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What would you like to see on The Blaaag? Tell us at theblaaag@gmail.com.

It seems so. Read about it here.

From my crappy but beloved camera phone:


A candle in a Dixie cup.


Supporters at the vigil. About 200 showed up.


That is a candle on David's poor phone.


The Justice Will Be Served! campaign is alive and kicking. Check out their newest action against Ollie's, (blogged by the NYT here) another chapter in the fight against discriminatory practices at restaurants like Saigon Grill and Flor de Mayo, among others. Nice going!


In other news, my sister's gifting me a copy of Chang-Rae Lee's Native Speaker when I get home this winter. Will The Blaaag start doing book reviews? (Uhm, depends how quickly I finish...) Oh wait, don't we have two Blaaag writers in Wen Jin's Asian American Literature? Riiight.


P.S. There's good news over at the hunger strike blog. Check it out! (Three of four issues conceded upon? Yes.)

P.P.S. Our co-editor Mar got a picture in the Spectator h-strike vigil slideshow. (Picture nine, here.)


Awww!


This time nothing even peripherally to do with Asian American issues (because Masi wasn't in this episode!), or the brain-eating Sylar for that matter, but you can read my Racialicious recap here.

This week is Lucha's Immigration Week. Check out the great events planned! Below is our statement in solidarity...
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On June 6th, 1993, a rusty freighter named Golden Venture ran aground in Queens after nearly circling the globe with almost three hundred Thai and Chinese immigrants. Most of these immigrants had paid thirty thousand dollars to be able to work in this country free from China's coercive reproductive policies. But as the Golden Venture crashed, these passengers jumped a mutinous ship to freezing waters and swam toward shore, where the immigrations services laid in wait.

Among the passengers of that fated vessel, ten drowned, six disappeared, and the rest were detained, to be deported to a punishing homeland or left in a difficult legal limbo in this country. Like most Asian immigrants, these people came to the United States primarily to earn a living. They were met instead with years of detainment, deportation, and forced sterilization in their home country.

Today, the individuals who remain help make up America's evolving history of migration, one which is already shared by Asian American Alliance and Lucha's predecessors. Just as Filipino and Mexican farm workers came together in 1936 to form a dual-ethnic AFL charter, just as Philip Vera Cruz and Cesar Chavez fought side by side to improve working conditions of migrant workers, so are we coming together today to build coalitions against the forces that weigh us down.

Tonight, we celebrate not just the rights of immigrants but the rights of all people of color. Let us take this time not only to remember our privileges deprived but also the ones received, thanks to those fighting since before our time. Without our predecessors, our teachers, we would not know the true meaning of what we deserve. Let us thank and remember them for the history which they made, for the history which we will continue writing.

So for anyone unaware, this past Saturday (11/10) Mayor Choi came to Columbia to speak about politics, campaigning, and what it means to be Asian American in a very non-Asian American arena. As he talked I was confounded by Mayor Choi’s ease in speaking about Asian Americans and Asian American issues. He spoke about Asian Americans supporting political representatives who advocate for Asian American issues, yet also informing us that many Asian-origin peoples vote in ethnic blocks (if they vote at all). So then, what are these Asian American issues that unite us? It seems problematic that Asian Americans are supposed to share common bonds yet when voting we fall into ethnic categories. This tension especially highlighted in the political arena has led me for the past several days to re-think the term Asian American and what it means.

After endless thinking and conversations with my roommate I have arrived at a tentative conclusion: the term Asian American is inherently destructive and must be re-thought, re-labeled to reflect something more unified. I feel that the term is too broad. I cannot see the connections between Indian, Pakistani, Korean, Vietnamese peoples --- I believe others can’t also. Further proof is this inner group label of South Asian, or South East Asian. Why if there is unity do these sub-labels persist? I feel as if these sub-labels point out to the inherent weakness of the Asian American label. Part of this weakness stems from Asian American not encompassing a single culture, which it cannot even attempt to do because the term reflects too many different ethnic groups. This emphasis on culture comes from my need to find this common thread that is strong enough to connect such differences. This thread doesn’t have to be culture, but religion doesn’t work, appearance doesn’t work, even political outlook doesn’t work. Mayor Choi mentioned how different ethnic groups support opposing political parties. Moreover, while Mayor Choi mentioned that political power comes when groups have a solid economic foundation I would argue that only certain ethnic groups have such a foundation. So what does that mean for our unity under this umbrella term of Asian American?

I ask people to comment, to advise, and share their own knowledge on this issue of Asian American identity. I want someone to tell me that I am wrong (that the term Asian American is not destructive) because I want that safety of knowing I am connected to a greater community.

Day Six



At noon, a reporter from Al Jazeera approached Bryan Mercer for an interview.

Yes, the Al Jazeera.

As many of you are aware, many individuals including one of our own have been on a hunger strike for the past 4 days. Unfortunately, due to the extrenuating circumstances, aretha felt ill today and is currently recovering at St. Luke's.

Lena, David, Shilpa, and I are at the hospital right now and according to the people tending to her, she is doing fine and recovering well.

please join me in wishing her the best as she has our unconditional love and support.

C

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Read about it here.

Also: as one striker exits, five more (incl. a professor) enter.


 

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