EB 05/15/09

Start 5:55
End 7:28
1. Progressive planning: Themes?
a. Exploring Identity through media (Peter’s music video idea)
b. Films: Harold & Kumar?
i. Talk about film screenings afterwards
ii. Lack of Asian American support for AA artists..etc
c. Minority Theories: educational/informative meeting (later on in the semester)
d. Making fun of stereotypes: when does it cross the line?
e. Provide relevant readings?
f. Make syllabus for PP: over summer?
g. Collab with NSO? Non-Con
h. Everyone moderate at least one meeting

2. Ask Alums for blurbs about what they’re doing: networking (Siu Kay)

3. Blog
a. Interactive blog: videos, comments, comics
b. Everyone contribute ideas: ask GB also
c. Private sub-blog for EB info as database
d. Debriefing

4. Secret Asian Man:
a. Post it EVERYWHERE: library, bathroom, Palmer Gallery?: Guerilla Warfare

***Bean intelligently spills Iris’ coffee; Peter rubs foot on Iris’ laptop***

5. Keep in touch over summer! Skype? 10AM/10PM?
a. 2 meetings a month (June/July)
b. 1 per week in August

6. Solve problems ASAP/ talk about it! (DO NOT TOUCH IRIS WITH FEET)

7. Graham: collaboration with HipHop 101
a. try to bring at least one Asian American hiphop artist
b. Blue Scholars

8. How to include Asian Studies people?
a. Meetings outside of ALANA
b. Bring Asian Studies Professor
i. Bring people to house for dinner & chat? TA? SoCos?
c. Broader discussion:
i. General “asian” things? Without neglecting asian-american focused topics
ii. Dumpling vouchers? Bonus entrance incentive to increase attendance

9. Fundraisers
a. Sell ASA t-shirts
b. Dumplings
c. Bubble Tea (time consuming)
d. Sushi? (didn’t sell well before)
e. Fishballs
f. Miso soup in winter (YUM)

Fortune Cookies in mailbox for advertisement for conference?

10. First Meeting next year (after BBQ/picnic; after PARTY)
a. Meet & greet
b. Skit, activity: meet others/meet exec board
c. Think about ice-breakers (by July)
i. YAY time? (→ for exec board!) NAY-time =(
ii. Blow-wind-blow
iii. Break into smaller groups?

11. Trip into the city (one day)
a. Asian Society Museum
b. Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA)
c. Walking trip, end with karaoke
d. Might be expensive for some people.. ASA subsidizing part of cost?
e. Van from Vassar to train station

12. Reaching out to orgs in other schools:
a. Siu Kay?
b. Extend invitation to conference

13. Think about events you want, people you want to bring

14. Colors of our Lives:
a. Get in touch with other SOC groups, see if they’re interested

15. Big Sib/ Lil Sib Picnic
a. Make sandwiches together (BONDING TIME). Vegetarian option.
b. Stop n Shop

EB 04.19.09

Start: 8:10
Stop: 9:05

Conference
o Timeline
Friday April 24th
• 1:00 PM Lunch with Helen Zia at Thai Spice
• 3:00 PM Set up for Helen Zia talk in Villard Room
• 4:00 PM Helen Zia lecture begins
• 5:30 PM Helen Zia lecture ends, desserts & coffee reception (from the DC and retreat)

Saturday April 25th
• 11:00-11:30 AM Parry Shen arrives – he is driving
• 12:00 PM Set-up starts (get take-out for Parry, allergic to shellfish)
• 1:00 PM Parry Shen lecture begins in Sander’s Auditorium
• 3:00 PM Parry Shen lecture ends, book signing begins, Sophia Chang arrives
• 3:30 PM Book signing ends, panel set up begin
• 4:00 PM Panel begins in Rocky 200 – cheese platter from Adams
• 6:00 PM Panel ends
• 7:00 PM *Concert begins
• 10:00 PM Concert ends
• *note: we might need to send people to help set up early for concert

Liv will talk to Eric about the chair. ASC will help set up at 3. Andrew will DJ for our mug night. Reese will look into lapel mic and we have a stool and chairs.

- Invite Asian studies, Korean studies, English, drama/Film, Poli Sci, Women’s Studies, and SOC (Latino, Hispanic)

Fliers
Lathrop - Iris
Strong - Bean
Joss - Stanton
Main and Retreat – Jenni and Andrew
Cushing - Jenni
Noyes - Chao
Raymond – Siu Kay
Jewett - Reese

Panel
- Short intro and a 2-5 min view for each panelist and Sophia Chang
- Then move into questions from Sophia Chang
- Then Q&A
- E-mail our questions for Sophia to ask

Contracts
- Contracts need to be cleared with treasurer
- Get contract, w-9 with the long form, write name, address where you’re sending the check to, why, account number, sign, and submit to Marcelo
- Easier to give to the treasurer so it’s consolidated
- Give it to Megan, Terry Quinn, pick it up and give to treasurer
- Who becomes VSA treasurer will cause situations to vary

Contacting Alums
- Andrew drafted an e-mail

T Shirts
- Getting t-shirt work done

Big Sib/Lil Sib Event
- May 9th

Elections
- Seniors to count ballots: Jason & Ellen
- Contact alums

ASA will host the SOC Dinner account.

EB 04.12.09

Start: 9:08
Stop: 10:18

T shirts
Will cost around $2036. 2 week delivery. Sizes: 80-70-20 breakdown? We should get around 170-200 shirts. Chao will go meet with Marcelo – and then go to shipping and receiving.

Conference
Reese put Yalinidream and Parry Shen’s contract into Marcelo’s box. Golden triangle/VICE concert will end our conference.

Big/Lil Sib Event
Frances Quadrangle. Tug of war, hula hoops, jump rope. Saturday 9th 3-5.

Forum
Be in the Rose Parlor at 6:15. Diane Harriford will moderate.

Link Posters – 1 big poster for every dorm
o Jenni – S Main, Cushing, Retreat, New England
o Chao – Library, Raymond
o Iris – Lathrop, Rocky
o Stanton – Joss
o Andrew – Strong, Kenyon
o Reese – Jewett, ACDC
o Peter – Noyes
o Liv – Sanders, Mudd

Weekend Events
- 40TH Anniversary of Africana Studies is Saturday
- SASA Fest is Sunday
- Souls with Voices Saturday 8-10, we’re bringing yalinidream
- Throwback Jam – Saturday


Next Week Meeting
Asian American Resources – talk about media things – 2 or 3 main things (musician, speaker, actor, writers, Asian Americans or groups that are making a difference)

- Chao will do blogs – angry Asian man, things Asians like, my mom is a fob, secret Asian men, angry Asian girl, metrodad, etc.
- Jenni will do print media – hyphen, Asian week, etc.
- Iris and Liv will do politicians/activists – Kal Penn, John Cho, John Liu, Frank Wu, Helen Zia, Ban Ki Moon Asian Women etc.
- Reese and Andrew will do entertainment – John Cho, Kal Penn, Maya Lin, Yu Kwang, Bollywood, Jin – recommend books and movies
- Stanton and Liyu will do dance crews
- Jenni will also speak about APAICS, OCA, LiNK, AFE, ALDF

Dumpling Sale?
Tian tian supermarket? Ask around to see if anyone is going into the city soon.

EB 03.29.09

Start: 6:10
Stop: 6:46


SOC Dinner
Senior list and possibly an estimate of what we can contribute

Asobi Seksu
Asian quilt should be able to give at least $1500

Link
- Advertise
- Make Facebook event – post link
- Post poster on blogger
- 14th on Tuesday in Rocky 213
- Stanton will ask about booking Rosenwald

Next EB meeting
- Make dumplings

ALANA Fest
- Make a tabling schedule
- E-mail
- Bring donation box for Szechuan and we’ll be selling shot glasses and mugs ($7 for shot glasses $10 for mugs + $15 shot glasses + mugs)
- Bring a few t-shirts

Conference
- For the panel, only 2 professors have responded: Linta, Mikey, Tyrone
- Personal invitations to conference
- Helen Zia will be in the Villard Room
- Parry Shen Rocky 200
- Panel in Rocky 200

Next Meeting
- Language of Ladies
- http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=77350600249
- Invite all SOC groups and femalliance and VISA

Next Next Meeting
- Alumns aren’t coming

Elections
- E-mail out blurb by April 8th
- April 29th – Elections
- Nominations will end on 19th Sunday
- Friday 24th – acceptance and blurbs deadline
- Invite alumns to elections 6-8

BIG/LILSIB EVENT
- Peter will ask the fieldhouse about hula hoops and such
- April 11th 2-5 PM

GB 03.25.09

Start: 8:07
Stop: 9:05

ANNOUNCEMENTS!

ASU dinner – March 28th
ALANA Fest is on April 4th
BSU is having an off campus party – get in with college IDs, but you'll have to provide your own transportation to get there - April 17th
Focus weekend/40th anniversary of Africana Studies Department – April 18TH – SASA Fest
Elections are coming up - April 29th


Inner Discrimination within the Asian American Community

Is it worse to be labeled a FOB or an ABA?
Depends on the context. In America it’s worse to be labeled a FOB. In Asia it's more being an ABA. Sometimes ABA are viewed as not really Asian or not as much

Within the Vassar community, how would you characterize Asians?
There are those who don’t identify with their Asian identity. “Nerdy” Asians. Asians separated by nationality.

Maybe part of the reason there isn't a good deal of unity is that Asians are a more recent group to come to America. They still identify more with home that they left. Focus on that rather than building a new community here.

The Ugly Chinese – novel that suggests Chinese tend to work individually – driven by own benefit and interests

Asian communities are very family based; does this affect the fractured qualities of the Asian community? More focused on the immediate family than larger community?

What effect might society have on this?
Younger generations grapple with balancing retaining our roots but also integrating this new community. Depending on the context in which you grow up in, Asians will tend to band together in places of scarce diversity – “white majority” – who you interact/what you have to deal with with influences your outlook. Community building also has a lot to do with culture. You celebrate the same holidays. Similar cultured people seek out similar, but dangerous to make it an overly deterministic quality.

Is the historical past still at play here? Are we carrying negative feelings that have been passed down through the generations?
Perhaps abstractly, but often not when dealing with specific people. Alright as long as you don’t bring it up? Feelings are also influenced by the government (if you live in Asia). It is still embedded within the society/environment. Overly national pride promotes this? There is often this superior feeling to other cultures.

Is this a problem prevalent in other communities as well?
Of course, we tend to identify with those who are most similar to us. We break off into our own smaller and exclusive groups. When we are threatened we instinctively look for those who are similar to us? Yes we have these groups, but what happens to those who don’t fall neatly into one or another category. Boundaries are not solid. Outside community can impose things upon you when you’re a visually apparent group.

Break down the walls between those within the Asian community!
There is sometimes a backlash to maintaining our heritage. It divides us from being Americans. We stereotype people. We like to “figure out” others, try to read them. This is human nature. It exists within any community. Asians immigrants like to think they’re still Asians first, not Americans. Don’t “feel” American. Problem is that physical appearance will often lead others to categorize someone as Asian, not American. Struggle between two identities.

Vegetable/fruit phenomenon – we disagree with what a category should be (EX. Tomato is a fruit). What should American be? Everything is relative. We should cast off categories especially those that are imposed and given to us.

What can we do to change things?
It's good that we have different SOC groups. It allows us to learn more about our own cultures. Explore other SOC group meetings. Take action! Goal is to integrate together. Recognize our ethnic identity as an asset.

EB 03.22.09

Start: 9:05
Stop: 10:00

Conference

- Title: Exploring (Post) Racism: Locating Asian America between Black & White
- Jenni will make fliers
- Contracts:
Contracts for Parry Shen and Helen Zia have been received. Helen Zia will fly into Newark and rent a car and drive up – book 2 nights in alumnae house – she’ll need one. Helen Zia wants a late lunch rather than a dinner
- Parry’s Books
- Inviting other schools – hold off for about a week
Columbia
Bard
Marist
New Paltz
NYU
CUNY
SUNY
- Panel
- T Shirts
Send out e-mail asking for more submissions – probably 2K depending on colors and amount we order. 50/50 material of American apparel.

SWV/Yalinidream
Saturday April 18th 6-9 Upc

- Next week chao’s going to see VSA about the speaker fund - Sunday
- Chao will check out account to see the status of things: reimbursements?
- We probably won’t be fundraising anymore for the Szechuan school fund – find out how do wrap that up


This Week’s Meeting
Stanton will moderate. Send in 2 questions!

FOBs, ABCs, and everything in between: Inner discrimination in Chinese American culture
With labels like ABCs and FOBs, it’s no wonder that the definitive gap between the two groups of Chinese Americans stands more prevalent than any other ethnicity. With such discriminatory labels, we beg the questions: why IS new levels, we hope to encourage you to follow your passion and dreams as well.

-E-mail SOCs about international dessert night - April 1st
- Alumnaes to possibly contact – April 8th
o Angela - jenni
o Casey - jenni
o Nora - reese
o Greg - reese
o Wendy - liv
o Sonia - liv
o Kenny Wu - reese
o Annie Chang - jenni

Calendar
March 25:
April 1: International Dessert Night
April 8: Alumnae Meeting
April 15: meeting cancelled – April 14th film screening (Tues) – Link – genocide in north korea
April 22: something in preparation for conference – screen better luck tomorrow on Thursday?
April 29: Elections
May 6: new EB meeting (meeting on progressive planning)

Future Ideas:
- Asian American identity development model by Kim
- Asian American entertainers and the Asian American community

EB 03.02.09

Start: 7:21
Stop: 9:00

Meeting: Big Sib/Lil Sib
o SODA PONG
o FLIP CUP
o CARROT GAME
o SNACKS

ECAASU
o Walkie talkies
o Get maps beforehand
o Have a wake up chain or list?
o Maybe get conference attendees could chip in so we could have on site housing – ask for input when we first talk about ECAASU – “we could do this...or that...”
o Liv will talk to Dennis about getting people to take the driving course for more drivers
o Ask around for those who know people who could put us up at UPenn
o Advertise ECAASU to others from campus – provide more information

Conference
o Title (Exploring Postracism:)
o Contact/choose professors for panel – cap at 8 max – this panel will be focused more on postracism in our community:
Diane Harriford (Sociology)
Carlos Alamo (Sociology)
Light Carruyo (Sociology)
Linta Varghese (Anthropology)
Mikey Velarde (MEChA)
Sarita Gregory (Political Science)
Hua Hsu (English)
Amitava Kumar (English)
Luke Harris
Eve Dunbar
Tyrone Simpson
Kiese Laymon?

Parry Shen
- Books at bookstore (Reese) – they got it covered!

Speaker Conference Update
Helen Zia
- Hotel booking for 23rd and 24th. Get form from VSA and turn it into Purchasing

Tentative Schedule
Thursday – Screening of Better Luck Tomorrow
Friday April 24th
• 4:00-6:00 Helen Zia speak
• 6:30 EB dinner with Helen Zia
• 9:00 Nighttime screening of Better Luck Tomorrow
Saturday April 25th
• 12:00 Lunch – Zorona’s
• 1:00-3:00 Parry Shen speak/workshop
• 3:00-3:30 Parry Shen book signing of “Secret Identities”
• 4:00-6:00 Panel
• 6:30-8:30 Dinner/conversations with panelists? AULA? Put a cap on number of people? Liv will get a price quote.
• 10:00 Mug night – give to PL? Deep Foundations?

Publicity
- Flyer Design: Jenni
- Contact other schools
- Print some of Parry Shen's comics as a form of advertisement
- “Crossing” Movie Tour by LiNK (org that spreads awareness about humanitarian crisis in North Korea) – put in a request for hosting screening on Wednesday, April 15th

Souls with Voices: April 18th (Saturday)
- Ethnic dress fashion show – who has clothes they can lend?
- BSU has money to bring performers for showcase; wants SOCs to suggest names
- YaliniDream: Jenni contacted
- Denizen Kane?

EB 02.22.09

Start: 5:38
Stop: 6:23

We'll be leaving for ECAASU around 2.

Next Meeting

Speed dating. E-mail 1 or 2 questions. 1 funny, 1 serious.

Other Meeting Ideas

Alternatives: Interracial dating within minorities or intrarracial dating
o Does race define your culture/identity?
o Generation/culture gap?
o Adoption – reverse racism

Future Meeting
o Study break meeting
o Big sib/Lil sib
o International dessert night

Conference
o Helen Zia will be lecturing Friday 4-6 in Rocky 200 but we’ll try for Sander’s
o Saturday for Parry Shen and panel. What if we did a dinner instead of a panel?
o Focus more on Asian-American topics
o PUBLICIZE!!!
o Parry Shen wants to do a book signing – talk to the bookstore? Have him from 1-3 on Saturday
o Book hotel for Helen Zia

EB 02.11.09

Start: 8:05
Stop: 9:00

Asian Stereotypes and Fetishes in the Queer Community

"The problem is greater than gay Asian male representation; the problem is Asian male representation as a whole, as there is no representation at all in the media that is not stereotypical.
There needs to be someone to promote Asian male aesthetics. I have struggled with this because I know our own standards for what we find attractive are informed, if not completely shaped, by the media. Therefore, how do I find myself attractive when there is no image of Asian males as beautiful to serve as a barometer? The only Asian males who are represented in the media are kung fu fighters and wizened gurus, such as the archetypal “Mr. Miyagi,” portrayed by the recently deceased actor Pat Morita.
What ends up happening with many Asian gay men, especially young gay boys, is that to find themselves attractive, they try to become the equivalent of the Asian female. There is a disproportionate number of Asian drag queens--and while that may seem an extreme example, there must be a latent psychological explanation for this phenomenon that would be consistent with this theory--in order to find oneself desirable in the Western world, the Asian male becomes the equivalent of the exotic Asian female beauty type, a sort of fetish, since there is no Asian male representation of beauty. Many young gay Asian boys become effeminate and androgynous because of their struggle to find representation to support Asian masculinity as desirable. "

-It’s hard to maintain masculinity as an Asian and gay male because most ideals of masculinity are geared towards Caucasian. You can’t really look to a gay Asian male “role model”. It’s hard to reconcile these two identities and find a place where one can find a place to be masculine

General Asian Stereotypes
- Submissive Asian female
- “FOB” desexualized/demasculinating, nerdy male

What is the stance of Asian cultures on homosexuality?
- Some cultures see homosexuality as an “abnormality” – very against it
- Passing on the family name is very important and traditional
- Thailand does accept the “third gender”
- General climate in Asian cultures that gay Asian women are acceptable, but gay Asian men are not
- Gender roles are a lot less flexible and very clearly defined – it doesn’t seem acceptable to “bend” these categories
- Interesting that in Asian pop culture men are generally metrosexual.

Spheres of communities are not just additive when they overlap? The experience of a gay Asian is not purely the experience of the gay community + the Asian community. A unique experience. Do these communities adequately envelop and represent the gay Asians?

Why is it that gay Asian men are more prominent within the media than gay Asian women?
- There is more active prejudice against gay Asian men, which might lead to more media coverage
- There is more PDA between women in Asia that does not have romantic intentions
- It’s more acceptable for a woman to act in a masculine manner without it seeming “abnormal” than for men to act in a feminine manner.
- Gay men seem to be more physically apparent than gay women in general
Is Vassar accepting/supportive of the queer community?
- In comparison to other schools, Vassar is more open and liberal.
- There is a certain level of apathy

How is Vassar different from your high school?
- Vassar at the very least is willing to engage in a dialogue
- Vassar is a “safe space”, but it is idealized and it’s not a reflection of the real world – collegiate atmosphere
- Vassar was accepting in that it wasn’t repressive, but in some ways is very close-minded
- Vassar somehow seems to be geared towards the gay male – gay women almost seem non-existent on campus
- Vassar seems to force its “personality” on its student body – why can’t you be liberal?
- There seem to be certain expectation of Vassar.
- Vassar takes away freedom of choice (to be close minded)

Can we relinquish the values instilled by our cultures?
- It’s hard depending on the context – it’s easier to relinquish the values of a culture when you’re not constantly immersed in it

Interracial dating in the queer community?
- Media portrayal seems that in interracial dating Asian men are the “feminine” counterpart, the bottom, the submissive one
- Because of your race, you can’t be masculine
- Plays into a racial hierarchy (Caucasians are the dominating race)
- In same sex relationship gender roles become confused or lost – race is often used in place of gender roles
- Dominant white role and subservient minority role
- Interesting/odd that there need to be dominant/subversive roles that still try to be gender roles – what does that say? Power roles. People tend to try and reproduce power structure that you commonly see in society.
o By breaking one social convention, you sometimes feel the need to fall back on another

EB 02.08.09

Start: 7:05 PM
Stop: 8:13 PM

Next Week’s Meeting
Intersextions will be attending. Haven’t heard back from QCVC. Stereotypes in regard to homosexual relationships. Do gay Asians generally play the more feminine role in a relationship? Interracial dating within the queer community? Talk about in collusion with the stigma against homosexuality in the Asian community. E-mail questions and fact to Jenni – put together a fact sheet? When you think about queers in the Asian community do you mainly think of gays?


Professor Muhn wants to know if ASA would be interested in bringing Alice Pung who wrote Unpolished Gem next fall?

Lunar New Year Dinner Debriefing

- Count people as they come in next year - tally
- Double line was a success
- Less viet sandwiches – 15 sandwiches – put them first?
- Less pad thai – get 30 person portion
- Order dumplings from east garden
- Defrost drinks!!!
- Start decorating earlier/get more people
- Plan what we’re going to say more – more conclusive opening and closing remarks
- Number the tables
- Christmas lights next year?
- No more spring rolls!
- Chinese food was perfect quantity and the rice
- Almond cookies were a success!
- Is it worth making dumplings? How much would it cost to order?

Helen Zia
What days are available? April 15th or 29th are possibilities. Jenni will go talk to the SARC intern about booking these days.

Blue Scholars/Deep Foundations
Jenni will ask what days are available to bring them.