Really interesting...

I thought this was really interesting because I will be in China next semester (Ireland/Irish heritage this semester, China/Chinese Heritage next! I even made it to CA last summer to reconnect with my only other Asian family in the US - rest in thailand - I'm doing pretty well ;) ) but anyway its on mixed race views in china. I haven't fully read it yet but I plan on it soon. For now I'll just post it here: http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/13/chinas-changing-views-on-race/?8ty&emc=ty

Mixed Roots Festival taking submissions!

I wanted to try to become a volunteer, and maybe intern organizing it but it takes place June 12-like 14 or something. I might still be in China. I am sad T_T but I figure I'd post it here anyway :) http://www.mxroots.org/

celeb

So, I realized awhile back that Vanessa Hudgens was mixed. I really did think she was latina until I saw her last name. I actually got pretty excited about it (yes, I saw all 3 High School Musicals) also because Disney targets the next generations of kids, all at a time in their lives where they are the most influenced by things they watch, hear, and are exposed to. But I wonder, I heard that its easier for mixed race, or "ethnically ambiguous" people to get different "ethnic" roles in movies and its an advantage I think in that regard, but does Hudgens ever feel strange acting as the "ethnic person" with roles/castings that don't really care what you actually are or if you actually understand the culture of who you're representing? What are the rules about this? Its all a very grey area.

another blog!

Yea! I was happy to see that there is another blog: mixedchild.com - and it has news articles, celebs, events, and so forth all for mixed race stuff. I have been looking for blogs like this one, that are more professionally run and regularly updated. Another reason I started this blog was because I couldn't find any, so I had to put everything I found on my own blog, but I am terrible about updating ^_^ I hope it gets more popular, and people will get more interested in mixed race things.

interesting video

So this is an interesting little (and by little I mean looooong) video that a friend showed me. Its really interesting, I feel like its exaggerated though, this woman is interesting, her approach. And for trying to be "scientific" she doesn't hide that fact that this is also a very personal matter (I think it has a LOT to do with her daughter" but I haven't finished it yet, its still really interesting. This is the html: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/is-it-better-to-be-mixed-race/4od

So I finished it. I totally understand some parts of it - she REALLY liked the word homozygous, but really I have to say it had an underlying (and by underlying, again, I mean kind of obvious) message of how mixed race was seen as bad but now it will help your kids fight disease. I like the other scientists on the show, they were clear in talking about how its not genes as much as lifestyle, really, and downplayed the "mixed is better" phrase. The shooting of the movie is weird too, like, why are you talking to a Brazilian scientist on the steps? Why not in a lab or something? Like there are really staged interviews but overall it was interesting and I am glad I saw it. Not sure I would recommend it right away though.

Multiracial Week!!

I am so sad that I cannot make it to Brown this week :( because there is an entire week every October for Multiracial heritage!! With lots of events! Its so cool, its the only place I have ever really heard of it before I meant to go last year but I didn't learn about it till after it had passed.

News article

So I was sad on hearing this - problems for multiracial partners still exist :( This is about a rejection of an interracial couple for a marriage license in Louisiana:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/15/interracial-couple-denied_n_322784.html

Most ridiculous line EVER: "I'm not a racist. I just don't believe in mixing the races that way"

random new article in news

A new article - its been awhile, and I just thought this is the place to put any hapa news (obviously) and this is a pretty crazy article about a wife taking her kids back to Japan with no notice to her ex-husband (American guy).

Students talking about Interracial marriages

So its another video, but truthfully, I like videos the most! Unless its a really good article or something. This one is super interesting cause its an interview with students just like me in college talking about interracial marriages.

Its interesting because you'd think that feelings are changing about it, and its true, there is a radical change from only 10 years ago, but there are quite a few students who don't agree. They are actually kind of hypocritical saying that they accept interracial marriages but in fact would never consider it for themselves. Interesting... now I see where our "liberals" align! (just kidding, I know this is only a few students, but its still interesting)

What are Youtube?

This is a cool little idea, cause you know how much people like taking videos of them (lol, though actually only 5 people replied surprisingly) check it out:



This kid actually asked people what they were and to make a short video of it. I like how the videos are all different in how they reply and how it has some moms with their kids. One of the responses is super short, another is really long. All of them are interesting, maybe I should do one...??

What the mutt?

Haha, just loved this title that was one of the sections of this new website I found: Musings for Mutts. I am still uncertain what it is... I think it is kind of like this blog but more well-run and professional. It seems really fun, it really puts being multiracial in a humorous light (that is still respectful). I am still unsure, though, like I said of what it is, though I only have skimmed it thus far, I plan on looking more into it. It has a great layout, if anything.

Obama is now Irish, Kenyan/African American, AND Asian now...

So I find it fascinating on how, for multiracial people, so many people identify with them. I mean, look at this:



and this article: Obama the first Asian-American president?

And even from multiracial people I have heard, they say how people will think they are many different cultures. To Italians, they are Italian, to Greeks, they are Greek, to Spanish, they are Spanish, and so forth. That maybe an amazing or bad thing about multiraciality. It connects cultures in the very basic way: genes, and then others will be able to identify with them no matter where they are. The only problem with that is that other people are imposing identities on you, and its got to become frustrating. But all these articles about multiraciality and every culture claiming Obama (who wouldn't?) as their own really made me think.

Another Washington Post Article

So its all old news to us multiracials, but the problem of the box-checking seems to be coming to light once again as formats are going to change:

"Starting in 2010, under Education Department rules approved two years ago to comply with a government-wide policy shift, parents will be able to check all boxes that apply in a two-step questionnaire with reshaped categories. First, they will indicate whether a student is of Hispanic or Latino origin, or not. (The two terms will encompass one group.) Then they will identify a student as one or more of the following: American Indian or Alaska native; Asian; black or African American; native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander; or white."

I apparently didn't realize that this was still an issue. But it seems to be, still as the article came out in just March. This is the article.

Anyway its an interesting read, although it wasn't really anything new to me :)

Interacial marriage declines

So turns out that interracial marriage is declining... so much for how everyone thinks that multiracial marriage is going to be the cure-all for racism. The Washington Post made this article: Immigrants' Children Look Closer for Love. Its interesting, I have only skimmed it yet. I thought it was funny though - racialicious and angry asian man blogs both caught this one earlier. I actually did see it awhile ago, but I think I was too lazy to put it up. It almost makes me a little sad though, less mixed people? I think mixed people are the best ;) but you know, that's just me :)

This is an image from the article, with the girl saying that she realizes she prefers dating Asian men when she came into cultural clashes with others of different races.

Though I have to say I get where she is coming from, I have seen in my own parents' marriage (which is very happy!) different kinds of cultural clashes. I think, actually, my Dad, being the international one, had a hard time fitting into an all-white family here, while my mother had less of a problem because they lived here, around her family. But I am sure, that if she had to live around my Dad's family there would have been lots of problems. Not saying my Mother had it easy, just culturally things swayed her way in the end I think. I also think it is a mother thing, too, as mother's tend to be the cultural center a lot of times (not all of the time) for the family.

A video

This is a really cool video, this person is clearly artistic enough to make a really nice video. I like the way its presented - it doesn't get boring or repetitive. They seem really smart and bring a lot of issues to the foreground. Its just sometimes some of the issues a lot of mixed race people have like people asking "What are you?" - I dunno. I don't find as offensive. Admittedly, I have done it before, too. I like that, cause then i can declare my ethnicity to people, and they are confronted with how I define myself instead of automatically assuming what I am. But I understand the whole frustration thing. Its a really good video though and a few of the parts, like the piece with the girl telling her how it was "cool" to be mixed, really made sense.

iLL-Literacy

So Asian American Coalition is bringing iLL-Literacy to campus this Wednesday and honestly the only thing that has stuck out for me about the group is one of the members is blasian and he made this video:


So that is the most exciting thing about the group for me ^_^ but I have to say that they seem really interesting and good. This video though - its awesome. Cause it blatantly puts out there how image-based race is and how these mono-racial asian groups can't see past that, and are kind of exclusive. I love his commentary, too :)

Cool Project

So i found this random project and its really cool! This is the site. Its called the "bi-racial doll project" and it deals with how bi-racials in China are seen as so super beautiful. I think that this is good cause while it would be great to be bombarded with how pretty I am in China (lol) I think that this is also a stereotyped notion and is really detrimental to bi-racial Chinese. Cause if you really aren't so pretty, then you get this stigma. Also, there is great beauty in full-Chinese, too (man do I wish I was as pretty as some of these women!), so being bi-racial should not automatically make you prettier. It actually puts TONS of pressure on bi-racials to be pretty and try to maintain that image. I could really relate cause the most Chinese (women only, so far) all comment on my prettiness which wierdly has a stupid side-effect of making me more self-concious and needed to keep up this appearance. I think I will look into this project some more. This is the description that was provided on the site:

"Bi-racial Doll Project is an attempt to look at the stereotypes which people in China (both Chinese local and foreign) have about kids who are 1/2 Chinese. Many parents agree that when they take their child outside in China, they are bombarded with comments about how MORE 'beautiful, cute, healthy, smart, handsome, talented, etc' their 1/2 child is compared to Chinese kids. Another aspect is that these comments are only accessible to both child and parent if they have the language, otherwise it is easy to tune out this babble. Furthermore, people already have an image formed in their head of what a 1/2 Chinese child should look like, act like. This project hopes to challenge those notions."

Apparently Biracial Asians have some health issues...

So I just found this article: Mental Health and Biracial Asian Americans

Apparently us biracial Asian Americans got issues - mental issues, and are more likely to have a mental disorder. It kind of sucks, actually. The article was written last August so it isn't that old either. I mean, it definitely could be wrong... (I hope so!)

But you know what the worst is? When you google "biracial Asian Americans" its the first thing that comes up - there is an entire google page all leadign to this finding. Great, so now when people look us up, they're basically seeing that we are all mentally messed up :(

Lecture Today

So I went to a lecture-type faculty luncheon talk today that was offered by Peony Fhagen-Smith, a professor of psychology here at Wheaton. She gave an interesting lecture about the multiracial identity formation model. Its called the "MAREID" model and it is really new, they just are in the process. I really appreciate it cause they are trying to keep up with the changing social atmosphere towards mixed race and the psychological development of mixed race. I will put in the actual image of the model later when I can get my hands on a scanner. But overall, it was really interesting, if kind of boriign at times, just because she basically read off a piece of paper, it was not as engaging as it might have been. Some of it really seemed to ring true and some of it was over my head.

But in the end I was kind of upset at some fo the faculty's reactions. One woman said "I could have told you that just because of my family, and how I come from a multiracial family" and I was angry. She is supposed to be a faculty member, surely she understands the necessity for academia to create a more general model that she can identify with. I could have told Professor Fhagen-Smith some of that stuff too, but havng it at arms length with and attempt at removal of emotional bias is what science is all about. I was surprised she didn't understand that.

All-in-all it was a good experience and I learned a lot. I think I want to talk to Professor Fhagen Smith some other time about it, too.

Online communities

So this is a aquick post but I think I should have put these up first, cause they actually were the first "communities" of mixed race people that I found. I was just online and I finally started to google "mixed race" versus "asian" - and I found these places. This is mixedrace.com and eurasiannation.com. Actually I just checked and Eurasiannation is under construction right now. But I found these two communities of people who just talk about hapa, mixed race, or just random stuff. They are not super active, but they are decent - mixedrace is probably more active (in general, even when EAN was not under construction). I found limitation though in these forums. I like the person-to-person interaction, online just can't cut it. But they were important to me in the beginning :)