Asian American Studies Commons^™

Carido Family: Kathleen Nomura (Youth), G. Lee

Filipino American Stories

Although she’s now well past the age of maturity, Kathleen Nomura thinks that her elders in her large extended family do not yet see her as an adult. In reply to the question, “When did your family start treating you like an adult?” with a good-natured laugh, she answers, “They still don’t.” Yet, there were milestones along the way that indicated to her she was becoming an adult—being able to drive, moving away from home, and having to be responsible for her own bills. It was a long process, which has not reached a culmination in their minds, although she …

Carido Family: Camila Carido (Elder), G. Lee

Filipino American Stories

Camila Carido’s early years prepared her well for the adult responsibilities that were thrust upon her. Born in 1910, in the village of Hinundayan, Leyte in the Phillipine Islands, she and three sisters were left behind with their mother, Macaria, when her father emigrated to the U.S. Without a father in the house, mother and children had to fend for themselves in the coastal plains in the island where they lived…

Wong Family: Nancy Wong (Elder), May Lin

Chinese American Stories

Nancy Wong was born in Ung Hong village, Toy San District, China, to a restaurant owner and housewife. Growing up, Nancy felt like a child who did not know much about the world. When Nancy was seven, her mother left Nancy and her younger brother to travel to the U.S. Nancy and her brother Donald, were left with their grandmother. At age nine, her grandmother sent her to school. When Nancy was 15, her mother returned to China with three sisters and four brothers for which Nancy was to care. This began her adulthood in her mind…

Wong Family: Kecia Won-Jones (Youth), Tucker Corriveau

Chinese American Stories

Growing up, Kecia Won-Jones experienced a plethora of cultures. She is Chinese, but was born and raised in a multi-cultural America. Though she is a third generation Chinese American, she feels a strong connection to her ethnic past. On the other hand, she confesses that her parents were assimilated into American culture, and that she has lived only in this country. Kecia likes to think she has the better of two worlds. Kecia is grateful for the opportunity to celebrate her cultural traditions as well as those of others. Navigating diversity has been one of her paths to maturity…

Wong Family: Debbie Nozuka (Youth), Riley Buck

Chinese American Stories

In October 1915, a brave man left his home country of China to come to America in search of something better in “Gum San,” the land of the “Golden Hills.” Because of this man, Debbie was given the opportunity to begin her life in the U.S. This man was her grandfather. “As a family, people share a unique bond, ” Debbie explains. “Even though I cannot communicate well with my…older relatives because of a language barrier, I cherish and value the time I spend with them…”

Wong Family: Sandra Won (Middle), Oksana Ivashchenko

Chinese American Stories

Growing up in a close-knit Chinese family, Sandra Won had a happy upbringing with parents who didn’t impose adult roles on her. They made sure that she had time to be a child, to play and to experience a wide variety of activities. Her entrance into adulthood was gradual and, in her mind, was marked by a variety of ordinary events in her life…

Wong Family: Violet Chan (Middle), Jacob Lethbridge

Chinese American Stories

There was hardly a time growing up when Violet Chan did not have responsibilities. As a child in China, she had a major role in obtaining food for her family and caring for her mother. Later, as a teenager, she had primary responsibility for taking care of her baby brothers. Despite the duties asked of her, Violet had an underlying passion for an education and she fixed her sights on that goal…

Wong Family: John Wong (Elder), Christina Tran

Chinese American Stories

In 1932, at the age of 15, John Wong and his family received news of a terrible tragedy—the death of his mother. John was the oldest of 10 children, and with this news, his world changed. He took on new responsibilities; he worked to be a good example for his siblings, and helped instruct them as a parent would. The death of his mother made him feel more like an adult because he became the second parental figure, along with his dad. The passing of his mother left a painful reminder that his childhood had ended abruptly and his adulthood …

Hirata Family: Karen Cairel (Youth), April Foster

Japanese American Stories

For Karen Cairel, coming-of-age was a journey, involving many steps and the support of loving family ties. She treasures the model her grandmother provided showing her that adult life can be bright and positive. Karen’s religion of Buddhism and Japanese heritage provided the values that guided her to maturity. She remembers the support of parents who adjusted quickly as she began to make adult choices. In sum, she was warmly cared for as she made her way toward adulthood…

Komure Family: Kathryn "Katy" Komure (Elder), Jacob Lethbridge

Japanese American Stories

Since she was a young girl in French Camp, Katy Komure found her life defined by work. Despite a constant struggle to reach her goals, things had a way of working out for Katy. She focused on what she thought important and found she could succeed despite social barriers which stood in her way…

Komure Family: Dean Komure (Middle), Lori Iwamasa

Japanese American Stories

Dean Komure grew up, knowing in his heart, that if his word was good, he would always have something. That would be the pride of being a Japanese American. Dean learned this from his parents and it is what he has passed on to his children…

Hirata Family: Toshiye Hirata (Elder), Amy E. Smith

Japanese American Stories

Toshiye Hirata holds in her hands a valuable letter. Its value doesn’t come from the fame of the writer or from historical significance—but rather from the intense depth of its personal meaning for her. The letter is a Namu Amida Butsu, a Buddhist expression of sincerest, heartfelt gratitude. It was written to her by her husband, Roy Ko Hirata. In the letter he thanks her from the bottom of his heart for how she raised two daughters and a son with him, diligently and lovingly, and how she worked side by side with him through the many hardships of their …

Hirata Family: Henry Hirata (Middle), Tara Runnels

Japanese American Stories

Henry and his sisters think of themselves as part of the Nisei generation, although their mother was also born in America. Typically, Nisei are challenged to live a mixture of Japanese and American culture. Having the opportunity to participate in school events gave him confidence socially. Still, on occasion, Henry felt he was different or separate from his classmates. For example, he knew instinctively that he could not openly date a Caucasian girl. Realizing the existence of such limits, he was torn between wanting to be accepted and having pride in his heritage…

Komure Family: Roxanne Komure (Youth), Oksana Ivanschencko

Japanese American Stories

Within a young Japanese woman’s journey to adulthood, the culture does not offer one specific ritual or even that marks the moment that she leaves her childhood behind. Roxanne is no exception to the rule. While there is not one significant event that causes Roxanne to feel like an adult, she predicts that the sum of experiences that helped her grow and mature, will equate to Roxanne becoming a responsible and independent adult…

Sorn Family: Sonn Meong (Elder), Amy Smith

Cambodian American Stories

Traditional music and the sound of the Khmer language are among Sonn Moeng’s favorite childhood memories. They remind him of a homeland and a way of life devastated by war. Today, he lives in an adopted country, surrounded by a language he does not speak and struggles to understand a culture that is not his own…

Pech Family: Rottana Prak (Youth), Danielle Bosch

Cambodian American Stories

All over the country, at this very moment, parents are asking their children for help with the chores. And all over the country, teenagers are…turning up their headphones, or heading for the door. Or, if they’re like Rottana Prak, they are simply saying “Yes.” Rottana is a typical high school student who likes to spend time with her friends, enjoys music and movies, and is interested in X-treme sports. But she is also a teenager who knows her roots. She knows what her family endured in Cambodia as their beautiful homeland was shattered by war and the brutalities of the …

Pech Family: Ky Pech (Elder), May Lin

Cambodian American Stories

There are many situations that Ky Pech could have marked as the beginning of her adulthood. Her parents gave her a great amount of responsibility at an early age. Fulfilling that responsibility was her greatest accomplishment, but Ky Pech doesn’t feel as though that alone marked the beginning of her adulthood. She helped her family financially, earning money by working in the rice fields of Cambodia. Ky Pech also helped her mother take care of her two younger sisters after her father died. Although society considered her an adult at the age of 14, in her own heart, she did …

Sorn Family: Sophat Sorn (Middle), Tammy Hunt

Cambodian American Stories

Sophat Sorn has a great love for his native country of Cambodia. On its soil, he learned great lessons in life and in loss. Sophat never wanted to leave Cambodia. However, he had no choice, as his family safety was threatened. On October 30th, 1991, Sophat and his family arrived in Petaluma, California to start a new life. Two weeks later, the family arrived in Stockton. Now, surrounded by his children, Sophat tells stories of his lost youth, homeland, friends and family left behind…

Pech Family: Kun Tuy (Middle), Lindsey Gaines

Cambodian American Stories

Imagine a 15-year-old girl forced to work in the fields, seven days a week, from five in the morning until seven at night. In the U.S., such a young woman would be going to school to learn about herself and about life’s opportunities. Kun Tuy dreamed of teaching dance. Instead, she was put to work by the Khmer Rouge in the rice fields of mountainous Cambodia. She received no money and little food for her labor. The Khmer Rouge ruled by suppression and killing in anticipation of establishing a Communist regime in Cambodia…

Sorn Family: Leakhena Sorn (Youth), Christina Tran

Cambodian American Stories

In October 1991, Leakhena Sorn was 13 years old when she immigrated to Stockton from Cambodia. Learning a new language and adjusting to a new culture often made her feel isolated during the transition to life in Stockton. Because of Leakhena’s arrival after the first major emigration from Cambodia, she enjoyed the support of an already established Cambodian community. Many Stockton Cambodians were already graduating from universities and had established careers as pharmacists, physicians or as business owners…

Artful Identifications: Crafting Survival In Japanese American Concentration Camps, Jane E. Dusselier

Jane E. Dusselier

"Artful Identifications" offers three meanings of internment art. First, internees remade locations of imprisonment into livable places of survival. Inside places were remade as internees responded to degraded living conditions by creating furniture with discarded apple crates, cardboard, tree branches and stumps, scrap pieces of wood left behind by government carpenters, and wood lifted from guarded lumber piles. Having addressed the material conditions of their living units, internees turned their attention to aesthetic matters by creating needle crafts, wood carvings, ikebana, paintings, shell art, and kobu. Dramatic changes to outside spaces of "assembly centers" and concentration camps were also critical …

Ua68/13/4 Limited Edition, Wku Journalism

WKU Archives Records

Newspaper created by students participating in the Minority Journalism Workshop hosted by the WKU Journalism Department.

• Clark, Ashlee. Campus Security Tightens in Wake of Murder
• Lau, Jessica. Diversity Grows, Problems Persist
• Yee, April. Home of Love
• Leong, Jennifer. State Street Baptist Church Rededication Date Set
• Cowherd, Heather. Growing Up Black in Bowling Green
• Clark, Ashlee & Aja Junior. Regents Approve Increased Budget
• Leong, Jennifer. Hispanic Ministry Provides Heartfelt Worship
• Taylor, Sean. Shake Rag Gains New Support, Awareness
• Taylor, Sean. Patriot Act Tramples Peoples' Civil Rights
• Clark, Ashlee. Got Ethics?
• Winters, Jonathan. Remove Patriotism from Flames
• Yee, April. Stereotypes
• Jefferson, Regina …

Cyberspace, Y2k: Giant Robots, Asian Punks, Rachel Rubin

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

On the eve of the 21st century, a group of young Asian American writers bravely announced—tongue partially in cheek, in keeping with the aesthetic of sincere irony that characterizes the so-called Generation X—their recreation of “a monster.” This announcement, posted on the internet (at www.gidra.net), was drafted by the “editorial recollective” of Gidra, a samizdat (self-published) monthly newsletter launched thirty years earlier by a group of UCLA students who wanted a forum where they could address the particular concerns and issues facing Asian Pacific Americans in the Vietnam War era. Writers and editors of a new Gidra declared in …

Grandparent Care In The Asian Population, Jan Mutchler, Seungah Lee, Lindsey A. Baker

Gerontology Institute Publications

The purpose of this report is to provide information on Asian grandparent caregivers in the United States. Many grandparents are responsible for grandchildren who live with them in the same household. The 1996 Welfare Reform Act mandates that statistics be collected on grandparents who serve as caregivers to a grandchild. In response to this requirement, questions were developed for the 2000 Census of Population asking each adult about care for grandchildren living in the same household. We use the census information to identify grandparents who are caring for grandchildren in two different types of households: skipped-generation households, in which a …

Quality Of Life As Defined By Chinese Americans With Disabilities: Implications For Rehabilitation Services, Nan Zhang Hampton, Vickie Chang

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

We hypothesized that Chinese Americans with disabilities may remain culturally attached to their ancestors' homeland and this cultural attachment may have influences on the concept of Quality of Life (QOL). That is, QOL may be perceived, by Chinese Americans with disabilities, not only as an individual's satisfaction with his or her life, but also the person's fulfillment of his or her responsibilities to his or her family and community. Of course, this hypothesis needs to be examined. Such an investigation may provide rehabilitation counselors with insights into the meaning of QOL from the viewpoint of Chinese Americans with disabilities. It …

School Racial Composition And Adolescent Racial Homophily, Kara Joyner, Grace Kao

Kara Joyner

No abstract provided.

Attitudes Toward Sexuality And Sexual Behaviors Of Asian-American Adolescents: Implications For Risk Of Hiv Infection, Connie S. Chan

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

Until 1990, Asian Americans represented an ethnic minority group that was perceived to be at lower risk than African Americans or Hispanics/Latinos for HIV infection, the presumed causal agent for AIDS. Reasons cited for this perception include behavioral differences in intravenous drug use, sexual behavioral habits, and underidentification of AIDS cases. However, in urban areas such as San Francisco, Toronto, New York, Boston, Los Angeles, and Seattle, where Asians have immigrated and settled in large numbers, cases of HIV infection and AIDS have begun to increase dramatically, perhaps reflecting the rise in the number of AIDS cases in Asia. In …

Relativism, Reflective Equilibrium, And Justice, Justin Schwartz

Justin Schwartz

THIS PAPER IS THE CO-WINNER OF THE FRED BERGER PRIZE IN PHILOSOPHY OF LAW FOR THE 1999 AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE BEST PUBLISHED PAPER IN THE PREVIOUS TWO YEARS.

The conflict between liberal legal theory and critical legal studies (CLS) is often framed as a matter of whether there is a theory of justice that the law should embody which all rational people could or must accept. In a divided society, the CLS critique of this view is overwhelming: there is no such justice that can command universal assent. But the liberal critique of CLS, that it degenerates into …

Shelter Poverty: Housing Affordability Among Asian Americans, Michael E. Stone

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

Relatively little research has been conducted that focuses on the housing situation of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans (hereafter generally referred to as Asian Americans), especially on the national level. From a review of about 30 articles and reports over the past decade that examine racial/ethnic housing situations nationally, only one specifically addressed housing problems of Asian Americans (Hansen, 1986) while two others included Asian Americans along with other populations of color. Of the remaining articles, most used the terms race, racial discrimination, or segregation in their titles, yet did not include Asian Americans in the studies. Of particular note, …

A Participatory Study Of The Self-Identity Of Kibei Nisei Men: A Sub Group Of Second Generation Japanese American Men, William T. Masuda

Doctoral Dissertations

At one time, the Kibei were perceived as "a minority within a minority" (Me Williams, 1944: 322) who were "distrusted in both America and Japan" (1944:321). But today, the Kibei are hardly distinguishable from the Nisei as they both enter the evening of their lives. Raised in both America and Japan, but strongly influenced in their formative years by Japanese cultural values and beliefs, they were often perceived differently by their own family, by the Japanese American community, and by the American community at large. The apparent marginality of this group, living on the fringes of or in the space …