Week 12 Hmong in Wisconsin

http://www.hmong.org/page33444533.aspx I found this link which shows the number of Hmong living in each city of Wisconsin and i would have never guessed that their population was so big as a whole in the state. This link also allows you to check the Hmong population in other states. The city with the largest hmong population is the city of Milwaukee housing 10, 245 Hmongs. the city with the lowest population is Germantown village with 61 Hmongs. http://www.hmongcontemporaryissues.com/HistoireCultureLanguage/HistoryTimelineHmong.html This link shows the Hmong in America timeline. The information from the timeline that closely relates to the material discussed this week is in 1975-1980: Arrival of the Hmong first families in Hawaii, Oregon, Montana, Minnesota, Wisconsin and California. This is shocking that the population in Wisconsin have grew from 0 to 39,596 Hmongs over the last 33-38 years. When i see Wisconsin Hmong memebers it makes me curious as to the rest of the world. http://www.migrationinformation.org/usfocus/display.cfm?ID=281 This link include great info on the migration of Hmongs from Thailand and Loas to the United States.

Week 11 Trip to Chicago Alternative assignment

For the Alternative assignment I visited a Chinese cuisine restaurant that is close to my favorite Grocery store called Metro Market. The name of the restaurant is The Emperor of China. The restaurant is located at 1010 E Brady St. Milwaukee, WI 53202. I do not eat Chinese food a lot so I researched Chinese restaurants and picked the one with the best reviews. When I first got there I noticed a lot of cultural art. The building had an Asian Buddha on the top of the roof. The outside of the restaurant was very unique, with a picture of an Asian emperor on the front sign. The neighborhood of the restaurant is more of a residential area of Eastside Milwaukee. The surrounding business are small and locally owned. The area is very friendly and the restaurant has a small outdoor seating area. When I got in the restaurant I was surprisingly greeted by an Asian woman in all black who led me to the cozy dining area to be seated. As I walked through the dining hall I noticed the Chinese lanterns hanging from the ceiling, the elaborate Asian art of the walls, and more Chinese/Asian inspired statues of Buddha’s and gods. There were many four seat tables, pictures of Asian art of the wall and a few Asian statutes. A large oriental décor rug and the tables were covered in nice white line. I felt that the restaurant stayed true to its culture by incorporating all of the Chinese/Asian inspired décor which really made me get the full experience because previous to my visit I had only had Chinese takeout. I asked to speak with the owner so that I could ask him/her some question for my class project, but the owner was not there and the manager was too busy because I went during a high volume time, I was not able to assist me. So instead I periodically threw in question for my waitress to answer. One of the questions I asked was how authentic is the menu? She replied that they do their best to prepare food the same way one would receive it if they went to a restaurant in China or Japan. However she did mention that some of their spices and seasoning are unique to taste and can sometime overpower the food so they try to stick to general spices. I ordered Pow Pow Sha which is shrimp in a spicy sauce with Chinese greens because I do not eat beef or pork.. I attempted to eat my food with chop sticks, but failed miserably and went with a fork. The food was good, but the dining experience was great. I loved the way that they had the menu written in English, but had the Chinese translation on the side. This way they included those who speak both languages. I was told by my waitress that they had the best Mai Thai’s so I indulged in that fruity rum drink. To end my visit I opened my fortune cookie, which said “do not fear the unknown”. Overall I chose to go to a Chinese restaurant because I had never gone to a sit down Chinese restaurant. I am happy that I chose to do so. I didn’t take pictures of the place because I felt somewhat out of place because my boyfriend and I were the only black people and had no idea what to order at first. Overall I am glad I went and I would go again.

I watched the video after my visit to The Emperor of China and it somewhat changed my view on my experience and how authentic the restaurant and food was. Watching the video and reflecting back on the menu the restaurant did have a lot of the items that derived in America but was on the Chinese menu such as General Tso chicken, chop sewie, fortune cookies, incorporating broccoli with their dishes which is all American. I also learned from the video that Chinese food is served on all seven continents which in a way waters down the authenticity of Chinese food. However the decor and feel including the soft oriental music still gave me a feeling of an authentic Chinese restaurant.

For the Alternative assignment I visited a Chinese cuisine restaurant that is close to my favorite Grocery store called Metro Market. The name of the restaurant is The Emperor of China. The restaurant is located at 1010 E Brady St. Milwaukee, WI 53202. I do not eat Chinese food a lot so I researched Chinese restaurants and picked the one with the best reviews. When I first got there I noticed a lot of cultural art. The building had an Asian Buddha on the top of the roof. The outside of the restaurant was very unique, with a picture of an Asian emperor on the front sign. The neighborhood of the restaurant is more of a residential area of Eastside Milwaukee. The surrounding business are small and locally owned. The area is very friendly and the restaurant has a small outdoor seating area. When I got in the restaurant I was surprisingly greeted by an Asian woman in all black who led me to the cozy dining area to be seated. As I walked through the dining hall I noticed the Chinese lanterns hanging from the ceiling, the elaborate Asian art of the walls, and more Chinese/Asian inspired statues of Buddha’s and gods. There were many four seat tables, pictures of Asian art of the wall and a few Asian statutes. A large oriental décor rug and the tables were covered in nice white line. I felt that the restaurant stayed true to its culture by incorporating all of the Chinese/Asian inspired décor which really made me get the full experience because previous to my visit I had only had Chinese takeout. I asked to speak with the owner so that I could ask him/her some question for my class project, but the owner was not there and the manager was too busy because I went during a high volume time, I was not able to assist me. So instead I periodically threw in question for my waitress to answer. One of the questions I asked was how authentic is the menu? She replied that they do their best to prepare food the same way one would receive it if they went to a restaurant in China or Japan. However she did mention that some of their spices and seasoning are unique to taste and can sometime overpower the food so they try to stick to general spices. I ordered Pow Pow Sha which is shrimp in a spicy sauce with Chinese greens because I do not eat beef or pork.. I attempted to eat my food with chop sticks, but failed miserably and went with a fork. The food was good, but the dining experience was great. I loved the way that they had the menu written in English, but had the Chinese translation on the side. This way they included those who speak both languages. I was told by my waitress that they had the best Mai Thai’s so I indulged in that fruity rum drink. To end my visit I opened my fortune cookie, which said “do not fear the unknown”. Overall I chose to go to a Chinese restaurant because I had never gone to a sit down Chinese restaurant. I am happy that I chose to do so. I didn’t take pictures of the place because I felt somewhat out of place because my boyfriend and I were the only black people and had no idea what to order at first. Overall I am glad I went and I would go again.

I watched the video after my visit to The Emperor of China and it somewhat changed my view on my experience and how authentic the restaurant and food was. Watching the video and reflecting back on the menu the restaurant did have a lot of the items that derived in America but was on the Chinese menu such as General Tso chicken, chop sewie, fortune cookies, incorporating broccoli with their dishes which is all American. I also learned from the video that Chinese food is served on all seven continents which in a way waters down the authenticity of Chinese food. However the décor and feel including the soft oriental music still gave me a feeling of an authentic Chinese restaurant.

 

 

Week 9& 10 Refugee Stories: Vietnamese

I do not know much about the Vietnamese war. I was not taught about it in grade school or high school. So what i did was look up the Vietnam war timeline so that i could have an idea of what took place. It is as follows:
 1858-1884 - France invades Vietnam and makes Vietnam a colony.
October 1930 - Ho Chi Minh helps found the Indochinese Communist Party.
September 1940 - Japan invades Vietnam.
May 1941 - Ho Chi Minh establishes the Viet Minh (League for the Independence of Vietnam).
September 2, 1945 - Ho Chi Minh declares an independent Vietnam, called the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
January 1950 - The Viet Minh receive military advisors and weapons from China.
July 1950 - The United States pledges $15 million worth of military aid to France to help them fight in Vietnam.
May 7, 1954 - The French suffer a decisive defeat at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu.
July 21, 1954 - The Geneva Accords creates a cease-fire for the peaceful withdrawal of the French from Vietnam and provides a temporary boundary between North and South Vietnam at the 17th parallel.
October 26, 1955 - South Vietnam declares itself the Republic of Vietnam, with newly elected Ngo Dinh Diem as president.
December 20, 1960 - The National Liberation Front (NLF), also called the Viet Cong, is established in South Vietnam.
November 2, 1963 - South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem is executed during a coup.
August 2 and 4, 1964 - North Vietnamese attack two U.S. destroyers sitting in international waters (the Gulf of Tonkin Incident).
August 7, 1964 - In response to the Gulf of Tonkin Incident, the U.S. Congress passes the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.
March 2, 1965 - A sustained U.S. aerial bombing campaign of North Vietnam begins (Operation Rolling Thunder).
March 8, 1965 - The first U.S. combat troops arrive in Vietnam.
January 30, 1968 - The North Vietnamese join forces with the Viet Cong to launch the Tet Offensive, attacking approximately one hundred South Vietnamese cities and towns.
March 16, 1968 - U.S. soldiers kill hundreds of Vietnamese civilians in the town of Mai Lai.
July 1968 - General William Westmoreland, who had been in charge of the U.S. troops in Vietnam, is replaced by General Creighton Abrams.
December 1968 - U.S. troops in Vietnam reaches 540,000.
July 1969 - President Nixon orders the first of many U.S. troop withdrawals from Vietnam.
September 3, 1969 - Communist revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh dies at age 79.
November 13, 1969 - The American public learns of the Mai Lai massacre.
April 30, 1970 - President Nixon announces that U.S. troops will attack enemy locations in Cambodia. This news sparks nationwide protests, especially on college campuses.
June 13, 1971 - Portions of the Pentagon Papers are published in The New York Times.
March 1972 - The North Vietnamese cross the demilitarized zone (DMZ) at the 17th parallel to attack South Vietnam in what became known as the Easter Offensive.
January 27, 1973 - The Paris Peace Accords are signed that provide a cease-fire.
March 29, 1973 - The last U.S. troops are withdrawn from Vietnam.
March 1975 - North Vietnam launches a massive assault on South Vietnam.
April 30, 1975 - South Vietnam surrenders to the communists.
July 2, 1976 - Vietnam is unified as a communist country, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
November 13, 1982 - The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. is dedicated.

The book Vietnamerica paints a picture of the war and how Trans family dealt with the violence and separation resulting from the war. I think the title is a connection between Tran's culture that he grew up without, and later experienced when he went back to Vietnam after his grandparents death. Although Tran is Vietnamese he grew up in America which shaped a lot of the culture that he adapts now. However the two countries names joined together represents both of his worlds as they abundance or lack of both countries shaped the person he is.

1. What responsibility does VIETNAMERICA suggest we have to history, whether that history is personal, ethnic, or national?  Why is it important to understand the different histories in our lives?  Why is it worth doing, even if they are inconsistent or incomplete? I think the story Vietnamerica suggest that “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” That in order to find out who you are, where you going in life, and what you want, then you must understand where you come from. Tran never cared about his parents migration from Vietnam to America, therefore he could never understand their passion in life to want better for their family. Trans parents realized that they had survived what many do not. The book shows how a persons history tells a story behind who they are. After Tran realized the seriousness of the war in Vietnam and how in America his family was still fighting it helped guide him to know who he was. I think to be able to be a person who makes change in the world or has something valid to offer society must first know they own story before they can understand another persons journey.

week 8:Faces of the Enemy

This weeks reading focus on the parallels between the Japaneses War, Arab/Muslim War and World War, i could not help but the of the current situation, which is north korea making threats towards America to attack us with nuclear weapons.http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/343965/us-takes-north-korea-threat-of-nuclear-strike-seriously-and-builds-up-defences. This article gives a great summary of what is going on.

The parallels between the wars is how we have targeted everyday citizens that are Asian, Muslim with racial slurs and unfair assumptions that they secretly hate Americans. When Americans see Arab/Muslims out and about they treat them like a criminal, they are watched at the airports and taunted at the gas stations. When Americans get the picture that one person is bad them we tend to target a whole ethnic group with our racial/prejudice insecurities. The current situation with North Korea threats to nuke American leaves many Asian Americans a walking target for who knows what. Why must we place blame on an entire ethnic group and not the individuals who committed the offense? 

War is looked down up on when we see it happening in other countries, yet America always finds it way to to war to" fight the enemy". What makes the enemy the enemy? is it because our government told us so? Is it because those in power wants us to attack those we believe is the enemy? We don't know, yet Millions of Americans fight in a war against the enemy that the government told them was the enemy. The enemy has been constructed way before we knew it was the enemy and i believe it is this way so that every minority can be turned against each other and look at those in power as the rescuers/problem solvers. The videos i have included i find them interesting because it introduces the concept that the enemy may not be who we think the enemy is.

Week 7: Sa-i-gu 4/29 - Korean Americans' 9/11

The readings and videos this week  focused on Asians who live in Los Angelos and the experiences they encountered with the different cultures and lifestyles mixing in such a large city. Many of the reading suggested that Asian Americans living in L.A. were isolated and not treated fair.When reading "Home is where the Han is" they explained that the Korean culture took the word HAN very serious. HAN is a word the translated loosely to mean the sorrow and anger that grew from accumulated from the experiences of oppression.When people die from han they describe it as a disease called hwabyong a disease of frustration and rage following misfortune. This word intrigued me because this one word shows how relevant it is in the Korean/Asiam American culture. Asians have created a word that describes the effects of the racial injustice as a diseases of rage, frustration and misfortune. This mean far to many people and families are suffering from the racial segregation and attack of minorities in America. The reading "Home is where the Han is continued to discuss in depth the psychological affects the Asian Americans suffered in Los Angelos during the horrific riots, following the Rodney King beating.Blacks and Latinos felt as though the riots were an up rise and a tactic to fight the in-just treatment of minorities in America. however Asians fell in between, not seeing the riot as an uprising, but they did not consider it a riot, so they name it Sa-i-ku.In Lois Angelos following the Rodney King incident the riots destroyed majority businesses in Korea-town. Koreans were not only hurt, angry, and sad, but they lost everything that they came to this country and built. While reading the article i was stunned to find out that African American community leaders were attacking Koreans. They claimed that Korean American merchants were foreign intruders who were purposely trying to stifle the economic growth of African Americans. How can two different groups of minorities who face the same discrimination attack each other in such devastating times? Not only did African Americans attack the Korean American store owners, but the Chinese and Japanese disassociated themselves with the Koreans; making the claim: in the past they have always gotten along with African Americans. This is the biggest problem that i see amongst minorities. We are all in the same boat, but yet we find a way to be prejudice towards our fellow minorities. The superior and powerful people already makes it hard for minorities to be in power, then minorities are always thinking that they are in a better position than another minority and instead of joining together to fight injustice, we separate into our own ethnic groups and  try to fight for change. Change comes with numbers, knowledge, plan, and action!

After reading this article i can see why the word HAN is so relevant in the Korean culture. Koreans lost their business, respect, way of living and those who can relate the closest to them (Chinese and Japanese) have disowned them. the pain that a Korean suffer is great because they may feel like they are not accepted by anyone. Today there are no riots, but the effects left on the Koreans are still there. Anytime Los Angelos becomes a little crazy store owners from different generation relive that incident and the isolation they felt. I do not think any one deserves to be treated like that

 Today the same accusations can be made, however the city has incorporated more Asian culture into the city to make Asian Americans feel more at home. Los Angelos have China town and Korea town, along with other Asian culture incorporation. I think this is important because in a way the city owes it to them to welcome them after a time of such isolation. These videos and the website links include examples of events that are held to bridge the gap between the different cultures in L.A.

http://www.alc.ucla.edu/about

http://www.examiner.com/asian-culture-in-los-angeles/esther-kim

http://www.laasians.com/

Week 6: Being While Asian

When i read about Vincent Chin i was disgusted. Vincent Chin was an Asian man who was brutally murdered by two white men. From the statements made in the reading i interpreted the crime committed against Vincent Chin as a hate crime. The statement was ("It's because of you little motherfuckers that we're out of work.") i consider this a hate crime because the two men who killed Chin did so because of a factor that Chin could not change, which was his ethnicity. Some may argue he was killed because he and took someone's job. i disagree he was killed because those who committed the crime believed Chin and others in his ethnicity group are being awarded better job opportunities. i can only assume that this upsets the defendants because they are white males who may feel entitled to certain things. Whatever the motive was for killing Vincent was ethnicity relate, hint the clues "It's because of you little motherfuckers". I state again Vincent was attacked for a factor that can not be change, and because of the defendants unfair and racist ideology a life has been taken. The judge did not give the two defendants any jail time, but instead made them pay a fine and get on probation for 3 years. As a criminal justice student i see an immediate flaw. If the victim where white and the defendants Asian, would the outcome be the same? If the victim was black and the defendants black, would the judge's ruling be the same. That we don't know, but what statistics and other criminal Justice data suggest is no the outcome would not be the same. In fact the data suggest that if the defendants are non-white their outcome would be 25 years to life in prison for the death. The judge made the statement "These weren't the kind of men you send to jail...You don't make the punishment fit the crime; you make the punishment fit the criminal." The first part of the statement "These weren't the kind of men you send to jail" is an unclear statement. Why aren't these the type of men who should be sent to jail? Didn't they take a life on purpose for no life-threatening justification? I think the statement meant white males who have a family to provide for, maybe no real prior violent crimes. However these men took a life and a punishment that fits both the crime and the criminal is needed as a form of justice. I think the judge didn't care about the life that was taken, why i don't know. maybe it was because he seen the defendants as more of productive citizens than the victim.The judge seemed to have some racist or unjust point of view. In the article "Detroit Blues it tells the story of an Asian women who newly moved to Detroit and took a job at Chrysler auto factory. Initially her perception of Detroit and nob was fair, with her said that she very seldom experienced racial slurs from her co-workers or general citizens. However when the auto industry in Detroit declined and the auto industry in Japan started booming with foreign cars things changed. She began to here the same line "its little motherfuckers like you". Detroit residents were angry and felt that the Japanese had taken their jobs. In the article it says anything Japanese or thought to be Japanese became a political target. She mentioned how racial slurs were on television and radio, politicians took unjustified racial jabs at Asians and the atmosphere of Detroit change so much that it felt dangerous to have an Asian face. Asian in Detroit at this time was being blamed for a problem they did not create, nor have control over. i think people of all ethnic races should do a better job at placing the responsibility on those who are responsible. We can not blame Asians for American jobs being shipped over seas. We must get angry at the business making deals with the government to lower taxes on a company if the company labor jobs are shipped over seas.