The AAYA! Blog

Gifts

It’s been months since I graduated from Hunter College High School but Justin’s graduation speech came right back to me, this time on the front page of the NY Times. Reading all the comments from NY Times readers makes me sad because they’re reacting to the article and not what Justin is really trying to say.

A lot of the comments address the idea of “affirmative action” and adjusting admissions for “diversity.” Justin isn’t saying that we should eliminate the test, dumb down the admissions process, and accept mediocrity for Hunter standards. He is pointing out that the test that determines six or thirteen years of a child’s life is flawed and he is correct in doing so. The speech should incite commentary not just on Hunter but on our education system as a whole. Why is it that 25% of students who are eligible to take Hunter’s test are Hispanic/Black but less than 10% of our graduating class is a non-Asian minority? Our education system puts academic achievements on pedestals but leaves out an entire population from ever getting close. Yes, a lot of it has to do with parents and cultural emphasis on education but what do you do about that? We can change that but first we can make concrete change in the system to nurture kids from the start. If the family is failing, our education system should be picking up the slack. Only, it really isn’t.

Some of the other comments address the idea that his speech was inappropriate and reflects not what the students believe but instead the faculty’s agenda. I partly agree because judging from the reactions of a lot of my peers, I was one of few who really appreciated the speech. Over a friend’s dinner, shortly after graduation, I had a lengthy discussion with someone who vehemently opposed Justin’s speech. Her reasoning was something along the lines of: “Why should I feel like I have to give back to society?” Now that does not reflect everyone but it certainly reflects some misunderstanding. Hunter, as an institution, churns out Ivy Leaguers and math geniuses but we really lack when it comes to developing students who are not elitist robots. (Of course, this is not everyone. I truly believe our grade will succeed in all walks of life, I just don’t know necessarily if they will give back.)

I found Irene’s comment especially interesting. “Some of my friends felt the reference to their neighborhoods was insulting,” she said. “They felt like their admission was an individual achievement, not because of some racial community they belong to.” She is talking about Justin’s reference to Flushing/Bayside and consequently, most of the 47% of Hunter that is Asian or Asian-American. While this is an argument that I don’t think any amount of speeches can fully address, I think it’s important to keep in mind that while emphasis on education is dominant in a lot of immigrant Asian families, this emphasis in education is really not something that should be upheld as an “Asian” value. That would be racist for one thing but it is also backwards and keeps our society from progressing. Families, regardless of race or class, should emphasize education. America should emphasize education. It may seem like Justin’s choice of neighborhoods is insulting but it actually just reflects the neighborhoods with the best schools. Why should Washington Heights, Bed Stuy, and East New York have schools with 40 kids in a class, buildings with three different schools, no sex education, and teachers who do not care teaching curriculums that do not prepare? That is the type of reaction that Justin’s comment should bring up, is it not?

While I cannot explain why people didn’t like it, I can explain why I liked it. I liked the speech because Hunter students are taught for six years that they are “gifted”, “intelligent”, and all the words that surround a culture of elitism. Not only is this mentality silly to have when entering the real world outside the Hunter bubble, it is a complete farce. Our student body may excel at academics and apply to high-ranking universities but none of that makes us any more socially, morally, ethically conscious. How appalling is it to read on Facebook a whole wall of racist comments between Hunter and Stuyvesant lacrosse teams? What does that say about a “liberal” school like ours? Are we liberal or are we just a bunch of asses who think everything we have now is something we truly deserve because we are more intelligent than others? Am I more intelligent than you because I passed a test in 6th grade and got six years of excellent education? Or am I lucky I had those six years to help me grow into the intelligent person I am today? I do not hold myself up as being naturally intelligent because I know I am not. No one is until they are given the attention and resources that I and my other 183 lucky classmates were given. The important thing is to recognize that and I don’t think a lot of my classmates did.

Most of the backlash towards Justin’s speech from my classmates was the idea of being “guilty.” I must say this feeling is very much something Justin feels and I think I understand why he feels this way because he and I went down similar paths. We both grew up in the Ridgewood/Glendale area and went to the local zoned elementary school. The neighborhood was predominately Hispanic (I am first generation Chinese-American and Justin is Puerto Rican/Panamanian) and poor/middle class. We went to the elementary school until 4th grade when our teachers told our parents that we should apply for a school with a gifted program in Maspeth (a socioeconomically better neighborhood north of Ridgewood). We were in the same class until 6th grade when we both got into Hunter. From 4th through 6th grade, our class was the only class in the grade of “gifted children.” It was quite obvious, even from our age, that we were receiving a supremely better education than the other kids in that school. Biography aside, Justin and I both feel “guilty” because we understand exactly where we could be if we never left Ridgewood, never had the luck of being the only two kids to leave for a “gifted program”, and if we never took the test for Hunter. Yes, we both worked to get into Hunter, yes, we both have parents who understand what education means for success, and yes, we should “deserve” all those congratulations we get on graduation day… but no amount of self-pride comes before the fact that I am extremely grateful for everything I’ve been given. I am going to my dream school next year and I have some sense of a path in my life but nothing changes the fact that I want to give back. I want to give back to everything that made me who I am - my family, this city, and even Hunter.

Justin gave back to Hunter already. He gave back by leaving Hunter not with a false sense of security but with a sense of gratuity. He gave back by having the audacity to stand there before our family and friends and reveal the side of Hunter that no amount of college admission percentages or “Top High School” newspaper articles can ever show the world. I know he will do great things in college and beyond but I’m glad to see someone who shares a sense of duty to his community. Thanks again Justin. Wish you chose Brown so I could say I knew you for 18 years of my life.

-Jenny L.

To read Justin’s full speech: click here

Privileged

Okay, so I admit that today’s SLI discussion left my brain totally fried to the point where I could hardly think.  But as we did the Walk of Privilege today, one statement struck me in particular.  It was something along the lines of [excuse my horrible memory], “If your religious holiday is observed on the American calendar, take 1 [2?] steps forward.”

Why isn’t Lunar New Year recognized as much?  Sure, it might be on the calendar, but why don’t we get a day off?  Does this mean that people value religion over ethnicity/race/culture?

When there is a Christian/Catholic holiday to be celebrated, many people go to church to celebrate the death/birth of Jesus.  It is the same for Jewish people, who celebrate Chanukah to commemorate the Temple of Jerusalem.  To be honest, I really don’t know.  But I’m guessing people come together to honor a certain person or event.  But when people come together on Lunar New Year, it is to honor family.  It is a holiday in which families cleanse their homes to prepare for a day of festivities with family.  Our families are one of the closest things to us, and in the same way, Jesus or God are close to many people of faith.  If they are given a day where the general public respects their right to honor this, why don’t we have a day to honor family? 

I never really thought of this as a privilege.  To me, it just seemed unfair.  But now I see that many times, religious people have a lot of power.  In the debate over stem cells, or over gay marriage, it is these people calling the shots.  They deem these deeds wrong, but according to who?  The Bible?  Not everyone follows the Bible.  If the Bible had never been introduced into their lives, would they think differently?

-lily k.

Family History Part I

It started out with how good the pizza from Costco was, but somehow I ended up asking my mother, “Why aren’t we living in Malden?”

My parents were born in Communist China and were the youngest of their family. They were raised in their own respective villages of Yung and Chen.

My dad’s side wasn’t very well-off. I still remember him telling me, “I used to eat roaches. Did you know they help with your bladder?” I looked at him in horror and stopped eating dinner. He also told me his favorite past time was chasing frogs, catching them, and then cooking them.

My mom said she was lucky. Her dad was in Hong Kong working in a bread factory. Occasionally he would send back money and bread crusts. “We would hang them on the clothesline and heat them in the sun. It was a snack.” My aunt was raising farm animals. My cousin still jokes about it. “She could raise pigs and chickens. Yet, she couldn’t raise my brother or me. I raised myself!”

My parents were the lucky ones in their family. They went to high school. Funny thing is they went to the same school, but never knew each other. They had met years later through their friends and had stayed connected via mail.

“Your father was in America. You know, it’s considered a good thing when a male is helping to support his family. That’s your dad. Always supporting and caring.”

My father had sent the first letter. My mother responded. And it continued just like that. Eventually, my dad flew back to China, married my mom, went on a couple of dates, and returned to America. Unlike my mom, her sisters’ and brothers’ marriages were all arranged. My sister considers my mom lucky because she had married someone she liked. Maybe 7-8 months later, after my dad left, my older sister was born. My grandma still remembers her as the loud one. “Wow, she was the noisiest baby. I raised 7 kids and never have I heard a baby scream as loud as her!” [Apparently, my sister would only quiet down when they took her out. Even as a baby, she knew she liked to be out of the house. Amazing.]

My dad eventually sent enough money to get my mom and my sister to America, where he had bought a house with his brother-in-law near the Projects in Brooklyn, NY. [This may or may not be accurate!] My dad had many jobs; majority of them involved a kitchen. After my other older sister was born, my dad’s workplace near Caesar’s Bay (the building next to the Kohl’s sign) was burnt down. Sometime between I was two and four, my eldest uncle on my mother’s side suggested my dad to come work at his restaurant in Malden, Mass. “Your dad would stay over at your aunt’s place or uncles’. He would sleep all over the place. When he had vacation days, he would come back home to see all three of you. ” And when my sisters didn’t have school, we would go see him.

My mom didn’t want my dad to travel as much as he did anymore, so suggested to move to Malden. The house next to my youngest aunt’s (on my mother’s side) was vacant and my parents had wanted it. My dad had haggled the price down to $100,000. [That’s a cheap house. And it’s such a big house! Four bedrooms, a big kitchen, a dining room, a living room, a big basement, big backyard, and a big attic. The bedrooms are so big!] But, my youngest uncle (also on my mom’s side) had heard about it and wanted to chip in. Eventually, my parents decided to stay in New York and gave the house to my uncle.

By the time she finished talking, we had finished our slices of pizza and drank our cups of Lemon Honey Tea. I left the table when she was explaining something. She was repeating something she said five minutes earlier.

In between this conversation, my mom had mentioned further history about my dad’s family and hers. But we could talk about that later.  Let’s just say, I might have black relatives and my mom considers me 5^th generation from my dad’s side. And my great-great grandfather was kidnapped to build that famous railroad! Yeah, that Transcontinental one! What?!

To be continued…

*Any questions/comments please email us at aaya@cyinyc.org or press the reply button. Thank you for reading!

Soccer: The World’s Sport

Soccer, like many sports, has the ability to bring people together. This was exemplified by the host country of this year’s 2010 FIFA World Cup: South Africa. Torn apart by apartheid and deeply-rooted hatred, the African nation was suffering from political and domestic turmoil before the turn of the millenium. Many people were innocently kept in jails and prisons, cast away in solitude and away from society. Among these people was Nelson Mandela, who would later become the democratically elected president of South Africa. Mandela utilized the power and popularity of sports such as soccer (or futbol in most countries) and rugby to unify the country. Although the South African teams were mostly white, Mandela urged everyone to support the success of the teams. Nelson Mandela showed up to many games, personally greeting the members of the teams. The country, now more unified than ever, currently plays host to one of the biggest sporting events in the world.

Soccer also played a big role for the nation of Colombia. Admist their war against illegal drug dealing and drug kingpins in the 1990s, the people of Colombia looked to their internationally recognized and talented soccer team to better the reputation of their country. The game of soccer, in many perspectives, served as a safe haven. In the 1994 World Cup, the Colombian soccer team was ranked 4th in the world. Their stifling defense and explosive offense drove them to victory game after game. However, on the biggest stage of them all, the Colombian team failed to advance past the first round. Their misery in the 1994 World Cup was highlighted by a mistake by team captain and star defender Andres Escobar, who accidentally kicked the ball into his own net. When Escobar returned to his home in Medellín, he was shot 6 times and killed by Humberto Castro Muñoz, who was later sentenced to only 43 years in prison. Escobar’s death, a national catastrophe of epic proportions, ultimately led to the demise of the Colombian soccer team. Many members of the team, too saddened by the murder, refused to play. Over 120,000 people attended Andres Escobar’s funeral. However, soccer is still big in Colombia. The sport still plays an important role in the country’s identity, as the people look to move forward. Just the other day, I was waiting at the Golden Unicorn Restaurant where my dad works for him to get off work. I saw many of his coworkers rush out the door, excited to go home to watch the World Cup. Although China is not in the World Cup, many Asian countries such as Japan and South Korea are. Soccer is still considered to be the most popular sport in the world. I believe that it will play a big factor in the fight for world peace and unity.

- Ben Fang

P.S. The story of Andres Escobar and the Colombian national team was recently aired on ESPN in a documentary called “The Two Escobars”. This film is one of ESPN’s 30-for-30 films.

http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/offbeat/espn-film-looks-at-the-fateful-goal-of-andres-escobar-in-the-1994-fifa-world-cup-match-062310

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9s_Escobar

Oh no you didn’t…

by Sisi Huang

As Asians, we need to stand up for ourselves.

Though it’s the twenty-first century, racist slurs and views still color a city such as New York. 

For starters, just take what I saw happening on the bus this morning.

A Caucasian woman boarded the bus and immediately began looking for an empty seat. Finding one next to the window, she quickly approached it and demanded that the Chinese woman sitting in the seat next to the aisle to move so that she could get to the empty seat. Perhaps the Chinese woman was too slow in moving out of the way but the next thing anyone knew, the Caucasian woman was screaming about how New York City wasn’t China.

What?!

“This isn’t China! When there’s an empty seat, you move! This is New York City! Everyone here’s a passenger! It’s not China, okay? You can keep your goddamn seats in China but this is America!”

What?!

Though I didn’t know the full story or what exactly triggered her outburst, I became enraged at the fact that China had anything to do with the situation. But being the passive person that I am, I did not say anything to the woman, who, by the way, continued to scream about China and its differences from New York. Was that really necessary, ma’am?

But lo and behold, a fellow Chinese man turned around in his seat, stared at that woman straight in the eye, and said, “Take it easy, will ya?” She didn’t respond and instead, continued to rant about China.

“This has nothing to do with China! You have your seat now so can you please stop talking?”

“No, this is New York. Why don’t you go back to China? Go back to China!”

“Why don’t you go back to where you came from?!”

The shoutfest went on until the woman got off the bus one stop later.

Though I am in no way endorsing the use of racist words to retort racist comments, it nevertheless satisfies me that someone out there is willing to stand up and fight back against what is wrong. Sometimes, it helps to just vent a little and stop holding yourself back.  

Food For Thought

I was reading a Cracked.com article about sexist stereotypes which science says are true, and one of them is “Women are wimps.”  It was really interesting because it is actually true according to science.  Women have a lower pain threshold than men.  Women and men actually feel pain in different ways, and when men feel pain, they feel much less of it than women do.  Scientists believe it’s due to a protein called GIRK2, which probably has a higher presence in men.  It affects the pain threshold as well as how painkillers work to block pain. 

This really struck me because there has been a sudden burst in sexist jokes and puns regarding women making sandwiches, women not being able to drive and women just being downright wrong. 

The “women should always remain in the kitchen” stereotype led me to think why some food is classified as man’s food.  Hamburgers, steak, etc. are all considered to be food for men.  Does this have something to do with another stereotype, that men are naturally slobs?  If you were to walk into a well-known steakhouse, you would see mostly men eating there.  My dad’s pharmaceutical company sometimes offers to treat him to dinner and on one of these occasions they chose Sparks Steak House, a relatively well-known steakhouse.  I wanted to go simply because I really enjoy eating steak, but my mom said, “It’s a man’s restaurant!” 

Why does it really matter?  Food is food to me.

-lily k.

reflections of an nyc native

and I realized I left my Metrocard at home; I only had a few coins on me, not enough to buy a $2.25 single fare Metrocard and take the NYC subway. I had no other choice, and thankfully, I had an hour to spare before my meeting started. I decided to walk—from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal at South Ferry to 14 Street, Union Square.

            It was 8am on a Saturday morning. I remember walking on Broadway and seeing the tourists take pictures of the towering buildings and the countless individuals of different sizes, shapes and colors walking passed me. I remember hearing the rush of the cars, the sounds of vendors setting up their tables. I felt engulfed by warmth, and an appreciation of this chance to explore an amazing city. As I walked, I realized what a relief warm weather brings: not having to hold your breath as the wind blows, shedding those unhelpful sweaters and leggings, and feeling the sun shine again. Knowing that summer is just around the corner. Spring is so wholesome.

            I happily walked those thirty blocks, immersed in my thoughts and commentary on city life, and filled with optimism and excitement. I had just received my sophomore year exam grades and spring break had started. I was excited for what I was going to achieve, satisfied with what I had accomplished, and happy with the way life looked—and to this day, I still am. After Spring Break started, I did not think much, just lived. I joined a free Latin dance class in the city. I learned how to bake vegan red velvet cupcakes. I finished a friendship bracelet. It was a nice change from my normal schedule of school, work, sleep, repeat. I felt like life should be like this: calm, steady, enjoyable. I love being busy, to fill my schedule with fascinating courses, to spend time with friends volunteering and to work on cutting edge research at an fMRI lab, but I realized the importance of taking a moment and just appreciating how far I have gone and where my hard work has taken me. Just walking along a surprisingly quiet Manhattan street led to moments of reflection and gratitude. Sometimes it is a good idea to just look around and remember.

The summer of 2008 was going to be a great one, filled with old friends and new ones, fruitless window shopping, family dinners at random restaurants, explorations of other boroughs, beach excursions, and buckets of sunshine soaking all corners of the city. I wanted to create substantial memories of such a great place; I wished I could bring my camera everywhere, to permanently capture my experiences. I slowly realized that I have to make the most of my childhood here in New York City, so that I can finally move on. 

-MGao

Based on a true story

The bus rumbled and moved forward, stopped and started again. Green lights turned red and red again turned green. Cars honked and people talked. People walked past me, people stood in front of me. I bet all that happened, but I am not so sure. I was too busy in a faraway place—somewhere in Scotland, to be exact—learning the spells and magic of the wizard world and happily stalking the lives of a Harry Potter, a Hermione Granger, and a Ron Weasley, the campus celebrities.

Then I was interrupted—unceremoniously whisked away; out of my book and back into the dirty, Muggle bus. It was dark outside. I turned to my left, willing to Avada Kedavra the creature that got me kicked out from Hogwarts and back into the simple Muggle world. I saw an elderly woman, gray hair tied up in a messy bun, strands of white elegantly adorning a nest of grey. She seemed tired, wearing a red jacket and a brown scarf; I saw no wand, no indication of any extraordinary power—definitely a Muggle. She said something in a language I could not comprehend. I whispered back, “Pardon?” She spoke again, this time differently. This time I could hear her. I understood. “You can read that English book?” she asked in Mandarin.

I was surprised. I replied to her in the same language with a simple, “Yes”. She said I was so smart and hardworking to be reading on a bus. I did not think I deserved this compliment. My thoughts spilled out as I explained to her how I was rereading Harry Potter for the sixth time to avoid reading a required Shakespeare reading and how I probably deserve an award for being a slacker extraordinaire. She listened to me with my broken Chinese, and replied with a single phrase: “But you can read.” I did not know how to respond. As the bus turned, she began to speak. She talked about immigrating a few months ago with her husband. With a little over a thousand dollars in cash and limited English ability, she arrived with high hopes and expectations. She settled in NYC’s Chinatown. After a few weeks in the America she dreamed about, her hopes came spiraling down like a first year in flying class.

As we talked, I learned about her ambitions, her hopes, her losses and sacrifices. Through her, I learned not only perseverance, but also intimacies about Chinatown, the Chinatown culture, and the lives of Chinese immigrants than I knew before. She helped me realized how lucky I was to be reading my own copy of Harry Potter for the sixth time, and how lucky I was to have supportive family and friends willing to help me accomplish my goals. My bus friend told me she was proud of me, proud of a young Chinese girl with such a strong interest in science; she told me to cure cancer, to find a cure for her leg pain, to save lives and to even become the first female President. She encouraged me to work hard; I could do just as well and even better than any boy could. My new friend told me to do what I love, and to bring what I love to world. Her words inspired me. For the rest of the bus ride, I tried to teach her English as fast as I could—how to read certain words and how certain letters sound. I started straight from the beginning—Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Chapter One.

-MGao 

Controversal Topics to Mull Over

Some of these topics might not be related to Asians, but as active members of the United States and of our local and national community, we should definitely take the time to consider why we would agree or disagree with some of these debating points:

1. The US should approve the use of torture in the War of Terror.

2. The emergence of China as a global superpower is a threat to American security

3. The President should be elected by popular vote.

4. Physician-assisted suicide should be legalized.

5. The Constitution should be amended to limit Supreme Court Justices to one 14-year term.

6. Teacher compensation be directly linked to student performance.

7. Marijuana should be legalized, regulated and taxed by the federal government.

8. The legal voting age should be lowered to 16 in the US.

9. English should be established as the national language in the US.

10. Affirmative action at public universities should be abolished.

11. Congress should pass comprehensive immigration reform that includes an expedited pathway to citizenship.

-cecelia :DDDDDD

Homosexual Rights

The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy was recently voted to be repealed by the House. “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, according to Wikipedia, is “the act that prohibits any homosexual  or bisexual person from disclosing his or her sexual orientation or from speaking about any homosexual relationships, including marriages or other familial attributes, while serving in the United States armed forces.” A New York Times article, written by James Dao, talked about the difficulty of the transition from a force that barred homosexuals from service to a completely open force where straight and gay people served and lived together.

I recently had a mock trial in my U.S. history class of Romer v. Evans, a case about homosexual rights. My teacher told us that we were discussing this topic because it is the great issue of our time. He said that it was important for the students of our generation to understand the issue because we will be able to vote the futre and make an impact.

I’m not exactly sure how the Asian American community feels about same-sex marriage, but I am certainly hoping that they support it.

— Ben F.

You can read more about the New York Times article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/29/us/politics/29gays.html?hp

You can also read more about “Dont Ask, Don’t Tell here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_ask,_don%27t_tell

The 5 Circles of Immigration Hell

Hey ya’ll, if you got the time, check out this article from Cracked.com. The article was written by an Australian man who immigrated over to the US in order to be with his American-citizen wife. This article gives a good depiction of the long, arduous immigration process. At the end of the article, the writer even jokingly suggests that it’s easier to just pay someone to smuggle you into the US. 

Have fun reading~

- Phil Jeng

HB 2281

Governor Jan Brewer has done it again. Just weeks after signing the controversial (and dumb) SB 1070, the law that allows officials to stop any suspected illegal immigrants and demand proof of citizenship, Brewer signs another bill targeting Mexican-American, African-American, and Native-American ethnic studies in the Tuscon school districts of Arizona.

HB 2281 bans schools from teaching classes that are specially designed for a particular ethnic group on the provisions that Arizona’s government:

Prohibits a school district or charter school from including in its program of instruction any courses or classes that…promote the overthrow of the United States government…promote resentment toward a race or class of people…[and] advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals.

Do these people think ethnic studies classes involve the use of pitchforks and torches followed by plans for taking over America? Or is Jan Brewer just really really repulsed by the color brown?

Read more here!

‘Los Suns’ jerseys ready for Game 2 in wake of Arizona law

Phoenix Suns’ Managing Partner Robert Sarver and starting Point Guard Steve Nash both denounced the controversial immigration bill, SB 1070. Sarver, who also decided to allow the Suns to wear the “Los Suns” jerseys in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Spurs in honor of Cinco de Mayo, discussed the potential harm the bill will have to Arizona’s tanking economy. He said that one of the goals for the state is to create jobs for people, and this bill will repel businesses. Of course, he also saw the bill as a violation of “basic principles of equal rights and protection under the law.” He hopes that the federal government will step in and deal with the situation. Steve Nash, who is a native of Canada, spoke openly about it. On the shown Pardon the Interruption, Nash said, “I’m against it. I think this is a bill that really damages our civil liberties.”

I was actually watching the show on ESPN when Nash was being interviewed by Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser, the hosts and debaters on the show. At that moment, I was extremely happy to see that Nash was against it. I was even happier to see that the Suns organization was against after hearing reports that owners of the Arizona Diamonbacks, the baseball team, supported the bill. 

I was also glad to see that the Suns wore the “Los Suns” jerseys proudly as they won the 2nd game of the series. In fact, teams in both the NBA and MLB occasionally wear jerseys in honor of Hispanic Heritage month. If there is a substantial amount of public support within Arizona to get rid of the bill, the state should think seriously about repealing it.

-Ben F.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/suns/2010-05-04-sarver-los-suns-jerseys_N.htm

Say What?

Colloquialisms occupy a lot of the space in a teenager’s vernacular.  I was just thinking about it the other day and a lot of our colloquialisms come from the other people.  The way we speak is influenced by phrases that other people pick up and start speaking with in daily life, and consequently, we sometimes begin thinking in colloquialisms too.  It’s a whole cycle of hearing new things, using them, passing them on to other people, who pass them on to yet more people.  Phrases like, “You tight,” “LOL,” etc. have become really common.  But what part of our vernacular is ours?  What part of the things we say each day are created by us?  Maybe it’s the fact that we make a conscious choice to use these popular phrases that makes it so unique to us.  Perhaps what makes our speech so different is the arrangement and choosing of these different phrases to compose our vernacular. 

Sometimes I think in phrases I don’t normally use everyday.  In my mind, if I’m thinking about being angry, I might say to myself, “I would be so tight if…”  But I almost never say that out loud.  At what point do we make that decision to move from words in thought to words in mouth?  Do these phrases always pass through the mind first before coming out in everyday speech?  Maybe it’s just me.

As a friend of mine would say, “We out!”

-lily k.

High Expectations Asian Father

A spin-off of the Advice Dog internet meme, High Expectations Asian Father displays stereotypes of Asian parents. While some may find this material offensive, I find the take to be a humorous one. I can attribute this to what I call the “Facebook Like Theorem.” 

Let’s take for example “X likes looking at a test and being like fuuuuuuuuuuuckkkkk”

Now when I first saw that someone liked that, my immediate reaction was “WHY WOULD YOU EVER LIKE THAT.” I asked X why she/he liked that and he/she responded with “BECAUSE IT’S SO TRUE”

So this little theorem I made up, it basically says, if you can relate to it, you’re probably gonna like it. I mean I browsed through some of these things and genuinely laughed out loud, completely understanding where the poster is coming from. I also looked at some and clearly knew that it was malarkey made by some racist kid who doesn’t know what an Asian parent is like.

And knowing is half the battle!

Check it out if you want: http://highexpectationsasianfather.tumblr.com/

- Phil Jeng