Asian Outlook Fall 2014 Issue #2

ASIAN OUTLOOK volume XXVIII, issue 2

Volume XXVIII, Issue 2

contents OUTLOOK

featured 4 | The Stigma of Mental Illness on Asian Americans | Ting Lin 6 | Some Like It Young | Eric Liang 12 | Watch What You Say | Shelley Shin

editorials

ASIAN

9 | And Never The Twain Shall Meet: Singapore’s Political Discord in the 21st Century | Kahlil Stultz

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ASIAN OUTLOOK

14 | Capriciousness: The Name of South-North Korean Relations | Sungwon Kim 16 | America’s Child-Migrant Crisis | Rudy Kuang 18 | Asian Wage Gap in Technology | Sharon Lau 20 | DREAM Act: The New American Dream? | Tina Yu 22 | Almost There: Same-Sex Marriage Approved in 32 States | Alex Ching 24 | The Dalai Lama - No Successor to the Path? | Russell Tobias

arts & entertainment 26 | Disney Racist | Sophia Kim 29 | Jessica Jung, The Phoenix | Siu Lam Koo

conscience 34 | Karen Lin 35 | Stephen Shin 36 | Angela Wu 37 | Janice Choi 38 | Ellie Ono 39 | Sumiao Pang

Cover Image Sources: http://www.wired.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/brain1.jpg http://shipmanagementinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Stethascope-4-e1400228894814.jpg Cover By: Sungwon Kim

A

letter from the editor...

s the year draws to a close,

I cannot help but reflect back on the happenings of the past year. This past year saw many great changes in both the United States and in the world. As a former copy editor and the co editor-in-chief this semester, these past few months have not only been a period of change but also of incredible personal growth.

In the September of 2012, I entered college as a naive freshman, with nothing but an inkling of an idea about Asian American issues and a budding recognition of an inequality that I could not place my finger on. After stumbling into a general body meeting almost as a fluke, I became hooked on the passion of AO members, and later decided to run for the position of copyeditor through the persuasion of a former eboard member. Asian Outlook opened my eyes in the most brutal yet beautiful way; in the words of the former editor-in-chief, once your eyes have become opened, there are some things that you can no longer unsee. When I read my first issue of Asian Outlook, I thought that some of the articles were radical, and questioned whether the writers were being overly sensitive. However, I later realized that inequality is a beast that feeds on silence. Only with knowledge and recognition will we make progress towards the elimination of inequality. With this, I urge you, dear readers, to open your minds to the issues surrounding those with unheard voices. There is a reason that you picked up this magazine, so satisfy your curiosity and delve into the pages.

In this issue, we explore the different struggles both the Asian American and immigrant communities face. In this issue you will encounter the struggles the mentally ill face, particularly how prejudice and stigma prevent those suffering from pedophilia to receive the treatment they need. You will also be offered a chance to explore the effects of parental beratement on the development of children, and whether it is really only sticks and stones that break bones. Take a look at the inequalities that still exist to this day and the Asian wage gap, and the progress of same sex marriages. Finally, be transported by Conscience, the literary and arts section of Asian Outlook.

I hope that you will be as smitten as I was, and come back for more.

Tina Yu Co-Editor-in-Chief, Fall 2014

ASIAN OUTLOOK EXECUTIVE BOARD FALL 2014 editors-in-chief conscience editor copy editors

layout editors

secretary business manager publicity manager historian blogger staff writers

Dale Gao Tina Yu Rudy Kuang Alex Ching Angela Wu Eric Liang Siu Lam Koo Amanda Lau Anna Lin Ashley Lau Sophia Kim Ting Lin Calvin Chan Sungwon Kim Sharon Lau Shelley Shin Kahlil Stultz Russell Tobias

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.

Articles may be submitted as an e-mail attachment to ao.editor@gmail.com. All artistic and literary pieces may be submitted to aoconscience@gmail.com.

CONTACT POLICY Uninvited contact with writers and contributors is forbidden under punishment of pain. Please direct all questions, comments and complaints to ao.editor@gmail.com.

interested in contributing?

E-mail us at:

ao.editor@gmail.com

Or come to our weekly meetings held in the Asian Student Union office (UUW-329) every Wednesday at 8:00 p.m.

Vol. XXVIII, Issue 1

3

The Stigma of Mental Illness on Asian Americans

4

Cultural stigma hurts Asian American teens already with depression.

ASIAN OUTLOOK

By Ting Lin

D

on’t sigh.

You don’t have anything to worry about.”

This was my mom’s response when I would let out an occasional sigh. The sigh itself, in my family, has a bad connotation. It’s associated with expressing sadness and tiredness, and I was taught not to do it at a very young age, since my mom saw it as a sign of ungratefulness. She frequently told me that school was my top priority and that I shouldn’t worry about anything else. Little did she know that there were countless things I carried on my shoulders, things I don’t show in front of her.

There are numerous other people who have gone through the same thing, on a much larger scale, who have been dismissed because sadness is not a feeling that is socially acceptable in Asian culture. This is a common issue in the Asian American community, where thoughts of mental illness are easily rejected. There is often public or selfinflicted stigma attached to Asians with mental health issues. Public stigma is when people view those with mental illnesses with disgust. This can lead to self-stigma in which an individual views him or herself as incompetent and flawed because of his or her mental illness. This is especially prominent in Asian culture where mental illness is often shunned and seen as shameful to the family.

Many Asians are unwilling to discuss their moods and feelings because they think that having a mental illness is a disgrace to the family. Chinese Americans usually show concern about privacy, refuse clinical treatments, and question their physician’s qualifications as ways to mark the stigma surrounding mental illness. There is usually an absence of support from family members, which adds to the shame.

The “model minority” theory has carried its weight on many Asian Americans. They are seen as intelligent, diligent, and a group that other minorities should admire.

However, that is not the case. While statistics show that Asian American families have a higher median income than white families ($67,065 for Asians versus $55,257 for whites), they fail to account for the higher number of working members in an Asian American household, ranging around four to five members. Because of the misconception that Asians are the model minority, there is no doubt that they are also considered to be the “model” health minority. This explains how they sometimes present a false image of their mental health and are less exposed to treatments.

The language barrier that many Asian Americans face also adds on to the distress faced by many, to fit the “model minority” stereotype. Immigrants, for example, have to adjust to a completely new environment which can be extremely stressful, especially if this includes the separation of family members. Not knowing how to speak English can poorly affect performance in school, negatively affects one’s mental health, and lead to ways that people could take advantage of individuals. People fail to recognize that undocumented workers are relocated due to a risk or fear that employers could exploit them.

Asian American females aged 15 to 24 and over the age 65 have the highest suicide mortality rate among women in all other racial and ethnic groups. Independent thinking, achievement, and self-sufficiency are some topics that come up when thinking about the traditional expectations of Asian women. These views can lead to anxiety and isolation which can then escalate to depression. Children are also taught at a young age to be polite, quiet, and shy. Deviation from this norm is strongly discouraged, and failure to meet such expectations is disgraceful to the family. Asian American adolescents report to have the highest rates of depressive symptoms of all racial and ethnic groups. These depressive thoughts carry on because Asian American college students report having higher levels of depressive symptoms than their white peers.

Asian men feel pressured to provide for their families, and dread being seen as weak. Because of this, they usually don’t seek out psychological help. Movember Canada, which is associated with November moustaches and prostate cancer, has granted $3 million to a team of researchers and mental health specialists. The three year project aims to reach 2,220 people in hopes of reducing the stigma of mental illness in Asian communities in Canada. This is done with the purpose of breaking the chain of men being ashamed to admit to seeking help.

A national survey of Asian American children 18 and younger found that mental health care is often not as readily available to them as it is to Whites, African Americans and Latinos. It can also be possible that Asian Americans do not utilize these mental health services when provided to them. Sometimes diagnosis of depression is delivered, but many parents refuse to believe it because they think it will taint their family line. Some parents think that depression can ruin a child’s future.

Mental health issues should be treated as seriously as physical health issues. There should be a safe space for people to speak out about these issues and not feel stigmatized.

Moreover, it should not be seen as a flaw in one’s character, but rather as something that needs professional help. In a better world, people should not be ostracized for having mental health conditions, but be offered assistance.

Asian American females ages 15 to 24 and over the age of 65 have the highest suicide mortality rate among women in all other racial and ethnic groups.

Sources: http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Douglas+Todd+Project+battles+stigma+me ntal+illness+among+Asian/10322971/story.html http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1071736/ http://www.mysahana.org/2011/08/how-south-asian-stereotypes-and-discrimination-create mental-health-stigma/ http://www.asian-nation.org/model-minority.shtml http://www.hawaii.edu/hivandaids/Mental_Health_and_Depression_in_Asian_ Americans.pdf http://naapimha.org/2014/03/immigration-and-mental-health-2/ http://newamericamedia.org/2013/09/cultural-stigma-hurts-asian-american-teenswith-depression.php http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/491353_4 http://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2014/demo/p60249.pdf

Vol. XXVIII, Issue 1

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Some Like It Young

By Eric Liang

A

handful

of

flickering

candles

throws

soft

shadows across the bed, limns the woman lying on the sheets in thick curves of fiery light and dark. She glances up at the bedroom door, fidgets with her fingers.

After a few moments that feel like forever, the door opens, admitting a tall, handsome man. He approaches the bed, pulling out a silk handkerchief from his pocket with each languid step. His eyes meet the woman’s, which are wide and liquid in the candlelight.

He kisses the woman, begins to take off her clothes, rips off his own shirt. Soon she is naked, and he ties her wrists and ankles down with the handkerchiefs. He slides a finger into her vagina, and she begins to moan and whimper, her body at the mercy of his hands.

Now read that again, but this time, imagine the woman is a five-year-old child.

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ASIAN OUTLOOK

Suddenly, our little fiction changes from a typical night featuring a couple into light bondage into a child molester having his way with some poor victim—perhaps even his own daughter (or son, as it may be). Any previous thoughts we might have had about this scene instantly become horror and disgust.

Often described interchangeably with pedophilia, 62,939 cases of child sexual abuse were reported in 2012. To many members of our society, the perpetrators of these often traumatizing crimes are monsters, the scum of the earth. These sexual predators violate every instinct within us to protect our children and ensure that they can become healthy adults—physically, mentally, and emotionally. If any celebrity or otherwise influential name is revealed as a child molester, they are instantly condemned, regardless of how much they have contributed to society.

Studies suggest that up to 9 percent of all men have fantasized about sex with prepubescent children, and about 3 percent of all men have actually gone on to become sex offenders (which is not to say that women do not belong to either of these categories; they are, however, less well documented). However, as with every sweeping generalization that we make, there is a problem here. A number of child abuse cases involve situational offenders (those who do not have any primary attraction to children), and only about 1 percent of the population (about 1.2 million in the United States) are actually pedophiles. And for these pedophiles, sex offenders are exactly what they don’t want to be.

Like homosexuality, pedophilia is not a lifestyle choice or conscious decision. Unlike homosexuality, there is no acceptance movement, no pride parades, no rainbow flags, no “P” in LGBTQ. Pedophilia is not something that our society can or will ever accept, so pedophiles have no choice but to find other outlets. But with the limited amount of awareness and the huge social stigma that comes with pedophilia, options are sorely limited.

Often, people in this situation turn to psychiatric counseling—only to be turned away. It is an unfortunate truth that therapists and other professionals do not know how to deal with self-confessed pedophiles who show up in their offices. There are no training courses to prepare with, no prior experience to refer to. The crushing social pressure against coming out as a pedophile has ensured that few people in this situation turn to professional help, and in a vicious cycle, this prevents those professionals from analyzing their cases and coming up with adequate treatment plans.

The therapists who do make their own individual efforts have no good answers, often turning back to ideas that were prevalent in the 20th century in conversion therapy for homosexuals. Covert conditioning, for example, creates an association between certain behaviors with either positive or negative stimuli; for homosexuals, this might entail electric shocks or nausea-inducing drugs administered while the patient watches a homosexual pornographic film, and the same technique is applied to pedophiles with pornography of a corresponding nature.

Often, [pedophiles] turn to psychiatric counseling—only to be turned away. It is an unfortunate truth that therapists and other professionals do not know how to deal with selfconfessed pedophiles who show up in their offices.

Vol. XXVIII, Issue 1

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However, these techniques are no longer in general use, mainly because government examination has revealed that they are equivalent to mental and physical torture.

Other practices, such as chemical castration, have been similarly condemned.

With the dearth of places that pedophiles can look to for solace, there have been recent efforts by pedophiles for pedophiles in the form of online support groups.

Although they are few and far between—especially with the reluctance of many to come out, even to others who share the same experiences—they represent the beginnings of a wider effort to recognize and provide support for pedophiles who do not wish to be stigmatized for reasons they cannot help.

Considering the limited ground these support groups have managed to gain, pedophiles will continue to face a bleak outlook unless more people become aware of their situation. The next time you see someone being

called out for their sexual preference, no matter how disgusting it might seem, keep this in mind: they are people just like you, people who have lives, loved ones, hobbies, interests, others who depend on them. They are people who are a little different but strive to be the same, in order to stop themselves from hurting others.

Recognizing pedophiles for the people they are and not the monsters they try not to be is the first step that we can take to helping their cause.

Sources: https://medium.com/matter/youre-16-youre-a-pedophile-you-dont-want-tohurt-anyone-what-do-you-do-now-e11ce4b88bdb http://www.nsopw.gov/(X(1)S(rkn2uquw3bjq4a5ccoa4vpqe))/en/Education/ FactsStatistics#prepetrators

Many pedophiles are forced to live with an internal struggle with their urges, and are unable to seek help from professionals due to the lack of training available for these situations.

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ASIAN OUTLOOK

And Never The Twain Shall Meet: Singapore’s Political Discord in the 21st Century

By Kahlil Stultz

S

Malaysia and Indonesia, Republic of Singapore harbors some of the unhealthiest levels of political polarization in the Asia Pacific region.

At first glance, if there were any government that might be described as devoted to the interests of the nation, it would be Singapore’s, as the People’s Action Party—the political entity which has ruled Singapore for the last 55 years—has guided the country from poverty as a third-world slum of the British Empire to its current status as one of the richest countries on Earth. A racially diverse country with a mishmash of Hokkien and Hakkanese Chinese, Malay Muslims, and Tamil Indians, Singapore, as steered by the similarly multiracial PAP, has stepped away from the pitfalls of racial conflict and institutionalized discrimination that have dominated its colonial colleagues Sri Lanka and South Africa. An administration that has brought about extensive advancements in public education and a significant reduction in crime rates, the PAP has ruled Singapore since 1959, and in many respects has set a standard for governance around the world. Few other political parties can say they have taken their countries from impoverishment, crime, racial tension, and colonial dominance and delivered them to first-world affluence, security, and multicultural harmony. ituated between the

Singapore in 1990 (top) compared to Singapore in 2014 (bottom).

Vol. XXVIII, Issue 1

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On the flip side of the coin, however, the PAP is neither a soft-hearted or kindly regime. Defined by its iconic, former leader, Lee Kuan Yew, who dominated the political scene with an iron fist during his 31-year term as Prime Minister, the PAP’s administration, with its intolerance to even the beginning rumbles of dissent, has brought many to describe Singapore as a “nanny state.” The stonefaced and clever ex-Prime Minister’s eldest son, Lee Hsien Loong, now occupies a controversial position as the citystate’s current head of government.

Despite his insistence that he is the best man for the job, Lee Hsien Loong has been the subject of accusations of nepotism since the beginning of his premiership in

Photo of Lee Hsien Loong.

2004. His wife Ho Ching, is the current CEO of Temasek Holdings, a major government-owned investment company, and handles a portfolio whose net worth is estimated to be 177 billion USD. His siblings, Wei Ling and Hsien Yang, both enjoy executive management careers as heads of major government institutes and departments.

However, accusations of nepotism are not the only matters that mire Lee’s government in controversy. Lee’s policy of open career recruitment of workers from China, India, Bangladesh and Europe has attracted the ire of many Singaporeans, particularly those who are unemployed.

Socially, Lee has made compromises on the enforcement of anti-gay legislation with civil rights activists, but has refused to push a vote to repeal laws that ban homosexual activity. Perhaps the most troublesome of all are the accusations of self-interest, given Lee’s lavish salary of 1.7 million USD (four times that of President Barack Obama and eight times that of Prime Minister David Cameron of the UK). The elitist and technocratic nature of his government has not helped mitigate his growing unpopularity.

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ASIAN OUTLOOK

The controversies surrounding the PAP, however, began well before Lee Hsien Loong’s election in 2004, and they are far from simply being about generous ministerial salaries or the distribution of government posts. Elected in 1959 with a mandate of anti-colonial democracy and social justice, the PAP cemented their monolithic hold on power by imprisoning suspected communists, mostly left-wing journalists and activists, in the 1964 Operation Cold Store. Furthermore, the PAP government curtailed press freedom, discouraged mediums of dissent, and strangled opposing political parties throughout much of the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s. Perhaps the most traumatic experience in Singapore’s post-independence political memory was that of the 1987 Operation Spectrum, a covert action by Singapore’s shadowy Internal Security Department that consisted of the detention and torture of 22 people, including Catholic missionaries and social activists, who were accused of being Marxist terrorists seeking to establish a communist state by means of the Roman Catholic Church. While the incident left several high ranking members of the PAP in an uncomfortable position and drew international condemnation, the PAP has never officially apologized to the victims and their families, and continues to maintain the validity of the operation.

In the years since Operation Spectrum, Singapore has changed. Although still a rigidly monolithic and doctrinaire administration, the PAP of the current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is far more diplomatic than that of his father. However, the increasingly significant income inequality, a rising cost of living and the growing numbers of foreign workers in Singapore (known locally as “foreign talent”) have led to a backlash from dissatisfied elements of Singaporean society.

Ever since the 1980s, the Workers’ Party of Singapore, a populist political organization, has been a voice of opposition to the PAP political machine. It has gone from being a mere constitutional gnat able to boast but a single victory of a seat in Parliament won by its pugnacious party founder, the late J.B. Jeyaratnam, to an ever-growing force of dissension, with a gain of six Parliamentary seats in the country’s 2011 general elections. In by-elections in both 2012 and 2013, the Worker’s Party additionally seized another two constituencies formerly held by the PAP, Hougang and Punggol East.

The PAP’s shakiness in the polls has not been merely one of increasing interest on the part of the Singaporean electorate for Worker’s Party policies. A gulf has erupted between working and middle class Singaporeans and the mostly wealthy elite who occupy nearly all the senior positions within the PAP. There is a dissonance between younger generations of Singaporeans and the PAP. With many young voters expressing interest in increased openness and more socially inclusive policies such as greater social welfare, greater political representation, and the repeal of specific internal security laws, the PAP has given a lukewarm reaction. In the words of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, “I would not believe that transparency is everything,” Worse than inaction, the

Protestors at the White Paper Protest in 2013.

PAP has undertaken a number of unpopular methods to silence dissent. While the jailing of activists has become less common, the bankrupting of activists by PAP lawyers and Singaporeans courts has become an effective tool to silence impertinent activists.

The Prime Minister, along with PAP members in Parliament, has a habit of suing Singaporean dissidents and foreign institutions—including the New York Times—for slander and defamation of character. This has evoked a hostile reaction in the country’s budding internet underbelly, where sociopolitical blogs, social media channels and news sites, such as “The Real Singapore” and the “Tamasek Review,” have pilloried the government for a number of presumed crimes. Internet bloggers and political activists who support the opposition movement, such as Kenneth Jeyaratnam, Han Hui Hui and Roy Ngerng, have become faces of the anti-PAP movement, with their often searing accusations of corruption, inefficiency and self-interest.

In 2013, a government white paper was published that detailed the possible increase of the Singaporean population to 6.9 million (of which citizens and longtime residents would only make up 55%). In that same year, racial riots fueled by low pay of migrant workers and their social exclusion, catalyzed by the accidental death of an Indian worker, signaled a paradigm shift in the utopic security and safety of which Singapore has boasted.

The PAP’s monopoly on the Singaporean electorate is declining, its guarantee of utopia is shriveling, and its policies have alienated a generation.

It does not seem like the PAP will be losing power in its general elections, nor does it seem the current cabinet ruling the country will be reshuffling. What is worrying, however, is the fall of status and corroding political hegemony which the PAP will slowly experience. An aging

Lee Kuan Yew speculated in 2006 that if the PAP were to lose the presidency of the country, or if a non-PAP government were to be formed with access to Singapore’s finances, then a military intervention would be called for. During 2011’s general election campaign, Lee Kuan Yew ominously told the inhabitants of a hotly contested constituency that if they chose an opposition party during the election, they would have five year until the next general election to “repent.”

While it is not likely that a politically independent agency such as the Singaporean Armed Forces would accept any order that would amount to the revocation of a constitutionally elected government, it is more than probable that the divisiveness that characterizes Singapore’s contemporary politics will only worsen. The pathologies of modern Singaporean life:social inequality, third world immigration, and burgeoning costs of living,may very well drive more people into the arms of opposition activists and anti-government movements.

As the Singaporean Parliament sees fewer PAP members, radical approaches by party hard-liners and increased desperation amongst PAP political strategists may spell constitutional and political stagnancy in the coming years.

The future bodes many problems for Singapore, and it will take a dynamic, forward-thinking, and intelligent new generation of PAP leaders to thwart the inauspicious forecasts of Singapore’s present and to grapple with the legacy of Singapore’s past. If not, then it may very well be a Worker’s Party or an opposition coalition that will champion a progressive mandate.

Sources: https://sg.news.yahoo.com/-yir2013--population-white-paper-triggersnationwide-debate-101840966.html

Vol. XXVIII, Issue 1

11

WATCH WHAT YOU SAY

By Shelley Shin

M

oron, moron, moron.”

12

Beijing to start a multimedia “You’re good for nothing.” campaign “that raises Chinese “Go away and die.” public awareness of the serious Whether first or secondhand, we have all experienced and detrimental effects of verbal how brutal people can be with just a few words—especially abuse.” Generally, verbal abuse when every insult and criticism can be made from behind is a taboo topic in China. To start a computer screen. Often these people are complete discussion and provide visual strangers who care little for your emotions—but what if evidence to Chinese parents these were the words spoken to you daily by your parents? and guardians on the real-life Do you become resilient in the face of the criticisms of the consequences “real world,” or are you a land mine waiting for the of verbal trigger that will set you off? a b u s e , The Center for Psychological Research in O&M created Shenyang, China states that studies have a video for their revealed that the latter holds true “Words Can be Weapons” for most of China’s youth. campaign. The video tells the Data presented at a Beijing story of six juvenile offenders, seminar on juvenile crimes none older than 16, in the and judicial justice in 2007 Shenyang Detention Center, show that since 1998, the number of juvenile crimes in whose crimes range from China has more than doubled, despite declines in the youth assault to murder. population. The Center for Psychological Research in One of the teenagers, Cao Xi, Shenyang further reported that studies have demonstrated recounts how he attacked his strong links between childhood verbal abuse and adolescent boss with a fruit knife, killing him. Since the age of 12, Cao delinquency. “Verbal abuse is a kind of emotional abuse Xi had constantly been told by his mother to “go away and that is learned behavior. Unless the cycle is broken, die,” especially after his parents separated. Years later, after the lasting effects can extend into dropping out of his second year in high school, his “Verbal adulthood boss spoke those same words to him, triggering and the abuse Cao Xi’s attack. “I was livid. I grabbed a abuse is a kind will likely be fruit knife and stabbed him twice. He died of emotional abuse passed on from one in the end,” said Cao Xi. At the end of that is learned behavior. generation to the the interview the words “go away Unless the cycle is broken, the next,” said Dr. Jun He and die” in Chinese are Jiang, Director at the Center repositioned lasting effects can extend into for Psychological Research in to form the adulthood and the abuse will Shenyang. silhouette of a likely be passed on from In an effort to share these knife, like the findings with the public, the Center one that Cao Xi one generation to the teamed up with the advertising agency used to attack his next” Ogilvy & Mather’s, which holds its offices in boss.

ASIAN OUTLOOK

Generally, verbal abuse is a taboo topic in China. To start discussion and provide visual evidence to Chinese parents and guardians on the real-life consequences of verbal abuse, O&M created a video for their “Words Can be Weapons” campaign. The video tells the story of six juvenile offenders, none older than 16, in the Shenyang Detention Center, whose crimes range from assault to murder.

By visualizing the transformation of words of verbal abuse into weapons of violence, the campaign provides the public with a tangible message on the effects of verbal abuse. After the release of the video, the campaign continued in the form of interactive public exhibitions and a microsite displaying the “word-weapons” designed by artist Yong Xie. The micro-site also provides the contact information of professional counselors who are willing to talk about abuse. Within the first two weeks of the website’s launch, more than 300 calls were made to the helpline. Through Sina Weibo, a popular micro-blogging website in China, over 310,000 impressions (promoted posts) were made in a month.

O&M reports that their campaign has reached out to 3.2 million people a n d

Moron

You’re Garbage

counting.

In light of the “Words Can Be Weapons” campaign and the nature of its target audience, it is important to note that the campaign serves as an example of China’s increasing emphasis on mental health. Compared to the China of twenty years ago, there is less stigma and shame associated with publicly discussing or even seeking to improve mental health. A report published by the American Psychological Association on Chinese psychology credits the change in China’s attitude towards mental health to the end of China’s Cultural Revolution, during which the government closed the nation’s psychology departments and research institutes. Now, the government has once again recognized the importance of psychology in the country’s development. Especially with the rapid economic and social changes that have occurred over the last three decades (i.e. , dissolution of social security, internal migration, the one-child policy, and the breakup of traditional family structure), people are experiencing more psychological pressure than before. The issues that now remain include providing mental health service to the rural population and attracting more trained mental health professionals. While the outlook on mental health treatment in China is positive, Dr. Jianping Wang of Beijing Normal University notes that there is still a long way to go in terms of increasing awareness and tolerance towards mental illness and raising funds for further research in psychology.

Sources: http://www.ogilvy.com/News/Press-Releases/April-2014-OM-Beijingshows-words-can-be-weapons.aspx http://www.wordscanbeweapons.com/ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/19/words-can-be-weapons-china-ogilvy_n_5844008.html http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-12/05/content_6298758.htm http://www.psychologytoday.com/ blog/the-perfectionists-handbook/201201/mental-healthcare-in-china http://www.apa.org/monitor/mar02/seizing.aspx

Vol. XXVIII, Issue 1

13

Capriciousness:

The Name of SouthNorth Korean Relations

By Sungwon Kim

F

all is the season of harvest,”

said Kim Gwan-jin, Chief of the South Korean National Security Office, to North Korean officials on October 4.

“Therefore, I would like to see the South-North Korean relationship yield great results.”

The officials, having made a surprise visit to Incheon, South Korea for the 2014 Asian Games, had come to open up talks regarding the South-North Korean relationship. Their unexpected offer to shake hands startled many in the South, but was taken as a pleasant surprise, as it brought hope that the long-standing enmity between North and South Korea, a last remnant of the Cold War, might finally see an end. Both sides expressed great interest in continuing talks and plans were set for another meeting later that month. President Park Geun-hye of South Korea further commented that she hoped this would eventually open the door for a peaceful reunification process. The media held a generally positive outlook, and some sources said that the South and the North had reached a new ground.

However, skeptics argued that this meeting was merely a formality that held no promises for the future, and it was merely a way to find some breathing room from the sanctions North Korea has been subject to as a response to their human rights abuses and nuclear missile programs. Also, a number of South Korean media outlets have said that this offer was indicative of the grim situation in North Korea, with Kim Jung Un reportedly missing for days due to illness, the poor economy, and pressures from the international community regarding human rights. Furthermore,

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ASIAN OUTLOOK

comments were made regarding the North’s active attempts to join the international community and move away from their isolated state through their relations with South Korea.

Any newly found optimism was shattered just three days later, when North Korean navy ships crossed the Northern Limit Line border in the Yellow Sea. Given the past history of disputes in the Yellow Sea, such as the incident on April 25, 2010 when a North Korean torpedo sank the ship ROKS Cheonan, killing 46 South Korean seamen, the South Korean navy responded immediately to the threat. Both sides exchanged fire, and the South Korean navy went as far as preparing to fire missiles towards the North Korean navy vessel before the North Korean ships fled. While this incident confused many people in South Korea, it did not damage the North-South Korean relationship to the point where South Korea canceled any future talks with the North.

The real blow came three days after the incident in the Yellow Sea. For a long time, there have been many organizations in South Korea comprised of North Korean refugees. However, one such organization, called “Fighters for Free North Korea,” had been sending balloons over the Korean Demilitarized Zone, to which propaganda messages against the North Korean regime, some going as far as to feature photos of Kim Jong-un’s wife’s face edited onto naked female bodies, were attached. Understandably, North Korea had been protesting about these launches for a long time.

With Kim Jong-un out of sight, North Korean top officials pay a surprise visit to South Korea.

The relationship between the South and North has a lot of people in South Korea scratching their heads at the moment. What should South Korea do? There seem to be many possible solutions, but no guarantee any of them would work. The South-North relations have become uncertain as ever.

Fighters for Free North Korea was planning on making their routine balloon launch on the morning of Oct. 10, 2014, when the North Korean government warned the South that further balloons sent over the border amid the ongoing peace talks would force South-North relations to take a nasty turn. The South Korean government urged the North Korean refugee organization to stop with their actions and not carry out their launch. However, Fighters for Free North Korea ignored the government’s request and launched their balloons. That afternoon, North Korean soldiers at the DMZ fired at the town of Yeoncheon with heavy machine guns. The bullets reached as far as Yeoncheon’s town center, but thankfully, there were no casualties. South Korean soldiers responded by firing towards the opposing soldiers.

Although no one is sure if North Korea was

firing at the balloons or just in the general direction of South Korea, this is an incredibly dangerous situation with civilian lives at stake. This incident has singlehandedly overturned South Korea and North Korea’s new friendly relationship back into a cold and hostile stalemate.

Why send a navy ship across the Northern Limit Line three days after a peaceful meeting between the highest-ranking officials of each country? Why has the South Korean government not made further measures to stop the launching of the balloons? The relationship between the South and North has a lot of people in South Korea scratching their heads at the moment.

What should South Korea do? There seem to be many possible solutions, but no guarantee any of them would work. The South-North relations have become uncertain as ever.

Vol. XXVIII, Issue 1

15

AmericA's ChildMigrant Crisis

By Rudy Kuang

D

Mexico and Central America over the past few years, there have been more and more children attempting to flee to the United States and other nearby countries for safety. Gangs in Central America are recruiting teenagers, and will often retaliate against the unwilling and their families. As a result, parents are sending their children off, unaccompanied, to other countries in hopes of giving them a safer and more secure home. As of Aug. 31, 2014, there have been about 65,000 children trying to find refuge in the United States and other neighboring countries. However, these children are not entering the country legally, and are thus apprehended at the border.

In 2008, Congress passed a new law to protect immigrant children from sex traffickers that are trying to bring them into America. Children from countries other than Mexico and Canada are given hearings to possibly prevent them from getting turned away at the border. If the children are successfully able to convince the judge that they have a valid reason to seek asylum in the United States, they are allowed to stay. However, the immigration courts receive so many cases that it may take years before a child is able to receive a hearing. While they wait, children usually stay with their friends or relatives, and are able to attend school. Word of this quickly spread to other families in Central America, and many of them began to take advantage of this fact; they send their kids to the United

States, knowing that their children will be in immigration limbo. The children are able to stay safe while having little risk of deportation and simultaneously receiving a decent education.

Although that does sound like a nice deal, the whole process is very daunting for the child actually escaping to America. They have to go through the dangerous journey to the border of the United States, either by themselves or with people they do not know. Once they get here, they are immediately stopped by the immigration police. As previously mentioned, many children simply get sent to their closest friends or relatives in America while awaiting trial, but many others do not actually have family here and are thus placed into government shelters. Even for those that do have family or relatives here, their relatives are probably very distant and unfamiliar. In addition, most of the children do not have lawyers that can represent them in immigration court; unlike criminal courts, immigration courts do not provide lawyers to those who cannot afford one. So once a child arrives in America, they are faced with a plethora of problems: the fear of possible deportation, as well as the difficulty of learning English, adjusting to school life in the United States, and trying to acquaint themselves with their family or relatives if they have some living here already.

In order to alleviate the stress placed upon these immigrant children, there have been a few nonprofit organizations that provide free legal Children sleeping on the cold, hard floor as they await the government’s decision in the counsel to the children. One such US Customs and Border Protection processing facility in Texas. organization is the Safe Passage Project. The founder and director of Safe Passage visited many immigrant families, offering free attorney representation, and those that accepted the help were then interviewed by a team of lawyers and paralegals. According to the Immigration Lawyers Association, there are about 800 immigration lawyers that have signed up to volunteer to represent the children.

They are even pairing attorneys that have no background in immigration law with experienced immigration practitioners so that they can take part in the cause. However, even with so many willing volunteers, the effort still pales in comparison to the 60,000 ue to rising gang violence in

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ASIAN OUTLOOK

Demographics of place of origin where children attempted to cross the US border from January - May 2014.

Once a child arrives in America, they are faced with a plethora of problems: the fear of possible deportation, as well as the difficulty of learning English, adjusting to school life in the United States, and trying to acquaint themselves with their family or relatives if they have some living here already. children that need representation, and the work for the lawyers themselves is very difficult. After taking time out of their schedules to learn about the aspects of immigration law, they also have to overcome the challenge of getting their clients to open up about their lives, especially when they have been abused, raped or have witnessed the abuse or death of their friends and family members.

The government is currently trying to find ways to hasten the process of dealing with the immigrant children.

On July 8, President Obama asked Congress for $3.7 billion in emergency funds to deal with the problem, including $1.8 billion to provide temporary care for the children in government custody, $1.6 billion to increase the customs and borders efforts to catch smugglers, and $300 million to help Mexico and the three Central American governments (Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador) discourage parents from paying smugglers to get their children to the United States. However, the Republicans disagree with Obama's plan and claim that they can come up with a cheaper plan, including some changes to the 2008 law. Stuck in a limbo of its own, if Congress does not act, the Obama administration will have to look for other ways that will allow Homeland Security to speed up removals under the existing law.

For now, many of the immigrant children are in limbo, trying to live their lives normally in a foreign country while awaiting trial. However, hopefully, through the efforts of the nonprofits and the government, there will be a way for the hearings to be done quicker so that America's border crisis will be resolved quicker.

Sources: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/18/nyregion/immigration-child-migrant-surgein-New-York-City.html?hpw&rref=nyregion http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/07/24/thousands-of-unaccompanied-immigrantchildren-reaching-ny/ http://www.ryot .org/undocumented-children-no-lawyers-immigrationcourt/822997 http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/989324-unaccompanied-minors-crisis-in-newyork-city-4-year-olds-appearing-before-court-without-lawyers/ http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/immigration/news/2014/08/12/95556/violence-is-causing-children-to-flee-central-america-2/ http://www.vox.com/2014/6/16/5813406/explain-child-migrant-crisis-centralamerica-unaccompanied-children-immigrants-daca http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/15/politics/immigration-unintended-consequences/

Vol. XXVIII, Issue 1

17

Asian Wage Gap A

re

you

studying

for,

or

intending to work in the tech industry? If

so, you may want to reconsider your expected

salary.

According to the NBC news article, “New Numbers Reveal Asian Gap in Tech,” by Lakshmi Gandhi, statistics show that “Asian tech workers on average made $8,146 less each year than white workers in 2012, $3,656 less than black employees, and $6,907 less than those who identified as other.” This seems both surprising and puzzling at the same time, because Asian Americans make up a significant amount of the employee population: 34 percent of Google's staff, 41 percent of Facebook's, and 57 percent of Yahoo’s.

While Asian Americans make up a great portion of technology companies’ population, they are making less than other races who work in the same field.

Does this make you rethink whether or not you want to work in this field?

Furthermore, does this make you ponder over whether or not your former employer under paid you in comparison to the other workers?

Racial discrimination is not the only factor that affects wages in the technological field; sex does, too.

According to the same article, “On average, women as a group earn $6,358 less than men each year”. Some believe that gender income inequality, and the ratio of female to male, is significantly lower in the technological industry because of gender discrimination.

While this theory may also be apparent in today’s society, the large difference can also be due to another cause. For example, according to the Women in Technology Education Foundation, women earn only “18 percent of all Computer and Information Sciences undergraduate degrees.” Statistics show that not as many women study in the technological field, thus leading to the reason why the female population in technology fields is smaller compared to that of males. Although this is one

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ASIAN OUTLOOK

alternative reason to demonstrate how gender discrimination may not be an issue in the technological industry, it still does not invalidate the fact that gender discrimination exists.

The odds of an employer discriminating an employee against race, or gender, may be perceived as minimal, but it is still harmful and illegal. According to the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, “Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects

individuals against employment discrimination on the basis of race and color as well as national origin, sex, or religion.” However, even though it is illegal for any employer to discriminate an employee based on the factors listed in the act, statistics show that discrimination is prevalent in the technological industry.

Much of this article sounds like it is trying to discourage you from choosing a career in the technological industry, but that is

In Technology

“

By Sharon Lau

Asian tech workers on average made $8,146 less each year than white workers in 2012, $3,656 less than black employees, and $6,907 less than those who identified as other.

”

Many people reach out to try and get that dollar bill.

not the intent. Rather, technological corporations like Google should examine why Asians are not paid the same wages as other races.

Companies like Google expressed that it is not where it wants to be in terms of diversity, which is why they released data on their company’s diversity (something they have always been reluctant to publish). To attack this problem, Google has invested “$40 million… to bring computer science education to women and girls,” according to its

blog. Furthermore, they have been working with historically black colleges and universities to try to increase the diversity within their company. Regardless of the efforts they have made, their most recent data still shows that 61 percent of their employees are white.

While the statistical evidence points to an Asian wage gap in the technological employment field, other studies have also shown that the wage gap exists for minorities in the high technological field in

general. Silicon Valley expressed that “they are taking a close look at issues such as pay equity” because they want to diversify their industry but sometimes bias affects the process of hiring employees. “A recent report from the American Institute for Economic Research shows that in high technology fields Latinos, Asians, and blacks are not receiving equal pay for equal work.” Many studies have been conducted on racial and gender discrimination and tech companies have been making efforts to correct this problem. One step that many corporations are now taking is allowing more transparency with their employee data to note the disparities between income and ethnicity.

Racial discrimination and an income gap within the technological field may exist, but at least it is being acknowledged. For those of you that are still interested in the technological field, just keep this in the back of your head when you receive a job offer.

Sources: http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/10/09/ high-tech-pay-gap-hispanics-asians-africanamericans/16606121/ http://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/ new-numbers-reveal-asian-wage-gap-techn223196 http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2014/05/getting-towork-on-diversity-at-google.html http://politic365.com/2014/10/10/wage-gap-existsfor-minorities-in-high-tech-fields/

Vol. XXVIII, Issue 1

19

: t c A M A a E c R i r D e m A w e N e h T

By Tina Yu

O

n Nov. 20, President Barack Obama addressed the nation about a new program that proposes to grant illegal undocumented immigrants a temporary reprieve from the fear of deportation, benefitting some 5 million currently undocumented immigrants. Although the media has mainly focused on the effects of this program on immigrants from South and Central America, they are not the only benefactors. There are an estimated 1.5 million Asian and Asian Pacific Islander undocumented immigrants currently in the United States (NPR), and this act will undoubtedly bring many benefits to the Asian American community. According to Nathaniel Flannery, a contributor at Forbes, this new addition to the immigration policy will provide protection for “undocumented foreign born individuals who

The DREAM Act will grant some 5 million currently undocumented immigrants temporary reprieve from the fear of deportation. have children who are U.S. citizens and have lived in the U.S. for at least five years”, provided that they pass criminal background checks and pay their share of taxes.

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ASIAN OUTLOOK

However, this addition is not as perfect as it may seem. Even though it provides undocumented immigrants a temporary reprieve and allows them to “come out from the shadows” and into the light, it excludes the immigrants from healthcare benefits and often work authorization. Along with the benefits detailed in the act, the President proposed to further increase border control in order to discourage further illegal immigrants from crossing the United States border. This act also does not take into account the plight of recent illegal immigrants since only undocumented immigrants who have already stayed in the United States for at least five years are eligible for this program. Furthermore, this program does not include the parents of the DREAMers, a group of undocumented immigrant minors who may be granted conditional permanent residency as long as they have lived in the United States for five years or more prior to the passing of the DREAM Act as well as two or more years of either higher education or military service. However, much like the new addendum to the immigration policy, there are holes within the provided rules.

Even though minors can apply for military service, however, according to Julia Preston, a correspondent with the New York Times, “thousands of legal immigrants with temporary visas who tried to enlist were turned away because they lacked permanent green cards”. There seems to be a conflicting agenda that the program offers, on one hand illegal immigrants are being granted a temporary reprieve, on the other hand, they are still not provided with the adequate resources to become adequate contributors in American society.

There are still many benefits that this act will bring. This act will hopefully bolster the American economy by providing unauthorized

an

? m a e Dr

DREAMers enlist for military service in order to fulfill the five years requriement of the DREAM Act.

immigrant children a chance to reach their potentials and better serve America as a nation.

Many illegal immigrant children do not realize the status of their citizenship, or lack thereof, until they begin applying for higher education.

Only then do they realize that not only do they not have Social Security Numbers, but that their parents can be deported if they so much as receive a speeding ticket. With this recent addendum, illegal immigrants with clean backgrounds will no longer fear deportation, and instead will be able to give their children an equal chance at education opportunities.

Although this program’s conflicting regulations may lay out the framework for the future of the U.S. immigration policies, there is still much left to be desired regarding the future of such policies.

As for the future impact of the program, we can only speculate.

Sources: http://www.forbes.com/sites/nathanielparishflannery/2014/11/24/whostands-to-benefit-from-obamas-immigration-plan/ http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/immigration-reform/asian-american-advocates-say-immigration-action-falls-short-n253261 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-creamer/seven-reasons-whyobamas_b_6210792.html http://www.npr.org/2014/11/22/365910465/asians-benefit-not-just-latinos-from-obamas-immigration-action http://www.advancingequality.org/news-media/news/channel-newsasia-us-asian-community-awaits-obamas-immigration-announcement http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/20/us/politics/obamacare-unlikelyfor-undocumented-immigrants.html?_r=0 http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/20/us/immigration-policy-dreamersparents.html http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/immigration/immigration-action http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/20/politics/obama-immigration-speechtranscript/ h t t p : / / w w w. n y t i m e s . c o m /2 0 0 9 /0 2 / 1 5 / u s / 1 5 i m m i g . html?pagewanted=all

Vol. XXVIII, Issue 1

21

ALMOST THERE: SAME-SEX MARRIAGE APPROVED IN 32 STATES

By Alex Ching

Same-sex marriage supporters shouted slogans in front of the Supreme Court in October 2013.

O

n Saturday, Oct. 25, 2014, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the federal government

would recognize same-sex marriage in six new states: Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, North Carolina, West Virginia, and Wyoming. With these new additions, this now means that in 32 states in the United States, same-sex couples will receive the same benefits “traditional” marriages have received in the past. Eric Holder writes, “We are acting as quickly as possible with agencies throughout the government to ensure that same-sex married couples in these states receive the fullest array of benefits allowable under federal law.” Besides these 32 states, three others—Montana, Kansas and South Carolina—have, under their respective appellate courts, approved of same-sex marriage; moreover, trial courts in eight other states have done the same. Although many of these cases, such as the one in Texas, are being fought in the federal appeals court, this leaves only seven states where samesex marriage is banned: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.

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ASIAN OUTLOOK

"We are acting as quickly as possible with agencies throughout the government to ensure that same-sex married couples in these states receive the fullest array of benefits allowable under federal law."

This map details the legal status of same-sex marriage in each state as of May 2014.

This announcement follows a month of uplifting news for the equal rights movement, which started on Oct. 6 when the Supreme Court refused to listen to any of the appeals against lower federal courts that have declared bans on same-sex marriage unconstitutional. The ruling upheld same-sex marriages in Virginia, Utah, Oklahoma, Indiana and Wisconsin, and later became the catalyst for expanding the ruling elsewhere in the nation. Prior to the Oct. 6 decision, only 19 states and the District of Columbia recognized same-sex marriage. Momentous strides have been made this month in the expansion of same-sex marriage legitimacy to the rest of the country.However, this ruling has also confused many legal scholars because previously the Court had put a hold on same-sex marriages in Virginia and Utah, which was seen by many as a sign that the Supreme Court wanted to review this issue.

Furthermore, constitutional scholars on both sides of the issue have questioned whether the Court shirked its duties by simply refusing to make a definitive ruling on the issue.

Ed Whelan, an influential conservative legal scholar, said, “The court’s denial of review in all pending cases strikes me as grossly irresponsible, as a huge abdication of duty on at least six of the justices.” (Only four out of the nine justices need to agree for the Court to take a case, although five are needed for a win.) Nan Aron, the President of Alliance for Justice, a group that advocates for greater social equality, said that while the Supreme Court had previously began to bend the arc in favor of gay rights, by declining these cases the court had “passed up an opportunity to finish the job.” Another legal scholar, Suzanne Goldberg of Columbia

-Eric Holder, US Attorney General

Law School, who has argued on behalf of the equal rights movement in front of the Supreme Court, argued, “Today’s [certiorari] denial . . . brings no end to the suffering of same-sex couples who live in places where they are prevented from marrying or having their marriages recognized.” Other scholars and politicians, even those who argue for gay rights, are cautious about the ruling because of its implications on states’ rights. For example, former President Jimmy Carter said in an interview with USA Today, “I’m kind of inclined to let the states decide individually,” even though he previously argued for marriage equality.

Currently in the United States, 32 of the 50 states, plus D.C. , have approved of same-sex marriage. No matter the opinions on same-sex marriage, these statistics show the progress America has made toward equal rights for samesex partners. It also reaffirms the belief of many that the question now isn’t whether the Supreme Court will allow the freedom of marriage throughout the entirety of the United States, but when.

Sources: http://www.scotusblog.com/2014/10/u-s-recognizes-more-same-sex-marriages/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/supreme-court-declines-toreview-same-sex-marriage-cases/2014/10/06/ee822848-4d5e-11e4-babe-e91da079cb8a_story.html http://www.scotusblog.com/2014/10/symposium-the-supreme-courts-opt-outmeans-more-marriage-equality-but-continuing-harms-to-gay-and-lesbian-couples/ http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2014/10/26/jimmy-carter-same-sexmarriage/17963533/

Vol. XXVIII, Issue 1

23

The Dalai Lama – No “If a weak Dalai Lama comes along, then it will just disgrace the Dalai Lama.”

24

ASIAN OUTLOOK

Successor to the Path?

By Russell Tobias

N

ear the close of a rather politically stirring

and eventful summer, the motif of controversy continued in Tibet with the Dalai Lama’s comment that he sees no reason to appoint a successor. While media hastily concluded from this statement that he intends to dissolve the position, in actuality the Dalai Lama does plan to reincarnate, just in a less political form.

The institution of the Dalai Lama has existed as the spiritual leader for Tibetan Buddhism for nearly half a millennium, which is a relatively short time considering the full 2,500-year span of the path, beginning in India with the earliest teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni. As the current occupant of the position, the 14th Dalai Lama frequently states that his life is guided by three major commitments: the promotion of basic human values or secular ethics in the interest of human happiness, the fostering of inter-religious harmony, and the preservation of Tibet's Buddhist culture of peace and non-violence. An extraordinarily well-traveled and intelligent man, the Dalai Lama regularly speaks to audiences on diverse topics such as nonviolence, the environment, economics, physics and astronomy, sexuality and women’s rights. His firm leadership, compassionate demeanor, and breadth of experiences during his 64-year term have perhaps made him more esteemed and popular than any of his predecessors.

“We had a Dalai Lama for almost five centuries,” stated the Dalai Lama to the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag back in September. “The 14th Dalai Lama now is very popular. Let us then finish with a popular Dalai Lama… If a weak Dalai Lama comes along, then it will just disgrace the Dalai Lama.”

Back in 1950, while the international spotlight was on Korea, the China’s People’s Liberation Army crossed the Yangtze into Tibet, defeated its smaller forces, and imposed the "Seventeen-Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet" on its government with the intent of integrating Tibet with the motherland. Since then, Tibet has been considered by international law an independent state under illegal occupation.

Shortly after the start of his rule, the Dalai Lama began working with the Chinese government, but fled Tibet to India in 1959 during the Tibetan uprisings. While there, he headed the governmentin-exile, developing educational infrastructure and settlement for the Tibetan refugees that had followed him. His multifaceted career henceforth has largely focused on guiding Tibet toward a more democratic

“Let us finish with a popular Dalai Lama.”

form of government, drawing inspiration from India’s deeply rooted democratic principles. Having officially stepped out of his political involvement as head of the Tibetan government-in-exile back in 2011, he now sees this as an ideal opportunity to further influence Tibet’s transition to a democracy.

Dr. Robert Thurman, Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University, is among the Dalai Lama’s primary connections to Western media as well as his liaison to academia. As a measure to perpetuate Tibet’s future democratic direction, Dr. Thurman reports that the Dalai Lama has “also changed the constitution and made the final implementation of a change that no lama will be head of state in any future government that Tibetans approve of.” This action, combined with his subtle hints that his next incarnation may not be born in Tibet and may also be female, are safeguards aimed to perpetuate future notions of a freethinking, democratic Tibet that the Dalai Lama has worked tirelessly throughout his long career to help secure.

Sources: http://www.aboutbuddhism.org/what-is-buddhism.htm/ http://boingboing.net/2014/10/24/the-dalai-lama-will-not-return.html http://www.dalailama.com/ http://freetibet.org/about/legal-status-tibet http://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/dec/16/wikileaks-dalai-lamaclimate-change http://www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/chinese-invade-tibet h t t p : / / w w w. h u f f i n g t o n p o s t . c o m /2 0 1 4 /0 9 /0 9 /d a l a i - l a m a successor_n_5790572.html http://tibetoffice.org/exile-community/government-democracy

Vol. XXVIII, Issue 1

25

By Sophia Kim

26

ASIAN OUTLOOK

Disney

D

isney has had a long history of misrepresenting non-European cultures in their films, as seen in

“Mulan,” and production, “Big Hero 6.” and

“Aladdin,” “Pochahontas,”

it has only escalated in their latest animated

The movie is set in an imagined city of San Fransokyo, a hybrid of San Francisco and Tokyo. Protagonist Hiro Hamada, a teenage robotics prodigy, and his best friend, a robot named Baymax, form a band of young, high-tech crime fighters to save the city from a mysterious masked villain who, coincidentally, also seems to be an expert in robotics.

Animation fans were thrilled when they first found out Disney was turning one of Marvel’s less mainstream, yet nonetheless beloved comic series into a film. It also would have been another socially progressive step for Disney following the feminist “Frozen”, since the original comic mostly consisted of Asian characters. A movie based on a book or comic is guaranteed to have its critics, and although Disney is known for its classic remakes, their makeover of “Big Hero 6” went quite overboard.

Despite the fact that Disney claims Big Hero 6 to be a “love letter to Japanese culture,” the details in the film beg to differ. The overwhelming change in character design from the original Marvel comics is beyond the expected scope. Just as it changed the setting from Tokyo to an AmericanJapanese hybrid city, Disney also altered the protagonist’s ethnic background and facial features. Marvel’s Hiro is purely Japanese, but Disney’s Hiro is recorded to be half-white and half-Japanese. Although this new setup explains why Hiro looks more white than Asian, it begs the question: why did Disney feel the need to make such alterations? GoGo Tamago, originally Leiko Tanaka, is another Japanese character whose character design fails to give any indication of her Japanese background.

The only black main character, Wasabi, is based off of Wasabi No-Ginger, a Japanese samurai. They clearly share no resemblance other than their first name. The addition of a black member certainly wins points in the diversity sector, but nonetheless sends a message that there can’t be too many Asians in a movie, at least not under Disney.

Racist Vol. XXVIII, Issue 1

27

“Asian Americans are rarely represented in the media, especially in animated movies, and when they are, it’s usually stereotypical.”

“The Princess and the Frog,” Disney’s animated production in 2011, was a milestone with its first black princess, Tiana. But since then, there have not been any big screen films centered on a character of color. Films that portrayed characters of color often did so stereotypically, Mulan being the best example with her slanted eyes and flat face. This is not to say that fixing Hiro or GoGo’s eyes to look more Asian and recoloring their skin to be less white will do any justice to their Japanese heritage; in fact, it will just reinforce the misconceived Asian stereotype. Nevertheless, it does not help to have an Asian protagonist to look so white.

Asian Americans are rarely represented in the media, especially in animated movies, and when they are, it’s usually in a stereotypical way. This pattern not only reinforces the traditional stereotypes but also misrepresents Asian cultures.

Especially since “Big Hero 6” has an Asian American protagonist who looks white, youngsters who see the movie will subconsciously acknowledge that he is what Asian Americans should look like. It’s hard enough for Asian Americans to have role models who resemble them growing up due to the lack of Asian American figures in the media; they certainly don’t need Disney sending a message that it’s not okay to have too many Asians in its productions unless it’s set in a historically Asian setting.

A cover of the Big Hero 6 comic book series.

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ASIAN OUTLOOK

Sources: http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2014/10/24/ disney-pens-love-letter-to-animation-loving-japanwith-robot-film-big-hero-6/ http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/31/ fashion/31disney.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/ movies/2014/07/13/big-hero-6-character-revealexclusive/12535005/ http://moviepilot.com/posts/2014/07/15/why-ihate-and-love-disney-s-big-hero-6-2065037?lt_ source=external,manual

Jessica Jung,

By Siu Lam Koo

the Phoenix

“Music idols, especially those in groups, are merely part of the machinery that generates revenue for the company.�

Vol. XXVIII, Issue 1

29

Jessica Jung, fourth from the right, with the other members of Girls’ Generation before she left.

I

Korean pop culture, S.M. Entertainment (short for ‘Star Museum’) stands as one of, if not the, biggest recording companies to grace the industry. Founded by Lee Soo Man in 1995, it has debuted an astounding amount of stars; groups such as TVXQ, Super Junior, Girls Generation, SHINee, and EXO have found enormous success in this house of gold. It’s not all fun and games, however; last month saw the departure of Jessica Jung from Girls’ Generation and Luhan from EXO. Fans were shocked, hurt, and, most of all, confused.

How could S.M. bear to drop two of their most important (read: profitable) idols from the company?

The majority of K-pop is based on presentation: shiny, sharp, and sleek. Music idols, especially those in groups, are merely part of the machinery that generates revenue for the company. If idols are faulty or disobedient, the company reserves the right to alter their contracts or drop them entirely. Of course, this is not to say that the only conclusion is that S.M. dropped Jessica because of that, but it is clear that the company was not happy with her personal and professional choices. In September, Jessica posted on her Weibo (the Chinese version of Twitter) that she was unceremoniously removed from the group.

Later, S.M. confirmed this and reported that Jessica had previously informed them of her eventual departure from the group after the n the world of

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release of one more album, but due to unforeseen circumstances the process was apparently expedited and Jessica was dismissed from the group much earlier than anticipated. Girls’ Generation was then confirmed to continue promotions as an eight-member group.

There has been a lot of speculation as to why this dismissal happened. Jessica, aside from being a prominent member of Girls’ Generation, had recently started her own fashion brand, BLANC (later rebranded as BLANC & ECLARE), with which she planned to sell clothing and accessories. With investment from her Hong Kong tycoon boyfriend, Tyler Kwon, the brand launched early this summer with relative success.

This is not surprising, since other members of Girls’ Generation have also been involved in solo activities such as acting, sub-units, radio shows, etc. Jessica’s BLANC venture is different, however, since it is completely independent from S.M.; she promotes it as “Jessica Jung” rather than “Girls’ Generation’s Jessica”, and it has been said that S.M. actually makes little to no profit from BLANC, as compared to other members’ solo activities. Furthermore, there have been rumors that Jessica and Tyler Kwon were actually planning on marrying in 2015. If Jessica were to commit to a married life, especially with an imminent wedding, she would hinder Girls’ Generation’s schedules for future events. Could all this be why Jessica was dropped?

Even a month after the incident, the information presented is unclear and the details may never be revealed. What is confirmed, however, is that Jessica is officially out of Girls’ Generation. Tyler Kwon has also revealed via his Weibo that they have no plans on marrying anytime soon, so it all seems to be a conflict of economic interest between S.M. and Jessica. On the bright side, however, it seems to be a very good opportunity for Jessica to develop her own projects and carve out her own career into something not completely musically related. She can grow out of her idol singer image and become

a whole new type of role model. All her years in Girls’ Generation have garnered her a significant fan club, which will no doubt cheer her on as she moves to make her mark on the international stage.

Sources: http://m.smtown.com/Board/Details/6885506 http://mwave.interest.me/enewsworld/en/article/77155/sm-makes-officialstatement-on-jessica http://www.hollywoodtake.com/jessica-jung-moving-after-girls-generation-exit-working-blanc-snsd-alum-sends-condolences-57985

Jessica models for her new brand, BLANC & ECLARE after leaving Girls’ Generation.

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Photo by Luke Nguyen

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AO Conscience

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Monday 12:45pm I have grown unregrettably comfortable with your figure around my own. Our embraces always seem to transform our bodies into adjoining puzzle pieces: our curves gently collapse next to each other, and there are fewer and fewer gaping remnants. We will never have enough pieces to finish the bigger picture but that’s because we’re not just a single image. We’re a collage of 2am serendipity, misguided tears, and countless selfies.

Every indulged moment is a brush stroke onto our never ending canvas. But the colors are limited. My lipstick is the red of Eve’s apple but I know your favorite shade is the black that stars wear to sleep. That’s okay too because you have other colors in your wardrobe, like the maroon shirt I bought for you this Christmas. We don’t have to have a firework of pigments because we’re no rainbow; we’re a cloudy Tuesday evening with a chance of rain. Maybe at the end of the day, we’ll be illuminated by our own colors, colors with wavelengths that resonate with the way our hearts beat in anxious anticipation for each other.

It’s ridiculous how far we’ve come. We started on a blank sheet of paper, a small delicate pearly white piece of scratch work. And if you really think about it, that’s what we’ll end up to. We’ll be bleached with so many memories we’ll forget which was which.

After all, the entirety of the color spectrum are fragments of white light. I guess that’s all we are: fragments.

We will never see the final portrait of our biographies together. And we will never sign and date our masterpiece like high school portfolios.

That’s because we’re not artists, only lovers.

By Karen Lin

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I Want

By Stephen Shin

I want to break free From the shackles of thought Contemptible thought that languishes in obscurity The true bane to existence, the legitimate sister to fear Not to mull over the lack of shade in sunlight But to breathe in and traverse through the glorious spring I want to cling tight To the daunting family tree Intimidating mast, anchor that drops deep into the soul The frustrating understanding of mother and father To bask in the finality of recognition and consideration That action saved them and made a life of me I want to release my passions Like an Arctic glacier That yearns to break free For the moon that calls upon it To escape from its cold, dead, frigid inertia

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The Chase

By Angela Wu I am the prey Tiny, vulnerable and fragile My stealthy eyes never sleep I can see past the long blades of grass The blending shades of color between dark and darker I can feel past the cold mountain breezes Every time I am targeted I run I run so they can’t catch me So my body can’t be toyed with So I won’t get hurt Once I find out somebody wants to consume me I think about chasing them back, toying and playing with them But if I do, I’ll get hurt No matter how hard the predators try to lure me in I don’t fall for traps If I do, I get out in time I learn to grow stronger Run faster Build up my defense Even prey can feint, trick and deceive What a hard life To be the prey Always on the go Blending in with others, running away and constantly watching How come it has to stay that way?

I will be the predator one day.

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““The Rabbit’’’s Judgment””

By Janice Cho

A modern rendition of the Korean folktale.

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TRAPPED WITHIN

By Ellie Ono The light shone upon her face and on her face alone Darkness surrounded her everywhere She wanted to escape, somewhere far away.

Her pace quickened, she could feel someone following her But she could not escape, she could no longer breathe She was being suffocated No matter what she tried to get out, It didn’t work She tried and tried and tried People passed by her but they didn’t know how to help When she was finally able to confront her strangler She stared and stared and stared And she knew she could not escape As she stared back at her own reflection

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“Violet”

By Sumiao Pang Vol. XXVIII, Issue 1

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