Anthro Magazine May 2019

Russian intrigue, political split, slow a movement read on pg. 12

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Anthro Magazine Palo Alto High School’s Social Activism Magazine Volume 1 Issue 1

Mission Statement The ultimate goal of Anthro Magazine, Paly’s social activism publication, is to create a platform and forum for students to express their opinions and voices. Social activism is bringing issues into the spotlight to spread awareness and create change in society. On this platform, we will promote unity, diversity and respect. As a publication, we aim to be inclusive but do not tolerate hate speech or the targeting of individuals. We hope to highlight issues that we see in our community, create a safe place to discuss these issues, and to make sure that student voices are heard.

Dear Readers, Welcome to the first issue of Anthro Magazine, Palo Alto High School’s new social activism magazine. We’re excited and honored to finally produce a print version of our product which was originally an online club publication. As a social activism magazine, we want to capture movements, change and opinions on a small and grand scale.

Through this and future issues, we hope succeed in this goal.

In this issue of Anthro Magazine, we delve into student opinions of the world around them as well as social movements. In “Exit of Calexit,” staff writer Owen Longstreth examines the remnants of Calexit, a movement dedicated to seceding California from the U.S. In “Toxic Gaming,” we hear student and professional opinions on abusive behavior online.

If you’re looking to make a difference in the world, refer to staff writer Juliana Griswold’s article on “Delivering Results” through our legislative system. Don’t forget to check out our crossword puzzle and comic for a light-hearted break.

We hope you’ll enjoy reading this magazine as much as we enjoyed making it.

- Michaela and Aarti, editors-in-chief

ON THE COVER: “The Exit of Calexit” by Owen Longstreth. Photo by Josephine Andersen.

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STAFF LIST EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Aarti Malhotra Micheala Seah STAFF WRITERS Josephine Andersen Juliana Griswold Jacquelyn Lai Owen Longstreth GUEST WRITERS Miles Breen Aidyn Kareht TEACHER ADVISOR Paul Kandell CHECK OUT Our Instagram: @anthro.magazine Our Facebook: facebook.com/ palyanthromagazine Our website: anthromagazine.org

Table of Contents 4 Activism around the world 6 Climate crisis 8 Social Justice Pathway news 9 ASB reconnected 10 Living Skills, living better 11 Thank u, next gen 12 The exit of Calexit 14 Toxic gaming 16 Delivering results 17 Reshaping the world 18 Weeaboos not welcome 20 Debatable: Veganism 21 Three reasons why you should watch “Patriot Act with Hassan Minaj” 21 Three presidential candidates you have not heard of 22 Activist activities PUBLICATION POLICY Anthro, a social activism magazine published by the students in Palo Alto High School’s Magazine Incubator class, is a designated open forum for student expression and discussion of issues of concern to its readership.

Anthro is distributed to its readers and the student body at no cost.

LETTERS TO THE EDITORS The Anthro staff welcomes letters to the editors but reserves the right to edit all submissions for length, grammar, potential libel, invasion of privacy and obscenity. Send all letters to anthromagazine17@googlegroups.com or to 50 Embarcadero Road Palo Alto, CA 94301.

ADVERTISING The staff publishes advertisements with signed contracts providing they are not deemed by the staff inappropriate for the magazine’s audience. For more information about advertising with Anthro, please email us at anthromagazine17@googlegroups.com or through our adviser at 650-329-3837 for more information.

PRINTING & DISTRIBUTION Anthro is printed by aPrintis in Pleasanton, California. The Anthro staff will distribute copies around the Palo Alto High School campus. All Anthro work is available at anthromagzine.org.

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ACTIVISM around the WORLD Take a look at some recent protests making a global impact.

FRANCE: The Yellow Vest Movement started as a way to combat the increasing fuel prices and high taxes for the working and middle class citizens. (NPR) December 2018

UNITED STATES: Women from around the U.S. came together in Washington D.C. to protest the current Trump administration’s treatment of women.

(The Gaurdian) March 2019

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VENEZUELA: Protesters lined the streets of Caracas to support opposition leader, Juan Guaidó.

They oppose the current president, Nicolás Maduro, and his oppressive regime.

(The New York Times) May 2019

Text by AARTI MALHOTRA Design by JULIANA GRISWOLD and JOSEPHINE ANDERSEN

LEBANON: Hundred of workers called for the abolition of the Kafala system, a system used to monitor migrant laborers.

With the Kafala system, it’s harder for migrant workers to be given protection under Lebanese law, leaving them subject to abuse.

(Middle East Eye) May 2019

HONG KONG, CHINA: An estimated 130,000 Hong Kong residents protested a bill that would make it easier to extradite people to mainland China and Taiwan. Protesters are concerned that this bill could endanger journalists and activists as well as limit freedom of expression in Hong Kong. (CNN) April 2019 SOUTH AFRICA: In South Africa, people protested against the increasing unemployment rates and poor government services.

(Al Jazeera) April 2019

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Fighting Climate Change STAND UP — Sophomore Eileen Wu represents Zero Waste initiative and talks to the crowd.

She talked about a climate change contest the club is holding for Paly students.

text/design Aarti Malhotra Photo by Julianaby Griswold.

Climate Crisis Organized by Paly’s Democrats Club and Eco Club, student’s come together and demand action against climate change.

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FIGHT — Sophomore Rohin Ghosh participates in the rally and holds up a sign saying, “Planet Over Profit.” Students marched from the Quad to the front of the school holding signs.

Photo by Juliana Griswold.

BE THE CHANGE — Senior Warren Wagner addresses Paly students about climate change. The rally on March 15 protested the Green New Deal and the growing issue of global warming. “A lot of people... ended up coming and they got to hear about the arguments on climate change from many different perspectives,” Wagner said. “Hopefully that will make a real difference in our community.”

Photo by Josephine Andersen.

APOLOGIES — A member of the community holds a sign at the rally. many Palo Alto community members joined Paly students in their call to action against the rising concern on climate change.

Photo by Josephine Andersen.

POWERFUL — Sophomore Anya Lassila holds up a sign to passing cars as part of the protest.

Many students came to show their support, and people held up signs to cars on the intersection between El Camino Real and Embarcadero.

Photo by Juliana Griswold.

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The SJP

Text/Design by AARTI MALHOTRA

New things going on in the Social Justice Pathway Field trips: Camping Trip to Little Basin (sophomores and juniors) SJP Speaker Series: • Dr. Marilyn Winkleby- Professor of Medicine and homeless advocate • Carl Wilkins- Aid worker in Rwandan Genocide • Clarence Jones- civil rights lawyer and activist • Judge LaDoris Cordell (ret) - Advocate, lawyer, academic, independent police auditor • Dr. Adam Banks - Stanford Grad School of Ed., Director, Program in Writing and Rhetoric Upcoming: Two new teachers joining the SJP - Mary Sano (History) and Lizzie DeKraai (English) Grade-by-Grade Summary Sophomores: Junk Couture Fashion Show Using metaphores to describe their assigned country’s colonial history, the sophomores design their outfits to showase all they have learned.

A fashion show will be held for these students, and a book will be published by the end of the year.

Fashion Show Date: May 8 in the PAC Juniors: Research Based Project Symposium Students showcased their projects and conducted workshops such as Prcilege Monopoly, Learning About Disability, and Titile IX. Symposium Date: April 25 in the Library

TOUCHING UP — Sophmore Sabrina Chab is applying makeup to a piece of paper to practice. This is an essential step in planning out the costume and how the model will look for their fashion show.

Photo by Aarti Malhotra.

Seniors: Senior Capstone Project: This project is a social justice outlook on students’ Advanced Authenticated Research project. They will be presenting their project to members of the community.

Advanced Authentic Research Presentatation: May 17 Capstone Presentation: May 21 SOCIAL JUSTICE (left) — Senior Nura Mostaghimi talks to Anthro about her Advanced Authentic Research Project. Her project is about social media affecting the mental health of teen asian males. “I conducted a survey at Paly and Gunn, and got 50 responses,” Mostaghimi said.

Photo by Jonan Pho. EMPOWER (right) — Paly history teacher, Eric Bloom talks to Anthro about the Social Justice Pathway, and things the pathway has done. The students have been involved in many projecs. “When we talk about social justice we really talk about this idea of unheard voices or lesser heard voices. Photo by Michaela Seah.

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ASB Reconnected Text/Design by JACQUELYN LAI

ASB Transparency and student involvement

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ou’ve seen their posters on the walls and witnessed their campaigns. But, with all the chaos that is being a student of Palo Alto High School, it is easy for students to be unaware of what the Associated Student Body, the supposed voice of the student body, does.

It is common knowledge that Paly’s ASB predominantly organizes events like Homecoming, Spirit Week, Baccalaureate, graduation, and Cookies on the Quad, but what do they do in the inbetween?

The ASB constitution states that the organization's goal is to “promote the best interests of the student body,” and ASB officers claim that not only do they work on representing students’ ideas to change Paly’s environment, they additionally coordinate with the school board and the district to make sure students’ voices are heard.

Many fellow students are unaware of these meetings and how their elected officers are trying to seek change in the school and also in larger setting, the district.

Sophomore Sarah Chan confirms this.

“I really enjoyed float building, but I’m not really associated with ASB, so I don’t know what they are doing right now.”

Chan said.

Another sophomore Antonia Mou agrees.“The student body definitely does not see everything ASB works on or accomplishes, which is something I think I’d like to see, especially when it comes to issues between students and the school board or district.”

ASB recognizes that there is an absence of communication and is working on improving their system to allow students to express

e For Me!

their opinions directly to ASB for the future.

Sophomore Class Vice President Avantika Singh says that ASB is trying to institute fishbowl discussions to take the input of students and even bring issues to the board’s attention.

Sophomore Class President Adora Zheng added, “If they’re really eager to talk about their ideas, they can come and there will be a bunch of officers there and most of the time it’s during lunch so we have pizza.”

Many have suggested that ASB publish notes from each meeting so that students can stay updated with their discussions, yet these notes already exist.

After every meeting, Secretary Charlize Nguyen posts Minutes on the ASB website, which can be found under the “About” tab in Meeting Minutes 2018-19 to see what they have done.

Nonetheless, their notes are only promoted on Facebook out of the three social media that they have. (Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook) and are often overlooked due to lack of attention brought to it by the student government.

There’s also the hurdle of student’s personal lives, that is students care but not enough to go out of their way to stay in the loop.

In the near future, Zheng says she wants to implement a feedback or suggestion form available through Google forms for the entire school year, making the platform more readily accessible than the current system.

“ASB is the direct platform where you can make a change and there’s always a way to get your opinion out there,” Zheng said.

“That’s where you personally, can get what you want to see change, changed.”

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Text/Design by JOSEPHINE ANDERSEN and JULIANA GRISWOLD

Living Skills, living better Why sex education is important in a high school environment

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he longtime taboo topic of sex is a little less taboo at Palo Alto High School thanks to the Living Skills class, which educates students on the importance of their sexual health. And that’s a good thing.

Living Skills is designed to be part of the sophomore curriculum, and the sex education unit is only nine classes of the semester-long course. It teaches students information required not only for Paly graduation, but also by California law.

“We are trying to give students information so that they can make healthy life choices for themselves,” said Alyssa Bond, a Living Skills teacher.

In the United States, as of March, 2016, only 23 states and Washington, D.C. require a sex education course in their public schools and of that 23, only 20 require the course to be medically accurate, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

It is no coincidence that the states which have the highest rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases correlate with the states that are lacking the requirement of a sex education program. Alaska and Arkansas, for example, do not require a sex education course and Alaska is the state with the highest rate of STD’s and Arkansas is highest in teen pregnancies, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Considering the effects the lack of sex education has on students in high school, it becomes apparent that classes like Living Skills are imperative.

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In Living Skills, teachers provide stu- to learn. dents with the necessary information of the “In my Living Skills class we talked more different forms of contraceptives, how they about mental health, which is very importare used and where they can get them. ant, but I thought Living Skills was going to “We cover very important information be more about sex and drugs,” Salas said. and I know that we hit a lot of really im- “I don’t think we talked about it enough.” portant topics,” Bond said.

Salas even says that the summer class Due to Living Skills being a required should no longer be an option for students, course, students often take the information as it does not provide enough time needed taught for granted, but teachers see the to cover the necessary material. value.

“It [Living Skills] is already only a se“Just being in an environment where you mester and I don’t think it’s enough, especan get factual information in a non-judg- cially for those who take it during the summental way and be able to discuss it,” Leti- mer,” Salas said. tia Burton, another Paly Living Skills teachIn our own school, it’s important that er, said, “I can’t even express how valuable when we take Living Skills, we pay atthat is.” tention and don’t take the opportunity to Sophomore Karlene Salas, passion- learn about sexual health in our schools for ate about the necessity of a sex education granted. course in high schools, often promotes Family planning programs such as Living Skills and voices her opinions to Planned Parenthood are located nationher peers. After moving to California from wide and help provide people with afNorth Dakota, a state which does not re- fordable health care such as STD testing quire a sex education course, Salas realized and birth control. It’s critical to support the positive impact a class like Living Skills programs such as these ones so they are can have on a student population. able to reach states where people may “All they know is [to] use a condom,” not have had the same opportunities in Salas said, referring to the stutheir education as we did here dents in North Dakota. “They at Paly.

“We are tr don’t know other birth control ying to giv options, and if they do get pregstudents in e for mation nant all they know is, ‘I am goso that they can m ing to have this baby.’” a k e healthy life Although grateful for the choices for themselves class, Salas recognizes that ,” changes need to be made — Alyssa B ond, Livin within the program to keep g Skills tea cher students motivated and eager

, u k Than next gen Text by MILES BREEN Art by MICHAELA SEAH Design by JULIANA GRISWOLD

How you can join Ariana Grande and HeadCount in motivating a new generation of voters

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udos to pop star Ariana Grande, who is capitalizing on the hype around her world tour, Sweetener, by partnering with HeadCount, an organization that works with musicians to register voters at concerts, including her most recent local concert that happened May 2 in San Jose.

Grande understands that one of the most effective and easy ways to increase voter turnout and improve our democracy is organizing or working a voter registration table or drive.

HeadCount works with many different artists including Ella Mai, Billie Eilish, Harry Styles and others. In addition to working concerts, HeadCount also works festivals, including Outside Lands.

Voting is one of the inalienable rights given to a citizen of the United States once they reach the age of 18.

It grants you the opportunity to replace anyone you deem unfit as well as send your favorite candidate to office.

This seems like a dependable system of democracy, right?

Well, it isn’t, but that’s a whole other article.

Since John F. Kennedy’s election in 1960, the average voter turnout in presidential elections has been 55.25%.

That’s 55.25% of the voting age population, which represents how many citizens are

eligible to register to vote.

On the day of the 2016 election, data from the Census Bureau showed that there were 224 million people who could legally vote, however, only 158 million were registered and only 138 million chose to exercise that right.

Since then, the political climate has strengthened, and the 2018 midterm elec-

tion was a historic election for youth turnout that saw an 18% increase from 2014, the last midterm election, according to RealClear Politics. In a generation that votes significantly Democratic, the impact of this voter turnout surge is obvious: a flip in the House of Representatives and the most diverse freshman class of Congresspeople in history.

That same generation, including seniors and most juniors who couldn’t vote in 2018, have increased power to build on that momentum in 2020.

If you want to make an even bigger diference, consider volunteering to manage voter registration tables at concerts nationwide.

Links to the minor volunteer waiver and HeadCount’s website can be found on the digital version of this story at anthromagazine.org To volunteer at a concert or festival, your parents must fill out a minor volunteer waiver form if you are under the age of 18.

“Volunteers below 18 are considered on a case-by-case basis, and must have their parent or guardian complete a permission form,” according to the ‘Volunteer FAQ’ page on HeadCount’s website.

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Text/Design by OWEN LONGSTRETH

The Exit of

SEPARATIST SKYPE — Anthro reporter Owen Longstreth speaks to Alexandr Ionov over Skype on April 10, 2019, in the Media Arts Center at Palo Alto High School. A beginning journalism class watched the interview take place as well as other Anthro staff members. Ionov spoke with the help of an interpreter who also joined the call. Photo by Josephine Andersen.

Russian intrigue and the splitting of independence groups slows a movement

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ollowing the 2016 Presidential Election, the idea of Calexit — California seceding from the United States — made headlines due to the widespread discontent in California caused by the election of President Donald Trump.

Yes California and other pro-independence groups told California progressives that they planned to establish an independent California Republic.

Every Democrat in the state had at least heard of Calexit, and for a while Calexit was a major conversation topic.

Almost three years later, Calexit is unheard of. The Yes California website is down and founder Louis J Marinelli moved to Russia.

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These events have left people with many questions. How could a political movement with good media attention disappear?

What happened to Calexit?

Anthro sought to answer these questions by interviewing leaders of the movement, who described their intent and the roadblocks they encountered while trying to meet their goals.

Our story starts with Michael Loebs, the California National Party (CNP) chapter head in San Francisco, who said “Everything west of the Plains is generally perceived as a kind of colonial section of the United States,” This argument for secession is common, as a substantial percentage of land in California is federal land. A Vox article from Feb 16, 2015 put the amount of federal land in California at 45% just under half of all the land in the state.

There also are cultural differences that distinguish California from the US and make the Golden State a prime candidate

for secession.

“Culturally, I think the distinction has been that California has always been multicultural. ... California has always been a place of greater ethnic diversity than much of the United States,” Loebs said.

Although the Yes California and the CNP did not get media attention until 2016, from as early as 2014, these shared ideas let the California National Party and Yes California work together for independence, but over time, the two organisations began to split apart due to conflict surrounding Marinelli moving to Russia to live with his wife, a Russian citizen, as well as ideological differences.

Alexandr Ionov, president of the Anti-Globalisation Movement of Russia (AGM) worked with Marinelli in 2017 to open a “Californian embassy” in Moscow.

It is unclear what exactly this building is. A press release from the AGM describes the building as an embassy. But Ionov said that it is “not exactly an embassy, more like

“Culturally, I think the distinction has been that California has always been multicultural.”

— Michael Loebs, CNP

Art by MICHAELA SEAH

Calexit CORRESPONDENCE — Alexandr Ionov and Louis J Marinelli, the founder of Yes California at the opening of the Californian Embassy in Moscow on Dec. 18, 2016. The two hold a copy of the Blue Book, a pro-independence manifesto. The AGM is affiliated with many separatist groups, including western nationalist movements in California, Texas, Catalonia, and Ireland as well as the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics in Ukraine. Photo by Anti-Globalisation Movement of Russia Press Release.

a cultural center.”

Marinelli’s connection to the AGM troubled many. The AGM, as Ionov explained when asked about funding from the Russian government, has received “50,000 rubles for events before,” mentioning an annual conference of separatist movements the group hosts in Moscow.

But Ionov notes that this amount of money is not enough to run an organisation, and only covers expenses in the short term.

According to a Business Insider article from Dec. 28, 2016, the AGM also has ties to Rodina, a far right political party in Russia with a name that translates to Motherland.

These moves have lead to disdain from the CNP, which denounced Yes California as “Russian-linked” in a Jan. 21, 2017 press release, following the creation of fake CNP social media accounts and Yes California

claiming to have control of the CNP. When asked to comment on Yes California’s Connections to Russia, Loebs said, “I do not know if the actual leadership has connections with the Russian government.

I know that the founder of Yes California moved to Russia,” adding “Their tactics seem to be based on a sort of provocateurism. To make outrageous statements or outrageous ideas for the purposes of increasing their exposure.”

With Yes California becoming closer to the Anti Globalisation Movement of Russia and the CNP pursuing other goals, Calexit is totally different to the unified independence campaign in 2016.

“While we maintain our focus on our long term goal and aspiration on California independence, [the CNP] is a party about a lot more,” Loebs said.

“[Yes California’s] tactics seem to be based on a sort of provocateurism. To make outrageous statements or outrageous ideas for the purposes of increasing exposure.”

— Michael Loebs, CNP

LISTENING — Michael Loebs takes questions from Anthro magazine on April 17 in the Media Arts Center. Michael Loebs is the head of the California National Party chapter in San Francisco and a political lecturer at San Francisco State University. The CNP is an unrecognized political party in California that focuses on state issues as well as independence.

“Generally, the California National Party is focused exclusively on California,” Loebs said. Photo by Michaela Seah.

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PULLING THE PLUG ON ABUSIVE BEH

PULLING THE PLUG ON ABUSIVE BEHAVIOR

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ou know the feeling. You’re on your phone, just scrolling and minding your own business. But then you see it. A comment, a meme, something that is just so mean, racist, sexist, so toxic it ruins your day. Now multiply that feeling by 100. Welcome to the darker parts of the gaming community.

Video games have become a formative part of many people’s childhoods. For some people it has become part of their identity. And online, they are the backbone and common interest of an entire community. I am not very involved in the gaming community, but it’s not because I don’t like video games. It’s because of the community itself. Over recent years, gamers have created a reputation for being angry, childish, and generally toxic. So much so that prestigious news sources such as the New York Times and Washington Post donned headlines such as “In Virtual Play, Sex Harassment Is All Too Real” and “Racism, misogyny, death threats: Why can’t the booming vid-

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eo-game industry curb toxicity?” ing private or identifying information with Examples of said toxicity go from pur- the intent of harming that person. posely tripping up a team member in a These exchanges may seem heat of passive aggressiveness, to screaming strange to the rest of us. Why say those slurs over voice chat. Most of this behavior things? Surely, frustration over a game is found in games that isn’t valid justification for are free to play, online, “Why say those anti-semitic, racist, or hoand ironically require things? Surely, frustra- mophobic outbursts. Even teamwork and commuif the person ‘didn’t mean nication to succeed. And tion over a game isn’t it that way.’ unfortunately, not all valid justification for A very popular scapeabusive gamers keep the goat for these widespread anti-semitic, rac- angry outbursts, especialabuse “in-game.”

Of course, not all ist, or homophobic ly among parents, are the gamers exhibit toxic gun-heavy content of many behavior. But there is outbursts.” of these games. While the enough who do, driving content of said games may people away from the community and af- or may not attribute to this behavior, there fecting the rest of the Internet as well. is actually more at work that meets the eyes.

One of most prominent examples of Jamie Madigan, games psychologist and toxicity in action is #Gamergate, a hateful author of “Getting Gamers: the psycholomovement in 2014 that harassed and threat- gy of video games and their impact on the ened women people who play them” points of the gaming to the human psyche. As he industry. These said in an interview with PCwomen and GamesN in 2016: their loved ones “Deindividuation is a psywere exposed to chological state when you feel violently misogynistic comments and even like your identity is more part of a crowd death threats. Some women were even than yours individually. ... When experiencforced to leave their homes. People who ing deindividuation, we tend to look more tried to defend these women also got at- to contextual information about the situtacked, hacked, and doxxed, which is post- ation and the behavior of other people to

“Your identity is more part of a crowd than yours individually.”

Text Text/Art /Art by

by MICHAELA MICHAELA SEAH SEAH

inform us as to what to do or what’s appropriate. If we see others behaving badly or if the cues provided by the situation suggest it’s okay to be nasty, then we’re more likely to do that.”

In other words, it can all start with one.

One angry, problematic gamer screams slurs across the game chat. He accuses another player of cheating, and blames the other for his team’s loss. The rest of the team is now put in a peculiar situation. They have a choice of either protesting, being a bystander, or joining in.

As more and more people choose to join in, it gets harder and harder to choose the other options. It doesn’t help that these interactions are on the Internet, where all people are given annonominity.

Paly junior and gamer Aurin Dutta says people should be mindful of the difference between acting out online and in real life. “[It] just kind of stems from like being on the Internet because you don’t have to deal with societal consequences. If you were to do that in real life you’d probably be hounded for the rest of your life,” he says. “ On the Internet its just another said thing.”

Palo Alto High School sophomore Ben Kaplan recounts an incident he experienced while playing a popular shooter game.

“I was playing ‘Rainbow Six’ with a friend, and I accidently shot him in the face. He made certain remarks on me being Jewish.”

However, Kaplan didn’t seem fazed. He kept on playing and continues to be a friend to this person.

“Most people take it impersonally and that’s just how it is. That’s just part of being in that community, it’s not like the attacks are personal in any way. You’ve angered someone and they react.”

Paly sophomore and captain of the Paly Counter Strike: Global Offence team, Enzo DeMarinis talks about some of his experiences as well.

“I have friends who say homophobic things [in games] but the people who say that in my friend group are actually gay themselves, so it’s kind of a joking thing.”

Like Kaplan, he seems unfazed. He continues to explain that these outbursts aren’t

“Most people take it impersonally and that’s just how it is. That’s just part of being in that community,”

a reflection of character.

“People do say racist things, but not with the intention of being racist. … It’s not like trying [to] actually be racist.”

This type of language has been so normalized that within the community that those words and behaviors lose their offensiveness and are seen as reasonable expressions of anger.

Fortunately, companies are acting to better reform their user base. Ubisoft, host of Rainbow Six, made it so if it caught someone typing slurs in the chat, it put the player a 30-minute suspension in 2018. The company that hosts League of Legends, Riot Games, has had a team in place to fight this behavior since 2013.

Companies including Blizzard, Twitch and Discord teamed up in 2018 and joined The Fair Play Alliance, an organization that focuses on understanding how toxicity happens, how to handle it, and of course how to end it.

Although an uphill battle, there is a reason for hope.

Shortly after joining the Fair Play Alliance, Blizzard reported that abusive chat was down by 15% to 30%.

Obviously there’s a long way to go, but it’s a glimmer of hope for the gaming community.

“Blizzard reported that abusive chat was down by 15% to 30%.”

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Text/Design by JULIANA GRISWOLD

Delivering Results Your guide to making permanent change

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o, you’ve read the news, you’ve gone to the rallies, protests and marches, and after all this you’re still thinking to yourself: “How much has my participation really impacted the issue?”

Well, good job. You’ve taken the first step. You’ve learned about a topic you care about and publicly shown your support. But here’s the next, and often overlooked, step: proposing and passing legislation.

Simply defined, legislation is laws. In the United States, we elect representatives to write our laws.

“Legislation is not like the sexy stuff,” said Adam Yonkers, Palo Alto High School U.S. Government teacher, “It’s like the nuts and bolts of a democracy.”

Compared to executive action, a commonly used tactic by presidents to quickly pass laws, legislation has more longevity, Yonkers said.

“In [the] absence of the Republicans and the Democrats working together on legislation, that [legislation] is not going to happen,” Yonkers said.

To pass legislation and make a change, you will need to follow four steps: First and foremost: Be informed.

Being an informed member and active participant of society is the best thing you can do if you want to begin to make a difference. If you want to discuss politics in an effective way, it pays to know what

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you are talking about. When getting your news, look at multiple reliable sources and be able to separate fact from fiction.

Second: Contact your representatives. Politicians rely on votes for their position in office and are it’s their job to listen to you. As the people in charge of writing and passing laws that directly impact our lives, school board members, city council members, county representatives and Congress-members are some of the most valuable people you can work with to make a change on paper.

California has two senators and 53 representatives to represent us in Washington, D.C. Our senators from California are Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris, and our local representative is Anna Eshoo.

Third: Attend legislative meetings. Town hall meetings happen in your own community and are a way for politicians to share information and for you to share ideas with them. The Palo Alto City Council public forums dates can be found here: https:// www.cityofpaloalto.org/cals/ default.asp Fourth and finally: Vote. If you’re in high school it’s unlikely you are legally able to do so, but as early as 16 years old you can pre-register, and at 18 you are eligible to vote. Being an informed and active voter is the easiest way to make a difference in your community at a local and national level. Register or pre-register here: https://registertovote.ca.gov/

Text/Design by JOSEPHINE ANDERSEN

Reshaping the World I Review: New book details devastation of rising sea levels n “Rising: Dispatches from the devastation these beautiful coastal landNew American Shore,” journalist and marks and those who reside there are author Elizabeth Rush offers tragic in- forced to suffer through. sight into the lives of those who have Although this non-fiction book is prisuffered most at the hands of rising sea marily based on the lives of of those the levels. Rush takes her readers on a highly author meets, Rush grants readers access to personal journey through the small coastal witness her own personal journey of inteltowns and cities which have been affected lectual and cultural growth. We are shown by climate change. the raw emotions she experiences when Instead of focusing on the physical ef- seeing the devastation climate change has fects on the landscapes of these towns, the brought upon these towns. By doing this, author demonstrates how global warming Rush is no longer a environmental reporter is affecting individual lives by reciting their looking for the newest data, but instead a stories word for word. She goes into depth ordinary human, passionate for what she about each person’s life, which allows the believes in. reader to truly sympathize with these cliRush writes about her profession as an mate change victims, their situations and English professor at Brown University and their stories. even goes as far as menThrough her poetic some of her stu“I understood that tioning writing style, Rush puts the dents and all that she has bigger picture in perspecthese people need learned from them. The tive as she describes huability to always learn and to tell thier own man impact on our planet grow becomes a constant stories” as “abundant” and “geotheme within “Rising,” as graphically widespread.”

— Elizabeth Rush Rush shows her readers The stories from the that there is always more towns where the author visto discover and always its are unsettling to read yet impactful and more than one story. always inspiring. In “Rising,” published by After reading Rush’s work and underMilkweed in June 2018, readers are taken standing all that she has seen and learned, along as Rush travels to Isle de Jean Charles, it is truly remarkable to me that there are Louisiana, where we meet Chris Brunet, a some who hear these tragic stories and yet native who loves his home yet lives in fear still do not believe taking the necessary of it vanishing due to the sea levels rising. steps and precautions to reduce sea levels Next, readers visit South Florida, which is rising is an immediate issue. at risk of being drowned by the melting ice Through the tales of suffering and the caps from Greenland. stories of growth, Rush points out that Each story and destina- humanity does not do enough, does not tion is accompanied with care enough, as she time and time again a black-and -white photo- reminds us that we live in “a world worth graph demonstrating the rescuing.” As a community, we cannot sit back and watch while communities get erased off the map.

About the Author: Elizabeth Rush is the author of “Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore” and “Still Lifes from a Vanishing City: Essays and Photographs from Yangon, Myanmar.”

Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, National Geographic, the Guardian, the Atlantic, Harpers, Guernica, Granta, Orion, Creative Nonfiction, The Washington Post, Le Monde Diplomatique and the New Republic.

Her newest book, “Rising,” is the winner of the National Outdoor Book Award, the Chicago Tribune Top Ten Book of 2018, and is the Best Book of 2018 for the Guardian, NPR’s Science Friday, Publishers Weekly, and Library Journal.

As well as being an author and journalist, Rush teaches nonfiction writing at Brown University.

Text/Design by MICHAELA SEAH

Weeaboos Welcome

The evolution of Asian fetishization through pop culture

“Y

ou kind of look like a loli,” he says. For the lucky ones who don’t know what that is, a loli is an anime term used to describe a small, Asian, girl who is definitely a minor but is portrayed in deeply inappropriate ways.

It was during a field trip last fall. All I could think to myself was Why did he say that? Was I supposed to take that as a compliment?

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the last time I was to encounter this type of comment.

Many are familiar with Yellow Fever, the racial fetishization of Asians, particularly East Asians.

Originating from tales of Japanese and Vietnamese prostitutes seducing US soldiers during WW2 and the Vietnam War, it is the fantasy that Asian women are quiet, submissive, yet sexually promiscuous. In short, a misogynist’s wet dream. Literally.

It has since manifested itself into stereotypes, books, movies, and plays such as “Ms. Saigon” and “Madame Butterfly,” both which are sexist romances about relationships between Asian prostitutes and American men.

This idea that Asian women would gracefully embrace male dominance whilst being an exotic sex toy spread like an epidemic, hence the name Yellow Fever.

Some believe that those days of Asian fetishization are long dead. And while the days of the hooker who squeals “me rikey” seems to be numbered, Yellow Fever, as popular culture and the Internet can attest, is still very much alive.

When you search up the word “Asian” on Instagram, Reddit, Tumblr or any popular image-sharing website, the first thing you get is porn. This fact alone is telling about how Asians, especially Asian women, are viewed as sexual objects. Fetishization hasn’t gone away, it has just evolved.

But who exactly are these new generation fetishizers? A large number of them are Weeaboos: people, mostly men, obsessed with Japanese culture, particularly anime to the point of bastardization and fetishization. Although the butt of many internet jokes, they run free in their toxic environments, able to normalize casual racism and the the objectification of East Asian girls via anime.

I should clarify that watching anime alone does not make anybody a racial fetishizer; however, participating in the objectifying culture, which is unfortunately prevalent in the anime community, does.

The problem isn’t just that these are a group of Internet losers who stare all day at lewd drawings of anime girls, but how this objectification translates into reality. It’s more than subreddits that are dedicated to racy pictures of Asian girls, or threads that go on and on about how much the contributors want a submissive Japanese waifu (a Japanese twist on the word wife, which often refers to anime characters). It’s more than posts describing in disgusting detail their plans to woo the closest East Asian girl, or the katana collections and sexy half nude figurines (hallmarks of some of the worst weeaboos). It has a real impact.

Robin Zheng, author of the article “Why Yellow Fever Isn’t Flattering: A Case Against Racial Fetishes” for the American Philosophical Association, illustrates the damages of this behavior.

“Yellow Fever places disproportionate psychological burdens on Asian women.” Zheng told Anthro. “Women confronted with Yellow Fever often feel homogenized, that is, treated as interchangeable with other Asian women. They also feel otherized, that is, separated from and held to a different standard compared to White women,” she says. “Since women often internalize their own objectification, learning to see themselves as the object of others’ desire, they may be vulnerable to low self-esteem, body shame, eating disorders, and other physical and psychological harms.” She goes on to say how these communities contribute to said damages.

“The emergence of online communities such as [weeaboos] have played a role in increasing the prevalence of racial fetish and hence the harms it causes.

Just as consumers develop particular brand loyalties with which they self-identify, watching certain categories of racialized pornography may license people to self-identify with certain sexual preferences — which can strengthen the preference and make it even more exclusive. So, participating in such a community can contribute indirectly to harm, irrespective of how a particular individual behaves in their own life.”

And it doesn’t just stop there. Although sexual objectification is an issue that affects all women, yellow fever promotes sexulizd stererotypes, making it worse for Asian women as according to Zheng. “[Asian women] are more likely to be subject to sexual harassment and violence; indeed, some research has focused specifically on the role of stereotypes when men inflict sexual violence on Asian

“The emergence of online communities such as [weeaboos] have played a role in increasing the prevalence of racial fetish and hence the harms it causes.”

—Robin Zheng

18 MAY 2019

women.” In other words, it’s not as if Asian women are being ‘too sensitive’ on the issue. There is a real mental and physical harm that comes with this behavior.

It was real for Saki Kondo, a Japanese woman who was decapitated by her American Tinder date in Japan last year as reported

by Nextshark. It was real for Quyen Ngoc Nguyen, a Vietnamese woman who was tortured, raped, and then burned alive in the UK also last year, according to the Independent It was real for the 10 Asian women who were stalked then raped by a single man in California over the course of 20 years, also reported

by NextShark Fetishization dehumanizes, hurts, rapes, and kills. It creates a culture that starts with lewd comments under a drawing of a 12-year-old wearing cat ears and a maid uniform. And continues with yelling random Japanese words at any unsuspecting East Asian women or girl on the street. And it ends with bloody violence against Asian women. As reported by the National Network to End Domestic Violence, 41% to 61% of Asian women experience sexual and physical violence from their intimate partners.

The worst part? The issue isn’t taken seriously. A lot of the atrocities cited above were not even ruled as hate crimes, despite the glaring evidence, including the use of racial slurs and the targeting of Asian women. Additionally, the incidents mentioned above barely had any media attention, except for Asian news and culture outlets.

Our experiences and the violence we go through are often silenced by the model minority myth.

Many other people of color continue to claim that Asians are not POC because of the “model minority” myth that all Asians are successful.

Although East Asians have privilege, we still experience racism and suffer from violent hate crimes, but because of this privilege, many people excuse Asian racism and fetishization.

The common dismissal and joking online about weeaboos and other Asian fetishizers are enables weeaboos to continue to harass Asian girls.

If their actions are not being taken seriously, it sends the

message that this is acceptable behavior and that Asians should be viewed as 2D sex objects to drool over.

When someone writes about the effects of fetishization and how it must end, hysterical men stampede the comments. They defend their stereotyping and racism, claiming that it is “just a preference.” As you’d expect from someone who stares at catgirls on the Internet all day, they don’t know the difference between a preference and fetish. A preference, as defined by the dictionary, liking something more than another. While a fetish, is built on hurtful racial stereotypes that say that we are only here for your fantasies.

A preference is harmless, a fetish, in its worst form, kills.

But we are not your dolls.

We are not your rare collectible body pillow. We are not your submissive trophies. We are not your porn category.

It’s time that we took fetishization seriously and see these weeaboos as not just online nuisances, but as the threat they really are.

“41% to 61% of Asian women experience sexual and physical violence from their intimate partners.”

ANTHROMAGAZINE.ORG 19

Debateable:

Art by MICHAELA SEAH Design by OWEN LONGSTRETH

PRO

G

enerally, the factors that support veganism can be broken down into three categories: health, environmental impact and ethics.

Health: Studies done in the past few decades or so show evidence that vegan and vegetarians’ heart disease risk is very clearly lower than that of meat eaters, since they have lower levels of saturated fats and cholesterol. The World Health Organization has classified processed meats, meats that have been preserved by curing, salting, drying, or canning, as a carcinogen. Examples of processed meats include ham, sausage, hot dogs, salami, and bacon.

Environment: Methane, a greenhouse gas produced by cows, is 25-100 times more destructive than CO2 on a 20 year time frame. So, even without fossil fuels, we will exceed our 565 gigatons CO2 limit by 2030, all from raising animals.

Animal agriculture water consumption ranges from 34-76 trillion gallons annually. Growing feed crops for livestock alone consumes 56% of water in the US. The amount of water it takes for just a pound of beef, or a dozen eggs, or a gallon of milk is astronomical.

Turning off the water when you’re brushing your teeth, or turning off the lights when you leave the room is not enough to make a difference.

Ethics: If you were told to shoot a cow, would you? If you were told to separate a calf and his mother, knowing that that calf will be sent to a veal farm and killed within a year, would you? I hope the answer is no. Cows naturally live for up to 20 years, but in the dairy industry they’re lucky if they last five. Pigs are proven to be as intelligent, if not more so, than a three-year-old human child. Chickens have good memories and unique personalities. Now, if you could hand the responsibility to someone else to kill 150 million animals per day, would you?

If you wouldn’t, then why fund it by buying animal products? If it’s not your mom, it’s not your milk. No death is worth your appetite and convenience. No amount of excuses can justify the horrific abuse and miserable conditions that animals in the agriculture industry suffer. You are not entitled to their lives. Animal agriculture responsible for up to 91% of Amazon Rainforest deforestation, which is being cleared at a rate of about an acre per second.

Text by AIDYN KAREHT

CON

V

egans claim that their diet helps the environment. In reality however, agriculture in all of its forms is not great for the environment, so refusing animal products will not change this reality. Additionally, the plants vegan diets require often have to be shipped over tremendous distances, creating CO2 that vegans claim they cut down on.

In the fight against global warming, solutions to the problems with food production will have to be complex and not blanket bans.

Veganism is an overly simple solution to a very complex problem. The way we farm is inherently destructive to the environment. Even without animals, there will still be deforestation, chemical pesticides, and soil erosion. Yes, cutting out animal products and especially beef would have some limited benefit. But because of the harmful way we grow foods, it is not a complete solution and should not be treated as such.

Many parts of the world do not have easy access to fresh vegetables. The Inuit in Alaska have a meat rich diet because plants do not easily grow in the tundra.

In order to sustain a vegan diet, Inuits

20 MAY 2019

and others would need their food to be transported, generating massive amounts of carbon dioxide, ultimately harming the environment that vegans claim they protect.

Unlike fresh produce, animals like sheep, cattle, and chickens can be raised almost anywhere, eliminating the environmental and economic harms of transportation.

The environmental argument for veganism is akin to the environmental argument of buying an electric car. Theoretically, a Tesla will help the planet. But because the way we get energy is fundamentally flawed, getting a Tesla won’t help much.

Therefore, veganism is not all that it is cracked up to be. Because farming is inherently bad for the environment, abstaining from eating meat and dairy will do little to improve the environment. And even if veganism did help the environment, many people all over the world do not have easy access to fresh vegetables without transportation.

Therefore, if you really want to help the planet, learn about agriculture and make an effort to buy local and organic.

Because if the problem of global warming is complex, our solutions should be too.

Text by OWEN LONGSTRETH

Text/Design by JOSEPHINE ANDERSEN “Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj” is a Netflix Original political infotainment show. The first episode was released Oct 28, 2018 and there are currently three seasons.

Here are three reasons why you should watch this show:

1

Accessable: The host, Hasan Minhaj does an amazing job of taking complex topics and turning them into something much more comprehensible. He explains the issues in a way which just about anybody could understand, yet still supplies enough depth to each topic to support his claims. As a program featured on Netflix, “Patriot Act” can be viewed on any device at anytime.

2

Relevant: As well as being an excellent source of entertainment, “Patriot Act” features issues that are either current or timeless. Some of the topics covered include: “Student Loans,” “Drug Pricing,” “Censorship in China” and “Civil Rights Under Trump.”

3

Relatable: “Patriot Act” is basically a news talk show for the youth. Hasan Minhaj always uses examples that that younger generations can relate to when discussing political issues. There isn’t a single “Patriot Act” episode where you won’t laugh at loud.

When your in the mood for comedy, check out this show. The short informative episodes keep the viewers entertained the entire time.

art by Michaela Seah

Text/Design by OWEN LONGSTRETH

Three presidential candidates you may not have heard of With over 20 candidates, some get more attention than others.

Marianne Williamson (D) Marianne Williamson is the author of 12 spiritual and self help books. She does not have any government experience outside of running for Congress during the 2014 midterms. According to a New York Times article updated May 2, 2019, the policy she is known for is the plan to pay $200 billion to $500 billion in reparations for the enslavement and mistreatment of African-Americans. However, it is unclear how she will distinguish herself amongst the large Democratic field of career politicians.

Bill Weld (R) Photo Credit: Marianne 2020

Bill Weld is the only primary challenger to Trump so far. Weld ran with Gary Johnson in 2016 on the Libertarian presidential ticket. According to his campaign website, he supports small government and takes progressive stances on social issues such as national Marijuana legalisation. Weld has the challenge of opposing Donald Trump, who has widespread support across the party, and has already begun fundraising.

Wayne Messam (D)

Photo Credit: Wayne for America

Photo Credit: Weld 2020

Wayne Messam is the mayor of Miramar, Florida and the son of Jamaican parents. As a Caribbean-American, he plans to tap into this community to get his campaign off the ground. According to his campaign website, he plans to cancel the trillions of dollars worth of student debt in the US. Messam has similar policy positions to many other Democrats, and like Williamson, he will need to find something that sets him apart from the other candidates.

ANTHROMAGAZINE.ORG 21

Activist Activities Answers for the crossword puzzle can be found in this magazine. Bring completed crossword puzzle to Mr. Kandell in MAC 105 during bruch or lunch for an edible treat!

Across: 6. Author of “Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore�

7. Current president of Venezuela 8. _______ is the movement of a state seceding from the United States 9. Nationwide family planning program 10. The name of our local representative 11. The Yellow Vest Movement happened in this country 12. System in Lebanon used to monitor migrant laborers

Art by MICHAELA SEAH

22 MAY 2019

1. Center for Disease Control and Prevention 2. Los Angeles Times

Down: 1. A hateful movement in 2014 that harassed and threatened women in the gaming industry 2. This group told California progressives that they planned to establish an independent California Republic 3. A Paly Living Skills teacher 4. The position in charge of recording ASB Meeting Minutes 5. Ariana Grande partnered with this organization 7. This greenhouse gas is 25-100 times destructive than CO2 on a 20 year time frame

tastebudskitchen.com/paloalto ANTHROMAGAZINE.ORG 23

Thank You, MAC Boosters and PTSA! Anthro magazine’s staff would like to thank the MAC Boosters and PTSA for sponsoring our first issue. Without your support, we wouldn’t be where we are now. Thank you!

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24 MAY 2019

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