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Archive of "Asian-American" Category
Undergrads from China growing on US Campuses
Photo by Jacob Hannah for USA TODAY
For years we have seen mostly graduate students pour in from China but we’re witnessing a surge in undergrad enrollment as USAToday confirms. Campus/Student ministries in Chinese churches are fairly new developments. It’s wonderful to see these missional efforts from the Chinese church side and I see that they’re getting a taste of what English speaking ministries experience in a Chinese church context. Leaders of these ministries are much more contextual and intentional in their ministry approach. They have to deal with turnover more frequently than traditional Chinese pastors. How will Chinese churches respond to the surge in undergrads? Generally grad students are older and may be single or married. It’s a different stage of life. Undergrad attitudes and outlook will be different.
Is this a moment of opportunity for English-speaking ministries and not just Chinese congregations? Perhaps this development can provide a bridging ministry between the Chinese and English speaking ministries of Chinese churches.
26 Asian Students Attacked at South Philadelphia High School
An incident occurred last week involving 26 or more Asian students being targeted and attacked at South Philadelphia High School. The school is 18% Asian and has been designated by the state as persistently dangerous. Racial? The situation is very complicated. The media can’t capture the complexities of the situation but violence against Asians in this neighborhood is not uncommon. What’s really upsetting the lack of outrage by school officials and others in response to this situation. Sure suspensions were given out and apparently have been given out for the past 18 months. They are also increasing police presence but what does that do except provide a band aid solution over racial tensions and misunderstandings. These circumstances will undoubtedly shape the hearts and minds of students, families, and communities for years. Racist attitudes will grow like mildew and mold. This a real opportunity for the school district, community leaders, and students to retool and reshape the school culture and larger community.
NEWS LINKS & TIMELINE
Friday
26 Asian Students Attacked at Philly High School [philly.com]
26 asian students attacked at south philadelphia high [Angry Asian Man]
Philly school’s racial tensions lead to fights [AP]
Racial assaults at S. Philly: What went wrong [The Notebook/Helen Gym]
South Philly High students meet with officials after attacks [philly.com - press conference at cccnc]Saturday
Many Asian students fear return to South Phila. classes [philly.com]Monday
Asian students boycott S. Phila. High [philly.com]
Asian students plan walkouts [philly.com]Euna Lee & Laura Ling: Glamour Women of the Year?
Euna Lee, left, and Laura Ling, photographed by Brigitte Lacombe in West Hollywood, California
Glamour Magazine honors a number of interesting women this year in various categories. Rihanna? Serena Williams? Amidst the high-profile public personas are Euna Lee and Laura Ling, the journalists held captive in North Korea and sentenced for 12 years of hard labor. This incident sparked prayer vigils across the country. It’s interesting to read the range of comments on the Glamour site on whether these two deserve this recognition or not. Reporters take risks and Lee/Ling made their mark. Regardless of whether their methods were right or not they’ve helped raise more awareness for what’s going on in North Korea and human trafficking. C’mon. It’s Glamour Magazine…
Euna Lee and Laura Ling also support LiNK, which provides resources to North Korean defectors and raises awareness about the humanitarian crisis in that part of the world.Don’t forget about Sarah, Josh and Shane (the 3 Hikers in an Iranian prison. Go to the website and sign the petition (www.freethehikers.org).
Seeking God in Deadly Vipers
I need to say something but struggling to put together the words I think would be helpful regarding the escalating Deadly Viper controversy initiated by Prof. Soong-Chan Rah about the book Deadly Viper Character Assassins: A Kung Fu Survival Guide for Life and Leadership. Deadly Vipers has entered into a much bigger conversation than the authors and publishers (Zondervan) could have ever imagined challenging the message they desire to communicate. The book itself at first glance didn’t bother me too much. It wasn’t really on my radar until ProfRah called it out. In fact the book was first published in 2007 but it seems like the authors Mike and Jud kick started a campaign to grow the community this year. I had briefly met Mike Foster this year at The Idea Camp. I’ve always been a fan of his projects from Ethur to XXXChurch. I believe he loves Jesus.I think I’m more bothered by indifference and many of the comments that say this isn’t a big deal and people are just over reacting. Is this where faith leads us? Why do we operate on the shallow end of such a deep and rich faith? Now the term racial reconciliation is kinda tired and reconciliation itself tends to not get any deeper than an apology. I think God has in mind much much more. But it’s hard and costly.
We’re called towards oneness.
Our vision is shalom – That’s not kumbaya around a campfire.We all bring our own set of lenses into things. It’s difficult to know how people will receive what we say and do even if we mean well. We can’t ignore how we affect others especially a whole culture. I wouldn’t quite call Deadly Vipers outrightly racist but it’s appropriation of Asian images and stereotypes in its marketing is in my opinion destructive. Soong-Chan Rah highlights Deadly Vipers offenses that you can read about here.
I witness the injustice caused by stereotypes and racism on a regular basis working in immigrant communities. Stereotypes and racism created ethnic enclaves like Chinatown and continues to perpetuate them. It drives people and whole communities towards isolation and mistrust. Stereotypes do hurt and perpetuate the worst not the best in people or culture.
It’s naive to think that we’re past racism. I was enraged one day in the playground when slightly older non-Asian boys used racist language with my 3 yr old son. I kindly asked the boys to never use that kind of language again. I admit I began judging when I found that the boys were part of a group of church families getting together in the park. Where do they learn that from? Though my son may not have fully grasped what had occurred it made me feel like I’m still not really fully ‘American’ or like everyone else. On another note, my week started with an NBA commentator saying “Nice dunk by the Chinaman” about Nets, Yi Jianling. That was just weird and unnecessary.
Real conversation needs to take place beyond blogs and twitter. I don’t think the ‘dialogue’ on ProfRah’s blog was helpful but I’m thankful that Mike Foster and Jud Wilhite seem to be moving in the right direction. They’ve issued an apology on the Deadly Vipers blog and the most disturbing part of the Deadly Vipers marketing to me was the video posted on facebook which has been taken down by the time of this post. A real conversation is set to take place soon and I hope to post the results on this blog soon. I just want to say here that I love you guys. Really I do. I’m not writing to rip on you guys or judge you but to do what I can to bring real reconciliation and advance the kingdom. I want to see the beauty and power of Christ shine through you and the cracks of our brokenness.
Real conversation and change needs to happen with the publishers as well. I’d like to see Zondervan think deeper beyond target markets. This isn’t the first time this publisher has shown insensitivity to Asian culture. We’ve been through this before.
So let’s go deep and get the conversation going for real change. If we really want to see a different tomorrow that’s in line with God’s idea of the future established by Christ we need to go deep and make sacrifices. We’re all broken and in need of second chances. This is where Christ gets to show us something we would have never expected and build his Church his way.
Some thoughtful responses:
Daniel So/Headsparks: “Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before”
Eugene Cho: “deadly vipers, mike foster, jud wilhite, soong-chan rah, chuck norris, joyluck club, angry asian man, wanna be ninjas and everyone else”Is Jin a Chinese Christian Hip Hop Artist?
MC Jin. BET 106 & Park Battles. Double R. One Album. 2Fast 2Furious. Now?
Living in Hong Kong rolling with Jaeson Ma. Loving the evolution of Jin.
This video released last month answers a lot of questions. Christian? MC? Christian MC?
You decide.
Can’t wait to see what the Spirit has tagged Jin to do next.Asians & NonVerbal Communication
I have a difficult time with nonverbal communication but I use it more than I’d like to admit. I especially dislike the indirectness. I don’t like it when folks don’t say what they mean. It’s probably the one major barrier besides language in the immigrant church that makes 1st/2nd gen relationships difficult. I’ve learned how to communicate better over time working in the immigrant church but I’m no master.
There are subtleties in the way Asians communicate that may make 1st/2nd gen communications or with non-Asians very perplexing. A new study demonstrates a small glimpse of how Asians perceive facial expressions differently than Westerners. While Westerners focus and use the whole face to convey expression Easterners focus primarily on the eyes…
Facial Expressions: East Doesn’t Meet West [via ScientificAmerican.com]
What do you notice?
Understanding Chinese Women
Should I even go there?
I don’t profess to be an expert. Over the weekend there was some buzz on the topic of Asian women and how they are perceived especially from a Western standpoint. It’s so complex. Most men would say that about women in general. I’d say people are complex. However the way Asian women are perceived by themselves as well as others is worthwhile exploring for ministry leaders. There’s a host of complex issues. Then there’s Yellow Fever. Here’s a question, Is Yellow Fever a form of oppression?
Check out these links:
1) Asian Women: New Trophy Wives? from @marieclaire
2) Understanding Chinese Women from middlekingdomlife.com (A Foreign Teacher’s Guide to Living and Teaching in China)
[Thanks @raykwong]Would you say there’s much working against Asian women and their identity compared to other women? Sometimes I feel like Asian women are some of the most conflicted people I know. What do you think? Is it any different or worse in our churches? Do we add another layer of perception and oppression? For example, “Pastor’s wife” in many Chinese churches is not just a term of relationship but a title (see-mo) and status. There can be so many expectations placed on her to be a certain way. I find many Chinese women trying to live up to some crazy expectations of themselves and of others. How can we bring freedom?
Support Community Programs by Downloading Music
You can support important community programs by downloading music! FREE MUSIC! So download to make a difference! For every download, the Asian Pacific Community Fund [APCF] receives a $2.00 donation from AmieStreet.com.
APCF has partnered with online music site AmieStreet.com for an innovative fundraising project:
For every free download of the new song Anything, by composer-philanthropist Peter Buffett and Hip-Hop star, Akon, AmieStreet.com will donate $2.00 to support APCF’s projects and communities. You get this song for free, and APCF will receive the donation! It’s easy and win win for everyone.
Do it now at: www.amiestreet.com/APCF
More about APCF:
The Asian Pacific Community Fund (APCF) is committed to generating funds and resources for 29 non-profit organizations that provide quality services focused on the complex and diverse needs of the Asian, Pacific Islander, and other ethnic communities in the Greater Los Angeles area. APCF provides programs and services in 27 Asian languages plus English and Spanish to over 200,000 people each year. Programs and services include after-school and youth programs, immigrant workers education and advocacy, legal services, translation services, healthcare, counseling and case management, affordable housing, and much more. APCF promotes diversity and supports the enrichment of the community through culturally congruent health and social services and cultural programming. For more information, visit www.apcf.org.[h/t BBQChickenRobot]
Saying No to Casinos in Chinatown Part 2
Here’s some video that I was able to capture last night during one of the more vulnerable and emotional moments at the forum. This has certainly become a very volatile situation. There was no hearing last night, no dialogue. People were just very angry.
Whether these politicians and investors realize it or not building a casino at this location is institutional and environmental racism against the many minority populations in the Chinatown community. We can debate those terms but the point is that this cannot ultimately be good for the community. There may be economic gain but at what cost?
Read
•Philadelphia Inquirer Article, Chinatown Residents Fear Lure of Gaming by Jennifer Lin
•“Environmental Racism, Chinatown and the Gallery Casino” by Helen Gym
• angryasianman.com picked up the newsI googled around looking for related things and found these links
• Great Asian American Resource page at the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse ServicesFrom an interview with Dr. Timothy Fong (whose name comes up in every search on this subject), Director of UCLA’s Gambling Studies Program. He said this in his findings,
What did the focus groups reveal?
Number one, gambling was a common thing that a lot of community members did. Number two, it was very socially acceptable. And number three, almost everyone knew one or two people that they knew had a gambling problem. It was a very common thread that they also didn’t know what to do about that person; where to send them, what to say to them, what to do about it.What was also very interesting was that the casinos were very aggressive in marketing toward Asian communities. But they didn’t blame them for that. They didn’t say that that was a bad practice. This is just a reality. We learn about a lot of bus tours that were marketed for Asian communities. Fliers that were marketed toward that community.
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"HERO" An EPIC MOVEMENT EAST COAST Conference January 15-18, 2010, Philadelphia
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February 4-6, Austin, Texas
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