the
orsair C
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
www.thecorsaironline.com
Volume C, Issue 28
A
ccording to a Santa Monica College Fall 2010 data table, students of East Asian descent make up 6.2 percent of the population at SMC, or 33.8 percent of the identified Asians on campus. From the recent disasters affecting Japan, the economic rise of China, and the significant cultural presence in the Los Angeles community, the Corsair takes a closer look at...
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SANTA MONICA COLLEGE
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May 25, 2011
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Activists link with refugees By Michael Miller Staff Writer Huddled around several large desks in a small ofce in Torrance, Calif., numerous volunteers feverishly type on their computers. The workers of Liberty In North Korea (LiNK) have just returned from an 11-week nationwide tour, and are tying up the loose ends of the operation. LiNK Global was established in 2004 with the goal of aiding North Korean refugees stranded in China. “LiNK was started by two Korean Americans who were college students,” said Regional Manager Brenda Abel. “(They) were really appalled by what was going on in North Korea and by the human rights violations.” The non-prot organization estimates that between 30,000 and 300,000 North Koreans currently hide in China, with the hope of resettling in South Korea, Europe, or America. These refugees are the focus of LiNK’s “THEHUNDRED” campaign. The goal of the operation is to facilitate the rescue and relocation of 100 North Korean refugees throughout China. So far, 35 refugees have resettled around the world. As a non-prot, LiNK exists because of donations and volunteers ttingly dubbed nomads. These nomads travel in groups of three or four all across the country, raising awareness and funds for LiNK. “Sure it’s demanding,” said nomad William Clayton, “but it has been the most amazing experience, and I haven’t regretted any of it.” It costs $2,500 to transport one North Korean refugee from China to Southeast Asia. The funds that the nomads raise go toward food, shelter, guides, and paperwork needed during these rescues. Finances are raised through donations and merchandise sales. “It was high school students that really went out of their way to really get us to our goals,” said Kyla Michael Miller Corsair Hoggard, a nomad for the southeast team. “The HB Cho, Katie Voytasek, and William Clayton of LiNK lean against their van. majority of our donations were literally dollars and The three volunteers for the West Nomads group. pennies, and those added up to rescue three refugees
on our tour.” During this most recent tour, Hoggard had the opportunity to meet Joseph, a resettled refugee currently living in the United States. “It was denitely, by far, hands down, the best part of being a Nomad,” said Hoggard. “To think about the experiences he went through, and for him to have such a spirit and so much life, it’s humbling.” The shocking personal stories of refugees like Joseph fuel LiNK. At each screening, Nomads show various media pieces which tell the often times, brutal stories of those rescued. Afterwards, the volunteers eld questions from the audience. LiNK is a small organization with a huge reach, boasting 145 chapters nationwide. “We are on college campuses, high school campuses, at churches, and in communities. Without these chapters, we couldn’t do what we do,” said Megan Rhodes. Amongst the chapters, over $27,000 has been raised for “THEHUNDRED” campaign. Rescuing refugees isn’t exactly safe. China cooperates with North Korea, repatriating any refugees found within their borders. North Korea enforces harsh punishments upon those who defect the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Kim Jong Il’s dictatorial regime. According to Human Rights Watch, “Those who leave, face grave punishment upon repatriation such as lengthy terms in horrendous detention facilities or forced labor camps with chronic food and medicine shortages, harsh working conditions, and mistreatment and torture by camp guards.” The rescue missions are high risk for both the refugees and those who aid in their rescue however, fear of DPRK hasn’t inhibited the campaign. “We haven’t actually been called out by anyone from the North Korean government, but we like to imagine that they know we exist,” said Rhodes. Currently, LiNK has only 16 full-time employees, but grows larger every year. “Our goal is 100 refugees,” said Abel, “but we won’t stop there, there is always more to do.”
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May 25, 2011
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Local stores send dollars to Japan By Sean Breeza Staff Writer The devastating earthquake and tsunami that shook Japan on March 11 has created countless relief efforts, many with the help of American consumers. Particularly in Los Angeles, where one of the largest JapaneseAmerican communities lives, there is a noticeable presence of storefronts advertising relief efforts. The California-based company Jedidiah, “a humanitarianbased apparel brand aspiring to cultivate change, one garment at a time,” according to their website, was able to design and distribute clothing just a week after the disaster. For every $20 tee-shirt purchased, $15 went directly to World Vision, a charity organization. Less than 48 hours after the tsunami hit the shore, World Vision was on the ground in Sendai identifying priority needs. Santa Monica’s In Residence, a modern vintage boutique, has reordered the Jedidiah Japanrelief line three times since their rst orders. Shop owner Rachel Salzman takes great pleasure in fusing charity efforts with the clothing in her windows. “It was a no-brainer,” she said when deciding to help the cause. “You’ve got to do what you can.” With such a strong local
enthusiasm for helping those that have had their lives upended from the disaster, In Residence decided that on Memorial weekend a percentage of all prots made from the store would go directly towards relief efforts. Another local shop, Tortoise General Store on Abbot Kinney in Venice, has been hosting events and raising donations. At the onset of the disaster, Tortoise General Store donated a percentage of its sales to help Japan. Sami Watanabe, an employee of Tortoise General Store and native of Japan, has worked hard to organize events centered around hand-made apparel and bake sales. These fundraisers occur almost every weekend. When asked about the local community’s reaction, manager Sachiyo Itabashi said, “They are very supportive. After it happened, local customers came every day to check up. They were worried; they wanted to see our faces.” Taking a different approach is Japan L.A., a shop on Melrose Avenue with merchandise inspired by Japanese and Los Angeles pop culture. Japan L.A. will host a second art exhibition on June 4 titled “Kittens and Ice-cream.” Their rst art show drew hundreds of people, and the proceeds went to the Red Cross.
Lisa Weingarten Corsair Over Memorial Day weekend, clothing store In Residence, will donate part of its sales to help survivors of the Japanese earthquake.
“Basically we really love Japan, and know our fans do too,” said store owner and founder Jamie Rizadeneira. The store is involved with Japanese culture, so much so that once a year they organize a trip with their fans to go and visit the country. Some of the proceeds from this coming week’s art exhibitions will go to Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support. Members of the group have been going into hazardous areas of Japan, sometimes sneaking
in to rescue pets that were left behind. They have provided the animals with food, shelter, and comfort, with the hope that their owners will return. Restaurants all across L.A. are also doing what they can to help Japan. Most notably Takami Sushi & Robata, located on the 21st oor of a downtown Los Angeles high-rise. The high-end Japanese restaurant is donating 100 percent of its prots to the Red Cross Japanese Relief Fund until it sees t to stop
doing so. Many of its employees were directly affected by the disaster, and are pleased that the restaurant is doing what it can. Over a dozen other restaurants are showing similar support efforts. On March 24, for every burger they sold, Umami Burger donated one dollar to the American Red Cross. Typhoon, located at the Santa Monica Airport, held a “Jazz for Japan” marathon in its new Pan Am Room. Ticket sales went to the American Red Cross.
America’s Best Dance Crews largely Asian By Nayla Paschoa Staff Writer A trend was born when the all-Asian dance crew, JabbaWockeeZ won MTV’s competitive dance reality television series America’s Best Dance Crew in 2008. Since then, many other Asian dance crews have come out on top, creating much controversy among the viewers at home some even refer to the show as “America’s Best Asian Dance Crew.” Hiroka “Hiro” McRae, founder, leader and choreographer of We Are Heroes, the rst all-female dance crew to win ABDC in 2009, said dance education is strict in Japan where she is originally from. “The Asian culture has crazy discipline. It’s like a martial arts culture,” Hiro said. According to Hiro, a lot of times, training in Tokyo takes place outdoors and around ofce buildings while using the window reection as mirrors. Often times, these practices occur from the time people leave work at 5 p.m. until as late as 5 a.m. the next morning. “They practice forever. They are really disciplined, and also, they have a lot of
competitions. You have to have a free-style and you have to compete in every style,” she said. According to Hiro,We Are Heroes was originally eliminated from ABDC at a private audition they had been invited to, due to the fact that two of her crew members didn’t have a work visa. But while pursuing Hip Hop International, a competition created by the same producer as ABDC, Hiro received a phone call from ABDC’s casting crew, asking her to return to the show. Hiro added two American girls to her crew last minute. The We Are Heroes members all live in Los Angeles, and while crewmember Mami Kanemitsu is also from Japan, the rest of the group has mixed ethnicities. “I didn’t go to school, I didn’t have a textbook, and I didn’t have a translator thing,” Hiro said about coming to America. “I didn’t have a friend, I didn’t have money; I really didn’t have anything. We are very blessed, you know, every time we have amazing hotel. [sic] People are very respectful, and very warm.” Santa Monica College dance teacher, Jae
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Lee, who moved to America in 2007 from South Korea, said she believes a lot of Asian dancers come to America because it gives them more options to study different types of dance, such as contemporary modern, jazz, and hip hop. “Here, they can be exposed to watching So You Think You Can Dance,” Lee said. So You Think You Can Dance another MTV competitive dance reality television series, has also been known to have discovered a lot of Asian talent. Lee said she came to America to further her theoretical knowledge in dance. She graduated from the University of California Irvine, and landed her present full-time job as a dance teacher for Santa Monica College shortly after. “I personally think, it’s just my personal perspective, I think the technical level is way higher over there,” Lee said about Korea, “because their training is so strict, just like Russian dancers.” “I’m not sure if they are still keeping that way of teaching methodology, but when I was there it was, you know, we had to dance all day, you know, we have to do rehearsals, and then we can’t eat what we
Spring 2011 Staff Jonathan Bue Guiliana Dakdouk John Stapleton IV Sal Guerra Brian White Anisa El-Khouri Nathan Gawronsky Vera Hughes Miles Arnold Neelofer Lodhy Ayla Pound Alessandra Catanese
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Faculty Advisors Saul Rubin and Gerard Burkhart
want,” Lee said. Gisear “G-Baby” Alcantara, a Filipino dancer from Los Angeles’ Rockin Legendz dance crew, said that crews worldwide come to America for exposure. He said Rockin Legendz is mostly b-boy, but they also incorporate hip-hop, locking, and acrobatics. “I enjoy watching America’s Best Dance Crew, but I know for a fact that the show is xed, and it upsets me how MTV handled it,” Alcantara said. “They’re racist. For example, the rst season, Status Quo somehow ended in the nals, because MTV knew that they couldn’t have two full Asian crews in the nals, because the African American population that watched the show wouldn’t tune in, because it was all Asian,” Alcantara said. Still, he said he would compete on the show, and that he believes it’s a great way for a crew to be seen and to go mainstream. “Filipinos and Asians dominate in that show because we work hard,” said Alcantara. “When we rehearse, we treat it like homework, and we can critique all the small details to get it right and make it look good.”
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May 25, 2011
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A Taste of Korea comes to Santa Monica College By Naomi Calbucci Staff Writer As the foil wrapping was slowly removed, two tasty and savory Korean specialties were exposed, creating restlessness and desire from the dozens of students lined up for a treat of Korean tradition. Korean professors Chunghi Yu, Hee Ju and Jungji Kim organized a “Taste of Korea” event in the business building of the Santa Monica College campus on Friday, May 13, as a way of spreading their culture to students. The event was organized with a PowerPoint presentation of three Korean specialties: kimbap, bulgogi, and soojung-gwa. Kimbap is a very popular bite-sized food made from steamed rice and various ingredients including cucumbers, egg and ham, all wrapped in seaweed. This specic dish is commonly enjoyed during picnics or festivities and is characterized by the colorfulness the ingredients bring to it. “My parents make kimbap for my birthday parties and parties in general. It’s really a bunch of individual ingredients coming together and Koreans eat a lot of it,” says Korean 4 student Saem Choi. Traditionally, the most common kimbap is made with egg, crab, cucumber, ham, and pickled radish, but it comes in many variations including cheese, tuna and beef. “Kimbap is the most popular Korean food because it is easy to prepare, it is cheap, and has good nutrients. I’m a busy woman, so I love it because I can take it with me,” says Yu. Many people aren’t aware of the health benets from eating Korean food, as it
Krista Bonelli Corsair
(Top) Chunghi Yu, Professor of Korean 1, talks about different foods in Korean culture at Santa Monica College. (Bottom) Students try Kimbap, one of the foods presented at the Hansik event.
is extremely low in calories and is made with all-natural avors. There is a lot of ber, as well as protein, and the budget is fairly low. SMC student David Kim says, “I saw in the Korean newspaper today about how healthy kimchi is, and how Americans need to start eating it too because it’s fermented, so it’s supposed to be one of the top healthy foods.” The Korean Peninsula is surrounded by three seas that supply its people with a variety of sh, which along with the meat
and rice dishes, makes seafood one of the prominent dishes to their culture. Their diet includes grains and vegetables, bean paste and curd and meats. Their food is moderate in calories, low in fat and sweet tasting. “My father told me that bean curd is the meal from earth. All of our bean products are good for you and are very cheap. They provide you with energy, vitamins and proteins. They have meat qualities but are healthier, and this is a product we use a
lot of in our food,” says Yu. Bulgogi is a marinated barbeque beef that literally means “re meat”. It was traditionally served exclusively to the wealthy and noble classes, but is now enjoyed by everyone. This dish is made with beef marinated in soy sauce, or with chicken and pork marinated in spicy pepper paste. “It’s very traditional food. Moms teach their kids, and so on. Presentation is very important. If you’ve noticed, there are a lot of side dishes when you go out to eat Korean food, which I think is something that attracts Americans to the cuisine,” says Kim. Soo-jung-gwa, also known as cinnamon punch, is a dessert drink that Koreans enjoy after their meals. It is made with ginger, cinnamon and persimmons, and was traditionally served for royal banquets in the 18th century. This drink can also be made with pomegranate and cherries, and is commonly served on New Years Day. Soo-jung-gwa has been proven to be extremely benecial to the body. It improves digestion, prevents colds and anemia, strengthens the intestines and lungs and keeps the body warm. “If you are going on a diet, go Korean. We use a lot of grains and veggies and bean curd. There’s ber and protein, a moderate calorie count, it is low in fat, sweet tasting and healthy,” says Yu. Korean food is nding its way into American culture. Restaurant trucks throughout the city provide the affordable, traditional, bite-sized dishes. All of the ingredients used in these simple dishes can be found in any supermarket, so that anyone looking for a tasty and healthy treat can make it at home.
Koreatown Nestled in the center of Los Angeles lies a whole new cultural experience. By Joan Walsh Staff Writer Just under 20 years ago, Koreatown was internationally recognized as one of the main looting areas of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, with an estimated $1 billion worth of damage, according to an L.A. Times article. Flash forward to present day, where Koreatown has reinvented itself as a prime area of L.A. for real estate, nightlife, and cultural diversity. Numerous strip malls, labeled in Korean lettering, contain clothing stores, pharmacies and restaurants, which compliment the sprawl. While Koreatown is known to many in Los Angeles, it wasn’t until recently that it was recognized as an ofcial area. Last August, the Los Angeles City Council put into effect the ofcial boundaries of Koreatown, its northernmost boundaries beginning at Third, Western to the West, Vermont to the East, Olympic to the South, as well as a stretch of Western reaching all the way up to Rosewood. Due to cheaper rents and its proximity to USC and UCLA, many college students make their home in this densely populated area. The nightlife thrives with karaoke bars, nightclubs and cafes. In Asian style karaoke bars, patrons have their own private room where they can sing away in comfort, and not have to worry about embarrassing themselves. Many karaoke establishments can accommodate groups of up to 30 people, and have table service with the press of a button. Though there have been many laws to prohibit smoking in public areas, as
well as inside bars, the law doesn’t seem to apply in Koreatown. Santa Monica College student Evan Scott says, “I come to Koreatown every weekend from the Westside. No one here cares if you smoke.” According to a state law in effect since 1998, smoking is banned in bars in California. But people still smoke freely in bars and clubs in the Koreatown area, especially where it’s more secluded. Jen Park, a regular patron at Café Bohemian, a late night bar eatery, said, “Everywhere you go at night you can smoke, I don’t think much of it.” There are a few malls within Koreatown known as Koreatown Galleria and Koreatown Plaza, both of which contain Korean grocery stores on the ground oor. Koreatown Galleria has a food court solely containing Asian fast-food restaurants ranging from Japanese to Korean to Vietnamese. Shoppers come out particularly on the weekend, when parking is complimentary. The best-kept secret of Koreatown is the abundance of health and beauty spas. “I used to go to Voda Spa all the time for their sauna and treatments, but after coming here I realize that it’s so much cheaper,” said Amber Reece, a spa attendee at Olympic Spa waiting for a massage. “I’ve been to a few spas in K-town and while they are not as nice, they are half the price and do just as good of a job.” The proximity to the 10 and 110 freeways as well as Beverly Hills, Hollywood and Downtown make Koreatown a convenient spot to explore. There is always something going on, and for some, it’s like being able to explore a different country without having to travel that far.
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May 25, 2011
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International pop star and student, Ace Evace By Kevin Duncan Staff Writer Adam Evans, a rst year student at Santa Monica College, is on the verge of reaching fame. Coming from a family with an American father and a Korean mother, Evans, or Ace Evace (his performing name), was born in Nurnberg, Germany, but grew up in neighboring Luxembourg, a microscopic nation in central Europe. Luxembourg is not exactly the ideal place for jumpstarting a career, but Evans successfully did so. He became the rst major artist in the nation with his electro-hip-hop style of music. Though Evans was discovered in Luxembourg, he decided to come to Southern California, a prominent place where many have successfully pursued their careers. Evans came to SMC for a chance to study abroad, and to broaden his opportunities in music. Evans’ rst goal in life was to excel in basketball, which he did in both middle school and high school. He was also part of the national team in Luxembourg, an astounding feat for the then 16-year-old Evans. Despite being only 5´10, he was a erce point guard. He led his high school team, the ISL Eagles, to a fth consecutive basketball title. Though he was heavily involved with basketball, Evans loved music and dancing. After completing high school and having his previous basketball dreams literally shattered (his ankle was broken during a tournament his senior year), Evans pursued a career in music. While he loved music very much, watching the novices
in the music game provided a spur of inspiration for Evans, and made him want to start his own journey of music. “Kid Cudi and Asher Roth are the rst artists I’ve seen perform live, and they have inspired me to do music,” said Evans What started out as a mere joke, “Are you Ready,” his rst EP, was such a success that it turned heads around the music industry in Europe. The songs are catchy and possess a beat that will make people dance all night long. By joining forces with French producer, Laurent Pepper, “Are you Ready” climbed the charts in France and Europe. Their work was quickly recognized, and in the middle of last year, Evans signed his rst single on Universal France. At the end of the year, he worked on a few more songs, and is now waiting on word from the label. For Evans, music is a passionate hobby, “I just want to make people happy, and if money comes in then that’s ne,” said Evans. “It’s a plus, but it’s not all about the money and riches.” While hoping to have an impact on young people with his music, Evans hopes to be inuential in helping people pursue their dreams. Evans said he won’t let the fame or glam life get into his head if that turns out to be the case in the future, “My father once told me that you must always keep your eyes on the stars, but your feet on the ground. I always keep that quote in the back of my mind whenever I need it.” There aren’t many famous mainstream Korean artists out there, but Ace Evace is hoping to be one of the rst in the electro/hip-hop scene.
Courtesy of Yves Kortum
Asians inuence world on Youtube By Juan Lopez Staff Writer
YouTube has provided an outlet to many who are not usually represented in mainstream media since its start in February of 2005. One year after its launch, some of YouTube’s most subscribed users began their YouTube careers by signing up and posting their rst videos. Today, the most subscribed channel on YouTube, with 3,691,388 subscribers, is NigaHiga, belonging to Ryan Higa, who started posting lip-synching videos in 2006. He gained more attention after posting videos “How to be a Ninja,” “How to be Gangster,” and “How to be Emo.” Since then, he has been posting a variety of comedy shorts; his most recent about a pop star named Rustin Hieber. Eleven of the hundred most subscribed YouTube users of all-time are Asian, with videos ranging from comedy and music to makeup and fashion tips. Michelle Phan is the most subscribed female on YouTube with 1.3 million subscribers. Her makeup tutorials have even led to her becoming a
Lancome spokesperson in 2010. According to a study released in May by Nielsen Media, Asians are the most active Internet users, spending nearly 80 hours on PCs and averaging 10 hours and 39 minutes of streaming online video. The national average of time spent online is 55 hours; the mean amount of time spent viewing streaming media is four hours and 20 minutes. Higa and Phan aren’t the only Asian Americans with over one million subscribers on YouTube. KevJumba and Freddiew (Freddie Wong) have 1.5 and 1.4 million subscribers respectively. With the mainstream media lacking in Asian representation, YouTube is serving as a beacon for those who want to be seen. “Everyone that does music is on YouTube because that’s the only place you can be heard,” said David Choi, the ninth most subscribed YouTube musician, between Justin Bieber and Rihanna. “It denitely leveled the playing eld,” he said. “Being Korean, you’re either forced to play violin or piano, or cello,” said Choi. “I’m pretty sure if you ask any Koreans they’ll tell you the same thing.” Choi had
played classical music since childhood but credits his start in songwriting to a fellow students in high school. “I had a history class where some kid brought in a CD of electronic music he made,” said Choi. “I went home that day and started writing, composing with a keyboard at home.” Choi was eventually signed to Warner/Chappell Music to write pop songs for two years. At the end of his contract, Choi decided to go in a different direction. “I just decided to wake up one day and post a video of me performing a song about YouTube. That’s kind of how it all started,” said Choi. Since then Choi, known for keeping an expressionless face, has been collaborating in comedy and music videos with various YouTubers like Boyce Avenue and fellow Asian Americans Wong Fu Productions, Kinna Granis, and the most subscribed Filipino, a HappySlip (Christine Gambito). Wong Fu have also recently released a series of comedy shorts featuring Harry Shum Jr. from The LXD, most widely known as Mike Chang from Glee. “Everyone’s willing to work with everybody, it’s just a matter of nding
time,” said Choi of the inclusive attitude of YouTube. Mainstream media in the U.S. has been notorious for lacking in minority representation, more so in instances in which white actors play minority characters, such as in Prince of Persia or The Last Airbender. The new fall TV lineup doesn’t have any new shows featuring Asians as main characters. As an Asian American, Choi didn’t see many role models in the mainstream media. “Not that I was even really searching for one, but when I think about it, there were none at the time and there still aren’t,” said Choi. Though many of the same typecast roles are being given to Asians in the mainstream, Choi sees some progress. “Asians in commercials that aren’t in Chinatown and stuff like that,” said Choi. “It’s kind of cool to see that progress, but I think there’s still a little ways to go.” As for the idea that YouTube personalities could be seen as role models, “It’s denitely a thought in the back of everyone’s mind,” said Choi. “Everyone’s looking at you.”
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“I stumbled upon my boyfriend’s porn stash, and it’s full of really gross anime porn. Is that normal? Should any of this loli/bukkakke/rape stuff worry me?”
By John Stapleton IV Web Editor Australian comedian Jim Jeffries once told a story about an ex-girlfriend of his that tried to insult him by telling him that he never made her orgasm, to which Jeffries replied, “Really? Do you think you make me [orgasm]? Do you know who makes me [orgasm]? I make me [orgasm]! All the terrible things in my head – you have very little to do with it!” While this is obviously aimed at garnering laughs instead of affection, it sheds light on a universal truth: Guys think a lot when we have sex. We’re not exactly solving calculus up there, but we’re judging if we can pull off that next move; we’re calculating the time it’ll take to finish; and we are always always seeking more stimuli. Know any guys that don’t want to have a threesome? I rest my case. Now of course, you want to be stimulating enough for your man; and for guys, getting someone to make you orgasm is usually enough to make you orgasm. But sometimes it’s not. Sometimes you need more. Sometimes you need to think of some pretty insane things to get you there, and this is why the Asian porn industry is a multi-billion dollar market leader: there’s no such thing as “going too far.”
Alarming? Yes. Disgusting? Sure. By Vera Hughes But stimulating? Always. Proponents Opinion Editor are quick to attribute the allure of A s i a n porn to its Has he ever dumped a bucket of submissive raw calamari on top of your naked f e m a l e roles: Hentai, body and made love to you to the especially, is known for sound of squishing tentacles? If it’s depicting i n n o c e n t not transferring to the bedroom, you looking probably don’t have anything y o u n g girls in to worry about. varying levels of sexual But I don’t know, discomfort and pain Asian porn is full for the sake of male of young girls, Each week we will gratification. But cartoon or not, be accepting questions submission isn’t the and that’s where for our relationship, and draw – novelty is. things start love advice column. Please to get wiggy. What Asian porn send your questions to offers is limitlessness. Octopus sex? corsair.website@gmail. I don’t know why it’s Weird, but how com so weird and I don’t much weirder is know where they come that than Twilight up with ecchi like tentacle fan-fiction? Rape porn or broken doll porn or fantasies? Less comics that show what sex looks okay, but I guess they’re like from the inside (ew), but I know understandable; there are plenty of that no matter how unimaginative sex couples that indulge in those sorts gets, the Asian porn market will supply of fantasies together. something utterly mind-blowing. Rape fantasies about eight yearNo matter what he has to olds? Now, I might imagine to [orgasm], at least object. he’s still having sex with you. I’ve stumbled across He could be seeking that extra stimulus the occasional child porn site, and by joining a furry club or bringing a I freak out the way I used to in giant squid to bed or dressing 8-yearelementary school when I got penis olds up as nurses (ew). enlargement spam emails. There’s
She S
aid. .
something ingrained in me that forces me to react negatively to children being taken advantage of sexually, and I appreciate that reflex. If you’re into that, suppress it. Lock it away in the chambers of your tortured inner soul, Nabokov. There are SO many types of porn out there. I understand exploration and watching weird porn to see what the hype’s about, but if you’ve stumbled across a massive collection of pornography that is categorized and accumulated over a long time, yeah, get a little weirded out. Also, if this freakiness is the ONLY type of porn you found, that might be an additional red flag. There is also a HUGE difference between cartoon porn and real-life porn. If the wackiest stuff is cartoon porn and young girls weren’t actually involved, the situation no longer concerns Amnesty International. There’s just a fundamental difference. In my opinion, crazy cartoon fantasies are less worrisome than real life kiddie porn. Agreed? So take that into consideration. Ultimately, you’re going to be eeked out or you’re not. It’s going to be a guttural reaction, not something you can change your mind about later because other people tell you it’s acceptable.
New market Marukai off to good start despite tsunami By Naomi Calbucci Staff Writer With the current situation in Japan still pending, many markets in the United States who depend on overseas imports have to accommodate themselves by nding new suppliers and products to carry over. This disruption in commerce may seem to be an inconvenience, but business owners are putting one foot ahead of the natural disaster, and are coming up with alternative ways to supply consumers with the same products in a safe way. The Marukai Japanese Market is no exception. This Japanese product based market can be found throughout California, with a new location that opened blocks away on Pico Boulevard on March 25, 2011, a few days after the massive earthquake struck the Tohoku region of Japan. The fairly large market is decorated with colorful lanterns and
Japanese delights to give it an authentic feel. According to Manager Tomohiro Murakami, the market opened with a sale on products that lasted about a month, and although the earthquake had just struck, business was booming. The market heavily relies on Japanese products that attract customers to the foreign goods and treats. The Marukai market sells a vast variety of Japanese snacks, fresh sh, seafood, ramen, sake, sauces, candy, and sodas. “We get over 80 percent of our products directly from Japan so we heavily depend on them. The price of our products has gone up because the price to import them from Japan has gone up due to the earthquake, but it mainly depends on the economy, how the yen is doing compared to the US dollar,” says Murakami. The earthquake in Japan has presented some problems with importing products and making sure they are not contaminated.
With increasing inspections and stages that the products have to go through, the process of receiving shipments is taking longer than expected. Many factories have been destroyed, leaving little room for Marukai to expand its product selections from multiple suppliers. “We cannot import products that contain certain types of beef, chicken, or pork. One of the sh factories that supplied us with our sh and kelp was washed away by the tsunami so we had to change suppliers,” says Murakami. Concern for radiation is kept at a minimum due to high levels of screening every product goes through before being shipped over and Murakami assures that “Our items are safe. Everything that gets shipped over to us is passed and cleared by the FDA so people do not have to worry.” Business in the market has remained consistent since it rst opened in March and employers are optimistic for the future. The condence from the employees
is absorbed by the customers that continue to keep Marukai in business. “I’ve only had one customer ask about the radiation in Japan and how it affects this market. Business hasn’t gone down, and from what I’ve seen prices are pretty consistent. What I have noticed is that people are donating less to our relief fund and I think because they don’t talk much about radiation anymore,” says cashier David Huh. Whether the radiation in Japan is being publicized as a priority crisis or not, one thing is certain: the products sold in the Marukai Market are as fresh as they can get and are as authentic as the factories that ship them over. Customers continue to ourish and concern for product contamination is kept at a minimum due to every product being cleared by the FDA. Prices are consistent and so are clientele, making the Marukai Market a safe and delectable piece of Japan that is available to anyone.
Jeff Cote Corsair Lorenza Racho, a loyal customer of Japanese products, purchases meat at Marukai Market in Santa Monica yesterday.
May 25, 2011
theCorsaironline.com
SANTA MONICA COLLEGE
OPINION
7
Asian stereotyping still abundant in Hollywood Asian stereotypes are often perpetuated in the media and have been for years, and somehow it doesn’t seem to raise people’s eyebrows as much as other ethnicities do. By Muna Cosic Staff Writer Stereotyping is wrong in so many ways; yet it’s constantly encouraged throughout the media, especially in movies. It’s a pathetic sickness, which cannot be cured, but rules the way the movie industry works. Stereotyping sells, just like sex. One cultural stereotype which has become very popular and obvious in movies is Asian the “Token Asian.” In the past, Hollywood would cast non-Asians to portray Asian characters in movies, a practice called “yellow face,” or performances that “both reinforced and embodied all the negative stereotypes — funny accent, slanted eyes, buck teeth and enough ‘Orientalism’ to send the yellow fever meter through the roof,” said Philip W. Chung, writer for the AsianWeek web site. One of the most popular Asian characters in movies was Charlie Chan from the Charlie Chan series, which ran from 1931 to 1981. Charlie Chan was a Chinese detective known as “the nonthreatening Oriental with his
fortune-cookie wisdom,” said Chung. Even though the character was Asian, the four different actors that portrayed him have all been white men portraying an Asian man. Similarly, another infamous character in Hollywood’s history of yellow face is Fu Manchu, a character that emerged during the height of the “yellow peril,” a term referring to the wave of East Asian immigrants during the early-and mid-20th century.
It is obvious that Asian stereotyping sells well in the movie industry According to AsianWeek, the character Fu Manchu was portrayed as “pure evil, the very embodiment of the yellow peril menace, a stereotype that still plagues the many Asian roles of antagonist. To this day, different white actors have portrayed Fu Manchu influenced characters such as Nicholas Cage in the 2007 film, Grindhouse , and Christopher Walken in Balls of Fury . Movies such as Breakfast at Tiffany’s further reinforced the yellow face scheme with Mickey Rooney, who portrays Mr. Yunioshi in slant-eyed and buck-toothed prosthetics.
Educational harmony By Vera Hughes Opinion Editor
There is a popular stereotype that Asians are academically oriented, very smart and usually at the top of their classes. Hasn’t everyone heard someone make a nerdy Asian joke at some point in his or her adolescence or teenaged years? Asians are typically assumed to excel in math or science. Is it also typically assumed that Asians rarely pursue creative or artistic majors. Satoshi Kanazawa, evolutionary psychologist from the Interdisciplinary Institute of Management at the London School of Economics and Political Science, claims that Asians are fairly devoid of creativity, despite their high IQs. And apparently many Asians are aware of their lack of creativity. For the most part, in Asian countries like Japan, China and Vietnam, you are enrolled in school to do your best academically, not to develop creativity. It is regimented and disciplinary, and the students are taught how to effectively study. So their lack of creativity is known, but not considered negative or a problem. This mind set and work ethic has statistically placed AsianAmericans in higher percentages for income, and normally in lower percentages for poverty. So, this lack of creativity is certainly not holding them back from doing well nancially. In America, high school seems to be getting more and more lax, with new people every year making more excuses for why being hard on students isn’t conducive to the “learning environment.” So while Japan and China demand obedience and success from their adolescents, America coddles their youth and even does away with sports team cuts saying, “everyone should be able to play!” But ideas might be shifting. Recently, China has shown signs of reaching out to
It is the perfect example of racial stereotyping in movies and, of course, the yellow face Hollywood discourse. Media Action Network for Asian Americans (MANAA) is an organization dedicated “to monitoring the media and advocating balanced, sensitive, and positive coverage and portrayals of Asian Americans.” MANAA is also devoted to bringing awareness to “the negative
America to channel some of our creativity. Bonnie Lavin, Upper Division Dance Teacher at Brentwood School in Los Angeles, Calif., remarks on plans for the Brentwood Dance Company, which she directs, to do an exchange with Chinese high-school students. “They’ve gotten to a point in China where their recent capitalistic attitude has created a need for innovators. They are very highly disciplined and structured but there’s very little room for creativity. Their curriculum lacks problem solving and critical thinking,” says Lavin. Yes, the Chinese are self-proclaimed communists, but in reality, they’re a huge player in the capitalist world, and they can’t rationally claim that they haven’t adapted to capitalism. Lavin continues explaining that, “capitalist entrepreneurship is driving Chinese people to seek ways to learn how to be creative. They are incredibly talented at becoming master musicians and artists, but to incorporate music and art with academics and their regular curriculums is new. So they’ve been looking at the performing arts in American universities. They started in dance.” Lavin explains that exchange programs are becoming popular, and that Chinese dancers are often fascinated with what American students create and choreograph; That there is a fundamental difference in style between both countries. China displays an artful attention to detail and immaculate replication of traditional dances, while American students create pieces that are fairly original, abstract and unique. They both have worlds to learn from each other. As the world becomes increasingly more globalized, Americans are somehow still, stubborn at acknowledging other countries good qualities and incorporating them at home. If China is ready to adopt American creativity, maybe Americans could use a little regiment.
stereotypes long perpetuated by the media which detrimentally affects all Asian Americans, hurting not only their self image, but how non-Asians treat them.” They want to make sure that the public is educated in “the media about what persons of Asian-Pacific descent find racially offensive, stereotypical, and/or inaccurate and why it is harmful.” But even today’s movie scene resonates with the yellow face era of the past, and it’s still apparent that Asian actors aren’t treated equally to white actors.
Some 21st century movies still show the setback of Asian actors portraying Asian characters. The movie 21 , which is based on the novel Bringing Down the House, is a controversial film whose main characters were white actors, while the main characters in the book were based on real life Asians. What was even the point of casting white guys as the lead characters? The Last Airbender , a film based on a popular Asian-themed cartoon series casts white actors in three of the films four major roles. The sole Asian, Dev Patel, of Slumdog Millionaire , plays the villain. And properties such as Dragonball and Speed Racer , despite already having considerable fame in the west, have all been adapted into film with Caucasian actors as their leads. According to the New York Times, the media poisons the way we view cultures and the judgmental focus on cultures because of stereotyping. “The language of us versus them dominates far too much of our radio and television discourse.” This being said, it is obvious that Asian stereotyping in movies either sells well in the movie industry, or the yellow face era has never really passed away. We should also question whether the yellow peril of the past translates to “terrorism” now, and if it will take an additional half-century for those of Middle-Eastern descent to cast off that stereotype.
SANTA MONICA COLLEGE
May 25, 2011
SPORTS
8
theCorsaironline.com
Swim stars come from various backgrounds By Breanna Balisteri Staff Writer There is a feeling of belonging within Santa Monica College Swim Team Coach Steven Contarsy’s ofce in the Gym building. Members of the swim team are joking around with each other and laughing intermittently. Among this diverse group of athletes are Asian swimmers Louisa Lau from Westwood, and international students Zixi Liu and Ching Tat “Jeff” Lum, both from China. International students account for about 10 percent of SMC’s total population. Of those, Asian students make up a large portion of the international students who ock to Santa Monica College for its reputation. Both international and local Asian students have found a place on the swim team. Fresh from the state championships, where they took home three rst place medals, Lau, Liu and Lum all feel a sense of belonging on the swim team. The “big, family atmosphere,” is what has kept Lau, a two-year swim team veteran, involved in the sport. A large majority of her friends came from swimming. “It’s awesome, they are all like my best friends,” Lau said. Lau, who is from Los Angeles, was born and raised in Westwood. She began swimming for a team when she was 12-years-old. “My mom, she made me swim,” Lau said. “And I hated it at rst, but then I started liking it.” It began with summer league, which Lau was not thrilled about at the time. “The workouts were hard and I was really young,” she said. “We had to go to meets every single weekend and I would hate them.” Things began to turn around for Lau when she began making friends at her new activity. “All my friends were there, and I liked seeing them every day,” Lau said. She opted to continue swimming and joined the Palisades High School swim team, where she attended. What Lau loves most about swimming is reaching and surpassing her personal best goals. “It makes me want to work harder,” Lau said. “I love being able to hit personal records,” Lau said. Lau considers her best personal record so far to have been the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of one minute and 12 seconds. This upcoming fall, Lau will be attending UCLA, where she will be studying political science. “I really like international relations and comparative government,” Lau said.
Amanda Bojorquez Corsair State Champion swimmers Jeff Lum and Michelle Liu have obtained countless medals for breaking state records .for the 100 IM, 200 IM, and 100 Free this 2011 swim season.
Lau has considered pursuing careers in public policy and journalism. “I might do water polo next year or maybe a triathlon; just to try something new,” Lau said. As for swimming, she will miss and be missed by her teammates, like Liu. Liu is from a small town just outside of Beijing, China, and came to the U.S. while studying abroad. After two semesters in the states, Liu has noticed many differences in the way the swim teams are run. “In China, the swimming coach would always yell at you,” Liu said. “And sometimes they would hit you.” Liu says her current coach is much nicer than her former coach in China. “They are always funny, and they have a totally different style.”
Here, as Liu described, she has the freedom to try new things that she did not have a chance to try as a swimmer on a team in China. In China, Liu was required to train twice a day. Here though, the team practices six days a week, two hours a day. Liu began her swimming career at the age of 10, “My dream was to be an Olympic star,” she said. Swimming is denitely a hobby for Liu. It is also an activity that she hopes will boost her application to Loyola Marymount University, where she hopes to attend. Liu placed in the women’s 100 meter and the individual medley, this semester. “It’s hard, hard, hard, hard. Always hard,” said Liu, who is up for the challenge. Lum knows exactly how hard swimming can be. His father is the head coach of a swim club in his hometown of Hong Kong, China. He rst took to the water at 3-years-old. “It’s my destiny,” Lum said with a chuckle. “Before, I thought swimming was just helping me get into a university,” Lum said. He dreamt of going to the University of Hong Kong. When he arrived in California, he decided he wanted to go to USC. “Now I think that swimming is not just getting me into a university,” Lum said. “I hope I can bring all my knowledge back to Hong Kong from America to teach them the new way to teach swimming.” Lum not only dreams of Olympic medals, but would like to continue his father’s legacy as head coach in Hong Kong when his father retires. “He wants me to nish his dream,” Lum said. Lum is aiming high and hopes to be at the 2012 Olympics, where he’d like to represent Hong Kong. “I found I couldn’t stop swimming,” Lum recalls from the time he started as a child. In fact, not even an injury could keep Lum from his passion. During a swim meet when he was 17, Lum injured his shoulder because he didn’t warm up before swimming. Luckily, the injury healed with the help of a professional. Lum became fascinated with the physiology of sports medicine and became a kinesiology major. He advises athletes everywhere to always warm up. Lum and fellow teammates Liu and Lau follow that tradition of warming up every time they swim. “Each one has achieved phenomenal success in slightly different ways,” Coach Contarsy said.
Ping-pong gathers students SMC’s table tennis program continues to bring in a diverse mix of students. By Shanon Culiner Staff Writer Sitting at the entrance of the Santa Monica College Pavilion, Charles McDaniel, Recreation Director of Sunday’s Santa Monica Community Recreation Sports Program for the past 18 years, greets the many incoming students and table tennis players as they make their way inside to play ping-pong. With exactly 19 Olympic size pingpong tables perfectly aligned in the middle of the gymnasium, the nearly 50 table tennis partakers of different ethnicities, genders and ages, rally and score points against one another while badminton takes place on the outer portions of the pavilion. According to McDaniel, Professor Jo Kidd formed the Santa Monica Co-Rec Sports Program 40 years ago, which consists of table tennis, badminton and basketball. Kidd is currently both the supervisor and an instructor for the program. “It’s a great program,” said McDaniel. “Especially for the students that take the class. We’ve had students take the class, start at the beginning, and now they’re at the top of their game playing tournaments.”
McDaniel’s primary duty is to make sure the program runs smoothly. In addition, he collects fees from those who turn up for the “open play” ($4 for students; $6 for non-students), and takes attendance of those students enrolled in SMC’s 1-unit table tennis class. According to McDaniel, the table tennis classes are made up of mostly Asian, F1 students (foreign students). The class is organized from 12:30 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. Following the
department at CSUN. During his studies at UCLA, he represented the university, winning numerous table tennis tournaments. In 1992 he was elected to serve as the USA Table Tennis (USATT) Pacific Regional Tournaments Coordinator. A few years later he established an official affiliation for Santa Monica College’s Community Service and Kinesiology departments with the USATT. Though Hashimoto was born and
“Asian students have an outstanding inuence on table tennis at SMC” -Charles McDaniel time frame, the tables are open for all to enjoy until 8 p.m. “Asian students have an outstanding influence on table tennis here at SMC,” said McDaniel. “It’s definitely the majority.” As he walked from table to table, Dr. Ichiro Hashimoto, an SMC table tennis instructor, kept a close watch on his students. When he noticed something wrong with a student’s form he would demonstrate and constructively explain the proper technique(s). Hashimoto is a professor and former chair of the Electrical Engineering
raised in Los Angeles, Calif., his family is originally from Fukushima, Japan, (an area greatly affected by the recent earthquakes and tsunami). Hashimoto feels that the table tennis culture in the United States has its challenges because of the lack of table tennis teams and college varsity programs available. A table tennis program such as SMC’s is crucial to building the sport’s reputation. “In Japan you can receive a full education if you happen to be an elite table tennis player,” said Hashimoto, “You’ll be recruited.”
Hashimoto believes most countries take table tennis a lot more seriously, compared to the U.S.’ football, baseball, and basketball teams. Stated on USA Table Tennis’s official website, created in 1933, USATT is the national organizing body for table tennis in the United States. “Table tennis is a really active game,” said Bella Livshin a table tennis instructor for SMC. “But, people of all ages can play. It’s fun, fun, fun.” Livshin, now in her 60’s, started playing table tennis at the age of 14 in the Ukraine. Besides teaching, she’s also a national table tennis umpire for the National Collegiate Tennis Table Association (NCTTA) and the number 1 table tennis player in her age group in the U.S. According to Livshin, there are many Asian players from all over - China, Japan, Thailand, Korea, Russia, etc. who attend the table tennis classes at SMC. “SMC is the best facility; It has the best tables, equipment and gym in the whole Los Angeles area,” said Livshin. “People enjoy the class and really learn how to play – it’s always popular.” The California State Open Table Tennis Tournament will be held June 25-26 at the Santa Monica Pavilion. Visit www.smctabletennis.com for details.
