As an addendum to my previous post...
If you happen to be registered to vote in Santa Clara County, then please take some time to look at the candidates for the Santa Clara County Board of Education.
I'm going to take a bit of time to plug Dr. Michael Chang, professor at De Anza College and Director and Founder of the Asian Pacific American Leadership Institute. I recommend taking a good look at his candidate profile:
http://www.smartvoter.org/2010/11/02/ca/scl/vote/chang_m/
Dr. Chang is an inspiration in many ways. His achievements and contributions to the Cupertino/Bay Area community have been significant, and even more so when one considers the fact that he is a first generation Asian American. (Asian Americans tend to have lower levels of voter turnout than other racial groups, despite having higher average incomes and level of educational attainment.) As an educator and activist he has done a great deal to educate young people on the importance of civic engagement, particularly for Asian Americans. With APALI, Dr. Chang has successfully created an ever-growing network of people that that want to be engaged with the community in a variety of capacities - particularly with politics.
And to wrap things up nicely, here's Beau Sia telling you to vote:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptbZ0hvbIC4
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Election Time
It's that time of year again! November 2nd is fast approaching and now is the crunch time for everyone that is campaigning.
Absentee voters need to get their ballots in!
It always strikes me that while people seem to stay so on top of the latest shenanigans of the cast of Jersey Shore or the latest outrageous outfit that Lady Gaga wore, they tend to be remarkably uninformed about what is going on politically around them. The voter turnout seems to reflect that.
Maybe it's just me, but it shouldn't be too hard to look up the Propositions on the ballot, or listen to snippets and/or read transcripts of the debates of the candidates for various seats in the different tiers of local and state government.
Take some time and do some reading! 20 minutes to an hour is all it takes. That's either one episode of Big Bang Theory
Here's a list of the Propositions:
http://www.voterguide.sos.ca.gov/propositions/
Office candidates:
http://www.voterguide.sos.ca.gov/candidates/statements/
P.S. Saying that your vote doesn't matter is a terrible excuse to not vote. Though it is true that a single vote does not have a huge impact on the outcome. However, in aggregate it certainly is significant. It is unbelievable the number of people that try to use this same excuse as the reason why they don't bother to vote. Why would you disregard such a great privilege anyhow? So many different minorities country in this country have had to fight tirelessly to obtain the privilege to have their needs be met and represented politically. Please don't do a disservice to the activists that fought to provide you with the right to vote, and certainly not to the communities that you are a part of. Voting is a basic civic duty, so get on it!
P.P.S. If you don't vote, you effectively relinquish your right to complain about the election outcome and whatever subsequently that you do not like.
Absentee voters need to get their ballots in!
It always strikes me that while people seem to stay so on top of the latest shenanigans of the cast of Jersey Shore or the latest outrageous outfit that Lady Gaga wore, they tend to be remarkably uninformed about what is going on politically around them. The voter turnout seems to reflect that.
Maybe it's just me, but it shouldn't be too hard to look up the Propositions on the ballot, or listen to snippets and/or read transcripts of the debates of the candidates for various seats in the different tiers of local and state government.
Take some time and do some reading! 20 minutes to an hour is all it takes. That's either one episode of Big Bang Theory
Here's a list of the Propositions:
http://www.voterguide.sos.ca.gov/propositions/
Office candidates:
http://www.voterguide.sos.ca.gov/candidates/statements/
P.S. Saying that your vote doesn't matter is a terrible excuse to not vote. Though it is true that a single vote does not have a huge impact on the outcome. However, in aggregate it certainly is significant. It is unbelievable the number of people that try to use this same excuse as the reason why they don't bother to vote. Why would you disregard such a great privilege anyhow? So many different minorities country in this country have had to fight tirelessly to obtain the privilege to have their needs be met and represented politically. Please don't do a disservice to the activists that fought to provide you with the right to vote, and certainly not to the communities that you are a part of. Voting is a basic civic duty, so get on it!
P.P.S. If you don't vote, you effectively relinquish your right to complain about the election outcome and whatever subsequently that you do not like.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Regrets?
A very lovely person in my life shared the following link to a blog post titled "Regrets of the Dying".
I think it is noteworthy that some regrets are not only for the dying.
I wonder if the living have more regrets, particularly at the various crossroads in a lifetime. Since the beginnings of my quarter-life crisis (perhaps I am over-dramatizing this period of transition), I have certainly regretted letting go of certain friendships, not making the right decisions that would have made me happy, etc.
Biggest regrets right now:
1. Not doing the things that make me happy
2. Not letting those that I love just how much they mean to me often enough
3. Not taking my time in college
4. Not being more considerate of others
5. Not taking enough risks
All "nots", but hopefully I can change more of that. I wonder what everyone else regrets in the moment, not just at the verge of death.
I think it is noteworthy that some regrets are not only for the dying.
I wonder if the living have more regrets, particularly at the various crossroads in a lifetime. Since the beginnings of my quarter-life crisis (perhaps I am over-dramatizing this period of transition), I have certainly regretted letting go of certain friendships, not making the right decisions that would have made me happy, etc.
Biggest regrets right now:
1. Not doing the things that make me happy
2. Not letting those that I love just how much they mean to me often enough
3. Not taking my time in college
4. Not being more considerate of others
5. Not taking enough risks
All "nots", but hopefully I can change more of that. I wonder what everyone else regrets in the moment, not just at the verge of death.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Thoughts on racism
Read this:
http://www.8asians.com/2010/08/18/chinese-fire-drill-thoughts-on-racism/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+8Asians+%288+Asians%29
I think it's fascinating to have these kinds of reflections on racism and being "Asian" from the perspective of Lani Valapone Cox, who is part Thai and sometimes referred to as "American". Her so-called American-ness is a lot more mutable because her being "American" is seemingly belied by her perceived foreign-ness - the fact that she looks "Asian". Just what kind of "Asian" depends on who is looking at/evaluating her.
I've also thought that in a lot of ways, it is just that much harder for people of multiple ethnicities to find some sort of foothold on a culture. In her post, Lani refers to a moment where she finds herself at a part, positioned between a number of Thai women, and a group of Caucasian women. She judges both.
As much as I sometimes loathe the term "Asian" - because of the way it make it seem as though my actual ethnicity is barely worth nothing-, I find myself falling into the trap of referring to not only myself but others as "Asian". I too, am guilty of using this simple, all-encompassing term to the point of abuse. I, too, am guilty of cracking jokes about Asian stereotypes that ultimately must damn me and those that "Asian".
http://www.8asians.com/2010/08/18/chinese-fire-drill-thoughts-on-racism/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+8Asians+%288+Asians%29
I think it's fascinating to have these kinds of reflections on racism and being "Asian" from the perspective of Lani Valapone Cox, who is part Thai and sometimes referred to as "American". Her so-called American-ness is a lot more mutable because her being "American" is seemingly belied by her perceived foreign-ness - the fact that she looks "Asian". Just what kind of "Asian" depends on who is looking at/evaluating her.
I've also thought that in a lot of ways, it is just that much harder for people of multiple ethnicities to find some sort of foothold on a culture. In her post, Lani refers to a moment where she finds herself at a part, positioned between a number of Thai women, and a group of Caucasian women. She judges both.
As much as I sometimes loathe the term "Asian" - because of the way it make it seem as though my actual ethnicity is barely worth nothing-, I find myself falling into the trap of referring to not only myself but others as "Asian". I too, am guilty of using this simple, all-encompassing term to the point of abuse. I, too, am guilty of cracking jokes about Asian stereotypes that ultimately must damn me and those that "Asian".
Monday, August 02, 2010
On the band wagon again..maybe
I haven't been a very good blogger for the entire time I've had this one here. I think I was much better at this in middle school and high school, back in the day when Xanga was the shit and MySpace became the place where a person could give her (his) face and person found online relevance & significance. I would write anything, and spew out frustrations and the littlest joys for anyone to see on the internet, with little regard for personal privacy and safety.
Anyhow... I just want to say that I plan on posting more on this. Books, thoughts and ideas.
Anyhow... I just want to say that I plan on posting more on this. Books, thoughts and ideas.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
New year, new post (belated as usual)
Since the beginning of the new year, I've made a few promises to myself. Not resolutions, but promises. Goals. All to make me a better person and all that. It is especially important now for me to figure out how to be a real person in the real world now that I am done with my undergraduate career.
My goals:
1. Figure out how to exist outside the ivory tower of academia.
2. Read (shouldn't be too hard)
3. Run a few races. This looks like a half-marathon year.
4. Be good to myself.
5. Be good.
So far #2 is working out great. I've re-read a few books, including Beloved. I still wonder what that "hot thing" that Beloved keeps repeating in her stream-of-consciousness narrative toward the end is. Is it love? Is it the pain? Is it desire?
I've also read this past week: Lose Your Mother, Stone Butch Blues, and Push. It would appear that I am on some quest to make myself cry with my reading list. Beloved certainly wasn't laugh riot of a re-read.
These books led me to think a lot about the concept of "home". What is home? What/who/where makes a home? This is what I think "home" is:
1. A place
2. Imagined
3. Occupies space
4. Self
5. Love
6. People (family and community, which blurr together, since family doesn't have to mean blood)
7. Warmth
8. Acceptance
9. Memory
10. Safe
11. Favorites
12. Experience
13. Relation
14. Rest
15. Where "otherness" doesn't exist.
Am I missing anything?
Currently working on Jhumpa Lahiri's collection Unaccustomed Earth.
My goals:
1. Figure out how to exist outside the ivory tower of academia.
2. Read (shouldn't be too hard)
3. Run a few races. This looks like a half-marathon year.
4. Be good to myself.
5. Be good.
So far #2 is working out great. I've re-read a few books, including Beloved. I still wonder what that "hot thing" that Beloved keeps repeating in her stream-of-consciousness narrative toward the end is. Is it love? Is it the pain? Is it desire?
I've also read this past week: Lose Your Mother, Stone Butch Blues, and Push. It would appear that I am on some quest to make myself cry with my reading list. Beloved certainly wasn't laugh riot of a re-read.
These books led me to think a lot about the concept of "home". What is home? What/who/where makes a home? This is what I think "home" is:
1. A place
2. Imagined
3. Occupies space
4. Self
5. Love
6. People (family and community, which blurr together, since family doesn't have to mean blood)
7. Warmth
8. Acceptance
9. Memory
10. Safe
11. Favorites
12. Experience
13. Relation
14. Rest
15. Where "otherness" doesn't exist.
Am I missing anything?
Currently working on Jhumpa Lahiri's collection Unaccustomed Earth.
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