2006 spring

8
SNAP! SNAP! Published quarterly by the Asian American/Pacific Islander Resource Center, UC Santa Cruz Spring 2006 Vol. 7, No. 3 In this Issue... > EAP Experience- Ghana p.2 > Alumni Spotlight- Madison Nguyen pg. 9 > Heritage Month Pull-Out Calendar pg. 6-7 > Senior Quotes pg.10 Sharp s New s Alternative s Perspective AA/PI Studies is Alive at UCSC By Natalie Chan On Friday, February 17th 2006, fac- ulty, staff, and students passionate about establishing Asian American Studies at UC Santa Cruz gathered at Inter-Disci- plining Asia-Pacific-America: A Sym- posium on Knowledge, Politics, and the University, to discuss the many aspects involved in creating and securing a pro- gram in Asian American Studies. The Asia-Pacific-America (APA) Sympo- sium brought prominent Asian Ameri- can Studies scholars and activists from different campuses and campus units to- gether to become educated about insti- tutional structures and viable futures for the creation of an Asian American Stud- ies department at UCSC. Many of the speakers in the three main discussion panels emphasized that securing a place for Asian American Studies at UCSC is everyoneʼs responsibility. We should not rely solely on litera- ture, history or the administration to reignite or continue action for creat- ing change. “Youth can create change now,” said one of the panelists, Isao Fujimoto, Emeriti Director of Asian American Studies at UC Davis. UCSC, with the exception of UC Merced, is the only UC without an Ethnic Studies or Asian American Studies program. Stu- dents have experienced what it is like not to have Asian American Studies courses offered and are frustrated with the administrations inaction. According to Isao Fujimoto “experience is what you do with what youʼve received and Panelists Sau-ling Wong,Isao Fujimoto, Don Nakanishi, and Debora Woo done.” Because students have taken ac- tion in the past, current students have lived the experience through the sto- ries told and have experienced ways in which the institution refuses to grant them a simple right. Studentsʼ right to be formally educated about their history, histories told from our ancestorsʼ points of view, is being withheld. Passionate, experienced, and committed students have played an important role in edu- cating their peers in the community and have encouraged them to get involved and take action in the movement which has been going for the last 25 years. It takes time and effort to form pro- grams and departments, and students are crucial to the success of the movement. Along with the collaboration of graduate students, faculty, staff, and the campus community, undergraduate students can create organized change in the commu- nity. Thus far, many faculty, staff and students have been involved in taking steps toward and creating a place for Asian American studies at UCSC. The Asian American/Pacific Islander Perspectives (AA/PIP) class, which is student run and currently facilitated by Ana Chow, Kaman Ng, and Libby Lok, is offered this quarter for the second time since itʼs creation in Spring 2005. In ad- dition, the Coalition for Asian Ameri- can/Pacific Islander Studies (CAAPIS) - which consists of faculty from a dozen departments, staff and students - is work- ing to create a minor in Asian American Studies at UCSC. The continuing efforts made by students, faculty and staff will ensure the success of securing Asian American Studies at UCSC. With the issues and perspectives ex- plored at the APA Symposium, students have a better sense of what is necessary in order to create change in the UCSC community. Students who were working with faculty and staff prior to the Sym- posium are continuing their efforts in combination with other students, whose passion for social justice and giving AA/ PIs a voice on the UCSC campus was sparked by the discussions explored during the Symposium. As more stu- dents gain an interest in creating change for AA/PIs, there is a greater possibility of making progress in the movement.

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Page 1: 2006 Spring

SNAP!SNAP! Published quarterly by the Asian American/Pacifi c Islander Resource Center, UC Santa Cruz Spring 2006Vol. 7, No. 3

In this Issue...

> EAP Experience- Ghana p.2> Alumni Spotlight- Madison Nguyen pg. 9

> Heritage Month Pull-Out Calendar pg. 6-7> Senior Quotes pg.10

Sharp s New s Alternative s Perspective

AA/PI Studies is Alive at UCSCBy Natalie Chan

On Friday, February 17th 2006, fac-ulty, staff, and students passionate about establishing Asian American Studies at UC Santa Cruz gathered at Inter-Disci-plining Asia-Pacifi c-America: A Sym-posium on Knowledge, Politics, and the University, to discuss the many aspects involved in creating and securing a pro-gram in Asian American Studies. The Asia-Pacifi c-America (APA) Sympo-sium brought prominent Asian Ameri-can Studies scholars and activists from different campuses and campus units to-gether to become educated about insti-tutional structures and viable futures for the creation of an Asian American Stud-ies department at UCSC. Many of the speakers in the three main discussion panels emphasized that securing a place for Asian American Studies at UCSC is everyoneʼs responsibility.

We should not rely solely on litera-ture, history or the administration to reignite or continue action for creat-ing change. “Youth can create change now,” said one of the panelists, Isao Fujimoto, Emeriti Director of Asian American Studies at UC Davis. UCSC, with the exception of UC Merced, is the only UC without an Ethnic Studies or Asian American Studies program. Stu-dents have experienced what it is like not to have Asian American Studies courses offered and are frustrated with the administrations inaction. According to Isao Fujimoto “experience is what you do with what youʼve received and

Panelists Sau-ling Wong,Isao Fujimoto, Don Nakanishi, and Debora Woo

done.” Because students have taken ac-tion in the past, current students have lived the experience through the sto-ries told and have experienced ways in which the institution refuses to grant them a simple right. Students ̓ right to be formally educated about their history, histories told from our ancestors ̓points of view, is being withheld. Passionate, experienced, and committed students have played an important role in edu-cating their peers in the community and have encouraged them to get involved and take action in the movement which has been going for the last 25 years.

It takes time and effort to form pro-grams and departments, and students are crucial to the success of the movement. Along with the collaboration of graduate students, faculty, staff, and the campus community, undergraduate students can create organized change in the commu-nity. Thus far, many faculty, staff and students have been involved in taking steps toward and creating a place for Asian American studies at UCSC.

The Asian American/Pacifi c Islander Perspectives (AA/PIP) class, which is student run and currently facilitated by

Ana Chow, Kaman Ng, and Libby Lok, is offered this quarter for the second time since itʼs creation in Spring 2005. In ad-dition, the Coalition for Asian Ameri-can/Pacifi c Islander Studies (CAAPIS) - which consists of faculty from a dozen departments, staff and students - is work-ing to create a minor in Asian American Studies at UCSC. The continuing efforts made by students, faculty and staff will ensure the success of securing Asian American Studies at UCSC.

With the issues and perspectives ex-plored at the APA Symposium, students have a better sense of what is necessary in order to create change in the UCSC community. Students who were working with faculty and staff prior to the Sym-posium are continuing their efforts in combination with other students, whose passion for social justice and giving AA/PIs a voice on the UCSC campus was sparked by the discussions explored during the Symposium. As more stu-dents gain an interest in creating change for AA/PIs, there is a greater possibility of making progress in the movement.

Page 2: 2006 Spring

SNAP!Spring 2006 2

By Amanda Wake

GHANA

Amanda volunteered at a school in Accra.

During Fall quarter, I went to school in Ghana, West Africa. I was there for a total of 5 months, dripping with sweat and eating pineapple out of a bag with eyes wide open trying to soak up every moment, breathe in every smell and dance to every song. When people ask me how Ghana was I usually say that it was “Amazing!” which it was, but it was also really diffi cult and much more complex. I am indebted to Ghana be-cause it challenged me physically, emo-tionally and mentally.

It was eye opening to learn the history of the slave trade from a West African perspective. Colonialism brought slave trade to Ghana and all of West Africa. The other EAP students and I had the opportunity to walk through the slave castles that imprisoned West Africans before they were loaded onto ships that would take them across the Middle Pas-sage to the Americas. Ghana is the fi rst African country to gain independence from its European colonizer. President Kwame Nkrumah, the fi rst president after independence, became an icon around the world and especially to those of the African Diaspora.

Ghana is currently one, among many, of the exploited and colonized countries of the Global South. This means that the industrial and technological infrastruc-ture of the United States and Europe is not present there. Over 40% of people in Ghana live on less than $1.00 a day. Running water and electricity are not consistent. Mosquitoes carry around diseases and there is a lot of what West-erners would call poverty. Although these are the only types of images of Africa that we see in America, they should not be further perpetuated. I do not want to paint an exotifi ed picture of Ghana in which there are no struggles or

hardships however, although Ghana is economically weak, it is rich in many other ways. This is in part due to the fact that there is not an overwhelming pres-ence of material distractions and West-ern cultural infl uence; the focus is more on culture, family, religion and friends.

Many people in Ghana want to come to America because they have been ex-posed to the American Dream myth that lives on today. American media and cul-ture fi nds its way into Ghana through music, television, movies and billboards. To them, America equates money, op-portunity, and luxury, but of course it is not that easy. Differently from the U.S. racism does not exist in Ghana because, practically everyone is Black. In Gha-na, language and culture are essential

parts of life and growing up. Even though the offi cial language in Ghana is English (because of British colonial-ism), all the children grow up speaking the language of their ancestors at home and then learn English in school.

They do not experience the struggles of the coming together of many very different races or nationalities. Many of the people I interacted with in Ghana could not understand how I, a Japanese American, could not speak Japanese and how I had only been to Japan once in my life. In order to defend myself I would have to explain the past 85 years of my families history in America, which was impossible. Their country is not run by white patriarchy and assimilation is not a means for survival.

I tried, as much as I could, to take advantage of the amazing opportunity of being in the richness of West Africa. I traveled to Mali, Burkina Faso, Togo amongst other places in Ghana. I vol-unteered at two very different schools, took classes at the University of Ghana in Legon, started to learn a new lan-guage, ate brand new foods, and made many good friends.

I strongly urge you to GO ABROAD! It is amazing to experience a completely different culture. It is important to know that there are other ways of living life besides the one you live now. There are many different types of programs avail-able for the duration of a summer, a quarter, and a year. Find a way to do it. If you want to get a better understand-ing of yourself and your social, political location, leave the U.S!

MC XIIJoin the MCXII planning

committee on Tuesdays @ 8pm at the Ethnic Resource

Centers Lounge.

For more information, please contact APISA at

459-3495.

Motivation Conference XIIMay 11-13

Motivation Conference is a student -initiat-ed outreach program through the Asian and Pacific Islander Student Alliance (APISA). Students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds are brought to UCSC to be motivated to see that higher education is an attainable goal. This 3-day event allows students to explore: Identity, Expression, Different Cutlures, & Campus Resources.

A Life Changing EAP Experience:

GHANA

Page 3: 2006 Spring

SNAP!Spring 2006 3

By Kori Saika Chen

“Lanky Asian Boy Goes to the Capitol: My UCDC Experience”

Washington, DC is our nationʼs capi-tal. I had never been there before I em-barked on the UCDC program last fall, so I really didnʼt know what to expect. I applied for the program because I am interested in politics and wanted to see the city where all of our federal policy decisions happen, and also because, al-though I love Santa Cruz, Iʼm a city boy and wanted to get away for a little while to experience the east coast.

The UCDC program has been around for several years now, and consists of UC students living, working an intern-ship, and taking classes in the capital for one quarter. You are required to secure your own internship placement, and there are tons of work opportunities. Some of my fellow interns did things such as work on Capital Hill with mem-bers of Congress or Senators; work at various government departments such as the Department of Justice or the De-partment of Commerce; or work in me-dia or journalism settings such as CNN.

I was very fortunate to intern at a labor advocacy organization called American Rights at Work (ARAW), doing communications work. Through extensive research, the organization highlights how weak US labor law/policy is in terms of protecting work-ers from corporate abuse and discrimi-nation, especially in terms of workers trying to form labor unions, and works to change these policies. Unions are not perfect organizations, but they work in the interest of their members to insure that employers pay their workers fairly and treat them with respect. My workat ARAW showed me the lengths to which employers will go to stop their workers from forming a union, and how weak labor policy allows them to do so legally. Everyone deserves the right to a decent and healthy work environment, and ARAW works to ensure this right is upheld. Labor is just one aspect of pol-icy, and I realize now how good policy is needed not just on a national level but

in our own local communities as well.I mostly did offi ce work, like fi ling, emailing, making copies, but I was also able to do a lot of research on labor pol-icy, as well as profi ling companies who are in fact practicing fair labor policies in terms of treating their workers with respect and not interfering if they decide to form a union.

The city itself is an extremely interest-ing place. There is a lot to do and the UC Center is centrally located in the heart of the downtown area, close to the White House and National Monuments as well as a lot of cool restaurants, shops, and bars. The city also has a great public transportation system, and the metro subway can get you pretty much any-where you need to go. In terms of the actual feel of the city, what is interesting is that it really does feel like the capital.

The architecture is very grand, you are surrounded by national monuments, and all federal policy decisions are made there. However, problems in the capi-tal refl ect the problems that plague our country as a whole. The city is extremely segregated between Whites and Blacks, both in where people live as well as jobs that they have. There is a large home-less community as well, and extremely impoverished neighborhoods and ghet-tos. It was these things that disappointed me the most about my experience. I was disappointed that such glaring so-cial problems would be so prevalent in the nationʼs capital city. It does make

sense however, and they constantly reminded me that there is still a lot of work to do both in the city and on a na-tional level as a whole.

Compared to the west coast, the Asian Pacifi c American community is relatively small in DC. However, there are cheap bus lines that can take you up to New York, where you can fi nd pretty much any Asian food you want. I feasted on xiao long bao (Shanghai soup dumplings) in New Yorkʼs large China Town.

Overall, I would recommend the UCDC program to anyone in-terested in pursuing law, politics, journalism, or people who just want to experience life in an east coast city. Itʼs a great experience.

Antonio, Kori Chen, Sonya Diaz, Libby Lok at an Anti-War march.

MultiCulturalFestival

27th Annual

QUARRY AMPHITHEATERSATURDAY, MAY 20th

11:00 AM-5:00 PM

ENJOY A DAY OF-ETHNIC FOOD

-MUSIC-FUN!

Page 4: 2006 Spring

SNAP!Spring 2006 4

Heritage Month

Cheryl Edora

William Lee

Liberty Matias

“Preparing Today for Tomorrow: Momentum for Movements” Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2006

Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage Month is a time for celebra-tion, exploration and increasing aware-ness of experiences, contributions, ac-complishments and issues AA/PIs face. The month of May is a time to share and shed light on topics that are usually not addressed within our community. Voic-es that were once silenced, are heard, and others are encouraged to find ways of expressing what they think and feel. May is a time for empowerment and recognition for AA/PIs.

The AA/PI Heritage Month theme this year is “Preparing Today for Tomor-row: Momentum for Movements.” The theme acknowledges the contributions of student activists and the importance of building foundations for new gen-erations. Due to continued budget cuts, lack of Ethnic Studies especially Asian American Studies, a low percentage of students and faculty of color, etc., it is up to us as individuals and a commu-nity to ensure that what past and current students have fought for isnʼt forgotten, ignored or taken away.

Heritage Month 2006 focuses on youth. Since the 70s, youth have been under attack from government officials, public policies and older generations. One of the goals for Heritage Month is to breakdown these barriers and reveal the strength and possibilities they pos-sess. Youth have played an influential part in the struggles and victories of past and current social movements. It is time to stop the criminalization of the youth and showcase them as beacons for so-cial change.

“Momentum for Movements” Key-note Speaker, Haunani-Kay Trask, is a respected Native Hawaiian leader, scholar and activist for indigenous hu-man rights and native Hawaiian sover-eignty. She is a professor of the

case will be on May 31 at the College 9/10 Multipurpose Room from 6-8pm.

“Preparing Today for Tomorrow: Momentum for Movements” states how we can be useful to our people. If you are tired of the inequalities and lack of safe/open spaces to express yourself, then take action. Step up and be active! Let your voice be heard! Thank You to those who continue to fight and carry the torch. And for those who are yet to become involved, it is never too late. Heritage Month is the time and space to be active and let your voice be heard, it is only the beginning to what we as a community and individuals can do.

This event will be on May 9 at the Merrill Cultural Center from 7-9pm.

If you are interested in getting in-volved with organizing Heritage Month, please contact AA/PIRC at 459-5349 for more information.

Hawaiian Studies Department at the University of Hawaiʼi at Manoa and one of the founding and leading members of Ka Lahui Hawaiʼi, the largest native sovereignty organization in Hawaiʼi. During this event she will share her ex-periences of organizing and offer advice for current and future leaders. Professor Trask will be the first Pacific Islander Keynote Speaker in AA/PI Heritage Month history at UC Santa Cruz.

The month will conclude with a Cul-tural Showcase. This is a collaborative event with the multiple AA/PI organ- izations, exploring the diversity within the different communities and allowing the smaller organizations to establish their presence. Group and student per-formances along with traditional food, music and artwork will contribute to the process of learning more about the AA/PI experience. Cultural Show-

By No’el Tagab-Cruz

Fifth YearPsychologyStevenson College

Third Year Psychology

Oakes College

Second YearPoliticsKresge College

NEW AA/PIRC STAFFand returning

Page 5: 2006 Spring

SNAP!Spring 2006 9

Heritage Month Planning Committee 2006

For more information, contact Noʼel Tagab-Cruz at [email protected]

Asian American/Pacifi c Islander

NEEDS YOU!

By Tran Nguyen

“You must be the change you want to see in the world,” following the words of Gandhi, Madison P. Nguy-en has worked hard to bring change to the San Jose Community. In 1997, she graduated from UC Santa Cruz with her Bachelors in History and then moved on to receive her Masters in Social Sciences from the Univer-sity of Chicago. Since then, she has been tremendously involved with the Vietnamese community in San Jose. Nguyen has served as a sociology instructor, President of the Franklin-McKinley School District, and is cur-rently the fi rst woman of Vietnamese descent to serve on the San Jose City Council.

Nguyen is self-driven and dedicat-ed to serving her community. During her years at UCSC, she was involved with the Vietnamese Student Asso-ciation (VSA) and participated in the Volunteers In Asia (VIA) Teach in Hue Program. This allowed Nguyen to spend a summer in Hue, Vietnam teaching young students English. Going back to her roots was a good experience for Nguyen, “It gave me a chance to see where my family came from and to explore the country on my own.”

During her political campaign in 2005 for a seat in the San Jose City Council, Nguyen faced scrutiny for participating in the VIA Program. Although she was only a college student when she went to Vietnam, it was used against her during the campaign. She was rumored to be a communist, and supportive of com-munism in Vietnam. As a college

student, Nguyen never once believed that things would escalate into some-thing this extreme. Her intentions were pure and until this day does not regret participating in VIA. Nguyen said, “In life, not everyone is going to agree with the things that you do, but you canʼt just give up or compromise your own beliefs because of someone else.”

On February 11, 2006, UCSC students had the chance to hear Nguyen speak. She was the keynote speaker at the Mul-ticultural Career Conference (MCC). At this event, students are given the oppor-tunity to attend panel discussions and in-teract with UCSC alums. The purpose of this event was to allow students the op-portunity to meet with alumni who are in their same area of study and to build mentor/mentee relationships. Madison Nguyen was very genuine and down to earth during her speech. She spoke of her past when she, along with her fam-ily, worked on the farms in Modesto.

From her earlier experiences as a child, she saw how her family was looked down upon because they were poor and did not speak English fl uently. She made a promise to herself that one

“Fight for what is right, do not take into account what others may think or say.”

day she would be able to fi ght the in-justice that exists in todayʼs society.

Strong and confi dent, Madison Nguyen believes that her past ex-periences have come to shape who she is today. She continues to work with the community as well as advo-cate for younger leaders. A message that she tends to tell young leaders is “Fight for what is right, do not take into account what others may think or say. When the time is right, people will always come together.”

Fighting for What is Right While Staying Grounded in the Community:

Madison Nguyen

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

This year’s Heritage Month theme is“Preparing Today for Tomorrow:

Momentum for Movements”

You can help to…- represent the diverse Asian American/ Pacifi c Islander community - combine our roots with our identities of today

Page 6: 2006 Spring

SNAP!Spring 2006 10

Senior Quotes

Josh FisherOakes CollegeAmerican Studies

Mildred QuintosPorter CollegePsychology

“As cliche as this sounds, live life to the its fullest and suround yourself with people who love and appreciate you for who you are and who you will become because believe me, youʼll be doing some changes in the years youʼre here. Create “your family.” Spoon. Live. Laugh. Love.”

Irshad KoyaOakes CollegePsychology

Kaman NgPorter CollegeSociology

“The most important thing Iʼve learned here: unlearn.”

“Iʼve learned more about politics, my history, and my culture in these two years spent in UC Santa Cruz than the sixteen years of my past education. And I didn t̓ learn through the naturalized pedagogy of pub-lic education, but through learning from being involved with resources such as AA/PIRC, APISA, CUSN, and SOAR. Searching ways to learn on my own and making connections with those who are also taking ownership of their education.”

“One of the most important things I learned during my time here at UCSC is to be open to new ideas and experiences. I found that it was one of the best ways to learn more about myself and subsequently grow as an individual.”

ASIAN AMERICAN/PACIFIC ISLANDER YEAR-END CEREMONY

June 16th, 2006 3:00-5:00pm @ UCSC Music Recital HallFor more information and disability related needs contact AA/PIRC at 831-459-5349.

Page 7: 2006 Spring

SNAP!Spring 2006 11

Calendar of Events

April...6-8 Filipino Student Association (FSA) A Step Forward (ASF)

12 APISA Lyrical Union – “Who Killed Ethnic Studies?” Artist Showcase 8pm-Midnight @ Porter Dining Hall

13 APISA Lyrical Union -- Day 2: Student battle 8pm-11pm @ Oakes Learning Center

18 Garrett Hongo -- Public Reading Noon-1:10pm @ Kresge 321

19 Garret Hongo Lecture 5:30pm @ Porter Fireside Lounge

20 Asian American/Pacifi c Islander Year End Ceremony (YEC) Sash Making Workshop 1-2pm @ Conference Room B

21 & 22 Filipino Student Association Pilipino Cultural Celebration 6pm @ Main Stage Theater Arts

27 Asian American/Pacifi c Islander (AA/PI) Senior Reception 6-8pm @ e2 Redwood Lounge

29 Indian Student Organization (ISO) Cultural Show: Journey Through India 7-9pm @ Main Stage Theater Arts

Asian American/Pacifi c IslanderResource Center

Internship Opportunities

April...6-8 Filipino Student Association (FSA) A Step Forward (ASF)

12 APISA Lyrical Union – “Who Killed Ethnic Studies?” Artist Showcase 8pm-Midnight @ Porter Dining Hall

13 APISA Lyrical Union -- Day 2: Student battle 8pm-11pm @ Oakes Learning Center

18 Garrett Hongo -- Public Reading Noon-1:10pm @ Kresge 321

19 Garret Hongo Lecture 5:30pm @ Porter Fireside Lounge

20 Asian American/Pacifi c Islander Year End Ceremony (YEC) Sash Making Workshop 1-2pm @ Conference Room B

21 & 22 Filipino Student Association Pilipino Cultural Celebration 6pm @ Main Stage Theater Arts

27 Asian American/Pacifi c Islander (AA/PI) Senior Reception 6-8pm @ e2 Redwood Lounge

29 Indian Student Organization (ISO) Cultural Show: Journey Through India 7-9pm @ Main Stage Theater Arts

AA/PIRC Internships are a great way to get connected with UCSCʼs Asian American/Pacifi c Islander community, plan small and large scale events, and gain experience in publications and outreach.

Student Internships are for Fall 2006. Interns can earn 2units or 5 units each quarter of independent studies course credit, which requires 5-7 hours or 10-12 hours a week committment along with the completion of a fi nal course paper.

If you are interested to apply, please contact AA/PIRC at [email protected] or 459-5349.

Page 8: 2006 Spring

Asian American/Pacific Islander Resource CenterUniversity of California, Santa Cruz339 Bay Tree Building1156 High StreetSanta Cruz, CA 95064Phone: (831) 459-5349Fax: (831) 459-2469www2.ucsc.edu/aapirc

Map

SNAP! Staff

visit www2.ucsc.edu/aapircfor questions and info, e-mail: [email protected]

AdvisorCopy EditorLayout EditorProductionsContributors

Nancy I. KimNatalie ChanNatalie ChanElaine KamNatalie ChanKori Saika ChenTran NguyenNo’el Tagab-CruzAshley UyedaAmanda Wake