The following new books look at the historical, cultural, and political dimensions of how Asian Americans have been portrayed and imagined in media, literature, and popular culture. As always, a book’s inclusion is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily mean a full endorsement of its contents.

Black Power, Yellow Power, and the Making of Revolutionary Identities, by Rychetta Watkins (University Press of Mississippi)

Images of upraised fists, afros, and dashikis have long dominated the collective memory of Black Power and its proponents. The “guerilla” figure-taking the form of the black-leather-clad revolutionary within the Black Panther Party-has become an iconic trope in American popular culture. That politically radical figure, however, has been shaped as much by Asian American cultural discourse as by African American political ideology. From the Asian-African Conference held in April of 1955 in Bandung, Indonesia, onward to the present, Afro-Asian political collaboration has been active and influential.

In Black Power, Yellow Power, and the Making of Revolutionary Identities, author Rychetta Watkins uses the guerilla figure as a point of departure and shows how the trope’s rhetoric animates discourses of representation and identity in African American and Asian American literature and culture. In doing so, she examines the notion of “Power,” in terms of ethnic political identity, and explores collaborating-and sometimes competing-ethnic interests that have drawn ideas from the concept.

The project brings together a range of texts-editorial cartoons, newspaper articles, novels, visual propaganda, and essays-that illustrate the emergence of this subjectivity in Asian American and African American cultural productions during the Power period, roughly 1966 through 1981. After a case study of the cultural politics of academic anthologies and the cooperation between Frank Chin and Ishmael Reed, the volume culminates with analyses of this trope in Sam Greenlee’s The Spook Who Sat by the Door, Alice Walker’s Meridian, and John Okada’s No No Boy.

The Oriental Obscene: Violence and Racial Fantasies in the Vietnam Era, by Sylvia Shin Huey Chong (Duke University Press)

The Oriental Obscene is a sophisticated analysis of Americans’ reactions to visual representations of the Vietnam War, such as the photograph of the “napalm girl,” news footage of the Tet Offensive, and feature films from The Deer Hunter to Rambo: First Blood Part II. Sylvia Shin Huey Chong combines psychoanalytic and film theories with U.S. cultural history to explain what she terms the oriental obscene: racialized fantasies that Americans derived largely from images of Asians as the perpetrators or victims of extreme violence.

Chong contends that these fantasies helped Americans to process the trauma of the Vietnam War, as well as the growth of the Asian American population after the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 and the postwar immigration of Southeast Asian refugees. The oriental obscene animated a wide range of political narratives, not only the movements for and against the war, but causes as diverse as the Black Power movement, law-and-order conservatism, second-wave feminism, and the nascent Asian American movement. During the Vietnam era, pictures of Asian bodies were used to make sense of race, violence, and America’s identity at home and abroad.

Seven Contemporary Plays from the Korean Diaspora in the Americas, by Esther Kim Lee (Duke University Press)

Showcasing the dynamism of contemporary Korean diasporic theater, this anthology features seven plays by second-generation Korean diasporic writers from the United States, Canada, and Chile. By bringing the plays together in this collection, Esther Kim Lee highlights the range of themes and styles that have enlivened Korean diasporic theater in the Americas since the 1990s. Some of the plays are set in urban Koreatowns. One takes place in the middle of Texas, while another unfolds entirely in a character’s mind. Ethnic identity is not as central as it was in the work of previous generations of Asian diasporic playwrights.

In these plays, dramas of diaspora and displacement are likely to be part of broader stories, such as the difficulties faced by a young mother trying to balance family and career. Running through those stories are themes of assimilation, authenticity, family, memory, trauma, and gender-related expectations of success. Lee’s introduction includes a brief history of the Korean peninsula in the twentieth century and of South Korean immigration to the Americas, along with an overview of Asian American theater and the place of Korean American theater within it. Each play is preceded by a brief biography of the playwright and a summary of the play’s production history.

The Chinese Diaspora on American Screens: Race, Sex, and Cinema, by Gina Marchetti (Temple University Press)

The Chinese Diaspora on American Screens looks at the way in which issues of race and sexuality have become central concerns in cinema generated by and about Chinese communities in America after the mid-1990s. This companion volume to Marchetti’s From Tian’anmen to Times Square looks specifically at the Chinese diaspora in relation to ethnic, racial, gender, and sexual identity as depicted in the cinema.

Examining films from the United States and Canada, as well as transnational co-productions, The Chinese Diaspora on American Screens includes analyses of films such as The Wedding Banquet and Double Happiness in addition to interviews with celebrated filmmakers such as Wayne Wang. Marchetti also reflects on how Chinese identity is presented in a multitude of media forms, including commercial cinema, documentaries, experimental films, and hybrid digital media to offer a textured look at representations of the Chinese diasporic experience after Tian’anmen.

Straitjacket Sexualities: Unbinding Asian American Manhoods in the Movies, by Celine Shimizu (Stanford University Press)

Depictions of Asian American men as effeminate or asexual pervade popular movies. Hollywood has made clear that Asian American men lack the qualities inherent to the heroic heterosexual male. This restricting, circumscribed vision of masculinity—a straitjacketing, according to author Celine Parreñas Shimizu—aggravates Asian American male sexual problems both on and off screen.

Straitjacket Sexualities: Unbinding Asian American Manhoods in the Movies looks to cinematic history to reveal the dynamic ways Asian American men, from Bruce Lee to Long Duk Dong, create and claim a variety of masculinities. Representations of love, romance, desire, and lovemaking show how Asian American men fashion manhoods that negotiate the dynamics of self and other, expanding our ideas of sexuality. The unique ways in which Asian American men express intimacy is powerfully represented onscreen, offering distinct portraits of individuals struggling with group identities. Rejecting “macho” men, these movies stake Asian American manhood on the notion of caring for, rather than dominating, others.

Straitjacket Sexualities identifies a number of moments in the movies wherein masculinity is figured anew. By looking at intimate relations on screen, power as sexual prowess and brute masculinity is redefined, giving primacy to the diverse ways Asian American men experience complex, ambiguous, and ambivalent genders and sexualities.

Below are some recently-released books that highlight the connections between past and present in the lives of Asian Americans. As scholars and philosophers will tell you, knowing where a particular group or nation has been is the first step towards knowing where they are going. As always, a book’s inclusion is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily mean a full endorsement of its contents.

The Third Asiatic Invasion: Empire and Migration in Filipino America, 1898-1946, by Rick Baldoz (NYU Press)

The first half of the twentieth century witnessed a wave of Filipino immigration to the United States, following in the footsteps of earlier Chinese and Japanese immigrants, the first and second “Asiatic invasions.” Perceived as alien because of their Asian ethnicity yet legally defined as American nationals granted more rights than other immigrants, Filipino American national identity was built upon the shifting sands of contradiction, ambiguity, and hostility.

Rick Baldoz explores the complex relationship between Filipinos and the U.S. by looking at the politics of immigration, race, and citizenship on both sides of the Philippine-American divide: internationally through an examination of American imperial ascendancy and domestically through an exploration of the social formation of Filipino communities in the United States. He reveals how American practices of racial exclusion repeatedly collided with the imperatives of U.S. overseas expansion. A unique portrait of the Filipino American experience, The Third Asiatic Invasion links the Filipino experience to that of Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Chinese and Native Americans, among others, revealing how the politics of exclusion played out over time against different population groups.

Weaving together an impressive range of materials–including newspapers, government reports, legal documents and archival sources—into a seamless narrative, Baldoz illustrates how the quixotic status of Filipinos played a significant role in transforming the politics of race, immigration and nationality in the United States.

In Pursuit of Gold: Chinese American Miners and Merchants in the American West, by Sue Fawn Chung (University of Illinois Press)

Both a history of an overlooked community and a well-rounded reassessment of prevailing assumptions about Chinese miners in the American West, In Pursuit of Gold brings to life in rich detail the world of turn-of-the-century mining towns in the Northwest. Sue Fawn Chung meticulously recreates the lives of Chinese immigrants, miners, merchants, and others who populated these towns and interacted amicably with their white and Native American neighbors, defying the common perception of nineteenth-century Chinese communities as insular enclaves subject to increasing prejudice and violence.

While most research has focused on Chinese miners in California, this book is the first extensive study of Chinese experiences in the towns of John Day in Oregon and Tuscarora, Island Mountain, and Gold Creek in Nevada. Chung illustrates the relationships between miners and merchants within the communities and in the larger context of immigration, arguing that the leaders of the Chinese and non-Chinese communities worked together to create economic interdependence and to short-circuit many of the hostilities and tensions that plagued other mining towns.

Peppered with fascinating details about these communities from the intricacies of Chinese gambling games to the techniques of hydraulic mining, In Pursuit of Gold draws on a wealth of historical materials, including immigration records, census manuscripts, legal documents, newspapers, memoirs, and manuscript collections. Chung supplements this historical research with invaluable first-hand observations of artifacts that she experienced in archaeological digs and restoration efforts at several of the sites of the former booming mining towns.

In clear, analytical prose, Chung expertly characterizes the movement of Chinese miners into Oregon and Nevada, the heyday of their mining efforts in the region, and the decline of the communities due to changes in the mining industry. Highlighting the positive experiences and friendships many of the immigrants had in these relatively isolated mining communities, In Pursuit of Gold also suggests comparisons with the Chinese diaspora in other locations such as British Columbia and South Africa.

Prisons and Patriots: Japanese American Wartime Citizenship, Civil Disobedience, and Historical Memory, by Cherstin Lyon (Temple University Press)

Prisons and Patriots provides a detailed account of forty-one Nisei (second-generation Japanese Americans), known as the Tucsonians, who were imprisoned for resisting the draft during WWII. Cherstin Lyon parallels their courage as resisters with that of civil rights hero Gordon Hirabayashi, well known for his legal battle against curfew and internment, who also resisted the draft.

These dual stories highlight the intrinsic relationship between the rights and the obligations of citizenship, particularly salient in times of war. Lyon considers how wartime civil disobedience has been remembered through historyohow soldiers have been celebrated for their valour while resisters have been demonized as unpatriotic. Using archival research and interviews, she presents a complex picture of loyalty and conflict among first-generation Issei and Nisei.

Lyon contends that the success of the redress movement has made room for a narrative that neither reduces the wartime confinement to a source of shame nor proffers an uncritical account of heroic individuals.

Relative Histories: Mediating History in Asian American Family Memoirs, by Rocio G. Davis (University of Hawai’i Press)

Relative Histories focuses on the Asian American memoir that specifically recounts the story of at least three generations of the same family. This form of auto/biography concentrates as much on other members of one’s family as on oneself, generally collapses the boundaries conventionally established between biography and autobiography, and in many cases—as Rocío G. Davis proposes for the auto/biographies of ethnic writers—crosses the frontier into history, promoting collective memory.

Davis centers on how Asian American family memoirs expand the limits and function of life writing by reclaiming history and promoting community cohesion. She argues that identity is shaped by not only the stories we have been told, but also the stories we tell, making these narratives important examples of the ways we remember our family’s past and tell our community’s story.

In the context of auto/biographical writing or filmmaking that explores specific ethnic experiences of diaspora, assimilation, and integration, this work considers two important aspects: These texts re-imagine the past by creating a work that exists both in history and as a historical document, making the creative process a form of re-enactment of the past itself. Each chapter centers on a thematic concern germane to the Asian American experience: the narrative of twentieth-century Asian wars and revolutions, which has become the subtext of a significant number of Asian American family memoirs.

Asian Refugees in America: Narratives of Escape and Adaptation, by Eleanor Herz Swent (McFarland Publishing)

When Eleanor Swent began teaching English as a Second Language in 1967 at a school for adults in Oakland, California, she soon learned that many of the Asian immigrants in her classes had remarkable tales to tell of struggles in their homelands and their efforts to make new lives in America. This oral history, based on interviews Swent conducted with her students over thirty years, documents the Asian immigrant experience as never before.

Here are the stories of desperate individuals who swam to escape from China to Macao and Hong Kong; of Chinese daughters considered worthless by their families; of political refugees from Vietnam; of ethnic Chinese who fled by boat from Vietnam; of refugees from the genocide in Cambodia. As these remarkable new Americans learn different words and customs, they also enlarge our national vision, enriching our culture while assuring us that human dignity can rise above terrible circumstances.

Charlie Chan: The Untold Story of the Honorable Detective and His Rendezvous with American History, by Yunte Huang (W.W. Norton & Co.)

Hailed as “irrepressibly spirited and entertaining” (Pico Iyer, Time) and “a fascinating cultural survey” (Paul Devlin, Daily Beast), this provocative first biography of Charlie Chan presents American history in a way that it has never been told before. Yunte Huang ingeniously traces Charlie Chan from his real beginnings as a bullwhip-wielding detective in territorial Hawaii to his reinvention as a literary sleuth and Hollywood film icon.

Huang finally resurrects the “honorable detective” from the graveyard of detested postmodern symbols and reclaims him as the embodiment of America’s rich cultural diversity. The result is one of the most critically acclaimed books of the year and a “deeply personal . . . voyage into racial stereotyping and the humanizing force of story telling.”

As the nation prepares to commemorate the 10th anniversary of 9/11, there are many different ways to think about how those events have affected the Asian American community in the past decade. One important contribution comes from the academic journal The Asian American Literary Review, which has just released a special issue of testimonies, essays, and dialogues written by community activists, writers, and scholars that explore the the political, legal, and civil rights repercussions for most directly affected: South Asians, Arabs, Middle Easterners, and Muslim Americans. An excerpt of their press release and their table of contents are below:

Asian American Literary Review Releases Special Issue Commemorating Tenth Anniversary Of Sept. 11

As the tenth anniversary of September 11th, 2001 approaches, how can we reflect on that day and its aftermath when so many of the voices of affected communities remain unheard? In the interests of broadening the public conversation, The Asian American Literary Review (AALR) is publishing a special commemorative issue that gives voice to those too frequently unheard.

AALR’s Special Issue: Commemorating the Tenth Anniversary of Sept. 11 features a Sikh American musician on the traumas of experience, before and after; an Indian American lawyer on defending Guantánamo detainees; a Pakistani American Muslim feminist on teaching September 11th; an Afghan American poet on envisioning the first Afghan American literary anthology; an Arab American scholar on why Arab American fiction matters; and organizers and participants on the 10-year anniversary of Desis Organizing, the first gathering of NYC South Asian activists and artists. . . .

Rajini Srikanth, Introduction

Section 1: Witness and Grieving

• Sonny Singh, Testimony
• Anouska Cheddie, Testimony
• Samina Najmi, “Teaching as a Pakistani American Muslim Feminist”
• Unais Ibrahim, Shahara Ahmed, and Tauseef Kazi, Testimony
• Kazim Ali, “September 14th”
• Varun Sriram, “My Airport Story”
• Siddharth Shah, “Terrorized Nervous Systems and Islamophobic Backlash: The Case for Neurobiological and Psychosocial Countermeasures”
• Rishi Reddi, “On Being South Asian Post 9/11”
• Mary Husain, Rakhshanda Saleem, Sunaina Maira, and Veena Dubal, “Forum | On 9/11 as ‘Rupture'”
• Sudha Acharya, Testimony
• Theresa Thanjan, Testimony
• Elizabeth OuYang, Testimony
• DJ Rekha, Postcard & Testimony
• Anant Raut, “I Guess You Had to Be”
• Vijay Prashad, “Dear Uncle Swami”

Visuals from Visible Collective

Section 2: New Formations, New Alignments

• Adem Carroll, Testimony
• Tito Sinha and Chaumtoli Huq, “Laying the Groundwork for-Post 9/11 Alliances: Reactions Ten Years Later on Desis Organizing”
• Zohra Saed, Testimony
• Pico Iyer, “Ten Years On”
• Angie Chuang, “Six Syllables: Searching for Home, and the Post-9/11 Metaphor, in Kabul”
• Pawan Dhingra, “Post-9/11 Vacancies: Race, Economics, and Indian American Motel Owners”
• Deepa Iyer, Gary Okihiro, Jack (John Kuo Wei) Tchen, Sunita, S. Mukhi, Jennifer Hayashida, Abla Harara, Nadia Firozvi, and Robert Ji-Song Ku, “Forum | On the Desi America-Asian America Split and New Alignments Between South Asian, Arab, Middle Eastern, and Muslim Americans”
• Tram Nguyen, “On Suspects and Belonging: Post-9/11 America”
• Khin Mai Aung, Testimony
• Magid Shihade, “On 9/11 and the War on ‘Terror’: Names, Numbers, and Events”
• Elora Chowdhury, “Unsuspecting Connections: Reactions on Teaching ‘Becoming South Asian’ to Non-South Asians in Post-9/11 America”
• Vasudha Desikan, Testimony
• Saru Jayaraman, Testimony
• Subhash Kateel by Parag Khandhar, “The Long View: An Interview”

Visuals from Tomie Arai

Section 3: We Live in Echo

• Dinu Ahmed and Moumita Zaman, “A Dialogue on Khadijah’s Caravan”
• Mazen Naous, “Why Arab American Fiction Matters”
• Amitava Kumar, Harold Ja e, Anis Shivani, and Shailja Patel, “Forum | On Literature Post 9/11”
• Zohra Saed, Testimony
• Ronak Kapadia, Prerana Reddy, Naeem Mohaiemen, Vivek Bald, Aimara Lin, Uzma Z. Rizvi, and Aziz Huq, “Collectives in Post-2001 New York: A Conversation with
  Visible Collective”
• Madhulika Khandelwal, Testimony
• Purvi Shah, Hossannah Asuncion, Tamiko Beyer, April Heck, R.A. Villanueva, and Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai, “A Public Art, A Re-membered Poetry, A Community Constellation: A Dialogue on the Kundiman Project Together We Are New York”
• Shahid Buttar and Dan S. Wang, Testimony
• Giles Li and Sham-e Ali Nayeem, “On the DVD Ten Years Later: Asian American Performers Reflect on 9/11”
• Sunu Chandy, Testimony

Visuals from Khadijah’s Caravan

Parag Khandhar, Afterword

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.

Speaker Contest: Campus Progress Conference

Hello, I have an exciting opportunity that you or your viewers might be interested in! I am from an organization called Campus Progress in Washington D.C., and in conjunction with Colorlines.com, we have opened up a Keynote Speaker Contest for our upcoming National Conference in July.

To enter, contestants are asked to submit a 1-3 minute long video addressing the question: “In your own life, how are you changing the rules of our race conversation, and creating real solutions for racial and social justice?”

We are expecting over 1,000 young progressive in attendance, so this will be a great event for politically minded young people (18-30 yrs) who are specifically passionate about issues of racial justice. If you are interested in applying to the Keynote Speaker Contest, or if you would be interested in making a blog post about it on your site, then please check out this link.

The deadline for submissions is 12am EST May 13, 2011.

Thank you,
Erin Glinowiecki
Intern, Campus Progress
Campusprogress.org

Position: Special Projects Coordinator, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights

The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers’ Committee) is seeking a bright, creative, highly qualified individual to serve as Special Projects Coordinator for our Legal Mobilization Project (LMP). In general, the Legal Mobilization Project works to address civil rights issues beyond a litigation only model, including the involvement of large scale pro bono lawyers, technology, advocacy, education, as well as a variety of enforcement options, while working with other Lawyers’ Committee expert lawyers on particular issues. This includes developing overall organizational plans, protocols, volunteer and client materials, management tools, and volunteer recruitment and training.

In the midst of the recent economic turmoil and associated foreclosure crisis, millions of distressed homeowners have become vulnerable targets for unscrupulous and sometimes criminal third party scams. Minorities and low income people are particularly targeted by bogus companies that seek fees and promise assistance in addressing mortgage arrears, only to refer homeowners to resources they could have accessed for free or, in far too many cases, to provide no services at all. The Loan Modification Scam Prevention Network (LMSPN) mobilizes a nationwide network to educate distressed homeowners on how to recognize and avoid mortgage scams and their individual rights, work with federal and state authorities on enforcement, and collect a large amount of data on mortgage fraud to put an end to the mortgage rescue scam problem.

The Special Projects Coordinator will work primarily, but not exclusively, on the Lawyers’ Committee’s Loan Modification Scam Prevention Network and Election Protection program. Additionally, a portion of the Special Projects Coordinator’s time will be spent providing support to the Lawyers’ Committee’s Chief Counsel.

As November 2012 approaches, the Special Projects Coordinator will focus more and more of her or his time on the 2012 Election Protection program, which the Lawyers’ Committee leads. Election Protection – the nation’s largest non-partisan voter protection coalition – works throughout the year to break down barriers to the ballot box for traditionally disenfranchised voters. In 2008, Election Protection mobilized over 10,000 legal volunteers, received over 240,000 calls to the 1-866-OUR-VOTE hotline, and organized Election Protection Legal Committees in 46 jurisdictions that worked on the ground throughout the election cycle and on Election Day to support traditionally disenfranchised voters. It is overseen by the Voting Rights Project.

The Special Projects Coordinator’s duties include:

• Maintaining the Loan Modification Scam Prevention Network database, including: uploading data from our reporting partners, managing the paper intake system, running statistical reports and analysis, and site maintenance
• Serving as a member of the Lawyers’ Committee’s Online Communication Team and will maintain Twitter, Facebook and other social media accounts, and be involved in the organization’s eAdvocacy and fundraising programs
• Maintaining Legal Mobilization project’s webpage and various campaign micro-sites by drafting and editing content, formatting text and images, and posting content using a Content Management System (CMS). No HTML or other programming experience is required, but applicants should have a strong affinity for this type of technology
• Working with Project Directors, LMP Manager and vendors on the development, implementation and maintenance of all technological Project solutions
• Serving as a technical lead for the 866-OUR-VOTE hotline and assist the LMP Manager in the development of hotline call centers and legal field programs
• Working with LMP and other Project staff in the development, tracking and formatting of relevant materials
• Utilizing computer software such as Excel, databases, Microsoft Project, PowerPoint, and Geographic Information System software to support the work of the project
• Using organizing and logistical expertise to support process aspect of LMP’s, assist with other LMP priorities as identified by the Legal Mobilization and Public Policy Directors and the LMP Manager
• Assisting with the recruitment, training, and deployment of legal volunteers, particularly for Election Protection
• Administrative support for the Legal Mobilization Project and Chief Counsel as needed, including: managing project accounting forms with regard to third party vendors and travel vouchers, taking meeting minutes, mail retrieval, photocopying, arranging conference calls, reserving conference rooms, and providing support for work with the Lawyers’ Committee’s Board and Affiliates

The ideal candidate will have 1-3 years of related work experience, preferably at a non-profit organization or on a political, issue or candidate campaign. The applicant must be detail oriented, have strong personal organizational skills, be able to manage multiple projects at one time, and prioritize tasks effectively. Familiarity with web-based volunteer management and mass communications software and proficiency in MS Excel, PowerPoint, and Word strongly preferred. Familiarity with desktop publishing and graphic design skills are a plus.

The ideal candidate will be a fast-learner who does not shy away from hard work, has a passion for civil rights issues and progressive causes, and a strong head on his or her shoulders. Applicants must be outgoing, affable, have a good sense of humor and be able to work under the pressure of a campaign environment with tight deadlines. Because the position is critical to Election Protection, a commitment is asked through the 2012 elections (November). The Special Projects Coordinator will report directly to the Manager of Legal Mobilization.

To Apply: Please send a letter of interest, resume, and three references to kcoates@lawyerscommittee.org or Kathy Coates, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, 1401 New York Avenue, Suite 400, Washington, D.C. 20005. If you are applying by email please include REF#SPC51311 in the subject line of the email. The Lawyers’ Committee is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We encourage applications from minorities, women, and persons with disabilities. The position will remain open until May 13, 2011, and applications will be reviewed as received.

Eric Marshall
Manager of Legal Mobilization
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
1401 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202-662-8325

Position: Race/Ethnicity, Univ. of Illinois, Chicago

The Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy (IRRPP) at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) invites applications for a visiting faculty scholar position (with the title of Visiting Senior Associate) in Race/Ethnicity and Public Policy. The applicant must be a tenured faculty affiliated with an institute of higher education in the United States other than UIC, and who has made a significant contribution to their field.

IRRPP promotes, coordinates, and conducts innovative research at the intersection of race, ethnicity and public policy. IRRPP represents a major commitment on the part of UIC to better understand racial and ethnic diversity in Chicago, the nation, and the world. One of our central aims is to increase the quantity, quality and relevance of research on racial and ethnic groups facing persistent inequalities and inequities.

The Institute pursues a comprehensive multiracial, multiethnic and multicultural agenda that includes African Americans, Latinos, American Indians, Asian Americans and other groups confronted with systematic racial, ethnic, and class barriers, with the primary goal of improving both the understanding and conditions of these groups. In addition to working on broad issues of race and public policy, each year IRRPP organizes its activities around a theme. For the 2011-2012 academic year, the focus will be on issues of criminalization and mass incarceration as racial justice issues.

We are seeking applicants whose work addresses issues of race/ethnicity and injustice in the criminal legal system. The focus might include: the impact of law enforcement, immigration, and incarceration policies on communities of color, the criminalization of disadvantaged youth, the disproportionate impact of criminal sanctions, or state and other forms of structural violence as a means of social control. Work at the intersection of race/ethnicity and other markers of social disadvantage (such as class, sexuality, immigration status, age) is of particular interest to IRRPP. We are specifically seeking applicants whose work has an engaged social justice perspective and who have experience working with communities and in collaboration with community organizations. The applicant must be a tenured faculty affiliated with an institute of higher education in the United States other than UIC, and who has made a significant contribution to their field.

The specific duties of the visiting faculty scholar will include:

• Completing a policy-oriented research project on a problem related to race/ethnicity, inequality and criminal legal policy as discussed above
• Writing a policy paper on the results of the research project with policy recommendations
• Presenting a public lecture .Collaborating with the IRRPP research team on projects related to their proposed research
• Teaching a graduate seminar or Honors College class on their work
• Serving as a resource to community groups in Chicago working on similar issues

The position runs from August 16, 2011 to May 15, 2012. The scholar must be in residence in Chicago during the entire length of the position. The salary ranges from $50,000 to $85,000 plus benefits, based on current salary. In addition, the scholar is eligible for $2,000 to fund research and conference travel, and up to $2,000 for allowable relocation expenses.

All application materials must be received by May 20, 2011. For questions about the position please contact Francesca Gaiba, Associate Director for Research at gaiba@uic.edu. To apply, go to jobs.uic.edu, find job ID number 7263 and submit: 1) a cover letter describing your proposed research project; your work in relation to the field; and your experience with community-engaged research and social justice projects; 2) a curriculum vitae; 3) a writing sample (either a chapter or an article).

Summer Institute: Redefining Asian Americans in Queens, NYC

Redefining Asian Americans: Youth, Culture, and Community in Multicultural Queens, NYC.

The Asian American Studies Center at Queens College CUNY is delighted to announce its 2011 Summer Institute: “Redefining Asian Americans: Youth, Culture and Community in Multicultural Queens, NYC.” This weeklong institute provides participants a unique opportunity to learn about the social and cultural experiences of Asian American youth in culturally diverse communities of Queens. Being home to immigrants from over 150 countries, Queens offers a fascinating setting to study intersections of individual, ethnic, and global identities, and to re-examine the changing nature of Asian American communities.

The program will include meeting scholars/leaders with expertise on various Asian American topics, discussions on related issues, and field trips to community-based organizations and neighborhoods with large Asian American concentrations.

The registration fee for the Summer Institute is $150. This non-refundable deposit is due upon admission to the program by cashier’s check or money order. Room and Board will be provided at the Queens College dormitory, The Summit, for the duration of the program. Expenses for air or ground travel will be reimbursed on approval of estimated cost with the submission of receipts. Students will receive a stipend of $500, which will be disbursed upon completion of the Summer Institute.

For more information, eligibility requirements, and to download the application form, go to www.qc.cuny.edu/Academics/Centers/Asian and go to “Related Links.”

Application deadline: May 31, 2011.

Position: Policy Analyst, Natl. Korean Am. Service & Education Consortium

The National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) seeks a hardworking, highly skilled, talented, and committed individual to serve as the Policy Analyst focusing on economic security and civic engagement of low-income seniors for its Washington D.C. office.

NAKASEC is a dynamic grassroots-based organization founded in 1994 by local community centers to project a progressive voice and promote the full participation of Korean Americans within the social justice movement. NAKASEC has offices in Los Angeles and Washington, DC. NAKASEC has affiliates in Los Angeles (The Korean Resource Center) and in Chicago (The Korean American Resource & Cultural Center) and works in partnership with local community based organizations across the nation. Major program areas: Civic Engagement (Redistricting, Elections and Census), Civil Rights (LGBTQ, Hate Crimes, Language Access, Voting Rights), Financial Empowerment, Immigrant Rights (Immigration Reform, Immigrant Integration, and Enforcement), Youth Organizing, and Technical Assistance.

Major Responsibilities

• Be a part of a local-national team that implements a multi-pronged education, advocacy and organizing project to strengthen elder civic engagement in economic security issues
• Develop and implement a policy agenda focused on economic security for low-income communities
• Advocate for policies and measures to enhance and address the economic security needs of low-income seniors
• Conduct research and analyze existing data and studies to identify priority concerns and economic status of low-income seniors
• Produce relevant educational materials
• Represent NAKASEC at constituent and coalition partner meetings, events, and conferences. Develop and maintain strong relationships with key national and local groups
• Speak on behalf of NAKASEC at conferences and events. Help coordinate media relevant activities including the development of messaging points and spokespersons
• Oversee project evaluation activities
• Provide ongoing technical assistance and program support to NAKASEC affiliates and partners
• Work with NAKASEC staff as a team to create a strategic plan for developing new programs and building organizational capacity that will advance the organization’s mission and objectives
• Produce and maintain relevant work & grant reports and other documentation

Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree and 5 or more years experience working on Korean American, Asian American & Pacific Islander, or economic security/empowerment policy initiatives. Excellent writing, editing, and oral communication skills. Strong research and analytical capacity. Experience in policy and legislative advocacy desired. Ability to work independently, meet deadlines, think creatively, and prioritize multiple tasks. Ability to work collaboratively in local-national or multi sectoral/ethnic partnerships. Some experience in working with ethnic and/or mainstream media desirable. Experience in community organizing and electoral campaigns an asset. This position requires occasional travel and ability to work some weekends.

To apply: Send cover letter, resume, writing sample, and salary history and requirement to Yeon-Ok Suh, NAKASEC, 1628 16th Street, Suite 306, Washington D.C. 20009 or via email at jobs@nakasec.org. Put “NAKASEC POLICY ANALYST SEARCH” in the subject line if applying via e-mail.

Competition: 14th Annual Asian American Literary Awards

Since 1998, The Asian American Writers’ Workshop has presented the highest literary honor for writers of Asian American descent. We believe we are the only national organization that actively solicits entries, to ensure that a comprehensive list of the year’s Asian American books are entered into competition. Past winners of the award include Pulitzer Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri, National Book Award winner Ha Jin, Pulitzer Prize Finalist Susan Choi, Booker Prize Finalist Amitav Ghosh, American Book Award winner Mei-Mei Berssenbrugge, and Guggenheim Fellow Arthur Sze, among many others. As these writers show, Asian American literature is not just a niche genre, but a central chapter in our nation’s literature.

The Annual Asian American Literary Awards honor Asian American writers for excellence in three categories: (1) fiction, (2) poetry, and (3) nonfiction. Literary awards recipients are determined by a national panel of judges who are selected on the basis of expertise in a literary genre and/or experience in academic environments relevant to Asian American literature; residence in the U.S. and ethnic background as to create a diverse committee.

To qualify for our next award, a work must have been written by an individual of Asian descent living in the United States and published originally in English during the calendar year preceding the award year (for example, works published in 2010 are eligible for the 2011 Literary Awards). No self-published works will be considered. Award submissions are accepted in spring, with award recipients announced in Fall, and publicly presented during our Winter awards ceremony and literary festival.

Applications for the upcoming Fourteenth Annual Asian American Literary Awards are due June 28, 2011. Please view the guidelines and fill out the online application to apply.

Call for Authors: Asian American History on the West Coast

Hello! I’m a Commissioning Editor for The History Press, and I’m looking for West Coast authors who have an interest in their community history. I would like to develop book projects on the history of Japanese Americans in West Coast communities — especially during World War II. I came across your website, and I’m writing to ask if you can recommend local authors who might be interested in this type of project.

To tell you a bit about The History Press, we are a traditional publisher that focuses exclusively on local and regional history. We publish a wide range of accessible, text-driven history books, from the story of a town or landmark, to local food and sports culture, to a city’s haunted or criminal past. We handle all stages of the publishing process—financing, editorial, design, production, sales, marketing, and distribution—and compensate in the form of royalties.

Can you recommend any authors who might be a match for our local history approach? I welcome your input. I look forward to hearing from you.

Warm Regards,
Aubrie Koenig
Commissioning Editor
The History Press
aubrie.koenig@historypress.net
843.577.5971 ext. 117

The end of the year naturally brings stories, articles, and lists from media organizations and bloggers that summarize noteworthy news events, topics, and issues from the past year. On this blog, you may have read my posts about “Racial/Ethnic Relations in 2010: The Best & Worst” and “The Most Significant Racial/Ethnic Issue of the Decade.

Along the same lines, other writers and bloggers around the internet have also posted their own end-of-year stories, articles, and lists related to Asian Americans, so I list and summarize the ones that I have recently come across (thanks to 8Asians for taking the lead on mentioning these lists):

• My colleague and pop culture expert Jeff Yang reviews the most newsworthy stories about Asian and Asian American popular culture from this past year.

• Columnist Keith Chow at Pop Culture Shock counts down the top 10 Asian Americans who made newsworthy achievements this past year in mainstream American pop culture.

• The good folks at New America Media compile their list of stories about people and communities of color that were largely ignored by the mainstream American media.

• A blog that promotes graduate education opportunities compiles a list of the 20 most important literary works related to Asian Americans.

• The writers of the online magazine Asia Pacific Arts (published by the University of Southern California U.S.-China Institute) select their favorite Asian and Asian American performers, film, music, TV dramas, choreography, video games, behind-the-scenes artists, etc. of 2010 (thanks to AngryAsianMan.com for mentioning this).

• The folks at Asiance make their case for the 10 hottest Asian American bachelors of 2010.

• Over at Hyphen magazine, Los Angeles-based soul/R&B musician Dawen recounts his favorite songs from each month of 2010.

• Columnist Nina Huang at Northwest Asian Weekly recounts the stories of 10 Asian Americans who made remarkable achievements this past year.

• Again at Northwest Asian Weekly, Andrew Hamlin summarizes his list of the 10 best Asian films/movies of 2010.

• The crew at Northwest Asian Weekly have been quite busy apparently, turning out another top 10 list, this time of the most newsworthy Asian American athletes and sports personalities of 2010.

• The best cities for Asian Americans to live in, as compiled by the blog Amped Asia.