Lil PSY from Gangnam Style has been getting hate messages from online bullies when it was revealed that his mother is Vietnamese. We decided to write Lil PSY a Lil Letter to let him know we're on his side. Hey Lil Psy - aka Hwang Min-woo - we know people have been saying a lot of nasty things about your Vietnamese heritage. They made you feel inferior and ashamed. We're here … [Read more...] about Lil PSY from Gangnam Style: Don’t be Ashamed to be Half Vietnamese
Op-ed
An “Educated” Spanking
A 94. A 94?! There, on my final 8th grade report card, my Algebra grade had dropped from a 98 to a 94. F&*#!!!!! No doubt, my bum was going to feel some heat when I got home that night. I, like most other Vietnamese children growing up in America, experienced some sort physical or verbal consequence because my grades weren’t good enough. I had made a careless … [Read more...] about An “Educated” Spanking
Facekini & Asian Aversion to Tan Skin: a Precursor to Racism?
The newest trend on the beaches of China is the "face-kini," a mask that covers the entire face, save the eyes, nose, and mouth. It's a not-so-attractive accessory that screams a message louder than a simple fashion faux-pas: Asian people hate dark skin. From ubiquitous caps to umbrellas on sunny days, we are taught to avoid the sun at a young age. Fair skin equates to … [Read more...] about Facekini & Asian Aversion to Tan Skin: a Precursor to Racism?
The Oak Creek Massacre and its Connection to Southeast Asians
From diaCRITICS comes this piece by editor Viet Thanh Nguyen on the mass murder of six Sikhs in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, and its connection to the violence done to, and by, Southeast Asians. diaCRITICS is the leading blog on Vietnamese diasporic arts and culture, published by the Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network. DVAN promotes the work of Vietnamese artists everywhere, and … [Read more...] about The Oak Creek Massacre and its Connection to Southeast Asians
Prevent Your Asian Child from Joining a Gang…Through Assimilation?
I just read a very interesting article on how normal gang prevention efforts may not work on Asian kids. Apparently, it is hard for law enforcement to create gang prevention programs for Asians because the usual factors that are associated with gang behavior--broken homes, lack of economic opportunities and gaps in education, including high illiteracy and drop-out rates--don't … [Read more...] about Prevent Your Asian Child from Joining a Gang…Through Assimilation?