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.
As part of this blog’s ongoing mission of making academic research and data more easily accessible, understandable, and applicable to a wider audience, and for readers who like to keep on top of the latest sociological research, I highlight new research and studies in academic journals about Asian Americans and other racial/ethnic groups as I hear about them. An article’s inclusion is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily mean a full endorsement of its complete contents.
The widely-respected Amerasia Journal has just released a special issue that focuses on globalized and diasporic Asian communities around the world:
The UCLA Asian American Studies Center Press announces Amerasia Journal’s latest issue: “GlobaLinks: Community Institutions & Practices across Nations.” Guest edited by Michel Laguerre and Joe Chung Fong, both of the Berkeley Center for Globalization and Information Technology, the special issue brings together research on globalized diasporic communities in the U.S. and Asia from scholars based throughout the Pacific Rim. The contributions to “GlobaLinks” provide new insights on Asian American spaces and places from a wide array of intellectual perspectives, including history, cultural anthropology, urban studies, sociology, ethnic studies, and political science.
“GlobaLinks” recognizes that Asian and Pacific American communities are no longer limited by their institutional identities within local boundaries or defined by their political, cultural, or economic activities within national borders alone. Amerasia has worked with our guest editors to put together a selection of studies which examine social phenomena such as the self-political identity of communities, trans-Pacific youth, banking, voting and political campaigns, and community cultural development.
At a conceptual and theoretical level, “GlobaLinks” urges scholars to rethink and reconsider what key terms such as globalization and transnationalism mean in light of rapidly changing Asian and Pacific American communities. In his introductory essay, for instance, Michel Laguerre coins the term “cosmonation” to make the case that the global and the local are mutually implicated in a complex network of relationships that is not “top-down” or hierarchical as a nation-oriented model of homeland and hostland is.
A number of the articles present thorough historical studies and painstaking fieldwork in local communities to explain how they are connected to larger global frameworks. Through a detailed account of the original Little Saigon in Orange County, Christian Collet and Hiroko Furuya examine the lived and imagined spaces of Little Saigons to reveal how these local diasporic sites have transformed conceptions of ethnic identity and nation. Shenglin Elijah Chang and Willow Lung Amam use the neologism “glocal” to address the global experiences and local placemaking that transnational Taiwanese youth participate in on both sides of the Pacific, in Silicon Valley and the high-tech suburb of Hsinchu in Taiwan. Elaborating on the relationship between economic matters of community development and ethnic cultural practices, Eric Estuar Reyes explores the cultural formations and spatial conceptions of Filipino American community in southern California.
Other selections describe how local immigrant communities must negotiate larger social structures, be they economic or local. Banking, for instance, is a particularly fruitful field of investigation for Joe Chung Fong, since it reflects the dynamics of global capital flows as well as the cultural practices of overseas ethnic populations at the local level of the neighborhood. James S. Lai brings politics front-and-center to the global-local concerns of Asian American Studies, focusing on Chinese American political strategies in two suburbs — Cupertino in Silicon Valley and Sugar Land in the Houston area — with populations that are transnational, multiethnic, and multiracial.
This issue of Amerasia Journal costs $15.00 plus $5.00 for shipping and handling and 9.25 percent sales tax for California residents ($21.39). Make checks payable to “Regents of U.C.” Visa, MasterCard, and Discover are also accepted; include expiration date and phone number on correspondence. The mailing address is: UCLA Asian American Studies Center Press, 3230 Campbell Hall, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1546.
Today is the last day of classes at my university so I am getting ready for another round of grading exams, final papers, and dealing with “special requests” from students. Some of these requests are reasonable, such as “Is it OK if I use slightly smaller line spacing so that my paper fits within the 10-page limit?” Others are less so, such as, “Can you give me full credit for this paper even though the deadline was three months ago and everybody else in the class already turned it in when they were supposed to?” (I’m paraphrasing of course).
With this in mind and following up on the earlier video of “The Real Life of a College Professor,” here is another animated video titled “One Professor’s Fantasy” (probably not the title I would choose) that shows how some students (or more specifically some of their “requests”) drive many of us crazy:
But wait, there’s more — some more examples of stuff students do that drives us crazy, courtesy of ForexMom:
For my fellow educators out there, what’s the most memorable “special request” that you’ve received from a student?
Here are some more announcements, links, and job postings about academic-related jobs, fellowships, and other related opportunities for those interested in racial/ethnic/diversity issues. As always, the announcements and links are provided for informational purposes and do not necessarily imply an endorsement of the organization or college involved.
Job Announcement: Asian American Studies, UMass Boston
The Asian American Studies Program at the University of Massachusetts Boston invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position beginning Fall 2011. Responsibilities include teaching and mentoring students within the undergraduate Asian American Studies program and within the newly developing interdisciplinary Transnational, Cultural and Community Studies (TCCS) doctoral program.
Specific areas of focus are open but applicants should be able to teach core courses within Asian American Studies as well as courses in the TCCS graduate program. In addition, applicants’ engaged scholarship, teaching focus, and prospects for or record of grant development should reflect a local/global approach with attention to transnational and diasporic issues, and with strong possibilities to create connections with local Metro Boston Asian American communities.
Requirements include an earned doctorate by the time of appointment with research focus on Asian American issues, prior teaching experience at the undergraduate level, and familiarity with the pedagogical approach and goals of Asian American Studies. Although all competitive applications will be considered, preference will be given to candidates with interests, experiences, and linguistic/cultural competencies relative to Southeast Asian American populations and issues or intersections with Asian Americans and Arab American and Muslim American populations and issues. Preference will also be given to applicants with successful records of teaching with diverse urban populations.
Please apply online with a C.V. and statement of research and teaching interests along with (p)reprints of publications, and three letters of recommendation. Questions should be directed to Karen L. Suyemoto, AsAmSt Search Committee, karen.suyemoto@umb.edu. Review of applications will begin on December 1, 2010 and continue until the position is filled. We expect to schedule interviews in February, 2011. Please send confidential letters of reference to Cheryl Harris, cheryl.harris@umb.edu. Please include a subject heading of “AsAmSt letter for ___”
True Colors is a non-profit organization that works with other social service agencies, schools, organizations, and within communities to ensure that the needs of sexual and gender minority youth are both recognized and competently met. We are having our 18th annual conference on the University of Connecticut’s Storrs campus on March 11 and 12.
The conference is for LGBT youth, families, allies, school guidance counselors, therapists, and employees of state agencies that work with LGBT youth. Last year the total attendance for both days was over 2500 people and in addition, there were about 140 presenters who gave over 300 workshops. If you or someone from your organization would like to give a workshop you can find the form to submit workshops here (the deadline to submit a workshop proposal is Dec. 10). The deadline for attendee registration is Feb. 14.
Blakemore Foundation Language Grant
The Blakemore Foundation was established in 1990 by Thomas and Frances Blakemore to encourage the advanced study of Asian languages and to improve the understanding of Asian fine arts in the United States. Blakemore Freeman Fellowships are awarded for one year of advanced level language study in East or Southeast Asia in approved language programs. Deadline: December 30, 2010.
Dissertation Scholarships for Korean American Studies
The Research Center for Korean Community at Queens College of CUNY encourages submissions for The Global Society of Korea and America Dissertation Scholarships, its annual dissertation scholarship program created to promote doctoral students’ academic research on Korean Americans.
In 2011, The Center plans to award three scholarships of $3,000 each. Additionally, scholarship recipients will also be asked to attend the Center’s annual research conference to accept their awards and give presentations of their findings. The Center will cover all conference-related expenses.†The applicant must be a currently enrolled student in the dissertation stage of an accredited doctoral program in the social sciences at a United States university. Deadline: December 31, 2010.
Five College Fellowship Program for Minority Scholars
Five College Fellowships offer year-long residencies for doctoral students completing dissertations. The program supports scholars from under-represented groups and/or scholars with unique interests and histories whose engagement in the Academy will enrich scholarship and teaching. Normally, four fellowships are awarded each year. The fellowship includes a stipend of $30,000, a research grant, health benefits, office space, housing or housing assistance, and library privileges at all five campuses belonging to the consortium. Deadline: January 3, 2011.
Job Announcement: Asian American Studies, UC Santa Barbara
The Department of Asian American Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, invites applications for Assistant or Associate Professor in the social sciences to begin in Fall 2011. Area of specialization is open, but applicants with Ph.D. degrees in sociology, anthropology, political science, economics, urban studies, ethnic studies, or related social sciences are preferred. Expertise on Filipino Americans, South Asian Americans, or Southeast Asian Americans is especially welcome. The University is particularly interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of the academic community through research, teaching, and service.
Review of applications will begin on January 12, 2011, and continue until the position is filled. Applications should include a cover letter, curriculum vitae, a publication or writing sample, two Asian American Studies course syllabi, teaching evaluations, and three letters of references. Send materials to: Diane Fujino, Chair, Search Committee, Department of Asian American Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-4090.
Here are some more announcements, links, and job postings about academic-related jobs, fellowships, and other related opportunities for those interested in racial/ethnic/diversity issues. As always, the announcements and links are provided for informational purposes and do not necessarily imply an endorsement of the organization or college involved.
Job Announcement: Program Coordinator, Asian American Studies, Univ. of Maryland
The Asian American Studies Program at the University of Maryland (AAST) is seeking to hire a Program Coordinator. The Program Coordinator will be the principal person in charge of day-to-day operations of the Program Office and the Asian American Studies minor. He or she will assist the Director of Asian American Studies, as well as faculty, other staff, students, and visitors when appropriate.
The AAST Program Coordinator will be primarily responsible for administrative support and office management. He or she will assist the Program Director on administrative, planning, programming, curricular, and fundraising activities. Duties include maintaining the Director’s calendar and appointments; setting up faculty and staff meetings; working with the Director in planning and organizing annual events; assisting the Director in grant and fund development and management; providing support for AAST curriculum proposals and academic program development; receiving and screening telephone calls and e-mail correspondences; assisting with the distribution of information within the program; making travel arrangements; ordering office supplies; distributing mail; and overseeing and maintaining the physical office environment. In addition, the Coordinator will assist faculty and supervise both Graduate Assistants and Federal Work Study Student Employees.
Minimum Qualifications:
A Bachelor’s degree is required. Preference will be given to candidates with a graduate degree. Applicants must have 3 years of supervisory and team-building experience, preferably in higher education. Position will entail extensive student, faculty, and staff interaction and requires excellent organization, planning, interpersonal, written, and verbal skills. Knowledge of and/or experience working in higher education and/or with University of Maryland administrative systems are helpful but not required. Experience working with a diverse audience that includes Asian Americans is a must.
Preferences:
Preference is given to candidates with a graduate or professional degree.
Salary & Application Directions:
Starting salary ranges from $45,000 to $55,000 commensurate with experience. To apply, please attach resume, cover letter and contact information for 3 professional references through http://jobs.umd.edu (Posting Number: 0001061). For best consideration please apply by December 6, 2010. Position will remain open until filled.
Participants Needed: Study on Bicultural Chinese Americans
My name is Karen Lau, and I am a doctoral student at the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University in San Francisco California. I am in the process of recruiting participants in the San Francisco bay area for my Ph.D. dissertation research study looking at problem solving skills, acculturation, and bicultural stress among Chinese American adults.
My study examines the bicultural experience in 1.5 and 2nd generation Chinese American adults. I am planning on having volunteers complete a set of questionnaires (roughly 20 minutes) about their bicultural identity and experience of bicultural stress as well as a couple problem solving tasks (roughly 20 minutes). The total time of participation is about 45 minutes to 1 hour. As a token of my appreciation, I would reimburse each participant with a $10.00 gift care for their time.
Participants in the San Francisco bay area should e-mail me at bicultural.stress.study@gmail.com.
Thank you!
Sincerely,
Karen Lau, M.A.
Ph.D. Doctoral Candidate
California School of Professional Psychology
bicultural.stress.study@gmail.com
Job Announcement: Sociology, Cal Poly Pomona
The Psychology and Sociology Department at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona) invites applications for a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor in Sociology to begin Fall 2011. The successful candidate will have a specialization and/or ability to teach Quantitative Research Methods and teach or specialize in at least one of the following areas: Urban Sociology, Immigration/Migration, and/or Public Policy.
The Position:
The position requires excellence in undergraduate teaching and advising, professional and scholarly work, and service to the department, university, and community. The successful applicant will also demonstrate sensitivity to issues of diversity, including race, ethnicity, gender, class, age, and sexuality. The candidate is also expected to accept committee assignments and to advise students. Applicants whose work incorporates a global perspective and a commitment to diversity in higher education are particularly encouraged to apply. Finalists will be required to appear on campus for two days of interviews that will include a research presentation to faculty and students. The presentation should both introduce the candidate’s research and demonstrate the candidate’s teaching abilities.
Minimum Qualifications:
ABD status in Sociology (or related field) from an accredited Ph.D. program (PhD from an accredited university must be received and verified by July 1, 2012)
Evidence of teaching ability; please send evaluations if available
Evidence of ability to work with and mentor a diverse student population
Evidence of scholarly potential (conference presentations, publications, grant development)
Preferred/Desired Qualifications:
Ph.D. in Sociology with demonstrated abilities in teaching quantitative research methods and urban sociology, immigration/migration, and/or public policy
At least one year of college teaching experience
Knowledge of GIS implementation
Application Procedure: A completed application will consist of:
a cover letter that describes the candidate’s teaching and research experience and interests and that addresses the duties and qualifications articulated in the position description; this must include a statement of their teaching philosophy within a multicultural environment with examples of past experiences
a curriculum vitae comprised of at least those elements specified on the application form and including the names, titles, addresses, email addresses, and telephone numbers of at least five individuals who can speak to the candidate’s potential for success in this position
three recent (dated within the past two years) letters of reference
a completed application form
a transcript showing highest degree earned (from an accredited educational institution)
a sample of professional writing; and
sample syllabi and teaching evaluations of courses taught (if available)
Note: If a candidate has ABD status, Registrar’s verification is required if status is not indicated on official transcripts; Ph.D. must be received and verified by July 1, 2012. The position is open until filled, but first consideration will be given to completed applications postmarked by December 20, 2010. Early response is encouraged. Please address all nominations, inquiries, requests for application forms, and application forms to:
Sociology Search Committee
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Psychology & Sociology Department
3801 West Temple Avenue
Pomona, CA 91768
(909) 869-3890
Or for additional information, contact:
Dr. Mary Yu Danico, Search Chair
(909) 869-3895
mkydanico@csupomona.edu
job Announcement: Ethnic Studies, Virginia Tech
The Department of Sociology at Virginia Tech invites applications for a full-time, nine-month, tenure-track position at the level of Assistant Professor in the area of sociology of diversity and assessment, beginning
fall 2011. This position will include teaching and assessing the core course in a newly developing, interdisciplinary, diversity concentration for undergraduates. This core course will be housed in the department of sociology.
The successful candidate must have a strong record of teaching excellence and show evidence of strong research potential in the area of diversity and assessment. A Ph.D. in sociology is required and must be in hand by the time of appointment. In addition to interest in the sociology of diversity, we are seeking a candidate with interest in one or more of the following areas: Africana Studies, American Indian Studies, Women’s and Gender Studies, Aging, Hispanic Studies, social identity, and social inequality.
Please complete an on-line application, including a curriculum vitae, statement of research and teaching interests (use candidate statement field), samples of written work (use other doc field), names and email addresses of three references, teaching evaluations (if available) at https://jobs.vt.edu. Send any additional materials that cannot be submitted on-line to Professor Ted Fuller, Diversity Search Chair, C/O Brenda Husser, Department of Sociology, Virginia Tech, 560 McBryde Hall (0137), Blacksburg VA 24061. Review of applications will begin January 3, 2011, and will continue until the position is filled.
Seeking Donations: Radio Show on Nail Salons
When Lam Le first came to this country from Vietnam, working in a nail salon seemed like her only option. Being a manicurist could make her a decent living, she thought, as an older worker with limited English skills. After working for 12 years in the industry, Le found herself with breast cancer, a thyroid condition, skin rashes and asthma.
She ended her career just as she went into it: not by choice, but by necessity. Now Le is speaking at Congressional hearings, attending Patient Leadership Councils at Asian Health Services in Oakland, and is part of a growing movement to protect workers in the nail salon industry.
Making Contact would like to produce a half-hour radio documentary about the experiences of nail salon workers like Lam Le. We plan to look into the health impacts of the chemicals put in nail salon products, and government regulation and protection of this predominantly immigrant worker population.
Once we get funding, we’ll learn why experts, advocates and public officials are not waiting for studies that prove increased health risk to nail salon workers. And, we’ll explore a trend towards greener nail salons, and how workers are making a foray into the environmental justice movement. By broadcasting these stories of organizing and victories in communities across the country, Making Contact programs inspire others to take action on similar issues, whether workplace safety or environmental justice.
In case you’re the nostalgic type, here are some posts in this blog from November of years past:
2009: The U.S. and China: A Love-Hate Relationship President Obama’s trip to Asia highlights some of the contradictory, love-hate sentiments that many Americans and its institutions seem to have with Asians/Asian Americans.
2007: Big Plans for Little Saigons Debate around plans for the two largest Little Saigon communities in the U.S. highlight struggles to maintain ethnic solidarity among Vietnamese Americans.
2005: China Attracting U.S. Scholars China’s big push to recruit U.S. academics to help build up their universities to eventually rival the best from around the world.
2004: Inter-Asian Sentiments Examples from popular culture in both Japan and South Korea illustrate the contradictory nature of inter-ethnic relations between Asians of different ethnic groups.
A colleague sent around a link to the video below. It doesn’t focus specifically on Asian Americans or racial minorities, but certainly captures the sentiments that many college professors have. Plus, as my students would write, it had me ROTF and LMAO.
You might be interested to read the following posts from October of years past:
2009: Asian American Students Acting Like Idiots A fight and arrests of Asian American students at a party hosted by the Lambda Phi Epsilon fraternity brings up troubling questions of race, hyper-masculinity, and accountability.
2007: Debating Native Hawaiian Identity A debate about who exactly is ‘Native Hawaiian’ brings up the larger question of diversity within the Asian American community.
2004: Asian American Studies Progress Congratulations to UCLA ‘s Asian American Studies Department, the first such department at a major research university.
A few recent articles about China caught my attention. After taking them all in, one common theme became clear to me: China has made a lot of economic and cultural progress in recent years as it strives to become the next global superpower. At the same, as my previous blog posts have mentioned, China still lags other countries and societies when it comes to certain issues such as human rights, consumer protection, etc.
With this dichotomy in mind and as these most recent articles will highlight, China seems to be at a crossroads: is China willing to and capable of taking the next step and becoming a truly respected global superpower, or is it fated to just have economic power without real global acceptance as a legitimate ‘developed’ nation?
Specifically, in a recent column in Time magazine, Fareed Zakaria argues that despite the ongoing controversy over whether China’s government deliberately devalues its currency to artificially keep its goods cheap in overseas markets, China’s real problem is that, for it to continue to stay globally competitive, it needs to invest in improving the human capital (education, postindustrial job skills, etc.) of its citizens:
The real challenge we face from China is not that it will keep flooding us with cheap goods. It’s actually the opposite: China is moving up the value chain, and this could constitute the most significant new competition to the U.S. economy in the future. For much of the past three decades, China focused its efforts on building up its physical infrastructure. It didn’t need to invest in its people; the country was aiming to produce mainly low-wage, low-margin goods. As long as its workers were cheap and worked hard, that was good enough. . . .
Now China wants to get into higher-quality goods and services. That means the next phase of its economic development, clearly identified by government officials, requires it to invest in human capital with the same determination it used to build highways. Since 1998, Beijing has undertaken a massive expansion of education, nearly tripling the share of GDP devoted to it. In the decade since, the number of colleges in China has doubled and the number of students quintupled, going from 1 million in 1997 to 5.5 million in 2007. China has identified its nine top universities and singled them out as its version of the Ivy League.
That rationale makes perfect sense to me — as the world economy becomes more globalized, postindustrial, and information- and data-intensive, workers with these advanced educational and job skills are poised to have an advantage in the labor market. This is basically what the rest of the world believes as well. But as a New York Times article points out, the problem in China however, is that this rush and pressure to improve one’s education seems to be increasingly associated with academic fraud:
The exposure of Mr. Zhang’s faked credentials provoked a fresh round of hand-wringing over what many scholars and Chinese complain are the dishonest practices that permeate society, including students who cheat on college entrance exams, scholars who promote fake or unoriginal research, and dairy companies that sell poisoned milk to infants. . . .
[A] lack of integrity among researchers is hindering China’s potential and harming collaboration between Chinese scholars and their international counterparts, scholars in China and abroad say. . . . Pressure on scholars by administrators of state-run universities to earn journal citations — a measure of innovation — has produced a deluge of plagiarized or fabricated research. . . . [E]arlier this year, The Lancet, the British medical journal, warned that faked or plagiarized research posed a threat to President Hu Jintao’s vow to make China a “research superpower†by 2020. . . .
[P]lagiarizers often go unpunished, which only encourages more of it. . . . The Chinese government has vowed to address the problem. Editorials in the state-run press frequently condemn plagiarism and last month, Liu Yandong, a powerful Politburo member who oversees Chinese publications, vowed to close some of the 5,000 academic journals whose sole existence, many scholars say, is to provide an outlet for doctoral students and professors eager to inflate their publishing credentials.
Fang Shimin and another crusading journalist, Fang Xuanchang, have heard the vows and threats before. In 2004 and again in 2006, the Ministry of Education announced antifraud campaigns but the two bodies they established to tackle the problem have yet to mete out any punishments.
We do need to keep in mind that in many Asian countries, there is a greater sense of collective harmony and group cooperation that differs from the ethos of individualism and “every-man-for-himself” that is more prominent in western countries. Also considering the rash of American corporate greed and deceit that contributed to the onset of the current recession, fraud is certainly not exclusive to China.
At the same time, and as Chinese authorities seem to recognize at least verbally, it is clear that this mentality of malfeasance is a problem that needs to be addressed for China to move closer toward full acceptance and respect as a true global superpower.
Another aspect of China’s “cultural schizophrenia” that caught my attention concerns the Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, a former literature professor who has been variously persecuted by the Chinese government the past 20 years for championing democratic reform. The vast majority of the world is applauding the choice of Liu for the prize, with the obvious exception being the Chinese government. However, as a different New York Times article notes, another notable group of critics against Liu are other Chinese pro-democracy dissidents:
In recent days, a group of 14 overseas Chinese dissidents, many of them hard-boiled exiles dedicated to overthrowing the Communist Party, have been calling on the Nobel committee to deny the prize to Mr. Liu, whom they say would make an “unsuitable” laureate. In a letter, the signatories accused Mr. Liu of maligning fellow activists, abandoning persecuted members of the Falun Gong spiritual movement and going soft on China’s leaders. “His open praise in the last 20 years for the Chinese Communist Party, which has never stopped trampling on human rights, has been extremely misleading and influential,” they wrote. . . .
The letter and calls from other detractors have infuriated many rights advocates, inside and outside of China, who say the attack distorts Mr. Liu’s record as a longtime proponent of peaceful [and pragmatic] change. . . . More recently, Mr. Liu was given an 11-year prison sentence last Christmas for his role in shaping a manifesto, known as Charter ’08, that called for popular elections and an end to the Communist Party’s unchallenged grip on power. . . .
Whatever the merits of the anti-Liu Xiaobo camp, their very public sentiments provide a window into the state of the overseas Chinese dissidents, a fractured group beset by squabbling and competing claims of anti-authoritarian righteousness. . . . Even if they have differences over strategy, many intellectuals and activists inside China describe Mr. Liu as a dynamic thinker who appealed both to members of the party and many of its die-hard opponents.
Despite — or perhaps because of — Mr. Liu’s compassionate and forgiving nature, he seems to be caught in the “key to failure” conundrum as articulated once by Bill Cosby: “I don’t know what’s the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.” In other words, his opposition to authoritarian rule has made him an enemy of the state to the Chinese government, but apparently he is not considered “radical” enough for other pro-democracy Chinese dissidents. It’s the classic no-win scenario.
It also reminds me of similar intra-ethnic tensions within the Vietnamese American community in which hard-line anti-communist refugees often accuse others within their community of being a communist when there is a disagreement on some issue. Another example is when some Asian Americans dismiss or criticize other Asian Americans for not being “Asian” enough, particularly those who are adopted or mixed-race.
On the one hand, it’s obviously unrealistic to expect that all Chinese — both inside and outside the country — to agree on all issues and aspects of their society and government policies. On the other hand, when members of your own community reject one of their own, particularly when it comes to a highly prestigious award such as the Nobel Peace Prize, it makes me wonder about whether such a fractured group can effectively act as a respected counterbalance to China’s authoritarian rule and its continuing less-than-stellar record on human rights.
Every country has its own problems and its contradictions when it comes to establishing a united identity and collective path forward so in that regard, China is no different from, say, the U.S. Also, I am not suggesting that China should blindly conform to all social aspects and policies that are characteristic of western societies. But what is unique in China’s case is that it wants very, very badly to ascend to the position and status of being a globally respected political, economic, and cultural superpower.
In many ways, China already has enormous global influence. But that is not necessarily the same as global respect and authority.
Here are some more announcements and links out that have come my way relating to Asians or Asian Americans. As always, links to other sites are provided for informational purposes and do not necessarily imply an endorsement of their contents.
Mochi Magazine is a new online magazine specifically for Asian American teen girls! . . . Society has come a long way in its representation of Asians, but we still have a ways to go. Even today, Asian representation in film mostly consists of martial arts flicks with the same actors, and the Asian American identity is completely overlooked.
However, coming to terms with “Asian American†– the convergence despite all odds of two or more vastly different cultures – can be more difficult than learning our parents’ mother tongues or Tae Kwon Do. “Asian American,†in fact, is an identity apart from the terms “Asian†and “American†– it is the space between the two words that we struggle with. . . . We envisioned Mochi as the older sister you never had, who could answer all of those simple but essential fashion and beauty questions. We imagined a supportive resource in the exploration of Asian American identities. At the very least, we hoped that Mochi would serve as a good conversation starter. . . .
What was once a mere idea is now a full-fledged publication with over forty talented and passionate staff members. In witnessing the growth of Mochi, we have learned a lot about you – ambitious, smart, multi-talented and curious girls – and, consequently, ourselves. And as Mochi continues to grow and reach out to more girls like you, we hope to keep learning.
Asian Sister Participating in Reaching Excellence (ASPIRE) is pleased to present the 2010 Asian American Women In Leadership (AAWIL) Conference on October 16th, 2010 celebrating the theme of “Discovering the Leader Within.”
The 2010 AAWIL Conference aims to encourage attendees to explore, learn, and flourish. This conference will challenge and support Asian American women to take a leap. Speakers will share their experiences on how they were able to discover themselves through new inspirations and experiences which allowed for change in their lives.
The Asian American Women in Leadership (AAWIL) Conference was started to set forth strategic dialogue on the importance of leadership for Asian American girls and women. Specifically, the conference is designed to: explore various aspects of leadership, particularly as it relates to Asian American women, evaluate the effectiveness of different leadership skills and styles, energize and equip attendees to seek out future leadership opportunities, create cross-generational networks among attendees that will extend discussions and relationships beyond the scope of the conference, and raise awareness about ASPIRE, its missions and value to Asian American girls and women. It is also the only conference for Asian American women of all ages on the east coast. Historically, our audience has ranged from high school students to professionals in their mid 30s. So far, we have been able to attract 150-200 attendees every year.
This year, the conference theme is “Discovering the Leader Within.” It will build upon last year’s theme of “Fearless Leadership: Taking Charge with Confidence” and aims to encourage attendees to explore, learn, and flourish. The conference will be held on October 16th, 2010 at Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts. All the information can be found online.
Asian American Election Protection and Poll Monitoring: Defending Asian American Voting Rights
General Elections — Tuesday, November 2, 2010. In past elections, Asian Americans have faced a series of barriers in exercising their right to vote. For example, poll workers were hostile and made racist remarks, poll sites had too few interpreters to assist Asian American voters, translated voting materials were missing or hidden from voters, and ballots were mistranslated listing Democratic candidates as Republicans, and vice versa. When the news media reported on election returns and the vote by specific groups, Asian Americans were often overlooked.
In response, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund has conducted a non-partisan survey of Asian American voters to document Asian American voting patterns. AALDEF has also monitored the elections for compliance with the federal Voting Rights Act, which mandates bilingual ballots and forbids anti-Asian voter discrimination.
On November 2, 2010, AALDEF and several other Asian American groups will be monitoring the elections and conducting non-partisan voter surveys at polling sites in Asian American neighborhoods in at least ten states. We need your help.
In 2008, over 1,000 volunteers polled more than 16,000 Asian American voters in eleven states. Volunteers are needed to administer a multilingual voter survey in 3-hour shifts and document voting problems on Election Day. Polls are generally open from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM. There will be a one and a half hour training session for all volunteers. All volunteers must be non-partisan during the time that they help. To sign up, go to www.aaldef.net. Thank you!
For more information, contact:
Irene Jeon
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
99 Hudson Street, 12th Floor
New York, NY 10013
800-966-5946
info@aaldef.org
Asian American Literature: Discourses and Pedagogies
Special Issue on “Teaching Food and Foodways in Asian American Literature and Popular Culture”
Special Issue Guest Editor, Eileen Chia-Ching Fung
The topic of food has been a significant cultural icon for Asian American literature, films and other popular cultural venues and has gained increasing visibility in the mainstream publishing market and public media in recent years. This special issue invites scholars and writers to discuss how to approach teaching food and foodways within the contexts of Asian American literary, film, and cultural studies.
While the tropes of food and eating engage in complex sets of negotiations of individual, familial and communal definitions, they also invoke questions about Orientalism, internalized colonialism, commodification, and consumption. This issue aims to explore the social, political, and cultural paradigms generated by Asian American food narratives. We are especially interested in pedagogical works that explore ways to teach food writing, media representation, and popular culture about food.
These are some suggested questions and themes:
What are some characteristics and narrative strategies of Asian American food writings?
How does one teach analyses of eating and cooking as Asian American literary tropes?
How can one incorporate Asian American food memoirs, cookbooks or food shows as part of the Asian American Studies discourse and/or Asian American cultural studies curriculum?
What is the relationship between Asian American food texts and other American food narratives?
How do race, ethnicity, class, gender and sexuality shape food writing?
How can we explore themes of food tourism, food ethnography, food pornography, and food colonialism?
How does one offer critical readings and pedagogical strategies of teaching Asian/Asian American food writers, cooks, articles, or celebrities in multi-media including films, television, internet (i.e. blogs), and other public spaces?
All articles must be under 10,000 words, with a preference for shorter articles of 2,000-7,000 words. Please follow the most current MLA format. Inquiries for this Special Issue may be addressed to Dr. Eileen Chia-Ching Fung at fung@usfca.edu. Full final articles must be submitted by October 15, 2010 to http://onlinejournals.sjsu.edu/index.php/AALDP/index.
The following are announcements about academic-related jobs for those interested in racial/ethnic/diversity issues (listed in order of application deadline). As always, the announcements and links are provided for informational purposes only and do not necessarily imply an endorsement of the organization or college involved.
Sociology, University of Dayton
Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track Assistant Professor position in sociology. We are seeking a Sociology Ph.D. with specialization in criminology and sociology of law to contribute to both the sociology and criminal justice studies majors (ABD will be considered). An ability to contribute to the interdisciplinary collaborations of the department is also desired. Candidates complementing the department’s focus on local and global communities and social justice are preferred. Preference will be given to applicants who have experience in teaching students from diverse backgrounds. This appointment begins August 16, 2011. Salary is competitive. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until October 15, 2010.
In order to complete your online application, you must attach a cover letter, your curriculum vita, and your statement of teaching philosophy. Copies of teaching evaluations and examples of syllabi and written work should be combined and attached to “other document.” Unofficial transcripts – graduate and undergraduate – may be combined and attached in one file in “transcripts.” Three original letters of reference should be mailed or emailed to: dsaswsearch@notes.udayton.edu.
SOC Search Committee
Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work
University of Dayton
300 College Park
Dayton, OH 45469-1442
The University of Dayton, a comprehensive Catholic university founded by the Society of Mary (Marianists) in 1850, is Ohio’s largest independent university and one of the nation’s ten largest Catholic universities. The University of Dayton is firmly committed to the principle of diversity and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Persons of color, women, individuals with disabilities and veterans are encouraged to apply.
Sociology, Radford University
Special Purpose (non-tenure track, subject to annual reappointment) Assistant Professor. We are seeking a student-centered applied sociologist to begin August 2011. Ability to teach introduction to sociology required; ability to teach at least two of the following three areas preferred: social psychology, race and ethnicity, inequality. Successful applicants will: have an established and active record of teaching, professional activities, and service; be committed to building community-university partnerships and student-centered education; share in the effective mentoring of sociology majors; work with the department continue and expand applied educational activities, such as internships, undergraduate research, and service learning; contribute to departmental assessment; and consistently and responsibly perform departmental committee service.
Doctorate in Sociology preferred (ABD considered). Applicants must provide a letter of application identifying interest and experience in applied educational activities and specifying areas of expertise, a current vita, recent teaching evaluations (if available) and the names, addresses, and phone numbers of three references. Please do not send additional materials at this time. Applications should be sent to: Dr. Carole Seyfrit, Chair, Department of Sociology, Box 6948, Radford University, Radford, VA 24142 or e-mailed to CLSeyfrit@radford.edu. Review of applications will begin October 1 and continue until the position is filled.
Radford University is a co-educational, comprehensive, state supported institution located in southwestern Virginia, 40 miles from Roanoke, with an enrollment of approximately 9,600 students. For more information visit our website. Radford University is an Equal opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Minorities and women are encouraged to apply.
Sociology, University at Albany, SUNY
The Department of Sociology at the University at Albany invites applications for a tenure track position to begin in fall 2011. The position is contingent on final budget approval. Salary is competitive. Successful candidates will specialize in one of the following two areas: (1) Our first priority is in demography. Rank is open but preference will be given to candidates at the Associate or Full Professor level with an established track record of external funding. Candidates are expected to contribute to the research agenda of the Center for Social and Demographic Analysis. (2) Our second priority is for a candidate at the Assistant Professor level who conducts qualitative and/or ethnographic research. The substantive area is open but we are especially interested in the area of culture, gender, or urban sociology.
Candidates must demonstrate excellence in research and exhibit a strong commitment to teaching and service. Applicants must have a Ph.D. from a university accredited by the U.S. Department of Education or an internationally recognized accrediting organization. They must address in their applications their ability to work with and instruct a culturally diverse population. Applicants should send a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, and three letters of reference; finalists will be asked to provide additional materials related to research and teaching. Applications will be screened beginning October 1. The University at Albany is an EO/AA/IRCA/ADA employer. All materials should be addressed to: Search Committee, Department of Sociology, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York 12222.
Sociology & International Studies, Boston College
The Department of Sociology and the International Studies Program invite applications for a tenure track assistant professor position with a cutting-edge research program in any of the following three areas: immigration, global environmental sociology, or global social movements. Scholars with expertise in any geographic area of the world are invited to apply. Scholars with substantive interest in: gender, race, class, sexuality, or religion/religious communities are particularly encouraged to apply. The tenure line is housed in the Sociology Department. The position, which begins in the Fall of 2011, entails half-time teaching in International Studies, which is an undergraduate major, and half-time graduate and undergraduate teaching in the Department of Sociology.
Applications should be submitted electronically to socchair@bc.edu. Potential applicants should email one attached pdf document containing the following: a cover letter that describes your research and teaching accomplishments and plans, current CV, and 2 pieces of recent scholarship. Applicants should arrange to have three letters of reference, also in pdf format, emailed to the same address. These references should be named in the letter of application. Review of applications will begin on October 1, 2010 and continue until the position is filled. Boston College is an Affirmation Action/Equal Opportunity employer. Applications from scholars of color and women are strongly encouraged.
Sociology, Loyola University New Orleans
The Department of Sociology has an anticipated opening for a tenure-track position at the Assistant Professor level beginning August 2011. Applicants must have a Ph.D. in Sociology. The successful candidate will assume the primary responsibility of teaching courses in undergraduate research methods and statistics; all other specialty areas will be considered. The Department of Sociology has approximately 80 majors, seven full-time faculty members, and offers a BA in Sociology with optional concentrations in three areas: Global Sociology; Stratification and Inequality; and Crime, Law, and Social Control. The Department of Sociology also contributes courses to a number of interdisciplinary minors, including Environmental Studies, Women’s Studies, African and African-American Studies, Latin American Studies, Legal Studies, and the newly created minor in New Orleans Studies.
Candidates must submit evidence of the skills needed to teach both research methods and statistics at the undergraduate level well as examples of quantitative scholarship. In addition to teaching responsibilities, colleagues are expected to advise undergraduate students, participate in department, college, and university committees, and maintain an active involvement in scholarly activities, including publication and securing outside funding. Candidates must be committed to excellence in undergraduate liberal arts education. The department has a strong commitment to teaching students to think critically about social justice principles and their realization in the community.
Loyola University is situated in uptown New Orleans with an approximate enrollment of 4600 students. Loyola is a Jesuit university known for its academic excellence, its commitment to social justice and community service as well as its commitment to Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employment. Loyola University New Orleans welcomes applications from women and minority candidates. Salary and benefits are competitive. Applicants must submit a letter describing their teaching and research interests with a brief statement of their personal education philosophy, a current Curriculum Vitae, three letters of recommendation (to be sent directly by the referees), an official transcript, samples of scholarship, samples of course syllabi, and evidence of teaching success (e.g., evaluations). Submit applications to:
Dr. Sue Mennino, Chair, Faculty Search Committee
Department of Sociology, Box 30
Loyola University New Orleans
6363 St. Charles Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70118.
Review of applications will begin October 15 and continue until the position is filled.
Social Movements and Social Justice, University of Southern California
The Department of American Studies & Ethnicity in the University of Southern California’s College of Letters, Arts & Sciences invites applications for a tenure-track assistant professor with a research specialization that addresses the nature and evolution of U.S. social movements for economic, environmental, gender and/or racial justice. We are especially interested in scholars whose work is grounded in both theory and engagement with the social movements studied, and we are open to comparative, historical, and transnational approaches.
A broad range of graduate training specializations will be considered, including but not limited to American Studies, Sociology, Political Science, Urban Planning, and Feminist and Ethnic Studies. The position, beginning in fall 2011, will be in American Studies & Ethnicity, an interdisciplinary department, with significant opportunities to affiliate with campus research centers engaged in movement analysis.
USC strongly values diversity and is committed to equal opportunity in employment. Women and men, and members of all racial and ethnic groups, are encouraged to apply. Please send a letter of application, curriculum vitae, one or two short writing samples, and three letters of reference to: Manuel Pastor, Chair of Search Committee, Department of American Studies and Ethnicity, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-4033. We will begin to review applications on November 1, 2010 and will continue until the position is filled. A Ph.D. is required by the start of employment.
Sociology, Florida State University
The Department of Sociology at Florida State University invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position, effective August 2011. We seek applicants with a primary emphasis in Race & Inequality who can also contribute to one of our other program areas: Health & Aging, Demography, or Social Psychology. Applications should include a personal letter, curriculum vitae, three letters of reference, and a writing sample. Screening will begin November 1 and continue until the position is filled. All application materials should be sent electronically to Isaac W. Eberstein, Chair, Department of Sociology, using this address: sociology@fsu.edu . Florida State University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and race/ethnic minority applicants are particularly invited.
Postdoctoral Fellowship in Immigration, Cornell University
Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Institute for the Social Sciences, ISS Immigration Theme Project.
Post-doctoral research associates are sought for participation in an interdisciplinary project on Immigration: Settlement, Integration, & Membership. Applications will be accepted for a one-year position, beginning approximately August 15, 2011. The project is led by an interdisciplinary team exploring two broad themes: immigrant settlement and integration, particularly in new receiving areas, and immigrant inclusion and membership. The project, coordinated by the Institute for the Social Sciences, will sponsor a seminar series, visiting scholars, and opportunities for multi-disciplinary research collaboration.
Postdocs will have access to the full range of university resources and receive an annual salary of $50,000 plus health benefits. Applicants must have a Ph.D. by August 15, 2011; scholars who have completed their Ph.D.’s within the past five years will be considered. The application deadline is November 15, 2010. Applicants should submit a curriculum vita, a brief statement of research interests, a writing sample, and three reference letters by e-mail to socialsciences@cornell.edu . Cornell is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer; minorities and women are encouraged to apply. Details are at: ISS Immigration Project and Cornell Office of Postdoctoral Studies.
Firstly, thanks for your patience these past few weeks — between the end of the semester, grading, traveling to visit relatives over the holidays, and most recently, switching web hosts, I was not able to post as often as I wanted. But a new year brings a new start!
As many of you already know, since I am a sociology professor and a person of color, issues related to the intersection of those two areas of my life are particularly significant for me. With that in mind, as Inside Higher Education reports, a new report examines levels of job satisfaction among college faculty and finds some interesting differences by racial group:
Compared to white faculty members, African American, Asian and Native American faculty were less satisfied on a series of questions on climate, culture and collegiality at their institutions. Of the 10 climate measures in the survey, Asians were less satisfied on 6; Native Americans on 5; and African Americans on 4, all by statistically significant margins.
These gaps may be particularly important to colleges seeking to diversify their faculties, as a key theme of COACHE reports has been the idea that today’s younger generation of professors — far more than previous generations — will judge colleges as employers on issues of campus culture and supportive employment policies, not just on prestige or compensation.
At the same time, the new data show that the issues are not identical for all minority groups and that colleges that “lump everyone together” may not be reaching the topics crucial to different populations. . .
For black faculty members, for example, job satisfaction levels with regard to work-life balance were similar to those for white faculty members. But they reported lower levels of satisfaction on interactions with tenured and pre-tenure colleagues, with sense of “fit” at their institutions, and with their sense of fair treatment in their departments. African American faculty members are also less likely than their white counterparts to believe that tenure decisions are made primarily on job performance. . . .
Asian faculty members indicated a different set of issues. Compared to their white counterparts, Asian faculty reported greater clarity about tenure expectations and higher levels of satisfaction on many questions about job satisfaction. But when it comes to questions related to teaching, they were less happy on most questions.
The actual report provides more detailed descriptions of the findings by racial group. Since I have a particular interest in the findings regarding Asian American faculty, some of the findings that struck me was as noteworthy are (as stated in the text of the report):
Asian faculty responded that expectations for performance as scholars were significantly more reasonable than did white faculty; however, they felt that expectations for performance as campus citizens were significantly less reasonable than did white faculty.
Asian faculty reported significantly more satisfaction than did white faculty with how they spend their time, the number of hours they work as a faculty member in an average week, the amount of time they have to conduct research, the quality of the facilities, the amount of access they have to [graduate assistants]. . . . However, they reported significantly less satisfaction than did white faculty with all but one item in the teaching composite (number of students they teach).
Asian faculty reported significantly less agreement than white faculty that their institutions do what they can to make raising children and the tenure-track compatible
Asian faculty reported significantly less satisfaction than their white colleagues with regard to the fairness with which their immediate supervisors evaluate their work . . . and their sense of ‘fit’ in their departments.
To summarize, the report data shows that, compared to their White counterparts, Asian tenure-track faculty generally felt that expectations for scholarly performance were reasonable, that they were satisfied with how they spent their professional time and the quality of the academic resources available to them.
However, also compared to their White colleagues, Asian tenure-track faculty were more dissatisfied with their teaching demands, the demands of them as “campus citizens,” with the resources available to them to balance work and family responsibilities, with how their immediate supervisors evaluated their work, and their overall “fit” within their departments.
How should we make sense of these results regarding Asian faculty? At first, these results may actually seem contradictory but for those like me who work in academic settings, they do make sense. The results basically show the Asian faculty know what’s expected of them research-wise and are fine with such expectations, but generally don’t like the teaching demands.
But perhaps most troubling is that Asian faculty generally feel that they aren’t fully integrated or aren’t given fair opportunities to integrate into the more informal “collegial” social environment around them. If this is true, what are the reasons behind such frustrations?
To try to answer that question, I refer back to my earlier post about the effects of racial diversity on college students in which the results of a different study showed that, among other things, increased racial/ethnic diversity among student populations resulted in more racial tolerance, with the notable exception of when White and Black students had an Asian roommate.
I pointed out that perhaps there is a qualitative difference between having an Asian immigrant roommate and having an Asian American (U.S.-born or raised) roommate and that such a distinction would account for this particular negative finding. I think the same idea can be applied to these results regarding Asian faculty.
That is, perhaps Asian immigrant faculty have a qualitatively harder time integrating into the “mainstream’ collegial social environment than do U.S.-born or raised Asian American faculty. This difficulty may be due to cultural and language barriers.
I think there is a lot of circumstantial evidence emerging that suggests that as the world in general and American society in particular become increasingly diverse, racial/ethnic tensions seem to be gradually and unfortunately rising as “mainstream” Americans feel economically and culturally unstable and even threatened.
Nonetheless, that does not mean everything is doom and gloom. With the example of Obama’s election as our next President, I think there are some very strong rays of optimism, tolerance, and cooperation.
Inevitably, there will be an adjustment period for a new sense of “normalcy” to get established, but ultimately, I am hopeful and confident that as a society, we are on the right track and that racial/ethnic disparities, whether they relate to college faculty of color or some other set of issues, will become less of a problem as we move forward.
One of the knocks against academics and professors, especially those who study social inequality issues, is that we don’t do anything with our knowledge. That is, we conduct research and learn about the different ways people are treated unfairly and unjustly in American society, but beyond passing on this knowledge to students in the courses we teach, we don’t use our knowledge to try to change the situation.
Thankfully, there are exceptions to these criticisms. As the Los Angeles Times reports, many professors at Santa Ana College in California are literally putting their money where their mouths are by donating some of their salary to a scholarship fund that assists low-income students attend their classes:
Chemistry professor Jeff McMillan is sick of seeing otherwise capable students drop his courses because it costs too much to go to school. So much so that he is opening his wallet.
McMillan and about a dozen other faculty and staff members at Santa Ana College have started a scholarship fund that they hope will make it easier for low-income students to afford their classes.Starting this fall, each will fund a student’s course fees for a year — about $600 for a full-time schedule.
Professors say the donation comes with the satisfaction of knowing the student their money is helping. . . . The Opportunity Scholarship will be awarded to students with extreme financial need. Instructors will recommend students who have great potential but are struggling to pay for school.
Each student will be paired with one of the faculty sponsors, who will serve as an informal mentor. . . . Most likely to benefit will be students who are not citizens and thus are not eligible for federal student aid or a state program that waives fees for low-income community college students.
I hope that they serve as an inspiration for other professors at colleges around the country, but at the same time, assistance programs like this are ultimately the responsibility of colleges and universities themselves, especially elite private colleges that have the endowment and resources to give low-income students the chance at a better life through a college degree.
Although there’s still a long way to go, thankfully there seems to be a trend among such elite colleges out there that they need to use their vast wealth and resources to help all members of society get a college education, not just the wealthy and privileged.
At any rate, kudos to the faculty at Santa Ana College who not only talk the talk, but they aren’t afraid to walk the walk. Or as another cliche goes, “Well done is better than well said.”
