Chinese American Hero: Him Mark Lai
May 31, 2009
This is Week 11 of AsianWeek’s salute to Chinese American Heroes. We are going to honor and recognize a few people whose contributions are more precious than gold, our historians who had to fight against indifference and fading memories to bring to life the history and stories of Chinese immigrants who came to a hostile and sometimes life threatening environment, seeking fortune and a better life. (See Dr. Jean Pfaelzer’s 2007-2008 best selling book, “Driven Out,” to review the history of anti-Chinese persecution in the United States.)
The “Father” of our historians, is Master Archivist Him Mark Lai, who for 50 years gathered primary source materials, including thousands of Chinese language newspaper articles (the only source of Chinese American history until recent times.) His dedication to cataloging mountains of source materials for his own research paved the way for every Chinese American historian since then. Many of whom used primary source materials that Lai originally discovered. On May 17, 2009 Him Mark Lai passed away, leaving an unmatched legacy that we are thankful for. Without his long time, dedicated archiving and research, much of which came from materials that were discarded in the trash as worthless, much of Chinese American history would have been lost forever. Our gratitude and thanks to Him Mark Lai; there will never be anyone to replace you. Following the biography of Master Archivist Lai, are other historians, all of whom were mentored or were colleagues of the Master Archivist, including Philip Choy, Thomas Chinn, Dr. Chen Su-cheng, and Dr. Judy Yung. (We have not mentioned Dr. Betty Sung whose pioneering historical work on the East Coast is being archived in the Library of Congress. We will talk about Dr. Sung in the near future.) For more information about our Heroes and Heroines please see www.chineseamericanheroes.org
We send condolences to Him Mark Lai’s wife and lifetime partner, Laura. He will be dearly missed by all. For a permanent monument to his dedication and belief in the importance of the Chinese American community stands the meticulous recordings of every scrap of information about Chinese American history, his labor of love for over 50 years.
Name in English: Him Mark Lai
Name in Chinese: 麦礼谦 [麥禮謙]
Name in Pinyin: Mài Lǐqiān
Gender: Male
Birth Year: 1925-2009
Birth Place: San Francisco, CA
Ron Takaki: a Pioneer, a Scholar, a Friend
May 31, 2009
It is with a heavy heart that I read the news of Prof. Takaki’s passing this morning. And I feel it is my duty as a former student and a representative of the next generation of Asian-American scholars to write to in celebration of a true pioneer and a brilliant man.I first encountered Professor Takaki during my freshman summer at Cal. He was just an iconic name to me at that point, someone whom all the grad students spoke of with revery. Since he wasn’t teaching the summer term, he was in his office cleaning and was carting out a giant box of books to his car downstairs. There must have been fifteen boxes of books stacked inside that tiny office in Barrows Hall! As he walked by students in the hallway, he beamed his huge smile and my instructor said that with his long, white hair, Professor Takaki looked like a sage old lion to her! So, of course, we laughed ten minutes later when we saw him driving out of the faculty parking lot in an old Honda Civic with books piled up to the ceiling of his backseat.The next year, a friend of mine recommended that I sit in on his introductory Asian-American Studies class. On that day, Prof. Takaki was explaining the Frontier Thesis of historian Frederick Jackson Turner. But rather than blandly recite to us exactly what the thesis was, he was using Turner’s century-old thesis to drive home his point of “pedagogy” – that we must question what it is that we learn, challenge orthodox ideas, and examine their repercussions today. He asked us all what the Turner thesis was and, being a history major and armed with the confidence of a high AP US History score, I was the only one in class to answer the question. I thought I gave him the “correct” answer he wanted. But then Professor Takaki asked me, “Is that all? Was Turner right? Did he look at both sides? And where exactly is the frontier?” Looking back, I realize that Professor Takaki wasn’t questioning my grasp of the thesis, but was in fact asking me to think critically and ask, “So what? And how does that apply to the world we live in today?” Read moreRon Takaki: CAPAC Statement
May 29, 2009
Today, Rep. Michael Honda (CA-15), chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), issued the following statement on the passing of Ronald Takaki, Professor of Asian American Studies at the University of California at Berkeley:
“On behalf of CAPAC, I extend my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Dr. Ronald Takaki. Dr. Takaki was a committed leader in the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. We will miss him dearly.
“Dr. Takaki had a long, distinguished career in academia, where he was a pioneer in the field of ethnic studies, and helped establish a major in ethnic studies at UC Berkeley, and eventually a Ph.D. program – the first of its kind in the nation.
“He used these years of experience as an educator to dispel stereotypes and work for equality for Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and other minority communities by teaching classes and publishing works that documented the history and struggles of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in a multicultural America.
“We are indebted to his contributions and will continue his work of promoting equality and educating those in our great nation and beyond about America’s proud diversity. My prayers go out to his family and friends during this difficult time. He will be sorely missed by all.”
The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) is comprised of Members of Congress of Asian and Pacific Islander descent and members who have a strong dedication to promoting the well-being of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Since 1994, CAPAC has been addressing the needs of the AAPI community in all areas of American life. For more information on CAPAC, please call (202) 225-2631 or visit http://www.honda.house.gov/capac.
Asians in Movie ‘Up’ and Others
May 28, 2009
Pixar is Moving Up
I love Pixar, but they must have finally noticed my annual complaints in all its diversity, they have never before cast any Asian characters. In Cars, they cast Cheech, but passed over hippie Tommy Chong. Ratatouille’s Collette looked Asian, but wasn’t cast that way. While a couple of mainstream papers such as USA Today noticed, you’d think Pixar was trying to keep it a secret when most review didn’t notice that Wilderness Explorer Russell who keeps the grumpy old man company in his flying house is as Asian American kid. Though his accent is American, he’s got those almond eyes and straight black hair. Jordan Nagai is a Japanese American, which would make him a sansei plus a couple of generations. Hollywood has given us cute Asian child sidekicks before. Future Hawaii first lady Vicky Tiu was teamed with Elvis in It Happened At The World’s Fair in 1962, while Jonathan Ke Quan clung to Indian Jones as Short Round in the Temple of Doom. On the Pixar Blog, one commenter mentioned that person from Pixar told him they were looking for an Asian child, though 400 kids showed up for the auditions. At seven, Jordan got the part after he was spotted as that kid who would not stop talking. While it’s certainly not necessary to cast an overachieving scout as an Asian, it’s nice when it is so common to cast non-Asians to speak Asian parts.
Geek Chic
When Jordan grows up, will he play another cool geek? Grant Imahara of Mythbusters, and Masi Oka from Heros and Get Smart are both pretty popular now. Even in the new Fast & Furious, gopher Agent Sophie Trinh in a modest pantsuit by Liza Lapria got more screen time than any number of women shaking their booties and Asian guy heroes/villains.
Southland
I loved ADAM 12, so NBC’s Southland looks interesting. But how can they get away with zero Asian parts when there are more Asians than African Americans in Los Angeles? Asians could have been cast as the detective, the honor student shooting victim, the gang bangers, the pedophile murderer, the bus driver, or the scared witnesses. How about drawing from some real history with Korean grocers shooting at kids, committing home invasions against other Asians, or even angry geeks who shoot up immigration classes or colleges?
Gran Torino
Maybe it’s not surprising that a movie starring Clint Eastwood was snubbed at the Academy Awards when it was about Asian gangs and racist Walter Kowalski who will point an M-1 rifle in your face and tell how he stacked dead Koreans like sandbags. Sue Lor (played by Ahney Her) tells adopted uncle Walter “Hmong are a people, not a place”, and “we send our girls to college, our boys to jail” But as an Asian, I see a reverse Kung Fu Kid story. To his Hmong neighbors, Walter represents the exotic culture of white guys who can fix anything with a slip wrench, WD-40 and duct tape. He demonstrates how to properly use ethnic insults as an informal communications style. He “mans up” his young Jedi apprentice Thao played by Bee Vang to ask out the girl and stand up to gangs. The Hmong witch doctor can see right through him while his own young Catholic priest is a joke. In the end, Wally sacrifices himself in a Christ-like pose to save his newly adopted Hmong extended family who treat him as a savior, though he is spurned by his own spoiled children. The boy carries on Walter’s legacy by driving the prized 1972 Gran Torino and Walter’s dog as he drives off past lakeshore. If you can step past political correctness, it’s a tribute to the movie’s quality that it is still playing in some theaters, but watch out for the DVD this summer.
AsianWeek Calls for Contributions on Professor Ronald Takaki
May 28, 2009
San Francisco – AsianWeek.com today issued a call for contributions from former students and colleagues in remembrance of Professor Ronald Takaki who passed away on Tuesday May 26, 2009 at the age of 70.
Professor Takaki was the pre-eminent scholar on America’s multicultural history, author of over a dozen books, and Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley campus.
AsianWeek Editor and Publisher Ted Fang issued the following statement:
“Professor Ronald Takaki was about new beginnings. His scholarship opened new paths for a re-visioning of American history that included people of all colors and nationalities. His comparative approach celebrated differences, at the same time he found common bonds in the diversity of our humanity.
Professor Takaki devoted his life to the future of America. He taught tens of thousands of students. His books reached hundreds of thousands of readers. All of us have been affected by his teachings. As our nation approaches that day when all Americans will be minorities, we continue his work each in our own ways to embrace and enhance America’s manifest diversity.
As part of continuing on Professor Takaki’s vision, AsianWeek.com is accepting contributions from former students and colleagues on their remembrances or inspirations of Professor Takaki. Contributions can include writings, memories or photographs and should be sent to belezachan@gmail.com.”
-U.S. Asian Wire
Ron Takaki: Condolences from JACL National Director Floyd Mori
May 28, 2009
The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) joins with others in mourning the loss of Professor Ronald Takaki. He was an accomplished scholar, author, academician and advocate. His teachings, articles and books were invaluable in documenting the Asian Pacific American experience in the United States, teaching us and others of our shared immigrant history and contributions to American society.
Professor Takaki possessed a gentleman’s demeanor but was not one to be under-estimated. He was a skilled warrior who spoke out eloquently and tirelessly for affirmative action. He did not feel that institutions of higher learning should be available only to the few, but rather accessible to all.
“Professor Takaki leaves us with a wonderful legacy of knowledge and student advocates who have studied under his wing and who shall carry forth his work and vision of an inclusive society,” stated JACL National Director Floyd Mori.
Ron Takaki: Words from Scott Kurashige, PhD.
May 28, 2009
On Tuesday, May 26, 2009, our nation’s first African American president, who has appointed three Asian Americans to his cabinet, named the first Latina nominee to the Supreme Court. It’s hard to imagine a more fitting tribute to Professor Ronald Takaki, whose tireless writing, teaching, and lecturing played a pivotal role in propagating the idea of America as a multicultural nation. Undoubtedly, racism still haunts us in 2009. However, we now have a far greater sense of the United States as a land where all people can achieve their full potential, where the old notion of a white majority nation is rapidly fading, and where a new sense of possibility unbound by the stigma of race has arisen.
This is the America that Professor Takaki helped us to see evolving through the course of history—through the struggles of those who endured racism and discrimination, those who faced the lash of the whip and were forced into chains, those whose fought displacement and resisted genocide, those who came from distant lands and battled exclusion, and all those who rose above the petty concerns of an exploitative and dehumanizing system to fight for social justice.
As I only met Professor Takaki on a few brief occasions, I cannot count myself among those fortunate to claim his as a mentor and friend. Instead, having attended a university that did not offer a single Asian American Studies course in the late 1980s, I am among the tens of thousands whose introduction to ethnic studies was especially shaped by his books and public speaking. Indeed, my entire academic career has been shaped by two of Professor Takaki’s central themes. First, Asian American Studies, born out of struggle, must be at the forefront of the movement to democratize education and the broader society in which we live. And, second, this can only happen when we view Asian American history, culture, and politics within a multiracial context.
As we witness the color lines that defined the 20th century breaking down before our eyes, we can honor Professor Takaki’s legacy by tackling the new and ongoing challenges to humanity that confront us as a multiracial society in the 21st century.
Scott Kurashige, PhD, is an Associate Professor of History, American Culture, and Asian/Pacific Islander American Studies, at the University of Michigan.
Daily Dose & Announcements: 05/28/09
May 28, 2009
>> Local Asian American Leaders Come Together to Support Workers’ Rights
>> Random Ninjas EP Release Party
>> She Said No To No Child Left Behind and Won
>> Recession Turns Homes into Classrooms
>> China Said to Harass Rights Lawyers Read moreWai-Ling Eng: an Inspiration
May 27, 2009
Hard work, determination, and giving back. These are the qualities that define Wai-Ling Eng, a woman who has proved that anything is possible when you put your mind to it. She is an inspiration to all those who know her, and to the thousands, even millions, of lives that she has affected with her charitable works.
Wai-Ling Eng has accomplished more in her lifetime than most people can imagine. She has taught herself English, run and own a restaurant franchises, created a Bay Area-wide scholarship program giving away millions of dollars to students, spearheaded a national Breast Cancer Awareness program, and became the first Asian-American to be elected and sit on the Global Board of Trustees for the Ronald McDonald House Charities, all while raising four children. Read more
Whatcha-Wanna-Gotta-Getcha!
May 27, 2009
What is that? A new candy or power bar? Well, it’s something of a musical version of that. Whatcha-Wanna-Gotta-Getcha is the title of the new Random Ninjas EP by the band that makes a name for itself by bringing hard-to-categorize sounds to the ears of unsuspecting listeners—ninja style. This new 5 song EP is not for those in the mood for some boring, monotone, mono-genre music where you can’t tell where one song ends and the next one begins. For those of us tired of the same old same and looking for a little more spice and originality in music, this new recording is definitely a breath of fresh air.
Whatcha-Wanna-Gotta-Getcha is planned for release sometime in May 2009, and the first song, Madness, is already available for a full listen on their My Space. This particular piece is able to transition from slow to fast and from hard to soft in the blink of an eye while staying integrated at the same time. Its hyperactive pace captures the essence of this song’s lyrics about an obsessive addiction to the game Scrabble while showing off the strength and agility of the lead vocalist Soozanna and the back up vocals of bassist Agent Katchu.
Tomorrow is an inspirational piece about not letting old dreams die, and the overall ambience of the piece is hopeful. Musically, it is probably the easiest listen for cross-over fans of other genres, but it sticks out from the crowd because it has a wonderfully catchy drum track that sounds electronic but is actually organically recorded, a testament to the skill of their drummer, Caliginous Ninja.
Yellow Number 5 starts out with something totally unexpected in an American heavy rock band—a taiko drum played by the group’s taiko drummer, The Yusuke. This initial percussion sounds like a traditional Chinese dance beat that is followed by thoroughly surprising yet pleasant smooth jazzy guitars courtesy of lead guitarist Full Metal Ninja. It’s a danceable incorporation of what were once disparate sounds.
Virus is reminiscent of a late night drive in the city, aurally highlighting the possibility that jazz grooviness can indeed blend with heavy metal guitars. Lyrically, it cleverly captures the real fears of our modern society threatened with new diseases, pandemics and biological warfare while at the same time maintaining a metaphorical mood which allows for multiple interpretations.
Breakaway allows you to feel the full force and range of lead singer, Soozanna, as you hear her volubly climbing those scales, and just when you expect her to drop the note, she takes it to the top with an attack deserving of the ninja name. Lyrically, the song captures the cold and harsh reality that hits when you first take that step out to face things on your own.
Random Ninjas will be hitting SOCAL ROCK REVOLUTION 2009, a music festival sponsored by KROQ and held at the Irvine Lake. There’s no news that the new EP will be available there, but fans have got their fingers crossed! www.randomninjas.com
Ron Takaki: Words from Professor Larry Shinagawa
May 27, 2009
Dear Friends,
The greatest scholar, teacher, and mentor in the world - Dr. and Professor Ronald T. Takaki - has passed away. He was my personal mentor, my academic father figure, and meant the most to me. I am heartbroken with his passage. Dr. Takaki was a tireless promoter of civil rights, social justice, and the transformative power of scholarship. He was always kind to my entire family and took a special interest in my young son, Nathan. Nathan and I are devastated. It is no exaggeration to say that he institutionalized the fields of ethnic studies and multiculturalism (I am honored to have been given the opportunity as a senior and young graduate student at Berkeley in 1983-1984 to have done the background research and some of the revisions for his proposal for the first Ph.D. Program in Ethnic Studies). Ron taught me to love the field of Ethnic Studies and Asian American Studies with both the head and the heart. I am sure that together with thousands of us who have gained from his great wisdom and compassion, that we resolve to make this world a better place through research, teaching, and service.Dr. Takaki, you were the best and the brightest. You still are and will always be. In loving memory of Dr. “Ten Toes” Takaki,Your mentee,Larry
Larry Hajime Shinagawa, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor and the Director of the Asian American Studies Program at the University of Maryland.Ron Takaki: Words from Dale Minami
May 27, 2009
By Dale Minami
When I met Ron Takaki in the UC Berkeley Asian American Studies conference room in the early 70’s, he seemed like a harmless, cordial and restrained scholar type. I was a Lecturer in the department but was somehow assigned to the Hiring Committee to interview this academic guy who was denied tenure at UCLA mainly for his support of Black Studies and Ethnic Studies while he was still untenured. He was duly hired to anchor the then evolving AAS program and to offer credibility to this young program.
We became friends and over the years I learned that his calm demeanor disguised a burning passion for social justice and equality, a passion which he passed on in the courses he taught, the conservative ideologues he debated and the famous books he wrote. Ron was one of the progenitors of the notion of diversity and his books opened this country’s eyes to the multi-cultural and technicolor history of this nation.
As I write this, I am looking at two of his books on my bookshelf at home - Iron Cages and A Pro-Slavery Crusade, his first books which were so dense that it took me two years to read. Actually, I think it was I who was dense because when I finally got through them, I gained an interpretation of history which is brilliant, illuminating and made me less dense, I think.
Once he returned to his own Hawaii roots in Pau Hana, I discerned a new style of writing which was more engaging, interesting and thoroughly educational. His next books became the bibles of diversity and earned him a Pulitzer Prize nomination. But he was not a harmless scholar as I had thought but a very subversive, active and dynamic advocate for recognition of America’s racism and the commonality of the experiences of minorities. Nor was he the restrained academic I had initially thought – he was an active academic, fearless in the marketplace of ideas and willing to debate anyone who challenged his democratic, multi-racial, progressive perspective.
We would get together occasionally after I left UC Berkeley and I came to love and admire him not just for his passion for social justice but for his uninhibited laugh, eyes closed, cackling over some incident or event which often had nothing to do with anything remotely intellectual and everything to do with his love of humanity.
He emailed me on April 29 to congratulate me for an award I received. He ended with “I feel fortunate to have you as a friend.” I wrote back “Ditto” and we planned to have lunch in June. We are still fortunate to have had a Ronald Takaki for the years he has given to all of us. I will miss him.
