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.
Wired News reports that Microsoft has been working directly with the Chinese government in censoring material on its Chinese language web portal:
The policy affects blogs created through the MSN Spaces service, said Adam Sohn, a global sales and marketing director at MSN. Microsoft and its government-funded Chinese business partner work with authorities to omit certain forbidden language, Sohn said. . . Read More →
CBS News and other media outlets are covering Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai’s visit to the U.S. this week and his attempts to win the U.S.’s support for Viet Nam to join the World Trade Organization.
Not surprisingly, two other issues are at the forefront — Americans still want Viet Nam to provide a fuller accounting of U.S. military personnel who Read More →
CNN reports that a museum about Chinese Americans in the Midwest recently opened in Chicago, and was all due to the efforts of a small group of dedicated individuals:
With $1,000 and a stubborn desire to build a museum for Chinese-Americans, Chuimei Ho and five others took their message to the streets, speaking at small gatherings about the rich history of Chicago’s Read More →
As one further example of outsourcing in the U.S., the Christian Science Monitor reports that more schoolchildren in the U.S. are turning to tutors in India to help them with their schoolwork:
Americans have slowly grown accustomed to the idea that the people who answer their customer-service and computer-help calls may be on the other side of the globe. Now, some students Read More →
The Christian Science Monitor has an article which chronicles recent signs that hate crimes are on the rise in the U.S. The article postulates that some of the rise may be due to anti-immigrant sentiment in the wake of the 9/11 attacks and the Iraqi War, some is a backlash against gay marriage, while others are influenced by increasing religious Read More →
Fresh on the heels of stories proclaiming that college-educated Asian American women make more than White women, as reported by The Arizona Republic, the Center for Women’s Business Research notes that the number of Asian women-owned small businesses have surged in recent years:
Nationally, the number of Asian women-owned businesses surged 69 percent between 1997 and 2004. That’s about twice as fast Read More →
CNN has a story about former King of Cambodia Norodom Sihanouk and his penchant for blogging:
“My country, Cambodia, has chosen to be a liberal democracy since 1993. Every Cambodian … including the King has the right to express freely their view.” It was one of thousands of commentaries that fill the Web site of the world’s most colorful and pugnacious royal Read More →
CBS News has a story that describes the growing popularity of Chinese language classes in elementary and secondary schools around the country. Apparently, more and more parents feel that as China emerges as the next superpower, it would give their children an edge later in life to be able to communicate directly in Chinese.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that they have obtained a copy of an training tape, produced in-house by the San Francisco 49ers’ public relations director Kirk Reynolds, which includes several off-color depictions of life in the San Francisco area. As the article notes, they include spoofs about lesbians, gay marriage, topless dancers, and unfortunately, about Asian Americans:
Danny Graves is an Amerasian (mother is Vietnamese, father is White) reilef pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds and has been one of their best players for the past eight years. However, last week, he was abruptly released (fired) by the Reds. Their explanation was of his recent slump and ineffective performances. However, most observers argue that it was Read More →
The Washington Post has an article that describe several recent efforts to develop TV programming aimed at the emerging Asian American population. As the article points out,
Over the past year, at least a half-dozen English-language, 24-hour cable and satellite networks targeting Asians have started or announced plans, such as Comcast-owned AZN and MTV’s three channels for Indian, Chinese and Korean Read More →
The Pacific News Service has an interesting story about the recent emergence of Washington D.C.’s Chinatown. It describes that in the past, this very small Chinatown was just another area of a neglected urban landscape, rife with crime and stagnation. However, in recent years, due to a pro-business mayoral administration and development, trendy and fashionable stores are now located Read More →
