Asian Outlook | Fall 2022 Issue #2

ASIAN OUTLOOK

December 2022 Vol. XLIV, Issue 2

Featuring: Cultural Organization ABCs - Mega Jail Hate Club

Volume XLIV, Issue 2

contents ASIAN OUTLOOK

featured 10 | Cultural Organization ABCs | Nortee Panpinyo 16 | Mega Jail Hate Club | Kaysie Liang

editorials 4 | Voting Rights 101 | Vivian Zhu

8 | Safe | Kathryn Lee

5 | Untitled | Adrian Wu

12 | PK Thai Interview | Nortee Panpinyo

6 | What’s Happening with Climate Change? | Michelle Chan

14 | A Mini Biography: Mixing Cultures | Fatima Gonzalez

conscience 16 | Oh, To Be A Woman | Kathryn Kwon 18 | Untitled | Joyce Chen 19 | Untitled | Anita Liu 20 | Defeated | Anna Liu 21 | Stop Asian Hate | Tina Oh

Front cover photos by MapTrove

2 ASIAN OUTLOOK

letter from the editor...

Dear Readers, The weather has taken a sharp nosedive from 70-degree autumns into typical Binghamton 30-degree cold fronts, and students bolt across the Spine as they hurry between classes, org meetings and everything in between. I like to think that once this nosedive happens — once we break out the puffer jackets and the scarves — it’s officially winter, an upstate condition that doesn’t fade until the last weeks of the academic year. We’re settling into a long period of red noses, styrofoam drink cups and furry boots.

Just as winter is one of the four seasons we’re lucky to experience in the Northeast, we also have socially constructed seasons: Thanksgiving season, for devouring turkey and calling cousins; Christmas season, for breaking out ornaments and secret Santa schemes; and election season, for shuffling into municipal polling locations or unfolding accordion mail-in ballots. As the 2022 midterms descended upon us, we asked you to tell us what you thought of politics, and you responded with observations on voting, climate change and racial justice. This issue is a microcosm of the Binghamton community; our contributors do not share the same priorities or opinions, but together, they come together to form a vibrant mosaic that represents the unique country we call our own.

A silent country is no country. The fight for political equality is ongoing, and the onus is now on us to ensure that we are all represented. When you cast your ballot at the polls in the future, you will have fulfilled the wish of millions of your forebears. Never take that for granted.

All my gratitude goes to the names listed to the right. An editor-in-chief is nothing without a compassionate and meticulous team, and a magazine team is nothing without a chorus of E-Board voices bolstering them.

Thank you for picking up this issue. We’ll see you in 2023.

Pouring mugs of hot chocolate for me and you, Kathryn Lee Editor-in-Chief

ASIAN OUTLOOK EXECUTIVE BOARD FALL 2022 President Vice President Editor-in-Chief Conscience Editor Secretary Treasurer Senior Advisor Copy Editors layout editors

Publicity Chairs Event Coordinators Historians Media Producer

Kathryn Kwon Vivian Zhu Kathryn Lee Celeste Pietrzak Anna Liu Adrian Wu Grace Chen Jessica Kwok Jina Wu Yaying Zhao Megan Pan Suhyeon Kwon Tina Oh Bryan Wang Anna Liu Kayla Maharani Jenny Zhao Kaysie Liang Annie Liang Fatima Gonzalez Michelle Chan Nan Lin

EDITORIAL POLICY

Asian Outlook is the art, literary and news magazine of the Asian Student Union of SUNY’s Binghamton University. Originally conceived and created to challenge, redefine, re-imagine and revolutionize images and perceptions associated with Asians and Asian-Americans, Asian Outlook also serves to protect the voice of those in the minority, whether by ethnicity, gender, and/or political orientation. All matter contained within these beautiful pages do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board. Asian Outlook reserves the right to edit submissions and publish work as deemed appropriate.

Prospective contributors are encouraged to discuss their work with the editors prior to submissions. All submissions may be submitted as e-mail attachments to ao.editor@gmail.com.

CONTACT POLICY

Uninvited contact with writers and contributors is strictly prohibited. Please direct all questions, comments and complaints to ao.editor@gmail. com.

E-mail us at: ao.editor@GMAIL.com For more info check us out on facebook: FACEBOOK.com/asianoutlook/ Look at our past issues on Issuu: ISSUU.com/asianoutlook Inside Outlook Podcasts: ANCHOR.fm/asianoutlook

Vol. XLIV, Issue II 3

Voti n Righ g t 101 s

With the upcoming midterm elections of 2022 approaching, it is more relevant than ever to discuss voting rights issues that Americans face every time they cast a ballot.

As most people are aware: voter ID laws, literacy tests, poll taxes and gerrymandering are all examples of voter dilution practices conducted either historically or in the present day. There are so many issues to discuss when it comes to voting rights — including the electoral system at large — but which ones should we be made aware of as the 2022 midterm elections predict a shift in partisan power in Congress?

During the height of the Civil Rights Movement, the Voting Rights Act (VRA) was passed to limit the discriminatory practices that impacted minority groups while voting — especially in the Deep South. While it did prohibit some examples of misconduct, people continued to exploit loopholes and constructed new, creative plans (such as gerrymandering) to avoid violating the statute. Thus, the Supreme Court established conditions to challenge election schemes, including ongoing ones; since the 1960s, at-large and multi-member elections have been challenged for allegedly violating the Voting Rights Act, and the frequency of these challenges show how often voter dilution in minority groups occurs in the United States. Section 2 of the VRA is still relevant for minority groups today, as the ongoing case of Merrill v. Milligan (2022) challenges the redistricting plans that cracked and packed Black voters in Alabama. It’s important to be aware of the election systems your districts use, especially if your vote is being diluted as a minority group.

4 ASIAN OUTLOOK

Gerrymandering is one of the most important issues in regards to voting rights and dilution, with landmark Supreme Court cases such as Shaw v. Reno (1993) and Baker v.

Shaw (1962) setting limitations on how legislatures can draw redistricting lines. This does not mean that gerrymandering does not still exist; one could argue that it exists in every district. In a country where the majority of the population lives in urban areas — but coexist with large rural districts — prioritizing compactness and “equal” areas within each district will never be fair for minority groups. One recent case with redistricting regarded Broome County, which was lumped into a different district after 10 years based on the 2020 census count. An interest group’s lawsuit has claimed that the new district has illegally disproportionated representation as a result of a “miscalculated” population that would lean the district in favor of Republicans. Many cases of gerrymandering are still difficult to challenge on a constitutional basis, but it does not mean that they don’t exist.

Overall, it’s important to be aware of the election schemes that impact your voting abilities.

Researching the election schemes that occur within each of your districts can change your view on the people in power and the people who draw redistricting lines. The argument that “my vote doesn’t count” within urban areas is never a good enough reason to not vote, especially when an increasingly conservative Supreme Court and Congress have already made landmark decisions and legislation.

By Vivian Zhu

A

current event that I would like to bring to a wider audience is the assaults on the Asian community in New York City. As one of the most culturally and racially diverse cities, New York City has recently been linked to a great deal of hate and crime, especially concerning the Asian community. Asian hate crimes were a major issue in NYC during the COVID-19 pandemic, escalating to the point of numerous brutal beatings and the death of Christina Yuna Lee. The increase in Asian hate in the Big Apple can be correlated to President Trump’s labeling of the COVID-19 pandemic as the “Chinese Virus.” It was as if Trump opened the floodgates to prejudice and discrimination, and people threw all their reasoning and logic out the window. This psychological response of discrimination towards people of color has occurred time and time again throughout history. It always starts with one incident setting the fire for the proliferation of hate and discrimination.

Our current situation has shown the ugly side of humanity, and the Asian-American community has paid for it with their bodies and in extreme cases, their lives.

The hate and discrimination in recent years have faded alongside the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and have thus been swept under the rug. However, the pain and damage has already been done. Many people are still in mourning and in pursuit of justice that will allow both the young and old within the Asian-American community to once again step outside their homes without fear. We deserve to feel safe in this country; Asian-American hate must be brought to more widespread attention so that it is not only acknowledged in small parts of the United States but across the whole of it.

Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash

Graphic by Martin Sanchez on Unsplash

By Adrian Wu

Vol. XLIV, Issue II 5

What’s Happening with Climate Change?

By Michelle Chan

Image from grist.org

This past September, I was excited for pumpkins, sweaters and everything fall — especially in Binghamton, where I can truly appreciate the scenery as seasons change. I never quite noticed the leaves changing colors and falling in autumn or the rebirth of the trees and plant life in spring until I came here. And now, as we approach the holidays, I am also excited for the first snow — but I wonder if that will even happen before winter break starts.

My first winter in Binghamton, in 2019, was one of the coldest winters I’ve ever experienced. I thought winter in New York City was already pretty cold, but I quickly learned otherwise when the first snow of that year came just a week after Halloween. However, every year since, the weather has gone through drastic changes from snowstorms in April to 70-degree weather in November. And these drastic changes in weather are largely due to the climate crisis.

The global warming crisis is one that has been happening for a few years now. With a major issue such as this, it is important for policymakers globally to implement interventions and initiatives to improve the current state of the situation. So, what has changed in the past years in regard to climate change?

What have the top contributors of greenhouse gas emissions, including the United States, China and Germany, done to improve the climate crisis?

6 ASIAN OUTLOOK

In 2022, the United States government passed the Inflation and Reduction Act. This act encourages people to transition into clean energy and related appliances by providing tax credits on different clean energy products such as electric vehicles. This policy puts the United States on track to reduce 40 percent of 2004 greenhouse gas emission levels by 2030. The Inflation and Reduction Act will also invest in agriculture and forest conservation projects.

Image from https://horticultureconnected.ie Image from latimes.com

China is planning to be carbon neutral by 2060. They are making large efforts to reduce their carbon footprint by investing in clean energy in multiple industries. There is a major push in advancements within the electric mobile industry as they make overseas partnerships with other electric car companies. They are also investing in offshore wind — in fact, there are plans for one city to implement a wind farm that has the capability to power smaller countries such as Norway.

Germany, similar to other countries, has goals to significantly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, specifically by 60 percent from its 1990 levels.

Their Climate Change Act, revealed in 2021, currently plays a major role in achieving these goals. They placed support and investments into the Immediate Action Programme, which aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by building energy-friendly establishments and supporting forestation and conservation efforts.

Although multiple countries are making significant progress to reduce climate change, it is clear that there are still many years ahead of us until we see any major positive results. In order to see them come into effect sooner than later, officials in power and the general public must stay vigilant in combating climate change. As other major global events such as the recent pandemic and the conflicts between Russia and Ukraine have come into the mainstream, people have often overlooked global warming, seeing it as a“later” problem. But this is not a “later” problem; rather, it is one that has affected the past and the present, and will likely affect the future.

It should be made a priority worldwide. To help fight the climate change crisis (and to hopefully manage the crazy weather shifts), try to find ways to implement clean energy in your life and reduce your carbon footprint and additionally, consider political candidates’ beliefs on this topic in future elections.

Vol. XLIV, Issue II 7

SAFE

By Kathryn Lee

I

walked with my mother to the polling station in November 2016. We live on a fairly idyllic street: neighbor’s bushes lining the sidewalk, flowers unfurling in the springtime and the perpetual hum of lawn mowers in the summer. Despite this, I always preferred to stay inside. I never liked risking the off chance I’d run into a neighbor — or worse, a classmate — who would engage me in a mutual ritual of politely looking the other way as we passed each other. My mother went — and still goes — on daily jogs when the weather permits. I did not — and still do not — accompany her.

But for Election Day 2016, I did.

“I don’t really think Trump’s going to win,” she told me, swinging her arms as we walked.

She’s two inches shorter than me, five-feet even, and has the same thick mop of hair. When she moves, it’s as if she’s propelling herself with the power hidden in every single limb and cell in her body. In short, she takes up more space than me. “But let’s go, just to be safe.”

It was a 10-minute walk from our house to the end of the block, where voting took place in a squat, red-bricked firehouse. The polls were on the second floor. It was silent when we walked in, an hour or two before they closed.

I remember thinking about the absurdity of the elderly poll worker taking the time to check our voter registration address. We lived 10 minutes away on foot — if there was something wrong with our registration, we could gather the requisite documents and be back in well under an hour. But there was nothing wrong with our registration — and I was surprised that my mother, opinionated but apolitical — was a registered voter at all.

Voting took five minutes.

The sun had set by the time we exited the firehouse, but there was still a paleness to the sky as if it were reluctant to turn fully, scared to hurtle us forward into the future.

I went to bed just after midnight, with the images of states turning pale, then dark red, burning the back of my eyelids. I woke to school hallways with teachers moving sluggishly through them, clutching styrofoam cups of coffee, and kids who knew little but knew something had irrevocably changed in their lives.

8 ASIAN OUTLOOK

There are, of course, many reasons for Donald Trump’s victory in 2016 — none of them satisfying: voters were lured into a false sense of security, xenophobia was too rampant to control, the Electoral College, a shocking red wave among both suburban voters and voters of color. If Petrarch were alive today, he’d abandon Laura for the lady Politic.

— My mother voted for the first time in 2016. She voted again in 2020, and when she did, she did not say it was “just to be safe.” Her shoulders were tense, her glasses off when she hunched over her accordionfold mail-in ballot and bubbled in her answer.

The 2020 election — and the aftermath of November 3 — is indelible to everyone who lived through it. Few can forget Maricopa County, or Steve Kornacki and John King with their magic maps or the cryptic tweets by pundits on accepting the results. Counting ballots took days to weeks, even in my home county, which was Associated Press–approved red before sliding into blue. Every single text, direct message and FaceTime call I had was about the election.

— What came two months after the election, almost to the day, is equally indelible.

— I voted in my first election in late October, using a mail-in ballot that traveled over five hours to reach me. Here are the things that are happening as I write this, on November 6, 2022: My local board of elections has confirmed that they have received my ballot.

I live in an America where the Democratic Party controls both houses of Congress and the presidency.

There is no federal law restricting or banning abortion.

The wealth gap between the haves and the have-nots is growing.

Misinformation and skewed methods of information dissemination are exacerbated.

There are far more issues at play, and it is most likely that neither party will respond substantially to all of the items. By the time these words are published, we will know the outcome of the midterm elections.

And we will know whether I voted just to be safe or just to be safe.

Vol. XLIV, Issue II 9

Cultural Organization ABCs By: Nortee Panpinyo

F

ive years ago, I applied to the Asian Student Union as an intern at 11:59 p.m. (or honestly like 12:30 a.m. because someone on ASU forgot to close the intern application form) and from then on, I’ve gained experience on what the role of a club can be, as well as different metrics that can help determine the success of a cultural organization’s future. Obviously, me writing this will be more biased, but hopefully some of my insight will be interesting to you all as readers looking for a behind-the-scenes thought process of the organizations that facilitate many of the social connections within the Binghamton community.

2018 - 2019

2020-2021

1. What is the role of a cultural student organization?

While this varies per organization,Ibelieve that all cultural student organizations (orgs) at their core exist to be a space for people who identify with, or are interested in, the culture of the org. On top of that, each org usually works off some specialities, on the spectrum from hyper-professional to hyper-fun. While many organizations reach for both, professionalism and having fun end up being conflicting goals. On the professional end, we look for highly structured and efficient methods to improve. This means increasing turnout and engagement, as well as the overall output in events and quality of platforms, events and graphics. On the fun end, we look to increase the overall happiness of both our executive board (E-Board) and general body (Gen-Bod) through: bondings, planned or impromptu; flexibility and “laxness” over mandating things; interpersonal connections made outside of organizations; and family systems.

2021-2022

10 ASIAN OUTLOOK

2. What metrics make a good org?

Structure:

Most orgs define how well they’re doing by structural metrics — including what is in place to ensure running an org goes smoothly.

Such structures can include the event-planning to graphic-making pipeline, the frequency of check-s and work delegation.

Future Proofing: Future proofing has proven to be essential due to many orgs suffering from a large pull out of senior E-Board members due to graduation. Placement of strong interns, representatives or transitionals, as well as encouraging underclassmen to take on leadership roles and personal projects, ensures that your org will have a solid foundation for the future.

Fun: Creating a welcoming and warm environment where people enjoy the time they spend in an org is another important metric. The trick here is distinguishing between a group of friends just hanging out versus an actual org and trying to bond with, or increase social outreach to, people who aren’t your friends yet.

Purpose: A org’s purpose is as important as their actions. An org without purpose is one with no future. Direction is important because it provides a common goal.

2019-2020

2022-2023

Reputation and Respect: Reputation is important because it is what precedes an org; it implies the collaborative capabilities of an org, as well as the turnout, which stems from how an org treats its Gen-Bod and collaborators. A well-respected org can have a strong support system from its community if it ever runs into trouble.

Innovation: Innovation allows an org to break away from tradition and to take input from younger members, or from more niche sources. This helps the overall feeling of freshness that invigorates your org members.

Uniqueness: Uniqueness is the final quality – an org needs an identity. If it copies everything from other orgs, is it truly its own? Uniqueness helps orgs find their niche audience and it’s important to provide as many diverse spaces as possible for students to feel welcome. I believe no org should try to monopolize these spaces, as it’s what makes orgs what they are.

3. What can the role of a cultural student organization become in the future?

The role of student organizations in the future should be centered around the community — both on campus and off campus.

Student organizations that are hyperfocused on their own E-Board tend to neglect what the organization was created for in the first place, whereas orgs that are hyper focused on the community can often neglect the bonds of their own E-Board. Thus, it’s important that student leaders make it clear as to why it’s important to invest into the community, whether on or off campus. Nothing in my time here has made being in an organization as valuable as providing opportunities for other students to grow, or contributing to the local community by meeting people who make Binghamton what it is. If we, as active members of the community, create safe spaces around campus, orgs are capable of becoming homes for people — and beacons for lifelong bonds after college.

Vol. XLIV, Issue II 11

te r

In

v ie w

PK Thai

By Nortee Panpinyo

on behalf of Thai Student Organization

As cultural chair for TSO, I had the wonderful opportunity to interview Vann — the niece of Thook and Pat, owners of the new Binghamton Thai restaurant PK Thai. Through this experience I would love to share their responses and promote this wonderful establishment to the community.

1

“

Tell us about yourselves! What made you start PK Thai?

Our family decided to open the restaurant to help bring the [dream of the] chef, Uncle Pat, to life. He came to America in 1986 with nothing. All he wanted was something that [was] truly his own and to be able to support the family with. It began [in] November 2021 — when our niece drove us to go Christmas shopping, I jokingly said [that] my husband’s cooking is amazing [and that] he should have a restaurant. My niece said, “Okay, let’s make it happen for Uncle.” That was a Saturday; by Monday she had finished setting up the business documents, [opened] our bank accounts, and [signed] us up to look for food trucks. In March 2022, we found a food truck from Ohio, we opened in June as a food truck. By September we had a restaurant. [We are] truly grateful we helped [raise] her and put so much effort in making sure she had all the education we couldn’t have.

No matter where you go in the world, when you come back, it will always be your home.

2

”

What’s something about Thai culture or food would you like people at Binghamton to learn about?

Our culture is about family. No matter where you go in the world, when you come back, it will always be your home. We wanted our small family restaurant to feel that way. That’s why we give high school and college students discounts. We don’t have much but we want to give encouragement to the students: “You are the future of our community, [so] don’t take education for granted — it can change your future.” When you graduate, and you [happen] to be in the area years later, we hope that our restaurant [will] bring you happy memories of your youth.

12 ASIAN OUTLOOK

3 4

What are the top 3 things you think customers should try when they come to PK Thai?

Our top seller is the Drunken Noodle — get it five star spicy! And our second-best seller is the Thai iced tea. The third would be our Pho! This is the most popular on Sunday during lunch.

Why? That’s when our lovely college students all come in at the same time and order it all.

[We’re] sold out by 3 p.m.

Is there anything else you would like to tell everyone?

Thank you again for your kind support! Stop by anytime! I (Vann) answer all emails and direct messages on Instagram and Facebook. I translated everything to them, so the answers are from the owners. My aunt and uncle [speak] English okay, [but] not well. However, auntie Thook speaks Thai perfectly and uncle Pat speaks Isan-Lao. I live in Buffalo, New York, and manage the restaurant from over here. I just wanted to mention how happy they are whenever BU students show up and compliment their food. I get calls all the time about how thankful they are that BU students are so supportive of them. Thank you for coming by the restaurant and thank you for being so patient with them — it is all new to them. Just thank you for reaching out. It means a lot to us.

“

It means a lot to us.

”

Photos from Instagram

A final note

Please give PK Thai a try if you can. I personally give them five stars as an authentic Thai restaurant at Binghamton whose core values really define what it means to be a community establishment. We as students should also do as much as we can to support the people who make our time at Binghamton more enjoyable and with this hopefully to establish those close connections.

Vol. XLIV, Issue II 13

y: h p a r g o ini Bi

AM

ures

Cult g n i x i M

z

onzale G a m i t

By Fa

Growing up, I always had relatives nearby — my cousins were right around the corner, so I never felt alone. The Latine community ensured everyone there felt at home even if we didn’t share the same background. This was true even when I was at school. However, at the age of 6 or 7, I was forced to move to a different school where I knew absolutely no one.

And though I was told I would be one of the few children of color attending, .

My classmates welcomed me with open arms; however,

. Many of my classmates were eager to know more about me, while others felt surprised by how different I was. I made a decent amount of new friends, but I became really close to two of my classmates. We were all different ethnicities, and as a child, I didn’t understand why that was so important. I discovered that we didn’t share many of the same customs or holidays; as a matter of fact, we were raised very differently. Despite these differences, it was an opportunity for us to bond and learn more about each other. I eventually was taught that people at school could be ostracized for being different, but thankfully my friends made me feel at home — they made me feel safe. This was my first experience being introduced to other cultures and when I learned that .

Middle school had a similar story as there were few students of color and I found myself hanging out with the Asian community. I learned a lot about Asian culture and noticed I shared many similarities with my Asian friends. Around this time, I also attended prep classes where I was one of the few Latine individuals in the room. I made many friends at prep; unfortunately, none shared the same culture I did.

Although I loved them, and although they made me feel very comfortable, I realized that I felt a bit alone.

I was welcomed by so many other people, taking the time to get to know them and their cultures — so much so that I began to neglect my own. In order to connect with my own culture while continuing to learn more about others, I was determined to become more active in my own community first. I volunteered at a youth program that focused on helping minority teens from around the city. This program taught me much more about myself and the importance of acceptance.

I went to a small high school whose student body was 50% Asian, 4% Hispanic and 1-2% Black. My attempt to become more engaged in my own culture became more difficult. However, the new friends I made allowed me to express myself and share my culture. Indeed, my friends were quite amazing and supported me as I explored more of my culture. When my organization — the Hispanic club — struggled to find performers, my friends eagerly volunteered and helped me plan the performances. At that point in my academic life, I had not had many interactions with individuals who share my culture. Yet, my time in high school led me to be .

Upon entering college, I recognized that without these experiences, I would likely not be as invested in learning about others’ cultures and the struggles they face. As minorities, many of us may find ourselves so involved in our own communities that we forget to provide aid for others too. Ultimately, I learned that being different isn’t necessarily bad; being different allows people from varying cultures to come closer despite how separated our communities appear to be.

As the political world grows more hectic and divided, it’s important to remember that the first step in finding peace for issues is . Personally, if I had stayed in my own bubble of culture growing up, I wouldn’t be so aware of how important identity is to me or others.

14 ASIAN OUTLOOK

conscience

conscience

conscience

Vol. XLIV, Issue II 15

16 ASIAN OUTLOOK

Illustrated by Kathryn Kwon

A G

E

M L I A J E T A H B U L C

Illustrated By: Kaysie Liang

Vol. XLIV, Issue II 17

18 ASIAN OUTLOOK

By Anita Liu

Vol. XLIV, Issue II 19

DEFEATED

by Anna Liu

20 ASIAN OUTLOOK

STOP ASIAN HATE

By Tina Oh

Vol. XLIV, Issue II 21

@asianoutlook

WANT TO BE FEATURED? Email ao.editor@gmail.com ISSUU SPOTIFY FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM