by David Lau

Australian Slam Poetry Champion Luka Lesson

While Beijing may well be the most international city in China, every spring reveals a particularly diverse side of the capital via the Bookworm International Literary Festival. This year, Australian poet Luka Lesson performed his volatile lyrics of race, politics, and personal catharsis at the Festival. As the reigning champion of the Australian Poetry Slam, a featured artist at literary events throughout Asia, and the co-founder of the Center for Poetics and Justice, Lesson brings the American-born genre of spoken word to an Asian Pacific audience. Lesson finds inspiration from another leader in socially conscious spoken word: USC’s own Javon Johnson, professor and Visions & Voices Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellow.

Professor Johnson holds back-to-back titles in the U.S. National Poetry Slam, as well as a Ph.D. from Northwestern University with focuses in Gender Studies and African American Studies. His classic poem “Elementary” (featured on Def Poetry) has made it all the way to the classrooms where Luka Lesson teaches poetry in Melbourne. Bamboo Offshoot organized a two-way interview via email, allowing these poets to discuss their artistry from across the Pacific.

Click here to see Luka Lesson perform his poem \’A to Z\’, from his new album \’Please Resist Me.\’

Luka Lesson: Where do academic texts meet slam cultural subtexts?

Javon Johnson: All over the place honestly. Most spoken word/slam poets make most of their money at colleges and universities. In addition, there are a growing number of spoken word poets who are joining the ranks of academia via MFAs, MAs, MSWs, PhDs, EdDs, PsychDs, and other advanced degrees. On the other hand, we are seeing a growing number of academics who are getting involved with poetry slam and spoken word communities as possible sites of study, as participant poets, and audience members.

L: Have you ever felt not accepted in academic circles because you ‘do poetry’, or in poetry/hip-hop circles because are an academic? If so, why do you think this is?

J: No. I actually study slam and spoken word, so spoken word and slam are the very reason I am accepted (literally in the sense of the reason I got into my PhD program at Northwestern, the reason I got fellowships and jobs too). I am not an “academic poet” so I have never dealt with that world, if that’s what is being asked.

L: Is there one poem you have written that has helped you transform into a better/stronger/more aware human being? How?

J: I hope most of them, but certainly “You, Still, Father,” a poem I wrote about how I both love and hate my dad in the same breath. Not only did it allow me to better understand our relationship (or lack thereof), but it also allowed me to both see and accept the tougher contradictory parts of all human relationships. In addition, it allowed me to understand that in order for our (as well as others) relationship is to heal, not only must he apologize, but I also must allow him to (meaning healing and growing are mutual processes).

L: I have shown your video ‘Elementary’ to many of my poetry students back home… and they wanted to know, are you a ninja turtle yet? Or at least as powerful as one?

Click here to see a video of Professor Johnson performing\’ Elementary\’ on Def Poetry.

J: I literally just smiled while reading this question. I grinned from ear-to-ear. I am. Whenever I want to be. But more than anything I am a creative being that has the ability, even if on a small scale, to change the world in which I live/love.

Javon Johnson: Why are you an artist/poet/writer? Why not any other career?

Luka Lesson: I was an educator at a university for a while. But for me I realized that the information I was being paid to disseminate among those privileged enough to have access to University, was almost banned in the public discourse, especially surrounding issues of colonial history and Indigenous people’s rights. So I decided poetry would be a good way for me to access people from all backgrounds who deserve to have access to this information, no matter what their advantage or disadvantage. I believe in edu-tainment, as coined by KRS1 from his album of the same name. Educating through entertaining means.

J: In what ways is the poetry world different in Australia and the U.S.? What can we learn from one another?

L: In Australia the Slam poetry world isn’t huge, but it is growing extremely quickly. There are many people being inspired by local poets and growing as artists exponentially week by week. The Centre for Poetics and Justice is at the forefront of this movement in Melbourne especially; we just had our first East Coast tour and are regularly hosting international guests and workshops. So far the scene is full of honest, sincere, loving people who are working to build the scene with connection and respect. So far the swindlers and the somewhat rude businessmen and women I have met in the States haven’t raised their ugly heads so much. […]

I think the most important things that we can learn from each other however live in the poems we will be hearing across the oceans in the future. Too many times in the USA have I heard the old cliché jokes about Australia and Australians, and I realize that most North Americans have no idea about our history and the underground/political movements held back home. I hope all the learning we do through watching Def Jam or touring the States is slowly repaid by audiences learning about my experience as a Greek-Australian emcee/poet through my work.

Learn more about Luka Lesson and his new album, \’Please Resist Me\’, here.

J: What do you hope/think/want your poetry to do in the world?

L: I do what I do to help people. I believe poetry is transformative, both for the individuals who write and perform their work, and for those who experience it as audience members. I have seen poems quoted in Parliament, had people open up to me and tell me things they have never spoken even to themselves. I have had people in my workshops grow and change within a day or two into better, stronger, and more powerful people by meeting their demons on the page and facing them with courage. I hope to continue to help people… Getting a name for myself and being able to support myself from my art is only a means to an end. I only do the business side of things in order to reach more people, and influence positive change in their lives and therefore in the world as a whole.

J: What are the roles of an artist in world we live in today?

L: I believe that there isn’t one role of an artist. I think that would be a little too restrictive. Some artists put all of their energy into making change and protesting/lobbying their governments and others paint portraits with their own shit… who am I to say what every artists role is? And on top of this I don’t think every artist pushes the boundaries, nor that pushing boundaries is always a good thing. I think so much boundary pushing has been done in the past that less will become more, and simple beautiful work will gain more momentum for it’s realness than the work that is always out to shock.

To answer the question in terms of where I think art is going and what function it will serve in this context and into the future… Art’s role is to complicate and provide nuance in a world where words like ‘black’, ‘white’, ‘Australian’, ‘racist’, ‘Muslim’, ‘poor’ and more seem to find a way to ‘explain’ the unexplainable. The media sells us each other’s identities in blocks of millions of us at a time… art will bring it back to individual, and help us to truly hold diversity and understand there is no blanket rule for any of us. Social media will help this along if we use it right. And maybe we’ll begin to call each other by our first names more and more not by our race, political allegiances or sexuality.

J: Blue or red?
L: RED

J: Hot or cold?
L: HOT

J: Records or iPod?
L: RECORDS

J: Morning or night?
L: MORNING

J: Serious or silly?
L: Silly as fuck.

J: Rich or poor?
L: Poor.

J: First love or last love?
L: Last love.

J: Music or poetry?
L: Music.

J: Write any sentence that comes to mind after answering these absurdly random questions.

L: Fuck a definition, words are boxes we use to unlock our being boxed in. What a conundrum. Thanks God, for your contradiction. Somewhere between them all is the truth. Silent as it always is.

David Lau is the former Art Editor, illustrator, and writer for Bamboo Offshoot. He is currently studying at Tsinghua University in Beijing, before beginning medical school at USC Keck School of Medicine.

‘Smile for Nippon,’ a volunteer organization, came to speak at the University of Southern
California’s  Annenberg Auditorium on Friday, Jan. 13, to remind people that the relief
efforts in Japan are far from over. Check out the slideshow.

By Sara Clayton

A man from Tokyo and

his ‘Smile for Nippon’ team

are on a mission —

a mission to do whatever they can to support tsunami victims and keep them smiling despite the hardships they have faced.

It has been ten months since the tragic magnitude 9.0 earthquake in Tohoku, the northeastern region of Japan, and though many of us saw images and footages of cars, houses and people being swallowed up by the relentless tsunami waves, this disaster has been abandoned by the media and the rest of the world after almost a month of coverage.

But one small organization, Smile for Nippon, which came to speak in the Annenberg Auditorium on Friday, Jan. 13, is determined to remind the world that Japan still needs as much help as possible.

A group of graduate students from USC and UCLA have been touring around Los Angeles and giving presentations in order to educate people on what has happened since media coverage of the tsunami area halted. But these students would not have come together if it were not for a certain Mr. Tsun-san, who goes by the name Chonmage, the hairstyle featuring a shaved pate and a small ponytail that most sumo wrestlers don before a match.

Chonmage has visited Tohoku 17 times since the tsunami, and with every visit, he brings up amenities – shoes, sausages, games, etc. Because he lives in Tokyo, each trip he makes up to Tohoku and back covers approximately 1000 miles, but Chonmage does not mind making the trip because all the smiles he sees whenever he visits Tohoku makes all the traveling worthwhile.

“I heard that the people who lived in Tohoku needed shoes, and since I am a shoemaker myself, I decided to bring up 200 shoes to give to them,” Chonmage said in Japanese, “When I delivered the shoes, I made a pinky-promise with a little boy that I would come back. Since then, I have returned sixteen more times.”

With donations and money out of his own pocket, Chonmage has been able to brighten the lives of people from all ages in Tohoku. And along with the supplies and entertainment he gives to those in the disaster areas, Chonmage also noted how much they enjoy his presence. “They love to see my goofy outfit. It gives me a reason to talk to them and gives them a reason to laugh. Everyone remembers me.”

Chonmage, with the help of the Los Angeles team, among others, will continue to help those in Tohoku for many years to come. “My ultimate goal is to take the kids to Tokyo Disney!” exclaimed Chonmage, with a brilliant smile.

If you would like to learn more about Chonmage and his mission, please “Like” Smile for Nippon on Facebook and follow Chonmage on Twitter.

Related Stories —

New York Times: Panel Challenges Japan’s Account of Nuclear Disaster

KTVZ: Japan Tsunami Debris Threatens Ore. Coast

The Tokyo Times: Japan welcomes new foreign friends as volunteers

Philip Yu, the creator of AngryAsianMan.com, confesses he’s not really angry. But, the media’s overuse of racist Asian stereotypes does get the Korean-American blogger and his followers fired up.

By Ivana Banh

It has been 10 years since Angry Asian Man first emerged on the blogging scene. Today, thousands of people flock to the website daily to update themselves on the Asian American representation in the media.

Philip Yu, the Korean-American mastermind behind the website, covers anything ranging from YouTube’s Chinese American comedian KevJumba to a shooting at San Jose State University that killed a Japanese American student.

Photo courtesy of Philip Yu.

Yu’s master’s degree in critical studies coupled with his passion for pop culture has created an online hub that is both intellectual and entertaining.

Yu said he began AngryAsianMan.com in his early college years with the intention of establishing a personal space to voice his thoughts. Little did he know, his insight on the media’s lack of Asian presence would become an Internet sensation.

Readers appreciate the coverage Yu provides on a population that is usually neglected. His witty perspective on Asians in politics, sports, entertainment, and news has gradually built up an extensive fan base.

Yu’s observations have chronicled the evolution of the portrayal of Asians in the media within the past decade. When the blogger first began, Asians were almost invisible in film and television. A decade later, Yu said he’s grateful to see the presence of Asians in the media increase in number.

However, despite the increase in exposure, the way that Asians are depicted on the big and small screens have changed very little. Stereotypical roles such as the socially inept nerd or the kung-fu karate kid are still prevalent in the current entertainment industry.

It is rare to see actors such as Harry Shum, Jr. star as a football player on Glee and Nikita’s Maggie Q as a rogue secret government agent.

While Yu said he’s not strongly against stereotypical roles as long as they are well-drawn, he does not foresee the formulaic characters disappearing anytime soon.

In addition, the fashion in which Asian America children are brought up plays a major role in the media. Immigrant parents often prefer their children to take the “safe” route in becoming doctors and lawyers.

Acting, or any other artistic careers for that matter, is not a profession that has been deeply rooted in traditional Asian culture. Yu acknowledges that the lack of parental support in any creative field is definitely an additional hurdle that Asian Americans face.

Yu said he’s glad to have raised awareness for the Asian American community through AngryAsianMan.com.

His dedication to the website has earned him a cover on KoreAm magazine and a job as the Asian Pop journalist at the San Francisco Chronicle.

However, Yu does not consider the fame or any title his biggest reward. “The biggest compliment that I receive is when someone comes to me and says I didn’t really know about this issue before and now I want to do something about it,” he said.

What initially began as a channel for Yu to express his personal thoughts has blossomed into a highly influential online hub.

With AngryAsianMan.com’s concoction of political coverage, comedic YouTube clips, and Yu’s personal opinion pieces, Yu said the website’s ultimate goal is to inform, entertain, and activate.

It is safe to say Yu has accomplished his goal as his readership continues to multiply.

Related Stories —

International Examiner: How a blogger created Asian America’s most influential site

Racebending.com: ComicCon 2011 panel video

Most people picture the American Dream as a house surrounded by a white picket fence. For APAs, however, the American Dream is something quite different.

By Tiffany Banh

For most people, the American Dream is summed up in three words: freedom, opportunity and prosperity. The premise remains constant for APAs, but their American dream focuses more on the journey towards success. With little family history in the United States, APAs tend towards ambitious goals as they try to accomplish more in the time that they are given. Their goals range from providing themselves with better futures to moving up the socioeconomic ladder as they make names for themselves in America. In the end, APAs create their own American dream as a measure of success.

APA students from USC describe how they see the American dream:

The journey to success is an important aspect of the American dream for APAs. Photo: Flickr.

1. Jessica Liou, sophomore: “I think the American Dream is an expectation that you strive to make a reality when you immigrate to America. The expectation is that you have a plethora of opportunities to make a better life and living for your family and yourself.”
2. Christopher Liu, junior: “I think the American Dream is having the freedom and ability to achieve anything you want to achieve.”
3. Johnny Jung, sophomore: “The American Dream is the idea that all Americans, given a great deal of initiative and effort, can achieve and experience all the opportunities that America (the world) has to offer. However, in reality, the American Dream proves to be a ‘myth of meritocracy,’ as the ideal never quite meets the realities of America’s social systems.”
4. Andrew Ju, sophomore: “[The American Dream is the idea] that anyone can achieve any measure of success regardless of how little they start with as long as they seek opportunities, work hard, and don’t give up. The sky’s the limit because America is the land of equality and opportunity. [The dream was] designed originally for people with little opportunities and resources.”
5. Jonathan So, sophomore: “[The American Dream] is the notion that anybody can change the conditions of their life and bring themselves up the socioeconomic ladder based purely off of hard work. My family came pursuing the notion of the American Dream, and they have been successful in doing so. I think that it has affected me in my upbringing, but I believe it’s a notion that’s a little bit naïve to take in. Social factors and issues, as well as political greed, play into the fact that it’s merely an unreachable dream for many individuals.”

Thoughts or opinions on (Asian Pacific) American dream? Join the conversation by leaving a comment below.

Asian students have consistently been top scorers on standardized tests.

By Yimu Xue

Asian students are known for their test-taking abilities and school smarts. These academic pressures, however, have instilled a negative tradition as cram schools train students to take standardized tests without teaching them meaningful information. Photo: Flickr.

It was a brisk January morning as I shuffled into line at Irvine Valley College, my local community college. There were a few glum faces I recognized from my high school, deeply wrinkled with worry and cheeks rosy from the cold. Step by step, we all entered a large auditorium-like classroom as volunteers ushered us into seats in a pattern and provided us with pencils and Scantrons.

This was it. This was the time for which we had spent the last two and a half months preparing. Countless Saturday afternoons had been lost to practice slaying the monster that lay in front of me.

A jarring voice over the PA system jolted some weary students alert: “Open your test booklets, and begin. You have 25 minutes for this first section.”

Cram schools have become increasingly popular in the United States in the Asian Pacific American community. These after-school and supplemental educational programs structured on the concept that practice makes perfect have become standard amongst students whose parents insist them on attending. Asian students attend cram schools almost as if it is second nature, especially during high school with important tests like the SAT and ACT.

Like America, in Asia it is common practice to send children after-school to an extra-curricular activity.  Children take art lessons, practice music, play soccer. However, on top of that, children are expected to attend supplemental educational programs that instill good study habits and ensure their progress in school is up to par and even beyond average standards. It is no wonder that young Asian children are stereotypically depicted as bookish, studious, and quiet – they rarely have time to socialize when they are being inundated with quizzes on English vocabulary.

Many a Tiger Mother have insisted on their children being over-prepared to not only maintain their competitive academic edge in their school but also to compete with the top students in the nation. Some invest thousands upon thousands of dollars every year to ensure that their children are getting the best education outside of what is offered in public schools.

“In a public school setting, our children’s individual needs aren’t being met,” one Asian mother notes. “It’s up to us, as parents, to ensure they have the best education for the best future possible.”

Study habits are drilled into children as early as pre-school as they repeatedly are tested on their times tables and English vocabulary words. Students studying at Kumon (the Kumon Method), the world’s largest after-school math and reading enrichment program, are given the same tests over and over again until they have committed everything to pure muscle memory. Seven times eight equals fifty-six is no longer a mathematical equation – it’s a reflex.

Hoards of students flock to test prep centers and cram schools year-round to prepare for a variety of tests. College preparatory courses are offered along with courses in various subjects.

Cram schools demonstrate a large ethnic divide. Stuveyesant High School, one of New York City’s best public schools that accepts only the top 3.7% of students who take the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test, has a student body made up of 72% of that 3.7% at their school.

It can be argued that Asian students are better at “being coached” to take tests. This is a false statement – everyone gets what their parents pay for.

When I joined the 2100 club at the Elite Educational Institute to prepare for my SAT in November 2007, my base score was a 2090 – after I took the SAT for the first time, I received a 2150. Most people would be very pleased, but I felt disappointed that I just spent $1500 of my mother’s hard-earned wages to improve a mere 60 points, and only 10 points above the score they had guaranteed me. With devout studying techniques and extreme discipline, I vowed to not waste any more money on something that guaranteed an individualized experience when in fact I was thrown into a bundle of teenagers desperate for an Ivy League acceptance letter.

I ended up with a 2320 (750 Critical Reading, 780 Mathematics, and 790 Writing). I scored a perfect score on the Math Level 2 Subject Test, and well above 700 in all my other subjects. It seems that I have been well trained in my testing techniques.

However, all these standardized tests seem to indicate is who paid the most to prepare themselves the best. Asian students have demonstrated their capabilities in over-preparation – however, we must think about what effect this has on the future of our community. With standards so high and college admissions expecting the top scores coming from Asian students, what will happen to those who do not follow the traditional route and take standardized tests without the preparation that cram schools provide?

Related Stories —

New York Magazine: Paper Tigers

Las Vegas Review-Journal: National Merit semifinalist at Coronado not ready to decide on career path

Many APA parents are reluctant to let their children pursue majors in the humanities. They claim that the liberal arts are not a worthwhile way to spend four years of time and tuition. 

By Jennie Zhang

However, an increasing amount of APA college students are becoming humanities majors, and many face the same struggles: is breaking out of the “Asian” mold and defying their parents’ wishes worth pursuing their passions? Are their parents correct when they say that humanities majors have a severe disadvantage in the job market? USC student Yuan Tao hopes to bring these issues to light with her new club AASHA, which targets APAs in the humanities.

USC seniors Yuan Tao and Alex Norby fasten flyers to ramen packages for an AASHA tabling event. Photo: David Hong.

The traditional and often stereotyped road to success for Asians is paved by the pursuit of the sciences, mathematics, engineering, accounting and other quantitative majors that Asian parents either studied themselves or associate with financial stability.

Many APA students admit defeat early on. If their parents are willing to shell out $50,000 a year for college in order to secure a lifetime of happiness for their children, a rough or boring four years is the least they could do to satisfy their parents’ wishes while ensuring a stable future.

Yuan Tao, founder and president of Asian-Americans in the Humanities and Arts (AASHA), disagrees.

Tao, a senior majoring in English, entered USC through the prestigious Baccalaureate/M.D. Program. As part of this program, Tao was guaranteed acceptance to USC’s Keck School of Medicine after college.

She reluctantly matched the pre-medicine track she was on with a major in the biological sciences.

From her first semester, Tao found that she was much less engaged in her science classes than she was in her Thematic Option (TO) honors course, where she was taught by an esteemed English professor and surrounded by peers with similar literary interests.

Tao attributes her longing to study English to not only the class itself, but also to the void she felt when her class ended. “I had no place to do what I was passionate about,” said Tao.

Her TO classes were rare opportunities, exclusive to her experience at USC, where Tao felt she could connect with other humanities-inclined students.

At first, not many of Tao’s friends or family understood her desires.

She said, “I feel like growing up in an Asian American community makes it hard to meet someone who loves literature because most of us are focused on science, business, and other practical career paths.”

USC cultivates a predominantly pre-professional undergraduate community, with approximately one third of the undergraduate population in the business school. Consequently, the decision to major solely in the humanities often raises some eyebrows, especially amongst those from APA backgrounds.

Despite the disparity in the number of APAs in professional curriculums versus the number of APAs pursuing degrees in the liberal arts, many APAs are starting to see that college is the time to explore their interests.

More students are having experiences similar to Tao’s: leaving sheltered homes with their eyes on a solid pre-professional education and stable career, but discovering their true passions after experiencing engaging college classes and meeting compelling professors.

Many APAs ignore this discovery aspect of the typical American college experience because their cultural norms focus on success rather than enjoyment, even when enjoyment of the humanities can lead to success.

Soon, Tao met a few classmates with similar cultural backgrounds and academic situations. She realized that many APAs were potentially interested in pursuing careers in the humanities, but most were either nervous or felt restricted by their parents.

Tao said, “AASHA creates a safe space for people who are going through challenges in pursuing their passion in the arts and humanities.”

She emphasized that AASHA does not pressure students to study humanities but gives support and information to anyone who needs help in making the decision.

AASHA highlights the skills that liberal arts majors develop in critical and analytical thinking.

“To actually develop your analytical intellect, you have to pursue what fits how your mind analyzes things. That is science for some people, and that’s great for them, but for those who don’t fit in that way, they improve much better from staying true to who they are,” said Tao.

Despite her difficult struggle and the critics in her community, Tao convinced her parents and close friends of why she was so adamant about pursuing her love for literature.  They ultimately supported her difficult decision to leave the Baccalaureate/M.D. program and to become an English major.

While this experience was both hard and rewarding, Tao hopes AASHA can help other APA students reach a similar happy ending.

Related Stories —

Mochi Magazine: How I broke free of the Asian stereotype in college

The New York Times: Report challenges Asian-American college stereotypes

The bushes in the distance mark where the internment camp's barracks once stood. Photo by Anne Su.

By Anne Su

I remember the first thing I, and perhaps everyone else, noticed was the beauty of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Unforgettable were the scorching sun and endless logging of desert bushes. But most importantly was my experience and friends I met on the Alternative Spring Break Manzanar trip. During my spring break in freshman year, I decided to sign up for the ASB Manzanar trip to expand my knowledge of Japanese American history in the United States and their people’s struggle for civil liberties. Although I had some knowledge of Japanese culture, seeing it through the American lens was a whole new experience.

Out of our diverse group of nine people, there were undergraduates at different points in their education as well as two doctoral students; all of us were in different majors. Not to mention Sumi Pendakur, our enthusiastic leader who has more energy and laughter than anyone can imagine. Sumi, the director of Asian Pacific American Student Services at USC, has led the ASB Manzanar trip for six years in a row. With all of us divided into two automobiles, we embarked on our road trip up north to Manzanar.

Park Ranger Ted at the Manzanar National Historic Site led us to the men and women’s latrines where we were shocked by how little privacy they were alotted. Our tour continued as we walked to the ponds and elaborate gardens built by the internees. For our final stop, we arrived at the cemetery to see the gravestones of the fifteen internees who died out of the 150 at the relocation center. The cemetery was purposefully built outside of the barbed wires to symbolize how Japanese American could only obtain freedom from the internment camp in death.

To make their lives at the camp as typical as when they lived in a neighborhood, the internees hosted garden decorating contest to determine whose gardening skills and aesthetic were better. Their self-sufficient lifestyles could be seen in the orchards of growing apples and other fruits and the farms where they raised cattle and chickens.

However, I was saddened as we went deeper into the history and learned of the internal tension and conflicts caused between the Japanese American internees in their suppressed frustration and conflicting views on cooperation with the American government. On December 6, 1942, the Manzanar riot broke out between two groups of Japanese Americans who believed that one group was “selling out” the Japanese Americans to the U.S. government.

On the second day we met our friendly competitors, students from Colorado State University. Because of our coinciding dates of service learning at the camp, Park Ranger Ted gave us a tour of the camp and arranged the film screening of “Snow Falling on Cedars” to further inform us of the deep impact and scars left on the hearts of the Japanese Americans.

The next two days were dedicated to removing bushes that swamped the camp site. We alternated between two jobs: digging up the bushes and collecting and dumping them in large piles. The National Park plans to rebuild on the site a model house, fitted for greater comfort and privacy, where the administrative officials of the camp will live. The auto tour route will also be extended since it’s not exactly comfortable standing under the sun with 40 mph winds gusting at your face. Our speedy efforts allowed us to completely clear the road on 1^st Street between A Street and B Street.

The Japanese internment camp at Manzanar was established in 1942, where a little more than 10,000 Japanese Americans from the West Coast were housed after the Pearl Harbor incident. Although the camp closed in November of 1945, many families were uncertain of where to go and how to start their lives again in the real world. And in the end, none of the 120,000 internees were charged with espionage.

This trip was a reminder for me and others of the present situation in the U.S. as extensive fears of Muslims and Middle-Easterners after 9/11 has translated into animosity and suspicion. Will the U.S. government learn from its past mistake? I sincerely hope for prudence in future U.S. governmental actions considering how unwilling it was to consider the deep scars unfairly left on the Japanese Americans.

By Chloe Wang

A snapshot of the diversity of Asian American and Asian international students at USC:

Of the 2010 incoming class (freshmen and transfer students)…*

• 25% identify as Asian Pacific American

Of the incoming APAs…*

• 21% are first-generation college students
• 19% are multiracial/multiethnic
• 73% are from California
• Most of them identify as: Chinese (505 students), Korean (222), Indian (168), or Persian/Armenian/Southwest-Central Asian (143)
• Other ethnicities include: Other Asian (99), Japanese (98), Filipino (98), Vietnamese (69), Arab (40), Pacific Islander (27)

Top 5 Places of Origin of International Students**

1. India: 1,623 students
2. China (PRC): 1,428 students
3. South Korea: 735 students
4. Taiwan: 518 students
5. Canada: 289 students

Total international students: 6,585

*According to preliminary data collected by USC’s Asian Pacific American Student Services prior to the 2010-2011 school year

**Enrolled for the fall 2009 semester, according data from USC’s Office of International Services

By Tiffany Banh

USC senior Bruce Cabanayan discovered his Filipino culture here, after growing up in a small, predominantly white suburb of Phoenix, Ariz. Photo: Tiffany Banh

Bruce Cabanayan wasn’t hard to spot through the students crowded in the shade alongside Tommy Trojan.

The 20-year-old USC senior had donned a light blue polo and khaki shorts, sporting an outfit that embodied his put-together yet laid-back personality. After initial introductions, we hopped on our bikes and made our way to his house, charmingly enclosed by a white fence and cheery flowers.

Inside was no different. Cabanayan’s warmth radiated off the sand-colored walls and he was instantly at home.

In fact, he hadn’t always referred to Los Angeles as home until moving his life here four years ago to pursue a degree in biochemistry. Born in San Diego, Calif., Cabanayan and his family later relocated to Chandler, Ariz., a small suburb of Phoenix.

As an Asian American among a predominantly Caucasian population, Cabanayan occasionally felt the sparseness of the Asian community. Because of the large ratio of Caucasians to Asians, Cabanayan felt the students at his school formulated assumptions about him. He never thought the issue of ethnicity was an outright problem – just that there was something separating the Asian community from the rest.

“I was stereotyped or overlooked,” he said. “And they placed expectations on you that you’re quiet, which I definitely lived up to in a lot of aspects, but there is also so much more to me.”

But the culture clash disappeared when Cabanayan arrived at USC.

Here, he has been able to explore his Filipino roots through his involvement with Troy Philippines. TroyPhi is an organization that immerses university students in Filipino culture. Cabanayan has taken on various roles in TroyPhi, from acting at the forefront of its annual culture show as a freshman to coordinating the show as a sophomore to currently serving as president.

However, as a freshman, Cabanayan was baffled by the existence of a club just for Filipinos.

“Here, I was very much surprised by different aspects of the culture that I wasn’t used to,” Cabanayan said. “I didn’t know there was a whole club dedicated to bringing Filipinos together. So it was very different coming from Arizona just because of the composition of races.”

There was something of a lack of cultural roots growing up in Arizona. This void drove Cabanayan’s involvement with TroyPhi so that he became its president. Because of USC, he went from having little knowledge of to becoming the epitome of Filipino culture.

“It’s been a blessing that I got to come here and learn more about the culture,” he said.

Besides the cultural distinction between Arizona and Los Angeles, Cabanayan feels that another difference is the friendliness of Californians. When going home, he often finds that he must readjust back to Arizona’s traditionalist nature.

“Everyone in Arizona is more conservative. Coming here, everyone is hugging and everyone is loud. Just because I wasn’t used to it, the friendliness of everyone was almost overwhelming at first,” Cabanayan said.

His defining college memory is taking the stage as a freshman for TroyPhi’s culture show. The last time he had been on stage was when he played Peter Pan in elementary school. Playing the lead role reinvigorated his lost interest in acting.

To Cabanayan, being able to showcase his talent at Bovard Auditorium was an incredible sense of achievement. The experience sparked his initiative to declare a theatre minor.

When he’s not spending time on stage, Cabanayan is completing his studies in biochemistry. Coming from Arizona, where the educational climate wasn’t extremely competitive, he had the misconception that college wouldn’t be much different than high school. He soon found himself fighting to prove to his professors that he belonged alongside other top students.

Since he was in the Resident Honors Program, a program offered by USC for high school juniors to begin college a year early, he especially felt the pressure to measure up with his peers. But Cabanayan eventually realized overshadowing his peers was not most important.

“It’s more about being here to learn and challenging yourself,” he said.

As a senior preparing for graduation, Cabanayan entertains many possibilities for his future: Teach for America, medical school, social work, or even activism.

He has too many passions to stick to a particular line of work for too long. It’s likely he’ll find himself tackling any or even all of these possibilities. Regardless of what he decides to pursue, he knows that he will have the support of his family and friends.

“I want to keep a lot of options open. But it’s kind of scary right now because I don’t have a very set life. If anything, college has shown me that through hard times, you need to have those people to support you,” Cabanayan said.

Lessons well learned by a small town kid from Arizona turned big city dreamer.

By Nimisha Thakore

USC sophomore Maithreyi Shankar was part of a tight-knit Indian community in Burlington, Mass. She's realized now that being APA isn't about being Asian or American, but both. Photo: Nimisha Thakore

Maithreyi Shankar had an interesting problem growing up: she was an Indian American who felt left out of the Indian American crowd.

“I always felt like they were talking about me! I know it’s irrational, but it’s a feeling I always get. I wanted to be included in the community,” she said.

She’s talking about the community in Burlington, Mass., where she lived from the age of 5 until venturing cross-country to USC to study neuroscience (or maybe biomedical engineering, it’s still up in the air).

Burlington is a small town northwest of Boston that measures just less than 12 square miles and is home to 24,521 people, according to the city’s website. It is 80.6 percent white and 10.6 percent Asian/Pacific Islander. Shankar guesses of that Asian demographic, 10 to 20 percent is Indian.

Despite the largely Caucasian population, Shankar, an excitable 18-year-old sophomore, speaks of multicultural clubs, fairs and Asian American leadership programs at her high school. She even recalls the sometimes stuffy nature of an extremely close-knit Indian community. All things considered, Burlington is a lovely and diverse place to live.

“I liked living in the suburbs,” said Shankar of the safe area. “In April and May, we would walk around places… It made us feel independent.”

Shankar was born in Mumbai, India, and spent four years in Singapore before moving to the East Coast. Her South Indian family hails from the state of Tamil Nadu and speaks both Marathi and Hindi.

Many of the Indians in Burlington are Gujarati (originally from the state of Gujarat in North India), leading to language and interethnic barriers that Shankar felt kept her slightly outside their “very, very cohesive” community. A lot of immigrants weren’t interested in exploring American culture, while Shankar’s family enjoyed such “non-Indian” activities as hiking.

She is small, but her frame walls in a kind of energy that seems on the verge of exploding. Yet when Shankar talks about her experiences finding cultural connections in a cliquey high school environment, she waxes philosophical. She pushes back a drape of jet-black hair in a brief moment of silence when she’s searching for the right words.

“The way I really did culture was through dance and family, not the school. I didn’t like [all] the people. You don’t really want to be around that when you know you’re Indian enough,” she said.

Bharatnatyam, a classical Indian dance form based on Hinduism, helped shape Shankar’s Indian American identity. Because dance wasn’t something that came easily to her, she sweated over it for 13 years.

“It’s very physical, mental and spiritual… It was very core to developing as an Indian for me,” she said.

At USC, she has continued her passion for dance. Shankar is the founder of USC Drishti Classical Indian Dance and is in the process of getting the team recognized as a student organization. She is also involved with Undergraduate Residential Student Community, the Hindu Student Organization, and is coordinator of the DESI (Discovering and Enriching South Asian Issues) Project.

It wasn’t until she left the suburbia of Burlington that she realized being Indian American is not just about being a gung-ho desi or completely whitewashed.

“I realized there’s a spectrum of Indianness… I’ve come to terms with it. I have a better understanding of where I fall,” she said.

Shankar gestures animatedly with her hands as she speaks, especially when she delves into her freshman year wake-up call. She skipped her senior year of high school to come straight to USC with the Resident Honors Program. Shankar doubted USC’s ability to challenge her – but she was wrong.

“Things didn’t pan out completely according to plan. I think I was overconfident,” she said. “I thought I would ace everything and transfer.”

Instead, she had to work hard for good grades in her science classes. But as a reward, she found her place.

“Something connected when I got here,” she said, noting she didn’t have that in high school. “I like what I’m trying to accomplish, so there’s no reason to leave.”

In the next three years, Shankar wants to continue her involvement in various corners of campus to connect communities and build conversations. She then hopes to earn a Ph.D. and become a professor and entertains the idea of one day returning to Burlington.

“I love the Northeast for a lot of reasons,” she said. “It feels intellectual, the seasons [are] more in tune with reality… And I associate with the East Coast culture,” said Shankar.

And, after all, it has played at least some small part in making her who she is.

Shankar is nothing if not a free spirit. She’s carved out her own unconventional path from a northeast town known for Amy Poehler and a “ginormous mall” to an urban heavyweight like Los Angeles.

Her strikingly young age belies her introspection and self-confidence. She never wanted to be whiter, but she also never wanted to be more Indian. Shankar has what many children of immigrants struggle to find: peace of mind with her place on the spectrum.

“It’s how removed you want to be and how connected you want to be with your culture,” she said about finding one’s roots. “I’m Indian enough for me now.”