Asian American Studies Commons^™

Profiles Of Asian American Subgroups In Massachusetts: Vietnamese Americans In Massachusetts, Shauna Lo, Thao Tran

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

Vietnamese Americans are the third largest Asian American subgroup in Massachusetts. In the 2010 decennial census, the Vietnamese American population in the state numbered 47,636, an increase of nearly 30% since 2000.

The largest concentration of Vietnamese Americans is in the city of Boston, while Worcester also has a significant population. There are also sizable communities of Vietnamese Americans just to the north and south of Boston—to the north in Malden, Everett, Medford, Revere, Chelsea, and Lynn, and to the south in Quincy, Randolph, and Braintree.

The greatest area of growth of Vietnamese Americans in the state is to the …

Asian American We: Civic Engagement Among Low-Income Young Adults, Michael Liu, Star Wang, Janice Wong, Loan Dao

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

This report describes a study of the civic participation of low-income Asian American adults between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five in the Boston area. It is based upon a mail survey with 100 respondents, focus groups, and organization interviews.

The study found that over 60% of the study population engaged in some form of civic participation, most commonly through fundraising or volunteer activities. Other activities included arts and culture with a social message, issues work, and electoral involvement. The area of greatest involvement was education. From the survey, civic engagement is correlated with female gender, higher education, and a …

Mapping Community Mindscapes: Visualizing Social Autobiography As Political Transformation And Mobilization, Emily C. Bluck

Scripps Senior Theses

Historically, autobiography has been used to perpetuate neo-liberal ideologies. Yet, when autobiography becomes social and is used to engage political communities of color, political transformation is possible. This project, through the collaborative visualization of Asian American social biography using pedagogical and relational methods as a means for engagement, seeks to destabilize dominant notions of time and space, and provide a mechanism for the retention of and documentation of institutional, and social histories using the Asian American Student Union at Scripps College as the site for political praxis.

From An Ethnic Island To A Transnational Bubble: A Reflection On Korean Americans In Los Angeles, Edward J.W. Park

Asian and Asian American Studies Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Immigration And Belonging: Nation, Class, And Membership In New Migration Policies, Edward J.W. Park

Asian and Asian American Studies Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Chinese-Born Seniors On The Move: Transnational Mobility And Family Life Between The Pearl River Delta And Boston, Massachusetts, Nicole Newendorp

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

My account here of Chinese seniors’ migration trajectories to the U.S. in recent years builds on this increasing scholarly focus on the dialectic of the individual and collective in Chinese transnational family life by examining the motivations and desires of senior migrants who make use of recent opportunities for transnational mobility between China and the U.S. to reunite with family in the U.S.—all the while leaving other family members behind in China.

Portland's Goose Hollow, Tracy J. Prince

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty Publications and Presentations

One of Portland’s oldest neighborhoods, Goose Hollow is steps from downtown and beloved for its quirky character, historic homes, spectacular views, and walkability. Over a century ago, the actual “hollow” was dramatically altered when the meandering Tanner Creek, in a deep gulch with several trestle bridge crossings, was diverted underground and infilled. The creek’s presence is still felt in the ravine carved through the Tualatin Mountains (spanned by the Vista Bridge) and in the neighborhood’s identity. This book provides definitive answers to how Goose Hollow got its name and how Tanner Creek Gulch was filled. Stories are also told of …

Asian Americans And Politics: Voting Behavior And Political Involvement, Elizabeth Hoene

Political Science Theses and Capstones

Voting behavior and political involvement are two commonly studied topics among political scientists today, most commonly involving Caucasian, African, and Hispanic Americans. However, there have been relatively few studies done on Asian American and Asian immigrant voting behavior and their political involvement. What causes Asian Americans and Asian immigrants to vote the way they do? How involved are they in American politics and why? These are questions that I am aiming to answer through the studying of the Pilot National Asian American Political Survey 2000- 2001 from the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research. Socioeconomic factors such as income, …

Women In Transition: Experiences Of Asian Women International Students On U.S. College Campuses, Siva Jeyabalasingam

Department of Family Therapy Dissertations and Applied Clinical Projects

Often referred to as people in transition, international students usually arrive in the U.S. with a clear sense of their academic goals; however, they often have not considered what their lives will be like or how they may change in non-academic ways. In addition to the typical level of university-related stress, international students face additional problems and difficulties generated in part by the cultural differences between the U.S. and their own countries. This is particularly true for Asian students. Of several studies that have investigated the experiences of international students in the U.S., only a handful have examined Asian students' …

Asian Adoptees And Post-Adoption Services In Massachusetts: Data From Providers And Reflections From Adult Adoptees, Nathan James Bae Kupel

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

In the summer of 2009, the Institute for Asian American Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston in consultation with Boston Korean Adoptees, Inc. (BKA), commenced a project aimed at documenting post-adoption services and programs available to Asian adoptees, principally Korean, in Massachusetts and assessing their content and relevance. In the first part of the project, a questionnaire was sent to providers of post-adoption services and program currently available requesting information about their services—number, content, clientele, resources, and staffing. In addition providers were asked to comment on the frequency of requests for services and on challenges faced in offering them. …

Intergenerational Conflict Between Emerging Adults And Their Parents In Asian American Families, Kathy Nguyen

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Due to a paucity of research, little is understood about the experiences of Asian American emerging adults as they navigate their relationship with their parents. The purpose of the current study was to investigate intergenerational conflict in Asian American families, specifically when emerging adults are living at home with their parents. Acculturation gap, generational status, birth order, gender, and language proficiency were examined as predictors or mediators of conflict. Participants consisted of 350 Asian American emerging adults who were currently living with their parents, who lived with their parents during certain times of the year (e.g., vacations), or who had …

Profiles Of Asian American Subgroups In Massachusetts: Korean Americans In Massachusetts, Nathan James Bae Kupel

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

This report looks at Korean Americans in Massachusetts with a focus on the Metro Boston area. Using the 2000 U.S. Census and the American Community Survey 2005–2007 Three-Year Estimates in combination with interviews and secondary research, this profile looks at Korean American demographics and community perspectives.

A Comparative Study Of Chinese And Mexican Immigrants' Economic Incorporation In The United States, Miao Chunyu

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This dissertation research is a comparative study of the economic incorporation of the unskilled Chinese and Mexican immigrants in the United States. This comparative approach is justified by the fact that these two groups share striking similarities in human capital, social networks, and immigrant flow patterns, whereas they also differ significantly in their migration cost, transnational practice, and reception in the U.S. labor market. This research investigates three specific aspects of their labor market experience: participation in self-employment, job transition, and earnings growth. Essentially I hope to find out whether these immigrants can achieve economic mobility over time and in …

A Profile Of Asian Americans In Massachusetts: Data From The 2005-2007 American Community Survey Three-Year Estimates, Shauna Lo

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

The report contains demographic and socioeconomic data for Asian Americans as well as for Chinese, Indians, Vietnamese, Cambodians, and Koreans in the state. Many of tables also provide comparative data on Whites, Blacks and African Americans, and Latinos.

A Place Like This: An Environmental Justice History Of The Owens Valley - Water In Indigenous, Colonial, And Manzanar Stories, Monica Embrey

Pomona Senior Theses

This text provides an environmental justice analysis of the stories of the people who lived in the Owens Valley, who watered its land and cultivated its crops—pine trees, apple trees, and kabocha alike. Telling the personal stories of challenge and resistance that manifested alongside the oppressive forces of military and state domination provides the opportunity to align forcibly relocated, exploited and incarcerated people’s struggles throughout time. This text starts with The Nü’ma Peoples who were the first humans to live in the Owens Valley and continues with the struggle for empire between rival colonial empires of agriculture and distant urban …

Lao Health And Adjustment In Southern New England Three Decades After The Secret War, Patrick F. Clarkin

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

This study explored Lao life histories, health, and social adjustment in the southern New England states of Rhode Island and Connecticut. In addition, it sought to examine whether there was a correlation between war experiences early in life and health in adulthood, a finding reported in previous research on the Hmong, another ethnic group from Laos. Overall, 99 Lao adults born in Laos or Thailand (mean age 43.5 +/- 10.8 years) completed orally administered questionnaires and were measured for blood pressure and various anthropometric markers. Lao in this sample appeared to have higher than average educational back grounds in Laos, …

Reclaiming Koreatown: A Prescription For Current And Future Needs Of Koreatown Residents, Edward J.W. Park, Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance

Asian and Asian American Studies Faculty Works

This report presents current and future needs of neighborhood residents and analyzes the challenges facing the multi-ethnic, low-income Koreatown community in Los Angeles. For the thousands of low-income residents of Los Angeles's Koreatown, the economic hardships brought on by the recent subprime mortgage housing and financial crises are not new. In the words of a Koreatown resident, "....the housing 'crisis' has been a crisis for us for a long time." Well before the current recession, Koreatown residents were complaining of increased housing costs due to the influx of upscale luxury housing units that replaced affordable housing units. The 2008 financial …

Interest And Action: Findings From A Survey Of Asian American Attitudes On Immigrants, Immigration, And Activism, Michael Liu, Shauna Lo, Paul Watanabe

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

This report presents results from a survey of 412 Chinese and Vietnamese in the Boston area about attention paid to immigration issues, views on the impact of immigrants and on immigration policies, and likeliness to engage in political activities around immigration rights.

Re-Imagining Collectivities: The Mexican Japanese During World War Ii, Selfa Chew

NACCS Annual Conference Proceedings

Abstract:

The removal from the United States/Mexico borderlands of persons of Japanese descent during World War II resulted in great losses which, until now, have not been acknowledged by the Mexican or the United States government. Although their forced relocation is an event of great significance in the relations of the two countries involved in their displacement, the official narratives deny any deep impact suffered by Japanese Mexicans. However, the question of their uprooting is inextricably linked to the loss of civil rights and the Mexican government’s compliance with the United States’ requirement to neutralize internal enemies. This paper explores …

Asian American Nonprofit Organizations In U.S. Metropolitan Areas, Chi-Kan Richard Hung

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

This article analyzes the characteristics of Asian American nonprofit organizations in major U.S. metropolitan areas. The data are based on internet archives of nonprofit organization Form 990 and related information. Asian American nonprofits are less than 20 years old on average. They remain a relatively small part of the nonprofit sector. Religious organizations are generally the largest group among Asian American nonprofits, followed by cultural organizations, service agencies, and public interest associations of similar proportions. Asian American secular organizations as a group tend to be younger, are more likely to by in central cities, in wealthy and poor communities, as …

Profiles Of Asian American Subgroups In Massachusetts: Filipino Americans In Massachusetts, Richard Chu

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

The study of Filipino Americans in the United States is both fascinating and important. It is fascinating because, as with most Asian American subgroups, Filipino Americans are highly diverse, displaying a rich contour of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. It is important because they come from a country that was the only major colony of the U.S. in the Pacific. As a consequence of this historical relationship, Filipino Americans now rank as the second most populous Asian American subgroup, and 2006 marked the centennial of the first significant group of contract laborers to be sent to Hawai’i. Despite the important roles …

Far From The Commonwealth: A Report On Low-Income Asian Americans In Massachusetts, Michael Liu, Thao Tran, Paul Watanabe

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

Asian Americans are as diverse in history, language, class, ethnic origin, and demographics as any group in the United States. This complexity is reflected in their economic status. Much attention has focused on the significant economic attainments of many Asian Americans. The fact, however, that a large number of Asian Americans also live in poverty or have low incomes has received much less notice from researchers, foundations, government agencies, and others.

The principal purpose of this report is to bring attention to and shed more light on a significant sector of Asian Americans in Massachusetts, those with low incomes. We …

'I Hope He's Not Korean', Edward J.W. Park

Asian and Asian American Studies Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Ethnographic Study Of Buddhist Education, Based On Burgess' Social Science Method At An American University And A Private Buddhist Organization, Wan-Ming Lu

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

The literature shows that there are many studies about Buddhism in the United States and religion on college campuses, but few studies specifically about Buddhism in American universities. The purpose of this study is to explore how American college students approach and learn about Buddhism. A qualitative research study of clinical ethnography was applied to conduct this study at the Florida International University (FIU) and Florida Buddhist Association (FBA). FBA was chosen to compare with FIU so that the features of Buddhist education at FIU would be clearer.

Eight students and four teachers (instructors) were interviewed at FIU; and two …

A Qualitative Examination Of The Psychosocial Adjustment Of Khmer Refugees In Three Massachusetts Communities, Leakhena Nou

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

This paper uses a sociological stress process model to explore the Khmer adult refugees’ experience in Massachusetts. The analysis is based on the responses of three focus groups in the Khmer communities of Lowell, Lynn, and Revere, Massachusetts. The focus groups provided an in-depth understanding of sources of stress, stress mediators, and psychosocial adjustment/adaptational patterns for Khmer refugees who had experienced the Cambodian genocide. Symptoms and reactions associated with underlying causes of mental health problems had culturally specific relevance to physical illness and mental health.

Profiles Of Asian American Subgroups In Massachusetts: Chinese Americans In Massachusetts, Shauna Lo

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

This report presents a profile of Chinese Americans statewide as well as highlights Chinese Americans living in four communities: Boston’s Chinatown, Quincy, Malden and Newton. It draws upon U.S. Census data, secondary sources and interviews.

Parental Influence On Children's Ethnic Identity Among Chinese Americans, Sham'ah Md. Yunus

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the influence of Chinese American parents on their children's ethnic identity. Two research questions were designed to examine these relationships: Does the personal construct of Chinese American parents influence their children's ethnic identity and does the length of stay in the United States of Chinese American parents influence children's ethnic identity? Parental influence was identified as parents' ethnic behaviors, parents' ethnic values, parents' personal construct, and their length of stay in the United States. The 93 families who participated in this study were purposely selected from three Chinese language schools from a Midwestern city of the United …

Juanitas Family: Catherine Hufana (Youth), Lori Iwamasa

Filipino American Stories

Catherine Hufana grew up in Stockton, California. Her Filipino culture runs deep in her family and she has always felt “Filipino.” However, after visiting the Phillipines in 1992, Catherine realized that she identified much more strongly with Americans than native Filipinos. As an American, Catherine’s upbringing was much different than her parents. She was raised in a household that spoke mostly English, although her parents are bilingual. As Catherine struggled to fit in with her American peers, her parents continued to introduce her to their own Filipino culture…

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 …