He definitely topped my Halloween costume from last year...

Talk about one brazen Asian:

Old white guy boards jet, arrives in B.C. as young Asian

By ROB GILLIES

The Associated Press

A young Asian man who boarded an Air Canada flight in Hong Kong elaborately disguised as an elderly white man is seeking refugee status in Canada in what border officials are calling an "unbelievable case of concealment."

An internal intelligence alert from the Canada Border Services Agency shows before-and-after photos, and describes how the man boarded the flight in Hong Kong on Oct. 29 wearing a silicone mask of an old man.

The passenger was seen at the start of the flight as an "elderly Caucasian male who appeared to have young looking hands," the bulletin said. During the flight, however, "the subject attended the washroom and emerged an Asian-looking male that appeared to be in his early 20s."

The document, which was provided by a Canadian official on condition of anonymity, says the man had a bag that contained a "disguise kit which consisted of a silicone type head and neck mask of an elderly Caucasian male, a brown leather cap, glasses and a thin brown cardigan."

The bulletin, which carried the headline "Unbelievable Case of Concealment," said information was received by Air Canada Corporate Security regarding a possible impostor.

CNN reported that according to the Nov. 1 bulletin, a "possible impostor" was identified by Air Canada Corporate Security after a seemingly elderly man was spotted with "younger looking hands."

The bulletin said the man later admitted to officials that he had boarded the flight with the mask on and had removed it several hours later.

It says they believe the man and another passenger performed a boarding-pass swap. The government official said a U.S. passport was involved.

Chris McCluskey, a spokesman for Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, said a man was in detention and added that the matter is before Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board. A spokeswoman for the board declined to comment.

Air Canada officials confirmed a passenger on board Flight AC018 had been met by border-services officials in Vancouver, B.C.

"It should be noted that there are multiple identity checks before departure at the Hong Kong International Airport, including Chinese government-run Hong Kong passport control, which Hong Kong originating passengers must undergo," Air Canada spokeswoman Angela Mah said.

John Babcock, a spokesman for Canada's Transport Minister Chuck Strahl, declined to release details but said airlines have the responsibility to verify the identity of all passengers who appear to be 18 years of age or older.

"That means air carriers are supposed to look at a passenger's entire face to determine if they appear to be over 18 and if so, compare their physical appearance with their travel documents," Babcock said.

The Vancouver Sun reported that immigration lawyer Richard Kurland speculated the man went through domestic security at the Hong Kong airport before putting on his disguise, after which he likely swapped boarding passes with another passenger and feigned mobility and communication problems to pass through gate security.

It's believed the man swapped boarding passes with a U.S. citizen and passenger who was born in 1955.

---

I completely overlooked my GRE word of the post while writing my previous entry! Shame on me! panegyric (noun): a writing or speech in praise of a person or thing

I would offer the aforementioned Asian man a panegyric, but honestly...how could he neglect to give himself old man hands?!?!?

Miss me?

[Edited 12.9.09-Decided to retire Halloween costume masthead and replace it with something less intense, as if white lettering on a black background was anything BUT intense. I will post my former masthead for this post's purposes.]

I'm making good on my word and giving you the long-awaited BLOG MASTHEAD EXPLANATION POST. I actually stumbled upon the word masthead not too long ago. While trying to use the word in a previous post I had trouble recalling the nautical sounding term. Was it starboard? Anchor? I had to refer to a blog that I regularly visit in order to figure it out.

So yes, we can now conclude that I AM A DORK.

Every Halloween BYU-ers never fail to impress me by using creativity to compensate for the lack of skanky costumes. Skanky costumes are not too hard to pull off, nor do they require much creativity. You get bonus points for just being half naked. Us BYU chicks don't have that luxury, though sometimes I think a few of us might benefit from the taking the easier road. Sometimes I see a costume and just think, man if only she showed a little skin that costume would be BOMB (Psh, you know you were thinking it too!).

As for me, I usually dress up as something involving minimal effort. Let me review the past years at BYU:
Year one-nothing (ultimate minimal effort)
Year two-witch (a witch hat and black clothing)
Year three-school girl

And finally, my crowning achievement came during YEAR FOUR, for it was this year I dressed up as a white girl. Explaining my costume was a bit awkward as I am mainly surrounded by white folk. Most people I told thought it was hilarious but didn't ask me my reasoning behind choosing to do so. If you know me you'll know that I have to have meaning behind most things I do. Not all mind you, that would get a little crazy. I guess most people just assumed that I chose my costume on a whim. Let me assure you, it was much more than that: my costume was going to make a statement and hopefully send a message. I didn't get much visibility with it, considering I didn't attend many parties. I'm not the party-goer type in case you were wondering. So in hopes that this blog post might send the message I was meaning to send on Halloween night, here goes nothing.

Is it appropriate to dress up as a member of an ethnic group you do not belong to? And if you are going to dress up as a member of an ethnic group, what features will you choose to incorporate into your costume in order to make it seem obvious that you are mimicking a member of such ethnic group? Is it the dark skin of an African? The obliqued eyes of an Asian? Furthermore, will you proceed to act in a stereotypical manner of that ethnic group? If you are in costume as an African-American will your actions be "gangster" in nature? My problem with costumes that suggest a certain ethnicity is that they often rely on stereotypes in order to make very apparent the ethnicity that is being represented. While I respect costumes that give respect to the culture being represented, for instance if a person of Caucasian descent where to wear a qipao (traditional Chinese dress) I would not have a problem with it. However, if a Caucasian were to wear a qipao while slanting their eyes and speaking in a thick broken English accent, I would have a word or two with them. If you want to be a white gangster, be my guest. Paint your skin brown, wear a grill and pop caps? Offensive. But Jess, isn't it all in good fun? Shouldn't Halloween be a time to let loose and have a laugh or two?

I refer to the following passage from West Virginia University's official publication, The Daily Athenaeum:

Blackface incident continues to cause consternation for some in community

By Adriane Williams

The Nov. 6 edition of The Daily Athenaeum published a story about members of the West Virginia University women’s soccer team painting their faces and padding their buttocks to imitate black women for Halloween.

The President’s Office for Social Justice decided the incident was not racist because there was no ill intent and because they were participating in a fun team event.

The incident itself was not shocking.

Every Halloween, students at colleges and universities across the nation engage in racist activities.

It is as if Halloween provides blanket permission to engage in hateful behavior. Blacks, foreign and domestic, along with Mexicans, Mexican-Americans and Native Americans seem to be easy to reduce to cartoons and caricatures.

I am certain the girls on the soccer team knew they were doing something wrong, because if the report is correct, they asked their black teammates to agree with their choice of costume.

We do not ask permission for things we know are appropriate.

There is no need to.

But I am perfectly willing to believe they have no idea just why they needed to ask.

And I am sure they are unclear about why their Facebook photos should have found their way to the President’s Office for Social Justice for investigation.

Blackface has an ugly legacy that is not a part of our collective education.

We are not taught about how whites painted themselves as caricatures of blacks, to dehumanize us, making it all the more permissible to keep us bound, to marginalize us, to lynch us and to do it all with impunity.

What is now seen as excusable because it was fun was also fun public entertainment in the recent past.

It was particularly fun for audiences to gather during slavery and through Reconstruction to watch men painted in blackface with exaggerated facial features perform as jovial ignorant caricatures of blacks – Jim Crow, sambos and coons.

With the advent of film and television, people were able to enjoy the mockery on the big screen or in the comfort of their homes.

Here in the early 21st century, there is still much fun to be had in demeaning people of color.

The obvious lesson from this incident is that we have holes in our education.

People who would very much like not to be called racist deal in racist speech and activity on a regular basis because of their ignorance.

Blacks as well as whites are ignorant of our national history.

We could all stand to learn more about who we are and from whence we come.

I sincerely believe that if those members of the soccer team knew they were choosing to participate in something with such a hateful legacy, they would have made a different choice.

Adriane Williams I commend you for being willing to call out something you deemed offensive, even though your school's administration felt otherwise. It is important to recognize that while something may seem innocent in the present, there are historical and cultural implications that must not be ignored. We are commissioned to learn from the past and improve upon our predecessors' mistakes. I believe West Virginia's soccer team took a step backward by choosing to resurrect racist behaviors from America's history.

So in short, I dressed up as a white person for Halloween 2009. I relied on "preppy" stereotypes while choosing what clothes and accessories to wear. I didn't go so far as to act like I just returned from a day at the country club, white privilege exuding from every pore. That just might've been a little too offensive...

Here's to hoping for less blackface, yellowface, redface (and every color in between) costumes in the future.

My new guilty pleasure is...

MADATOMS. Here's a little gem from their website:

http://www.madatoms.com/site/blog/what-kind-of-racist-are-you/

It is LOVE.

She's got a face not worth remembering...

Want a quick and surefire way to make a person feel insignificant? Tell them their face is indistinguishable from four billion others. While you're at it, go ahead and tell them that their facial features and placement are nothing special, just another casting of an overused mold.

What kind of audacity would a person have to possess in order to say such a thing? Maybe I'm being a bit hyperbolic with the above example but hyperboles prove points and I am on a point-proving mission (along with a save the world mission).

Stop telling me you think all Asians look alike.

First off, if you genuinely believe we all look alike, this subject matter should not be used as an icebreaker. I will judge you if you use this to start off a conversation. I may even resent you for the rest of your life. If you have to rely on such shoddy material in order to begin a conversation, I would say a lesson on social skills should be in order.

Boy: Hi
Jess: Hi
Boy: What are you? [refer to my earlier post entitled "Where are you from?"]
Jess: (reluctantly and while rolling her eyes) Chinese (I would usually say something wittier or possibly even snippier but for time's sake sometimes I like to cut to the chase)
Boy: Ya'll look alike! Can't tell you apart!
Jess: Whew, I'm glad we got that out of the way. I always hate all these social formalities we have to uphold. Thanks for blurting out the first thing that came to your mind, seriously, thank you...I feel so much more comfortable around you.
Boy: You're welcome.

Social psychology explains the phenomenon (though I don't really consider it much of a phenomenon) of being able to more easily recognize facial differences between those of your own race versus those of another. I love social psychology; it takes simple adages that everyone takes for granted and performs scientific experiments in order to prove or disprove the adages' validity. Take the commonly used aphorism: absence makes the heart grow fonder. Is this statement true or false? Some would say, "It's all subjective, you can't really tell; social psychologists say, "Let's make up an experiment!" Sometimes the results seem to be what I like to call 'duh-statements'; I could have told you that without you going off and spending a thousand dollars developing an experiment. Other times the results are truly shocking and unexpected. As for whether or not absence makes the heart grow fonder...it doesn't (Diamond, 2008). Okay, enough rambling about my love of social psychology. Here are some key points about our ability to recognize faces within our own race:

Malpass and Kravi (1969) were the first to empirically demonstrate that the identification of a face is more frequently correct when the face belongs to one's own ethnic group compared to a face from another ethnic group. They first showed 20 slides to white and black subjects. Ten of these slides showed white faces, the other ten showed black faces. Subjects were then presented with a second series of 80 slides, 40 of which showed black faces, and the other 40 white faces. The first 20 slides had been included in these series. For each slide subjects were asked whether they had seen that particular slide before.

On the basis of their findings Malpass and Kravi (1969) arrived at the following conclusion: "subjects were found to have higher acuity for faces of own race" (p.330). Their results, however, show that this phenomenon mainly occurs in whites identifying black faces. White subjects recognize black faces less accurately while whites recognized the white faces more frequently than the black faces, while black subjects recognized the black and white faces with equal facility" (p. 393).

To explain the phenomenon that blacks recognize faces of a different ethnic origin more easily than whites it is often said that blacks have more experience with individuals of a different ethnic origin than whites (Brigham & Malpass, 1985; Bothwell, Brigham & Malpass, 1989). Experiences with other ethnic groups increase the familiarity with 'other faces', which has a positive effect on valid and reliable facial description.

If you have issues with differentiating one person from another in the same race category I would encourage you to increase your experiences with those of other races. Another suggestion would be to increase eye contact when speaking to others and pay attention to tier facial features. Too often I see members of our generation failing to provide adequate eye contact while conversing with others. Look at the person while you're speaking to them but steer clear from actually appearing to study out their face. No creepers please!

So the next time you think about blurting out how all us Asians be looking alike, remember that we can't tell you people apart either.

PS: The above statement makes more sense when you consider that Asians are a very exclusive people. Many of the Chinese students I conversed with had never seen a black person in the flesh. Lack of experience=inability to differentiate.

Japanese Domo-Kun and Chinese Jie-ling have some noticeable differences

Diamond, L., Hicks, A., & Otter-Henderson, K. (2008). Every time you go away: Changes in affect, behavior, and physiology associated with travel-related separations from romantic partners. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95 (2), 385-403

Vrig, A., & Winkel, F.W. (1989). Recognition of own and other-race faces: The effects of quality versus quantity of cross-cultural interaction. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, 5 (2), 24-28

Count me out...

Click to read an article about a disturbing trend.

Like how I'm not disclosing the topic of the article but sneakily reeling you in? Yes, I'm good like that...

Okay, here's a hint:

Ron and I need to converse more often...

Jessica: Interracial dating fascinates me.

Ron: The only thing I don't like about it is that, in the long term, it would result in a very boring species. We would all just be coffee-colored.

Jessica: Lol, wow, best comment on interracial dating ever, can i steal it?

Ron: Well, it's a legitimate concern. So many of us like interracial dating because we claim to appreciate variety. But this would lead to an end of variety. LOL...if you want to quote me, you may.

What's Love Got to Do With Race?

Reminds me of that Warren G song...sort of:
What's love got to do, got to do with it (that's right)?
What's love if you don't respect the game (uh-huh)?
What's love got to do, got to do with it?
If you lack in this game, it's a shame, you won't make it.

Enjoy the following article, which thoroughly explains the potential pitfalls of interracial relationships.

RELATIONSHIPS

Dating 101: Dealing With the Race Factor

How to cope with four common obstacles in interracial dating

By dating editor Arnold Chao Taken from Yahoo! Personals

A recent study on racial preferences of online daters provides some interesting findings. Based on profile-searching criteria set by singles using Yahoo! Personals, the UCI case study reveals that gender plays an important role in interracial preferences:

Asian American men are the least preferred mate for Caucasian women

Asian American men are the least preferred mate for Caucasian women, and African American women bear the brunt of discrimination from Caucasian men. UCI researchers say that "the stereotypical images of masculinity and femininity shape dating choices" and are a contributing factor.

The cross-cultural revolution is not going to be launched on the Internet dating scene, where people often follow racial stereotypes when looking for love, the researchers said.

In spite of these findings, there's always an exception to the norm, and I should know as an ABC (American-Born Chinese) who met and married another type of ABC (American Brazilian Caucasian -- yes, I just made that up). Like any couple we've had our ups and downs, but we've somehow managed to bond well for almost a decade.

For those of you involved with a date -- or mate -- of a different race, check out these obstacles of interracial dating and ways to overcome them.

Dating Obstacle #1. The Traditionalists

I've encountered several people who possess strong opinions about interracial dating: A South African told me that people should date within their own race; my Korean American friend found it inconceivable to betroth a white woman; some Asian guys I've met told me they loathe competing with white guys to woo Asian bachelorettes.

Yes, the resistance against interracial dating persists, even in the diverse San Francisco Bay Area where I live. You should consider that citizens in most U.S. states were legally banned from marrying outside of their race until 1967.

How do you cope?

Surround yourself with pals who tolerate diversity. As individuals, we have an innate desire to be understood; and as an interracial couple, the desire remains the same. You must learn to accept adversity and not let it influence your individual judgment. The acceptance you receive from a circle of friends strips away your sensitivity to snide comments that oppose your open dating preferences.

Dating Obstacle #2. The Stereotypes From Mass Media

Can you blame the TV producers and advertisers for playing it safe by catering to the majority? After all, they measure what appeals to a mass audience and go with what we're familiar with. It's no mystery that stereotyping the population is much easier than representing eclectic subgroups within our population. As an expected result of this, the general public absorbs oversimplified images of various ethnic groups -- and how they pair up -- in every media imaginable.

How do you cope?

Recognizing the biased reality of the media business in itself resolves much of the adverse impact of broadcasted stereotypes. Avoid "keeping up with the Joneses" and don't think you have to date like all the idealized couples the generic media fodder has fed you. Boil your beliefs down to what really matters to you, and you'll become stereotype-resistant.

Dating Obstacle #3. The Offensive Family Member

It happens: You'll attend a family gathering where your estranged uncle shows that he may not be as culturally enlightened as the rest of your family. The off-color jokes spew out of his mouth. He snickers. You're in shock. Your significant other is in shock. The tension builds while you attempt to cool the blood that boils within you.

How do you cope?

Realize that there may always be a family member, or friend, who has trouble thinking before uttering insensitive opinions or bluntly racist remarks. Prepare for these confrontations. Let that person know if you think his/her comments are offensive, and choose honest yet eloquent ways to respond. Practice what you'll say and when you'll say it -- so when the situation happens, you won't let your emotions get the best of you. If this person is worth dealing with, he/she will respect your straightforwardness.

Silence will only prolong the issue. Share your thoughts to show that you care about how you interact with everyone, and vice versa. This is not the time to be shy. Demand respect. You deserve it.

Dating Obstacle #4. The Gazers

I know. It gets old. Not everybody is used to seeing an interracial couple. People will stare at you. They may even display a frown or a furrowed brow.

How do you cope?

Ignore the natural response of attempting to read their minds. Who knows what they're thinking when they stare: Maybe they admire you two as a couple, or they like your threads, or they just haven't seen your "kind" before, or they're waiting for you two to show some affection so they can label you as a couple rather than friends. It's pointless to keep wondering.

Instead, imagine you're a celebrity. In fact, you are. You might well be the spectacle of the day for them. Thrive and celebrate your uniqueness. These public encounters add flavor to the otherwise bland experiences of their lives. You're simply desensitizing them to the notion of colorblind dating. Sooner or later, they won't look twice ... because they've seen it before.

My two cents on "Racist Chia"

I'm not as much concerned about the product being racist, as I'm going to give the designers the benefit of the doubt (which I rarely do, so I'm quite surprised at my own benevolence); they're just using a famous face to promote a product that is waning in popularity.

What I am more concerned about is how awful of a rendition it is! Obama is an attractive man and this monstrosity of a Chia Pet does him absolutely no justice. Shame on the Chia corporation, which I'm pretty sure ISN'T their name, but wouldn't it be cool if it was?

Sorry for the brevity of my post, but I've got bigger things to worry about...

IT'S FINALS WEEK!

Obama puppy fiasco post forthcoming...(just kidding, maybe)

A Racist Chia Pet?

[featured on AOL Home]

Obama Chia Pet Pulled from Shelves

Looks as if President Obama's high approval ratings are going to outlast his time on store shelves and might we add, thankfully.

Walgreens stores in Tampa and Chicago have opted to pull the "Chia Obama" from store shelves after customers expressed concerns to management that the plants were racist.

According to Walgreens spokesman Robert Elfinger, store managers have the right to choose what will and will not be sold in store. But, after company management received complaints, the plants were removed.

Both sides seem to maintain reasonable arguments -- yes, it resembles an afro but then again, Homer Simpson's Chia Pet has the same hair do. And let's remember, he didn't have hair to begin with. Would Marge have been offended that Homer was depicted with a full head of hair?

Chia Obama will still be sold at chiaobama.com should you really want one for your home.
___________________________________________________________________

So what do you think? Is the "Chia Obama" offensive? Do you secretly want one?

Affirming Affirmative Action

So I guess my lack of bloggage also coincides with my lack of fast foodage. Hey, if I don't get my trans fats I have writers block...FOR REALS! Jokes lang! (Just kidding in Tagalog)

wow, what a creepy rendition of trans-fat

I think my better explanation would be midterms and a horrendously bad cold(age). Man, I am tempted to put -age and the end of everything. I think it makes me sound more hipster-esque. I like being less specific and giving my readers more room for interpretation so -age and -esque are pivotal to my writing. Okay, now I'm just fooling around.

A-N-Y-W-A-Y-S,

I'd like to write a post about my justification for affirmative action. I've spouted my mouth off about the topic, and I believe it's high time to put my mouth to paper?!?! I'm being silly. Seriously, affirmative action folks. Heavy stuff. Hence why I've decided to write it in fourth grade essay format.

Why I like affirmative action
by Jessica Y.

I like affirmative action. It does good stuff for college students. It makes me happy and it makes my best friend Lily happy too. We have been friends since 1st grade except once I hit her and she didn't like me anymore.

A more serious stance on affirmative action and college campuses
by Jessica Y.

I've heard the debates and even been in the midst of some, though I've usually kept my mouth shut in fear of being labeled the "minority" that loves "the system that helps her." Usually the argument will go something like this, "I have a friend that is such and such minority and she doesn't even know anything about her heritage and yet she's getting accepted to such and such prestigious school with such and such prestigious scholarship...that is so wrong and unfair." [Everyone in the room shakes their head and murmurs.] Keep in mind that I attend a school that is approximately 88% White, 4% Asian, 4% Latino, and 5% Black and the majority of the murmuring is coming from a sea of individuals who have never even grazed the topic of what it means to be a minority. While it is a shame that the aforementioned person has not explored their ethnic heritage, there are numerous reasons why one might feel disinclined to do so. Appreciating your ethnic heritage can sometimes be misinterpreted as trying to disassociate with the popular, dominant culture. Not trying to make excuses for anyone, but I know people have their reasons. While it would ideal if every minority grasped hold of their unique ethnic heritage, it DOESN'T MATTER because that's not how we view one another or define race. We define race by the color of one's skin; by the differences in one's eye shape. So how do we combat discrimination and categorization based on something so superficial? We work within the system we are given.

We must seek diversity for the sake of diversity.

Having a vast multitude of people who look different from one another on our college campuses will not bring diversity in the deeper sense of the word; it will not give us the enriching diversity of ethnic cultures coming together to share and learn from one another's various background and beliefs. In a country of immigrants whose children are growing up fully assimilated in American culture, we cannot expect or demand that these children form some sort of ethnic identity (though it would be nice.) We cannot expect that they will take diversity beyond just having a "bunch of minorities and White people together in one area." All we can hope for is that by putting people together that may look different from one another, they may just, eventually...interact with one another. When people are not familiar with the unknown they usually begin to fear it or conjure up false beliefs about what the unknown is like. The same applies to race. If you are not exposed to a certain race or have never interacted with a person of another race it would be easy to come up with false beliefs about what that race is like. Even if it's merely seeing another race and possibly passing by a person of another race in the hallway, realizing that the Black man you passed didn't flash some gang sign at you, or the Asian guy didn't happen to be carrying a fat calculator with him and sporadically flashing a peace sign at you. These seemingly meaningless interactions can serve to slowly diminish stereotypes and categorizations and help to ease the fears that seek to destroy any hope of healthy race relations. And as mentioned before, maybe, just maybe, we'll start talking to one another.

They're smiling, but are they talking?

For a minority to actually enroll in a school in which they know they will be underrepresented, is another story. What minority wants to be a minority? Affirmative action provides an incentive for minorities to enroll in universities they would otherwise not consider due to an overly homogeneous campus. Affirmative action provides scholarships that might make the final decision as to what school a minority chooses to go to. It may also boost the number of minorities at a certain school which increases the chance a future minority may consider going to a school. These minorities will know: there will be someone else that looks like me there. Silly as it may seem, but we base a good deal on what we look like vs. what someone else looks likes and sometimes just seeing a familiar face can ease our apprehension or awkwardness. Unfortunately, that is the power we have given race.

Where are you from?

This actually occurred a few months ago, though I haven't had a chance to finish this post until now.

My roommate's fiancee posed the question of, "Are you Chinese?" to me the other day. It was a bit random, as I've never spoken more than a, 'because formality dictates', hello or goodbye to him. I was caught a bit off guard as I was speaking to another friend at the moment, so I quickly answered, "um, yes." You would think that I wouldn't be as surprised since arriving to Utah I've been asked not only, "where are you from?" but "what are you?" on a weekly basis. The question seems to pop up at the most random of moments from the most random of people, like while Harry and I are minding our own business and picking up groceries at Smiths.

So I pose these questions: do people ask because they are genuinely curious about my ancestry and heritage? Or do people ask so they can more easily classify me? Do people ask so that they can confirm their own beliefs of what they thought a "Chinese person" looked like? I used to be more open about asking the race question, but since beginning college and having it posed to me again and again, I've tired of the question and I've become wary of its intent. So I don't ask it, and in doing so, I'd like to think I've become less concerned about the confining and ever so superficial boundaries of racial classifications.

I've encountered some strange responses after telling a person that yes, indeed I am of Chinese ancestry. The strangest encounter took place a few months ago. After telling this certain person my ethnicity, she sat back, looking deep in thought and replied, "I don't think I've ever met one of those before."

I was so aghast that I didn't answer, but in hindsight I should have said something like this:
"REALLY!??!?! Cuz' there's a lot of us, you know."

Another missed opportunity. POOP.

I'm not through with you yet...

I promised more to come...but since I'm preparing for finals, this is only a smidgen of what I planned to have coming:

Just something to think about, even though it's post-election...(reprinted from my Multicultural America class)

Is there a double standard where race and politics are concerned?

Could Obama do the following and still have a reasonable chance at becoming president of the U.S.?

• Introduce 5 children to the American public, including a 3-month old infant and an unwed, pregnant teenage daughter
• Finish 5th from the bottom of his graduating class
• Leave his first wife after a severe, disfiguring car accident, and engage in a long affair with his second wife (while still married to his first wife)
• Marry someone who became addicted to pain killers and also acquired the drugs illegally through her own charitable organization
• Be involved in a major banking scandal (The Keating Five)
• Experience difficulties when reading from a teleprompter
• Military experience includes discipline problems and a record of crashing 7 planes
• Have a history of serious anger management problems that have regularly been displayed in public
• Marry a woman whose family makes millions from the brewing and distribution of beer
• Finally graduate from college after attending 4 different colleges and universities
• Spend $150,000 of campaign monies on his wardrobe

YES WE CAN...

elect a Black man to the presidency. Harry and I were absolutely giddy when CNN announced the news.




And although it seems heaven sent
We ain't ready, to see a black President
-2pac's, "Changes"
If only 2pac had lived to see the day.


[MORE TO COME]

My interpretation of my strange dream...

If you haven't gotten the chance to read about my strange dream, see the previous post.

Most people that know me know that I have a strong interest, bordering on an obsession, with the topic of race. It didn't become a full-blown obsession until I entered adolescence, and more specifically, BYU. Race didn't have much relevance in my life before; didn't notice it much and didn't care to notice it. I've always considered myself American and I've never made a differentiation between my nationality, my ethnicity, and my race. I don't particularly like being reminded that I am somehow different from the majority of Americans. Since entering BYU I have been subject to a slew of ignorant comments. I cannot necessarily call them prejudiced because I really don't know their purpose or intent was; perhaps sheer ignorance. Once I was sitting in BYU's Marriott Center (which is our sports arena) about to hear our former prophet speak some words, when a boy and girl behind me started to make fun of Asians and their "funny" accents. I sat there, so completely shocked and appalled; wanting to say something but not knowing quite what. Once while driving in my car with my windows down a group of boys drove next to me and shouted, "Do you have any rice, can you give me some rice?" Sure, I could laugh such experiences off, but I can't shake the feeling that I get whenever these incidents occur: I AM DIFFERENT. And in these cases, those differences were substantial enough to subject me to harassment.

But in reality, those differences are very inconsequential. Race is simply a social construct; something that has been manipulated to mean much more than it should. Any differences in hair or skin color, eye shape, or nose width accounts for 2% of our genetic makeup. Race is only important if we give it importance and meaning. The symbolism behind race is so entrenched in our society that we can easily conjure up words that stereotypically define a Black (gangster), Latino (illegal), and Asian (nerd). Furthermore, race is often incorrectly associated with culture. If a person is Asian, an assumption can be that they are a part of "Asian culture." There are many Asians who no longer reside in their nation of origin and that have assimilated themselves into American institutions and belief systems. Many American born Asians are entirely unfamiliar with Asian culture and fully embrace the American way of life.

I am an American. I don't like it when people try to question this. When people ask me where I'm from, and refuse to be satisfied with the honest answer of 'Las Vegas,' I get angry. I am from Las Vegas. I was born and raised in Las Vegas. If you're asking me where I'm from because you think it'll help you understand me and the culture I come from a little better, you are wrong. I was raised with the Protestant work ethic while given hopes that I too, could one day achieve the American dream. I'm capitalistic. I don't plan on giving my parents money when they grow old. (Don't worry mom and dad, I will take care of you if you're sick and dying :)) I don't tell people what I think to their face. We didn't have a rice cooker in my house while growing up. McDonald's Happy Meals sustained my life as a child. I didn't learn the Chinese language until only recently and my American accent can still be heard from miles away, in fact, it still reverberates around the streets of Nanjing (I went to Nanjing, China for a study abroad in the fall). When I visited China for my first time, I, like my fellow white Americans was in a total state of culture shock. Furthermore, the Chinese didn't accept me as one of their own, myself being too American. In short, don't associate race with culture. In fact, don't associate race with anything.

I don't appreciate it when White Americans refer to themselves as Americans and then classify me as something else. Like today, one of my professors used the term Americans to describe Whites living in America. If anything, America is becoming something very non-White. Don't assume that America is one WASP nation under GOD. It is and will forever be much more than that.

To clarify, my interest in race started when I began to see that others saw me as different from the majority. I am not suggesting that everyone views me this way. In fact, many of my friends have told me that they don't see me as being different in any way.

SAD SIDE NOTE: Studies show that adolescents and their friend circles tend to become more racially homogeneous as they get older. In college, the rift between racial groups becomes especially evident. Prejudice and racism actually increases as individuals grow older. I've always found that to be a bit ironic, being that in college we tend to become more culturally educated (I hope). It doesn't make it any easier when you attend college that is very racially homogeneous to begin with. My belief is the more exposure you have to different races, the more opportunities you will have to see that people don't fit into cookie cutter constructs; the more you will be able to see that race predicts nothing. So I end on this, "DIVERSITY IS GOOD!"

My strange dream...

took place at some sort of fast food establishment. There were several Asian-Americans in front of me in the line to the cash register. The worker at the front would hand them their food then exclaim a loud "shi-shi," butchering the Chinese word for thank you, "xie-xie." Each time, I would cringe and shudder uncontrollably, the butchering being THAT offensive and unneccesary, at that. Why not just say "thank you?" They obviously spoke English, as they ordered in perfect English. When I approached the counter, I did everything in my power to act as "American" as possible so he wouldn't assume that I too needed a Chinese thank you at the end of my order.