Asian American Studies Commons^™

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…

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: 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…

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…

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…

Lo Family: Shoua Lo (Middle), Amy E. Smith

Hmong American Stories

Coming-of-age can happen abruptly, through a single experience—or it can be a process. For Shoua Lo, a cheerful man who laughs easily, the process began at age 19, when he decided to marry and start a family of his own. For Americans of all ethnicities, starting a family is a rite of passage that can open the door of adulthood. When you have children of your own, it is harder to continue to think of yourself as a child. Shoua, born the second oldest in a family of seven sons and three daughters, knew very well what sort of responsibilities …

Lo Family: Teng Lo (Elder), Amy E. Smith

Hmong American Stories

“If you work like a slave first—eventually, you’ll get to eat and live like a leader. If you eat and live like a leader first—eventually, you’ll have to eat and live like a slave.”

These are words of wisdom, words that anyone can learn from. They’re words that Teng Lo has never forgotten. Now seventy years old, he has learned many things in life—but those words, spoken by his Hmong elders, are as meaningful today as when he first heard them, years ago and in a very different place, as a twelve-year-old boy.

Juanitas Family: Eudosia Juanitas (Elder), Tucker Corriveau

Filipino American Stories

Eudosia Juanitas is a registered nurse among a family of physicians, pharmacists and scientists. Upon first glance, it might appear that Eudosia simply took advantage of the opportunities presented to a woman in a privileged family. However, deeper inspection reveals a woman who has fought against difficult odds to create a life of realized dreams…

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…

Juanitas Family: P. Felomina Hufana (Middle), Gina Beltrama

Filipino American Stories

Football games, pep rallies, basketball games, and dances—these are the memories that Felomina cherishes most about her past. Coming from a large family of seven children, there was always something going on in the Juanitas’ household. Attending cultural events, along with high school activities, was a significant part of life for Felomina and it is something that she still treasures today…

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…”

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…

Lo Family: Toubee Yang (Middle), Andrew Gelber

Hmong American Stories

Toubee Yang is a Stockton citizen who traveled over the ocean from his birthplace to find a new home and culture that he now embraces. His life is memorable partly because of the experiences he has had traveling and learning about the culture of the United States. His story is about a family broken in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, of a child growing up in a nation that did not readily respect his heritage, and also as a refugee in a totally foreign environment…

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…

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: 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: 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…

Enabling The Asian American Electorate: 2003 Voter Registration In Eleven Massachusetts Cities And Towns, Paul Watanabe, Michael Liu

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

For many in Massachusetts’ rapidly growing Asian American community, political participation is a vehicle to expand opportunities. Involvement in the selection of public officials and casting votes on critical issues are important manifestations of civic engagement. This participation, while it may offer opportunities for Asian Americans, also poses some significant challenges. In order to vote, adult residents must be United States citizens by birth or naturalization, but that is not enough. Citizens must also be registered to vote. This report provides the most detailed information on voter registration and Asian Americans in Massachusetts ever assembled. It includes analysis by the …

Political Contributions By Asian Americans: An Analysis Of The 2002 Massachusetts Gubernatorial Campaign, Paul Watanabe, Gregory Kim-Ju

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

The Institute for Asian American Studies has analyzed and chronicled, often for the first time, the involvement of Asian Americans in the daily life of the Commonwealth. Over the last few decades Massachusetts has experienced a remarkably rapid growth in its Asian American population. Between 1990 and 2000, for example, this population grew by 67.5% to 238,124. Asian Americans now constitute just under 4% of the state’s population

Review Of Global Divas: Filipino Gay Men In The Diaspora, By Martin F. Manalansan, Iv, Ximena Gallardo

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

No abstract provided.

Asian Americans In Metro Boston: Growth, Diversity, And Complexity, Paul Watanabe, Michael Liu, Shauna Lo

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

This report provides an overview of Asian Americans in the Metro Boston area using 2000 U.S. Census data.

Socioeconomic Status, Acculturation, Discrimination, And Health Of Japanese Americans: Generational Differences, T. Asakura, Alice Murata, W. Kawamoto, K. Nakayama, K. Asakura

Counselor Education Emeritus Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Do Asian Men Face Wage Discrimination In The United States?, Marlene Kim

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

Currently there is a debate regarding whether Asian men suffer from workplace discrimination on account of their race. The research findings have been mixed. Cabezas and Kawaguchi (1988) found that in the San Francisco Metropolitan Area, both foreign-born and U.S.-born men who were of Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, and Korean descent earned less than similarly qualified U.S.-born white men, although they did not examine the statistical significance of these findings. Using the same 1980 census data on a national sample of Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Asian Indian, and Korean men, Duleep and Sanders (1992) find differences in earnings by race that are …

Voice Of The People (Fa 83), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid and full-text scan of student papers (Click on “Additional Files” below) for Folklife Archives Project 83. The Voice of the People: An Understanding of Khmer, Lao and Vietnamese in Bowling Green, Kentucky. A Western Kentucky University Folk Studies project directed by Dr. Lynwood Montell, involving 9 students and 26 informants. Several of the interview transcriptions are available by downloading (Click "Download" button on the right) the finding aid and clicking on the hyperlinks in the text.

Ua68/13/4 Limited Edition, Wku Journalism

WKU Administration Documents

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 …

Review Of Contemporaryasian American Communities, Edited By Linda Vo And Rick Bonus, James Lai

Ethnic Studies

Many compilations have been published on Asian Pacific Americans over the past several years, but none have really challenged existing theoretical assumptions about the "everyday spaces" in contemporary Asian Pacific American communities until now. In Contemporary Asian American Communities: Intersections and Divergences, co-edited by Linda Trinh Vo and Rick Bonus, an array of scholars are challenging established scholarly notions about a wide range of topics including the meanings of community, sexual and multi-racial identities, professional and political networks, and new modes of cultural production for Asian Pacific Americans.

Married Asian-Indian Women's Attitude Toward Divorce And Its Relationship To Acculturation In The United States, Kavita K. Ajmere

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between married predominantly Hindu Asian-Indian women's attitude toward divorce and their acculturation in the United States. The final data set included a total of 66 participants (33 first generation and 33 second generation). These participants were administered The Majority Minority Relations Survey (MMRS), the Attitudes Toward Divorce Questionnaire, and a Demographic Information Questionnaire. Results showed on average, first generation participants endorsed more conservative attitudes toward divorce, higher levels of perceived prejudice by the majority group, and higher level of language usage in their native Indian language. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that acculturation added 15% …

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 …

Falling Into The Olongapo River, Ronald Sundstrom

Philosophy

No abstract provided.

Reconstructing The Chinese American Experience In Lowell, Massachusetts, 1870s–1970s, Shehong Chen

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

This is a study of the Chinese American experience in Lowell, Massachusetts, over the century from the 1870s through the 1970s. I have selected this period for study because the 1870s witnessed the first appearance of Chinese laundries in Lowell, and the 1970s, the disappearance of Chinese laundries in Lowell. Notably, this study attempts to fill in two existing gaps in historical scholarship. First, the experiences of many of Lowell’s ethnic groups have been documented or studied, but the experience of the Chinese has been ignored. Secondly, the history of Chinese Americans in New England cities and towns has generally …