nice but not if it turns you into a clown, being forced to perform by the record label in front of an audience you don't want to perform to, or TV appearances that embarrass you, or that they want to make you into a personality, some sort of red carpet celebrity. Just because something gets air time or radio play, doesn't mean it's necessarily all that good. There is so much good music, art, and talented people that go unnoticed and under appreciated. It's out there. If you want it, you can find it.
Chilton said in a 1987 interview with The Associated Press that he didn't mind flying under the radar with Big Star and later as a solo artist.
"What would be ideal would be to make a ton of money and have nobody know about you," he said. "Fame has a lot of baggage to carry around. I wouldn't want to be like Bruce Springsteen. I don't need that much money and wouldn't want to have 20 bodyguards following me."
Paul Westerberg wrote in the NY Times op-ed page, "How does one react to the death of one’s mentor? My mind instantly slammed down the inner trouble-door that guards against all thought, emotion, sadness. Survival mode. Rock guitar players are all dead men walking. It’s only a matter of time, I tell myself as I finger my calluses. Those who fail to click with the world and society at large find safe haven in music — to sing, write songs, create, perform. Each an active art in itself that offers no promise of success, let alone happiness."
Funny how an "obscure" cult figure like Alex had so much influence and was someone that mattered as opposed to the next boy band, flavor of the month, passing trend, pop diva that gives you nothing of lasting value outside of their 15 minutes of fleeting fame.
I've written here before about art and creative endeavors and this post will follow in the same vein. I believe I'm older than most people here, so my cultural frames of reference are much different.
Alex Chilton, an American singer/songwriter guitarist and influential performer, died last Wednesday before his reunited band Big Star could perform tonite at this year's SXSW. He was a child star, having a hit single at the age of 16 with The Box Tops' "The Letter" in the late 60's. Forming Big Star in the early 70's, Chilton exhibited an incredible sense of melody and power pop sensibilities. He had a huge influence on bands like REM, Wilco, The Bangles, and my favorite artist, Paul Westerberg. The theme song to TV's "That 70's Show" was a Chilton and Big Star song. Even though Chilton recorded just three albums with Big Star back in the early 70's. Still, he managed to develop a cult following with poignant and power pop songs like "September Gurls" (covered by The Bangles).
I had never heard of him before until Paul Westerberg wrote a song about one of his rock heroes. Rock radio never played Chilton when I was growing up, so how could I ever know who he was?
Children by the million
sing of Alex Chilton when he comes 'round
they sing I'm in love
what's that song?
I'm in love, with that song
But when one your favorite artists starts name checking someone, it's probably a good bet to check that person out. See, it's about knowing history, about knowing influences and tracing it back to the source. There would be no Paul Westerberg in the way that I know his music today if it weren't for Alex Chilton and others. It's great to see more Asian American musicians posting their songs and performances on the internet but have roots, be rooted in something. Your work and endeavors will be richer if someone can trace your lineage to someone or some thing.
Furthermore, Alex Chilton is another great example of being true to one's self and a re-inforcing example of what I posted earlier about art. Do it because you love it and because there's something that you want to express to the world. Don't do it if you just want attention or to just to have a lot hits on being viewed on you tube. Success and recognition is nice but not if it turns you into a clown, being forced to perform by the record label in front of an audience you don't want to perform to, or TV appearances that embarrass you, or that they want to make you into a personality, some sort of red carpet celebrity. Just because something gets air time or radio play, doesn't mean it's necessarily all that good. There is so much good music, art, and talented people that go unnoticed and under appreciated. It's out there. If you want it, you can find it.
Chilton said in a 1987 interview with The Associated Press that he didn't mind flying under the radar with Big Star and later as a solo artist.
"What would be ideal would be to make a ton of money and have nobody know about you," he said. "Fame has a lot of baggage to carry around. I wouldn't want to be like Bruce Springsteen. I don't need that much money and wouldn't want to have 20 bodyguards following me."
Paul Westerberg wrote in the NY Times op-ed page, "How does one react to the death of one’s mentor? My mind instantly slammed down the inner trouble-door that guards against all thought, emotion, sadness. Survival mode. Rock guitar players are all dead men walking. It’s only a matter of time, I tell myself as I finger my calluses. Those who fail to click with the world and society at large find safe haven in music — to sing, write songs, create, perform. Each an active art in itself that offers no promise of success, let alone happiness."
Funny how an "obscure" cult figure like Alex had so much influence and was someone that mattered as opposed to the next boy band, flavor of the month, passing trend, pop diva that gives you nothing of lasting value outside of their 15 minutes of fleeting fame.
Three year old Howard Wong
With all of these Asian kids popping up on YouTube with kick ass music and dance talents, I can't help but think that some of these parents are living their dreams of being a rock star through their kids. Very different parenting from the stereotypical Asian parenting that I grew up with that pushed us towards math and science, playing the piano or violin and becoming doctors or engineers.
My daughter is now one month old. My wife and I have talked about not raising our child to be an Asian Robot. My wife has always had an adverse reaction to nerds, and she doesn't want our daughter to be one. She wants our child to be well-rounded: smart, beautiful, stylish, confident, talented and kind to others (who deserve it).
Of course, I feel this way too, but I can't help but think that we might overreact to the Asian Robot Syndrome and create an underachieving wild child. Part of me is thinking, "Are we going to set the bar too low for our kid?"
This is just me talking out my thoughts and concerns, of course. Bottom line is I'm going to raise my daughter as best I can with my wife.
Thursday, 18 March 2010
People of color shouldn't have to fight amongst ourselves for crumbs tossed out by the larger society.
I was once at SF State at the Ethnic Studies Program, and an African American woman came in and got offended by the fact that the three people working the office were Asian. Our very presence was somehow offensive to her.
"What's with all these Asians?!"
She kept going on and on about how she didn't see no Asians during her days in the Civil Rights Movement. She couldn't see past our eye shape and recognize that we were on her side.
I think that is what a lifetime of dealing with bigotry and discrimination can do to you. When you cannot recognize friend from foe and you recognize race instead of the merits of one's behavior, then you are mentally colonized and racism has an outpost in your head.
A person of color can still have a piece of white supremacist ideology lodged in his or her subconscious. Not every Asian is my friend and not every non-Asian is my enemy.
You have to prove your worth, which is why you should live honestly and be a role model. People should be judged by behavior first.
Wednesday, 17 March 2010
I've been pretty busy of late with work but it's slowing down some and the ideas I had for more serious posts got too muddled for me to put anything coherent together. But I saw something amusing the other day so I thought I'd post something light.
On occasion, I'd hear somebody make fun of FOB's and I'd hear something like, "Yeah, you can always tell who they are because they're the ones doing the Asian squat at the bus stops!"
And then the other day, commuting into the city, I see this white guy at the bus stop. And he's doing....the Asian squat! This is in one of those transitional neighborhoods, where you see some gentrification, you see some urban hipsters around. These hipsters seem to be conscious about using public transportation and eschewing the use of cars until they have to. But the last thing I expected to see was a white guy doing the Asian squat!
For the uninitiated, it looks like you're trying to take a dump by the side of the road or something. You're in a squatting position, like a baseball catcher in a low stance. But you know, the FOB's might have the last laugh. Because all the folks making fun of them for squatting while waiting for the bus have learned that it's actually easier on your back than standing upright for long periods of time. And maybe that guy I drove past discovered that bit of wisdom as he waited for the city bus to arrive.
Surprisingly, while seeing what others have said about this cultural custom, it turns out there was a documentary made on this subject by Daniel Hsia! Other people have stated that it reduces stress and pain in the knees from standing upright for long periods of time. Who knew? I guess the FOBs did!
On occasion, I'd hear somebody make fun of FOB's and I'd hear something like, "Yeah, you can always tell who they are because they're the ones doing the Asian squat at the bus stops!"
And then the other day, commuting into the city, I see this white guy at the bus stop. And he's doing....the Asian squat! This is in one of those transitional neighborhoods, where you see some gentrification, you see some urban hipsters around. These hipsters seem to be conscious about using public transportation and eschewing the use of cars until they have to. But the last thing I expected to see was a white guy doing the Asian squat!
For the uninitiated, it looks like you're trying to take a dump by the side of the road or something. You're in a squatting position, like a baseball catcher in a low stance. But you know, the FOB's might have the last laugh. Because all the folks making fun of them for squatting while waiting for the bus have learned that it's actually easier on your back than standing upright for long periods of time. And maybe that guy I drove past discovered that bit of wisdom as he waited for the city bus to arrive.
Surprisingly, while seeing what others have said about this cultural custom, it turns out there was a documentary made on this subject by Daniel Hsia! Other people have stated that it reduces stress and pain in the knees from standing upright for long periods of time. Who knew? I guess the FOBs did!
Tuesday, 16 March 2010
Monday, 15 March 2010
We bitch about how Asian Americans aren't well represented in the media, but we've made some inroads in three areas: online entertainment, children's programming and reality TV. This makes sense, because reality TV is supposed to reflect... reality.
Granted, you're holding a distorted mirror to reflect this reality, but at least you have a wide range of Asian American players being profiled and showing a wide range of emotions under a wide range of extreme circumstances. In Hollywood reality, everybody is white and colored people are merely supporting characters in the stories of white people.
Asian Americans have won or come close to winning many high profile reality shows, which is signficant considering they make up a small percentage of contestants. There is of course Yul Kwon, who won Survivor: Cook Islands, but there are others:
-Victor and Tammy Jih won Amazing Race 14.
-Yau-Man Chan came into the top four of Survivor: Fiji.
-Jun Song won Big Brother 4 in 2003.
-Dorothy Hui won the second season of The Mole in 2001-2002.
-James Sun came in a controversial second on The Apprentice:
The first two seasons of Solitary were won by Asian American men, Steve G:
... and Phu Pham:
Asian American men have also won a number of episodes of the now defunct Fear Factor. And there are countless other Asian American contestants that I haven't even mentioned.
As you can tell, I'm a big reality game show freak. I enjoy the social psychology aspect of it, because these reality shows hold a distorted mirror to our lives at work. Going to work is like being on Survivor, but we ain't getting paid one million dollars.
Unfortunately husband and wife team Joe and Heidi were eliminated in last night's Amazing Race 16. It was heartwrenching to see them blindsided by another team and slip from third place to dead last. But it was also touching that they persevered despite inevitable defeat and that they took comfort and solace in each other as a loving couple.
I think a couple of things added to the downfall of Joe and Heidi. For one thing, they allied themselves initially to the lesbians, Carole and Brandi, and Joe actually saved a place in line for them at the ticket counter. This act of loyalty upset the other teams who were behind them and didn't get tickets to the next destination. Cooperation is nice, but why ally yourselves to people who haven't proven their worth and don't reciprocate?
The Amazing Race is somewhat different from other reality shows, because it is straight competition. There is really no need to form alliances, because there is no voting by the group as a whole. In games where you must vote (such as in Survivor and Big Brother), it makes sense to form alliances, so you can vote as a bloc.
Reality show competitions are indicative of Western culture. Western culture views life as competition. You are constantly fighting others to secure what is yours and to gain by making others lose. Westerners promote competition over cooperation.
This makes sense given their history. Europe, geographically, should not even qualify as continent. At most it is a large peninsula of Asia. When compared to other continents, it is a very small piece of land with a lot of tiny little nation-states. These nation-states were constantly at war with each other throughout much of European history. In ancient Greece, for example, city-states would constantly wage war on each other. Greeks fought other Greeks and would only unite against outside threats (such as the Persians). That's like having New York invade Boston or San Francisco declare war on Oakland across the Bay.
European nations constantly fought each other, because resources and knowledge were quite scarce, especially in the Dark Ages. Because of this, Western Culture grew to believe that life is a zero sum game. And as a result, a handful of nation states which constituted less than 10% of the world population came to dominate and subjugate 90% of the world.
Western Culture subscribes to the idea of winner take all. Westerners promote competition as opposed to cooperation, and reality TV shows reflect this mindset: Survivor, The Apprentice, Big Brother, etc. Participants must fight for their team or alliance in order to advance their group as a whole, but they must also fight their own teammates for their own survival. Members of losing teams must turn on each other in order to avoid being voted off or fired. There can only be one winner, since that is the way the game is set up.
Granted, you're holding a distorted mirror to reflect this reality, but at least you have a wide range of Asian American players being profiled and showing a wide range of emotions under a wide range of extreme circumstances. In Hollywood reality, everybody is white and colored people are merely supporting characters in the stories of white people.
Asian Americans have won or come close to winning many high profile reality shows, which is signficant considering they make up a small percentage of contestants. There is of course Yul Kwon, who won Survivor: Cook Islands, but there are others:
-Victor and Tammy Jih won Amazing Race 14.
-Yau-Man Chan came into the top four of Survivor: Fiji.
-Jun Song won Big Brother 4 in 2003.
-Dorothy Hui won the second season of The Mole in 2001-2002.
-James Sun came in a controversial second on The Apprentice:
The first two seasons of Solitary were won by Asian American men, Steve G:
... and Phu Pham:
Asian American men have also won a number of episodes of the now defunct Fear Factor. And there are countless other Asian American contestants that I haven't even mentioned.
As you can tell, I'm a big reality game show freak. I enjoy the social psychology aspect of it, because these reality shows hold a distorted mirror to our lives at work. Going to work is like being on Survivor, but we ain't getting paid one million dollars.
Unfortunately husband and wife team Joe and Heidi were eliminated in last night's Amazing Race 16. It was heartwrenching to see them blindsided by another team and slip from third place to dead last. But it was also touching that they persevered despite inevitable defeat and that they took comfort and solace in each other as a loving couple.
I think a couple of things added to the downfall of Joe and Heidi. For one thing, they allied themselves initially to the lesbians, Carole and Brandi, and Joe actually saved a place in line for them at the ticket counter. This act of loyalty upset the other teams who were behind them and didn't get tickets to the next destination. Cooperation is nice, but why ally yourselves to people who haven't proven their worth and don't reciprocate?
The Amazing Race is somewhat different from other reality shows, because it is straight competition. There is really no need to form alliances, because there is no voting by the group as a whole. In games where you must vote (such as in Survivor and Big Brother), it makes sense to form alliances, so you can vote as a bloc.
Reality show competitions are indicative of Western culture. Western culture views life as competition. You are constantly fighting others to secure what is yours and to gain by making others lose. Westerners promote competition over cooperation.
This makes sense given their history. Europe, geographically, should not even qualify as continent. At most it is a large peninsula of Asia. When compared to other continents, it is a very small piece of land with a lot of tiny little nation-states. These nation-states were constantly at war with each other throughout much of European history. In ancient Greece, for example, city-states would constantly wage war on each other. Greeks fought other Greeks and would only unite against outside threats (such as the Persians). That's like having New York invade Boston or San Francisco declare war on Oakland across the Bay.
European nations constantly fought each other, because resources and knowledge were quite scarce, especially in the Dark Ages. Because of this, Western Culture grew to believe that life is a zero sum game. And as a result, a handful of nation states which constituted less than 10% of the world population came to dominate and subjugate 90% of the world.
Western Culture subscribes to the idea of winner take all. Westerners promote competition as opposed to cooperation, and reality TV shows reflect this mindset: Survivor, The Apprentice, Big Brother, etc. Participants must fight for their team or alliance in order to advance their group as a whole, but they must also fight their own teammates for their own survival. Members of losing teams must turn on each other in order to avoid being voted off or fired. There can only be one winner, since that is the way the game is set up.
Saturday, 13 March 2010
StreetWars is a 3 week long, 24/7, watergun assassination tournament... At the start of the game you will receive a manila envelope containing the following:
•A picture of your intended target(s)
•The home address of your intended target(s)
•The work address of your intended target(s)
•The name of your intended target(s)
•Contact information of your intended target(s)
Upon receipt of these items, your (or your team's) mission is to find and kill (by way of water gun, water balloon or super soaker) your target(s).
You can hunt your target down any way you see fit; you can pose as a delivery person and jack them when they open the door, disguise yourself and take them out on the street, etc.
If you are successful in your assassination attempt, the person you killed will give you their envelope and the person they were supposed to kill becomes your new target. This continues until you work yourself through all the players and retrieve the envelope with your (or your team's) picture(s) and name(s). Then you win. Cash…but first live in fear.
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
Monday, 8 March 2010
Sunday, 7 March 2010
So here's a great video I watched on the Big WoWo blog. Here's Byron's synopsis of the video:
"In the video above, Nigerian writer Chimamanda Adichie talks about what she calls “the danger of the single story” and how stereotypes can warp a culture’s perception of the people of another culture when there are not many stories told about that other culture. She talks about growing up in Africa reading the stories of Americans and British, and how she felt people like her could not “exist in literature.” She talks about how power comes into the equation, and how stories can make or break the dignity of a people."
I think we know the single story for the Asian American experience: The Joy Luck Club.
For better or for worse, that movie and book has become the single story for Asian America. I remember watching Better Luck Tomorrow with a Caucasian female friend, and after watching the movie she said, "That was disappointing. I thought it was going to be the Asian male version of The Joy Luck Club."
Better Luck Tomorrow is sort of like the male version of The Joy Luck Club, only in the sense in that it caters to just one sex. It appeals to everything guys like in a movie: fast-pace, humor, criminal enterprise. The Joy Luck Club appeals to women, because they like a good cry over their awkward relationships with their moms.
But Better Luck Tomorrow is not the single story of Asian America. It does not flatten our collective experiences as Asian Americans and reduce us to a stereotype. Stereotypes, like all beliefs, rely on "legs" of assumptive information to prop them up and give them standing. There are 3 assumptions with racial and ethnic stereotypes:
1) These "people" (i.e. Asians) really are this way.
2) That's all these people are, nothing more.
3) If they're not this way, then they better damn well be this way.
It's amazing how people will vehemently cling to and defend a racial or ethnic stereotype, even in the face of contradictory information and examples. This goes for both the stereotyper (a.k.a. racist) and the stereotyped (i.e. Asians). Asians are guilty of conforming to stereotypes imposed on us by non-Asians and believing in the white supremacist crap about our inferiority. To paraphrase George Orwell: "We're given masks, and our faces grow to fit them."
Although I have plenty of issues with The Joy Luck Club, my main issue is that it has become the single story for Asian America and that every Asian American story has to follow this mold. As a racial minority in the Anglosphere, we need to hear other voices. We need to see ourselves in a variety of ways, ways that show our emotions and the depth of our humanity.
I think this is part of the reason why non-Asians cannot relate to us and hence, devalue us. We keep our emotions and opinions to ourselves. If we don't express ourselves, then it's very difficult to show ourselves as being human, with drives, desires and aspirations just like everybody else. If we don't portray ourselves with depth and humanity, then it makes it easier for non-Asians to dehumanize us.
This is why I cannot stand Asian American indie films sometimes. There are a lot of silent moments in these films, which should be filled with dialogue and expressions of emotion. I don't know if the director is trying to convey something with the silence or if they don't have high quality actors who can act or if they have a shitty script with shitty dialog:
"For the main character, opt for injecting well written dialogue instead of distant, silent posturing. Communicative characters communicate a lot to the audience."
- How to Avoid the Pitfalls of Asian American Independent Film
This is what being an Alpha Asian is all about. It's about "honestly expressing one's self" as Bruce Lee put it. This blog is about showing how Asians and Asian Americans are honestly expressing themselves with a wide and diverse set of stories, not just a single story.
Saturday, 6 March 2010
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer
On June 19, 1982, Vincent Chin joined friends for a bachelor party at the Fancy Pants strip club in Highland Park, Mich.
Ronald Ebens, a Chrysler supervisor, happened to be there with his stepson, Michael Nitz, who had been laid off.
Chin and Ebens got into an argument. A witness heard Ebens say, "It's because of you little [expletive] that we're out of work."
Anti-Japanese sentiment was running high in Michigan, where the car industry was reeling.
The argument escalated into a fight, which was broken up. Chin and his friends left. Ebens and Nitz, testimony showed, searched the neighborhood for Chin for nearly half an hour.
When they found him at a McDonald's, Ebens bashed Chin's leg with a Louisville Slugger. Nitz held the injured man, and Ebens smashed his head with the bat. As Chin lost consciousness, he spoke his last words: "It's not fair."
He died four days later.
Ebens and Nitz, originally charged with second-degree murder, were allowed to plead guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter. The judge sentenced them to three years' probation and a $3,000 fine.
"These weren't the kind of men you send to jail," Judge Charles Kaufman said then.
The sentence spurred demonstrations from New York to San Francisco. Asian lawyers and advocates demanded that the federal government intervene - and prosecutors charged the two men with violating Chin's civil rights.
Nitz was acquitted in the 1984 trial. Ebens was convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison. However, on appeal he won a new trial.
Because of publicity, the 1987 retrial was moved to Cincinnati. The jury found Ebens not guilty.
The result did not deliver justice, community advocates say, but it spawned other things: Legal processes changed in Michigan and elsewhere. Social-justice groups formed. People got involved - many would go on to lead their communities.
"When Vincent was killed," said Zia, the journalist, "there was really nothing."
Even the American Civil Liberties Union, the most liberal of legal advocates, was unsure if civil-rights law covered Chin, she said. Though he was a U.S. citizen, he had been born in China, then adopted from an orphanage there.
"There was a lot of conversation about, 'It's too bad, it's a tragedy, but . . . this law wasn't created for Chinese immigrants,' " Zia said. "Civil-rights law has changed because of the Vincent Chin case."
The protests that followed Chin's death sparked the creation of the modern Asian American civil-rights movement.
Until then, different ethnicities had fought solo battles, the Chinese against the exclusion laws, the Japanese against World War II internment. But Chin's killing provoked a pan-Asian response toward larger white society.
Friday, 5 March 2010
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
Tuesday, 2 March 2010
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