Pretty in pink?

I came across this article today. Makes me cringe to think what my husband and I will deal with in raising our kids ("No, you cannot wear a midriff-baring t-shirt that says 'Slut'!"), especially when companies are creating marketing schemes targeting them as early as their preschool years ...

"What's Wrong With Cinderella?"

Permanent outsiders

The Salt Lake Tribune is featuring an article about international adoptees ...

"I realized I was a permanent outsider"

"What we know is that none of us fully fit in with our adoptive cultures or our birth cultures.

"But we are excited to start an adoptee culture, one that allows us to pull the good from our cultures and create a space where we feel comfortable with each other and ourselves."

Russia halts foreign adoptions

On NPR this morning ...

"Russian authorities have suspended the work of foreign adoption agencies. That has put into limbo the plans of many Americans waiting to adopt Russian children, even as human rights groups say a growing number of institutionalized children in Russia are living — and dying — in wretched conditions."

"Russia's Halt on Adoptions Spotlights Conditions"

The NPR site has a link so you can listen to the radio segment.

Americans adopt more children from Russia than from any other country except China and Guatemala. But now the government has suspended the work of all foreign adoption agencies. Officials say it's a temporary measure, part of the new registration requirements for all non-governmental organizations.

Still, Education Ministry official Sergei Vitelis says Russian children should stay in Russia.

"Adoption by foreigners probably isn't entirely right," Vitelis says. "Any normal state should create conditions for children to grow up in their own country. That's what we're aiming for."

Children's rights advocates say the official crackdown on foreign adoptions is more about national pride than concern for child welfare. They say it condemns children to a system of Soviet-era institutions desperately in need of reform.

On a different note, another NPR story out of China ...

"Cases of Forced Abortions Surface in China"

Fire 'em!

"CBS Radio suspended two New York City radio hosts on Monday for their prank phone call to a Chinese restaurant that Asian American advocacy groups across the country decried as racist, sexist and vulgar."

"Ex-Bay radio jocks suspended"

Updated (4/26/07):

"Rights groups demand firing of radio hosts"

"Prominent Asian American civil rights groups in the Bay Area are demanding that CBS Radio fire New York shock jocks Jeff Vandergrift and Dan Lay, who were suspended this week for making a prank phone call to a Chinese restaurant seen as racist and sexist."

Updated (5/14/07):

"Asian Slurs End Shock Jocks' Show on CBS"

"One month after CBS Radio fired radio host Don Imus, it has permanently pulled the plug on a pair of suspended New York shock jocks for a prank phone call rife with offensive Asian stereotypes."

Backlash

"Braced for Backlash"

"Korean-Americans fear that hatred toward the Virginia Tech killer will spill over into their community—and fuel negative typecasting."

Updated (4/24/07):

From NPR's Robert Siegel of "All Things Considered" ...

"Weighing Cho's Heritage and Identity"

And from the Washington Post ...

"Koreans Aren't to Blame"

Mass shooting at Virginia Tech

The AP is reporting that at least 30 people are dead after a gunman opened fire on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, VA, this morning. One eyewitness to the shootings at a Norris Hall classroom described the shooter as "an Asian male in his twenties wearing a maroon hat and a black coat."

"Gunman Kills 30 on Virginia Tech Campus"

Updated: MSNBC is reporting that about 50 people were shot and 33 are confirmed dead, including the gunman.

"At least 33 dead in rampage at Virginia college"

MSNBC also has a phone interview with the eyewitness who described the gunman as an Asian male, along with another interview with a classmate.

Updated (4/17/07):

The gunman has been identified as 23-year-old Cho Seung-Hui, a Virginia Tech senior majoring in English. He was a legal, permanent resident of the U.S. from South Korea. His family lives in Centreville, VA. (Kind of weird because I was thinking of my Korean friend who lives in Centreville yesterday. I looked up Blacksburg on Google Maps and saw it was about three hours away from Centreville.)

"Va. Tech: Gunman Student From S. Korea"

"Gunman came to U.S. at age 8 from South Korea"

"Korea 'In Shock' at Shooter's Origin"

"South Korea's Yonhap news agency said the suspect had gone to live in the United States while in primary school and had permanent residency there while maintaining his South Korean citizenship, citing an unnamed official."

"Gunman's writings had raised concerns"

I'm still processing everything that happened yesterday. I woke up to hear NPR reporting that only one person was dead at Virginia Tech. Then I get to work to read that the number was up to 21. And then a little later it was 33 and the gunman may have been Asian. And now this morning that he was Korean.

All day yesterday I was checking various news Web sites for updates, wanting to know what happened and why -- something officials, students, and the victims' families are still wondering. My heart goes out to the family and friends of the victims and the Virginia Tech students and staff.

'North Koreans face danger on the run'

CNN.com has a video, "North Korean escape route," that describes the journey of North Koreans refugees who are making their way to Thailand from China. The Thai government's official policy is to deport North Korean refugees to South Korea, instead of returning them to North Korea as the Chinese government does.

The video includes the story of one woman who was on the run for four years. In China, she was raped and lived as a sex slave until she made it to Thailand. She had to leave behind her 3-year-old daughter in China. She also tells of the bodies of the dead in North Korea used for food because people are starving.

Also, MSNBC.com is featuring two slideshows on Korea, "Korea conflict in pictures" and "Inside North Korea," on it's Asia-Pacific page (scroll down, on the right side).

All in the family

Jeff Yang has a nice write-up on Korean-American comedian Bobby Lee in his Asian Pop column ...

"Asian Pop: Mad Man"

That's why, given a once-in-a-lifetime chance to develop a show for Comedy Central, Lee told them he wanted to do a show about a screwed-up Asian American family -- his. Starring his real family. "It's like an extension of that sketch, but obviously, a lot more in-depth," says Lee. "And I'm going to make it really Korean. It's going to be set predominantly in Koreatown, and it'll be a totally ethnic comedy show, shot single-camera, kind of like 'Curb Your Enthusiasm,' only with singing, dancing. Maybe some sketches and animation. They bought the idea -- we'll see if it ever gets on the air."

Check out this MADtv skit with Lee's family.

Baby ape looking for love

"Sungai is only 7 months old, but she's already had enough rejection to qualify for a lifetime of therapy. Born in Albuquerque, she was instantly cast aside by her mother. Sent to Houston, she fared no better. Now she's in San Francisco, clinging to three foster parents who tend to her needs 24 hours a day."

"Zoo's poster child for hand-rearing"

Reunited and it feels so good

"Lost Lab Brothers Meet at Dog Daycare"

Knut

Awwww ...

"First Polar Bear Born in Berlin Zoo in 30 Years"

Knut makes his debut ...

"Knut Woos the Crowds at First Public Appearance"

Pet owners beware: Pet food recall

An ingredient used in a lot of common pet food brands may be causing many pets to get very sick, even die.

Menu Foods is recalling certain gravy-style pet food in cans and pouches it made from Dec. 3 to March 6. This includes common brands, such as Iams, Eukanuba, and Science Diet, that use products from Menu Foods.

"Pet Food Co. Knew Of Problem Last Month"

"Bay Area Pet Owners Frustrated Over Recall"

Recall lists and information

'Slanted eyes'

Listening to NPR this evening on my way home, I heard the end of the "All Things Considered" program on Canada's CBC radio. It caught my attention because I heard "slant eyes."

Basically, André Boisclair, who is the leader of the Parti Québécois in Quebec, used the French phrase "les yeux bridés" to refer to the Asian students he saw at Harvard University. I guess the phrase translates to "slanted eyes" or "slanting eyes" in English.

He was later questioned by reporters about the use of the phrase and refused to apologize even after being told what it meant in English and how offensive it is to Asians.

What?! Does "Asian" not translate in French? I guess he said people in Quebec would understand him. Yes, I'm sure people would know what he meant, but that doesn't excuse such ignorance and idiocy.

Here's a link to the radio show:

CBC Radio Show Program Logs, March 15, 2007 (I couldn't get it to work, though.)

Listen to Part 2 of the program, should be toward the end of the segment. It includes Boisclair responding to reporters' questions. A synopsis is also below:

Les yeux bridés -- "slanted eyes".

That's the expression André Boisclair used yesterday to describe Asian students. The Parti Quebecois leader was campaigning in Trois Rivières when he made the comment.

Boisclair was referring to the number of Asian students he saw while studying at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He told the Quebec students he was surprised that about one-third of the Harvard students had what he called "slanting eyes."

Today, when questioned by reporters, Boisclair refused to apologise for the comment, which he says is common in French.

I just found an article about Boisclair and his response to some homophobic comments. Article states that he is openly gay ...

"Boisclair responds to homophobic slurs"

So he said, "Homophobia exists, but I feel these words are very insulting for the people of Saguenay–Lac-St-Jean."

Then I see on the side this related news story: "Boisclair defends derogatory comments"

The article includes the statement in which he used "les yeux bridés" ...

"'The reality is these countries are not just working to create jobs in sweatshops," he said. 'When I was in Boston, where I spent a year, I was surprised to see that on campus, about one-third of the students doing their bachelor degrees had les yeux bridés (slanting eyes).'

"Boisclair stood his ground Thursday, and said he will not withdraw the comment, which he said is an acceptable expression in French.

'If the translation in English has a different meaning than the one in French, then I didn't use the word in English, I used it in French, and no way will I excuse myself.'"

So I guess it was too difficult for him to say "about one-third of the students doing their bachelor degrees were Asian."

Japan to start new investigation into WWII sexual slavery

"Japan to Probe WWII Military Brothels"

"Under intense pressure from Asia and the United States, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Thursday that ruling party lawmakers will conduct a fresh investigation into the Japanese military's forced sexual slavery of women during World War II.

"Abe triggered outrage in China, North and South Korea and the Philippines last week by saying there was no proof the women were coerced. He said Monday that Japan will not apologize again for the Japanese military's 'comfort stations.'"

"Historians say that about 200,000 women — mostly from Korea and China — served in Japanese military brothels throughout Asia in the 1930s and 1940s. Accounts of abuse by the military have been backed up by witnesses, and even former Japanese soldiers.

"Abe's statement contradicted evidence in Japanese documents, unearthed in 1992, that historians said showed that military authorities had a direct role in working with contractors to forcibly procure women for the brothels."

Updated (3/8/06):
Found this article from March 1 (bolding mine) ...

"Japan's Abe: No proof of WWII sex slaves"

Before Abe spoke Thursday, a group of ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers discussed their plans to push for an official revision of Kono's 1993 apology.

Nariaki Nakayama, chairman of the group of about 120 lawmakers, sought to play down the government's involvement in the brothels by saying it was similar to a school that hires a company to run its cafeteria.

"Some say it is useful to compare the brothels to college cafeterias run by private companies, who recruit their own staff, procure foodstuffs, and set prices," he said.

"Where there's demand, businesses crop up ... but to say women were forced by the Japanese military into service is off the mark," he said. "This issue must be reconsidered, based on truth ... for the sake of Japanese honor."

Updated 4/11/07:

Found this interesting article ...

"Historian documents Japan's role in sex slavery"

Grammar Girl to the rescue!

Heard a brief segment on NPR this morning about podcasts by Grammar Girl. Just checked out her blog, which has some posts and podcasts about some common grammar questions and mistakes. She includes some good examples, too. Guess she's been getting a lot of press these days.

U.S. Rep. Honda calls for formal Japanese apology for comfort women

Last night on NPR, I caught the last part of a segment from the "As It Happens" CBC radio show. U.S. Representative Mike Honda was being interviewed about the resolution he introduced in Congress that calls on the "government of Japan to formally and unambiguously apologize for and acknowledge the tragedy that comfort women endured at the hands of its Imperial Army during World War II."

I did a search online and found he introduced the resolution on January 31. Here's a press release with the full text of Rep. Honda's statement.

"These women ... endured gang rape, forced abortions, humiliation, and sexual violence resulting in mutilation, death, or eventual suicide—and to this date, they have still not received justice from this tragedy."

Honda addresses the issue that Japan has already apologized to these women:

"Some question whether this resolution is necessary and warn that it could affect our nation's strong friendship and alliance with Japan. Some even argue that Japan has already apologized, and this resolution fails to recognize that. It is true that Japan's previous Prime Ministers have issued statements related to comfort women. However, it is clear that these statements are not viewed by the government of Japan with unequivocal respect, and the comfort women themselves do not consider them formal apologies. Japan has equivocated in its stance on this issue, which is made clear in their recent attempts to alter previous public statements and their school textbooks.

"For example, in 1993, Japan's then Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono issued an encouraging statement regarding Japan's comfort women, which expressed the Government's sincere apologies and remorse for their ordeal. Today, some members of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party strive to review and even possibly rescind Secretary Kono's statement.

"Further, the Japanese government continues to seek to downplay the comfort women system in its textbooks. We must ask ourselves, if Japan has truly come to terms with its past in acknowledging what its Imperial Army forced upon these women, why are they suppressing the knowledge of this through education? Education on this tragedy is important to ensure that future violence against women, especially in conflicts, should not be tolerated or repeated. Textbook suppression, coupled with efforts to revise Secretary Kono's 1993 statement, is disheartening and indicates that Japan wavers in its apology to these women."

Honda stated that only a few hundred of the comfort women are still alive. In his statement he said:

"Madam Speaker, to put it frankly, the few surviving comfort women in the world who live with this burden are dying. We must help them achieve some peace of mind by moving this resolution forward. For the women who survived this brutality, this resolution demonstrates that our nation supports them and hears their voices calling for justice."

At the end of the radio show, what really upset me was the final comment by the radio announcer that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has stated that there is no evidence that these women were coerced into sexual slavery.

I find it interesting how the different news organizations handle this subject, leaving out certain information or focusing on certain aspects.

Just check out the following headlines and articles (Reuters especially):

"WWII Sex Slaves Testify Against Japan" (AP on sfgate.com)

"Jan Ruff O'Herne, 'Comfort Woman' Survivor, to Testify Before Congress February 15" (PR Newswire)

"As the first Caucasian 'Comfort Women' survivor to speak out, O'Herne's presence will contribute to maintaining the focus as a women's human rights issue, rather than an Asian regional politics issue."

"At U.S. hearing, WW2 sex slaves spurn Japan apologies" (Reuters)

"WWII sex slaves in Japan seek U.S. help" (AP on msnbc.com)

"Rep. Honda asking Japan for apology to sex slaves" (San Jose Mercury News)

"Japan's WWII sex slaves testify" (cnn.com)

Updated (3/5/07):

"Japan Resists Call to Apologize for War Practice"

A lovely trio

The Ahn Trio will be performing Saturday at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul for its Women of Substance series. The StarTribune has a nice write-up on the South Korean sisters ...

"Rock Ahn, sisters"

SFIAAFF 2007

Tickets are now available for walk-up purchase for the 2007 San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival. Get 'em while they're still availabe!

I've got mine already. You got yours?

Check out the Web site for a descriptions of this year's films. Some interesting ones to note:

"And Thereafter II" (South Korea/U.S.)
Award-winning filmmaker Hosup Lee continues his exploration into the protracted aftermath of the Korean War with "And Thereafter II," the second in his trilogy of documentaries on Korean military brides.

"Koryo Saram—The Unreliable People" (U.S.)
In 1937, Josef Stalin began a campaign of massive ethnic cleansing, forcibly deporting everyone of Korean origin in Far East Russia to the unsettled steppe country of Central Asia, 3700 miles away. Y. David Chung and Matt Dibble's groundbreaking documentary charts the extraordinary untold history of the Koryo Saram (the Soviet Korean phrase for Korean person), dubbed "The Unreliable People" by Stalin. Through never-before-seen historical footage and emotional personal accounts from the original Koryo Saram, a lost history is pieced together, one that survived Stalin's mandate to eradicate the Korean language and tradition. Whether in Kazakh, Korean or Russian, the film asks questions that all immigrants can relate to: how to hold onto one's traditions, and how to save one's culture from being overwhelmed.

"Made In Korea: A One Way Ticket Seoul-Amsterdam?"
(The Netherlands)
Documentary filmmaker In-Soo Radstake is just like any average Dutchman. He feels close to his parents, likes meat and potatoes and cheers on his favorite sports team. A Korean adoptee, he doesn't feel conflicted about his identity or have any deep stirrings to find his Korean roots. But when he embarks on an innocent journey to find the eight other Korean adoptees who flew on the same plane as him from Korea to Holland over twenty years ago, a domino effect of events will alter his life. He first meets Ungila, and is taken by her knowledge of Korean culture and her personal story of being reunited with her birthmother. She quickly becomes In-Soo's girlfriend, and is instrumental in opening up a world of wounded, pent-up emotions. With her love and support, In-Soo travels back to Korea for the first time and visits his old orphanage. Soon a long-repressed need to find his birthmother bubbles to the surface, and In-Soo is on a desperate quest to reconcile a part of himself that he didn't even know existed.

"Tie a Yellow Ribbon" (U.S.)
New York filmmaker Joy Dietrich, who showcased her short film SURPLUS at SFIAAFF ‘01, returns with a feature-length film on the lives of three Asian American women desperately needing to feel some kind of connection. Jenny Mason, a jagged Korean adoptee, is unable to let go of her family's past, and refuses to let anyone in emotionally. An aspiring photographer, her work’s visceral beauty seems frozen in time, much like her own inner turmoil. Her life intersects with two other Asian American women, Bea and Sandy. Bea, a delicate beauty, is afraid to be alone and doesn't know how to handle the silent expectations placed on her. Sandy, dubbed a "mouse," is a skittish, shy girl who can't seem to find her own voice enough to be respected and noticed. As Bea and Sandy struggle to find love, acceptance and connection, they help Jenny see how she must stop running and face her own damaged past. "Tie a Yellow Ribbon" is a rare view into the very real, emotionally complex interior of a Korean adoptee who needs to reconcile her feelings on race, identity and family, complexes that have nothing to do with a birth-mother search. One of the first feature films to address the abnormally high rates of suicide and depression among Asian American women, this groundbreaking work entices and challenges us to look at the hard, imperfect struggles that Asian American women face on a daily basis.

And some other films from South Korea and Korean filmmakers: "The Day a Pig Fell Into the Well," "In Between Days," "The Power of Kangwon Province," "Turning Gate," "Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors," "Woman Is the Future of Man," and "Woman on the Beach."

And some others I thought sounded interesting: "American Pastime," "New Year Baby," "The Wash," and "Year of the Fish."

Last year I bought the Festival 6 Pack (six films for the price of five), but this year I limited myself to only three films (buying tickets so hubby can go, too, gets very expensive). Sigh. At least a few that I wanted to see are available on NetFlix.

See you at the theater!

Dawson reunites with dad

"After 26 Years, Dawson Meets Dad"

"A DNA test conducted with the help of the KTO confirmed that Kim Jae-soo, a 53-year-old bus driver in Pusan, was Dawson's father."

"Kim said he lost his son in a crowded street market near his home in 1981."

Other articles:

"Olympic Skier Reunites With Family"

"Dawson was 3 when he was lost in a market by his mother in the southern port city of Busan, Kim said. A truck driver at the time, Kim said it was too late when he got home to start searching for his missing child, whose original Korean name was Bong-seok. Over the next few days, he said he scoured local orphanages but was unable to find his son.

"'I went to many orphanage houses only to hear that they didn't have anyone like him. They wouldn't let me come inside and look for him,' the 53-year-old Kim said, adding he would search orphanages whenever he had time but eventually gave up."

"Dawson meets father after 26 years"

"Dawson's mother, who is believed to have started another family after her divorce from Kim, has been located but has yet to reveal herself publicly, according to Dawson's Korean lawyer."

"Dawson to Reunite With father"

"Dawson, however, was sentimental for a moment as he talked about what he has been through as an adoptee, which eventually led him to begin his quest for his parents.

"'It's kind of been uphill for me ever since the beginning,' Dawson said.

"'(I) really struggled with the fact that I never looked like my parents... It's kind of always like the Bolds and Italics.'

"'Everyone could definitely tell the difference and it was tough for me because all I wanted to do was just to look like average (with) brown hair, blonde hair.'

"'I was a little bit shy, and I didn't want to have all the attention. I wanted kind of just to be somewhere in the middle.'"

I had a dream last night

I had a dream last night
But it looked unlike a dream

The Butthole Surfers song keeps playing in my head since this morning.

I tend to have very vivid dreams, which I usually remember in the morning.

Last night I dreamed that I was at this beach house in California with a group of friends for the weekend. In the house, I saw a childhood photo of one of the women who lived there, but the odd thing was that I recognized her from the photo.

The woman and I started talking, trying to figure out how we knew each other. She told me she was just two years older than I was.

I realized I recognized her from a photo that I have from my early years in Korea. In the photo, I'm sitting with two other children. I'm the youngest based on my size and there's another little girl who looks to be just a few years older than I am.

We discovered that we were first cousins, and that we would play together whenever our families got together for a visit in Korea.

I woke up after that, but I had a picture of her as a grown woman in my mind.

The strange thing is that I actually have the photo from my dream. I've always wondered who the other children are in the photo, if they are my cousins or just friends I used to play with.