a story about love

almost a year ago to date, a movie came out called moonshine kingdom that had everyone swooning. a wes anderson creation, you couldn't go to any hip coffee shop or indie theater without hearing the irony-clad gush -- much like most of wes anderson's creations.

at the core of the film, lay a little boy who would do anything for love and to believe in love -- a sweet story really, too bad it was wrapped in an ugly pretentious and oversized sweater, no-doubt purchased from an overpriced thrift store.

matthew mcconaughey stars in a new film titled, mud. what the fuck it's about, the title will not tell you -- nor will the trailer, really. but damn it was a good trailer -- well, as good of a trailer can be starring matthew mcconaughey -- and i don't have much going on on sundays other than it being the holy day of sleep, eat, and clean, so i went to see mud and how refreshing it was to find a movie about a young boy who would do anything for love and to believe in love, sans sweater.

i really can't say much more about the film, not because there are crazy plot twists or big reveals or explosions or whateverthefuck else hollywood likes to put out (though, confession: i did thoroughly enjoy every explosion in the new star trek), but because it is just a simple, straightforward love story -- except instead of boy meets girl and discovers love, it's more like boy fights for love, all shades of it.

much like its title, mud is a subtle and unassuming film that you don't see coming until it wraps you in its arms and warms the deep, dark abyss of your heart; until it goads you, unknowingly, to move to a new city, to go against everyone's advice, to dance irreverently at all hours of the day, to sometimes live beyond your means and other times live so beyond what you thought life would mean.

sort of like love.

*

i'll be traveling to see family next week, so i won't be writing anything for next thursday -- instead, i'll be knee-deep in love, of all shades.

see you next, next thursday,
m

one day i will stop procrastinating

maybe tomorrow.

you guys, i'm sorry, but when we did our quickie last week -- you know with the champagne and the fireplace, and then there was that bit about pulling a blanket up over us -- well, what did you think would happen? something damn good, because i've been preoccupied and tied up under that blanket all week.

and as a result, i still have deadlines that need slaying. so off i go.

TOO MANY CRAFTS, TOO LITTLE TIME

i promise to emerge from blanket before next thursday this time though.

maybe.

see you next thursday (under the blanket *wiggles eyebrows*),

m

You’re too fat. You’re too skinny. Your butt is too big. F***, can I just eat this burger?!

Ok, I’m finally back from my hiatus. I know you all were eagerly awaiting my arrival. Last week, it was my birthday so there were some celebrations in place. Let’s just say I have a lovely reminder of my birthday weekend with my clothes spattered in throw-up (not mine, by the way. Ain’t that some shit??). Eh, it is what it is. I’m a year older and I thank the Lord for this and for all the blessings in my life.

So, I’ve been meaning to blog on this topic – body image – as a follow up to my last post. Has anyone been through this?

Mom: “You’re too fat. Your butt is really big too. You need to diet.”

A week later….

Mom: “You’re too skinny. You need to eat more.”

A week later…

Mom: “You’re getting a little chub chub there. As long as you exercise, you can eat anything.”

You get the point. After a while, I was seriously like, “Mom, I’m still going to eat this damn burger and YES, it’s going to my hips! And YES, I don’t care!” I know I’m not the only one out there who has had to deal with Asian parents and the never-ending body scrutinizing. I think at one time last year, my dad just looked at me and just said “Fat.” Nothing else. Come on pops….you gonna do me like that?!

Growing up, I’ve always had low self-esteem about my body and the way it looked; hell, I’m still self-conscious about it today but I’m working on it! And I love my parents and I know they had my best interests in mind, but it wasn’t easy grappling with my body image hearing those comments. This plays into the bigger picture of how female bodies are “supposed” to look in today’s society. It’s sexy if you’re a size 0 and are super slim. You have to starve yourself to look “good.” I mean, men even have a say in what they think women’s bodies should look like! Women hate on each other and in my own experience, they can be the harshest critics. It really makes me angry seeing women struggle with their body image because 1) it’s discouraging and 2) it can cause mental, emotional, and physical issues.

I bring this up because I just want women to see how beautiful their bodies are. Everyone is unique. Love your body. If you want to eat a damn pizza slice, then fucking do it. If you want to lift weights, then go ahead (you’re not going to get swole like a dude)! If you have curves, then flaunt it! You’re not “fat.” And no matter what anyone says, you’re fucking beautiful. I am sick and tired of seeing women depriving their bodies, trying to fit into a standard that is just not healthy or positive. 

Now, excuse me while I go stuff my face with this pizza. Because I'm beautiful. And I'll do what I fucking want. Bitch.

-Diane

love your mama

hello friends,

i must confess i have let deadlines creep, and can not spend as much time with you this thursday night as i would like to.

if i had my way, i would bust out the bubbly and cozy up to all of you. knock back a few until that awkward silence blanketed the room; our eyes would meet, our hands would touch, and then i would ugly-cry about how much i adore my dear young mother.

but alas, i'll have to get a raincheck and instead leave you with a surrogate: writer mary h k choi penned a fucking awesome piece about her foreign mother and succinctly expressed the pangs of growing up with a mom who packed stinky food in your school lunch when you were 12, followed by the longing you feel at the age of 20-something, wishing she would fill your silent second-floor studio, 1200 miles away, with those same familiar smells of home.

I then did what any normal kid would do and yelled and yelled about how embarrassing it was to have her at school with me during lunch of all times. She presented me with a sack of cheeseburgers that I could give out to my friends. I refused the damp bag and screeched about how it was so cheap that she didn’t spring for bright red boxes with toys for them as well. I made her take the burgers back with her. If I were an actress and had to think of something sad to make me cry in a scene, I would think about this moment. 

... She said that when I was four, I stole hundreds of dollars from her and bribed my bus driver to drop me off last and to make a pitstop at the deli so I could buy candy on my way home. I’d stuffed the change in my shallow pinafore pockets and when my mother frantically berated me for stealing the money and trying to get myself kidnapped, I told her I loved money more than I loved her. These days I don’t love money how I used to. My mom though, I’m crazy about.  

read it here and tell me what terrible things your mother did when you were a child, and what you wish she would still do for you now (laundry, hugs, take me to taco bell, brush my hair, and tell me not to go out past 8 pm because i'll get pregnant come to mind).

see you next thursday,
-m

p.s. the writer is from texas.

how to give body image the finger

sometimes i like to have cake for breakfast, a doughnut or two for lunch, and some chocolate chip cookies for dinner because i'm a mother fucking adult. i pay rent, i go to work, and i'm working on securing some health benefits one day in the distant future--so i can eat cake for breakfast if i want to. but of course, this celebratory lifestyle leads to those days when my jeans feel tight, my coat won't button, and my mood gets real sour. here are a few things i do to feel instantly better:

1. tilt your mirror at an angle
while trying on clothes at h&m a few weeks ago, i caught myself thinking, damn i look good and i knew it wasn't the cheap, questionable quality of h&m ware, so i peeked around the corner of the floor length mirror to see what sexy magical nymph was mimicking my moves in the mirror--and lo and behold, i noticed just how angled the mirror was. now, i'm really bad at math (defying stereotypes, holla), but if i had to guess i'd say the mirror was propped up at a nearly 30 degree angle--the perfect number to make me look tall, skinny, and smug as hell.

so, like any asshole who makes you feel fat, ugly, or unworthy, handle it and make that bitch lean (30 degrees or so).

2. be active doing the things you like
while i get stupid-excited about the chance to sit on the couch all day and do nothing the way other people get stupid-excited about porn--i concede i must undergo some sort of physical activity to burn off the cinnamon rolls i consume by the dozen. however, no one said you have to go to the gym. fuck gyms. gyms are for pretty people being pretty in front of other pretty people -- or swole people being swole in front of other swole people ... or for the very few, normal people trying to work out, but you average outliers, i have nothing to say to you, carry on. i like to climb, boulder, jump animatedly at the prospect of a warm cinnamon roll, and roll around in the grass with my dog. these are all physical activities that burn cinnamon roll calories.

so, do fun things that require moving your limbs; chase food trucks, take up kick boxing, try yoga, stalk a really active person, or whatever other fun things kids are doing now.

3. eat whatever the fuck you want
as long as you have some vegetables to balance out the gluttony (cauliflower chocolate cake, just sayin'), then my god eat whatever the hell tickles your fancy. eat cake for breakfast and a chocolate covered churro for lunch, eat an avocado at 2 am between fisting drinks, and then finish off the night by eating a sexy ass man or woman before bed. enjoy everything you put in your mouth, and don't punish yourself for having a good time.

so, know your limits and eat accordingly--some of us have been training for the last 26 years and can easily polish off an entire bag of chips in one sitting. word.

4. use your scale upside down
fuckkkk scales. turn that piece of shit upside down and then step up on it. assess your weight by how you feel. here's my mantra: today, i ______, ate _______, and feel _________.  so as i stepped on my overturned scale earlier tonight i said: today, i walked around costco (which equals a thousand miles because  it's stupidily big), ate a dozen rainbow-colored macarons and a churro, and feel fucking awesome.

so, do that. because the number behind how much you weigh isn't nearly as significant as how you feel at that weight. jokes aside, if you are feeling heavy and sluggish at your current weight, don't beat yourself up and don't harp on what the scale says (because fuck scales). just do more of the above fun stuff and perhaps eat just 6 macarons instead of 12.

5. fuck being happy about your body
body image bullshit comes in 2 magazine headlines: 1) how to get the perfect body  2) how to be perfectly content with your body. with either choice, you're still seeking perfection and what other aspect of your life is ever 100% perfect? sometimes you love your job and are perfectly content and other times you want to set your cubicle on fire--i absolutely adore and love my perfect dog, charlie, but sometimes he takes a giant shit on my laptop, and i love him a little less.

so, be ok with the fact that some days you're going to love your body a little less (like when you're hung over). some days you'll rub your little rice pouch and wonder if you should have had that extra bowl for dinner (yes.) whereas other days your arms look stellar in that corduroy vest (because who.the.fuck. doesn't look stellar in a corduroy vest). for the days that i really feel the prominence of my pouch, i don my favorite pair of jeans or that hot dress that i think i look awesome in and get.the.fuck on with life. if you think you look good, so will everyone else.

6. cut the size tags off all your clothes
just fucking do it.

what are your favorite ways to give body image the finger? leave your suggestions in the comments because i may or may not have--but most definitely did eat a shoe box-sized mound of french fries before typing this out, and will be tilting my mirror a little more than 30 degrees tomorrow.

see you next thursday,
melissa

A Little Love Goes a Long Way

I literally went MIA last week due to the events that occurred. The Boston bombings and the Texas plant explosion had me distracted and following every piece of information I possibly could for 5 days straight. It was a strange week and one that was draining and emotional.

All in all, I was reminded that life is too short. I need to find a way to deal with life's challenges and failures in a more positive way and value the relationships I have. I thank God everyday that through His grace, I make it through the day. Every day is a blessing in some little way. Seeing runners' vigils being organized in honor of Boston victims across the country was inspiring and touching. A little love goes a long way.

Anyways, I've been reflecting a lot in the past week and a half but you'll see a new entry soon! I'll follow up on Melissa's previous entry about CrossFit and the Paleo lifestyle as well as body image. I'll also provide some tips and advice for those who are interested in or would like to start strength training! Stay tuned!

-Diane

boston, texas, and places beyond

friends, there has been much to be sad about lately.

by now, you have seen the heart-stopping video; the panic in it is palatable. i'm sure your entire office stopped to read every new update just as mine did.
the explosions were horrific, and the events that have unfolded afterward are terrible.
my heart is heavy for the three that died and the hundreds that were hurt, that's a given. but what i was hoping we could discuss are the actions of others after––both the good and bad.

the good are the hundreds who aided victims by tying tourniquets, comforting the scared, continuing to run straight to the hospital to donate blood after running 26 miles in the marathon, wheeling the injured to medical attention, and all the folks who offered up their homes and hearts to the displaced or lonely.

but the bad, the bad sings a sorrowful song so familiar it rings in my ears, pounds in my head, and aches in my heart.

• why did someone tackle a young man who was injured and running from the very same bomb that so many others were hurt by and running from?
• why did cnn report that folks should be on the look out for a "dark-skinned or black male with a possible foreign accent" when no one knew (and still don't know) who was behind the attack?
• why was a man, who was leaving a mosque in queens, threatened with a gun?
• why was a 17 year old accused of being the bomber?
• why was a mother called a terrorist?
• why was a man in new york beaten and called a 'a (expletive) Arab'?

Ibrahim Hooper, council national communications director, said the council is urging Muslim individuals and Islamic institutions to review advice on security procedures contained in its "Muslim Community Safety Kit." 

• why does there need to be a Muslim Community Safety Kit?

of course, i know the answer to these questions. 

as if there wasn't enough hurt this week, last night there was a large fertilizer plant explosion in west texas where as many as 35 could be dead and hundreds injured. and as i type this now, i see updates from friends about a shooting in boston as well as possible explosive detonations; a bomb exploded in a coffee shop in baghdad killing 27; 30 workers on a farm in greece were shot after disputing unpaid wages; 42 people were killed in a series of car bombs in Iraq; there is some serious shit going on in syria; and the us senate rejected background checks for gun purchases and banning semi-automatic weapons modeled after military assault rifles (because it would have just made too much sense). 

there is much to be sad about, my friends.

swolder status

hello there friends!

did y'all read Diane's post on gymin' ladies? i must admit that i have no knowledge of swole-dering (swole for those of you outside of the south is getting buff), but i do from time-to-time leave my computer long enough do a sit-up or two. (not. i fucking hate sit ups. you either love my belly or get-da-fuck-outta-here.)

i agree with D that no woman should have to feel uncomfortable at the gym, and should be able to get her swole on wherever she wants. i'm a climber, so my gyms are usually filled with a different crowd (though there are definitely some nose-to-the-sky folks too) of stick-thin men who work out against working out. they're anti-swole, bearded, sensitive men and the female-to-male ratio at most climbing gyms is pretty even because, well, women are awesome. why not have gaggles of them nearby?

and while we're on the topic of fitness -- would love to know more about your clean eating, D. if i am not mistaken, i believe our Lady D follows a paleo diet and is an avid crossfitter -- two things that i hear are male-dominant. Would be great to hear more about the gender gap in those crowds too.

i'm curious, what's everyone else's gym like? or if you don't go to the gym (good for you), how do you keep healthy (my answer: eating poorly and aging badly).

as for what she wrote about being afraid of me, well, what can i say:

i'd be intimidated of me too. 

See you next thursday,

-melissa

Women and Weightlifting: I'm Getting My Sexy Fitness On

Hey everyone! Things have calmed down at work so I’m finally getting to post this entry on my regularly scheduled day, as per my agreement with Melissa. Plus, I’m deathly afraid of Melissa; so I know if I don’t post something, I’ll suffer the ramifications of her wrath.

One extremely important but random update for today? It is hot as balls in my office. It’s feeling like spring outside at a nice, warm 85 degrees; however, facilities refuse to turn on the AC in the building because they are afraid it may get cold again. My coworkers and I look like we just popped mollies and we sweatin!! I was really tempted to take a half day and stand in front of my freezer but alas, Whole Foods has a sale on boxes of mangoes for $7.99 each! So, I’m trekking outside to covet these goodies. I’m a happy girl J Update: I just went to Whole Foods and the mangoes were gone. Motherfucker.

Anyways, I wanted to approach the topic of exercise and gender roles at the gym. It’s been on my mind but an incident last week pushed me to finally write about it. It seems trouble is always looking for me…especially in the form of douchebags. I was at the gym one morning, getting my sexy fitness on with the squat rack when a guy approached me and said something along the lines of “you should lift some lighter dumbbells; the squats you’re doing are too heavy.” I thought about releasing my inner bitch but decided against it since it was so early in the morning. I opted to say, “I’m okay here at the squat rack. You can lift the dumbbells if you want but I’m fine where I’m at.” *Bitch stare* My sister knows what my bitch stare looks like and is probably laughing her ass off now. 

I mean what kind of bullshit is that?! When it comes to the gym, it is apparent how segregated it is and how gender roles impact physical fitness for both men and women. You have men who dominate the weight room, grunting and screaming, like a scene out of a horror film. You have women who take over the cardio machines, torturing themselves for hours (surprisingly, their makeup is still on. That’s suspect.) There is no intermingling between the two in the weight room. 

As an Asian American woman, I not only have to struggle with these gender roles but with people’s preconceived notions of me as an ethnic minority. I’m Asian so therefore, I have to be petite and skinny right? What am I doing with these heavy weights? I thought about what the guy had mentioned to me, and it just goes to show how prevalent these gender roles are, even in our everyday routines. That being said, I’m a huge proponent of strength training, especially HEAVY strength training. I think that women shouldn’t be afraid to confidently walk into the free weight area and push themselves. We’re not going to get big and buff like men because we do NOT have testosterone (and those who are freakishly ripped are probably on steroids by the way). Women can lift just like men and be strong and sexy.

Case in point:

 

I don’t want to bore you to death so I’ll leave it at that for today. In connection to this entry, I’m going to discuss my experience as an Asian American woman struggling with body image next week. Stay tuned!

-Diane

The Dating World. It’s Scary. And Yellow Fever is Very Much Real.

So I recently joined the dating scene, mainly because of my 2013 resolution that I needed to date more. Obviously, I wasn’t getting any action (and by action, I mean dinner dates) by just staying at home and watching movies. Long story short, I dated this one guy for about two months and things seemed like they were going well. That is, until we were discussing Halloween for some God-knows-what reason and he mentioned that he would love to see his girlfriend in a geisha costume one day. WHAT?! Hold up. Oh…shit. It’s about to get real up in here!

I kid you not; he also added that “Asian women love him long time so it wasn’t a problem getting them to wear a geisha costume.” 

I flipped out.

I literally stopped talking to him because my “yellow fever” alarm was blaring. What’s yellow fever you ask? To put it nicely, it’s the predilection that Western men have for women of Asian descent aka that nasty fetish when men obsess over Asian women because they are “exotic” or some bullshit like that. It scares the shit out of me…and it pisses me off that I didn’t catch this sooner. Now I regret all of the dinner dates we had, even though it was free. I’m such a gold digger.

It’s this strange, unhealthy obsession that turns me off to men. Not all men, but if you utter something as stupid as that, then you’re dead to me. Why can’t you like me for me? For my intelligence? Motivation? Interests? Not as an object to fulfill your sick desires. Let me tell you, dating is scary because I’m always on guard for the next ignorant remark about Asian American women. And I don’t take it lightly. Then you’d wish you never met me.

Anyone have any “yellow fever” experiences or stories they would like to share?

If you want to find out more about “yellow fever,” there is a web series to Debbie Lum’s documentary Single Asian Female that explores this issue. For more information, visit They're All So Beautiful.

- Diane

4 films you need to see now

folks in the bay area and beyond, i'd like to introduce you to CAAMFest––previously known as the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival (whew that's a mouth full).

this is the first year they've rebranded the festival to include more than just film. the week-long festival featured cooking demos, musical performances, discussion panels, and more; perhaps inspiration was drawn from one SXSW festival?

the hunch isn't too far fetched considering CAAM's (Center for Asian American Media) Festival and Exhibitions Director was austin's own Executive Director for the sadly now-defunct Austin Asian American Film Festival (anyone interested in reprising it, btw? i have no idea what it will take, but i've got some blood, guts, and PLENTY of tears to give. hollaaa)

the film i'm most excited to share with y'all is taiwan's Go Grandriders, a documentary about a group of 80+ year olds who embark on a 730 mile epic journey on motorbikes. these grandpas and grandmas are spunky, endearing, lively, tough, introspective, enlightening, and fucking cute.

Tien-hao Hua, the documentary's director, did a fabulous job capturing tender moments and comedic gold. it made my bellyache from laughter and my eyes moist from begrudged tears––emotions are the devil, said melissa.

3 other notable films were Turn it Up to 11, Part 2 and Xmas Without China. Turn it Up follows korean punk band Galaxy Express as they tour around texas––playing SXSW and smaller shows in pizza parlors, basements, country bars, and dorm rooms. not only was it interesting to see how korean punk rockers were received in my hometown but also what they thought of the southern state. the film turned out to be a fun and heartfelt diary of folks in search of a good time in unsuspecting places.

and Xmas Without China followed a filmmaker––originally from china but who grew up in southern california––as he challenged an average white american family, aptly named the Jonses, to go the entire month of december without using or purchasing any products made in china. the Jonses' struggles, while realizing just how much comes from asia, was entertaining and downright funny at times, but the real engaging point was filmmaker Tom Xia's story and his family: reshaping american identity.

lastly, Debbie Lum's documentary Seeking Asian Female about a white man with an extreme asian fetish (and a hard drive full of mail order bride profiles) will both fascinate and alarm you. let me just say, i left the theater with a much different feeling than when i walked in -- and i'm not sure if i'm ok with that. the Q&A with Debbie and Phil Yu of Angry Asian Man filled up within 10 minutes of the doors opening and NPR's This American Life recently spotlighted the film. so it's getting plenty of buzz.

and i lied in my last entry to get you here -- i rubbed no one. allegedly.
-melissa

everyone knows thursday is the ugly stepchild

goddamn it, thursday––you snuck up on me.

i know i chose thursday as the day i would be blogging regularly each week, but i'm not sure why because obviously it's the busiest day of the week.

recovering from the weekend means doing nothing monday through wednesday, which means thursday is spent frantically trying to finish everything that has piled up on the desk (because we all know friday will be spent doing nothing in anticipation of the weekend).

but alas, i am a woman of my word! ...because words are free and i can afford them. so here i go. i am blogging.

while i wasn't prepared to write anything, how about i just give you a bit of good news, a teaser for next thursday's post, and a joke.

good news: diane has said she'll be blogging regularly each week, too. tuesdays will be the golden day in which she'll grace us with her wisdom. i am super excited and can only hope dear ol' douglas will join in on the fun.

everyone leave comments demanding douglas write something both witty and enlightening or at the very least, post shirtless photos because i hear he's been working out and getting ready for spring break (spring break, what's that...? oh, grad students and their sophomoric school schedules.) c'mon douglas, let us sexually objectify the shit out of you.

teaser for next thursday's post: i was able to attend this year's CAAMFest: rubbed elbows with the niche-famous, saw some stellar films, and failed at securing any type of work prospect. hey, 2 out of 3 still lands me in the green, i'll take it. so come back for pictures of me rubbing body parts with semi-famous people and hear about how i got out of it, hand-cuff free.

joke: taco bell's new doritos' cool ranch taco is like sexin' a hot, dumb person––awesome during, but so not worth the shit after.

see you next thursday,

-melissa

i was told i am blogging wrong

hello there (again), dear interwebz.
i am sorry that i have left you for so long to rot in cyberspace. it may have crossed my mind to abandon ship and never speak of you again -- but like so many of my other intimate relationships, i have come crawling back, perhaps while drunk but most definitely seeking validation.

i won a contest you see, and the prize was online branding consulting. yes, this is the world we live in: gone are the days when trivia night prizes consist of something cool like fake poo to leave on your coworkers chair or a subway gift certificate; instead, i won an hour to pick the brain of one of them skinny white guys who wears glasses and begin each conversation with 'i work at a start up.'

except, i didn't wield any online branding tools with which i could pick his brain, only a giant ax i use from time-to-time to cut activities i deem extraneous when feeling lazy -- like this blog (but only for a bit ... i am sorry).

so when he kicked off my hour-long prize with 'i work at a start up. ask me anything.' i said 'if you were a dinosaur, who would you eat first?' and after he refused to come up with an answer worth remembering, i said 'i have a blog. the last entry was 6 months ago, and the subject was how i failed at life,' defeated and lamenting the long-gone possibility of freaking out my coworker with fake poo.

that's when he told me i was blogging wrong. in order to build up a strong online presence, i need to post consistently -- at least twice a week, he said. and since i hate to be wrong in anything -- absolutely anything -- and that that was the only advice i remember from the shitty hour-long prize, i will attempt to blog right and post consistently.

though because i am rebellious, but really just lazy, i will post once a week on thursdays. today is tuesday but i am breaking schedule to tell you that i will post every thursday. the quality of the posts are tba.

see you thursday.

-melissa

Another Ignorant Article about "Asian Privilege"

So I decided to make my debut back as a blogger merely 1 hour ago because I was dealing with incompetent people and decided to take a break before I punched a bitch in the throat, but that’s not the point. I wanted to touch base on an article I read earlier this morning titled “Tackling Asian Privilege,” an author’s sad attempt at satire, which in turn received even sadder responses from racist pricks.

Quite frankly, I’m tired of reading shit like this. I become an angry bear, no one wants to associate with me for the rest of the day, then I cry in a dark corner with some emo music playing. I’m tired of white people (not all, mind you, but articles like this have been penned by a majority of white individuals) writing shitty articles like this, thinking they know everything there is to know about a community of color and making assumptions about us and our experiences. Not to mention, this article is ripe with insinuations that Asian people are better than other people of color out there, and stupid ass, gullible and close-minded people will believe that. This just continues to perpetuate the notion that we are the “model minority” when really it is the complete opposite. Let’s go over a couple of points: 

1. “These arrogant Orientals flaunt the racist moniker “model minority.” As a people, these Asians need to recognize they got to where they are not by the virtue of hard work but by stepping on the backs of others.”

First off, the word “oriental” is used to describe a motherfucking object, say a rug. Last time I remember, we weren’t objects but people. And if you’re still using “oriental” to refer to Asian people, then you need to get your ass whooped. You think we got where we are by stepping on the backs of others? If you disaggregate the various groups with the Asian American community, you would know that Vietnamese, Laos, Hmong, and Cambodians (Southeast Asians) are overwhelmingly among those who live in poverty along with blacks, Latinos, etc. They also have the highest drop-out rates of any ethnic group in the education system; when it comes to mental health, high suicide rates are also prevalent in these communities. But no one gives a shit about them or even cares to question it. This type of ignorance is shameful and reveals the system of oppression we struggle with.

1.     “Asian American success has been awarded to them arbitrarily and it’s up to us to take back the power and eradicate this unearned system of advantage. We need to transform society to the point where privilege is not slanted in anyone’s favor.”

You wanna talk privilege eh? Let’s talk about white privilege then. It doesn’t take much to see that privilege is ascertained to white individuals, or people who look white. Being white is the norm here . White privilege is about having benefits or advantages that people of color less likely will experience; whites do not have to worry about triggering negative stereotypes, racial profiling, presumptions of intelligence or competency, etc. Whites are more likely to accumulate wealth than other people of color. White people dominate senior level positions within corporations while Asian Americans run into a “bamboo” ceiling. Higher education institutions cater to a predominantly white population. Issues pertaining to the AAPI community are invisible. Hell, even hate crimes are committed against Asian Americans/Asians and the ramifications are minor at best. A white person can do whatever he/she wants and no one even thinks twice. Shit, if that isn’t privilege, then what the hell is?

So yes, I’m sick and tired of hearing this shit over and over.  I may have kirked off too much in this blog entry, but I get really emotional about these types of issues. Or maybe I’m just acting out against my own stereotype of being the quiet, innocent Asian girl everyone perceives me to be. Fuck that. We have a voice and it needs to be heard.

-Diane