Colorblind

BY JULIE CHEN

Here is what I know about myself:

I am very pale.

So pale that I have grown to fear

Flash photography, because it

Makes me appear an incandescent lightbulb
glittering

I am chronically impatient. I refuse to wait for anything that can be hastened

I am very receptive to change.

Hobbies, clothing, people,

Sometimes I go out of my way for something new.

Even when the old fit perfectly 

Some days I think I am too old for my age.

Swimming amongst the fragmented pieces of philosophy and wisdom

I hoard in my head is tiring.

Mostly, I commit acts of naivety 
which subject me to burning cheeks and

my face in my hands.
I pass the seconds by melting into my own bellybutton

I am terrified of being caught off guard.

My English professor once said that 

people who have this fear often dream of being naked.

Well, I’ve never had this dream
But I am terrified

I have also been chronically leery, ever since you’ve turned your back.

I am leery of human emotions.

They are such fickle things: happiness, sadness,

Joy

Jealousy

Love

Hate

All but transient outbursts of the flimsy mind—

And in my naivety, I had believed that these were all genuine

All the time.

Here is what I know for sure:

I used to see everything through rosy glass.

But your last words shattered windows, and I am no longer colorblind.

Where are the Men?

BY JULIE CHEN

Back in 2002, a study conducted by Annenberg School of Communications and released by the Asian American Journalists Association validated a long-standing concern of the Asian community. The research, titled “Asian Male Broadcasters on TV: Where Are They?” was the first of its kind and exposed the skewed ratio of male to female Asian TV journalists in the news industry. Statistics revealed that out of the 104 Asian Americans employed on air by the top 25 US markets, a mere 22 were male. The number of male anchors stood even more lopsided and totaled to a whopping one.

Flash forward and it’s 2013. The aforementioned study is almost a decade old, and the numbers have certainly changed. A recent follow up study by the AAJA in 2008 has confirmed a 73 percent increase in Asian-American men on air, from 22 in the top 25 markets to 38. Despite the slight improvement, Asian news anchormen remain relatively rare. Focus in on San Francisco, for example, and a few familiar faces might be Raj Mathai and Mike Inoyue on KNTV, or Rick Quan and Alan Wang on KGO—but considering a quarter of the San Francisco population is Asian, the fact that they're still able to count their Asian anchormen with fingers is pathetic.

This long-standing phenomenon of a lack of male Asian anchormen has been promptly labeled the “Connie Chung Syndrome.” Connie Chung, the renowned trailblazing journalist famous for becoming the first Asian and second woman to anchor a major American news channel, has become not only an icon of the news industry but also set the precedent for the trend of the White-man-Asian-woman duo at the anchor desk. Speculation towards the public unwillingness to digress from this pairing ranges from the exotic appeal of Asian women to the less threatening nature of a “delicate” minority woman matched with the white male. Whatever the reason, it’s a complex mix of ignorance and bias that exacerbates gender stereotypes.

Regarding the underrepresentation of diversity in the news, company directors prefer to point to the “shallow talent pool” of Asian American men in TV journalism. There’s good cause to doubt the validity of this claim, but in any case a lack of talent isn’t our problem. The problem is the dearth of current Asian American anchormen on-air, signaling a shortage of role models and reinforcing the belief that broadcast journalism is not an Asian man’s cup of tea. What we need to do is to reverse this malicious cycle—a unified response from TV executives and an informed public to create positive, impartial work environment that can hopefully attract and retain future minority anchormen. With thousands of communications graduates pouring out of universities annually, competent candidates are definitely out there.

But there remains an unanswered question in the minds of many. Why all this fuss? Because mainstream media is a powerful propagator of popular belief and thus TV news should embody the diversity of the population it serves. “The television is the stage of legitimacy in our society,” says Alan Wang, anchorman for KGO-TV in an interview for the Asianweek Foundation, “it’s refreshing to see an accurate portrayal of [Asians] in an authoritative position.” And he’s right. Asian-American anchormen like Wang empower young Asian males to pursue TV journalism, and incorporating more men like him in the news industry demonstrate that both male and female Asians are capable of achieving success in the broadcasting field.

It’s time for a change. Fair representation for the people, better ratings for the 8 o’clock news. Sounds like a win-win situation for all. 

What's Good Enough

"You're perfect just as you are ... and you could use a little improvement."-Shunryu Suzuki Roshi

BY JULIE CHEN

I find humans to be rather ironic. Every individual strives to achieve higher. What we have now is never enough. There are always more stars to reach, more mountains to climb, more bridges to cross; but all the while, we are assuring ourselves that self acceptance is the way. That we are perfect just as we are. That we should celebrate our being in the present moment which is presumptuously complete.

Regarding koans such as this, the extremities of the situation would be advised against. Be too complacent and you shall never savor the joy of self-improvement or develop your inherent gift. Be too hard on yourself and ambition can mark your demise. Not to mention that happiness will inevitably become further out of reach.

There is an old Chinese proverb that states: "Three men walking; One must be my teacher.“ It's a universal truth that there will always be something of greater capacity than the subject at hand, and therefore it is of no use to strive for perfection. In fact, in theory perfection itself could be out-shadowed by matter more perfect. How interesting.

Although the balance between complacency and improvement is a delicate affair one must discover for oneself, there is an easy way out when life becomes a thorn in the side. I suppose the key is to constantly be inspired for self-improvement and strive to actively develop yourself whenever possible. Attempt to weed out your imperfections. When you succeed, compare yourself to your past and be proud. But there will be times when you fail. So when your incessant effort eventually yields no result, then take a moment to embrace your imperfections. It's a win-win situation. Succeed, and you shall have refined yourself. Fail, and you shall have gained an opportunity to acknowledge self-wealth. 

It all comes down perspective.

Orange Chicken and Fortune Cookies: A Misunderstanding

BY JULIE CHEN

No matter how homesick I grow while traveling overseas in North America, I remain reluctant to enter restaurants many Americans would promptly label “Chinese.” From the dollops of gooey sweet and sour chicken to the spongy stir-fried broccoli sitting dejectedly at the bottom of a Chinese buffet tub, it’s all too disheartening to admit that the foods so carelessly drenched in grease and rolled around in sweet sauce could still bear the name of my native cuisine.

Upon arriving in Japan, many people would be surprised to discover that the Japanese consume sushi highly infrequently. Cultural stereotypes can create many misconceptions, but I have yet to find a popular cuisine more misunderstood than the Chinese. In reality, it would be painstakingly difficult to find chop suey or fried wontons in China. Neither would egg rolls ever appear on a menu—only spring rolls with diaphanous wrappers nowhere as leathery as the doughy skins of their American counterparts. Dishes like orange chicken, sesame chicken, and pepper steak can be labeled syncretic dishes at best. A fortune cookie would bewilder most Chinese grandparents, and broccoli, onions, black pepper and satay sauce are in fact foreign to the Chinese diet. Oddly enough, these foods continue to spring up in the take out boxes of Chinese-American restaurants.

Although food adaptation is nothing new (McDonalds serves rice and soy milk in many Asian countries), the phenomenon present in most modern Chinese-American restaurants today is cuisine fusion. Traditional Chinese food is often enjoyed lightly steamed, braised or stewed; however, a foreigner used to baking his fish fillets would probably find the briny odor of steamed fish unappetizing. Likewise, traditional tofu soup might seem too watery for satisfaction while steamed bok choy, too bland to taste. That’s why the Canton immigrants who arrived in America during the mid 19^th century shrewdly Americanized their Chinese eateries to make their dishes more palatable to new customers.

The oleaginous meat orientated Chinese-American food we see in Western restaurants today differs greatly from the meals prepared in Chinese family kitchens. Everyday dishes rarely focus on fried spareribs or pork chops; instead, meats are utilized as condiments for vegetable stir-fries or soups. Subgenres of the uniquely heterogeneous cuisine are also abundant amongst China’s vast landscape. Scallion paste, for example, is characteristic of the Zhejiang genre while peppercorn oil is often solely associated with Sichuan cooking. It is all much more complex than the monotonous gluey sauces perpetually utilized by fast food “Chinese” restaurants.

Without a little effort, many of us will pass a lifetime without ever indulging in authentic Chinese fare. But whether it’s a piquant “drunken” chicken immersed in bak jau or eight-treasure rice swathed with fragrant home-ground sesame paste, it’s not impossible to find the bona fide Chinese cuisine near you. Begin by opening yourself up to experimentation. At a family-owned Chinese restaurant, ditch the fried rice and ask to be surprised. Pop into Chinatown and introduce yourself to a friendly vendor who might just be willing to share a secret recipe or two. During your next holiday, why not travel to China and verify this article. But if all else fails, nothing is wrong with enjoying take away Chinese food. Just remember: it won’t be the real deal you’re tasting!