Asian Outlook Spring 2007 Issue #1

Table of Contents Columns

Letter from the Editor

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by Peter Lam

Letter from the President

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by Man Fung Wong

The Angry [Un]Fashion Columnist

6

by Jae Z

Relationships: Break Up Already!!

7

by Dan Dan Liu Features

American Born Chinese: A Review

9

by Will To

Say NO to Sweatshop Universities

10

by Kaming Cheung

Rice and Kimchi for the Soul

13

by Elliot Won

Update on the Lunar New Year

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by Man Fung Wong

Full Circle: The Beating of John E. Lee

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by Peter Lam

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund

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by Jarucha Jiradacharoen

Everything You Didn't Know About Homosexuality in China

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by Yi Cheung

The Hallyu Wave: Korean Media's Domination in Asia

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by Jarucha Jiradacharoen

Being White in an Asian World

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by Brian Schulman

The Tall Tales of ... Me

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by Lali Ha

Don't Make Me Laugh

29

by Rekstizzy tha Meal Plan Peeimp

Roast Pork

30

by Will To

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Asian Outlook

Conscience

33

What Gets Me Going

by Hugo Delgado

34

Kuniyoshi

by Devek Singh

35

Photography

by Peter Lam

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I Tried But Now I am Died

by Rekstizzy tha Meal Plan Peeimp

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Artwork

by Ronald Kim

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Artwork: Forest Rondezvous

by Albert Fang

40

A Dark, Rain-Fallen Night

by Hugo D

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Almost

by PCL

46

Triangle vs. Circle

by Reiko Thorne

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Mother / Love Is

by Claudia L. Fabiano

48

Comic

by Yuta Okkotsu Staff: Editor in Chief: Peter Lam Conscience Editor: David Lee Assistant Editors: Yi Cheung, Fang Fang Fu, Will To Layout: Oliver Hansen, Jonathan Li Publicity: Andy Ye Treasurer: Jie Lin Webmaster: Yi Cheung

Contributors: Kaming Cheung Hugo Delgado Claudia L. Fabiano Albert Fang Lali Ha Jarucha Jiradacharoen Ronald Kim Dan Dan Liu Yuta Okkotsu Brian Schulman Devek Singh Reiko Thorne Elliot Won Man Fung Wong Jae Z

Asian Outlook is the art, literary, and news magazine of the Asian Student Union at the State University of New York at Binghamton. Conceived and designed to challenge and reconceptualize forms of awareness of Asians and Asian Americans, it serves to protect the voice of those in the minority, whether by ethnicity, gender, or political organization.

All materials contained within do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board. Asian Outlook reserves the right to edit submissions and to publish materials as deemed appropriate.

Asian Outlook

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Letter from the Editor At one point during the weekend of Lunar New Year I was imitating "a demon struggling to break free of his prison to wreak his revenge on the world." I can't fully explain the gurgling sounds that came from my throat, but I'd like to attribute it to the comatose state that follows a messy gorging of Chinese foods (and lasagna), plus a bit of wine. I was attending a potluck hosted by a few friends to celebrate the holiday.

We were all still in Binghamton, either by choice or not, and it's become a yearly event to gather as many people as we can and eat ourselves silly for the night. It's one of the few traditions I still manage to follow. It was shortly after that mangled sound effect when my phone rang.

My mother was calling to remind me that she was forwarding some of my mail to campus and that she was slipping in some lai-see money from the New Year. As she went off about how she had cleverly snuck the money in between some forms and a few envelopes, I was hit with a pang of nostalgia. It had been years since I was last at home for the holiday. When I was home, my mother would spend the days prior to the New Year cleaning. I struggled to sleep at night with all the lights on during that week. On the morning of the New Year, she would wake me up to slip some sweets into my mouth before I fell back asleep. My grandmother would spend hours preparing those little dumplings and gooey things that would be nibbled on for rest of the month. There were still other traditions that I can't even remember now.

I sighed when I thought about all of my friends who had gone home for the weekend to celebrate the holiday with their family. I wrapped up my conversation with my mother as quickly as possible so I wouldn't be too mopey when I got back to the party.

It took me until my Senior year at Binghamton to fully realize how much I've missed being at home for the Lunar New Year. There's something about being in college that triggered a renewed interest in Chinese culture within me. It's not like I became the guy running around praising "my own people" and talking about "the motherland" or anything like that, but neither was I one to fully embrace all those cultural shows or events. It was much simpler than that: just being away from home for a majority of the year made me miss the trappings of home, including all the admittedly-confusing aspects of family tradition. See, the Lunar New Year is an especially poignant time for its celebrators, even if they don't fully understand the celebration itself.

This time of year is particularly important for Asian Outlook, as well as for the Asian Student Union (ASU). Recently, the ASU President Man Fung Wong, VPMA David Bass and I spoke with Deputy to the President Matthew Johnson to discuss what we hope will ultimately lead to the official recognition of the Lunar New Year as a school holiday. More importantly, we're pushing for the acknowledgement of the holiday by administrators and faculty in order to avoid major repercussions should celebrators choose to return home to celebrate this major holiday. It's going to be an uphill battle to get that day off for a number of reasons, from state-mandated classroom hours to massive dissent from all levels of the administration in the SUNY system and state government.

As one of our contacts from the University advised, "resistance to this will probably be great because to do so would mark a major departure from past policies and practices and set what might prove to be a highly problematic precedent."

Certainly we understand the difficulties involved in recognizing the Lunar New Year, a secular holiday, on the Academic calendar, but given the high percentage of Asian and Asian American students on campus, we feel that the trouble will be more than justified. Surely it will be difficult for Binghamton, and much less the entire SUNY system, to ignore such a loud voice on all of their campuses. It's not as though it hasn't been done before: in one San Francisco school district, local government has passed a bill this past December to grant a day off for its students to celebrate the Lunar New Year, no matter if it falls on a weekday or the weekend.

I can only imagine the administrative headaches the passage of that bill is causing, but the benefits certainly outweigh the effort. How can they deny the essential tradition of family reunion on such an important holiday? The San Francisco bill already sets a precedent for other public schools across the nation but hasn't led to what anyone could call "problematic." It is, in fact, partially influenced by the "official recognition" of the holiday in certain states (including New York). Beyond acknowledgement; however, there isn't much else there. Although this year we were asking for the same measures to be taken (and not for a day off), it will be a step in the right direction. If we can get this passed, Binghamton would be the first college in the country to officially recognize and grant a day off for the Lunar New Year. Binghamton would be the pioneering university in the recognition of Asian culture. That would be a precedent that no one can protest.

--Peter ao.editor@gmail.com

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Asian Outlook

Letter from the President

In 1985, a group called the Asian Student Union (ASU) was conceived with the purpose of achieving the solidarity of the Asian community and "providing the student government with a needed Asian perspective." Since then it has expanded, creating new groups to represent the different variety of Asian cultures on campus. Today we are the biggest umbrella organization with 7 subgroups working in a unified voice (AO, BUJA, CASU, KASA, PAL, TASC, VSA). We have about 80 executive board members and a vast number of supporters here on campus. It is rare to find a week in the semester when ASU and its subgroups are not actively involved with a program or workshop.

Yet, there is still this looming question on what ASU actually is. Part of that confusion stems from the fact that we are, indeed, an umbrella group. As an umbrella organization, our primary focus is to serve our subgroups and guide them towards success. We are the administrative arm which brings these organizations together in accomplishing common interests while at the same time maintaining a diversity of Asian cultures. ASU was not created to be a separate entity focused solely on organizing our own events and programs. We are actively involved with what our subgroups have to offer. Only when they have achieved success can we recognize our own success. Their failures translate to our failures.

When ASU hosts a program or event, the goal is to enhance the collaborative effort between our own subgroups as well as with other SA-chartered groups. It also allows us to give a taste of what each of our groups has to offer to the student body and increase the overall success of their own individual major productions. Asian Night, for example is one major production that we hold which allows all of our subgroups to share an example of a performance that we can expect from their own productions. This in turn will translate to a better turnout for any of the participating group's events.

I have heard complaints from others that one of the major problems with ASU is the lack of promotions for itself. At one time I believed that this was a major issue of ours; I believed that we should put ourselves out there and expand our e-board while creating new events. Today, after three years on the e-board, I firmly believe that students with the same agenda as us will seek us out and join our group.

This way we can be assured that we have dedicated members committed to the success and future of ASU and its subgroups. I also believe that our purpose here on campus should be to focus primarily on the financial, administrative and political issues of our umbrella group. We are not to overshadow our subgroups and their constituents nor are we here to dictate what they will and will not do.

Currently we are looking towards expanding into bigger things. We have taken on the Lunar New Year legislation and will continue to work with the administration in finding a suitable agreement for both parties. We have reached out to the surrounding communities and help those who need it through our community service efforts. We are even adding new programs to our itinerary to address what we have missed in the past. If you find that Asian is important and are willing to dedicate the time and effort, feel free to contact us at asu.binghamton@gmail.com. We will be more than glad to find a place for you within our network.

--Man Fung Wong Man Fung is the current ASU president. He has been with the organization for three years.

Asian Outlook

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The Angry (Un)Fashion Columnist

by Jae Z

I have to admit I have been guilty of judging and befriending people based on attire on numerous occasions. That old adage, "don't judge a book by its cover," doesn't make much sense to me. Aren't book covers meant to convey a general sense of the book? And truthfully, clothing is as much a part of a person as anything else she might do. By our age, the clothing we choose become as telling as the hobbies we might enjoy.

Being that this column is based on the subject of fashion, I should accept that I am not meant to delve too deep below the surface. But I beg for reconsideration, as Carrie Bradshaw has attempted before me in categorizing men based on socks, I'd like to attest that clothing is an effective way to group people.

I've always noticed that groups of friends always share a common style of habiliment. I offer that rather than a tendency towards uniformity and a loss of originality, this trend is simply a result of friendships built on a similarity in apparel or sometimes just a similar interest in fashion. That is not to say groups of friends are ill-fated for a lifetime of coordinated outfits; individuality tends to shine through in the details.

So upon my arrival on the first day of my study abroad orientation in Paris, I was devastated (all dramatics intended) to see a room full of yawninducing outfits and embarrassingly parochial American logos. As soon as I had browsed through the room and saw that I was faced with a choice between Abercrombie fiends and Tommy Hilfiger devotees, I knew that the likelihood of a lifelong bonding was slim to none in this room. This was shortly confirmed after a round of introductions where I learned that Abercrombie and Uggs had a case of excessive giggling at Mr. Kango who was pompous with no reasonable basis. Their personalities quickly faded into oblivion; just as their clothing melded into a big mash of blandness.

I am not demanding flawless outfits on a daily basis, but I do think that by the time we reach the age of twenty, it is imperative that we understand the nature of clothing in society. We have had a couple of years of dressing ourselves, and thoughtless trend following is no longer "cool."

Most of the popular American brands offer no sense of personality and no hint of individuality for the wearer.

So I am always pleasantly surprised to walk down the streets of the Latin Quarters [student neighborhood] in Paris and see an abundance of original outfits. As much as I'd hate to admit it, it is not a myth that Parisians are fashionable. It's not that they're dressed in the newest runway styles but there is just a feeling of je ne sais pas quoi* way of their clothing. Not to sound like a total Francophile, but it is time that Americans take a cue from our friends across the pond. * A quality or attribute that is difficult to describe.

Jae Z is our (un)fashion columnist. She is currently studying abroad in France.

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Asian Outlook

Break Up Already!!

by Dan Dan Liu There are many ways of breaking up with someone whom you do not want to be with any longer; there are decent ways of doing it and there are ways that are just plain disgusting.

It definitely was disgusting when I got one of them through an email. Before you start feeling sorry for me, however, I was on my way to breaking it off with him too.

Still, I didn't want to do it through AIM or through the phone and I wanted to give him the proper face-to-face ending.

He probably realized too that it wasn't working out, but instead of giving me the courtesy I gave him, he chickened into the email way out.

Break ups are definitely not an easy thing for anyone; unless you are very skilled at it and enjoy seeing others in pain, you probably dread it as much as I do. In fact, one of the biggest reasons behind my choice of staying out of relationships is due to the break-up factor. I don't want to go through the whole pain and broken heart spiel on either side. The point is that break ups are hard.

Then there are those couples who seem to be on what I call the "break and make" relationship; they break up--and make up--like it is a way of life. Maybe they just enjoy the make-up sex, or more likely, they want to be with each other but cannot get over a recurring plague of a problem. My advice for those couples is to get to the root of the evil and stop dragging poor Ms. Break-Up into the scene; she is just an innocent bystander who needs her rest.

The most important aspect of a good break up is knowing that it is the correct step to take. If you are just angry at someone or if you are trying to threaten your partner, don't use breaking up as a tactic! Only if you have honestly and seriously thought it through and still do not want to be with that person any longer should you follow that path, though I have seen cases where a break up only showed the couple how much they meant to one another, and even brought them closer together.

However, if you break up with someone only to regret it a week later and want to resume the relationship as if the break up never happened, you might just end up with a broken relationship that cannot be fixed, or a lot of future problems for the patched up relationship.

When you know that the relationship must be terminated, I am a big fan of doing it sooner than later. Why keep the person attached and hopeful if you know there is no hope at all?

Remember: the higher the hopes, the harder the fall, so don't string them along like a marionette; the time you spent leading them on could be the time he/she could have spent getting over you or finding someone more suitable for him/her.

That being said, here are some tips on breaking up wisely.

Be Straightforward: don't beat around the bush. Chances are that they know what's coming and your lack of clarity will get you nowhere. And if they actually don't know what's going on, you are not making anything clear. However, being straightforward doesn't mean you should say, "You are ugly as a cow, leave me alone." It does not mean you have to be nasty; you can still be gentle and straightforward. It does mean telling the other person that you don't want to be in a relationship with them anymore, in a nice and simple way.

Do Not Put Blame: don't blame the person you want to break up with, but don't blame yourself Asian Outlook

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either. Many relationships don't work.

Although sometimes one party did something terribly wrong (e.g. cheated on you, lied to you, etc.), there is usually fault on both sides. Blaming the other person entirely is only using him/her as a scapegoat to make yourself feel better.

Face It: as I mentioned before, it is only decent to do it face to face. Unless you are geographically so far apart that it doesn't make sense to do it in person (like you are in New York and she is in Russia), to do it through an email is just like faxing the person a memo saying, "Hey its over, but it was nice knowing you." Please give your soon-to-be-ex the decency of a face to face break up. It is hard, but don't be a coward.

Refrain From Debating: do not let the soonto-be-ex start debating with you on whether or not break up is the best thing to do. If you have already come to that conclusion, then this is not necessary. This is their way of trying to talk you out of the break up, but you giving in to it is only stringing him/her along and giving her/him more hope.

Do Not Lie: the last thing you want to do is lie to the partner, in any way. Do not say you are going to be out of town forever, and do not say that you are dying. Just tell the truth. The truth hurts sometimes, but it's the best thing you can give them.

Let it go: if you successfully broke up with your partner, just let it go. Many times, we want to stay friends with someone that we were so close with, but the truth is that it doesn't always happen. You can't stay friends with every person that you broke up with. If the person doesn't want to even say "Hi," to you anymore, there is really nothing that you can do. Just let it go.

Lastly, although these are nice tips to follow, remember that every situation is different, and remember to adapt to the person you are breaking up with. Just remember to never do anything that you wouldn't want done to yourself as a general rule of thumb. Happy breaking!

http://www-flash.stanford.edu/~heinlein/dump.html http://www.romanceclass.com/miscr/howto/breakup.asp http://www.romanceclass.com/miscr/LoveInfo.asp?id=54875&C=47 http://www.romanceclass.com/miscr/LoveInfo.asp?id=54875&C=47 Dan Dan is our monthly relationship columnist.

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Asian Outlook

American Born Chinese: A Review

by Will To

He's got a bad attitude, amazing kung fu and magic skills, an ego the length and width of the Great Wall, a magic cloud that takes him from Point A to B in a matter of seconds, a golden staff that can shrink and enlarge at will, and the ability to create hundreds of similarly skilled clones simply by pulling out his hair and blowing on them.

Did I mention that he was a monkey?

Sun Wukong, also known as the Monkey King, is one of three main characters in Gene Luen Yang's American Born Chinese, a graphic novel that was recently released by First Second Books.

The other two protagonists are Jin Wang, a Taiwanese-American boy who recently moved to a new, lily-white neighborhood; and Danny, a typical white American boy who must deal with his cousin Chin-Kee, who combines every known Chinese stereotype into one, highly embarrassing, cartoonist persona. While the three stories begin on different notes, all three later intersect with interesting and telling results, weaving a compelling story about racism, self-acceptance, and the dilemma of assimilation in a multicultural, though ignorant and less-than-tolerant, society.

For one, Sun Wukong, who is referred to as the Monkey King in the book, is a well-known (and well-loved) Chinese character. Ever since his appearance in the classic tale A Journey to the West, based on Buddhist monk Xuanzang's epic, real-life voyage to India to bring back Buddhist scriptures to Tang Dynasty China, the Monkey King has been synonymous with mischief and pride, but also loyalty and courage, which he demonstrates throughout numerous instances during his service with Xuanzang.

While most of the basics of the Monkey King's tale (such as his personality and eventual redemption) are present in American Born Chinese, author Gene Luen Yang provides a clever twist to things by doing away with the Buddhist backdrop of the original Monkey King's tale. Instead, he substitutes an old, bearded man called "Tze You Tzuh" (translated as He-Who-is-Aware in the comic), who, despite seeming very much like a sage in the Chinese tradition, actually seems to have a somewhat Judeo-Christian overtone to both his words and actions. Indeed, Yang gives the term "Journey to the West" a new meaning, one that is perhaps more familiar to Western audiences, as is evident at the end of the book.

Mythical characters aside, Yang should be given credit for the creative, though not very subtle way that the three storylines collide. Without giving away too much detail, suffice it to say that the ending is exciting, yet meaningful in that Yang manages to strip away prejudices and misconceptions to reveal the true nature of his characters, even that of Chin-Kee, whom one might think is destined to be only a cardboard cutout. Still, it is possible to see some relevance between the three characters, or at least between Jin and the Monkey King. The two share several similarities, one of which is that the Monkey King, despite being a divinely skilled, immortal monkey, wishes to be a god instead, and claims recognition from the deities of the Chinese pantheon. In Jin's case, he is preoccupied with more earthly concerns, such as fitting in, bullying and teasing, and being ostracized by others simply because he is different. Chin-Kee, however, is a more interesting character, and it should be left to the reader to find out why, as it is too easy to spill the secrets of his storyline.

Asian Outlook 9

One especially interesting feature of the book was Yang's clever means of incorporating various Chinese characters into the story. Generally, when the Monkey King steps in to use one of his many varied skills, such as Lightning Fist, Transformation, Increasing/Decreasing Size, Thunder Kick, Golden Staff, Clones, or Magic Cloud, his speech bubble displays the corresponding Chinese character (in Traditional Chinese, of course). While this use of Chinese characters is only a minor detail, this reviewer still found it very imaginative, though it must be said that Yang's book is, for the most part, an ingenious and witty read.

In terms of style, Yang's creations are drawn and colored in a very simple way that seems to recall Tezuka Osamu's Atom Boy, as well as traditional depictions of characters in Chinese mythology. In particular, Yang, in his website on First Second Comics, mentions Tezuka Osamu and his art as exceptionally influential; he notes that, while he was initially turned off by the "trite plots," "projectile nose-bleeds," and "pancake eyes," Tezuka Osamu's work penetrated this layer of disgust and dislike with a compelling plot and a raw, "visceral thrill." Sadly, this reviewer is ill-equipped to comment on drawing style, as he is totally out of his field when dealing with comics and animation.

To sum it up, American Born Chinese, while sporting an unassumingly simple format and style, is appealing, not the least because of its relevance. Certainly the characters in the book are extremely familiar (and, at times, oddly lovable), whether it be the cheeky Monkey King who later learns obedience, Chin-Kee, the stereotype who seems to cast his shadow over all Asian-Americans, or Jin Wang, the quiet, mild-mannered Asian kid on the block who gets a hard time just because he is different. Derek Kirk Kim, another author whose works are published by First Second Comics, says it best: "as an Asian-American, this is the book that I've been waiting for all my life."

Say NO to Sweatshop Universities

by Kaming Cheung Bringing in sales of more than $3 billion a year, campus apparel is a remunerative business, and at the same time, a valuable avenue to the youth market.

College students across the nation display their university logos through college apparel. The Binghamton University Bookstore offers us a plethora of goodies, ranging from hoodies and sweatpants to ties, socks, and even bibs for toddlers.

The daunting reality is that most clothing, including university apparel, is still being made under sweatshop conditions in factories around the world despite many antisweatshop policies and promises. Alas, the voices of the sweatshop workers, and the stories of the life they lead are seldom heard.

Over the past decade, apparel companies have increasingly veered production of their products to factories situated around the world because of lower manufacturing costs. As the United Students Against Sweatshops organization (USAS) puts it, multinational brands such as Nike and Champion are in an accelerating "race to the bottom," scouring the globe for the cheapest supplier 10

Asian Outlook

factories, thus putting tremendous pressure on factory managers to keep production costs at a bare minimum. And because many apparel producing nations have weak, if any, enforcement of labor laws, factory owners can cut labor costs below the standards with impunity, putting workers at the whims of the market. In countries from Haiti and Kenya, to Cambodia and India, workers are being denied their rights to lawful representation through unions, a living wage to meet their basic needs, and a suitable working environment.

The destructive pressures of the apparel industry are particularly evident in China, where the level of respect for workers' rights is among the lowest in the world, and independent union organizing is illegal and punishable by fines and/or release by the company. Strikes are forbidden by the ruling Communist party and numerous advocates for worker rights have been and are still being imprisoned for labor organizing. While China boasts of a soaring economy because of their large influx of business, Chinese workers - the real backbone of the nation's economic growth - have not yet received the slightest crumb of prosperity.

Employment in factories producing multinational brands should be a ladder out of poverty.

The bare truth is that because workers of sweatshop factories are paid mere pennies per hour, they barely make enough to cover the basic necessities of living like food and shelter. For example, 1 kg of chicken would cost workers in China around $1.93, amounting to about 5.51 hours of work in a sweatshop factory. A trip to the doctor's can cost over two months worth of work. One Indian mother of two children who works at a factory that produces GAP, Polo, and H&M reported that when they do not have enough money, the family buys less food and skips breakfast for a month in order to pay for the children's schooling and other indispensable expenses.

Not only are current wages insufficient to meet workers' basic needs, the work environment is a constant danger to their health as well. Many of these factories took no effort to install proper ventilation in the workplace and fire escapes. Numerous workers reported that many of their co-workers would faint right on the floor, only to be given some water and forced to get back on the job again.

One metal pressing worker in the packaging department of a factory that produces logoed goods for universities such as Duke, University of Michigan, and UW-Madison had his index finger crushed in a machine. Not only did the factory refuse to pay his medical bills, they also did not give him compensation for the days of work he had to miss for recovery.

Universities have the power to take the lead in demonstrating to others that it is possible to manufacture apparel under sweat-free conditions. Luckily, the USAS has launched a recent campaign to unite colleges and universities in requiring licensees such as Adidas, Reebok, and Champion to exclusively produce their university-logoed clothing in "sweat-free" factories. The Designated Supplier Program (DSP) will put an end to the deterioration of wages and working conditions while creating a guaranteed market for factories that acknowledge internationally recognized worker rights standards. Under this proposal, these factories will be required to have an independent union that will finally give workers a chance to be heard. By assuring the world that sweat-free factories are possible and by providing rewarding incentives for factories that stand out in their respect for worker rights, the DSP is a big step forward for improving the global apparel industry.

Dozens of colleges and universities have already signed with the DSP. Syracuse, Columbia, Cornell, SUNY Albany, Smith, and the entire University of California system, to throw out a few.

Sadly, SUNY Binghamton is NOT on the list.

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Thousands of students across the nation have voluntarily participated in demonstrations that call for sweat-free collegiate apparel. So where have our student body been for the past few years? As a university renowned for its school spirit, surely we are not proud to wear sweatshop-made clothing on our backs. Rather, let us empower ourselves and join in the ranks to challenge corporal power and revolutionize campuses. It is about time we get off the sidelines and show that we too have a heart. For unlike sweatshop workers, our generation has the voice to advocate for change.

Now, you may think that adjustments for improvement will require a lot more money out of your wallets the next time you buy any college apparel and we all know that prices are bad enough as it is. However this is not the case! If brands decide to absorb some of the increased costs that go to workers' wages, price increases will be minimal. For instance, less than 1% of Nike's annual advertising budget of 1.4 billion dollars will double the wages of all of Nike's college apparel workers.

A 25 cent increase on current prices for the consumers will also double wages for workers. Chump change is all the difference between creating poverty and fighting it. So here is a challenging question for the students of Binghamton: what is a quarter more on a $40 hoodie to that of a free conscience?

I do not ask or expect the student body to rip off their clothing in anguish and perform gaudy acts of nudity in the name of morality. Alternately, I hope that my fellow Binghamtonians will break free from the lackluster routine of college life and actually consider those people that fall beyond the protective umbrella of modern society. Knowledge is power! Educate and open minds to those around you about sweatshops and labor issues in general. The next time you partake in purchasing college apparel, in fact any apparel, look and think beyond the labeling. United with one goal, let us exercise our power to invoke change on campus and hopefully in the not so distant future, SUNY Binghamton will be on the list for the DSP. Only then can we truly have pride in Binghamton University for having an active student body that cares not only for themselves but also for others around the world.

References: Bonacich, Edna. Esbenshade, Jill. Appelbaum, Richard. "The Essential Next Step in the Effort to End Sweatshops." <http://www.studentsagainstsweatshops.org/docs/ The_Essential_Next_ Step_in_the_Effort_to_End_Sweatshops.pdf> Sweatshop Watch: Empowering Workers, Informing Consumers (2007). <http://www.sweatshopwatch.org> United Students Against Sweatshops (2007). <http://www.studentsagainstsweatshops.org// index.php> Wikipedia (2007). Sweatshop. [Accessed February 19,2007] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweatshop>

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Asian Outlook

Rice and Kimchi for the Soul

by Elliot Won

Dying cold and hungry is one of the worst ways to die. In honor of the millions of dead and starved North Koreans, the SA group LiNK, Liberty in North Korea, organized a 10-day eating event in an effort to raise awareness. But this was no banquet. The participants of this event, officially named the North Korean Diet, were given a daily ration of a mere 250 grams of rice, the amount a "privileged" citizen of Pyongyang is given. I was one of the participants.

Every night, from February 1st through February 10th we visited a different dining hall, where we ate our handful of white rice, along with a small side dish of kimchi, in front of confused and curious diners. Some ignored us, some stared, some approached us with questions, and some just read the written facts on our black T-shirts from their seats. But everyone most certainly felt our presence. It's not everyday you see a group of 15 students clad in black, sitting together, eating rice and pungent cabbage for dinner.

The 250 grams of rice was divided into two portions: dinner and breakfast. After dinner, the participants were given 125 grams of rice and a packet of kimchi in plastic containers to take home with them, so that they could at least have breakfast, or in my case, a second dinner. However after every meal, hunger seemed to pierce deeper into our guts.

Even from the first day, the meals merely teased our stomachs and reminded us of what food was, but it never gave us satisfaction. By the second day, not a grain of rice survived from our small bowls. Hunger had settled in. I remember the night at Dickinson Dining hall: as I stared at my empty plastic container and searched for any morsel I missed, I looked up and glanced over at fellow LiNK member Terrence Kim. He too had finished. We just looked at each other and shook our heads. We needed more food.

Like a laptop with dying batteries, my body went into energy saving mode. Walking to classes had become a tough task, especially with the cold weather getting worse. I loathed getting my morning coffee from Dickinson dining hall, where the intoxicating aroma of pancakes, tater tots and ham nearly drove me insane. And except for the few minutes where I would wolf down my rice, I was cranky and pissed all the time. It was as though I hadn't had a good night's sleep in months.

An indirect consequence of not eating was the meals missed with my friends. These were usually the highlight of my day - sharing gossip about this girl and that guy, spraying water everywhere from your mouth because of an unexpectedly funny joke, eating a meal with your buddies - but for 10 days, I felt extremely isolated and depressed, but in the end it was worth it.

I knew we had done something right after our last dinner together at Mountainview dining hall. We had just finished eating, and, restless from my hunger, I put on my coat, covering my black LiNK T-shirt and walked downstairs. I was standing by the exit waiting for the other members, when a group of black students walked by, talking amongst themselves. I heard one say, "Oh my God! I can't believe that North Koreans only get that much food. That is so sad." My stern face melted away, and I let out a smile.

Although we were bushed, cranky, and underfed during our 10-day diet of scant rice and kimchi, knowing that we helped North Koreans who had experienced a lifetime of hunger by spreading our message filled my soul to the brim with a sense of satisfaction.

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Update on the Lunar New Year Man Fung Wong, ASU President For the past several semesters, the Asian Student Union has been working towards establishing the Lunar New Year as an official University holiday. A vital step in the negotiations is obtaining the support of the student body in our efforts. The SA elections were the best chance for the ASU to gauge student support via a referendum on the ballot. The referendum, however, was not placed on the ballot.

At the beginning of this semester, we resolved to tackle the Lunar New Year issue and continue our work from last year. After holding discussions with the administration, we determined that the best course of action would be to obtain the consensus of the student body on the matter at hand.

We were fortunate enough to receive help from several members of the SA in bringing a resolution that could be potentially placed on the ballot for the SA elections. Thus we began a campaign of promoting the elections and informing everyone of the resolution on the ballot.

As most of you know by now, the resolution was not included in the ballot. Upon examining both the entirety of the ballot, I was awestruck that the resolution that was promised to us was not there. The thought of other unaware students voting yes to a different resolution thinking it dealt with Lunar New Year filled me with disbelief and anger. This was supposed to be a milestone for us in that we can show the administration that the students on campus support our cause - support that will hopefully lead to future changes. Instead we were left with unanswered questions and broken promises.

What had transpired during the month between the draft and the election was that the SA decided that the best course of action was to place the question of Lunar New Year support into a student survey everyone received in their campus email as opposed to adding it to the ballot. We were somehow left out of that loop of information and continued on with our campaign uninformed of their decision. Apologies were made from the original sympathizers but those words will never measure up to the amount of work and effort we put into the movement. I can only hope that the members of the SA have learned the valuable lesson of disseminating information. One email could have saved many from the embarrassment and confusion of the mix-up.

I want to apology to every person who felt misled by what had transpired. Had we been informed of the change, we would have ensured that you the students were aware of it also. I hope for your continuing support of our organization throughout the rest of the semester, and hope to see you at any of our upcoming events.

3/17 3/21 3/23 3/24 4/13 4/14

4/20 BUJA Japan Night Mandela Room KASA Coffeehouse Susquehana room 7:30 4/21 TASC Taiwan Night 4/29 Mandela Room 6:30-10:30pm PAL Barrio 5/4 East Gym Relay for Life 5/5 Event Center KASA Korean Night

PAL Dance Workshop w/ ASU TBA CASU China Night West Gym BBQ w/ other Asian cultural groups Dickinson field PAL Arnis Workshop TBA PAL Annual Picnic TBA

4/15

PAL Game Night TBA 4/16-4/20 Asian Empowerment Week

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Asian Outlook

Full Circle: The Beating of John E. Lee On cover of the March 7, 2000 issue of pipe dream (referred to in lowercases back in the day), just underneath an article on NYPIRG's trip to Albany ran the headline, "Students face felony charges." The article reports that three members of the Binghamton wrestling team, Nicholas W. Richetti (19), Christopher M. Taylor (20), and an unnamed 18-year old, were arraigned the day before on charges of second degree gang assault in Vestal Town Court in connection with a brawl that took place in the early hours of a February morning outside of Onondaga Hall in College-in-theWoods (CIW) dorm community. Katie Ellis of the University's Media relations withheld comment on any disciplinary actions against the defendants.

From then on, the incident incited an avalanche of demonstrations, verbal assaults, administrative conflicts, and national media attention. Presented below is a timeline covering the attack and its aftermath, compiled from Pipe Dream articles, personal and official correspondences between University administrators and student government representatives, Asian-interest websites, and several periodicals.

by Peter Lam noting that the victims were Asian-Americans.

Joseph Romani, Broome County's senior assistant district attorney, expresses that race may have been a motivating factor for the crime.

--Lois DeFleur releases a letter to the university community addressing the incident, reiterating the school's stance against racial violence, "â&#x20AC;Śviolence and bigotry have no place on our campus." The letter goes on by describing the steps the university has taken since the attack.

From the beginning of the incident, Binghamton administrators have been providing assistance to the victims and others affected. The office of student affairs has been working with them from the moment the incident was reported to ensure their immediate and long-term needs were addressed.

March 10: --The Asian Student Union (ASU) announces that it will host a forum on March 14 to address crimes against Asians and other minorities. Peter Van Do, February 27, 2000: --Nicholas Richetti, Christopher Taylor and an 18 year ASU president, states the goal of the forum is to educate. Sin Yen Ling, a lawyer from the Asian American old later revealed to be Chad Scott, all Caucasian members of the wrestling team, throw a lighter at John Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) who is E. Lee and Rexford Hong, Korean-American students representing three of the four victims, will be present to speak and answer questions. Van Do declines waiting for their friends outside of Onondaga Hall.

They are reported to have yelled "You damn Chinks!" commentary on the ASU's stance concerning the posas they accosted the pair. Lee and Hong's friends ran sibility of racial motives behind the assault. out of the building to assist but can do little as Lee is --The first piece of commentary on the CIW attack kicked in the head as he lay on the ground. His three appears in the Opinion section of Pipe Dream, criticizing the university for its delayed response as well as friends receive little to no injury. The three wrestlers its hesitation to comment on the matter. flee the scene, shouting "This is what you get for being Chinks!" University Police bring Lee to the hos- --Rizalene Zabala, Co-Academic Vice President of ASU, releases a commentary on DeFleur's letter, also pital. He is admitted with a fractured skull, internal attacking the administration's slow response and hemorrhaging, and a cerebral concussion. implying that the victim's ethnicity played a role.

March 7: --Pipe Dream runs the story on its front page.Richetti "Honestly, if it were another student of a different ethnic background the administration would have acted and Taylor plead innocent at an arraignment hearing quickly. It took the Administration two weeks to say on second degree assault charges in Vestal Town Court the previous day. The plea of the third defendant anything. This cannot be tolerated." She also suggests creating a more diverse counseling program by is kept confidential because of his young age. including a staff member with a background in Asian It is also revealed that Richetti will be facing third and Asian American culture. degree assault charges for his involvement in a fight just hours before the attack on campus.

March 9: --The Press and Sun-Bulletin covers the story,

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The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, otherwise known as AALDEF, is a national organization that works to protect the civil rights of Asian Americans. They tackle diverse issues such as immigration, affirmative action, and voting rights. In addition, they fight against hate crimes, economic injustice, and human trafficking.

AALDEF organizes workshops on various topics to inform immigrants about citizenship and educate parents about their children's rights in the public school system. For example, AALDEF represented a Chinese American student who was forced to graduate earlier than other students in Lafayette High School in Brooklyn. AALDEF also strives to defend affirmative action for Asian Americans in the education system despite the widespread belief that Asian Americans don't need any help. The inaccurate portrayal of Asian Americans being "whiz kids" and a "model minority" have made people view affirmative action as unnecessary.

Not only does AALDEF provide legal counseling and information, they work to bring attention and awareness to the injustice brought upon Asian Americans. Recently, AALDEF has worked with other organizations to fight violence and discrimination that Muslims and South Asian people have encountered after the attack on the World Trade Center. In another case, AALDEF have defended a Korean immigrant student in Queens who was assaulted on school grounds. The influence of AALDEF extends to the workplace as well. On January 23, 2007, they helped a Korean church janitor win a thirty-two thousand dollar settlement for unpaid overtime.

These battles show that with thirty years of the organization's existence, AALDEF has become vital to protecting and empowering the Asian American community. http://www.aaldef.org --Jarucha Jiradacharoen

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March 14: --Up to 500 students and faculty attended the open forum along with local media coverage and several Korean newspapers from New York City. The ASU questioned the administration's plans to address racial hate crimes as well as their apparent lack of action concerning the attack.

March 15: --Over 500 students attend a "Rally Against Racist Violence," co-hosted by the ASU and the Intercollegiate Awareness Committee (ICA). An ASU statement at the event demands a call to arms, "let us be a testament that all the different Asian/AsianAmerican groups on this campus will no longer tolerate any form of neither racism nor racial violence committed against us!" The demonstrators then march to Couper Administration Building and occupy the first two floors. Six student leaders (Peter Van Do, May Nazareno, Faheed Michelen, Jason Kim, Liz Wolterink and Rizalene Zabala) meet with the upper administration, including President DeFleur, for the first of three meetings to present a set of six demands. Chad Scott, the youngest of the three assailants, is revealed to have participated in a racially-motivated incident at a Denny's restaurant nearby campus.

The student leaders learn that the University was advised not to make an immediate statement by their lawyers. Lee's parents were not contacted and it is unsure if they arrived in Binghamton at all. Lee was also not informed that he could receive 'Incompletes' for his classes in order to recuperate in the hospital.

He checked out two days after being admitted so as to not fail his classes. According to one undated online source, the ASU expressed concerns of an end to communications between the students and the school, as well as the possibility of "tapping our campus phone calls and reading/deleting our campus email services."

March 24: --President DeFleur releases another letter to the university community, stating that the Intercollegiate Athletics Board will be assisting Athletic Director Joel Thirer in reviewing the wrestling program.

--Van Do receives a letter from Mr. Anderson addressed to his campus mailbox, informing him that Dr. Elizabeth Droz, director of the University Counseling Center, has already started drafting a position description to search for a viable Asian American candidate for the following fiscal year. He also informs him that he will be contacted shortly to hear his input on the search.

--Van Do receives another letter from Mr. Anderson concerning rumors of censorship. The President's office had received an email from a student at

Asian Outlook

Bryn Mawr College criticizing the handling of the April 3: attack. Included was the question: "Why is your school --Six representatives of the ASU meet with administracutting off e-mail account access to students and to tors for the second time to discuss the previously-prethe Asian-American advisor at Binghamton?" sented six demands. A majority of the meeting was Computing Services confirms that no such actions spent discussing future meetings, agendas, and took place, and Mr. Anderson requests that Van Do minute-taking. President DeFleur did not stay for the help dispel the rumors so that "we may focus our ener- entire meeting. Only one of the demands was presentgies on the important substantive matters we begun to ed before the meeting was ended on account of a preaddress at our initial meeting on March 15, 2000." vious engagement of Dr. Summers. They agree to March 26: meet again on April 12.

--The New York Times publishes an article on the CIW April 11: attack in the Metro section titled, "SUNY Binghamton --During the last SA town meeting of the year, Vice is Criticized Over Anti-Asian Attack." The article notes President of Multicultural Affairs (VPMA) May that the Federal Nazareno introduced Bureau of the bill "The adminisInvestigation tration must be held has been examaccountable," which ining whether addresses the uniLee's civil rights versity's response to were violated. In the CIW assault by response to the having the SA suptardiness of the port the ASU's list of University's demands to the response, Dr. administration.

Rodger Assembly members Summers, Vice questioned several President for points, including the Student Affairs, demand for a full disis quoted as closure of the universaying, "One sity's actions in prothing I told the viding remediation group of stufor Lee. The debate dents was that if degenerated into we had compropersonal attacks, mised the invesending with tigation, then Nazareno's ejection we'd have no from the meeting. case, and then April 12: you really would --ASU representahave been tives meet with angry with us." administrators for the March 27: last time. According --Student to an ASU press Association release written the (SA) president following semester: Jordan Fox releases a statement addressed to all student groups [At the third meeting] administrators dison campus describing the SA's actions in response to cussed the need for controlling student the CIW assault. They include an open discussion with news to the press. Students left the third the Athletic Department, University Relations and meeting after experiencing continued presStudent Affairs at the next Student Assembly meeting. sure infringing on their freedom of speech, He expresses his concerns on the poor turnout in past along with demands from their constituenmeetings and hopes that these next several meetings cies in wanting the next meeting to be open will have a better attendance. to the public.

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The press release then accuses the administration of releasing false information to the public, citing that the Lee family repudiated President DeFleur's letter to the university on March 9th on the steps the university has taken following the incident; rather, the school did little to help the victim and his family.

April 14: --Dr. Summers contacts the six student leaders to follow up on the abbreviated meeting on April 12. He expresses his regret on their departure and attaches a memo released earlier that addresses the ASU's demands.

April 26: --Dr. Summers, on behalf of the administrators who spoke with the six student leaders in previous meetings, rejects an invitation from ASU President Van Do to attend an open forum later that evening. The invitation reads as follows:

April 27: --Following a Press and Sun-Bulletin article on an oncampus event led by the ASU, Mr. Anderson attempts to contact ASU President Van Do, reiterating his concerns from an April 20th letter to make the proper preparations for the planned rally the following day.

April 29: --The inter-collegiate rally, entitled "No More Hate" is attended by Binghamton students and faculty, as well as representatives from Cornell, the SA of SUNY, and other universities and organizations. Several speakers addressed the issue of hate crimes, including Luiz Lee, brother of John E. Lee. Luiz expressed his disappointment with Binghamton's response to the attack. The rally ends with a candlelight vigil for all victims of hate crimes.

May 2: --Pipe Dream reports that judicial hearings of the three attackers were complete.

Nicholas Richetti was found Hello Lois, Rodger, David, responsible for five counts of abuse as defined in the John, and Lloyd, Rules of Student Conduct and was expelled from the There will be an Open Meeting with you all and the six University. He was ordered to pay for Lee's medical student representatives this Wednesday April 26, 2000 expenses as well. Chad Scott was found responsible for three counts of abuse and has been expelled until West Lounge @ 7pm Fall 2002. The third defendant, Christopher Taylor, was not found guilty of any abuse and was allowed to We hope to continue our dialogue. remain at the University. The three still face criminal charges.

We'll see you there.

May 5: --Several members of the ASU are quoted in Pipe Peter Van Do Dream expressing their dissatisfaction with the judiciAsian Student Union ary board's decision to expel Scott for two years, stating that they were too lenient. ASU Academic Vice In his response, Dr. Summers accuses Van Do of President Zabala said she was more disturbed by the "repeatedly [placing] roadblocks in the way of good faith negotiations," referring to the abrupt end of their University's apparent "hush-hush" approach to the attack. last meeting and subsequent silence. He goes on: May 9: The tone and timing of your "invitation"â&#x20AC;Ś --The cover of Pipe Dream covers the comments of was received after the close of business on several faculty members on recent events. Assistant Tuesday, April 25. It strongly indicates that Professor Tiffany Patterson of the history department your strategy in proposing the meeting was says the attack on February 27 "was only a matter of not to continue our dialogue, but to create a time" with the racial tensions she has witnessed on situation in which substantive communicacampus. The late Professor John Arthur of the Politics, tion and negotiation would be entirely Philosophy and Law program is not entirely convinced impossible. We choose not to join you in the attack was racially motivated and questions if the this obvious attempt to manipulate and tactics of the ASU were warranted. He also is unsure politicize our commitment to meaningful if the different cultural groups on campus serve to meetings.

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unite or divide the student body.

--The ASU takes out an ad in Pipe Dream, criticizing the university for its lax disciplinary actions against the three wrestlers.

--John Hachtel, Associate Vice President for University Relations, writes an Opinion piece in response to Zabala's quotes in the May 5 issue of Pipe Dream. He refutes the "hush-hush" policies she implies, pointing at steps the University has taken to address the issue as well as a forwarded memo shortly following the Judicial Board's decision explaining the results.

September 12: --Dr. Summers releases a list of New Initiatives for the 2000 - 2001 academic year. The list includes provisions to increase communication with the student body, a direct result of the CIW assault during the previous spring, as well as the establishment of a Multicultural Resource Center. Rizalene Zabala, who has now been elected President of the ASU, expresses subdued satisfaction with the University's actions, expecting to see more in the future.

--In response to last semester's demand for an Asian-American counselor, Pipe Dream reports that Dr. Droz of the University Counseling Center is experiencing difficulty in finding an appropriate candidate for the position.

left the university to pursue a teaching career shortly afterwards.

--John E. Lee remained a student at Binghamton following the attack.

--On September 20, 2000, over 200 students, faculty, and community members attended a forum in Newing Community. The event focused on the events that started on September 5th when a swastika drawn with human feces was found in a stall in a third-floor Bingham bathroom. More swastikas were discovered over the course of several days. The forum emphasized cooperation between students to stop the incidents of hate. The new VPMA Devin Brooks-Soso underscored the problem of unity by noting that a majority of Jewish students in attendance did not participate in the hate crimes protest rally of the previous semester.

Persistence of Memory

This timeline of events took two months of compiling to complete, and, as is the case of anyone engaged in such activities, it comes up in conversation as I complained about my workload to others. Every time the case of John E. Lee was mentioned it was met with shock, followed by a sense of relief once I informed the person that this took place in February of 2000. It truly boggles my The Aftermath: mind how the impact of such a heinous act of racial --Chad Scott was sentenced to 50 hours of community violence could be lessened over the course of seven service for second-degree assault and ordered to pay short years. I'm willing to wager that anyone reading $2,500 to Lee to cover his medical expenses. He this can recall with decent accuracy what he or she served no jail time. It is unknown if he reapplied for was doing around this time seven years ago. admission after serving his two-year expulsion.

Of course, I can't hold it against the students I --Nicholas Richetti served eight weekends in jail with spoke with to have been aware of Lee's beating. It probation after pleading guilty to the lesser charge of came to my attention through a serendipitous discovthird-degree assault. ery at the close of last semester when I was exploring --Christopher Taylor pled guilty to disorderly conduct the depths of the ASU storage room, where I hapand remained a student at Binghamton. pened to have come across the press release that --The Counseling Center hired an Asian-American described the incident. It took several more weeks counselor in the Fall semester of 2000. However, he before a folder containing the correspondence between Van Do and the university administration

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administration was dug up. It's rather distressing that such historically valuable documents had to be "dug up" in the first place, which I suppose speaks for the overall awareness of the student body these days.

What makes this case worthy of being recounted involves the old adage of history repeating itself. As mentioned in the Aftermath, swastikas were found in Newing only a month after the demonstrations and public outrage over the CIW beating. After holding a public forum to discuss the matter, they were found again across the street in Dickinson Community the following month. This case should sound familiar to the reader: this past fall, Justin Friedman, a sophomore transfer student, was sighted scrawling racist graffiti on several doors in Hinman to "raise awareness," citing a personal history of being verbally attacked for being Jewish. He said, "If I put this out there, maybe people will realize racism and anti-Semitism is still an issue and we have to deal with it."

While Friedman obviously did not think out his brash act, it forces one to consider what it takes to get this campus to examine issues such as this. It would be naĂŻve to say that a racial attack such as the CIW case would not happen this day and age (I still consider 2000 to be this age), and Friedman's actions are certainly not as extreme as the three wrestler's assault, but they are comparable in that both express subdued racial tensions that burst forth in the most despicable of means. It does not bode well for the state of mind of the average undergraduate at our university. Why does the status quo need to be shaken to its very core in order to discuss the latent social unrest that we've seem to have so conveniently forget?

Racism and social injustices still exist, even if these events get pushed to the back of the main section of the Times. It's not until an outrageous occurrence such as the excessive use of firepower to subdue a minority suspect or the brutal slaying of an immigrant worker in a botched mugging attempt do we receive the slap to the face to wake us from our blissfully apathetic daze and finally respond. Unfortunately, the feeling is shortlived, as time quickly lulls us back to slumber. Was Professor Patterson correct in saying that these sorts of incidences are truly inevitable because of our denial of the issue?

Even if we do finally rouse ourselves to act, we must examine the actions that were taken in the Spring of 2000. The communication between the ASU and the university deteriorated just as quickly as the outrage over the university's response built up. Although the week-long delay in addressing the incident to the public was insensitive, the militant display of anger on the part of the ASU is hardly conducive to active discussions. Even if we accept the March 15th occupation

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occupation of the Administration Building as a justified step to force an immediate response from the university, it hardly justifies the open war against the administration. The school was responsive to the demands of the student leaders in their first meeting, agreeing to hire an Asian American counselor and to listen to the rest of their demands in a later meeting.

However, passions flared as rumors spread over the possibilities of censorship and inaccurate portrayals of remediation on the part of the administration.

Evidently, the administration was unprepared for such a sudden display of activism and rage when the lines of communication between student groups and the university nearly disintegrated on April 26th in Dr. Summers' response to Van Do's admittedly inconsiderate invitation to reopen discussions. One can only speculate what the motivation was for the ASU President to resist discussions with the school. Even with the alleged censorship talk in their last meeting and the Lee family's objection to the school's statement, it does little good to express disdain with poor communication of information while refusing to continue communications to atone for Lee's grievances.

If the spirit of public concern were to revive itself, it must be for the right reasons. An Opinion piece by Lana Delos Santos, a sophomore at the time of Lee's beating, makes this point clear: Obviously, protestors want something. They must have demands. But are those demands truly feasible? Or are they protesting for something that cannot be granted without other setbacks to our school?

Ironically, many protestors cannot even tell a bystander their demands "off the top of their heads." Upon enquiring what the demands were from a number of people, a bystander left without a clue. At least some of the people who protest have no idea what they are asking for.

May 9, 2000 Should we all rise up and attend rallies and demonstrations, it does little good if it were simply a "trend."

The whole purpose behind activism is lost if the cause is unknown, making the activists no better than an angry mob. This reasoning arises when we look at the aftermath of one particular point in the ASU's list of demands. Demand Three called for the hiring of a counselor trained in Asian and AsianAmerican affairs. While this demand was fulfilled the following semester, it was quickly lost once the counselor left the school to pursue a teaching career. All the demonstrations, protesting, and political

Asian Outlook

maneuvering that followed the tragedy of Lee's beating were forgotten once those directly involved in the movement had graduated. Not only that, but it appears that even when they were there, a lack of cohesion existed between minority students in support of the fight, as evident in the response at the forum following the anti-Semitic vandalism that Fall.

While I am hardly one to call the student body to arms once again, I must pursue my duties as a leader of a cultural group here on campus. Professor Arthur questioned the role our groups play in uniting the student body. Jason Kim, president of the Korean American Student Association and one of the student leaders who met with the administration in 2000, thought otherwise, reminding us that, "[cultural groups] make yesterday's news as important and relevant as that of five days ago or even of five years ago." Consider this piece a fulfillment of that duty.

Sources: Pipe Dream The New York Times Asian Week Asianam.org Personal correspondences

Everything You Didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Know About Homosexuality in China by Yi Cheung "Homosexuality is a mental disorder." That was the general consensus of the Chinese Psychiatric Association - until 2001, when homosexuality was finally removed from their list of mental disorders. Before that, the Chinese government enforced the belief that homosexuality was an illness that could be cured through electric shock and similar types of therapeutic treatment. Not only is this unrealistic, but it is also ludicrous.

Unfortunately, policies like these don't exactly depict China as a pioneer of radical changes, but that wasn't always the case. In ancient China, homosexuality was ubiquitous and more widely accepted than it is today.

China was progressive and tolerant back in the day, so much so that homosexual Europeans actually moved to China because they wanted to live in a country more tolerant of their sexual orientation. It is surprising that Westerners actually thought of China as somewhat "revolutionary," but before China could pat itself on the back, homosexuality became a widely accepted taboo in the 20th century.

So what changed, why are homosexuals in China more afraid to come of the closet today than they were in the past? Some critics blame the appearance of homophobia in China on the influx of Western culture and Christianity.

Unlike Christianity, Chinese religions and traditions such as Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism do not directly condemn homosexuality. But wait - doesn't Confucianism enforce the ideals of marriage between a man and a woman? While that may be true, there was nothing in Confucius' teachings against being a bisexual. In the past, the Chinese maneuvered around their principles by creating these types of tricky loopholes.

Confucius' teachings stressed the importance of being dutiful, and as long as a man was able to complete his duty of spawning a son, then his sexual preferences were not of great importance. Male homosexuals and bisexuals would engage in heterosexual marriages; at the same time, they would have male lovers outside the home. This was one of the greatest compromises Chinese people made between their beliefs and their sexual orientation. It is a lifestyle that dates back to the Western Han dynasty (206 BC-24 AD).

In Taoism, same sex love is considered to be an imbalance between the ying and yang. Yang is the masculine component, and Ying is the feminine component. However, for centuries the Chinese have gotten around this with the idea that a relationship between a man and an effeminate man can actually uphold the ying-yang balance.

Buddhism does not have a stance on homosexuality, but that's because the Buddhist stance on sexuality is to be rid of it altogether, along with all of our other worldly desires. Despite this, the Buddhist idea

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of reincarnation did influence a fictional Chinese story about same sex love that resulted because the wife was reincarnated as a man. Keep in mind that this story is just one of the many Chinese stories out there about homosexual love.

Some consider the China's history of homosexuality shameful and have kept it relatively hush-hush; however, it's impossible to run away from it because homosexuality in China has been depicted in history, literature, myths, poems, and even in erotic paintings.

In literature, homosexual relations were often depicted between that of an older man and a youthful male.

This is supported by the collection of homoerotic paintings from both the Ming (1368- 1644) and the Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911). Surprisingly, these painted scrolls survived the 20th century, but because the paintings are graphic, those interested may view them at their own discretion.

Among folklore, one of the most popular stories is that of Hu Tian Bao, the god of male love. Hu Tian Bao was a human who fell in love with a government official. But because he was caught peeping, he was tortured to death.

The underworld officials decided that since his crime was an act of love, he would be appointed a god that protected male love. A temple was built in his honor to offer a sanctuary for homosexuals who sought help and advice from their god.

Historically, even men who held powerful government positions were open about their homosexuality.

According to "History of Chinese Homosexuality," nearly all of the emperors of the Western Han dynasty had male lovers. The Han dynasty (206 BC- 220 AD) was known for its prosperity; it was during this period that both homosexuality and bisexuality were widely accepted and recorded.

Much of the historical evidence of homosexuality has been dated to the Han dynasty. In 2002, the Hong Kong Museum of History placed on display ancient bronze phallus, a sexual aid known today as a "dildo." The phallus was believed to be used among the frustrated concubines who lived in the palace as well as among the homosexual females. However, lesbianism throughout Chinese history is far less documented than homosexuality among men.

Among the well-known homosexual men in history, there were three main historical figures, Mizi Xia, Dong Xian, and Long Yang, who coined the Chinese terms for homosexuality.

Mizi Xia was the favorite of Duke Ling of Wei. One day, Mizi Xia bit into a peach, and upon finding that it was extremely sweet, offered it to the ruler who was touched by Mizi Xia's gesture. Today, a Chinese term for homosexuality is fentao, meaning "shared peach."

Dong Xian was the male lover of Emperor Ai of the Han dynasty. Emperor Ai often neglected his official duties to cater to Dong Xian. One night, Dong Xian fell asleep on Emperor Ai's arm and, not wanting to wake him to pull his arm away, cut off his own sleeve. Hence, a euphemistic term for homosexuality is duan xiu zhi pi, which means "passion of the cut sleeve."

Long Yang was a favorite of the Duke of Wei during the Warring States period. The ruler declared that anyone who praised the beauty of someone over Long Yang would be sentenced to death. Same-sex interest in men was later referred to as "interest in Long Yang." Today, the term long yang is also a slang word that refers to the act of sodomy.

Although sodomy was first criminalized during the mid-Ming dynasty, it was not strictly enforced, making its ban ineffective until the Communist rule of Mao Ze Dong. Mao Ze Dong led the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), a movement during which homosexuals were actively persecuted. The police regularly abused and charged homosexuals with accusations of hooliganism. Since there were no laws protecting homosexuals, many remained in the closet and continued to do so to modern day. Up until just recently, homosexual men in China lived most of their lives without a male partner in fear of the shame and persecution it would bring them and their families.

Today, China is slowly taking steps forward to endorse the "open door" policy on homosexuality.

Unfortunately, since the Cultural Revolution, China has taken a huge step back and, for a while, China decided to persecute homosexuals instead of accepting them. In order to reform, China needs to reverse the damages and to be just as radical as she was back in her younger days. And perhaps this small step into the past will become one huge step for China towards a better and more tolerant future.

Sources: "History of Homosexuality." Shanghai Star. Accessed 17 Feb 2007. <http://www.china.org.cn/english/2002/Oct/44940.htm>.

"The History of Male-Male Love in China from 6th century BCE through the 18th century." Accessed 17 Feb 2007. <http://www.colorq.org/Articles/article.aspx?d=qhistory&x=chinresource2>.

"Brief History of Chinese homosexuality." Accessed 17 Feb 2007. <http://www.chinaontv.com/ArtDetail.aspx?pi=2&sm=37&ai=776&ei=>.

"China." Accessed 17 Feb 2007. <http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/china,8.html>.

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Asian Outlook

The Hallyu Wave: Korean Mediaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Domination in Asia

by Jarucha Jiradacharoen Nowadays, many Asian teenage girls are swooning over Rain and Se7en. On websites such as YouTube, one can see the ferocious debate on who is better in terms of body, dance moves, and voice. Of course, the mention of who is cuter or hotter (whichever word you prefer to use) drives never-ending arguments between the die-hard fans of the two singers.

Girls also go on forums and discuss the latest Korean drama that they have stayed up all night to finish. It all started around the new millennium when Korean dramas were exported to China. Soon, the term "Hallyu Wave" was coined by Beijing journalists to describe the overwhelming popularity of Korean culture.

Not only did it sweep over Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, it also struck smaller Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines. However, one place it hasn't been able to sweep into is American shores.

It is not surprising that Asian culture doesn't receive much attention in America. Since American music and movies dominate the world market, it is very difficult for Asian artists to be successful internationally despite the fact that they may be superstars in their own countries. Countless Asian singers have tried to branch out but with dismal or mediocre results. For example, Tata Young, who is called "Thailand's Britney Spears," has released two English albums. Her song "Sexy, Naughty, Bitchy" from her English debut album, I Believe, reached the Oricon Charts and Zip FM charts in Japan. Although she may have done well in East and Southeast Asia, it is unlikely that American teenagers would know her name or her face. Despite the fact that Tata Young does have talent, her attempt to be a sexpot like Britney Spears is troubling. Just watch one of her music videos and you'll know what I mean. The problem with many Asian artists is that they are trying to follow the footsteps of American singers. This only leads to harsh criticism from the American music industries who then claim that Asians don't have any style and originality.

Currently, both Rain and Se7en are trying to change the stigma associated with Asian artists through their expected debut in the United States debut in 2007. However, the language barrier may prove to be too much. Frankly, Rain is not as fluent in English as Se7en but that didn't stop thousands of Rain's fans from going to Madison Square Rain Garden to see him. Keep in mind though that most of his fans are Korean Americans and not white people. It is unlikely that they will be successful unless American girls suddenly decide that Asian males are hotter than the likes of Justin Timberlake and Usher. But we will have to wait and see if their English albums will be able to create a ripple through the American music industry.

Coincidently, Rain has stated that he idolizes Usher and that is not a bad thing. I have watched many of Rain's music videos and his moves and clothes do reflect the R&B and hip hop style that Usher is known for. White people may brush him off as another "wannabe" even though he tries to differentiate himself, but Rain and Se7en have a good chance to become more wellknown amongst the Asian Americans. After all, every time Rain bears his chest and struts his goods, you are bound to hear Asian girls sigh and shriek with desire.

To become a superstar, entertainers have to be very diverse and flexible in terms of transitioning from singing to acting and vice versa. Rain acknowledges that his popularity throughout Asia is due to his role in the drama, Full House. After the drama was aired, he became a household name outside of Korea. Many applauded his excellent chemistry with the lead actress, Song Hye-kyo, as well as his believable portrayal of a stubborn rising actor with a good heart.

Se7en has already made a step into acting with his lead role in Goong S which started airing in January of 2007. The drama is a spin-off of Goong or Princess Hours which is based on the idea that Korea has a royal family in the 21st century. Goong S has the ability to push Se7en into the forefront of the Hallyu Wave.

Full House definitely wasn't the first Korean drama that received widespread attention in Asia. Before

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that, everyone was talking about Dae Jang Geum or The Jewel in the Palace. It was quite successful in spreading Korean culture through its portrayal of the life of the first female royal doctor in the Joseon Dynasty.

Personally, I didn't understand all the hype over it and felt that it dragged on for too long. My Name is Kim Sam-soon which was released in 2005 became a big hit because it shattered the stereotypical image of an innocent and subdued Asian woman. Indeed, the main character who bears the drama's name is outspoken, a bit vulgar, and supposedly "fat." It is understandable that she became a role model for Asian women everywhere because they can see a bit of themselves in her. Maybe part of the mass appeal of Korean drama is the fact that it shows that women can be strong and independent.

The infectious love for Korean culture is not limited to only young girls but older people as well. The fact that Korean drama can be both heartwarming and sad draws in people of all ages.

Needless to say, it can also be overly dramatic. Themes of childhood love, family, and social status are repeated. These themes help make Korean drama popular among non-Koreans because similar values are embedded into every Asian culture. It distinguishes Korean drama from American soap operas which have horrendously fake storylines. I don't even know how these soaps manage to stay on television for more than a decade. Korean drama, on the other hand, continues to be refreshing and delightful despite the typical plot of having a third and fourth wheel in the mix. Besides, females can't resist going "aww" and shedding a few tears along the way when they watch all the troubles the couple goes through. Admit it, we're all suckers for a good love story (guys included).

Despite the boom in Korean entertainment, the Hallyu Wave may be facing setbacks because other Asian countries are limiting the import of dramas. In Taiwan, the government considered preventing foreign dramas from being broadcast during primetime because their ratings are exceeding those of locally produced dramas. A Japanese manga called Hyom-hallyu, which means "Anti-Korean Wave," became a big hit. The manga is about a high school student who realizes that Korean culture is ugly. Although the basis for the manga is understandable, calling someone's culture "ugly" is unacceptable. This kind of statement only fuels animosity between the two sides. Some Asian countries such as China are dissatisfied that the Hallyu Wave is a one way street. And others feel that Koreans are trying to project their culture onto other Asians. It is pointless for countries to hate on each other when it would be much more productive to promote the spread of Asian culture as a whole.

Asians are no longer as interested in American entertainment as they were in the past, when anything "American" seemed cool. Instead, Asian people are now modeling themselves after Koreans in appearance and fashion. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as long as they do not go overboard and decide to undergo plastic surgery to look more Korean. It is one thing to appreciate another culture but it is a different story to wish to become one of them. Maybe this is why other Asian countries fear that the Hallyu Wave may have too much influence on their people.

Some people argue that Korea's strong nationalism might offend China and Japan and thereby have a negative effect on the Hallyu Wave. Others believe that the Hallyu Wave is a fad that will disappear with time.

However, as long as other countries keep enjoying Korean dramas, movies, and music, the Hallyu wave will continue to have an impact on Asia.

More importantly, the Hallyu Wave has the potential to unite Asians. It may help dispel the idea that American culture is superior to everyone else's. Even though the Hallyu Wave is still going strong, there are signs that its peak has passed. The revenues for Korean films in Japan had decreased by eighty-three percent from 2005 to 2006. This is shocking considering that Japan was one of the biggest importers of Korean entertainment. The possibility that the Hallyu Wave will break out in the U.S. is very slim. Honestly, the majority of white people don't seem to care about Asian culture that much. However, there are signs that the Hallyu Wave is emerging in places in the Middle East, India, and even Russia. So go on, give Korean drama a chance if you have never done so. Who knows? You might be pleasantly surprised at how addictive it can be.

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Asian Outlook

Being White in an Asian World

by Brian Schulman

The more places I visit, the more names I As a white person I wasn't frequently seen as someencounter for the same thing. I've been called white, body that could become part of the regular social fabhalf Russian, half Swedish, cracker, gaijin, and ric. It wasn't actual racism so much as an exclusion American, sometimes with positive emphasis and that just took for granted that I didn't fit in. Perhaps I sometimes with emphasis that is clearly negative. Until didn't, but I find it strange that having different color 2003, I spent most of my time in upstate New York, but skin would somehow make people certain of their since then I've lived alternately on three different conti- incompatibility before having even greeted one anothnents, spending anywhere from days to more than a er. year in any given country, learning what there is to To illustrate, I'll call upon an example from a learn about life there. Invariably, there are ideas that Japanese TV show. Anybody interested in Japan precede me; stereotypes and emotions that, for many should have heard about the drama "Densha Otoko," people, I end up personifying. As soon as I've revealed or Train Man. It's a series about an extreme social outthat I'm American, Western Europeans tend to greet cast that manages to find love and acceptance, primame with a complete set of misgivings already in place. rily through determination and what appears to be a In Japan, on the other hand, complete willingness to debase himself in regardless of actual heritage, front of others. In Japan, there are partwhite people are usually seen time workers on every corner, handing as American by virtue of their out small packages of tissues branded whiteness, and granted a with the name of a restaurant or other strange appreciation, accomestablishment. Their goal, of course, panied by a certain distance. would be to hand out as many as possiHaving lived in Japan ble in hopes that at least somebody for a year and a half total, I've would be persuaded to stop by and have come to untangle, at least to a bite to eat or get a massage (actual some degree, the strange masseuses are strangely common in web of racial politics and perJapan) from the place being advertised. ception that exists there.

However, to make clear the Train Man's Having come from a nation complete ostracization from society, he is that is, perhaps more so than shown walking up to one of these partany other nation on earth, a timers, hand out to receive some tissues, nation of diversity, Japan is, only to have the tissues snatched back. It in contrast, a nation that is isn't done spitefully either, the workers almost universally Japanese. simply fail to acknowledge him as a Since I spent my first four human being. Only after he has learned months there in what was, essentially, a rural area, the how to dress better does he get the tissues. For me, I situation was even more drastic. I can understand the faced this exact scenario nearly every single day, and unblinking stares I often received on the train consid- changing clothes didn't make it any better. ering I may have been the first white person those And yet, this isn't a criticism. This is just an commuters had ever seen in real life. And yet, the con- observation. Though I thought myself tolerant, and a stant staring began to wear on me. As my ability to member of an overall tolerant society, I still exist within understand and speak Japanese developed, my desire a social group that, by nature, would draw its boundto participate was countered by the fact that I was aries somewhere. I have made efforts to understand always seen as a novelty. As a white person, nobody many different cultures, and I actually consider myself assumed I could speak any Japanese and, although more of a citizen of the world than of any specific somewhat rare, depending on the location, I've been nation at this point, American passport be damned, but insulted or even directly challenged by people that I know that at some point I may have excluded anothwere certain I couldn't respond. I take that sort of er in the same way. Having had my eyes opened, I experience as a part of any place you choose to go, hope that this piece, in some ways can open others' but what really bothered me was the constant barrier eyes, and make them a bit more understanding of the to participation. perspective and feelings of the foreigner in their midst.

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The Tall Tales of ... Me Female, 5'9'', and Asian.

Wait, what? One would think that's an oxymoron, but...

No. That's the story of my life.

by Lali Ha

ing volleyball because I'm so tall? Is there a special purpose to my height? Is that everything I am?

I kept all of these questions to myself. I didn't think it was worth confronting random peopleâ&#x20AC;Śuntil the day my mind snapped.

I've always been the tall kid growing up. My "OH MY GOD LALI! nicknames consisted of She's so tall! Look at her! anything that would remind She's too tall!" my friends of long things chopstick, lollypop, and altiIt had been the second tude. Seeing friends and time I had met my exrelatives served as constant boyfriend's mom. That's how reminders of how much she greeted me in front of my taller I was than everyone ex and his friend. I didn't else. Adults would look in know what to do or say to shock and ask what I had that. I turned around and eaten to make myself grow looked at my then-boyfriend that tall. The thing with with an expression that could Korean relatives was that only be described as "WTF is going on here?" Not to they had no shame, and they often felt me in amazemention the anger and confusion I felt when I heard the ment, which made me uncomfortable at times. I was so all-too-familiar too tall used in the same sentence. All I big that I was almost banned from entering Chuck E. did was say "Hi!" All she did was mention how ridiculousCheese's in the 2nd grade -- the staff there thought that I ly tall I was, like I didn't belong there â&#x20AC;Ś like I shouldn't be was trying to steal pizza at a 2nd grader's birthday party. with my boyfriend.

Many times I awoke and found myself catching up to my What is this sick need to point out height differdad's height; it seemed like I had insane growth spurts ences? Most people would not comment about a short every year. There were times when I couldn't buy clothesperson's stature because it's a rude thing to do. How because of my long arms and torso. It's a lot easier now, about tall people? How is it fine to comment about as stores offer lengthier tops, but being a teenager and something that I had no control over and talk about it like wearing clothes that looked like hand-me-downs caused it's your business? Is it because you're self-conscious me a lot of frustration about yours? Are you just trying to get back at your nitDon't get me wrong though; I liked being tall. I picky Asian mom who criticized you for not drinking was, in no shape or form, ashamed of my distinct attrib- enough milk? Should I ask you why you're so damn ute. I simply accepted it as a difference, like the color of short? one's pupils, hair, skin, and so forth. However, things My point is that I just want people to stop and started to change a lot the year I stepped into college. think before they speak. Yes, you don't normally see too Freshman year, as far as I can remember, was many tall Asians, but you're not somebody who should be filled with, "Hi. Nice to meet you. WOAH, you're really pointing that out. It doesn't sound like a compliment, and tall." Once someone blurted that out, I'd have other peo- it isn't flattering to hear. You're only making it seem like a ple comment on how tall I was and how "refreshing" it flaw. So the next time you see me or any other tall girl was to see a tall Asian girl. I began to notice that a lot of walking around campus, just say hi, and don't mention Asians made that comment. I suppose a lot of Asians anything about our height - as if we don't notice that part weren't used to seeing tall Asians - especially tall Asian of ourselves - unless you're damn well prepared to hear females, so I let it pass. However, things started to get a something about yourself in return. little weird when that was the only thing that people had I hope that spilling my heart out in public helped to say about me. I began to wonder to myself if that was my fellow girls by expressing some situations that others all that people saw in me. might have gone through. I apologize for possibly offendI'm sure those people didn't mean to offend, but ing some but I won't apologize for making them think. how was I supposed to respond to, "Oh my God, you're As a junior, I'm through with that confused stage too tall." Too tall for what? Do I need a reason for being in my life. I love being 5'9''. I wouldn't have it any other the way I am? Should I be dunking basketballs or play way.

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Asian Outlook

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Make Me Laugh

by Rekstizzy tha Meal Plan Peeimp

A few months ago, Rosie O Donnell went on The View and made fun of Asian people. In response to this incident all kinds of Asian American groups were buzzing, demanding public apologies and signing petitions. People were getting really heated.

However, when I finally got to see the video clip, I was really disappointed. What's all the fussin' for?

Here's what happened: Rosie O' Donnell was expressing how a drunken Danny Devito appearance on The View had become international news, and chose to impersonate a Chinese reporter: "Ching chong ching chong Danny Devito."

You know when I get mad? When racist jokes are actually funny. If I had watched that video clip of Rosie and fell over laughing, you better believe that as soon as I regained my composure, I would've demanded apologies, signed petitions, held press conferences at the Lecture Hall, and, you know, all types of rallies and shit goin' down outside of Bartle Library. I'm not taking this shit, if it were funny in the first place.

So, Russell Peters, you bastard, I'm coming for you. Dude's Chinese accent kills me every time!!

The radio DJs on the Hot 97 "Miss Jones Morning Show," you are free to frolic gaily. I couldn't give two doody bars for a Tsunami Song. Corny!

People asked me what I thought of Pipe Dream's recent fuck-up (Pipe Dream releasing some stereotypical Chinese cartoon to represent a Korean). Man, they fuck up all the time; nobody takes them seriously anyway. Ha ha ha, fuck a pipedream!

To all the Asian Americans who are mad about things like "ching chong" and feel that it makes you seem like a second class American (I read that in a blog somewhere): You got it twisted.

Being made fun of means you are a certified American. Welcome! America is racist! I'm not telling you not to be mad; fuck it, be angry as hell.

That's American too! Just hope that you are lucky enough to hear something that's as funny as it is racist so that you can at least get a good laugh out of it. Until then, Rosie O Donnell is the mad goof-ball middle aged man, keepin' it real sloppy.

[Looking at a picture of Rosie O'Donnell] "Now that man there I'd hate to fight... 'cause she wears underwear with dick holes in 'em."

-Dave Chappelle Asian Outlook

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Roast Pork

by Will To

One of the many things that Binghamton lacks when it comes to Asian food is a place that produces a good, decent cut of cha siu, or Cantonese-style roast pork. While I haven't had the chance to sample many of the authentic Chinese restaurants around, I have had the opportunity to try some "roast pork" from various Chinese takeouts and buffets, with extremely disappointing results. But then, what did I expect? After all, with the miniscule amount of Chinese people around Binghamton (except for those of us who go to the University), it would have been extremely hard to make a living by cooking real Chinese food, unaltered and unspoiled by ingredients and cooking techniques to make it more appealing to non-Chinese tastes.

With that in mind, I set out on a fact-finding mission, combing through recipes for roast pork online, eating as much roast pork from home as humanly possible (both to get myself used to the flavor and simply because I could), and asking parents and relatives for their secret recipes. When I asked my parents for the family secret, however, they simply produced a bottle of Lee Kum Kee brand cha siu sauce. Although it worked well, I felt as if I had to make the roast pork from scratch, as to do anything less, it seemed, was to cop out, especially after all the time I had already spent on my quest for ways to make roast pork. When I tried out some recipes I found from various websites, I was disappointed again, both because the flavor was wrong and because it came out too dry (I had baked it instead of broiling it).

After a few weeks of tearing my hair out, I finally came across a few recipes which I chopped up and mixed together, changing some amounts here and some ingredients there; still, I'm not a chemist, and I'm certainly not as good at cooking as I'd like to be, so please keep in mind that any recipes you try here you try at your own risk.

Before we begin, however, there are various sauces and condiments which are not available at Wal-Mart (though they are sold at Wegman's, for an extremely high price). Some of these include oyster sauce, hoisin (haixian in Mandarin) sauce, five-spice powder, dark and light soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine. Shaoxing wine, for instance, is an aged cooking wine, named after a renowned, wine-producing city; the taste is said to be similar to dry sherry, and indeed, many recipes list dry sherry as a substitute.However, in my case, the family prefers to mix chopped ginger into the Shaoxing wine, though this must sit in the refrigerator for some time. Hoisin sauce is made of beans, and has a salty, savory taste; while hoisin (haixian in Mandarin) means "seafood," a quick glance at the label will show that there are no seafood ingredients at all. As for dark and light soy sauce, the difference (coloring aside) is that dark soy sauce (which is aged) will be sweeter, whereas light soy sauce will have a saltier taste. Personally, I have no idea what kind of soy sauce Wal-Mart 30

Asian Outlook

sells, though I suspect that it is Japanese, as Kikkoman is a Japanese company. Finally, five spice powder, so called because it contains the five tastes of Chinese cooking (sweet, bitter, pungent, sour and salty), is also available at Wegman's, though I suppose if you want to make it yourself, there is a good recipe for it on Wikibooks (i).

The recipe below is taken from 3 sources: Tigers and Strawberries food blog (the author previously worked at a Chinese restaurant and is also very knowledgeable about Asian food as well), another website, simply titled "Chinese Food Recipes," as well as a China travel website (ii-iv).

Though the recipe calls for oyster sauce, I tend to omit oyster it when I'm making the roast pork, and as a result, mine seems to come out less sweet than I would like (as I use a lot of hoisin sauce), but this can be fixed by increasing the amount of honey. Also, depending on how salty or sweet you wish your cha siu to come out, I have given amounts from both sites, though it should be noted that Chinese Food Recipes seems to produce a saltier product.

Also, on a final note, the meat usually used for cha siu is the shoulder of the pig, often called "butt." However, tenderloin, which is more readily available (and much cheaper, as well as much smaller), works quite well as an alternative. Before marinating, always keep in mind to clean and dry the meat carefully.

Cantonese Style Roast Pork 2 lbs of pork butt or tenderloins 1.5-2 tbsp light soy sauce 1.5-2 tbsp dark soy sauce 1.5-2 tbsp honey 1.5 tbsp oyster sauce 2-3 tbsp Shaoxing wine with ginger ½ tsp of Five Spice Powder 1 tbsp chicken stock (optional) ½ tbsp of sesame oil (optional, and a personal taste) 1 tbsp caster sugar (optional) 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Clean meat and pat dry, removing excess fat, though meat should have some fat on it.

Cut meat in half and tenderize by poking all over with a fork.

Mix marinade ingredients in a large bowl or Zip-lock bag.

Put meat into bag or bowl and make sure the marinade covers the meat; a good way to do this is to rub the marinade into the meat.

Refrigerate overnight, and turn once every few hours or so.

When cooking: set oven to broil (around 425-450 degrees); DO NOT BAKE, as this will result in an extremely dry final product.

Put meat on a baking sheet and cover with aluminum foil.

Roast for around 30-40 minutes, turning every fifteen minutes or so. Remove foil and roast for a final 15 minutes.

Let meat sit for several minutes. Cut into 1 inch thick pieces and serve, preferably with sweet plum sauce.

Sources (i) http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook:Five_spice_powder (ii) http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2006/01/31/a-cantonese-kitchen-classic-char-sui/ (iii) http://www.justchina.org/china/recipes/cantonese-roast.asp (iv) www.chinesefoodrecipes.com/chinese_pork_recipes/cantonese_roast_pork_recipe.php Asian Outlook

31

art work by kris lau

C O N S C I ENC E

What Gets Me Going I have always thought of where I come from.

Not my mother’s womb, or why I was formed, but where, what soil, what started this whole line of individuals, why am I part of it, why the wind shouts and pushes me back when I walk into it, why it tells me not to keep walking, standing on the city wall, memorizing every moving thing... in silence.

Polaroids, a person’s process to go crazy, a person with different hair, clothes, shoes sitting alone in an empty space, Asian culture, ocean waves, my demon and my angel, driving and getting lost, consequences, how happy families talk and laugh together, not having to explain yourself, if there is a battle between heaven and hell, a face with experience and cynicism, these bleeding streets with bleeding people, watching someone drive and talk while you listen, hearing the Lord tell me step into the fire, and I’ll carry you out of it, keeping that moment for as long as possible before forgetting. lying to myself within this madness of mine I have not been so fascinated by order, discussion, applause, families, reasons, having things make sense self-sacrifice fascinates me, being disliked does not, nothing much fascinates me, not caring does not laughing fascinates me when I question why I’m laughing, and feeling I never deserve it -Hugo Delgado

www.pulsephototonics.com

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art by kuniyoshi

Kuniyoshi He stood and The sea stretched out and He thought of what was held for him Young family, weak, at home If the tide or the war swallowed him whole Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d weep alone How it would be if he could be Free of blood and bondage and Erase the memory But dreams are dreams And thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no justice in destiny The truth in war is that glory is false And death is victory -Devek Singh

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Asian Outlook

Escape

Peter Lam Asian Outlook

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Peter Lam

Idle 36

Asian Outlook

I Tried But Now I Am Died i look at tragedy from afar and laugh throw my head back, slap my knee "i cant believe you said that" im desensitized to these offensive times always a tear drop within earshot grab a bucket for the leak in the roof and dont speak no truth the sheep is loose, ya herd? and all tha people asleep, they git bored but when we ring an alarm, ding ding they hit snore so i got my pillow as well and hell is scenic this way ill never lose my temper-- pedic so i'm not dumb, shit im just numbed cuz im juss one of 6 billion the son of mixed children i cant identify with you - so quit cryin, your fine you better remember ya lines and even if you think your right, brother you cant fly only stunt doubles should believe they cant die -Rekstizzy tha Meal Plan Peeimp

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artwork by ronald kim

u already know what it is... submissions go to aoconscience @ gmail.com mega times iller than that poem on ya sisterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stationary 38

Asian Outlook

ART WORK BY ALBERT FANG

“Forest Rendezvous” Asian Outlook

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A Dark, Rain-Fallen Night

by Hugo D

The dark rain-fallen night. Tiny drizzles of water are jumping off tree leaves, which are all bright yellow, and landing in splashes on cars, fences, pavement, a squirrel running for a dry area. They reach the dripping entrance of Benny's apartment building, a sullen place. He stares at the giant space of sky, mysterious and desolate, and a flock of black birds flying over buildings and a highway of cars- gone, in an instant, when he lowers his head for a moment to scratch himself.

Benny lifts his neck upwards to look at the birds, but has a face of bewilderment as he stares at the empty nothingness, until the birds appear again from his far right, flying in a circle; a giant black circle with wings in the grey.

Benny turns his back at the moment of serenity against his will. Something else is needing attention tonight. He walks through the corridor that has a single flashing bulb: tick, tick...tick; the reflection of the giant shit-stain on the wall on a glass bottle causes Benny's face to contort, and he walks half-tired in a slow pace up the stairs, his left hand on the railing.

On the second floor, a man and a woman are lying in the fetal position, just to the side of door B4. Benny turns to a nearby open window. The night seems to be falling harder on the streets, and people are coming out more from crevices of the town, like noisy, insignificant things. Benny looks back at the sleeping man and woman in coats.

"Jonesy, I g-got some shit, so we can get loaded...er...Jonesy, wake up!"

The man is startled, and begins to cough extremely hard. His face begins to turn cherry-like with a fist to his mouth. The woman turns her back to Benny, trying to stay in her dreams. Benny is staring at them both, waiting for something to happen.

"Look what you did to me Benny! I got phlegm on my coat!"

"Jonesy, I got it. Look."

"What, Benny? Show me."

Benny shows Jonesy a small paper bag with another small plastic bag inside, which contains a white powder. Jonesy's redness slowly begins to clear. He looks into Benny's eyes. Benny seems to be rising up and down, very softly; he does not seem to notice. The paper bag is in his tight grasp.

"No No, get away from me with that, Benny! I need some sleep."

"I think she's dead Jonesy..."

But Jonesy already shuts his eyes. He does not see or hear Benny, as Benny looks at them for one more moment, and decides to walk away. Out of the corner of his eye, he catches a glimpse of Jonesy's baldness, and Benny chuckles. He puts the paper bag in his coat pocket and proceeds up the stairs.

Benny opens door C10. Immediately the smell of cat urine transfuses itself to Benny's aura. It makes him think. What, or who was he? Is this a life he chose? Moments like the one he has just had with Jonesy and the woman makes his world a little worth something, makes the day bearable. And now there is the smell of cat urine; it slips in his mouth, rests along the insides of his cheeks, on his tongue.

There is a woman laying on a couch to the far end wearing torn sweat pants, with an oversized T-shirt that reads "Love Me Tender" and socks. A tattoo of a heart as a locket with a clock in the heart's center that reads twelve-fifteen is visible on her ankle. She stares at the outside of a drape-less window. Benny walks passed her and into a bedroom on the other end. He takes his coat off, and lies down on the bed.

"Benjamin, you're late!" he hears.

"I know. I'm sorry. But I got some. It's not the kind we did yesterday, though Ma."

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Asian Outlook

Benny rises from the bed. He lights a cigarette, inhaling the smoke and blows small rings from his o-shaped mouth He leans against the wall and slants one side of his body. His eyes begin to shrink a bit from the irritation and lack of sleep. After a moment, he looks out the window before walking out to the living room.

The paper bag is close to his heart.

"Hellooo, Cristy!" she says.

Benny sits on a chair and scratches the back of his neck; he watches her for a moment. He decides to turn on the T.V. He takes the remote and switches the channels. Benny sees commercials of all sorts. He sees a talking green lizard and he jumps in his seat.

"Benjamin, I got some bad news and some good news."

"What is it Ma?" "The bad news is I forgot to make dinner. The good is...er...uh, I just saved a bunch of money by switching to Geico!"

"I caun't ge-a Geico quote!" says Benny hysterically.

They both delve in their own craziness. The laughter in their minds echo deeply in their souls. Life is fine, life is good. Life will get better in just a few minutes.

"It's really p-pouring out there Ma! You don't see all that freakin' rain out thea?"

"Oh Benjamin, you just become so talkative every time we get some new shit! Where's the mirra?" Benny smiles. Some saliva drips down his chin.

"Hehe!...hehe!..." laughs Benny. "Wanna fppp...fight Ma!?"

"No. The mirra!"

"It's right thea, on the night table."

"Where's the bag?" she inquires.

"Hea." She takes the paper bag from Benny's hand, pulls out the plastic bag and opens it. She slowly pours the white powder on her broken expression. Her reflection is now covered with snow. She spreads the substance with an old credit card dating back to when she was thirty-nine years old. The snow is now in three neat lines.

She reaches in her pocket and takes out some money, gives Benny a twenty-dollar bill, and they both make a thin roll with their bills. She puts one end of her roll in her nostril and her head quickly, steadily glides over one of the neat rows of snow, and when her head rises again, the neat row is now gone. Benny does the same.

Benny seems to be calm now; no more jittery bones laughing at him from inside. No more people in the streets looking at him in a strange way, in a cruel way, always giving him dirty looks. Now he feels right, now he feels accepted. Maybe now, he can go audition, like he used to.

Benny rests soundly and puts his head back.

She's fine now. She's not an ugly woman. Now, the monsters will not jump out from behind a door, telling her she's almost lost all of her teeth. They won't comment on her giant sacks under her eyes. The termites will not crawl on her arms, or legs, or ears, or her asshole, and she won't have to scream until her throat hurts, telling them to get off of her.

She rests soundly and puts her head back. A few hours pass...then a few more...

Benny wakes up to the sound of knocking. At first his sight is blurry and incoherent. He tries to make out a person laying on the couch, and does so in more than a few seconds while the knocking proceeds with higher force, animosity. Benny sees her asleep, snoring quite softly with her mouth open; he wonders if the resonant raucous of knocking will wake her. The thought makes him smile, and Benny scratches his head. These thoughts make the day all the more bearable.

After Benny looks around the room, he finally lifts his body off the chair to stop the blatant ringing in his head. Benny opens the door.

A middle-aged man is standing in front of Benny. Benny is always nervous around him; his massive, hairy arms make Benny think he'll have to fight the man if he keeps staring the wrong way, a suspicious way. The man smiles showing a row of brown sharpened knives.

"How you doin' Mr. Shapiro?"

"Hya Ben, is ah...Roni around?"

"She's sleepin'" "Cause she told she'd have the rent by tomorrow, and I just wanted to know in advance if she'd be able to have it, you see-"

Asian Outlook

41

"No no, tomorrow. I gotta call you tomorrow. I mean we'll call you tomorrow."

"Benny, please. Make sure."

The man turns solemnly and looks at papers attached to a clipboard as he approaches and knocks on the other tenant's doors. Benny looks at him one last time before closing his door; he catches the man with an arm up half-waving his hand as if to say "tomorrow Benny," staring back with a wry grin as he does so.

And Benny sits back down in his comfy chair. He looks at everything around him with weary eyes; his brow forms a frown. It makes Benny feel worthless, like an old shoe laying in a closet, dusty. No one will ever wear this shoe, it will just lie there, motionless, until someone throws it in the garbage. This is how Benny feels when he wakes up in the early afternoons, when he takes showers, when he walks down streets, when he holds doors for people, not receiving any Thank You in return. He lights another cigarette and takes a puff. He exhales and softly flicks the ashes on his blue jeans. He decides to get up and goes to the kitchen to make himself a butter sandwich. He returns to his chair in the living room, and eats his momentary pleasure with his body half-bent, rocking gently back and forth, as if to say he is in a snowy blizzard, suffering in ten degree temperature with no coat on, just a butter sandwich in hand.

When Benny eats the last bite, She wakes up startled, and looks in all directions. Saliva is on her cheek, extending to her T-shirt. Her wide-open eyes stare at Benny, without blinking.

"Shapiro came by, Ma." "Yea?" She sits up on the couch and yawns, exposing her almost toothless red gums with a wide-open mouth. She looks for a nearby pillow and places it behind her head to lay down.

"What'd you tell'im?"

"Nothin'. Just that you were sleepin', and that I'd give'im a call tomorrow. Wipe your mouth, Ma." "Jesus, Benjamin. What time is it?" Benny turns his head, and sleepily, looks at the clock on the stove.

"One-o-two."

"He'll shit if he don't get that money! You got digits on'im Benjamin? I don't know where I put'em."

"Nah," Benny answers uncaringly.

"Well what are you watchin'?"

"Nothin' I just got up Ma." Benny channel surfs until he stops. He stops because he has to. He sees something on the television that makes the day, the life he is living better; something to look forward to. The television is showing Raging Bull.

"You never knocked me down Ma. You never knocked me down!"

Benny's child-smile hangs loosely on his consumed lines. His body is unconsciously half-bent, rocking back and forth as he stares at the man's bruised cheekbones and laughter. That laughter makes Benny's eyes widen; he shivers just a bit, the small hairs on his arms are standing. Benny's pupils dilate, his chin begins to shiver quite fast, faster than Benny can control, should he ever decide to control any part of his life in any way. Benny looks at Her staring blankly at the television. He leaps off his chair, and almost tripping over his own two feet, storms out of the apartment with a sweat-stained forehead and desperation. *

*

*

Benny is now running down the noisy streets. It is raining harder now; the small falling droplets of water look like falling needles all along the massive blue demon to Benny. He runs through the crowded pavements, through people he has never met before, who will never hear his dreams, never hear his need for a conversation. He runs with his arms over his hair; an old woman swears and swings a finger at him. Two young boys holding hands laugh at him. Finally Benny finds a dark entrance and enters into the known.

He walks through darkness all around him. The bottoms of his worn sneakers leave a trail of wet ovals all through the corridor's floor and up the stairs, as Benny jogs out of breath carefully up each step, his reddened and tightly-closed hands in his coat pockets. Now Benny hears a woman's scream somewhere near where he stands in a hallway. Some bulbs above him flash: tick,tick...tick. "Should I see what that screaming was all about?" he ponders. His brows are contorted in a zig-zag; he stares hard at the floor, his mouth slightly open, trying to make a decision, but instead decides to go where he first intended.

He knocks on the door. Door J7, with the seven missing showing only an imprint. No answer. Benny knocks harder now, pounding it with his reddened fist.

Benny hears someone moving on the other side as he presses his ear on the door. Finally it is opened.

A woman appears in front of Benny. She is a woman. The woman has pain in her glance. There is a tiredness about her. She stares at Benny and asks "The Hell do you want?"

"Can I come in?" shivers Benny.

42

Asian Outlook

She chews her gum soundly for a moment, and gives Benny a "come in" motion with her head.

They each go into a small living room with two chairs. The apartment is quiet, but cozy, peaceful. There are painted flowers, fields, tress hanging along the yellow wallpapered walls. A photograph of a little girl and a man, his arm around her, settles quietly, framed on a nearby night table.

"So." "Alana! I was watchin' this movie tonight wit Ma, and I think I can really really get a part this time. Nnnnnnnnn'an I could really show'em how good I am!"

"Well, la de freaking da."

She sits with her legs crossed. She chews her gum and picks up a pair of stiletto high heels placed next to her chair. She bends forward and puts each one on, first her left, then her right; her black hair hangs loosely down her slightly freckled bare back. She looks up at Benny, and pushes away a few strands of hair that falls over her left eye. She smiles.

"No no, I can! See.... if I get some help.... and pay this jerkoff landlord on time.... I could be like DeNiro!.... God willing!"

"Boy, you're grinding ya teeth.... Roni told you not to do that. Ever stare at mommy's mouth lately?" says the woman facetiously. "But you were good Benny dear. Yes you were. Always running around.... acting out ya little Romeo skills in front of everybody.... since you were ten!...." the woman reminisces with a melancholy aura, "I remember when ya motha had you at seventeen.... poor girl.... beautiful girl. How old are you now Benny? Twenty-five? Twenty-six?"

"Yea. I'm t-twenty-six."

"So what happened Benny.... you got a few parts in commercials, no? A movie?"

"Yea." Benny does not feel comfortable now. His left leg begins to twitch up and down, softly, hastily. He turns his head slightly to the left so as not to look at Her. There is silence now in the small living room. She sits with her legs crossed, chewing her now flavorless gum; she continues to stare him in his now almost invisible right eye, and slowly rises off her chair.

"Get out, dipshit.... don't come here wasting my time no more. Money-money honey."

Benny is starting to perspire again. He lifts himself off the chair and in a hurried walk, leaves the apartment. He is looking at the floor, head bent down.

Already at the foot of the stairs leading down, he hears "You let it all slip Benny!"

Benny makes his way out of the apartment building.

"I'm going back home!" he thinks.

And now the streets are without rainfall, but still moisture tickles Benny's face, neck. The curbs form puddles that stretch for blocks. Benny feels empty, formless. Who is he? What is he doing on this street corner? In a city full of hundreds, thousands, millions of voices, ears, eyes, who can listen, watch Benny? Where is his audience? Fifteen minutes later Benny is in his own crevice. He walks through the corridor that he knows so well, with the lonesome bulb still flickering; tick, tick...tick. And silence. Benny hears not a sound in the building around him. He bounces in an anxious manner up the stairs to his floor. In a small dark space along the hall, he sees a woman with her leg wrapped around a man's buttocks; they both look at him for a moment with angry looks as Benny passes by them. He stops at his door and turns the knob, but Benny's lips contort. If he were to walk in, the night would turn unbearable. The sadness ! would inject itself intravenously. Benny would again be alone, inside with himself.

Benny turns around and heads for the stairs. He finds himself on the roof now, the chilly air swallows him, makes his hair move softly. He stands on the edge of the building and spreads his arms apart. He smiles. His eyes are closed, then he closes his mouth and grinds his teeth. He steps off the ledge and sits cross-legged on the roof. Half-bending his upper body, he unconsciously begins to rock.

He looks up at the massive blue entity, sees a jewel looking at him, twinkling, saying "hello."

Benny smiles and begins to tell the jewel how one day, he'll become just like it.

Asian Outlook

43

Almost Pouty lips, Luxuriant hair, Deep, penetrating eyes, And a body that wouldn't quit.

Soft laughter, A sincere smile, Caring caresses, And nothing but gentleness.

She was the perfect girl, If she wasn't stomping on my balls right now.

We met under regular circumstancesWell, regular for me.

I was on line at the supermarket.

"Express Lane, 20 items or less!"

That's what it said.

But I distinctly remember seeing people with at least Twenty one or more items.

That's when I turned around and said to the person behind me "If this is the express, I'm getting off right here!"

And chuckled at my lack of wit.

Then I realized it was a woman behind me.

She smiled and said "That's got to be the worse line I've ever heard."

"Well…if you make it sound like a challenge like that…"

She laughed, touching my arm.

You never meet enough girls who do that, you know?

She genuinely laughed!

We met for lunch the following day.

It was a yuppie place they opened up nearby.

I needed a neutral place, But apparently I came off as one of 'those' types Who ate at these places regularly.

I spent the rest of the day trying to prove I wasn't.

She enjoyed the show.

It turned out we lived on the same block.

I'd been there my entire life And I had never seen her before.

We spent the next few days walking around what used to be Our neighborhood, Before all the apartments Gave way to business.

"I can't believe it took this long for me to find you!"

She grabbed my hand again.

"Come over, for dinner!"

44

So I finally found out what those groceries were for.

We sat in soft mood lighting And nibbled our food.

Light chit-chat seasoned the meal While gentle laughter refilled our glasses.

It gave me the opportunity to see her in a different light, Literally.

I was falling for this girl, No doubt about that.

She…must've liked me, too.

"Why can't I meet more guys like you?"

Then she stuck her fork in my eye.

"You know, guys who can be great platonic friends, and be happy."

I was adrift at sea for the following year.

I saw the parade of assholes and jerks enter and leave.

I felt the pain And cried the tears She left on my shirts Those long nights we shared After another John Or maybe a Steve, With an occasional Tim Had just dashed out in a frenzy.

I was there for all the times She would say to her friends "Oh, it was the best night of my life!" and "If only you were there to see it!" or "I haven't had so much fun in a long time!"

Especially "I'm so glad he was there."

I've seen her at her best.

I've been there for her best.

I've seen her leave her worst behind.

I may have been the worst.

But I was there.

I was always there.

I met her at a club, This seedy place somewhere downtown.

"Did you have trouble finding the place?"

Of course I did.

"Oh, yeah, after a couple of trips down to the morgue nearby And the crack house over there I got to knowing the area."

"Oh, don't be like that! It's trendy!"

Asian Outlook

I spend the night sitting at the bar, Glancing over at her dance partners As they handed in their numbers For their turn to step in.

I danced with my vodka And made out with my rum While she did the same Out there on the dance floor.

You know it's bound to happen.

Every time you get too friendly, Or are too nice with guys.

One miscommunication Or one misinterpretation.

One roaming hand, One rough grab, And it's all over.

"Thank you.

Thank you so much.

You don't know how much this means to me.

You don't know how much you mean to me right now."

She fell asleep on my chest, And I dozed off to a repeat of 'Three's Company' again.

And tonight it's Jimmy, the one who cheats on every girl he's withâ&#x20AC;Ś Jimmy, the guy with the cute ass.

And tonight it's going to be "Thank you for being there."

And "If only he were like you."

And I'll always be The one who's like me.

---PCL I grabbed her and we made our way out of the place.

One of them, Maybe a Joe this time, Tossed his bottle at me.

The smell of imported beer Filled the backseat of the cab As she mixed her tears with all the other drinks That were spilled on me.

"Damn it, why do all guys have to be like that?

Why can't they just be nicer?

Why can't they just listen?

Why can't they beâ&#x20AC;Śyou?"

It was a mix of frustration and drunkenness.

I carried her to her door And stayed with her until she sobered up.

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45

artwork by reiko thorne 46

Asian Outlook

Mother I don’t look at you as just my mother But a very special friend Whenever I have a problem A hand you’re always willing to lend All the times I needed someone to talk to I always came to you Even if I was just feeling lonely You’re more than willing to listen You have tried your best to show me you care And words were not required for me to hear We are thousands of miles apart But I still feel your love At night I try to picture your face when I look at the stars above Mother I love you more than you know And more than I could ever show you…

--Claudia L. Fabiano What is LOVE? What is this basic emotion so simple, but yet so complex? Is love an antidote to the pains of everyday existence in a jungle where human feelings have long ceased to have meaning? A quiet togetherness in our private world amidst the public display of empty hearts? Or an hour in the park sharing a can of soda and watching sunsets?

Can it be this and more?

Love is the momentum that moves us farther than we can ever envision. It is to nurse a self-consuming feeling of wanting to be near, with the impatience of time and distance. It is to experience a sense of imprisonment where there are no walls, no chains, no bars. Love is showing ones best effort. To learn languages other than the alphabet, to communicate without a sound like the wind on a spring day. It is to be incapable of saying the rehearsed dialogues, the practiced lies. Sometimes love means to suffer because we want to.

Truly the most happy people are those who give love without counting the cost.

Excerpt from

Love Is, by Claudia L. Fabiano

Reprinted with permission from The Capitol Courier March 1998

Asian Outlook

47

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