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.
By now, I hope you have heard about the protests for democracy organized by Buddhist monks in Burma (called Myanmar by its current regime). In case you don’t know the background, Burma has been ruled by a military dictatorship since 1962. There was a similar popular uprising for democracy in 1988 that was violently crushed by the military (similar Read More →
In my previous post entitled “The Downside of Diversity,” I wrote about a new study by a Harvard professor which concluded that in areas with high levels of racial/ethnic diversity, residents are more likely to feel alienated and distrustful of each other.
In that context however, as the New York Times reports, in many churches around the country, an influx Read More →
Those who have been following the economic evolution of Viet Nam know that just like in China, the influx of capitalism has allowed many Vietnamese to improve their economic situation and to move into the middle class. But as the Associated Press/Salon.com reports, this economic growth has also led to an emerging upper class that is now demanding luxury items Read More →
Freedom of speech and academic freedom are both cornerstones of American society and particularly, of academia. As scholars, we could not do our jobs as teachers and researchers properly without knowing that we have these protections to challenge conventional ideas, take a critical look at social institutions here in the U.S. and around the world. and on occasion, to say Read More →
In the Islamic world, September represents the start of the Ramadan observance, considered by Muslims to be the most blessed and venerated of all Islamic holidays. As such, Time Magazine has an interesting photo essay on how Ramadan is observed in various predominantly Muslim countries around the world.
You’ve heard about the economic and political rise of India for a while now. Well now, thanks to Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya, India is poised to become significantly more involved in one of the most prestigious and glamorous forms of athletics and entertainment in the world — Formula One motor racing:
Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya has promised his country to do Read More →
When it comes to the issue of international Asian adoption (usually associated with White American families adopt an Asian child), one of the Asian countries most associated with “sending” large numbers of children to the U.S. is South Korea — close to 50,000 children since 1989 (according to U.S. State Department figures). But the tide seems to be changing — Read More →
For those who follow American motorsports, you probably know by now that these days, the most successful American racing series, by far, is NASCAR, which claims millions of hardcore fans, billion-dollar merchandising sales, and a huge network television contract. You probably also know that amid much controversy, earlier this year Toyota joined General Motors, Ford, and Daimler-Chrysler as a competitor Read More →
For those who follow the news, you probably heard that Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and other Democratic politicians recently “gave back” campaign donations from Norman Hsu, a former Silicon Valley businessman, prominent Democratic fundraiser, and convicted felon who has been on the run for 15 years. Last week, Hsu turned himself in and posted bail, but today, he has apparently Read More →
One my my readers, Paul, alerted me to the recent death of a 62 year old Vietnamese man, Du Doan, who was fishing off a pier in Chicago when he was apparently pushed into Lake Michigan and subsequently drowned. The Asian American community suspects that this death may have been a hate crime. Three suspects have turned themselves in Read More →
If you’ve been paying attention to international events (other than the Iraq War) in recent years, you already know that the mutual animosity between North Korea and the U.S. is very deep and intense. In fact, I just finished watching an excellent documentary entitled “Inside North Korea” on the National Geographic Channel that describes the fervor of that sentiment inside Read More →
In an earlier post entitled “The Downside of Diversity,” I wrote about a recent study that concluded that all other things being equal, cities that have higher levels of racial/ethnic diversity also have lower rates of civic participation, trust among residents, and other measures of “social capital.”
I argued that perhaps one of the reasons for this surprising finding is Read More →
