ASA Weekly Digest 10.22.06
Dear all,
ASA has changed the format of the weekly digest to HTML sothat it will be easier to access information for various events in thenewsletter. If you have any comments or feedback for the new format, pleasecontact Priscilla Baek at epb3@duke.edu. Wehope to see at ASA’s events this week!
Priscilla Baek
Executive Vice President, ASA
1. Immigration Law Forum with Mi Genteand Intergreek Council
When: Tuesday 10/24 @ 7:30pm
Where: Multicultural Center Lounge(Basement of BC)
Areyou curious about what the uproar has been about the immigration laws aroundthe country? Confused as to the effectsof what the immigration protests have? Can't figure out if we should build a wall on the Mexican border? If you have any questions or ideas and wouldlike to talk about the immigration issues facing the United States, come andshare your thoughts in this open forum on Tuesday, October 24th, at theMulticultural Center Lounge.
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2. Women in the AmericasFilm Series: “Clean”
When:Wednesday 10/25 @ 8pm
Where:Griffith Theater (Bryan Center)
Summary: Beginning in Canada, the film follows Emily (MaggieCheung), whose relationship with her rock star boyfriend Lee seems to be heldtogether only by their shared heroin dependence. After he overdoses, and she ishanded a six month prison sentence, custody of Jay, their young son goes toLee's parents, Albrecht and Rosemary (played by Nick Nolte and Martha Henry),with whom the boy has been living with for some time. Released from jail andbarred from seeing her son until she overcomes her addiction, Emily heads to Paris where she tries toput her life back together and relaunch her musicindustry career. Then she receives word from Albrecht that he and his wife arestaying in London,and recent developments have forced him to reconsider what is best for Jay...
Part of Screen/Society's "Women in the Americas"film series. Free and open to the public.
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3. Asian Students inGreek Life Panel
When: Thursday, October 26, 7pm
Where: White Lecture Hall (EastCampus)
A discrepancy exists between the representation of Asian students in Greek life
compared to the greater undergraduate population. Why? Is it a lackof
knowledge? Is it discrimination? Is it culture clash? All of the above or
nothing at all? ASA presents a panel of Asian students in andleaders of Greek
life at Duke to address this very issue. For more information, contact
asaatduke@gmail.com.
We look forward to seeing you there.
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4. Asian American Studies Working Group
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FIRST MEETING OF THE YEAR!
Wednesday, Nov. 8, 5pm Multicultural Center Lounge
Want to be more active around concerns or ideas youhave? Want to join a
group of people to identify, learn about, and follow-upon problems you'd
like solved! Want to know what in the world that has todo with Asian
American Studies? Come to an Asian American StudiesWorking Group (AASWG)
interest meeting...where "we" will not makeassumptions about who "we"
is/are (if that makes sense!). The "we"must be created! Come create!
Freshmen are especially encouraged to come. No initialcommitment necessary!
Check it out! Email Vivian (vcw@duke.edu)if you are interested but unable
to attend.
About Asian American Studies
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Asian American Studies (AAS) was born out of thecommunity-based social
movements of the 1960s and 1970s. Within the largercommunity and
international struggles for basic rights andself-determination, Asian
American, African American, Chicano, Latino, and NativeAmerican students
demanded control over their learning, believing thattheir education should
be relevant and serve their needs. During thosetimes of conflict and
violence, a counterhegemonic³Asian-American² political consciousness
emerged that asserted the value of their histories andknowledge, and their
visions for a more just society.
In the 35 years since the first ethnic studies programwas established, AAS
has grown tremendously, now with 40 full programs acrossthe country. Yet
AAS has and continues an uphill battle to claim its placein our educational
institutions, including at Duke. Moving beyond thereflexive demand for
AAS, the ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES WORKING GROUP at Duke seeksto more
thoroughly understand AAS, its history, present state,and future
possibilities. Drawing on resources including films,books, professors,
campus interviews and focus groups, we seek to analyzehow students of Asian
descent are racialized on campus,how they understand themselves, and how
they can transform their situations.
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5. Campus Culture Initiative townhall meeting
As animportant phase in the Campus Culture Initiative's work, we are currentlyhosting a series of town meetings to listen to community concerns about anyaspect of campus culture:
Undergraduate,
Graduate,and Professional Students
Wednesday,October 25th
4:00- 5:30 pm Faculty Commons (2nd Floor West Union Building)
6. inSight Student Documentary Festival
Dear Everyone,
The inSight Student Documentary Festival is coming toDuke for the
first time this Fall and we're looking for outstanding submissions
from students both at Duke and UNC to showcase within it. For all of
you who have have done amazing work, take thisopportunity to exhibit
your work and share it with the rest of Duke University!
Do you have photo essays from abroad? A video you have produced? An
oral history you've worked on all summer? Submit it to the inSight
student documentary festival and share it with other documentarians
and students from Duke and UNC.
We are accepting video, audio, written, and photographic submissions.
The Submission deadline is November 1. Please email your work to
DukeSOW@gmail.comor drop it off in CD form in OSAF.
If you have too much work to email, or feel uncomfortable leaving it
on OSAF, please email kmh24@duke.eduto arrange an alternative method
of evaluation.
This is a great opportunity to have your work stand out and an even
better way to share it with our universities -- don't miss it!
All my best,
Kevin Hwang
inSight Student Documentary Festival Chair
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7. NourishInternational (NI)
First amazing opportunity…
Nourish International (NI) presents...
HUNGER LUNCH!
What: ALL YOU CAN EAT FOR ONLY 4BUCKS!
Rice, beans, cornbread and hot sauce to spice it up--you will NOT want to miss
out!
Where: BC plaza
When: Thursday October 26th11A.M - 2P.M.
Come Enjoy FOOD, MUSIC, and FRIENDS!
All proceeds will go towards NI's sustainable summerdevelopment projects in
developing countries.
Interested in getting involved with Nourish International? Contact Kim Cocce
(kimberly.cocce) or Roshen Sethna (roshen.sethna) and join
http://duke.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2211717020
NI website: http://www.nourishinternational.org/
Our next NI meeting will be on Sunday October 22 at 3:30p.m. inOSAF (upper
level of the Bryan Center...first door onthe right after entering from the
plaza). Anybody and everybody is welcome!
Let the REVOLUTION begin...
Second amazing opportunity...
The Millennium Project is an independent advisory body commissioned by UN
Secretary-General Kofi Annanto recommend a global plan for achieving the
Millennium Development Goals by 2015. The Project is directed by Prof. Jeffrey
Sachs of Columbia University and based at the headquarters of theUnited
Nations Development Program (UNDP) in New York.
The Millennium Village Project in North Carolinais a three-school initiative
involving Duke University,UNC, and Bennett College. We have two goals, 1.)
Raise 1.5 million dollars by June of 2007 for a village in Kenya/Uganda, and
2.) In conjunction with Duke's Global Health Initiative and the Columbia Earth
Institute, expand the role of undergraduate students in development projects.
Since July 2006 we have raised 500,000+ dollars and have secured an additional
750,000 dollars of matching funds. Professor Jeffrey Sachs will be coming to
talk to our schools on November 10th, and we are planning a Millennium
Development Goal week leading up to the speech. We are also planning
collaborative efforts with ANY campus group that is interested (send
representatives from your group!) to co-sponsor events that they are already
running. But, we need help! Your Help! If you areinterested in learning more,
come to our meeting on?
SUNDAY OCTOBER 22
2 P.M.
CAMPUS COUNCIL OFFICE in Few Quad (If you are facing the Chapel, take a left
onto the quad, go into the first door on the left, take a left after entering)
More Info at: http://www.ncmvp.org and
http://duke.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2204726567
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8. Duke InternationalAmbassadors Program
Going home for the winter? Want to take Duke back withyou? International
Council, in conjunction with the Admissions Office, is looking for student
ambassadors who will represent Duke in their respective countries.
The purpose of the program will be to provide students with the opportunity to
be involved in Duke's recruitment process.
As an Ambassador, you will receive quality training and materials in order to
prepare them for this mission the coming winter or summer. We will also work
with you to compile a list of contacts in your respective areas, and help set
up appointments with the various high schools and college fairs for you to
attend.
Still interested? Please fill out the form below and return to Serrie Fung at
sf36@duke.edubefore NOVEMBER 4TH.
_____________________
Name:
Email:
Contact number:
Year:
Home country*:
Home town/city*:
* or the place you will be visiting for the program
Expected dates in visiting country:
Please select one of the training sessions that you can attend (you must attendONE):
Nov. 12th (Sunday),4.00-5.30pm
Nov. 15th(Wednesday), 7.00-8.30pm
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9. Theta Nu Xi Multicultural Sorority, Inc. with AlphaKappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and the Center for Race Relations present...
"Killing Us Softly III" by Jean Kilbourne
Monday, October 23 at 8pm
McClendon Tower, 2nd Floor Media Room
REFRESHMENTS PROVIDED!
A film about how, why and to what effect corporations and their advertisers
use images of girls and women to sell their products. Kilbourne"sets mass
media images of femininity against social reality, advertising fantasy
against the actual experience of girls and women, and encourages us to
consider the relationship between the stories advertising tells about girls
and women and the actual lives girls and women lead."
Join the Dynamic Women of the Delta Chapter of Theta NuXi Multicultural
Sorority, Inc. and the Pretty Pearls of the Iota MuChapter of Alpha Kappa
Alpha Sorority, Inc. with the Center for Race Relations for a viewing and
discussion on the important issues of feminity andgender in Kilbourne's
film.
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10. "ThePolitical Parties and Judicial System of China"Lecture
Who: Professor Suli Zhu,Dean of Peking University Law School, Fifth annual Bernstein Lecturer inInternational and Comparative Law of Duke Law School.
When: 12:00 PM onThursday, November 2, 2006
Where: Law SchoolRoom 3041.
Professor Zhu is an expert in the fields of jurisprudence and legal theory andhas written extensively on the rule of law in China. Professor Zhu has beena faculty member of Peking University School of Law since 1992 and dean since2001. Professor Zhu is He is the author, among many publications, of"Sending Law to the Countryside: Research on China'sBasic-level Judicial System." A comprehensive review ofthis book by Professor Frank K. Upham, "Who WillFind the Defendant If He Stays with His Sheep? Justice in RuralChina" can be found in 114 Yale L.J. 1675 (2005). Professor Zhureceived his LL.B. from Peking University, an LL.M. in American business andtaxation law from McGeorge School of Law, and a Ph.D.in justice and cross-disciplinary studies from Arizona State University.
Formal invitation of the lecture will follow shortly.
Thank you for your time and consideration. Please feel free to give me acall if you have any question.
Best,
Chun Hu
Director of International Career
Development and Special Projects
Duke UniversitySchool of Law
Durham, NC 27708
Tel: 919-613-7144
Fax: 919-613-7231
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11. PROGRAMIN ASIAN SECURITY STUDIES
"Prudence and Moderation: ADiplomat's View of the U.S.-Taiwan Relations"
Who: Dr. DavidTawei Lee, Representativeof the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the UnitedStates
When: 3:30 pm,Friday, October 27, 2006
Where: Allen Building Board Room
Dr. David TaweiLee arrived in Washington, D.C.on July 23, 2004 to take up his position as Taiwan's Representative to the United States.A graduate of NationalTaiwan University,Representative Lee received his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia in 1987. Dr. Lee is the author of The Making of the Taiwan Relations Act: Twenty Yearsin Retrospect, the Oxford University Press, 2000.
It is free and open to the public.
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12. Wharton Asia Business Conference
On behalf of the 2006 Wharton Asia Business Conferencecommittee, I would
like to extend an invitation to you and your organization to join us in our
Conference which will be held on *November 10th *at the * Park Hyatt
Hotel*in downtown Philadelphia.
This year's Conference theme is *"Defining Asia in Transition"* andwe have
an excellent line up of speakers who will be sharing their insights on Asia
and the opportunities and challenges the region faces in the future. We have
6 panels this year and they are:
1) Capital Markets in Emerging Asian Markets
2) Hedge Funds and Private Equity in Asia
3) Consumer Marketing in Asia
4) Local versus Global
5) High Growth Industry: Telecommunication, Media and Technology
6) Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital
We are also inviting the following schools to join us in our Conference:
Carnegie MellonUniversity, Georgetown,Harvard, Columbia and New York
University.
A Career Fair will be held in conjunction with the Conference and some of
the companies taking part include: Citigroup, Bain and Company, Goldman
Sachs, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch. There will alsobe an after
Conference dinner and party organized for all interested parties.
Ticket purchase can be made online at
http://www.whartonglobal.com/asia/index.asp starting fromearly October.
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13. ITASA LeadershipRetreat
Here's an awesome Taiwanese Americanconference/retreat/networking opportunity: The ITASA Leadership Retreat(Intercollegiate Taiwanese American Students Association). Duke TSA is justpolling for interest-- are any of you interested ingoing to Emory in ATL Nov 10-12? If enough people go, we could drive down (andit'd essentially be $15 for the whole weekend). If
you're ever interested in flying to conferences, there's also a LeadershipConference Travel Fund that can support your conference travel.
Contact Anna Wu at anna.wu@duke.edufor more information.
Dear Southeast TASA Organizations,
We are contacting you regarding an upcoming ITASA Leadership Retreat that isgoing to be hosted by Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.
We are planning to hold the Retreat on the weekend of November 10-12,2006. There will be one day of workshops that will be organized by thenational ITASA, and meals and social outings will be included. Pleasenotify your respective organizations to see how much interest there is, and howmany people are willing to come. Please let us know within these next fewdays, and we will hopefully give you all
finalized details in about one week. There will be required registrationfor this event, and a registration fee of around 15-20 dollars. We lookforward to speaking with each of you, and hope that you will help us make thisa successful event! Feel free to ask us any questions.
Emory TASA
Aaron Wu, Co-President Emory TASA
acwu@emory.edu
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14. TooAsian? [Yahoo News]
"Rachel, for an Asian, has many friends."
That's the kind of line that apparently is turning up more and more in lettersof recommendation on behalf of Asian American applicants to top colleges,
according to experts on a panel called "Too Asian?" at the annualmeeting of the National Association for College Admission Counseling.
When the recommendation line was cited as the kind of bias - even perhaps wellintentioned bias – that pervades the admissions process, many in the audience
at first seemed angry that in 2006 people would reference race in that way. Butwhen it came time for audience comments, one high school counselor said thatcounselors feel they have no choice but to mention students' Asian status andto try to make it seem like
their Asian students are different from other Asian students.
"We make those comparisons because we feel it's the only way we can getthrough and get our students looked at," said the counselor, to knowingnods from others in the audience.
Many Asian students and their families have for years believed that quotas orbias hinder their chances at top Ivy or California universities.But to listen to panelists - and members of a standing room only audience - theintensity of concern has grown, as has mistrust of the system.
In the discussion at the NACAC meeting, participants tried to talk franklyabout Asian students' perceptions and colleges' perception of Asians – withseveral people admitting that they were simultaneously denouncing stereotypesand saying that some of them had at least partial truth that colleges and highschools need to confront.
Admissions officers, while defending the overall integrity of the system,admitted that bias is a real problem. And advocates for Asian students admittedthat they are challenged by the many Asian families who want to consider only asubset of institutions.
Many counselors - during and after the session – said that they have littledoubt that when applying for undergraduate admission to research universities,white applicants are getting admitted with lower test scores and grades thanAsian applicants are. One high
school guidance counselor told the panel of experts that a sign of the distrustof the system is that he is increasingly asked by Asian American students ifthey would be better off applying to college if they declined to check therace/ethnicity box on the
applications.
Jon Reider, a counselor at University High School, inSan Francisco, urged the questioner to encourage students to continue to checkthe box, and he questioned whether leaving the box would do much good. "Ifyour name is Wong....." he said to laughter. But he also noted that one ofthe many ways Asian Americans today don't fit stereotypes is in their
names. The Asian American woman on the panel – and admissions official at Colorado College - was named Rachel Cederberg.
The prompt for the discussion was an article that ran last year in The WallStreet Journal about "the new white flight." The article reportedthat white families were leaving some nice suburbs with great public schools -or sending their children to private schools - as districts became "tooAsian," apparently meaning districts where after-school academic programsare more popular than soccer. While the school districts about which thearticle was written have criticized the piece, many at the NACAC meeting saidthat the attitudes quoted in the article were real - and were playing a bigimpact in college admissions.
Reider said he thought the article and the questionof "Too Asian?" that it posed was "shameful" and said thathe was "embarrassed" as an American that such a piece would appeartoday. He asked whether anyone would think of publishing an article called"Too
Latino?" and compared the bias to the kind of bigotry that for decadeslimited the enrollment of Jewish students at top private universities."This is a racist question," he said.
He also said that the bias is real - and cited his experience in his previousjob as part of the admissions office at Stanford University.There, he said, the office did a study some years ago in which it comparedAsian and white applicants with the same overall academic and leadershiprankings. The study was only of "unhooked kids," meaning those withno extra help for being an alumni child or an athlete. The study found thatcomparably qualified white applicants were "significantly" more likelyto be
admitted than their Asian counterparts.
Stanford's admissions office responded with some serious self-reflection, hesaid, and officials now spend some time each year studying different kinds ofbias - like letters that compare Asian applicants to other Asians - in anattempt to weed out any unfair judgments. With bias removed, he said,"there's no way that a school or college can be considered tooAsian."
At the same time, he and others said that part of the problem in admissionstoday is created by Asian applicants - and especially their parents - who tendto accept only certain colleges as legitimate options.
Colorado College, where Cederbergnow works, has an Asian population under 10 percent - a figure that is quitetypical for liberal arts colleges. Asian students are considered to add todiversity to the college and she has the full support of the college in
recruiting them, she said.
Based on working with institutions where Asian enrollment exceed 25 percent -something that is increasingly common at elite publics in California and topuniversities elsewhere - she said she hears lots of talk about admissionsofficers who complain about
"yet another Asian student who wants to major in math and science and whoplays the violin" or people who say "I don't want another boringAsian."
She said she wishes more Asian students would look at liberal arts colleges. Abroader problem, several speakers said, was an emphasis on just a few kinds ofinstitutions.
Mike White, principal of Lynbrook High School, in one of the districts The Wall StreetJournal wrote about, said that he has a very tough time persuading Asianstudents to look at the California State Universitycampuses, including nearby San Jose State University,
which has many academic programs in areas his students want to study.
If they don't get into the Universityof California campus of choice orStanford, he said, many prefer to enroll at a community college and transfer toa UC campus rather than attending a Cal State campus. White stressedthat he didn't mean to be critical of
community colleges, but that it struck him that his students were ignoringinstitutions that were a good match - just because the institutions didn't havea perceived level of prestige.
Reider described an exercise he does for Asianparents in which he tells them about two institutions. At one, he describeswalking through a beautify campus, meeting a president who knows all thestudents by name, seeing labs that are first rate, and learning that sciencestudents are admitted to top graduate and professional programs, based in parton their original research. At the other institution, he describes how he meetsa smart science student frustrated that he can't get any work done because ofthe loud music down the hall. When Reider walks downthe hall, a student blaring music tells him it's a party school.
After he describes the two campuses, he says he tells the parents "you'dwant your kids at the first school, right?" They agree. Then he tells themthat the first institution was WhitmanCollege (although he quickly adds thatit could have been a few dozen other liberal arts colleges) and the secondinstitution was Harvard University. And then, hesaid, the parents all say that they were wrong when they answered the questionthe first time, and they still want their kids at Harvard.
