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.
“Undocumented Immigrants” is on Time’s shortlist for Person of the Year 2012. Many of the editors’ picks in the past few years have been abstract, collective entities–last year was the year of the Protester, and 2006 was the year of You. Why should undocumented immigrants be the Person of the Year 2012? Time writes:
An invisible population stepped forward on June 15, 2012, to stake its claim to the American Dream. On that day, President Obama declared that certain undocumented immigrants — a group simply labeled “illegal” by many — would not be subjected to deportation, under broad-ranging conditions. Suddenly the logjam of immigration reform shifted, as more than 1 million undocumented young people who had been in the country for the past five years found themselves with new opportunities. What is more, the sympathies of other groups of people who have undocumented relatives — and thus are mindful of their plight — may have clearly shifted to a President on a campaign for re-election, as evidenced by the preponderance of Hispanic and Asian-American voters casting their ballots for Obama.
I’m glad that Time made a shout-out to Asian Americans in this blurb, and featured undocumented Filipino American journalist and activist Jose Antonio Vargas so prominently in their June 25 issue. While the mainstream media often portray unauthorized immigration as a Latino or Mexican issue, not all undocumented migrants are from Mexico or Latin America. According to Department of Homeland Security estimates for January 2011, 10% of undocumented immigrants in the US were born in five major Asian sending countries: China, the Philippines, India, Korea, and Vietnam. That adds up to just shy of 1.2 million people.
That shocking figure does not include people coming from other Asian countries, and some people of Asian descent born in Latin America. Many Latin American countries have long-settled populations of Asian people. There are also many contemporary migrants who use Latin America as a stepping-stone to the US. The high-profile case of San Francisco student Steve Li brought this issue into the limelight. Li’s family was scheduled to be deported, but to different places; US immigration authorities were prepared to send him to his birthplace of Peru while the rest of his family were deported to China.
As an undergraduate majoring in linguistics, I was fascinated with the concept of endangered languages. Colonization, genocide, globalization, and nation-building projects have killed off untold numbers of languages. As linguist K. David Harrison (my undergrad advisor) tells NPR, speakers of stigmatized or otherwise less-favored languages are pressured to abandon their native tongue for the dominant language of the nation and the market:
“The decision to give up one language or to abandon a language is not usually a free decision. It’s often coerced by politics, by market forces, by the educational system in a country, by a larger, more dominant group telling them that their language is backwards and obsolete and worthless.” (emphasis mine)
These same pressures are at work in immigrant-receiving countries like the United States, where young immigrants and children of immigrants are quickly abandoning their parents’ language in favor of English.
Here are some more announcements, links, and job postings about academic-related jobs, fellowships, and other opportunities for those interested in racial/ethnic/diversity issues, with a particular focus on Asian Americans. As always, the announcements and links are provided for informational purposes and do not necessarily imply an endorsement of the organization or college involved.
Call for Papers
The 2012 North American Chinese Sociologists Association (NACSA) Annual Conference
Denver, Colorado, August 16, 2012
The 2012 NACSA Annual Conference will be held on August 16th in Denver, Colorado, following the great tradition of our association to hold a one-day mini-conference prior to the annual meetings of the American Sociological Association (August 17-21, 2012). The aim of this year’s conference is broadly defined to be two-fold: to promote scholarly research on Chinese society, culture, economy, and immigrant life in the greater Chinese Diaspora, and to continue building bridges and guanxi among scholars of Chinese heritage and non-Chinese ancestry in North America, Asia, and other parts of the world.
Theme(s)
The themes of this year’s conference are open. We call for submissions of regular papers/panels and will let themes emerge from the submissions. We encourage scholars and graduate students from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the greater Chinese Diaspora to submit papers/panels in either English or Chinese.
Sessions
The 2012 mini-conference plans to hold 8 concurrent sessions and a plenary session.
Submission Deadline: Early May, 2012 (email hao@jhu.edu if you need more time). Submit your paper or abstract via email to: Lingxin Hao (hao@jhu.edu).
Individual papers: Complete papers or paper abstracts will be considered. Paper abstracts may be 1-2 pages but must contain sufficient detail and evidence of timely completion for the program committee in its decision making. Papers to be presented at the ASA are eligible for this submission. List the authors’ and coauthors’ names, organizational affiliations, and email addresses.
Panels: Any NACSA member can organize a panel. Each panel should consist of three presenters and a discussant. The panel organizer must submit a proposal specifying the theme of the panel along with the
summaries/abstracts of the papers selected. List all panelists’ names, organizational affiliations, and email addresses.
Submissions may be in English or in Chinese. The program committee assumes that the language used in individual papers/abstracts or panel proposals would be the same as the language used in presentation at the
annual conference. Papers should be formatted in Word or pdf and sent as an attached file.
Acceptance Announcement: Mid May, 2012
Email announcements to all organizers/discussants/authors about the tentative panels to which their presentations are assigned. A formal acceptance letter will be provided to all the authors for their
travel funding application and/or visa application purposes.
Visit http://www.nacsa.net/ for a tentative annual conference program after June 15 of 2012.
Full Paper Submission Deadline: August 1, 2012
A full paper is to be submitted to the organizer/presider/discussant of the assigned session.
Contact Persons:
Professor Lingxin Hao
President of NACSA
Department of Sociology
Johns Hopkins University
3400 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218, U.S.A.
Tel. 410-516-4022; Email hao@jhu.edu
Registration Fee
The registration fee for each participant is US$15 for regular and associate members, US$10 for students. Fees may be paid in form of a personal check or a bank draft, payable to “NACSA,” via regular mail prior to Augest 1, 2010 or on site in Atlanta. Checks should be sent to the treasurer: Professor Yang Cao, Department of Sociology, 9201 University City Blvd., Charlotte, NC, 28223, U.S.A.
Travel Funds
All participants will be responsible for their own traveling to and from the conference. NACSA would be happy to assist you in applying for travel funds.
Membership Renewal
Current members should renew their 2011 membership. The membership fee is $15 for regular member, $10 for associate member, $5 for student member, and $300 life-time member. Both current and new members may fill out their membership forms (see attached) and mail them with their membership dues in checks or bank drafts, payable to “NACSA,” to Professor Yang Cao, Department of Sociology, 9201 University City Blvd., Charlotte, NC, 28223, U.S.A.
7th Summer Institute on Global Migration and Health
Los Angeles, California, USA
June 25-29, 2012
The 7th Summer Institute on Migration and Global Health is an international event that offers researchers, faculty, graduate students and professionals working with migrant communities around the world, a unique opportunity to learn about different health issues that affect mobile populations. International experts will present on the relationship between migration and global health from public health, public policy, and social science perspectives.
The five-day course includes a combination of lectures, workshops, and field trips, offering an exceptional opportunity to learn and to create professional networks.
Date: June 25-29, 2012
Place: Monday- Wednesday: The California Endowment, Los Angeles Conference Center
Thursday: University of California Los Angeles
Friday: Consulate of Mexico in Los Angeles
Registration Fee: Early Registration (by May 28th): Students $290, Professionals $450
After May 28th: Students $350, Professionals $540
Poster session: Deadline to submit abstracts to Liliana.Osorio@sdcounty.ca.gov: May 14, 2012
Concentric: Literary and Cultural Studies, a refereed scholarly journal based in Taipei, Taiwan, is planning a special issue on Asian American Studies.
Concentric: Literary and Cultural Studies
Vol. 39 No. 2 | September 2013
Special Topic Call for Papers: “Phantom Asian America”
Deadline for Submissions: January 31, 2013
Since its emergence in the late 1960s, Asian American studies has gained ground in the academy, and yet the term “Asian America”itself remains in doubt. Where is Asian America? Who are Asian Americans? What constitutes Asian American experience and who is qualified to speak for and about Asian Americans? Why does “Asian American” remain an appealing identity category despite its inherent vagueness?
The special topic “Phantom Asian America”invites essays that probe into histories, literatures and other modes of cultural expression to reflect on the making and meaning of Asian America. We invoke the image of the “phantom” to highlight not only the instability and permeability of Asian America but also the haunting power and affecting forces of Asian American experiences.
Issues of concern may include: Is Asian America a “phantom” entity? How has the presence of Asian Americans as “spectral” others infiltrated Asia and America and caused changes in social structures and cultural coalitions? Is “Asian American” (as both an identity category and an instituted discipline/discourse) haunted by its own ghostly others? Who are the “phantom figures” occupying the margins of Asian America and what are their stories? With what strategies could we excavate the “phantom histories”-histories repressed and untold-about Asian America?
“Phantom Asian America”also welcomes articles that meditate on the “phantastic” lure of Asian American identity in transnational contexts. How have Asian American cultures been circulated and received around the globe? How could we re-appraise Asian American histories and cultures in a world of shifting borders and
transnational links? What does it mean to teach and undertake Asian American studies outside the United States, especially in Asia? Is “Asian American” a substantive presence in Asia or a phantom of Asia’s desire for globality? This special topic encourages contributors to move beyond a narrowly defined Asian America to explore its “phantomistic” circumferencesand permutations, with attention to the networks of power and affect between, as well as beyond, Asia and America.
Concentric: Literary and Cultural Studies is a peer-reviewed journal published two times per year by the Department of English, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan. Concentric is devoted to offering innovative perspectives on literary and cultural issues and advancing the transcultural exchange of ideas. While committed to bringing Asian-based scholarship to the world academic community, Concentric welcomes original contributions from diverse national and cultural backgrounds.
Each issue of Concentric publishes groups of essays on a special topic as well as papers on more general issues. The focus can be on any historical period and any region. Any critical method may be employed as long as the paper demonstrates a distinctive contribution to scholarship in the field. Please visit our website for more information and submission guidelines.
Please take a few seconds to sign a letter of support to bring attention to faculty, Committee for Educational Policy, and administration the importance of Asian American Studies at Williams College by clicking here and forwarding this to your respective organization.
I am emailing you on behalf of the Campaign for Asian American Studies at Williams. As a member of the AAPI community, I am asking you for your support of our efforts.
We understand the lack of resources available on this campus, but after more than 20 years of fighting to stabilize this intellectual endeavor at Williams only to feel from both administration and faculty that this study is not a priority. We are willing to work with the administration and the CEP to institutionalize AA Studies in the curriculum either by creating a separate program or to combine with an already existing department. We need your support to show the faculty and administration that there is widespread support for AA Studies. If we can prove to them that individuals outside of the Williams community see its significance in the Williams curriculum, they will be more likely to open up to our suggestions as we work together towards our goal.
AA Studies is an ethnic study, not an area studies such as Asian Studies. The understanding of the Asian American experience both in America and across the globe is a legitimate and growing intellectual field since the 60s. We are trying to convince the CEP, administration, and faculty to recognize its significance given our current resource-limited situation. We cannot do this without your and your organization’s help. The Asian American experience includes a broad group of individuals including South Asians, South East Asians, East Asians, and those from the Middle East.
We need your and your organization to help stand with us. It only takes one electronic signature from each person in your organization for us all to make a difference in the Williams curriculum. Please forward this email to your organization at large. If you would like more information about what we are all about, please check out aastudieswilliams.wordpress.com. Also, please urge your members to sign our petition here.
Thank you.
Campaign for Asian American Studies at Williams
The Overseas Young Chinese Forum (“OYCF”), a non-profit organization based in the United States, is pleased to announce that it is now accepting applications for its Teaching Fellowships, which sponsor short term teaching trips by overseas scholars or professionals (Chinese or non-Chinese) to universities or other comparable advanced educational institutions in China. The subjects of teaching include all fields of humanities and social sciences, such as anthropology, art, communication, economics, education, geography, law, literatures, philosophy, political science, sociology, etc.
OYCF will grant thirteen fellowship awards to support short term teaching trips during the Academic Year of 2012-13, including five OYCF-Ford fellowships in the amount of $2,500 each and nine OYCF-Gregory C. and Paula K. Chow fellowships in the amount of $2,000 each. The application deadline is August 15, 2012. Awards will be announced on September 15, 2012.
If you have a Ph.D., J.D., J.S.D. or a comparable graduate degree from, or is currently an advanced doctoral candidate (having passed the Ph.D. qualification examination and finished at least three years of graduate studies) in a university in North America or other areas outside China, and are interested in teaching a covered subject in a college or graduate school in Mainland China, please find online the Information and Application Procedures for the OYCF Teaching Fellowships at http://www.oycf.org/Teach/application.DOC. Ph.D. students are highly encouraged to apply because an independent teaching experience will add significant weight in the resumes and help build strong connection with China’s academia. We also give preference to advanced Ph.D. student applicants who would combine this teaching opportunity with their dissertational research in China.
As noted therein, preference will be given to teaching proposals that include comparative or interdisciplinary perspectives; are about subjects that China is in relative shortage of teachers; or will be conducted at universities in inland provinces and regions. This year, we dedicate at least 3-4 fellowships as the Central or Western Region Teaching Fellowships to teaching fellows who plan to teach in an inland province or autonomous region. Accordingly, teaching proposals specifically designed for teaching in these regions are especially welcome.
To submit your application, you will need an application form, a brief letter of interest, curriculum vitae or resume, a detailed course syllabus, an invitation letter from your host institution in China. Detailed instruction and application form can be found at the above web link. For more information about OYCF or its teaching program, please visit http://www.oycf.org. For questions concerning OYCF Teaching Fellowships or their application process, please contact Qiang Fu at qf6@soc.duke.edu.
Here are some more announcements, links, and job postings about academic-related jobs, fellowships, and other opportunities for those interested in racial/ethnic/diversity issues, with a particular focus on Asian Americans. As always, the announcements and links are provided for informational purposes and do not necessarily imply an endorsement of the organization or college involved.
Family-Owned Businesses That Need to Get Back on Their Feet: New Cable Series Looking for You
Major Network launches nationwide search for struggling family-owned businesses in need of help.
January 9, 2012: A major production company announces a nationwide search for struggling, family-owned businesses that are fighting to survive. This new, 1-hour series will feature a team of two experts who will provide life-saving solutions to faltering family businesses across the country. From amusement parks to dry cleaners, from junk yards to bakeries, the team of experts will delve into what is not working and provide the business a life-saving opportunity, and a new chance at success.
Metal Flowers Media is currently searching for family owned businesses across the country that are fighting to stay alive in this turbulent economy. The company must be in serious trouble, with monumental problems that they can’t seem to overcome, and must be open to taking advice from a team of experienced, credentialed business experts. Candidates must be US citizens, and over the age of 18.
For more information, or to apply for the chance to be featured on the series, please email us at beatriz@metalflowersmedia.com for more information, or log on to facebook.com/metalflowersmedia
This is a wonderful opportunity for the right individuals! Please forward to anyone or anybody you think could benefit and to anyone interested reply ASAP as we are on a tight deadline. Time is of the essence! Also, please feel free to call/email if you have any questions or concerns.
Re-envisioning American Art History: Asian American Art, Research, and Teaching
Date: July 9-28, 2012
Application Deadline: March 1, 2012
Asian/Pacific/American Institute (A/P/A Institute) at NYU will be hosting the upcoming 2012 NEH Summer Institute entitled “Re-envisioning American Art History: Asian American Art, Research, and Teaching.” Participants will understand the pivotal developments and critical issues in Asian American art history and visual cultural studies and will be given access to specialized archives that will enhance their research and teaching in the humanities.
If you are a college teacher, museum educator, independent scholar, or graduate student, click here to learn more about the application process.
CAPAL Federal Internships (10+ Placements) and Scholarships (3 awards) for Public Service
The Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership (CAPAL) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan educational and professional organization dedicated to building leadership and public policy knowledge within the Asian Pacific American (APA) community. Its mission is to promote Asian Pacific American interests and success in public service careers, to provide information and education on policy issues affecting the APA community, and to serve the APA community at large.
Internship Opportunities:
Each summer, CAPAL places over 10 summer interns in the federal government. These internship positions are open to ALL MAJORS, and are suited for individuals looking to gain real-world federal government experience. CAPAL has partnerships with federal agencies including Agricultural Research Services, Forest Service, and Rural Development.
Each CAPAL intern will be awarded a $2,000 stipend to support the successful completion of his/her internship. Up to $500 travel stipends are available. Depending on interests and placement, duties could vary from policy or scientific research, project coordination and management, business, law, communication, and more. Applicants are asked to specify their preferences on the application, and those selected will be placed based on their interests and skills. Agricultural knowledge is not required. These internships are suitable for all students interested in government and public policy.
Location: Washington, DC, California, Oregon, Washington, and additional locations nationwide.
Applications for internships are available online. Offers will be extended on a rolling basis. Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply early. The submission deadline is March 9, 2012.
Scholarship Opportunities:
CAPAL will also be awarding 3 scholarships to outstanding Asian Pacific American (APA) college undergraduate and graduate students who will be interning in the Washington DC area for the summer. The scholarships are intended to enable APA individuals with leadership potential to work full-time and learn about ways to influence public policy in their local communities. Recipients of the CAPAL scholarships are responsible for securing their own internships.
The SunTrust Scholarship (2)
$3000 stipend and $1000 housing/travel stipend
(preference to students with financial need)
The Asha Jaini Scholarship
$2000 stipend
Applications for scholarships are available online. Offers will be extended on a rolling basis. Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply early. The submission deadline is March 9, 2012.
Internship and Scholarship Requirements: Demonstrates commitment to public service, including service to the Asian Pacific American community; GPA of 3.0 or higher; US Citizen; Current undergraduate or graduate student.
All documents must be submitted by March 9, 2012. The online application, along with submission of your resume, letters of recommendation, and academic transcript(s) are all required for your application to be considered. Email scholarships@capal.org with any questions you may have.
16th Nordic Migration Research Conference & 9th ETMU Days
13-15 August 2012
University of Turku, Finland
The focus of much research of immigrants in the Nordic countries has been on the economic circumstances and state policies regarding migration and integration. Far less attention has been devoted to the role of the institutions of civil society in facilitating or impeding the incorporation of newcomers into Nordic societies. The theme of this conference is intended to be a response to that imbalance in research priorities.
The conference organizers are inviting papers that address issues related to the incorporation of newcomers into receiving societies in the developed world, with special emphasis on the Nordic countries, and on issues related to fair means of inclusion. These topics are broad and can be approached from a variety of thematic and methodological perspectives. Furthermore, the conference also welcomes all proposals within the broader field of ethnic and migration studies. The conference language is English.
Keynote speakers:
* Professor Jeffrey Alexander, Yale University, USA
* Dr. Phillip Connor, Pew Research Institute, USA
* Professor Leo Lucassen, Leiden University, the Netherlands
* Professor Carl-Ulrik Schierup, Linköping University, Sweden
* Dr. Marja Tiilikainen, University of Helsinki, Finland
* Dr. Salla Tuori, Ã…bo Akademi University, Finland
Paper submission:
The workshops listed below have been accepted in the conference program. The organizers are now soliciting papers for these workshops. The abstracts describing the contents of each workshop can be found at http://www.etmu.fi/etmudays/nmrc2012/workshops.html.
Changing family formation practices among ethnic minorities in the Nordic countries
Childhood and migration in a Nordic context
Counting immigrant religions
Cultural diversity and education
Democracy, resistance, civil society – New platforms and strategies for democratic transformation
Differential inclusions in the Nordic societies? Feminist postcolonial and critical migration studies perspectives on immigration
Gender, migration and social change
Housing and residential segregation of immigrants
Immigrants’ access to mass media and civil society: Perspectives from the Nordic countries
Immigration and the duty of civility
Integration in the intersection of public school and institutions of civil society: A workshop about migrant children’s integration processes
International students and civil society
Intersections of gender, race and ethnicity: Categorisations and lived experiences
Migrants and ethnic minorities in Nordic labour markets
Migration, religion, social dynamics
Multiculturalism and civic culture
Newcomers’ communities in the history of the Nordic region
Nurturing human capital: The role of higher education institutions redefined
Refugees in the Nordic countries – policy and practice
The role of immigrant organizations in the integration process: Historical perspectives
Transnationalism and diasporas in a Nordic context
What attitudes to scholars from abroad in Nordic Higher Education?
Please submit your paper abstract using the online submission form. Please note than in the submission form you can either select one of the above-mentioned workshops or suggest your own workshop idea. In case no workshop is selected or
suggested, the organizers will group presentations that fit together thematically.
Abstract guidelines:
Save the abstract file in RTF or DOC format, using your last name as the file name
Do not use accented characters like ä, å or ö, etc. in the filename; replace them with a, o, or equivalent
Abstracts should be written and presented in English
The maximum number of words is 150-200 (body text) plus title and affiliations
The maximum size of the uploaded abstract is 1400 kilobytes
In case you have difficulties deciding on the workshop, please choose the option “other†on the workshop session list
The abstracts will be published in the Conference Programme and Abstracts Book.
Deadlines:
The closing date for paper proposals is 15 April 2012. Acceptances of workshop proposals will be announced on 7 May 2012.
Contact:
For more information, please contact Dr. Johanna Leinonen at johlei[at]utu.fi. For any questions regarding registration, payments, or accommodation, please contact the Congress Office at congress[at]utu.fi.
Conference organizers and partners:
ALPO – Developing Integration in Finland (European Social Fund – Ministry of the Interior)
European Migration Network (Finland)
FiDiPro Project Multiculturalism as a New Pathway to Incorporation (University of Turku)
Institute of Migration (Turku)
Network for Research on Multiculturalism and Societal Interaction (MCNet, University of Turku)
Nordic Migration Research (NMR)
Post-Secular Culture and a Changing Religious Landscape (PCCR, Ã…bo Akademi)
Society for the Study of Ethnic Relations and International Migration (ETMU)
Immigration and  Poverty: Economic and Social Connections, Policy Approaches May 17-18, 2012
University of California, Davis
Sponsored by the UC Davis Economy, Justice, and Society Program and the UC Davis Center for Poverty Research
The mobility of people across national boundaries is an exceptional economic force and catalyst for social and cultural change, but it is also a source of significant policy challenges. This interdisciplinary conference brings together scholars studying the connection between migration and the economic development of individuals, markets, and states in both sending and receiving countries.
The first day of the conference will feature cutting-edge research by economists, sociologists, and demographers. The research will address three themes: “International Migration and Global Poverty,” “Immigration, Jobs and Wages,” and “Undocumented Immigrants and Their Assimilation.” The second day of the conference will examine “Immigration Policy: Current Limits and Potential for Reform” with a moderated discussion among immigration experts from the fields of law, economics, and sociology.
Conference admission is free with preregistration. Interested students, faculty, researchers, policy makers, and journalists are invited to attend. For more details and online conference registration, visit the conference website.
Conference: Birthright Citizenship, Univ. of MD
The Center for the History of the New America Announces its Inaugural Conference
Born in the USA: The Politics of Birthright Citizenship in Historical Perspective
March 29 & 30, 2012
University of Maryland at College Park
Co-Sponsors:
Institute for Constitutional History, University of Maryland Office of Equity and Diversity, University of Maryland Office of Undergraduate Studies, & The University of Maryland Law School
Next March, an interdisciplinary group of prominent academics, lawyers, jurists, journalists, and political figures will assemble in College Park for the Center for a New America’s first major conference. Their goal: to place in historical perspective the current debate as to whether the United States ought to reconsider birthright citizenship, which grants automatic citizenship to most persons born on the soil of the United States.
Birthright citizenship is part of the Constitution, having been put there by the Fourteenth Amendment, ratified in 1868. It has given the United States one of the most liberal citizenship regimes in the world, and it has helped to build America’s reputation as a land of immigrants, where anyone can come to seek opportunity, liberty, and equality in a regime of laws that does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, or national origins.
Some who want to eliminate birthright citizenship argue that it has acted as a perverse incentive for immigrants to seek illegal entry to the United States. It permits illegal immigrants to think that they can find a route to permanent residence and security in the United States by giving birth to children on American soil. Their children, who become American citizens upon birth, the argument goes, will “anchor†the illegal parents to America, thus rewarding behavior that ought to be punished.
The state of Arizona is at the forefront of this campaign against birthright citizenship, as it is for other aspects of the campaign against illegal immigrants. In the short term, anti-illegal immigrant forces in the state hope to trigger a legal challenge to a nineteenth-century Supreme Court ruling that declared that a child born to non-citizens on American soil is in fact an American citizen. In the long term these forces hope to stimulate a national campaign to amend the Fourteenth Amendment.
As with many issues regarding immigration, the debate sometimes proceeds with a lot of passion and without a strong knowledge of history. Here are some questions that would benefit from a robust exploration: First, how aware were the framers of the Fourteenth Amendment about the immigration question? To the extent to which they were, what were their thoughts about immigration and birthright citizenship? What do we know of the original intent of the framers of the Fourteenth Amendment’s citizenship clause? Second, why did the Supreme Court in 1898 uphold birthright citizenship for the children of non-citizens? And why in some cases were Native Americans treated differently with regard to birthright citizenship?
Third, how well or how poorly did birthright citizenship work for America, in regards both to legal and illegal immigration, over the course of American history after 1868? On balance, has birthright citizenship been a source of cohesion or discord, of Americanization or cultural balkanization, in American life? Fourth, from the contemporary perspective, what evidence can be marshaled to show that illegal immigrants today are motivated to come by the promise of birthright citizenship for their children? And, finally, what would be the consequences to the Constitution, to personal liberties, and to immigration of a successful effort to remove birthright citizenship from the Fourteenth Amendment?
2011 Pulitzer Prize Winner Eric Foner of Columbia University will open the conference with a keynote address. Other confirmed participants include former Solicitor General of the United States Walter Dellinger; Fourteenth Amendment experts Peter Schuck (Yale Law School), Garrett Epps (University of Baltimore Law School), and Mark Graber (University of Maryland Law School); noted historians Gary Gerstle (Vanderbilt University), David Gutierrez (UCSD), Linda Kerber (University of Iowa), Mae Ngai (Columbia University), and William Novak (University of Michigan School of Law); New York Times journalists Marc Lacey and Nina Bernstein; sociologist Alejandro Portes (Princeton University); and legal scholars Linda Bosniak (Rutgers Law School), Christina Burnett (Columbia Law School), Ayelet Shachar (University of Toronto Law School), and Rebecca Tsosie (Arizona St. Law School). More participants will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
Call for Authors: Multicultural America Encyclopedia
We are inviting academic editorial contributors to Multicultural America: A Multimedia Encyclopedia, a new 4-volume reference to be published in 2013 by SAGE Publications. Click here to download a zip file that contains the complete article list (Excel file), submission guidelines, entry guides, and sample article. The deadline for submissions is August 1, 2012. We hope you will consider participating in this exciting new project.
Multicultural America: A Multimedia Encyclopedia presents state-of-the-art research, ready-to-use facts, and multimedia pedagogy. The approximately 950 signed entries (with cross-references and further readings) will cover issues in historical and contemporary ethnic and multicultural studies.
The print 4 volumes and the online edition with 100 videos will include information relevant to the following academic disciplinary contexts: the demographic and cultural balance of the United States today and tomorrow; arts and media; business and economics; criminal justice; education; family studies; health; immigration; media; military; politics; science and technology; sports; and religion. From A-to-Z, this work covers the spectrum of defining and illuminating multiculturalism. The goals of this encyclopedia are to help readers gain a better understanding of:
The historical development of multicultural America
The contemporary American multicultural mosaic
The possible future trajectories of American multiculturalism
In writing, contributors should consider their entries’ contribution to these three goals. Where appropriate, entries should include data from and references to the 2010 United States census.
This comprehensive project will be marketed to academic and public libraries as a print and digital product available to students via the library’s electronic services. The General Editor, who will be reviewing each submission to the project, is Dr. Carlos E. Cortes, Professor Emeritus of History, University of California, Riverside.
If you are interested in contributing to this cutting-edge reference, it is a unique opportunity to contribute to the contemporary literature, redefining sociological issues in today’s terms. SAGE Publications offers an honorarium ranging from SAGE book credits for smaller articles up to a free set of the printed product for contributions totaling 10,000 words or more.
If you would like to contribute to building a truly outstanding reference with Multicultural America: A Multimedia Encyclopedia, please send me your selections from the list of articles and I will confirm availability.
Thanks very much,
Lisbeth Rogers
Author Manager
multicultural@golsonmedia.com
Call for Submissions: Anti-Racist Classroom Teaching Activities
The editor of a forthcoming book, “Teaching Anti-Racism in Contemporary America,” seeks submissions that describe and analyze classroom activities focused on anti-racist pedagogy for inclusion in the text.
The book includes contributions and essays from a number of scholars, including Joe Feagin, Kathleen Blee, Noel Cazenave, David Pellow, Rose Brewer, and many others. Classroom activity submissions should be of high caliber and engage students to think critically about racial politics in the 21st Century. Questions and contributions should be sent to the editor, Kristin Haltinner, at halt0033@umn.edu.
New York Governor Cuomo invites talented professionals interested in public service to apply to the Empire State Fellows Program. We are writing to ask that you distribute this opportunity widely within your
networks.
The Empire State Fellows Program is a full-time leadership training program that will prepare the next generation of talented professionals for careers as New York State policy-makers. The first class of Empire State Fellows will serve from September 2012 to September 2014. Each Empire State Fellow will receive compensation commensurate with experience plus benefits. At the end of the fellowship, a performance review process will identify fellows that will be given the opportunity to continue to serve as leaders in New York State government after completing the program.
New York Governor Cuomo will appoint each Empire Fellow to work directly with a Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, or other high-level policy maker. Work assignments will offer Fellows unparalleled experience collaborating with senior officials and participating in the policy-making process. While taking part in the work of government, Empire Fellows will participate in educational and professional development programs that will prepare them to confront the increasingly complex policy challenges facing New York State.
Applications for the Empire State Fellows Program must be received no later than June 1, 2012. Additional information about the Empire State Fellows Program is available on our website at www.newnyleaders.com.
My name is Joyce and I’m an Asian-American writer, actress and filmmaker. I’m getting in touch with you today to tell you about my newest feature film.
The film is about an out of work Asian-American actress in New York who runs out of money and moves back in with her parents in the suburbs of Detroit. The town is facing a budget crisis and wants to shut down the community theater. She agrees to direct a production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s opera The Mikado to try and save it. It’s a fun but poignant coming-of-age comedy.
Right now, I’m working on securing funding via the IndieGoGo platform. I would be so grateful if you could consider writing a post about the film, sharing it with your followers, or even donating. I noticed you write often about Asian-American identity and I think we can all agree it’s about time for a film featuring an Asian-American character who isn’t just an ethnic side kick or massage parlor worker.
Any help you can give to this film would be greatly appreciated. I know how busy you are, so thank you for taking the time to read this and for checking out the project.
As always, the start of the new semester has been quite busy and a little hectic. As a result and as my regular readers have probably noticed, I have not been able to write new posts as often as I would like. This spring semester, I am teaching my “Sociology of Immigration” course once again, so below are summaries of some newly-released books and recent news articles related to the issue of immigration to the U.S. As always, a book’s inclusion is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily mean a full endorsement of its contents.
This incisive book provides a succinct overview of the new academic field of citizenship and immigration, as well as presenting a fresh and original argument about changing citizenship in our contemporary human rights era. Instead of being nationally resilient or in “postnational” decline, citizenship in Western states has continued to evolve, converging on a liberal model of inclusive citizenship with diminished rights implications and increasingly universalistic identities.
This convergence is demonstrated through a sustained comparison of developments in North America, Western Europe and Australia. Topics covered in the book include: recent trends in nationality laws; what ethnic diversity does to the welfare state; the decline of multiculturalism accompanied by the continuing rise of antidiscrimination policies; and the new state campaigns to “upgrade” citizenship in the post-2001 period.
To the American public it’s a 2,000-mile-long project to keep illegal immigrants, narcotics, and terrorists on the other side of the U.S.–Mexico border. In the deserts of Arizona, it’s a “virtual fence†of high-tech electronic sensors, cameras, and radar. In some border stretches it’s a huge concrete-and-steel wall; in others it’s a series of solitary posts designed to stop drug runners; in still others it’s rusted barbed-wire cattle fences. For two-thirds of the international boundary it’s nonexistent. Just what is this entity known as “the fence� And more important, is it working?
Through first-person interviews with defense contractors, border residents, American military, Minutemen, county officials, Customs and Border Protection agents, environmental activists, and others whose voices have never been heard, Robert Lee Maril examines the project’s human and financial costs. Along with Maril’s site visits, his rigorous analysis of government documents from 1999 to the present uncovers fiscal mismanagement by Congress, wasteful defense contracts, and unkept political promises. As drug violence mounts in border cities and increasing numbers of illegal migrants die from heat exhaustion in the Arizona desert, Maril argues how the fence may even be making an incendiary situation worse.
Avoiding preconceived conclusions, he proposes new public policies that take into consideration human issues, political negotiation, and the need for compromise. Maril’s lucid study shows the fence to be a symbol in concrete, steel, microchips, and fiber optics for the crucible of contemporary immigration policy, national security, and public safety.
Immigration Nation is a critical analysis of the human rights impact of US immigration policy. In the wake of September 11, 2001, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was created to prevent terrorist attacks. The creation of DHS led to dramatic increases in immigration law enforcement raids, detentions and deportations have increased six-fold in the past decade. Immigration Nation considers the widespread impact of this new enforcement regime.
Immigration Nation explains how immigration policies in the U.S. have had negative consequences for citizens, families and communities. Even though family reunification is officially a core component of U.S. immigration policy, our policies often tear families apart. Despite the perception that immigration policy primarily affects immigrants, it frequently has devastating effects on citizens. The immigration policy debate is nearly always framed in terms of security and economic needs. In contrast, this book addresses the debate with the human rights of migrants and their families at the center of the analyses.
Today’s polarized debates over immigration revolve around a set of one-dimensional characters and unchallenged stereotypes. Yet the resulting policy prescriptions, not least of them Arizona’s draconian new law SB 1070, are dangerously real and profoundly counterproductive. A major new antidote to this trend, Living “Illegal” is an ambitious new account of the least understood and most relevant aspects of the American immigrant experience today. Based on years of research into the lives of ordinary migrants, Living “Illegal” offers richly textured stories of real people—working, building families, and enriching their communities even as the political climate grows more hostile.
Moving far beyond stock images and conventional explanations, Living “Illegal” challenges our assumptions about why immigrants come to the United States, where they settle, and how they have adapted to the often confusing patchwork of local immigration ordinances. This revealing narrative takes us into Southern churches (which have quietly emerged as the only organizations open to migrants), into the fields of Florida, onto the streets of major American cities during the historic immigrant rights marches of 2006, and back and forth across different national boundaries—from Brazil to Mexico and Guatemala.
A deeply humane book, Living “Illegal” will stand as an authoritative new guide to one of the most pressing issues of our time.
Do you have a relative or friend who would gladly wait on you, hand and foot, for a full month after you had a baby? How about someone to deliver a delicious, piping hot home-cooked meal, just like your mother’s, right to your front door after work? Do you know people you’d trust enough to give several hundred dollars a month to, with no receipt, on the simple promise that the accumulated wealth will come back to you a year later?
Not many of us can answer “yes” to these questions. But as award-winning journalist Claudia Kolker has discovered, each of these is one of a wide variety of cherished customs brought to the United States by immigrant groups, often adapted to American life by the second generation in a distinctive blending of old and new. Taken together, these extraordinary traditions may well contribute to what’s known as “the immigrant paradox,” the growing evidence that immigrants, even those from poor or violence-wracked countries, tend to be both physically and mentally healthier than most native-born Americans.
These customs are unfamiliar to most Americans, but they shouldn’t be. Honed over centuries, they provide ingenious solutions to daily challenges most of us face and provide both social support and comfort. They range from Vietnamese money clubs that help people save and Mexican cuarentenas—a forty-day period of rest for new mothers—to Korean afterschools that offer highly effective tutoring at low cost and Jamaican multigenerational households that help younger family members pay for college and, eventually, their own homes.
Fascinated by the success of immigrant friends, Claudia Kolker embarked on a journey to uncover how these customs are being carried on and adapted by the second and third generations, and how they can enrich all of our lives. In a beautifully written narrative, she takes readers into the living rooms, kitchens, and restaurants of immigrant families and neighborhoods all across the country, exploring the sociable street life of Chicago’s “Little Village,” a Mexican enclave with extraordinarily low rates of asthma and heart disease; the focused quiet of Korean afterschool tutoring centers; and the loving, controlled chaos of a Jamaican extended-family home.
She chronicles the quests of young Indian Americans to find spouses with the close guidance of their parents, revealing the benefits of “assisted marriage,” an American adaptation of arranged marriage. And she dives with gusto into some of the customs herself, experimenting to see how we might all fit them into our lives. She shows us the joy, and excitement, of savoring Vietnamese “monthly rice” meals delivered to her front door, hiring a tutor for her two young girls, and finding a powerful sense of community in a money-lending club she started with friends.
The Immigrant Advantage is an adventurous exploration of little-known traditional wisdom, and how in this nation of immigrants our lives can be enriched by the gifts of our newest arrivals.
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick joins his counterparts in New York and Illinois in declining to participate in the controversial federal “Secure Communities” program that critics charge encourage police to round up anyone suspected of being undocumented.
“America’s red and blue states are increasingly going in exactly opposite directions on the issue of illegal immigration – a testament to how difficult finding middle ground has become on the federal level.”
“The extraordinary Mexican migration that delivered millions of illegal immigrants to the United States over the past 30 years has sputtered to a trickle, and research points to a surprising cause: unheralded changes in Mexico that have made staying home more attractive. A growing body of evidence suggests that a mix of developments — expanding economic and educational opportunities, rising border crime and shrinking families — are suppressing illegal traffic as much as economic slowdowns or immigrant crackdowns in the United States.”
“Huge increases in deportations of people after they were arrested for breaking traffic or immigration laws or driving drunk helped the Obama administration set a record last year for the number of criminal immigrants forced to leave the country, documents show. . . . The spike in the numbers of people deported for traffic offenses as well as a 78 percent increase in people deported for immigration-related offenses renewed skepticism about the administration’s claims that it is focusing on the most dangerous criminals.”
As the U.S. and other western countries ramp up their arrest and deportation of suspected undocumented immigration, private security companies are seeing skyrocketing business and profits.
“In a spate of recent cases across the country, American citizens have been confined in local jails after federal immigration agents, acting on flawed information from Department of Homeland Security databases, instructed the police to hold them for investigation and possible deportation. Americans said their vehement protests that they were citizens went unheard by local police officers and jailers for days, with no communication with federal immigration agents to clarify the situation. Any case where an American is held, even briefly, for immigration investigation is a potential wrongful arrest because immigration agents lack legal authority to detain citizens.”
“The U.S. government said Thursday that [Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio] who called himself the toughest sheriff in America ran an office that has committed wide-ranging civil rights violations against Latinos, including a pattern of racial profiling and heavy-handed immigration patrols based on racially charged complaints. The U.S. Justice Department’s expert on measuring racial profiling called it the most egregious case he has seen, the department’s civil rights division chief told reporters.”
“What began as an effort by political opponents to block Alejandrina Cabrera from the ballot for a seat on the City Council has mushroomed into an uncomfortable discussion of just how fluent Arizona officeholders need to be. Like many other states, Arizona has long required politicians at all levels to speak, read and write English, but the law fails to spell out just what that means. Is grade-school knowledge enough? Must one speak flawlessly? Who is to decide?”
Federal prosecutors charge four East Haven CT police officers with systematically harassing, beating, and retaliating against Latinos in their town and people who spoke up for them. East Haven’s Police Chief is eventually forced to resign. When asked how he would support Latinos in his community in lights of these indictments, East Haven Mayor Joseph Maturo Jr. answered, “I might have tacos when I go home.”
Here are some more announcements, links, and job postings about academic-related jobs, fellowships, and other opportunities for those interested in racial/ethnic/diversity issues, with a particular focus on Asian Americans. As always, the announcements and links are provided for informational purposes and do not necessarily imply an endorsement of the organization or college involved.
The Asian Pacific Student Association (APSA) at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) is hosting its 27th Annual Asian Pacific American Awareness Conference at the UCI Student Center on Saturday, January 28, 2012. For over 30 years, APSA has been a progressive voice for Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) students in Orange County and Southern California. Through a commitment to advocacy, education, community outreach, and active political participation, APSA strives toward the establishment of equality in a multicultural society.
The 27th Annual Asian Pacific-Islander American Awareness Conference (APAAC) is a day-long event devoted to addressing the issues and redressing the questions raised in the contemporary society of the United States. This year’s theme is “The Movement: Then and Now.” This year we explore cross-cultural activism, intersections of struggles faced by People of Color, and the need to bring back the foundations of the Asian Pacific-Islander American Movement to address the issues that pervade our communities today.
Information:
The 27th Annual Asian Pacific American Awareness Conference
January 28, 2012
UC Irvine Student Center – University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
Check-In starts at 8:00AM
Highlights:
Keynote Speaker: Glenn Omatsu
Indoor Lunch and Performances
Workshop and Breakout Sessions
West Coast API Student Coalition Kick-It
Performances by Hoodini & KinG!, Beau Sia, Andrew Figueroa Chiang, forWORD, Nghiem Le, Victoria Lee, Jazzmine Farol, and more!
Registration:
Early Registration (until January 23, 2012) – $7
Late/On-site Registration – $10
Special Discounts for delegations of 10 people or more. Contact Elaine Won at apaacuci@gmail.com to arrange a delegation.
Lunch and concert are included in registration.
Register Online Here: registration.apaacuci.org
Social Media:
http://www.facebook.com/events/162734167157786/
apaacuci.org
@apsauci
#APAAC2012
Pre-Doctoral Fellowship: Ithaca College
The School of Humanities and Sciences at Ithaca College announces a Pre-Doctoral Diversity Fellowship for 2012-13. The fellowship supports promising scholars who are committed to diversity in the academy in order to better prepare them for tenure track appointments within liberal arts or comprehensive colleges/universities.
Applications are welcome in the following areas: Anthropology, Art History, Communication Studies, Environmental Studies and Sciences, History, Philosophy and Religion, Psychology, and Sociology. The Center for the Study of Culture, Race and Ethnicity, which houses the African Diaspora Studies and the Latino/a studies minors, also welcomes applications. The School of Humanities and Sciences houses additional interdisciplinary minors that may be of interest to candidates: Jewish Studies, Latin American Studies, Muslim Cultures, Native American Studies, and Women’s Studies.
Fellows who successfully obtain the Ph.D. and show an exemplary record of teaching and scholarship and engagement in academic service throughout their fellowship, may be considered as candidates for tenure-eligible appointments anticipated to begin in the fall of 2013.
Position Responsibilities and Terms of Fellowship: Fellowship is anticipated for the academic year (August 16, 2012 to May 31, 2013) and is non-renewable. The fellow will receive a $30,000 stipend, $3,000 in travel/professional development support, office space, health benefits, and access to Ithaca College and Cornell University libraries. The fellow will teach one course in the fall semester and one course in the spring semester and be invited to speak about her/his dissertation research in relevant classes and at special events at Ithaca College.
Position/Job Responsibilities: Continued enrollment in an accredited program leading to a Ph.D. degree at a U.S. educational institution, evidence of superior academic achievement, and commitment to a career in teaching at the college or university level required. Candidates must also be authorized to work in the United States. Prior to August 15, 2012, the fellow must be advanced to candidacy at his or her home institution with an approved dissertation proposal. Preference will be given to those candidates in the final writing stages of their dissertation.
Position/Job Qualifications: Successful candidates will show evidence of superior academic achievement, a high degree of promise of continuing achievement as scholars and teachers, a capacity to respond in pedagogically productive ways to the learning needs of students from diverse backgrounds, sustained personal engagement with communities that are underrepresented in the academy and an ability to bring this asset to learning, teaching, and scholarship at the college and university level, and a likelihood of using the diversity of human experience as an educational resource in teaching and scholarship.
Instructions for submitting your application: Interested individuals should apply online at www.icjobs.org, and submit a C.V./Resume, a cover letter, two sample syllabi, a list of references and a transcript. Questions about the online application should be directed to the Office of Human Resources at (607)274-8000. Screening of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Quick Link apply.icjobs.org/applicants/Central?quickFind=177781
Call for Participants: HBO 2012 APA Heritage Month Documentary
As mentioned on AngryAsianMan, following up on HBO’s Asian Pacific American Heritage Month documentary series East of Main Street last year, HBO is conducting another search for Asian American participants for their 2012 edition to commemorate APA Heritage Month. This year however, they are looking for children ages 4-10, to interviewed for the project:
Project Description
HBO is seeking Asian American children in the age range of 4-10 to be interviewed for their 2012 installment of their Asian Heritage documentary series, brought to you by the producers and director of HBO’s “East of Main Street” that began in 2010.
If you have ever been around small children, you will know that they have as uncensored a view of life. They are wide-eyed, open, curious, and completely unjaded by life and what is “appropriate.” They have not yet been exposed to the harsh realities of racism, sexism or discrimination.
HBO will interview a cross section of Asian American children ranging in age from 4-10 about everything from their heritage, what being Asian American means, how their grandparents differ, what sets them apart from other kids in their schools, religion, their foods, customs and what their hopes and dreams for the future are. The piece would be filled with humor, sweetness and poignancy and help highlight just how insightful and intelligent children really are.
Submission Info
This year, the production will hit the road and interview children in 3 different cities at the end of February. One city will be New York, while the second will either be Los Angeles or San Francisco. The third city is yet to be determined, and will ideally be less metropolitan, to see a cross section of the Asian American experience.
If you’d like to enter your child as a candidate for the series, please upload a short sample clip of your child to a YouTube or Vimeo link and send it to asianheritage2012@gmail.com with a description of your family’s background as well as the name of the city and state which you currently live.
Deadline for submission is January 31.
Postdoc: Korean Families, Univ. of Illinois
The 5-year Korean Family in Comparative Perspective (KFCP, 2010-present) Laboratory for the Globalization of Korean Studies at the University of Illinois, funded by the Academy of Korean Studies, and housed in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, is pleased to announce its second KFCP Postdoctoral Fellowship starting August 16, 2012. This one-year position, with the possibility of a one-year extension, is open to: (1) recent PhD recipients (within the last 5 years) and (2) those who will deposit their dissertation by August 15, 2012.
The KFCP Laboratory aims to bring the Korean family to the center of comparative East Asian and general family studies, highlighting Korea as a productive comparative case of interest to non-Koreanists across a range of disciplines and scholarly locations. KFCP Fellows must be scholars interested in comparative work on the Korean family. Scholars with primary expertise in the family of other East Asian countries (e.g., China, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan) are particularly welcome to apply. Scholars with primary research emphasis on the Koreas must have a concrete plan to conduct comparative research (i.e., with another country/region). The Postdoctoral Fellowship is open to scholars in any humanities or social science discipline.
The KFCP Laboratory is directed by anthropologist Nancy Abelmann and includes 3 KFCP Laboratory Fellows: Jungwon Kim (EALC and History, University of Illinois), Seung-Kyung Kim (Women’s Studies, University of Maryland), and Hyunjoon Park (Sociology, University of Pennsylvania). The 2011-13 current Postdoctoral Fellow is historian of China, Elizabeth LaCouture (History, Colby College)
The Postdoctoral Fellow will be welcomed to an active Koreanist community at the University of Illinois that includes a biweekly Korea Workshop (that will actively engage the themes of the Laboratory). The KFCP Fellow will be provided the opportunity to participate in organizing a Korean Family Colloquium Series which graduate students will be able to attend for partial credit. The KFCP Laboratory will be guided by a National Advisory Board (See list below). KFCP Laboratory Director, Fellows, and National Board Members will take an active role in nurturing the comparative scholarship of the Postdoctoral Fellow. The Postdoctoral Fellow will also have the opportunity to “workshop” his or her manuscript/s with experts from both on and off campus.
The KFCP Fellow will be paid $40,000 and benefits. To ensure full consideration, all required application materials must be submitted electronically by February 10, 2012 at http://go.illinois.edu/KFCP_Application Referees will be contacted electronically upon submission of the application. Only electronic applications will be accepted. Applications must include:
A cover letter reviewing your research history, including your dissertation and other publications
A statement of interest in the Korean family in comparative perspective, including a publication plan that includes the submission of one article for each postdoctoral year (OR a single- or co-authored book manuscript) (this can be integrated into the cover letter)
A statement of commitment to active participation in KFCP Laboratory events, including the Korean Family Colloquium Series (this can be a simple statement in the cover letter)
One writing sample, 25-40 pages
Contact information for three referees who can speak to your scholarly work and abilities and to the feasibility of your research and publications plans for comparative work on the Korean family. Referees will be contacted electronically and asked to submit their letters
The 5th Annual Mixed Roots Film & Literary Festival takes place:
Sat. June 16, 2012 – Sun. 17, 2012
Japanese American
National Museum
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Now is your chance to submit your film, writing, workshop, or performance proposal.
There is NO submission fee if you submit your work by February 15, 2012! So don’t wait–send us your stories of the Mixed experience NOW! For complete submission information visit the Festival website. You’ll find the submission forms in the brown navigation bar on the home page.
Please tell your friends via tweets; like us on Facebook; post this call to Facebook; post this announcement on your blog; and forward this email to friends, family and coworkers!
Position: Immigration Policy Special Assistant
Special Assistant for Immigration Policy
Reports to: Vice President for Immigration Policy and Advocacy
Department: Domestic Policy
The Center for American Progress has an immediate opening for an Immigration Assistant. The qualified applicant will be a self-starter and a fast learner with strong written and verbal communications, solid research skills, and the ability to juggle multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment. In addition to providing administrative support to the Immigration Team, she/he will help coordinate CAP’s work with key immigrants’ rights organizations and provide assistance in research projects that address gaps in information and data related to immigration.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:
Provide administrative support to the Immigration team
Help coordinate work with key partners
Use available research tools to identify important issues related to immigration
Assist with the development of immigration-related short reports
Requirements:
Excellent written communications skills
Ability to think strategically and to anticipate and orchestrate next steps
Ability to initiate, prioritize, and follow through on plans
Ability to work under pressure/tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment
Ability to initiate projects and balance multiple projects at once
Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work well on a team
Strong attention to detail
Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in social sciences
Familiarity with the issue of immigration a plus
Excellent research and writing skills
Top-notch organizational skills
Commitment to organization’s mission and goals
Proficiency in MS Word, Excel
Nonprofit experience a plus
Familiarity with the Salesforce CRM system a plus
Experience working with 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations a plus
Additional Information
American Progress operates two separate nonprofit organizations to maximize our progressive agenda: The Center for American Progress and the Center for American Progress Action Fund. This job posting refers collectively to the two organizations under the name “American Progress.” The Center for American Progress is a non-partisan 501(c)(3) tax-exempt research and educational institute. It undertakes research, public education and a limited amount of lobbying.
The Center for American Progress Action Fund is a non-partisan 501(c)(4) tax-exempt organization dedicated to achieving progress through action. It works to transform progressive ideas into policy through rapid response communications, legislative action, grassroots organizing, political advocacy, and partnerships with other progressive leaders. The organizations share office space and employees.
American Progress provides a competitive compensation and benefits package. American Progress is an equal opportunity employer; women, minorities, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. To apply, simply e-mail your Word resume and cover letter attachments to: jobs@americanprogress.org.
Or you may write to:
Center for American Progress
1333 H Street, NW, 10th Floor – Domestic Policy Search
Washington, DC 20005
In your correspondence, please reference the exact title of the job you are applying for in the subject line. This announcement will remain posted until the position is filled. No phone calls please. Please note that only those individuals whose qualifications match the current needs of this position will be considered applicants and will receive responses from American Progress.
Are you planning for an exciting summer abroad? Join us to make an impact through our leadership service project.
Mission Southeast Asian Service Leadership Network’s (SEALNet) mission is to bring service and to promote the spirit of service leadership among Southeast Asian communities in the US and abroad. We strive to accomplish this by building and nurturing a community of service leaders who are committed to serve, equipped to lead, enterprising in action, and plugged into a network of like hearted individuals who are passionate about social development.
Brief History
SEALNet was founded at Stanford University in 2004. In 2006, SEALNet became a 501(c)(3) organization with a board of directors which oversees the organization and chapters at various universities. In 2008, SEALNet registered a branch in Singapore as a Company Limited by Guarantee.
Project Vietnam 2012
SEALNet projects normally start recruiting during March. However, Project Vietnam 2012 will recruit early this year. The deadline for the application will be on March 10th.
Project Site: Long Hoa Orphanage, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Expected date: 2 – 3 weeks between August 11th and August 31st
We will cover all food, transportation and boarding. However, you are responsible for your airfares to and from Vietnam.
Project Vietnam 2012 seeks to collaborate with Gentle Fund Organization (GFO) in bringing in a sustainable source of local Vietnamese volunteers to support the development of an orphan-led Scout Club for Long Hoa Orphanage. Founded by GFO on the belief that improving self-esteem of orphaned youths will prove vital for their success in school, character development and career choices, the Scout Club is a place where orphaned youths feel safe, free of stigma, encouraged to serve others, and supported through skills workshops. The SEALNet team hopes to supplement and further support GFO’s endeavor at Long Hoa by training a group of local volunteers, committed and capable, to become the program assistants to the GFO administration of the Scout Club and building partnership between the orphanage with a local university.
Community Challenge: Orphans are a large under-served population in Vietnam. 1.4 million Vietnamese orphans (2009) under 18 years old often live in small unregistered institutions and on the streets. During adolescence, orphans’ need for adult guidance and high self-esteem are not met due to the lack of support programs for this special population and their quiet needs. In Long Hoa Orphanage, Ho Chi Minh City, there is currently a lack of support for adolescent orphans who need meaningful extra-curricular activities to develop themselves at the age of 12-16, when they begin to develop their self-worth, character, social skills and self-motivations. Gentle Fund Organization, which has been running a community Learning Center on the orphanage campus for three years, would like to extend their service to providing some psychosocial support for the orphans of this group age. However, challenges remain as their character development program faces a lack of high-quality manpower support from within the organization, the orphanage and external sources.
For more information about SEALNet, please go to http://www.sealnetonline.org/
For more information about Gentle Fund Organization, please go to http://www.gentlefund.org/en/home.xhtml
For more information about Project Vietnam 2012, please email PV12 Co-Leaders:
Minh Vo: mvo1(at)swarthmore.edu
Phy Tran: tphyntran(at)gmail.com
Summer Internships: Organization of Chinese Americans
The Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA), a national organization dedicated to advancing the political, social, and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans (APAs), is now accepting applications for its 2012 Summer Internship Program.
Celebrating its 23rd year, the OCA Internship Program seeks to cultivate future leadership by providing students from all over the country an opportunity to be involved in the political process through one of the largest national advocacy organization for APAs. The program has successfully led past interns to become more actively involved in their college campuses and joined the growing movement of APA leadership at the cross section of government, nonprofits, and business.
“As one of OCA’s prestigious programs, the Summer Internship is truly a unique experience. It exposes students to issues affecting the APA community while gaining valuable working experience in the heart of Washington DC,” said Tom Hayashi, Interim Executive Director of OCA.
Participants of this program will be placed in a paid internship in a federal agency, nonprofit, congressional offices, and corporations that matches their backgrounds and interests—including some placements at the OCA National Center. In addition to their work assignments, summer interns will be heavily involved in variety of activities and programming including direct advocacy for critical issues faced by APAs on the Hill.
In addition to connecting interns with the APA community and developing their leadership skills, summer interns are invited to take part in the OCA National Convention. This year’s National Convention will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada from August 2 – 5 at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino. The Convention will feature inspirational speakers, thrilling entertainment, numerous workshops, and our signature gala to celebrate the impactful and pioneering achievements of community leaders.
Interns are expected to commit to working full-time for ten weeks between the dates of May 28 – August 17, 2012. (Participation in the National Convention is mandatory and applicants are strongly encouraged to make sure they are able to attend.) Applications will be reviewed by the Internship Committee and a telephone interview will be scheduled for qualified applicants.
For more information on the OCA Summer Internship and to apply, go to OCA’s website and click “Internship” under “Programs.” You can also click here to go directly to the online application form. Applications and all materials need to be submitted by March 12, 2012.
Please contact the OCA National Center at 202.223.5500 or email Mary Dynne Montante at mmontante@ocanational.org if you have any questions. Your journey towards empowerment and fulfillment for your personal best starts with the OCA Summer Internship…apply today!
We serve as co-chairs of the Race/Ethnicity section for the Social Science History Association (SSHA). The meeting is scheduled to take place in Vancouver, Canada, November 1-4, 2012. Our theme this year is “Histories of Capitalism.”
Our main goal is to structure sessions so that they explicitly draw on an interdisciplinary group of scholars who hail from different institutions. The deadline for submission of abstracts is March 1 2011. Note, all SSHA requires at this point is an abstract. We are hoping to put together a number of sessions related to the conference site that were discussed at the planning meeting:
Indigenous Communities, Land Rights and Natural Resources
The Rise and Decline of Multiculturalism and/or Cosmopolitanism
Race and Collective Violence
Anti-Asian Discrimination and Asian Integration on the West Coast
The Underground Railroad
Racialized Immigration Policy
Bilingualism and Racialized Language Struggles
Conflicts and Contradictions in Anglo-French Conceptions of Race
Multiracial Identities and Racial Boundaries in Historical Perspective
Legacies of Slavery and Colonialism in Contemporary America
Race and Capitalism
Race and Eugenics
You are welcome to submit papers regarding any of these topics, or on a topic relating to your own research. If you are interested in putting together an entire session, let us know and we would be happy to provide you with details as to how to do this. Feel free to forward this call widely, particularly to graduate students (there is funding available for graduate students to travel to the conference).
We also had three wonderful Author Meets Critics panels at the 2011 session and are looking to “recreate the magic” this year in Vancouver. So if you have read any great books that you would like to seen discussed and meet the author, please let us know. Or if you would just like to volunteer to be a critic for books to be decided within the next month, please let us know.
Finally, please feel free to check our Facebook page, which you can find by searching for “Race/Ethnicity Network – Social Science History Association.” If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to contact us via email: mfweiner@holycross.edu or e-onasch@u.northwestern.edu
Election Day Officers Needed Throughout Boston for 2012 Election Cycle
Have you ever gone to vote and thought that you might enjoy being an Election Officer “someday,” or have you thought that the poll workers at your precinct are a great group, and you would love to have the opportunity to work with them? The City of Boston Election Department is seeking to expand its pool of available election officers for the 2012 Election cycle, beginning with the March 6 Presidential Primary.
There are a number of openings for Election Day Officers throughout the City. Poll workers in particular are needed in East Boston, Charlestown, South Boston, the North End, and Allston-Brighton. While there is a particular need for bilingual workers, there are also available opportunities for other positions as well. From Wardens, who are responsible for the smooth operations of their polling locations, to Clerks, who oversee the checking in of voters, and keep written records of the day’s events, to Inspectors who direct and assist voters; the need for talented workers exists at all levels.
Requirements include the ability to follow directions precisely, attentiveness to detail, a strong commitment to fairness and impartiality, and a desire to serve. Election Officers must be registered voters in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and can come from any city or town. Ideally, potential candidates should have a strong voter history as well. Election Officers work from 6AM-9PM, which includes an hour before and an hour after the polls are open for voters. In some cases there is an allowance for part-time shifts, although a shift must be at least six (6) hours long. Attendance to one of our paid training sessions is mandatory.
For more information, or to download a poll worker application, please visit the Boston Election Department’s website www.cityofboston.gov/elections or call 617-635-4491.
First off, Happy New year to everyone. Hopefully 2012 will bring you and your loved ones — and humanity in general — a little more peace, prosperity, and harmony. With that theme in mind, the following new books highlight some possible ways that racial/ethnic relations in the U.S. are headed in the new year and the near future. As always, a book’s inclusion is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily mean a full endorsement of its contents.
From a venerated and bestselling voice on American life comes a contemporary look at the decline of black rage; the demise of white guilt; and the intergenerational shifts in how blacks and whites view, and interact with, each other.
In the heady aftermath of President Obama’s election, conventional wisdom suggested that the bitter, angry, and destructive elements of discrimination were ebbing at last and America was becoming a postracial nation. But with this dawning age that promised so much came shifting demographics and a newfound seat of rage in the polarizing Tea Party movement, even as black optimism gained ground, giving rise to questions about assumed truths concerning race in America.
Combining the talents earned from a lifetime in journalism with the insights and thoughtfulness of a close observer of the American experience, renowned author Ellis Cose offers a fresh, original appraisal of our nation at this extraordinary time, tracking the diminishment of black anger and investigating the “generational shifting of the American mind.”
Weaving material from myriad interviews as well as two large and ambitious surveys that he conducted—one of black Harvard MBAs and the other of graduates of A Better Chance, a program offering elite educational opportunities to thousands of young people of color since 1963—Cose offers an invaluable portrait of contemporary America that attempts to make sense of what a people do when the dream, for some, is finally within reach as one historical era ends and another begins.
In short, The End of Anger is not just about blacks but about America—its past and its hoped-for future—and may well be the most important book dealing with race to be published in recent decades.
New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles have long been shaped by immigration. These gateway cities have traditionally been assumed to be the major flashpoints in American debates over immigration policy—but the reality on the ground is proving different. Since the 1980s, new immigrants have increasingly settled in rural and suburban areas, particularly within the South. Couple this demographic change with an increase in unauthorized immigrants, and the rural South, once perhaps the most culturally and racially “settled” part of the country, now offers a window into the changing dynamics of immigration and, more generally, the changing face of America.
New Destination Dreaming explores how the rural context impacts the immigrant experience, how rapid Hispanic immigration influences southern race relations, and how institutions like schools and law enforcement agencies deal with unauthorized residents. Though the South is assumed to be an economically depressed region, low-wage food processing jobs are offering Hispanic newcomers the opportunity to carve out a living and join the rural working class, though this is not without its problems. Inattention from politicians to this growing population and rising black-brown tensions are both factors in contemporary rural southern life.
Ultimately, Marrow presents a cautiously optimistic view of Hispanic newcomers’ opportunities for upward mobility in the rural South, while underscoring the threat of anti-immigrant sentiment and restrictive policymaking that has gripped the region in recent years. Lack of citizenship and legal status still threatens many Hispanic newcomers’ opportunities. This book uncovers what more we can do to ensure that America’s newest residents become productive and integrated members of rural southern society rather than a newly excluded underclass.
From Alaska to Florida, millions of immigrants and their supporters took to the streets across the United States to rally for immigrant rights in the spring of 2006. The scope and size of their protests, rallies, and boycotts made these the most significant events of political activism in the United States since the 1960s. This accessibly written volume offers the first comprehensive analysis of this historic moment.
Perfect for students and general readers, its essays, written by a multidisciplinary group of scholars and grassroots organizers, trace the evolution and legacy of the 2006 protest movement in engaging, theoretically informed discussions. The contributors cover topics including unions, churches, the media, immigrant organizations, and immigrant politics. Today, one in eight U.S. residents was born outside the country, but for many, lack of citizenship makes political voice through the ballot box impossible. This book helps us better understand how immigrants are making their voices heard in other ways.
Although it is one of the least-known social movements of the 1960s and 1970s, the Asian American movement drew upon some of the most powerful currents of the era, and had a wide-ranging impact on the political landscape of Asian America, and more generally, the United States. Using the racial discourse of the black power and other movements, as well as antiwar activist and the global decolonization movements, the Asian American movement succeeded in creating a multi-ethnic alliance of Asians in the United States and gave them a voice in their own destinies.
Rethinking the Asian American Movement provides a short, accessible overview of this important social and political movement, highlighting key events and key figures, the movement’s strengths and weaknesses, how it intersected with other social and political movements of the time, and its lasting effect on the country. It is perfect for anyone wanting to obtain an introduction to the Asian American movement of the twentieth century.
Asian Americans are the most heavily immigrant population and their numbers are steadily rising from less than a million in 1960 to more than 15 million today. They are also a remarkably diverse population representing a vast array of ethnic groups, religions, and languages and they enjoy higher levels of education and income than any other U.S. racial group. Historically, socioeconomic status has been a reliable predictor of political behavior.
So why has this fast-growing American population, which is doing so well economically, been so overlooked the U.S. political system? Asian American Political Participation is the most comprehensive study to date of Asian American political behavior, including such key measures as voting, political donations, community organizing, and political protests. The book examines why some groups participate while others do not, why certain civic activities are deemed preferable to others, and why Asian socioeconomic advantage has so far not led to increased political clout.
Asian American Political Participation is based on data from the authors groundbreaking 2008 National Asian American Survey of more than 5,000 Chinese, Indian, Vietnamese, Korean, Filipino, and Japanese Americans. The book shows that the motivations for and impediments to political participation are as diverse as the Asian American population. For example, native-born Asians have higher rates of political participation than their immigrant counterparts, particularly recent adult arrivals who were socialized outside of the United States. Protest activity is the exception, which tends to be higher among immigrants who maintain connections abroad and who engaged in such activity in their country of origin.
Surprisingly, factors such as living in a new immigrant destination or in a city with an Asian American elected official do not seem to motivate political behavior neither does ethnic group solidarity. Instead, hate crimes and racial victimization are the factors that most motivate Asian Americans to participate politically. Involvement in non-political activities such as civic and religious groups also bolsters political participation. Even among Asian groups, socioeconomic advantage does not necessarily translate into high levels of political participation. Chinese Americans, for example, have significantly higher levels of educational attainment than Japanese Americans, but Japanese Americans are far more likely to vote and make political contributions. And Vietnamese Americans, with the lowest levels of education and income, vote and engage in protest politics more than any other group.
Lawmakers tend to favor the interests of groups who actively engage the political system, and groups who do not participate at high levels are likely to suffer political consequences in the future. Asian American Political Participation demonstrates that understanding Asian political behavior today can have significant repercussions for Asian American political influence tomorrow.
The American racial order–the beliefs, institutions, and practices that organize relationships among the nation’s races and ethnicities–is undergoing its greatest transformation since the 1960s. Creating a New Racial Order takes a groundbreaking look at the reasons behind this dramatic change, and considers how different groups of Americans are being affected. Through revealing narrative and striking research, the authors show that the personal and political choices of Americans will be critical to how, and how much, racial hierarchy is redefined in decades to come.
The authors outline the components that make up a racial order and examine the specific mechanisms influencing group dynamics in the United States: immigration, multiracialism, genomic science, and generational change. Cumulatively, these mechanisms increase heterogeneity within each racial or ethnic group, and decrease the distance separating groups from each other. The authors show that individuals are moving across group boundaries, that genomic science is challenging the whole concept of race, and that economic variation within groups is increasing.
Above all, young adults understand and practice race differently from their elders: their formative memories are 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and Obama’s election–not civil rights marches, riots, or the early stages of immigration. Blockages could stymie or distort these changes, however, so the authors point to essential policy and political choices.
Portraying a vision, not of a postracial America, but of a different racial America, Creating a New Racial Order examines how the structures of race and ethnicity are altering a nation.
The following is a list of recent academic journal articles and doctoral dissertations from scholars in the social sciences and humanities that focus on race/ethnicity and/or immigration, with a particular emphasis on Asian Americans. The academic journal articles are generally available in the libraries of most colleges and universities and/or through online research databases. As always, works included in this list are for informational purposes only and do not imply an endorsement of their contents.
The latest issue of the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies focuses on issues and dynamics of racial/ethnic diversity and multiculturalism in East Asian countries. As I’m sure you know, countries such as Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan tend to be rather racially/ethnically/culturally homogeneous. At the same, as a reflection of the ongoing evolution of globalization around the world, these societies have also become more multicultural in recent decades. In recognition of this, these articles looks at the political, economic, and cultural consequences of such societal changes.
Salazar Parreñas, Rhacel and Joon K. Kim. 2011. “Multicultural East Asia: An Introduction.” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 37:10:1555-1561.
Abstract: This introduction to the special issue of JEMS on multicultural East Asia underscores the nexus between national identity and multiculturalism in Korea, Japan and Taiwan. Demographic and structural changes are assumed to serve as levers of change toward multiculturalism. However, the articles in this issue demonstrate the cultural and social challenges engendered by multiculturalism, and the salience of race, gender, ethnicity and class in the structuring of immigration policies and the social integration of international migrants.
Kim, Hyuk-Rae and Ingyu Oh. 2011. “Migration and Multicultural Contention in East Asia.” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 37:10:1563-1581.
Abstract: Japan, Korea and Taiwan have experienced rapid and dramatic demographic changes during the last three decades. In all three countries, changes of fertility decline, aging and sex imbalances preceded massive increases in international marriages and labor migration. In this article, we analyze how these demographic and social transformations affect policies of migration and integration in this region. Demographics are changing with the integration of foreign brides and professional migrants and with declining fertility rates. Despite this, the magnitude and speed of change within the policy provisions for migration and integration are still very limited and slow—Japan, Korea and Taiwan, for instance, all maintain ‘assimilationist’ or ‘passive multicultural’ migration and integration policies.
Kim, Joon. 2011. “The Politics of Culture in Multicultural Korea.” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 37:10:1583-1604.
Abstract: The South Korean government has demonstrated a strong commitment towards the social integration of international brides and the children of mixed ethnic heritage by establishing 100 ‘multicultural family support centres’ throughout the country. Given its record of opposing the long-term settlement of foreigners in Korea, this recent government announcement signals a very significant change in its policies concerning international migrants. Consequently, the proliferation of migrant support programs bearing the title ‘multiculturalism’ unwittingly suggests that Korean society is receptive toward the internationalization of families.
In this article I show that the establishment of these support centers represents a governmental response to the accumulated societal pressure from below that sought to improve the precarious social conditions of international migrants and to embrace multiculturalism as an inevitable, but positive, social force. Despite their impressive scope and resource allocation, the contents and approaches of the newly emerging multicultural programs reproduce, rather than minimize, the cultural hierarchy between Koreans and non-Koreans. I utilize the concepts of ‘cultural paternalism’ and ‘cultural fetishism’ in order to capture the manner in which the dominant members of Korean society define the terms of and approaches to dealing with cultural diversity, reduce the complex issues of social equality to cultural differences, and treat culture as a fetish by uniformly emphasizing the expressive dimensions of culture.
Ishiwata, Eric. 2011. “‘Probably Impossible’: Multiculturalism and Pluralisation in Present-Day Japan.” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 37:10:1605-1626.
Abstract: This article offers a critical engagement with multiculturalism and pluralisation in Japan. While recent efforts to introduce multicultural policies such as ‘domestic internationalisation’ policies and the textbook reform movement are encouraging, I suggest that they are limited as they fail to address notions of exclusivity—those founded on the ideology of nihonjinron—that shape Japanese identity. Moreover, mere recognition of minority populations works to entrench rather than undermine ethno-cultural hierarchies. That is, if official engagements with the ethno-cultural ‘Other’ simply reinscribe notions of exclusivity, exceptionality and even superiority, the hierarchalised distinctions drawn between inside/outside and ‘Japanese’/foreigner will continue to persist and minority populations will be relegated permanently to a second-class citizenry.
Therefore, this contribution turns to the recently opened Kyushu National Museum as a means of addressing multiculturalism and pluralisation in Japan. Themed ‘Ocean Ways, Asian Paths’, the Kyushu National Museum is actually a transnational museum as it focuses not on artefacts specific to Japanese identity, but instead on the variegated ways in which Japan is inextricably connected with and indebted to its Asian neighbours. Thus, by exhibiting the miscegenated character of Japan’s national origins, the Kyushu National Museum stands as a concrete example whereby notions of exclusivity are refashioned into a more accommodating, and perhaps ethical, engagement with alterity.
Cheng, Sealing. 2011. “Sexual Protection, Citizenship and Nationhood: Prostituted Women and Migrant Wives in South Korea.” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 37:10:1627-1648.
Abstract: This article examines the making of two distinct groups of women—‘prostituted women’ and migrant wives—into citizen-subjects in South Korea at the turn of the twenty-first century. Though the lives of these women barely intersect, they become visible in the public sphere as victims of sexual violence and therefore in urgent need of state protection. Defined as such, prostitutes and migrant wives come under the gaze of the state and civil society through anti-prostitution policy and multiculturalism policy respectively.
I suggest that, through the language of protection, the South Korean state and civil society seek to redefine moral order and national borders through the regulation of a woman’s body and sexuality. For prostituted women, leaving prostitution restores them to the embrace of the nation as good Korean daughters. For immigrant wives, reproduction is their gendered path to citizenship as good Korean mothers. Through an analysis of the gender ideals reproduced in these policies, and their repercussions on the lives of women, I tease out the gendering of citizenship and nationhood and its tensions with the universalist ideals of gender equality and human rights in the modernising project in South Korea.
Kim, Denis. 2011. “Catalysers in the Promotion of Migrants’ Rights: Church-Based NGOs in South Korea.” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 37:10:1649-1667.
Abstract: The scholarship on Korean migration indicates that pro-immigrant NGOs are significant social actors who have influenced the formation and transformation of Korean immigration policy. Nevertheless, it has neglected the conspicuous impact of both church-based NGOs and the leadership of activist-clergy upon the promotion of immigrant rights and status. This article explores the origins of advocacy, its contribution and the unintended consequences. It argues that both the transnational characteristics of the church and the historical experience of church-based activism for democratisation have stimulated activist-clergy into spearheading the immigrant advocacy effort. Korea offers an exemplary case in which transnational religion has played a profound role in enhancing the social and political inclusion of immigrants.
Lan, Pei-Chia. 2011. “White Privilege, Language Capital and Cultural Ghettoisation: Western High-Skilled Migrants in Taiwan.” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 37:10:1669-1693.
Abstract: Drawing on the case of Taiwan, this article looks at high-skilled migration from the West to Asia. I explore how Western high-skilled migrants exert agency to negotiate their positions as non-citizens, privileged others and professional workers. I have coined the term ‘flexible cultural capital conversion’ to describe how English-speaking Westerners convert their native-language skills, as a form of global linguistic capital, into economic, social and symbolic capitals.
Their privileged positions are nevertheless mediated and constrained by their class, nationality, race/ethnicity and gender. In the global context, whiteness is marked as a visible identity and the ‘superior other’. Such cultural essentialism functions as a double-edged sword that places white foreigners in privileged yet segregated job niches. Their flexibility in capital conversion and transnational mobility is territory-bound. Many experience the predicament of ‘cultural ghettoisation’ in the global South, and they often face grim job prospects on returning home to the North.
The following is a list of recent academic journal articles and doctoral dissertations from scholars in the social sciences and humanities that focus on race/ethnicity and/or immigration, with a particular emphasis on Asian Americans. As you can see, the diversity of research topics is a direct reflection of the dynamic and multidimensional nature of people’s lives, experiences, and issues related to race/ethnicity and immigration.
The academic journal articles are generally available in the libraries of most colleges and universities and/or through online research databases. As always, works included in this list are for informational purposes only and do not imply an endorsement of their contents.
Schlund-Vials, Cathy J. 2011. “Re-Seeing Race in a Post-Obama age: Asian American Studies, Comparative Ethnic Studies, and Intersectional Pedagogies.” New Directions for Teaching & Learning 125:101-109.
Abstract: Focused on comparative ethnic studies and intersectionality, the author commences with a discussion about Barack Obama’s historic inauguration and the Asian American literature classroom. Such historical and educational frames foreground a deeper discussion about the possibilities and challenges associated with cross-cultural, cross-racial pedagogies within Asian American studies and ethnic studies.
DuongTran, Paul. 2011. “Coping Resources among Southeast Asian-American Adolescents.” Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment 21(2):196-208.
Abstract: This study examines the relationships of gender and ethnic differences in the experiences of stressful life events, coping-specific responses, and self-reported depression. Seventy high-school aged respondents, 40 boys and 30 girls, responded to a self-reported questionnaire that asked questions on the perceived distress of related life events (i.e., person, family, peer, acculturation events), coping-specific responses, and depression. The findings provide important data on gender and ethnic variations in the ways Southeast Asian-American adolescents deal with life stress and depression. These findings have important implications for social work practice and future research on the psychosocial adjustment with both immigrant and ethnic children and adolescents.
Borrero, Noah E. and Christine J. Yeh. 2011. “The Multidimensionality of Ethnic Identity Among Urban High School Youth.” Identity: An International Journal of Theory and Research 11(2):114-135.
Abstract: This study was designed to explore the associations of ethnic identity dimensions with collective self-esteem membership, school interest, student interest in learning, and community engagement among 406 ethnically diverse (Asian American, Black, Latino, Pacific Islander, and multiracial) high school students. Using the Ethnic Identity Scale, this article presents the relationships between school and community variables with students’ perceptions of ethnic identity exploration, resolution, and affirmation.
Correlational analyses and post hoc t tests using Steiger’s modified z statistic show strong positive correlations between most school and community variables and students’ ethnic identity exploration and resolution. They also reveal a strong negative correlation between students’ school interest and ethnic identity affirmation. Results are discussed in terms of the emergent distinctions between student interest in learning and school interest as they relate to ethnic identity dimensions and collective self-esteem membership.
Okamura, Jonathan Y. 2011. “Barack Obama as the Post-Racial Candidate for a Post-Racial America: Perspectives from Asian America and Hawai’i.” Patterns of Prejudice 45(1 & 2):133-153.
Abstract: Okamura reviews the 2008 US presidential campaign and the election of Barack Obama as a ‘post-racial candidate’ in terms of two different meanings of ‘post-racialism’, namely, colour blindness and multiculturalism. He also discusses his campaign and election from the perspective of Asian America and Hawai’i given that Obama has been claimed as ‘the first Asian American president’ and as a ‘local’ person from Hawai’i where he was born and spent most of his youth.
In both cases, Obama has been accorded these racialized identities primarily because of particular cultural values he espouses and cultural practices he engages in that facilitate his seeming transcendence of racial boundaries and categories generally demarcated by phenotype and ancestry. Okamura contends that proclaiming Obama as an honorary Asian American and as a local from Hawai’i inadvertently lends support to the post-racial America thesis and its false assertion of the declining significance of race: first, by reinforcing the ‘model minority’ stereotype of Asian Americans and, second, by affirming the widespread view of Hawai’i as a model of multiculturalism.
Shin, Hyoung-jin. 2011. “Intermarriage Patterns among the Children of Hispanic Immigrants.” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 37(9):1385-1402.
Abstract: Utilizing data from the 2005–07 American Community Survey Public Use Micro Sample (ACS-PUMS), this study investigates the intermarriage patterns of Mexican, Cuban and Dominican Americans who were born in the United States or came to the country as immigrant children. Using intermarriage patterns as an indicator of social relations, I examine how cultural and structural assimilation factors affect the marital assimilation process among the children of Hispanic immigrants.
One of the major contributions of this study is the examination of diversity within the US census categorization of ‘Hispanic’. Results from multinomial logistic regression analyses suggest that the marital assimilation process of Mexicans, Cubans and Dominicans varies across and within the groups according to their different individual characteristics and metropolitan context. My study is novel because it recognizes that broad-sweep analyses of intermarriage patterns are overly simplistic renderings of racial/ethnic assimilation because they fail to reveal distinctive and noteworthy within-group diversity.
Jain, Sonali. 2011. “The Rights of ‘Return’: Ethnic Identities in the Workplace among Second-Generation Indian-American Professionals in the Parental Homeland.” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 37(9):1313-1330.
Abstract: This article explores the salience of ethnicity for second-generation Indian-American professionals who ‘return’ from the US to their parental homeland, India. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 48 second-generation Indian-Americans in India, it examines when and how they adopt ethnic identities in the workplace. My findings suggest that, bolstered by their transnational experiences and backgrounds, returnees construct ethnic identities and utilize ethnic options that reflect the cultural and economic environments of their adopted homeland.
At the same time, and often contemporaneously, work relationships, experiences and personal interactions with those they encounter in the parental homeland factor into their transnational identity constructions. Also proposed is a preliminary framework within which to explore the conditions that facilitate the construction and assertion of returnees’ ethnic identities in the workplace in India.
The following new books highlight the different dimensions of globalized and transnational connections between Asia and Asian American as reflected in empirical, cultural, and literature studies of diasporas, communities, and ethnic enclaves within the U.S. and their relationship back to Asia and the rest of the world. As always, a book’s inclusion is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily mean a full endorsement of its contents.
In the United States, perhaps no minority group is considered as “model” or successful as the Asian American community. Rather than living in ominous “ghettoes,” Asian Americans are described as residing in positive-sounding “ethnic enclaves.” Writing the Ghetto helps clarify the hidden or unspoken class inequalities faced by Asian Americans, while insightfully analyzing the effect such notions have had on their literary voices.
Yoonmee Chang examines the class structure of Chinatowns, Koreatowns, Little Tokyos, and Little Indias, arguing that ghettoization in these spaces is disguised. She maintains that Asian American literature both contributes to and challenges this masking through its marginalization by what she calls the “ethnographic imperative.” Chang discusses texts from the late nineteenth century to the present, including those of Sui Sin Far, Winnifred Eaton, Monica Sone, Fae Myenne Ng, Chang-rae Lee, S. Mitra Kalita, and Nam Le. These texts are situated in the contexts of the Chinese Exclusion Era, Japanese American internment during World War II, the globalization of Chinatown in the late twentieth century, the Vietnam War, the 1992 Los Angeles riots, and the contemporary emergence of the “ethnoburb.”
Combining critical dance history and ethnography to look at issues of immigration, citizenship, and ethnic identity, Priya Srinivasan’s groundbreaking book Sweating Saris considers Indian dance in the diaspora as a form of embodied, gendered labour. Chronicling the social, cultural, and political relevance of the dancers’ experiences, she raises questions of class, cultural nationalism, and Orientalism. Srinivasan presents stories of female (and male) Indian dancers who were brought to the United States between the 1880s and early 1900s to perform.
She argues that mastery of traditional Indian dance is intended to socialize young women into their role as proper Indian American women in the twenty-first century. The saris and bells that are intrinsic to the shaping of female Indian American gender identity also are produced by labouring bodies, which sweat from the physical labour of the dance and thus signifies both the material realities of the dancing body and the abstract aesthetic labour.
Srinivasan merges ethnography, history, critical race theory, performance and post-colonial studies among other disciplines to investigate the embodied experience of Indian dance. The dancers’ sweat stained and soaked saris, the aching limbs are emblematic of global circulations of labor, bodies, capital, and industrial goods. Thus the sweating sari of the dancer stands in for her unrecognized labor.
Srinivasan shifts away from the usual emphasis on Indian women dancers as culture bearers of the Indian nation. She asks us to reframe the movements of late nineteenth century transnational Nautch Indian dancers to the foremother of modern dance Ruth St. Denis in the early twentieth century to contemporary teenage dancers in Southern California, proposing a transformative theory of dance, gendered-labor, and citizenship that is far-reaching.
As Adam M. McKeown demonstrates, the push for increased border control and identity documentation is the continuation of more than 150 years of globalization. Not only are modern passports and national borders inseparable from the rise of global mobility, but they are also tied to the emergence of individuals and nations as the primary sites of global power and identity.
McKeown’s detailed history traces how, rather than being a legacy of “traditional” forms of sovereignty, practices of border control historically rose from attempts to control Asian migration around the Pacific in the 1880s. New policies to control mobility had to be justified in the context of contemporary liberal ideas of freedom and mobility, generating principles that are taken for granted today, such as the belief that migration control is a sovereign right of receiving nations and that it should occur at a country’s borders.
McKeown shows how the enforcement of these border controls required migrants to be extracted from social networks of identity and reconstructed as isolated individuals within centralized filing systems. Methods for excluding Asians from full participation in the “family of civilized nations” are now the norm between all nations. These practices also helped institutionalize global cultural and economic divisions, such as East/West and First and Third World designations, which continue to shape our understanding.
Over three decades have passed since the first wave of Indochinese refugees left their homelands. These refugees, mainly the Vietnamese, fled from war and strife in search of a better life elsewhere. By investigating the Vietnamese diaspora in Asia, this book sheds new light on the Asian refugee era (1975-1991), refugee settlement and different patterns of host-guest interactions that will have implications for refugee studies elsewhere. The book provides:
A clearer historical understanding of the group dynamics among refugees – the ethnic Chinese ‘Vietnamese refugees’ from both the North and South as well as the northern ‘Vietnamese refugees’
An examination of different aspects of migration including: planning for migration, choices of migration route, and reasons for migration
An analysis of the ethnic and refugee politics during the refugee era, the settlement and subsequent resettlement
This book will be of interest to students and scholars of globalization, migration, ethnicities, refugee histories and politics.
This collection examines the exchange of Asian identities taking place at the levels of both film production and film reception amongst pan-Pacific cinemas. The authors consider, on the one hand, texts that exhibit what Mette Hjort refers to as, “marked transnationality,” and on the other, the polysemic nature of transnational film texts by examining the release and reception of these films.
The topics explored in this collection include the innovation of Hollywood generic formulas into 1950’s and 1960’s Hong Kong and Japanese films; the examination of Thai and Japanese raced and gendered identity in Asian and American films; the reception of Hollywood films in pre-1949 China and millennial Japan; the production and performance of Asian adoptee identity and subjectivity; the political implications and interpretations of migrating Chinese female stars; and the production and reception of pan-Pacific co-productions.
Exploring how each Chinatown is different; Benton explains how a unique culture developed and outlines their basic cultural, social, and political features. He highlights the unique features of the different Chinatowns surveyed. For instance, in Paris, there is a Chinatown populated primarily by Chinese who are the descendants of Chinese migrants to Southeast Asia (a former French colony).
In the United States, the cloistered nature of Chinatowns stemmed from institutionalized racism. And in Australia, weaker taboos against interracial sex led to more open enclaves. Everywhere, though, Chinatowns have been stereotyped as places of exoticism and corruption, and to this day are frequently viewed through an Orientalist gaze. In this truly unique book, Gregor Benton applies his vast knowledge to cover all of these features.
The following is a list of recent academic journal articles and doctoral dissertations from scholars in the social sciences and humanities that focus on race/ethnicity and/or immigration, with a particular emphasis on Asian Americans. As you can see, the diversity of research topics is a direct reflection of the dynamic and multidimensional nature of people’s lives, experiences, and issues related to race/ethnicity and immigration.
The academic journal articles are generally available in the libraries of most colleges and universities and/or through online research databases. As always, works included in this list are for informational purposes only and do not imply an endorsement of their contents.
Eckstein, Susan, and Thanh-Nghi Nguyen. 2011. “The Making and Transnationalization of an Ethnic Niche: Vietnamese Manicurists.” International Migration Review 45(3):639-674.
Abstract: The article addresses how Vietnamese immigrant women developed an urban employment niche in the beauty industry, in manicuring. They are shown to have done so by creating a market for professional nail care, through the transformation of nailwork into what might be called McNails, entailing inexpensive, walk-in, impersonal service, in stand-alone salons, nationwide, and by making manicures and pedicures de riguer across class and racial strata.
Vietnamese are shown to have simultaneously gained access to institutional means to surmount professional manicure credentializing barriers, and to have developed formal and informal ethnic networks that fueled their growing monopolization of jobs in the sector, to the exclusion of non-Vietnamese. The article also elucidates conditions contributing to the Vietnamese build-up and transformation of the niche, to the nation-wide formation of the niche and, most recently, to the transnationalization of the niche. It also extrapolates from the Vietnamese manicure experience propositions concerning the development, expansion, maintenance, and transnationalization of immigrant-formed labor market niches.
Cort, David. 2011. “Reexamining the Ethnic Hierarchy of Locational Attainment: Evidence from Los Angeles.” Social Science Research 40(6):1521-1533.
Abstract: Because of a lack of data, the locational attainment literature has not incorporated documentation status into models examining group differences in neighborhood quality. I fill this void by using the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Survey, which permits the identification of undocumented respondents, allowing a reexamination of the ethnic structure of locational attainment in this important immigrant-receiving city.
Results first suggest that while undocumented Latinos live in the poorest quality communities, blacks live in neighborhoods that are similar to native-born Latinos and better than foreign-born Asians and Latinos. Second, the effects of education are strongest for blacks, allowing the highly educated an opportunity to reside in communities that are of better quality than educated Latinos and Asians.
Thus, undocumented Latinos replace blacks at the bottom of the locational attainment hierarchy, allowing educated blacks in Los Angeles to reside in better neighborhoods than blacks in the nation at large.
Emeka, Amon. 2011. “Non-Hispanics with Latin American Ancestry: Assimilation, Race, and Identity among Latin American Descendants in the U.S.” Social Science Research 40(6):1547-1563.
Abstract: In the 2006 American Community Survey (ACS), 6% of respondents with Latin American ancestry answered ‘no’ when asked whether they were Hispanic themselves. Conventional definitions of the Hispanic population exclude such respondents as ‘not Spanish/Hispanic/Latino’ even though they are self-identified Latin American descendants. Since their exclusion may bias our assessments of Hispanic social mobility, it is important to know more about them.
Non-Hispanic identification is most common among Latin American descendants who (1) list both Latin American and non-Latin American ancestries, (2) speak only English, and (3) identify as White, Black, or Asian when asked about their ‘race.’ Ancestry and racial identity are considerably more influential than respondents’ education, income, place of birth, or place of residence. These findings support both traditional straight-line assimilation and a more recent “racialized assimilation†theory in explaining discrepant responses to the ethnicity and ancestry questions among Latin American descendants.
Conger, Dylan, Amy E. Schwar, and Leanna Stiefel. 2011. “The Effect of Immigrant Communities on Foreign-Born Student Achievement.” International Migration Review 45(3):675-701.
Abstract: This paper explores the effect of the human capital characteristics of co-ethnic immigrant communities on foreign-born students’ math achievement. We use data on New York City public school foreign-born students from 39 countries merged with census data on the characteristics of the immigrant household heads in the city from each nation of origin and estimate regressions of student achievement on co-ethnic immigrant community characteristics, controlling for student and school attributes.
We find that the income and size of the co-ethnic immigrant community has no effect on immigrant student achievement, while the percent of college graduates may have a small positive effect. In addition, children in highly English proficient immigrant communities test slightly lower than children from less proficient communities. The results suggest that there may be some protective factors associated with immigrant community members’ education levels and use of native languages.
Lee, Sharon M., and Barry Edmonston. 2011. “Age-at-Arrival’s Effects on Asian Immigrants’ Socioeconomic Outcomes in Canada and the U.S.” International Migration Review 45(3):527–561.
Abstract: Age-at-arrival is a key predictor of many immigrant outcomes, but discussion continues over how to best measure and study its effects. This research replicates and extends a pioneering study by Myers, Gao, and Emeka [International Migration Review (2009) 43:205–229] on age-at-arrival effects among Mexican immigrants in the U.S. to see if similar results hold for other immigrant groups and in other countries. We examine data from the 2000 U.S. census and 2006 American Community Survey, and 1991, 2001, and 2006 Canadian censuses to assess several measures of age-at-arrival effects on Asian immigrants’ socioeconomic outcomes.
We confirm several of Myers et al.’s key findings, including the absence of clear breakpoints in age-at-arrival effects for all outcomes and the superiority of continuous measures of age-at-arrival. Additional analysis reveals different age-at-arrival effects by gender and Asian ethnicity. We suggest guidelines, supplementing those offered by Myers et al., for measuring and studying age-at-arrival’s effects on immigrant outcomes.
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.
In World War II, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team was composed entirely of Japanese Americans, most of whom were initially imprisoned by the U.S. government after the Pearl Harbor attacks. Despite this racist and xenophobic treatment, these brave Americans volunteered to fight for their country and eventually became the most highly-decorated fighting unit of their size during WWIII.
Burt Takeuchi has devoted most of his life to honoring the bravery and sacrifices of the 442nd and has created “Valor With Honor,” an independent documentary film based on over 35 interviews of Japanese American veterans who served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team during WW2. The 85 minute feature film describes the harrowing stories of 442nd’s battles in Italy, the Lost Battalion Rescue in France, the assault up Mount Folgorito, and witness to the holocaust at Dachau, Germany at the close of WW2. The film concludes with the vets bittersweet return home to America. The entire film is woven through stories told by the veterans themselves.
Valor with Honor will be shown August 13th and 14th, 2011 at the New Viz Theater in San Francisco’s Japantown (2-4pm). A 30-minute Q&A will follow the screening. DVDs will be sold after the show 25$ per copy. Free autographs. The Nihonmachi Street Fair is also that weekend, so you can enjoy the festival and attend one of screenings. Tickets for the August 13th and 14th (2-4pm) SF Japantown screenings at the New Viz can be purchased online.
Aloha,
Burt Takeuchi
Torasan Films
www.valorwithhonor.com
I wanted to give you advance notice of an international event to inspire and empower Asian women around the globe. The Lotus Blossoming Telesummit would be of interest to your readers visiting the Women & Gender Issues section of your website. This free online event represents the new wave of female empowerment in the Asian community. It begins on August 8, 2011 (6pm PST) and runs for three weeks.
Asia Rising–And She Wears a Skirt
While the spotlight shines on Tiger Mom, an unreported uprising of Asian women is quietly taking place around the globe. There’s a new girl in town and she’s not the demure geisha or cantankerous dragon lady of past. She is the modern empowered Asian woman. While she comes from all walks of life, what she has in common with her yellow sisters is that she embraces her identity–both the good and the bad–and makes choices on her own terms regardless of cultural expectations.
Beginning August 8th, the world will hear her roar. This auspicious day marks the beginning of the first ever Lotus Blossoming Telesummit, a free online event featuring an international line-up of speakers who are on a mission to inspire and empower women around the world.
Each night of the event features a different amazing Asian woman sharing how she reached beyond what she was taught and became who she was destined to be. The Lotus Blossoming Telesummit is free to attend. People can listen in to the event broadcasts by phone or online.
Speakers and topics include:
LA-based solo performer, Kristina Wong, gives a behind-the-curtain peek on what it’s like to live a creative life and eschew a traditional career
Speaker and trainer, Murshidah Said, teaches the importance of self-love and self-respect for women
Award-winning blogger, Stacie Tamaki, shares how she embraces what makes her different to make a difference in the world
Holistic energetic healer, Kim Le, conducts an online healing mediation to cultivate inner and world peace
Relationship expert, Annie Lin, gives the scoop on how to find one’s soulmate by embracing one’s imperfections
Love advocator, Dr. Rose G.S., gives a Malaysian perspective on the Law of Attraction for Asian and Muslim communities–and beyond
Spiritual teacher, Marja West, activates the Divine Feminine Wisdom in listeners–both men and women
Generation Y tech evangelist, Sacha Chua, demystifies how to use social networking as a tool for self-discovery
Soul coach and fourth generation Chinese Canadian, Marielle Smith, kick-starts the creative rebel inside everyone
Ellen Shing, founder of specialty lingerie store, Lula Lu, speaks of finding the perfect fit in both a career and bra size
Holly Tse, creator and host of the Lotus Blossoming Telesummit, lets listeners in on how to use effortless action to make their dreams a reality
The Lotus Blossoming Telesummit runs for three weeks beginning Monday, August 8, 2011, 6pm PST. The event is free and open to everyone. To get the full event details, register at www.lotusblossoming.com.
About Holly Tse:
Holly Tse is the embodiment of the new empowered Asian woman. She left a conventional career in the Internet industry to pursue her passions, which included being a dating coach, reflexologist, Certified Massage Practitioner, cook show host and pitchwoman, published writer and author, cat toy expert, environmental blogger, and full-time mom. She also rode a bicycle across Canada without knowing how to ride a bike. She is an Empress of Effortless Action and teaches people how to make their passions a reality.
I am a doctoral student at Azusa Pacific University in Southern California and am looking for help recruiting biracial individuals for my dissertation research. Specifically, I am looking for individuals who meet the following criteria:
Biracial of non-European heritage (e.g. biracial Black and Hispanic, biracial Asian and Native American, etc.)
Between the ages of 18-33
Born in the United States
Speak English fluently
Have grown up in a home with both parents
I’ll be conducting in-person or phone interviews lasting 1 – 1.5 hours and participants will receive a small token of appreciation. If you know anyone who might meet the criteria, I would appreciate it if you could pass on my email to them or send me their contact information.
Maryland Vietnamese Mutual Association (MVMA) seeks a member of AmeriCorps for the New Americans Citizenship Project of Maryland. Applications are due August 15th by 5pm!
MVMA is currently offering an AmeriCorps State position through the New Americans Citizenship Project of Maryland (NACPM). The program, which will be starting its third year this September, focuses on providing Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs) the necessary services to move forward through the citizenship/naturalization process. As an AmeriCorps member with MVMA your responsibilities will include (but not limited to):
Direct Services:
Coordinate workshops and intake clinics focused on naturalization, financial literacy and economic development, and access to public benefits
Assist LPRs in filling out the citizenship application
Teach and/or coordinate English and citizenship preparation courses
Work one on one with clients for tutoring purposes, when necessary
Client referrals to other agencies or individuals
Information Gathering/Education and Outreach:
Strengthen and develop organizational partnerships with existing community and faith-based organizations that serve immigrant communities in Maryland
Conduct needs assessments, community education within immigrant community
Inform LPRs about the naturalization process and benefits of citizenship
Write press releases for MVMA website and radio announcements
Assist with the publicity of the organization and services through community events and outreach
Community involvement/Volunteer Management:
Organize legal panels
Assist in the planning and hosting of MVMA events
Develop volunteer opportunities, as well as train and coordinate volunteers
Candidates would be required to meet the following qualifications:
Ability to perform all of the duties outlined above
U.S. Citizen or U.S. Legal Permanent Resident (recent naturalized citizens encourage to apply)
At least 17 years old
A high school diploma or GED or agree to obtain one during the service year
Excellent English writing and language skills (bilingual in Vietnamese preferred, but not required)
Ability to work independently and as part of a team
Highly organized and efficient, able to manage multiple ongoing projects, “can-do†attitude, flexibility, teamwork, attention to detail; high degree of initiative
Must be able to commit to 1700 hours of service between September 12th, 2011 and August 2012 (about 40 hours/week)
Excellent administrative, customer service and program management skills
Strong interest in working with adults from various cultural, educational, and ethnic backgrounds
Evening and weekend hours required
Access to personal transportation preferred
Benefits: Living stipend of $12,100, paid out bi-monthly for the duration of service term; health care coverage, childcare assistance, student loan forbearance, a $5,550 education award upon successful completion of program, and professional development training. Applications will be accepted from now through August 15th. The selected candidate will start September 12th.
To Apply:
Complete an application (attached or available at mdvietmutual.org)
Make sure to include Personal Statement and two references
Attach cover letter and resume
Email to info@mdvietmutual.org with “AMERICORPS APPLICATION” in the subject line
Incomplete applications will not be considered for review. Questions?
Contact: Diane Vu, Executive Director
301.588.6862 or info@mdvietmutual.org
Call for Contributions: Asian American Literature and the Legacy of Maxine Hong Kingston
The Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center (APALRC) is a 501(c) (3) community-based legal organization that works with low income and limited-English proficient Asian immigrant communities across the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. The APALRC provides free legal assistance to low-income Asian immigrants who have limited English proficiency in a linguistically accessible and culturally appropriate manner. It operates a multi-lingual legal intake helpline, a legal interpreter project, and provides legal assistance in immigration, domestic violence and family law, tenants’ rights, and other areas. The APALRC works to improve Asian Americans’ access to the legal system and to address the systemic inequities faced by Asian Americans and immigrants in our region.
The APALRC seeks legal interns/externs for Fall 2011, as well as undergraduate or graduate students and recent graduates interested in working in local communities. Interns will have various responsibilities that include work on one or more of the following projects:
Asian American Multilingual Legal Helpline: (Legal)
The helpline is the first point of contact for potential clients of APALRC. It has separate lines for Mandarin/Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Hindi/Urdu/Gujarati speakers. Helpline interns will take incoming calls, conduct initial intakes, work with the legal team to identify and outline next steps, conduct legal research, and work on cases under the supervision of a staff attorney.
Crime Victims’ Assistance Project: (Legal/Non-Legal)
This project provides information and assistance to Asian victims of aggravated crimes to ensure that they can access law enforcement services and information about the D.C. Crime Assistance Fund. In addition, this project also works with immigrant victims of crime who may be eligible for T and U Visas. An intern in this project will assist with intake calls, filing applications with eligible community members, and work on the range of issues that a victim of crime may confront.
Domestic Violence Legal Assistance Project: (Legal)
This project provides legal assistance to victims of domestic violence in the areas of abuse prevention, family law and immigration law. Interns will work with staff attorneys and partnering social service organizations in conducting community outreach and education, legal research and case preparation to provide comprehensive legal assistance to assist victims of domestic violence to rebuild their lives.
Housing and Community Justice Project: (Legal/Non-Legal)
This project focuses on unlawful evictions, substandard housing conditions issues, admission to subsidized housing, tenant organizations, and other local advocacy efforts. The ideal candidate(s) has interest and/or experience in housing, poverty law, and work with local immigrant communities. Undergraduate and graduate students in urban planning and Asian American Studies also encouraged to apply.
Fundraising Internship: (Non-Legal)
The APALRC seeks an undergraduate or recent graduate intern with an interest in developing fundraising skills in a nonprofit organization committed to advancing social justice. Under the supervision and guidance of the Executive Director and development staff, the development intern will assist with fundraising tasks involving grant research, grant writing, marketing donor relations, and special event planning.
Communications Internship: (Non-Legal)
The APALRC seeks an undergraduate or recent graduate with an interest or degree in journalism, public relations or marketing to apply for an internship to assist with various communications tasks including drafting media advisories and press releases, monitoring media coverage and maintaining media files, updating and maintaining media lists, and preparing marketing materials.
Ideal Candidates will have (for appropriate positions):
Written and oral communication skills
Initiative, ability to multitask and meet deadlines
Experience working with Asian or other immigrant communities
Interest and experience in nonprofit and/or community-based work
Fundraising or nonprofit communications experience
Experience working with interpreters
Oral and written proficiency in Bangla, Cantonese, Korean, Mandarin, Nepali, Urdu, and/or Vietnamese
To apply:
Please send a single email with the following attachments in PDF format by September 9, 2011:
Cover Letter (1 page): listing the specific project(s) in which you are interested and explaining your interest in working in a nonprofit organization that serves the local Asian immigrant community
Resume (1 page max): include relevant course/clinical work, experience, all language skills
Writing Sample (up to 5 pages): that shows legal writing skills and/or ability to convey legal issues in plain English (for non-legal positions, please send a writing sample that demonstrates strong writing and critical analysis skills)
For general inquiries and internship application, please send an email to:Admin@apalrc.org. Internship application should mark in the subject line “Internship Application for Fall 2011.” No Phone Calls, please. We will contact all applicants via email regarding their application status. Candidates will be interviewed and offered positions on a rolling basis, so early applications are encouraged. Not all applicants will be contacted for interviews, and incomplete applications will not be considered. The APALRC is an equal opportunity employer.
Are you interested in advocating on behalf of survivors of domestic violence? DVRP is currently recruiting bilingual and volunteer advocates! Bilingual advocates work with limited English proficient survivors, providing peer support, court accompaniment, interpretation/translation assistance and referral to social and legal services. Bilingual advocates must be fluent in at least one other language and are also required to be available on an on-call basis during regular business hours. Volunteer advocates also provide similar services but work mainly with English-speaking survivors and are not required to provide services during regular business hours.
All advocates must attend a 55 hour training prior to starting and be able to make a commitment of 1 year to the program. Advocates who speak at least one of the following languages are highly preferred: Urdu, Hindi, Nepali, Mandarin, Mongolian, Bahasa Indonesia, Arabic, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese and Sinhala.
Advocates Program Training Dates (10am-5pm): 8/27, 8/28, 9/11, 9/17, 9/18, 9/24, 9/25, 10/1, 10/2
To apply: www.dvrp.org and click on “Get Involved.”
2012 Joint Conference of Librarians of Color Conference — Call for Proposal.
The 2012 Joint Conference of Librarians of Color, JCLC 2012: Gathering at the Waters: Celebrating Stories and Embracing Communities will take place from September 19-23, 2012 in Kansas City, Missouri. The mission of JCLC is to advance the issues affecting librarians of color within the profession and to also explore how best to serve the incredibly diverse and changing communities that use our libraries.
The Joint Conference of Librarians of Color is a conference for everyone and brings together a diverse group of librarians, library staff, supporters, trustees and community participants to explore issues of diversity inclusion in libraries and how they affect the ethnic communities who use our services. JCLC deepens connections across constituencies, creates spaces for dialogue, promotes the telling and celebrating of one’s stories, and encourages the transformation of libraries into more democratic and diverse organizations.
This groundbreaking event is sponsored by the five ethnic caucuses: the American Indian Library Association (AILA), Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA), Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA), Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA), and the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking (REFORMA). JCLC 2012 follows the first gathering in 2006 in Dallas, Texas.
We are now accepting session proposals! Please visit our website to learn more and to submit your proposal.
Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship In Asian-American Studies
Wellesley College invites applications for a two-year Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in Asian-American studies, to begin Fall 2012. Candidates should have received the Ph.D. within the past three years (ABD considered). Preference will be given to the fields of history, ethnic studies, American Studies, anthropology, and sociology.
The Fellow will be in residence at the Newhouse Center for the Humanities the first year and will be expected to take an active role in its intellectual community. In the first year year, the Fellow will teach one course, and in the second year one course each semester, including an introductory course in Asian American Studies. The Fellow will also be expected to advise students and participate in programming for American Studies. The fellowship includes support for research and travel.
Please submit only in electronic form the following: a letter of application, a c.v., a graduate school transcript, three letters of recommendation (the online application will request names/email address so that recommenders or dossier services may submit the letters directly), a brief statement of teaching experience and research interests, and a writing sample to https://career.wellesley.edu.
Applications must be received by October 15, 2011. If circumstances do not allow you to submit materials through our on line application system, please email us at working@wellesley.edu. Wellesley is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer, and we are committed to increasing the diversity of the college community and the curriculum. Candidates who believe they can contribute to that goal are encouraged to apply.
