The views and opinions expressed on this site and blog posts (excluding comments on blog posts left by others) are entirely my own and do not represent those of any employer or organization with whom I am currently or previously have been associated.
Academic Version: Applying my personal experiences and academic research as a professor of Sociology and Asian American Studies to provide a more complete understanding of political, economic, and cultural issues and current events related to American race relations, and Asia/Asian America in particular.
Plain English: Trying to put my Ph.D. to good use.
A common and popular theme in this blog and the entire Asian-Nation site concerns the issue of assimilation into American society. Many Asian Americans, along with other groups of color, still navigate the many forms, levels, and outcomes associated with what it means to become assimilated as “Americans” in this country.
With that in mind, Diverse Issues in Education reports on Read More →
Previously I’ve written about two particular trends among Vietnamese and Vietnamese Americans — the first is how many Vietnamese Americans are increasingly relocating back to Viet Nam in order to open businesses and get a piece of Viet Nam’s fast-growing economy. The second trend is the burgeoning high-tech industry in Viet Nam, as it tries to catch up with its Read More →
One of the basic foundations of this site and blog is that having a strong Asian American identity has many benefits, individually and collectively. As I’ve said many times before, having a strong pan-Asian identity allows us to connect our similar histories and experiences, and let us draw upon our collective resources and speak with a louder voice in American Read More →
Earlier I wrote about a new book written by a Muslim American family that tries to guide young Muslim Americans through the American racial landscape and the assimilation process. To follow up on that post and as the Christian Science Monitor reports, young Muslim Americans are already changing one aspect of their cultural tradition — dating:
If you’ve been following the Democratic presidential nominee campaign even just a little bit, you already know that for good and for bad, Obama’s candidacy has thrust the issue of race into the national spotlight, front and center. But within this context, one of the issues that we haven’t heard much about is the opinions and attitudes of “ordinary” White Read More →
You might remember my previous post that described criticisms over the upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. memorial statue in Washington DC. That initial controversy centered on the fact that the sculptor was not African American, or even American — he was Chinese and that critics charged that King’s legacy was being “outsourced” to China.
Well, a new and different controversy has Read More →
If I may, I’d like to deviate a little bit from my usual topics and today, talk about what it means to be a “hero.”
These days,we see plenty of examples of superhuman feats that are described as “heroic.” Whether it’s the latest comic book action character getting translated into a movie or the TV show “Hero” about people with strange, Read More →
Following up on my earlier post on celebrating APA Heritage Month by describing some demographic and socioeconomic facts about the Asian American community, I pass along a couple of other links that others have sent to me in recognition of APA Heritage Month.
First, the Asia Society recently produced the following YouTube video that illustrates the different ways that various notable Asian Read More →
Many Asian American bloggers have been covering this event and I’d like to do my part to help publicize it as much as possible as well: the National APIA Presidential Town Hall, to be held on May 17. Below is the press release from the organizing group, APIAVote:
APIAVote to Host Historic Presidnetial Town Hall: Presidential Candidates Invited to Discuss Read More →
Here’s another request from a student asking for participants for an online research survey:
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Dear Asian-Nation Visitors,
My name is Hsu Ling-Hui, a Ph.D. student at the University of Texas at Austin, Department of Communication Studies. I would like to invite you to participate in my dissertation project. The study explores the factors that influence impression formation of human beings. Read More →
Yes, it’s here once again — today marks the start of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Like many other people of color, I am thankful that the federal government has officially “recognized” us for distinction, but on the other hand, would feel a whole lot better if Asian Pacific Americans (APAs) were so completely integrated into the American mainstream that Read More →
In the wake of the recent increased attention and criticism against China as it prepares to host the Summer Olympics, the New York Times summarizes how there’s been a boisterous and growing backlash against western-style “Sinophobia” and all things perceived to be anti-Chinese by Chinese students studying in the U.S.:
Since the riots last month in Tibet, the disrupted Olympic torch relays Read More →
