Reflection of Why Ferguson Matters to Asian American

Jiayan Lu

Section 2

Week 2

Before I took this class and finished the reading materials, which included this article, I haven’t thought about whether Ferguson matters to Asian American, now I know it does. Recall the Ferguson incident, it reminds me that it is not just a single case, the racial crimes never stop, the white supremacy has existed in United States since it was found, and it spans towns, cities and states. The topic of race and crime have been discussed for more than a century. Asian Americans as one of the minorities, is actually also victims of the racial hierarchy. According to the article Confronting the New Faces of Hate: Hate Crimes in America 2009, 2.5% of all reported hate crimes (188 out of 7624) were committed against Asian Pacific Americans. Obviously, Asian Pacific Americans have been the target of hate crimes. Facing the hate crimes between different groups, what should we do? We should respect diversity, like races, religions, cultures and customs. There is a story about a kid who asked her mom on the bus, “Why the driver is black?” Mon said, “Because the God wants the world to be colorful.” I believe this is a model to educate our next generation to respect other races. Children’s racial attitudes should be guided by schools, parents and social media when they are young. As long as we have the right attitudes and judgements toward other color of people, then we will reduce racism and prejudice in society.

Question: As Asian Americans, how can we protect ourselves from being the victims of racial crimes?

Reflection of Asian Pacific Americans’ Social Movements and Interest Groups

Jiayan Lu

Section 2

Week 1

The article Asian Pacific Americans’ Social Movements and Interest Groups states how Asian Americans have been suffering and fighting for discrimination, inequality since 150 years ago. Although Asian Americans are very different in language, religion, ideology, they are from or related to Asia, so the term “panethnicity” is coined and imposed on the group of Asian Americans. Due to historic reasons and background, like immigration, naturalization and racial hierarchy, Asian Americans suffer persecution, inequality and discrimination, and also share common interests, they stand together and fight for their rights. As a result, Asian Americans have achieved one goal after another by the coalition between different groups. Recall the history, Asian Americans were unable to vote before World War II, but nowadays, more and more Asian Americans have been working in important government positions. The change is significant to all areas relating Asian Americans. This tells us how panethinicity is important and valuable when we, the minority, stand together fight for our rights. However, is the battle finished? No, not at all, we are still on the way fighting for the rights.

Question: Are Asian Americans treated equally as other races while working, getting education and in political issues today?

The Irony of Asian American History

Mae Wong

Section 1

Week 1

The Irony of Asian American History

            In the article, "Nothing Is More Important than Thinking Dialectically", by Grace Lee Boggs, she wrote, "what built the movement in the past is unlikely to build it in the present or future". She wanted to inform that the people's action in the past did not resolve anything because there is still a continuation of racism and discrimination against the Asian Americans. In the present, we live based on the past and there is no solution to leave the past and create a new future because we are unable to leave the capitalist society. This capitalist society constructs how we should act towards each other and to have power over the minorities. They stereotyped how some ethnic groups are supposed to act.

Student Contribution to Movements of Liberation

Cristina Musngi

Section 1
Week 1

'Four Prisons' and the Movements of Liberation

Since coming to UC Davis, I have been exposed to and have learned more about activism and it's importance. I have seen personal friends, peers, and TA's become truly passionate about a topic or idea and used their motivation and commitment to stand by their ideals. While I've never been a part of a protest, I have learned to appreciate student activists and activism as a whole.

Glenn Omatsu's article "The 'Four Prisons' and the Movements of Liberation have pointed out four "prisons" of people. These prisons include the prison inflicted onto us due to the past history, geography, society's social class and structure, and the prison of our self. Activists address these "prisons" head on and try to escape from them.

These activists, particularly student activists have really inspired to analyze and question the social structure's enforced throughout my life. I believe the San Francisco Strike of 1968 was a very key driving force in the furtherance in of minority rights and solidarity of third world countries. It is very empowering to know that students just like me had such a vital part in changing perspectives on Asian Americans along with other future movements for civil rights and reform.

Question: What aspects of college or college students are there that make activism so prevalent in that community?

Model Minority? Why Not Model Citizen?

Ivan Ornelas
Section 2
Week 1

Model Minority? Why Not Model Citizen?

 

 

               Geography and Social Studies have always been subjects I’ve enjoyed so I found the

Census 2010 data very interesting. It confirmed some information I already knew (such as California having the most Asian Americans of any state and Hawaii’s proportional Asian population being the highest of any state) but it also introduced me to some new information. I

could’ve guessed Chinese and Filipino were the most common Asian nationalities in the USA and

then Japanese would follow, but they were behind Indian, Vietnamese, and Korean. I guess my

incorrect assumption was due to growing up in the Bay Area and my exposure to Japanese

culture (having Japanese friends, seeing many Japanese restaurants, videogames and anime).

More importantly this information implies a large amount of Asian Americans lead good lives: well

educated, make a lot of money, etc. In lecture, the term “model minority” was used, meaning a

minority who can blend in to the “main” or “dominant” culture. Asians would appear to be a model

minority but that classification has its pros and cons. No one wants to be seen as “the best….only

 of the rest”.

When will we acknowledge people's success and failures for reasons irrelevant to race?

 



Women of Color in Academia Manifesto

Tiffany Li

Section 1

Week 2

Women of Color in Academia Manifesto

Every women of color has a specific stereotype, and it’s sad that people look into these stereotypes when they are not even true. In the reading of Women of Color in Academia Manifesto, I agree with how women of color are easy targets. We’re easy targets because of our color, religion, national, race, etc., but most of all, we're easy targets because we are women. People of non-colors only look at us from the outside and assumes that we are this type of a person when it is not true at all. I have seen many people assume that African Americans are dangerous in society and will steal personal belongings or will sell their bodies. This is just a stereotype and it is not true. African Americans are just as human as we are. They will treat you how you are by the way they are treated.  Stereotypes just push people farther away from their own doings just because they feel like they have to make everyone happy by following the stereotypes. Stereotypes also give a huge disadvantage for those who look for jobs because, although we are in this time of society, bosses will still discriminate and use stereotypes just to not hire someone.

Why do stereotypes even exist when we’re all of the same people in this society?