Replay: "Pursuing the Doctorate" For And By Asian American Pacific Islander Womyn in Student Affairs & Higher Education

Don't Teach Math With Slavery References

I'm am all for helping the children learn math better - don't get me wrong on that - because little Ang and Judy need to learn some addition and subtraction to survive in the world economy, but I just don't think math problems like "Each tree had 56 oranges. If eight slaves pick them equally, then how much would each slave pick?" or "If Frederick got two beatings per day, how many beatings did he get in one week?" are the questions to really get our young students back on track.

Call me crazy.

Principal Sheryl Hough, Wtf? And Slap An Asian Day?

Got this sent in to me from a reader about a week ago, and while you might have heard about, you may not have - and if you haven't - you really should.

The parent of a Chaska Middle School West student was looking over her kid's Facebook page when she noticed another student complaining that someone had slapped her that day in school. Someone replied to that post saying that it was because it was "Slap an Asian Day" in school.

The parent followed that post down a Facebook rabbit hole and discovered that yet another student had declared an official "Slap an Asian Day." It was supposed to be today.

With the clock ticking until Slap an Asian Day, the parent contacted the Chaska police department.

After receiving the complaint, the Chaska Middle School West's police liaison went on Facebook and identified the poster, a 6th grade boy. His parents were called and the student was brought in for a serious talk.

"This young man thought he was being funny with a closed circle of friends, not realizing Facebook goes everywhere," says Chaska Police Chief Scott Knight.

Just guessing that Principal Sheryl Hough doesn't really know a lot of people from the APIA community, nor does she care about us either.

I wonder if they had "smack little white bitches by kids of color day" that she would think it was a "non-issue" and a "joke"?

And yes (just in case you were questioning yourself) - the title of my fictitious post is just as offensive as the original.

More On South. Phila. High

Will this ever end?

Brown quit Thursday after The Inquirer raised questions about her lack of an active Pennsylvania principal's certificate, and just ahead of a no-confidence vote by teachers and staff.

She left a school that made national headlines Dec. 3, when groups of mostly African American students carried out a daylong series of assaults on about 30 Asians. Seven Asian students went to hospitals, and about 50 boycotted classes for a week.

The violence triggered inquiries by the Philadelphia School District, the state Human Relations Commission, and the Justice Department. Even now, despite administrators' statements to the contrary, Asian students say they remain targets of taunts, petty abuses, and outright violence.

"It's still happening," said Duong Nghe Ly, a junior from Vietnam. "It's still happening every single day at school."

Ever?

So This Is How You Try And Close The Achievement Gap? Are You Kidding Me?

I've gotten to know enough teachers and educators to know that when you want to cut the achievement gap for students of color - in whatever area it is for whatever group it is - it doesn't mean cutting that area of study - in fact - if you decide to do what Berkely High is thinking about doing - which is cutting their science labs along with five teachers that teach in those labs you're basically giving the finger to those students who aren't excelling in that area.

You're telling them that they don't have the capacity to learn that area of study because of their color - it's just that simple.

You're telling them in no uncertain terms that they (as a group regardless of individual abilities) will never amount to anything in that field - and that's letting the innate racism that many teachers come into the classroom with - whether they know it or not - dangerously grow into an environment where they bypass students who have a right to the best education possible in a place where they shouldn't just be taught - but inspired and pushed and most importantly - instilled with belief.

That's what schools are for - or at least they should be.

Asian American Legal Defense And Education Fund To File Civil Rights Complaint Against The Philadelphia School District

From the AALDEF Press Release:

AALDEF TO FILE CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINT AGAINST PHILADELPHIA SCHOOL DISTRICT

DISTRICT District’s failure to remedy rampant anti-Asian violence at South Philadelphia High School prompts action The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) announced today its intention to file a complaint for civil rights violations with the U.S. Department of Justice against the Philadelphia School District for failing to address the rampant violence against Asian immigrant students at South Philadelphia High School (SPHS).

The complaint which will charge the District with violating SPHS Asian students’ Equal Protection rights under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution comes on the heels of the December 3, 2009 racial assaults at SPHS in which over two dozen Asian students were attacked throughout the day. Since December 3rd, Asian students from SPHS have boycotted the school citing fear for their safety and concern at the District’s repeated failure to address the widespread anti-Asian violence at the school.

Despite students’ attempts to meet with the Superintendent in a safe space to present their demands, Superintendent Arlene Ackerman has refused to meet with students, their parents, and community leaders. Students and school staff supportive of the students’ concerns report feeling intimidated by district officials who are seeking to downplay the hostile climate of SPHS.

AALDEF staff attorney Cecilia Chen said: “The District, Superintendent and Principal of SPHS allowed the racial violence at SPHS to escalate to this point. It is unconscionable that, even now, the Superintendent still refuses to fully acknowledge the students’ concerns for their safety and the climate of SPHS.”

For several years, AALDEF has worked with students from Lafayette High School in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn to address anti-Asian violence at the school. Lafayette entered into Consent Decree with the U.S. Department of Justice after a DOJ investigation determined that the school had remained deliberately indifferent to the severe racial harassment against Asian immigrant students.

Chen added: “The severe, rampant and unchecked nature of the racially motivated attacks against Asian students at South Philadelphia High School far exceeds what I have seen."

It's Edumactional. Although It Has Nothing To Do With Pleasuring Myself (In A Sexual Way): Korea And The World

Because we all should know more (although I'd probably prefer that it was more about me and obviously from the post headline how to pleasure me, but I'll take what I can get).

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 18, 2009
USC Symposium: Korea and the World

Leading thinkers discuss North Korea, the future of U.S.-Korea economic relations, and Korean Americans in Hollywood

WHAT: "IDEAS 2009," a symposium on the major issues facing Korea and its relations with the world, sponsored by the Korean Studies Institute at USC.

"We are delighted to welcome this leading group of thinkers to USC to help illuminate some of the major issues in Korea and among Korean Americans today, as well as to inaugurate the Korean Studies Institute's annual symposium," said David Kang, USC professor of international relations and business, and director of the Korean Studies Institute at USC. "Events in North and South Korea have significant implications for worldwide economic and political stability, and the Korean Studies Institute is dedicated to scholarship and outreach to the wider public about contemporary Korean issues."

Speakers include:

• Tami Overby, head of the Asia team for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce;
• Richard J. Samuels, Ford International Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for International Studies at MIT;
• Victor Cha, Korea Chair, Center for Strategic and International Studies, former Director for Asian affairs at the White House National Security Council (2004 - 2007);
• Sung Kang, actor in Better Luck Tomorrow and Fast and Furious;
• Youngmin Choe, USC assistant professor of East Asian Languages and Culture.

WHEN: November 18, 2009

• 1:00 - 1:05: David Kang, Opening remarks and welcome
• 1:05 - 1:50: Tami Overby, "U.S.-Korea Economic Relations and the Future of the FTA"
• 2:00 - 2:45: Victor Cha, "The Obama Administration and the Korean Peninsula"
• 3:00 - 3:45: Richard J. Samuels, "The Politics of the Japanese Abductees Issue"
• 4:00 - 4:45: Sung Kang and Youngmin Choe, "Between Food and Film: A Korean American in Hollywood"

WHERE:
University of Southern California
Davidson Conference Center, Vineyard Room
Los Angeles, CA 90089

MORE: The Korean Studies Institute at USC, established in 1995, is dedicated to education and research about contemporary issues that affect Korea. Located in Los Angeles, home to the largest Korean population outside of Korea, the USC Korean Studies Institute also houses one of the nation's preeminent research collections in Korean language materials, the Korean Heritage Library.

The symposium will be followed by a gala dinner honoring Yang-Ho Cho, MBA '79, Chairman and CEO of Korean Air. For more information about the gala dinner, please contact Lydia Lee at (213) 740-4991 or lydial@college.usc.edu. For more information about the "IDEAS 2009" symposium or for media parking, please contact Suzanne Wu at suzanne.wu@usc.edu.

The Boston Asian American Scholarship: Give It A Name

Out at Boston College there's a push to get the Asian American Scholarship a name - versus just the "Asian American Scholarship" which apparently is the only type of Heritage Scholarship which doesn't seem to have a name - and from what I can tell - from watching the videos about it - keeps on causing controversy not only because it doesn't have a name, but also because finding someone to name it after is also apparently hard - there wasn't enough support for Yuri Kochiyama who some considered too far left, and now they seem to be focused on Aung San Suu Kyi.

I'm all up for the principles of Aung San Suu Kyi - at the same time though - she's not Asian American - and I kind of find it hard to believe that there's not one Asian American who this scholarship could be named after who the President of the school and other "higher-ups" wouldn't find too controversial (which is another issue altogether).

Can someone just name this thing already?

It's Been Twelve Years - Give A Student A Minor In Asian Studies

Lord people. I mean I get the fact that the economy is tight and budgets need to be cut, but c'mon - every school should have at least some sort of Asian American studies program - and after twelve long years of advocating for it you'd think it would finally be a done deal now at Syracuse University - but not yet - still....making...it's....slow....ass.....way....

Film: Asian American Studies Now! Documentary (Short Version) Part 2

I posted up Part 1 of this in a previous post - here's part 2.

Film: Asian American Studies Now! And Getting A University To Listen

I caught this up on YouTube and while it's still a little raw, you definitely need to check out the teaser for this upcoming documentary on how the University of Maryland got their Asian American Studies Program.

Word To My Honda And Wu: Asian American Students Get Some Help

I was reading this down at AsianWeek, and in addition to just being good news for students in college who need some help, it's also recognition - at a somewhat basic needs level - that the Asian American community isn't one homogeneous A+ ivy league bound mind meld - and I like that.

We need that.

Instrumental in the genesis of AAPI serving institution program were Congressman David Wu (D-Ore.) and Congressman Mike Honda (D-Calif.), chairman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

“For too long, harmful stereotypes have clouded the needs of our community,” said Congressman Honda. “Through the AAPI Serving Institutions designation, the challenges of our low-income and underserved communities will finally be recognized at a federal level, and this designation is just a beginning. In addition to student support services, curriculum development, research and other improvements at designated schools, the designation will provide a foundation for resources, funding and outreach from the federal government to our underserved Asian American and Pacific Islander communities through important community partners. This is big step for our community.”

Read it in full.

CYA: Michelle Rhee

DC Chancellor of Education Michelle Rhee is getting a lot of pub in this month's TIME magazine with the cover story and what she's doing to try and turn around the DC school system (and if I was betting man - which I am - I'd put my money on her):

Rhee is aware of the criticism, but she suggests that a certain ruthlessness is required. "Have I rubbed some people the wrong way? Definitely. If I changed my style, I might make people a little more comfortable," she says. "But I think there's real danger in acting in a way that makes adults feel better. Because where does that stop?" [...]

On Rhee's tour of schools during the first week of classes this year, a parent stopped her to praise her accomplishments so far. Rhee listened with a small smile while systematically cracking each of her knuckles with the thumb of the same hand. Then she got back into her SUV and began furiously e-mailing. When she calls her staff, she does not say hello; she just starts talking. She answered 95,000 e-mails last year, according to her office.

She frequently sounds exasperated. "People come to me all the time and say, 'Why did you fire this person?'" she says. The whiny voice is back. "'She's a good person. She's a nice person.' I'm like, 'O.K., go tell her to work at the post office.' Just because you're a nice person and you mean well does not mean you have a right to a job in this district.

Definitely worth the read.

And yes - I'd say this post is kind of apropos too (that's for you UBJ).

Tangy

More do-gooders in the world - and if you're at the University of Colorado at Boulder and are thinking about going abroad to China - then this news is for you:

A $1.2 million gift from the Tang Fund of New York to the University of Colorado at Boulder, the largest endowed gift ever made to the Center for Asian Studies, will allow students to experience China through a new study abroad program.

The Tang Fund donation to CU-Boulder will provide support for an annual summer program in China and cover expenses for one faculty member and about 12 students to study in China and neighboring countries. The program will be available to faculty and students in all disciplines, said Laurel Rodd, director of the Center for Asian Studies.

"Firsthand experience in China can enrich education across all disciplines," said Rodd. "It is our hope that by taking advantage of this program, students will gain new perspectives on their areas of study and a deeper understanding of China."

The program is unique because it is not restricted to students majoring in Asian Studies and seeks to expose a broad spectrum of students to Chinese culture, Rodd said, and will have a different curriculum and professor each year.

Topics covered by the program will include Chinese culture, history, religion, art, politics, environment and other disciplines. The program also differs from traditional study abroad programs in that expenses are covered by the endowed gift.

"This gift makes China and the study of Chinese cultures accessible to all CU-Boulder students," said Rodd. "By opening this opportunity to students of all economic backgrounds and in all fields of study, we can encourage more students to learn about one of the world's oldest, most populous and influential societies."

The program will also help CU-Boulder attain one of its major "Flagship 2030" goals of extending the university's educational reach around the world.

"This gift will help the university to realize one of our most important strategic goals -- establishing CU-Boulder as a global crossroads of education," said CU-Boulder Chancellor G.P. "Bud" Peterson. "Under Flagship 2030, we envision a campus that is a true global destination for higher education, and a point of embarkation for our students to points around the world. We are grateful to The Tang Fund for helping us to move in this vital direction."

Rodd said the length of the study trips abroad will vary depending on the course, but would typically last 3 to 4 weeks. The destination of each course will be up to the faculty who are leading the trip, she said.

"One of the great things about The Tang Fund gift is that we're not restricted to working with a particular institution in China," said Rodd. "Students will go to sites that are relevant to the classes they are taking."

CU-Boulder offered similar opportunities in the past with a donation from the Freeman Foundation, Rodd said. One course addressed how Japan and China present their own pasts, taking students to museums in each country. Another course focused on food, exercise and the body and offered students the opportunity to visit sites related to health and exercise, martial arts and food production.

The new program will be launched during the summer of 2010.

Contact

Laurel Rasplica Rodd, 303-492-1138
Laurel.Rodd@colorado.edu
Kirsten Steinke, 303-541-1209
Oakland L. Childers, 303-492-3117

And yes - I couldn't help that title either - blame on it blogger crusties...

ING Steps Up For The Asian And Pacific Islander Scholarship Fund

I always like posting on companies that do good and help out the community, so it's nice to hear that ING has put up money to help out the APIASF:

NEW YORK, Oct 31, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- ING announced today that it has become a platinum sponsor of the annual gala of the Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund, the country's largest non-profit organization devoted solely to providing scholarships for Asian and Pacific Islander Americans.

[...]

Wai-Ling Eng, chair of the APIASF board of directors, said, "APIASF is very pleased to have ING join our list of distinguished companies that provide unwavering support of education, diversity and inclusion. These companies are strengthening our communities and setting a wonderful example for others to follow."

Check out more here.

No kidding: Struggling Asians go unnoticed

So after reading this article via the Chicago Tribune and reading quotes like:

Some educators have begun to call disadvantaged Asians an invisible minority, unseen because their low test scores are masked when lumped with higher achieving counterparts.

A 2002 U.S. Department of Education study—one of the rare national reports examining Asians by ethnicity—found that Southeast Asians, including Cambodians, Laotians and Hmong have reading and math scores comparable with Latino and African-American students.

I just have to wonder how much longer it's going to take for the education community as a whole - and the communities that they live in - to realize this and start doing more about it rather than complaining that there just isn't the funding.

I know educators, I know the curriculm they teach, the sessions they go to - and while I can't say I know everyone and everyplace, from everything I hear and see - they focus much more on integrating African American culture and history and looking at the division between white and black students - leaving out Asian Americans.

Don't get me wrong - they SHOULD be doing all those things - they NEED to be doing all those things - but schools and the communities that house them also have a responsibility to provide the necessary resources to all students and to focus on the divide for all students, not just the division between white and black.

Chris Nguyen: Asian Communities United

This is a great story on how Chris Nguyen, a sophomore down at BGSU helped take a struggling organization on campus - Asian Communities United - and turn it into a lively and diverse forum for Asian American students:

Nguyen has worked hard to build up the ACU in the eyes of the community. With meetings increasing in size to about 40 people, and making it one of the most diverse groups behind LSU, Nguyen said he came into the job asking what he could do for the organization instead of what the organization could do for him.

Read the full article here.

News Roundup

Friendster Finally Makes Asian Presence Official

Friendster has finally made it to Japan and Korea. The U.S. social network is now available in English, traditional and simple Chinese, Japanese, Spanish and Korean, and these happen to be the most important languages for a global social network to be available in, reports AHN. The Chinese version of Frienster has been expected for some time.

Sexism and Confucianism

A couple weeks ago, BFP posted The Asian Pacific Islander Institute on Domestic Violence Fact Sheet. These studies are linked to the U.S. Department of Justice so I assume they're reliable. I've read a number of similar studies over the past year. The lack of data makes it hard to estimate the prevalence of intimate partner violence in the APIA community but we can extrapolate from the studies that exist.

World’s biggest Asian elephant missing

Raja Gaj, or king elephant, was estimated to be 11 feet 3 inches tall at the shoulder, some two feet taller than the average Asian elephant. The bull was one of the main tourist attractions at Bardia National Park in southwest Nepal.

Growing Childhood Obesity Cited in South Asians

At a recent ethnic media roundtable, hosted by First 5 California, a California state commission on children’s health, Sophia Yen, a pediatrician from Stanford University’s Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, discussed the serious and growing issue of childhood obesity among South Asian Americans and other Asian ethnic groups in the U.S.

Student groups unite for multicultural graduation

Several student centers across campus will take part in the Multicultural Student Services Fall Graduation tonight. “It’s pretty much a recognition of fall graduates,” said Luis Sanchez, communication and events coordinator for the Office of Multicultural Student Services. The African American Student Center; Asian American and Pacific Islander Student Center; Chicana/o Latina/o Student Center; Native American Student Center and Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Allies Program will all be included in the ceremony.

Schools showing more sings of harassment for APA students

Interesting article down at New American Media on the state of harassment in schools against Asian American students. One of the figures that jumps out at you is that 31 percent of 75 California school districts do not have any anti-harassment or anti-violence policies in place.

Asian News Bytes

Some headlines of interest:

Valley's faces of diversity: Census offers snapshots of 4 immigrant groups

The Vietnamese aren't going back. Not ever. Asian Indians, even though they are the newest arrivals to Silicon Valley, own the most valuable real estate. Mexicans are the youngest. And the Chinese, though many lack the English skills of some immigrant groups, are thriving in business. One strand unites the disparate immigrant groups of Silicon Valley: They may be less lonely than the rest of us. At least, they are less likely to divorce, or to live alone.

Playing Catch-up: Philanthropy and the API Community

One of the more damaging assumptions that stems from the “model minority” myth is that Asian Americans don’t need anyone’s help — they’re too busy quietly succeeding. Perhaps this is contributing to the stagnant rate of philanthropic giving to the AAPI community.

Unprecedented Detail on Asian Applicants

Advocates for Asian-American students in recent years have repeatedly called for more differentiation among racial and ethnic groups. Classifying third- and fourth-generation Chinese Americans with recent arrivals from Vietnam doesn’t make much sense, they have argued, and hides the realities that many Asian Americans are educationally disadvantaged.

UC will expand ethnic categories for applicants

The University of California will revamp its undergraduate application to find out more about the Pacific Rim students who have become UC's dominant face. Next
year's application will expand the number of Asian-American and Pacific Islander categories to 23 -- a nearly threefold increase from the current eight categories. The ethnic identification will continue to be optional and will not figure into admissions decisions, administrators said.