Again, we end the year by asking our exalted seniors (there are some in every year!) some questions about their time, Asian Americana, and memories of organizing at Columbia. Since sending them out, our eager fellow Blaaager Ryan Fukumori was the first to respond! May we take wisdom from his words. Also, if you're a senior who got this - DO YOUR PROFILE I COMMAND YOU. That's all.

Name, School
Ryan Heiroku Fukumori, CC

Hometown
Northwest Aztlán, a.k.a. Berkeley, CA

Greatest achievement
Clocking in nearly 100 hours in the first Party Room without smelling like I was decomposing (or so I hope). Or 50 Yen.

Most hilarious anecdote from student organizing
At the 2008 New York City Asian American Student Conference, I attempted to stave off the effects of sleep deprivation by drinking a few of those 6-hour energy shots . They did the job, but they also made me really weak in the knees, which Nhu-Y claimed was polio. She was also throwing things at me all day. And I'm not sure this is hilarious to anyone beyond ourselves...

Favorite yearly/semesterly tradition
Pacing nervously and drinking six cups of water right before cultureSHOCK performances

Fondest memory of AAA/PC
April 21, 2007, eating gravy & cheese fries with Geologic of Blue Scholars in EC1412, after they performed their first show (ever!) in NYC. Blue Scholars played drinking games (with Street Fighter, of course) and bought us food from Hamilton Deli, and their manager passed out on an air mattress at 5am while Geo smoked cigarettes out the window and waxed poetics & politics with us. For a bunch of the '09ers it was the end of our tenures on the AAA board--elections were that following afternoon--so it was a great parting gift.

Favorite neighborhood haunt
The Intercultural Resource Center--I never lived there, but I've spent innumerable hours there in meetings and made connections to a lot of amazing people doing great progressive work in their organizations, peer circles, and communities. Also, Saji's has the best Japanese food in the area, hands down (I may not speak the mother tongue, but I do know the cuisine)

Your weakness or poison, five words or less
Poison: I plead the fifth, Weakness: Funyuns

The name of your future dissertation
Get back to me in five years, when I'm actually writing one (aaaahhh!)

What you'll miss most and least about Barnard/Columbia, post-grad
Will: Having the time, space and energy to explore new things, starting my day at 2pm, and the people with whom I've been fortunate enough to spend my time here.
Won't: the folks (and there are a lot of them) who filter everything through middle-class politics and don't consider their own class privilege in what they say, think, or do. And the, uh, aftereffects of eating at John Jay, to put it politely.

Where we can find you in ten years
Struggling to win tenure at some nondescript institution of higher learning in California. And, raising kids? What a scary thought.

Where we can find you in thirty years
Coming to the inevitable and horrendous conclusion that I've become technologically illiterate, as my kids look on embarrassingly.

Dream occupation(s) other than the one you're pursuing?
If I had Jeff Chang's job, but I also got to drive an ice cream truck.

Three words of advice for incoming AAA/PC'ers in the 2013 class
1. Asian Americans are people of color! Building bridges with Latino/a, African American, and Native American students, and critically engaging the issues common to multiple communities of color, were huge sources of inspiration and empowerment for me and definitely helped break down the (mis)conception that Asian Americans have to be an isolated student population on campus. And hell hath no fury like a multiracial alliance fighting for institutional change.

2. I came here with a lot of problematic attitudes about gender and sexuality. It hurts to admit that, but I owe everything to my sistas who (whether they know it or not) helped me break down my own sexism and promote gender equality in my everyday actions, not just my words. So, to my fellow APA men: really take the time to learn from the women around you, and don't be afraid to be wrong. And--the notion that Asian men are effeminate really does suck, but if we start upholding sexist and homophobic ideas to combat that stereotype, we're part of the problem and not the solution.

3. This isn't original, but: HAVE FUN! It's not worth the time if it's all chores and obligations. Make friends, and make the most of the opportunity and learn new things.

Boulder, Colorado -

Two Boulder middle-school students have been arrested on suspicion of harassment and a bias-motivated crime after police said they called a 12-year-old girl and threatened to rape and kill her because she’s Asian-American.

The 13-year-old boys — and a 10-year-old boy, whose arrest was pending — are suspected of calling the girl’s cell phone at 9 p.m. Monday and using explicit and violent language to describe raping her.

link to rest of article...

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Boulder also happens to be my hometown, which claims to be the most liberal place in Colorado but has consistently been in national people of color news for hate crimes including an incident where an Asian American student was held at knifepoint and forced to say "I love America" and another incident with a university publication article calling for a "war on Asians" and "hunt."

How is the "most liberal" town in Colorado the site of the majority of the state's high-profile hate crimes? political liberalism ≠ anti-racism

Margaret Cho, one of my perennial favorites, is starring in a new Lifetime show, Drop Dead Diva, this summer. Airing on July 12th, the show will also star Broadway actress, Brooke Elliott, according to Theater Mania. The show is about a shallow model reborn as a brilliant plus-size attorney, played by Elliott. Cho's role in the show is the attorney's assistant, serving as a comedic foil to Elliott's character.

See below for her first interview with CNN below, where she also talks about Asian Americans in the media, Betty Brown, her new term "Asian adjacent," her new music album, as well as her role in the queer community.

http://www.bwog.net/articles/senior_wisdom_nhu_y_ngo

Our very own Nhu-Y Ngo gives some senior wisdom for the masses! The Blaaag will soon have these as well for our graduating '09ers. They will inevitably be more yellowbrown-centric and cracked out.

Some key references are elaborated upon below:

Acronyms - Vietnamese Students Association, Asian Pacific American Awareness Month, Asian American Alliance Political Committee, and Advocacy Coalition. All groups which are, I believe, The Shit.

Little brother - He has a love/hate relationship with chips and is perhaps unhinged in time.

The Solomon R. Chao Memorial Party Room - Camp-out room in Butler beginning Fall 2006, last witnessed Spring 2008. All Blaaagers and AAA/PC members have partaken in its festivities at some point in time. Important characteristics: Pepperidge Farm cookies, Ryan's verses on the whiteboard, Facebook Scrabble, smells of ass and strawberries.

There are more, but this reminds me of May Lin's Senior Wisdom back when I was just a little frosh.

From the KollabNY Fam:

Dear Kollaboration Friends,

As Kollaboration New York gets closer to the show on Saturday, June 27, 2009 one thing is certain. New York is the place for dreamers. Among its stoops, skyscrapers, and subway stations, there is an unmistakable undercurrent of dreams realized, on their way, taking shape. Getting closer.

In our pursuit of helping realize dreams, KNY has been blessed to receive the moral and artistic support of the New York music and entertainment community. A few local artists (not necessarily competitors) spent weeks to help put together this video in celebration of our mission. This project is a collaboration in the truest sense of the word. An homage to New York City, its dreamers, the pursuit of dreams...

To getting closer.



For details about the event, see Marilla's original post here. Tickets go on sale next week here.

Another AALDEF Internship opportunity! Not overkill.

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), founded in 1974, is the first organization on the East Coast to protect and promote the legal rights of Asian Americans through litigation, legal advocacy, and community education. For more information about AALDEF, please visit our website at www.aaldef.org.

Description of Summer Internship Program:

The summer program is ten weeks, from approximately June 1^st through August 7^th. Interns work full-time and are supervised by attorneys in specific program areas. Summer interns attend weekly brown bag lectures on a range of public interest legal topics along with interns from other legal defense funds and civil rights groups. AALDEF also provides trainings in housing law, naturalization procedures, and immigration law. The position is unpaid. However, in previous years many AALDEF interns have been successful at securing independent funding. Academic credit can be arranged.

The Hmong American Writers’ Circle (HAWC) in association with Heyday Books will publish an anthology of literary writing focused on the Hmong American experience, specifically on the connection to the Central Valley, its land and people. A section of the anthology will include original artwork/photography.

April 1, 2009 to August 31, 2009

Guidelines:
• Topics: experiences involving Hmong/Hmong Americans in the Central Valley
• Accepted genres: poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, plays
• Format: Microsoft Word, size 12, Times New Roman font (should you be sending pieces that require you to vary sizes and font styles, please email your concerns prior to submitting, to:
HawcSubmissions@gmail.com)
• Previously published pieces accepted (please ensure you have rights to reprint)
• Simultaneous submissions accepted
• Publication in this anthology is not limited to only Hmong American writers
• Pieces written in Hmong accompanied with an English translation are welcomed

Submissions:
• Submissions in multiple genres welcomed
• 3-5 poems, 1-3 pieces of fiction, 1-3 pieces of creative non-fiction, or 1-3 plays
• Only email submissions accepted, please send your submissions to: HawcSubmissions@gmail.com
• Include a cover letter discussing your background (include any experiences as or with Hmong/Hmong Americans in the Central Valley), and literary accomplishments or publication (if applicable); cover letters should include name, address, phone number and email

Contact Information: HawcSubmissions@gmail.com

So...this image is not uploading correctly. But, anyways: NYU is throwing a closing ceremony for their AHM (Asian Heritage Month) today! It'll be down at the Kimmel Center of NYU at 6:30pm. Food will be served...for free! Performers will be Ill-Literacy, Heather Park, and Phyllis Hetjian, with Brian Jian emceeing. Go check it out.

Join TASA, KSA, AAA, and APAAM for an epic semi-formal party next Monday (May 4th) after the last day of classes! Known last year as "Fornicasian," the party planners have decided to continue with the tradition of sexual innuendo, naming this year's event "V Spot." Check out the Facebook event for details. Admission is $30 for a wild night of mayhem and an open bar from 11pm-1am. Venue is "Amber" at 27th and 3rd, a 10-15 minute walk from Penn Station. We'll bring the dranks, you bring the party. Email AAA (aaa@columbia.org) if you would like to reserve a spot!

This Friday, May 1st, (sadly) marks the end of Columbia's celebration of APAAM 2009. The closing ceremonies will be held on the Barnard College quad at 7pm. (The rain location is Lewis Parlor.) Dinner will be served, and featured artists include El Gambina, Danny Katz, Kevin Nadal, and John Flor-Sisante. Photo contest winners will also be announced. (There was a photo contest?!)

Anyways, it's been real, folks. APAAM 2009 has featured many interesting discussions and wonderful collaborative events, so congrats APAAM board! My personal faves were "Who is Asian American?" and the screening of Corinne Manabat's Excuse My Gangsta Ways. Hope everyone had fun!