The views and opinions expressed on this site and blog posts (excluding comments on blog posts left by others) are entirely my own and do not represent those of any employer or organization with whom I am currently or previously have been associated.
Academic Version: Applying my personal experiences and academic research as a professor of Sociology and Asian American Studies to provide a more complete understanding of political, economic, and cultural issues and current events related to American race relations, and Asia/Asian America in particular.
Plain English: Trying to put my Ph.D. to good use.
As another contributing author to the Asian-Nation team, I would like to introduce Eric Hamako.
Eric Hamako has been involved in Mixed-Race student- and community-organizing since 2000. Currently completing his doctorate in Social Justice Education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Eric studies how community education can support Mixed-Race people’s political movements and ways to incorporate stronger anti-racist frameworks into those educational efforts. Eric has taught undergraduate and graduate courses at Stanford University, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Ithaca College, and the Smith College School for Social Work. As an independent trainer & consultant, Eric has presented on Multiraciality and other social justice issues to universities, professional associations, and community organizations across the United States.
Welcome aboard, Eric. I am very happy you’re a part of the expanding Asian-Nation team and I and my readers look forward to reading your posts!
“Undocumented Immigrants” is on Time’s shortlist for Person of the Year 2012. Many of the editors’ picks in the past few years have been abstract, collective entities–last year was the year of the Protester, and 2006 was the year of You. Why should undocumented immigrants be the Person of the Year 2012? Time writes:
An invisible population stepped forward on June 15, 2012, to stake its claim to the American Dream. On that day, President Obama declared that certain undocumented immigrants — a group simply labeled “illegal” by many — would not be subjected to deportation, under broad-ranging conditions. Suddenly the logjam of immigration reform shifted, as more than 1 million undocumented young people who had been in the country for the past five years found themselves with new opportunities. What is more, the sympathies of other groups of people who have undocumented relatives — and thus are mindful of their plight — may have clearly shifted to a President on a campaign for re-election, as evidenced by the preponderance of Hispanic and Asian-American voters casting their ballots for Obama.
I’m glad that Time made a shout-out to Asian Americans in this blurb, and featured undocumented Filipino American journalist and activist Jose Antonio Vargas so prominently in their June 25 issue. While the mainstream media often portray unauthorized immigration as a Latino or Mexican issue, not all undocumented migrants are from Mexico or Latin America. According to Department of Homeland Security estimates for January 2011, 10% of undocumented immigrants in the US were born in five major Asian sending countries: China, the Philippines, India, Korea, and Vietnam. That adds up to just shy of 1.2 million people.
That shocking figure does not include people coming from other Asian countries, and some people of Asian descent born in Latin America. Many Latin American countries have long-settled populations of Asian people. There are also many contemporary migrants who use Latin America as a stepping-stone to the US. The high-profile case of San Francisco student Steve Li brought this issue into the limelight. Li’s family was scheduled to be deported, but to different places; US immigration authorities were prepared to send him to his birthplace of Peru while the rest of his family were deported to China.
A couple of weeks ago, I made my first ever visit to China and I wanted to share some sociological observations with you about what I saw and experienced while I was there. My trip was under the auspices of my university’s International Programs Office (IPO) that’s in charge of all the study abroad programs on campus. From time to time, the IPO visits various study abroad sites around the world to make sure that they are high-quality programs for our students. Normally, the different staff at the IPO conducts these visits, but this time around, they asked me if I wanted to go to Beijing to check out the Council on International Educational Exchange’s (CIEE) programs in Beijing. It was an offer I could not pass up, so I jumped at the opportunity.
Specifically, the CIEE programs that I visited were based at Minzu University and Peking University. As the CIEE staff described to me, Minzu University was established in 1951 to basically assimilate members of China’s 56 ethnic minority groups (such as Tibetans, Uyghurs, Zhuang, Manchus, Hui, Miao, Yi, Mongols, etc.) into the majority Han culture. However, through the years, its focus and curriculum have evolved to become more tolerant and now promotes the retention of many aspects of culture and tradition among such ethnic minorities. Peking University is frequently called the “Harvard of China” and is considered to be the crown jewel of China’s university system. In its 2011-2012 ranking of universities around the world, the Times Higher Education listed Peking University as number 49 overall and as the top university in China.
Although I do not have anything to which I can compare these study abroad programs since this was my first such site visit, overall I found the CIEE programs at both universities to be comprehensive and impressive. There was a wide variety of academic and field opportunities for U.S. students at both schools to learn about Chinese language and culture inside and outside of the classroom. I found the staff there to be very friendly, professional, well-skilled, and enthusiastic about their programs. I also talked to a number of U.S. students currently studying abroad in these two CIEE programs and they all raved about the positive experiences they’ve had there. From what I saw during my site visit, I would certainly recommend these programs to my students.
While I was in China and in my conversations with the CIEE staff and with both Chinese and U.S. students, a recurring theme was that China seems to be at a crossroads in its history and that there are two important issues within which China is struggling to find its balance in terms of where it wants to position itself politically, economically, and culturally within the global community. Each of these issues that I’ll discuss in more detail below represent a paradox or set of interesting contradictions that are playing themselves out within modern Chinese society.
I am certainly not the first observer, analyst, or scholar to discuss these issues, nor can I claim to have comprehensive expertise on such issues. Nonetheless, I would like to share my observations as a sociologist who wants to apply my academic interest in how Asians (and China specifically) fit into the contemporary global community in the 21st century and how Asian Americans fit into these international dynamics as well.
The first paradoxical issue concerns the growing sense of nationalism in China. This nationalism was most recently manifested in angry and sometimes violent protests against Japan over some small islands that lie between China (Diaoyu in Chinese) and Japan (Senkaku in Japanese) and are claimed by both countries. More generally, nationalism directed against foreigners has been evident in China for a while and from time to time, flares up and can turn ugly.
In my conversations with different people in China, they mentioned that a famous Chinese philosopher named Lu Xun observed about a hundred years ago that China frequently see themselves as either superior or inferior in relation to foreign powers, but never equal to them — it’s either a feeling of superiority or inferiority. With this in mind, nationalist feelings of superiority or inferiority need points of comparison. In modern times, China has two main international points of comparison — in Asia, it’s Japan and in the western world, it’s the U.S.
My contacts also observed that in most cases, the average Chinese citizen will rarely express such nationalist feelings directly to a foreigner, there was one instance in which this nationalism was directly visible to me and other site visitors in this trip. Specifically, a group of us (all from the U.S. involved in the CIEE site visit) was walking through Peking University when a Chinese male in his mid-40s came up to us and started speaking Chinese to us. Unfortunately none of us spoke Chinese, but even after we said that to him in English, he still kept speaking. We then pulled a Chinese American study abroad student (let’s call him ‘Keith’) who was accompanying us while we were at Peking University into the conversation. The Chinese man then turned his attention to Keith and as Keith relayed to us later, went into a tirade against the presence of foreigners in China. Although this man was not shouting, he was obviously very assertive in expressing himself. Considering the recent protests against Japan, this was probably a relatively mild form of nationalism that we experienced.
The contradiction here is that China very much wants to attain a position of respect and status within the international community and wants to continue attracting international investment and promoting global trade. In other words, it needs to engage with the international community. But on the other hand, a large part of the national discourse within China emphasizes China’s superiority over foreign powers and in fact, advocates limiting or even eliminating the presence of foreigners inside China.
An interesting component to this emerging nationalism in China is that much of it was initiated and encouraged by the Chinese government, at least in the beginning. As other analysts have pointed out, when it comes to particular issues such as the disputes with Japan, Chinese government officials have tried to maintain a sense of diplomacy in public while behind the scenes, frequently allowed or even facilitated nationalist rhetoric and citizen protests to serve their political interests. The problem however, is that the Chinese government may be losing control over this nationalist monster that they’ve created. As one of my contacts noted, when you keep feeding the citizens ‘wolves’ milk,’ eventually they’ll grow up to be wolves.
I have written about this kind of “cultural schizophrenia” in China before. On the institutional and national level, this sense of fluctuating between two extremes while trying to find your identity is actually similar to what many Asian Americans face on the individual level as they try to balance the ‘Asian’ and ‘American’ sides of their identity. In China’s case, as it tries to solidify its position in the international community, it’s likely that such internal struggles will continue to take place and it remains to be seen how the emerging contradictions between the government’s ‘Dr. Jekyll’ and the nationalists’ ‘Mr. Hyde’ will play themselves out.
Where Do Chinese Americans Fit Into China?
The second sociological dynamic that I observed while in China relates to where Chinese Americans fit into modern Chinese society. Like a number of other Asian American scholars, I have a growing interest in looking at how Asian Americans fit into Asian societies and how they use both their Asian and American identities to potentially bridge the political and cultural gaps between the U.S. and Asian countries. As such, I was very interested in hearing from Chinese American students and their experiences studying abroad in China.
In addition to ‘Keith’ (mentioned above), I also spoke at length to another Chinese American student; let’s call her ‘Kathy.’ They both described similar experiences of feeling caught in a “cultural limbo” while in China. That is, on the one hand, their physical appearance is Asian and more specifically, Chinese. But on the other hand, their nationality is American. This frequently means that upon first contact, most Chinese nationals assume that they are Chinese. But once they start talking, they are quickly seen as American, even though they speak Chinese pretty well.
Both Keith and Kathy noted to me that once this happens, more often than not, Chinese nationals lose interest in speaking to them. I asked them why and they said that Chinese tend to be more interested in talking to ‘regular’ Americans — i.e., White Americans. In other words, even within China, while they are treated generally as Americans (rather than as Chinese), Chinese Americans are generally not seen as representing the ‘normal’ image or perception of what Chinese think of as ‘American’ — i.e. they are not White.
Nonetheless, Kathy and Keith told me that once they got used to this cultural dynamic, they were eventually able to create and embrace their own “Chinese American” identity that is neither completely Chinese nor completely American, but a fluid combination of both. Upon doing this, they said that they felt more comfortable using this identity to begin bridging the cultural gaps between China and the U.S. in small ways during their stay in China.
This process of creating an ‘Asian American’ identity that combines and bridges two sets of cultures is what Americans of Asian ancestry have been doing for centuries. It is with this understanding in mind that I think Asian Americans are positioned to take make tangible contributions toward applying their globalized and transnational characteristics and experiences to bridging the political and cultural gaps between the U.S. and Asian countries. In fact, scholars are beginning to examine and describe examples of Asian Americans in different social settings acting as ‘cultural ambassadors‘ in Asian societies.
Therefore, if countries such as China continue to pursue a position of respect within the wider international community while still retaining elements of their national identity, they can learn from Chinese Americans who have have years of experience and expertise in doing exactly that — integrating themselves into mainstream U.S. society while keeping elements their Chinese culture intact. This is not to say that it has been a seamless or smooth process and in fact, Chinese- and Asian Americans have been and continue to face suspicions and challenges regarding their ‘real’ identity.
Nonetheless, institutional changes taking place, such as the ongoing effects of globalization, greater transnationalism, and increased multiculturalism, have transformed the racial, ethnic, and cultural landscape of both U.S. society and the world in general. Within this new social environment, there are new opportunities for minority groups such as Asian Americans to assert an identity that legitimately incorporates elements of, and for the benefit of, different societies and cultures.
There is an old Chinese saying that goes, “May you live in interesting times.” From a sociological point of view, this is indeed a very interesting time for China and there are a number of interesting ways that Chinese Americans (and Asian Americans as a whole) can participate in forging a more inclusive path forward into the 21st century.
Here are some more announcements, links, and job postings about academic-related jobs, fellowships, and other opportunities for those interested in racial/ethnic/diversity issues, with a particular focus on Asian Americans. As always, the announcements and links are provided for informational purposes and do not necessarily imply an endorsement of the organization or college involved.
Position: Asian American Studies, Ithaca College
Center for the Study of Culture, Race, & Ethnicity/Sociology, Ithaca College invites applications for a tenure-eligible Assistant Professor position to teach courses in a new minor in Asian-American Studies housed in the Center for the Study of Culture, Race, and Ethnicity (CSCRE) beginning August 16, 2013. This is a joint appointment with the Department of Sociology, with the tenure unit being the CSCRE.
The person in this line will teach lower (intro) and upper level courses in both units, help develop and coordinate the Asian-American Studies minor, conduct and publish research, and participate in service to the department, campus, community, and profession. We seek a colleague who has a critical approach to the study of race and is committed to diversity and social justice.
Qualifications: Ph.D. is preferred at the time of appointment; however, ABD candidates who have made significant progress towards completion of their degree are also encouraged to apply. The Ph.D. may be in Asian-American Studies or Ethnic/ Inter-disciplinary studies with a specialization in Sociology. Alternatively, it can be in Sociology with a specialization in Asian-American Studies. Preference will be given to candidates whose work addresses racial injustice and equity from a critical perspective as these relate to Asian Americans. Candidates must have an active research and scholarly agenda and evidence of successful teaching at the undergraduate level.
Interested individuals should apply online at apply.icjobs.org and attach the requested documents. Review of applications will begin immediately. To ensure full consideration, complete applications should be received by November 16, 2012.
Internship: Asian American Studies, National Museum of American History
Spring Intern Opportunity
National Museum of American History
We are recruiting for the Goldman Sachs Interns & Fellows Office (IFO) Multicultural Junior Fellows program. This internship has a stipend of $6,000 for the selected student (10 weeks full-time or 20 weeks part-time). Please send to your best students! The internship will start in January 2013 (some flexibility on the specific start date).
Research & Collection/Asian-Pacific American
The Sweet & Sour: A Look at the History of Chinese Food in the United States showcase opened at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History on March 17, 2011. The showcase will be developed into a traveling exhibition through the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) in 2014. The showcase represents a milestone within an ongoing initiative by the National Museum of American History to focus on its Chinese American history and culture collections. The project called for collecting a variety of Chinese restaurant-related objects ranging from menus to restaurant signs to cooking implements, which would provide a glimpse into the long history of Chinese immigration, exclusion, exoticism, and perseverance.
The “O Say Can You See?†blog was developed in May 2010 to accompany the showcase and features blog posts on a variety of topics, including the origin of the fortune cookie and traditional Chinese New Year cuisine. For the proposed internship project, the candidate will aide with research, blogging, and collecting oral histories of local D.C. Chinese restaurants for the Sweet & Sour traveling exhibition. The candidate will assist with building a database on Asian Pacific American artifacts at the National Museum of American History (NMAH). In addition, he/she will be involved with the collection and caring of objects.
Omar A. Eaton-MartÃnez, M.Ed.
Intern & Fellows Program Manager
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History
14th St. & Constitution Ave., NW
MRC 605 P.O. Box 37012
Washington DC 20013-7012
Call for Papers for MELUS 2013 conference on Mar. 14-17, 2013 in Pittsburgh, PA
MELUS Stands for Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnic Literature of the U.S. Since early 1970s, MELUS has been a nationally prominent academic and professional organization, field of studies and academic journal in the research and teaching of American multiethnic literature, which includes ethnically specific European American literature (such as Italian American and Irish American lit), Jewish American, African American, Asian American, Latino/a American, American Indian, Arab American, and other ethnic literature. The 2013 MELUS conference theme is “The Changing Landscape of American Multiethnic Literature through Historical Crises.” The deadline for all abstracts for individual papers, full panels, workshops, and roundtables is extended to Nov. 30, 2012.
We only accept abstracts from faculty and graduate students. We are sorry that we will not accept submissions from undergraduate students.
When we look back, what kinds of historical, global, national, institutional, political, cultural, racial, socio-economic, and sexual crises has American multiethnic literature engaged in, critiqued, reflected, challenged, reacted to artistically, and moved beyond? How have the various landscapes of American multiethnic literature changed? How has the American multiethnic literature challenged and enriched the American national literature and culture as well as contributed to the Anglophone global literature? How has the multiethnic genre changed and evolved? How have the multiple critical categories of language, race, ethnicity, gender, class, sexuality, culture, power, history, nation and geography complicated and enriched our scholarship and pedagogy in American multiethnic literature?
As we look forward, what are the new directions in American multiethnic literature in the 21st century? How do globalization, transnationalism, postcoloniality, and diaspora impact the studies and teaching of American multiethnic literature? What are the new studies in American multiethnic women’s literature? What are some of the cross-ethnic comparative literary analyses that can be exciting?
We invite abstracts for individual papers, complete panels, workshops, and roundtables on all aspects of the American multiethnic literatures either in the national, regional, local or global contexts. We are particularly interested in proposals that explore the changing landscapes of American multiethnic literature either in the past centuries and decades through multiple global, national, institutional, or cultural crises, or the various new directions in American ethnic literature in the 21st century. Any proposal for a complete panel, roundtable, or workshop should include a short description of the central topic, supplemented by brief individual abstracts. Please also indicate clearly if you need audiovisual equipment.
Extended Deadline for abstracts and proposals (250 words in Microsoft Word): Nov. 30, 2012. Please email abstracts to both Prof. Lingyan Yang (lingyan@iup.edu), MELUS Program Chair & Vice President, at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Prof. Kim Long (kim.long@delval.edu), MELUS Treasurer, at Delaware Valley College. They are MELUS 2013 Conference Committee co-chairs.
The pre-registration form will be available in Dec. 2012 and MELUS membership information is available now on the MELUS website. All presenters, chairs, and moderators must be members of MELUS. MELUS membership dues and pre-registration fees must be paid before one can present in the MELUS 2013 conference.
The following are the outstanding and exciting keynote speakers in MELUS 2013 conference in Pittsburgh:
Prof. Houston A. Baker, one of the world’s most prominent African American literary critics and theorists, Distinguished University Professor and Professor of English, Vanderbilt University
Our own Prof. David Palumbo-Liu, one of the most renowned Asian American cultural critics in the academy, Director and Professor of Comparative Literature Dept. and Director of Asian American Studies Program, Stanford University
Prof. Mary Jo Bona, one of the academy’s highly respected feminist scholars on Italian American women’s literature, Professor of Italian American literature and Women’s and Gender Studies, Stony Brook University
MELUS 2013 Conference Hotel:
Omni William Penn Hotel
530 William Penn Place
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Tel: 412-280-7100; Fax: 412-553-5252
http://www. omnihotels.com
$129/night (excluding tax)
Thank you very much for your time and attention. If you have questions, please let me know. We hope to see some of the colleagues from AAAS in MELUS 2013.
Sincerely,
Lingyan Yang, Ph.D.
MELUS 2013 Conference Committee co-chair
MELUS Program Chair and Vice President
Director, Women’s Studies Program
Associate Professor of English
Graduate English Program in Literature & Criticism
English Dept. 110 Leo Hall
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana, PA 15705
724-357-2604 (Office)
lingyan@iup.edu
University of South Florida Postdoctoral Scholars
Social Sciences and Humanities, 2013-14
Global Change in a Dynamic World
The University of South Florida has embarked on an ambitious program to enhance its rising stature as a preeminent research university with state, national and global impact, and position itself for membership in the Association of American Universities through: (1) Expanding world-class interdisciplinary research, creative and scholarly endeavors; (2) promoting globally competitive programs in teaching and research; (3) expanding local and global engagement initiatives to strengthen sustainable and healthy communities; and (4) enhancing revenue through external support. Details are available in the USF Strategic Plan.
As part of this initiative, the University of South Florida is pleased to announce the fifth year of its Postdoctoral Scholars program in the Social Sciences and Humanities. The over-arching theme for this years scholars is Global Change in a Dynamic World. Potential themes include (but are not limited to) sustainability; sustainable development; hazard and disaster management; climate change; population changes; technology and information issues; communication and language development; cultural diasporas; ethnicity, gender, and aging issues; cultural heritage and histories; citizenship; identity; health, economic, education, and environmental disparities; political economy; ethics; human rights; animal rights; peace and conflict studies; injury and violence; security and surveillance issues. Specific research and geographical areas are open, and applicants may consider both past and contemporary perspectives.
Postdoctoral Scholars will: (i) contribute to one or more of the priority goals of the strategic plan; (ii) work closely with distinguished faculty; (iii) participate in an interdisciplinary project with the cohort of postdoctoral scholars; (iv) teach two courses over a twelve-month period; and (v) continue to build an independent research record and engage in publishing refereed articles and creative scholarship.
Postdoctoral Scholars
At least six twelve-month postdoctoral scholarships will be awarded in Spring 2013 with appointments beginning August 5th, 2013. Appointments are for full time employment (40 hours per week) and will be continued for a maximum of 2 years contingent upon satisfactory performance. The salary is $40,000 per year and the University contributes to a health insurance program for postdoctoral scholars and their dependents (up to $6,000). Support for travel to academic conferences will also be available. Scholars will be responsible for relocation and housing expenses.
Eligibility
Applicants must have a doctoral degree in one of the following disciplines: Anthropology; Communication; English; Geography, Environment and Planning; Government and International Affairs; History; Philosophy; Sociology, or an affiliated program, earned no earlier than 2010. Candidates who will have successfully defended their dissertations by May 1, 2013 will also be considered, however the doctoral degree must have been conferred prior to the first day of employment. Note: applicants must have received their doctoral degree from an institution other than the University of South Florida.
Application
Letters of application and supporting material must include the following:
A cover letter stating your interest in this Postdoctoral Initiative. It must provide details on (i) how your research and teaching expertise would contribute to the theme of Global Change in a Dynamic World and the goals and aspirations of the USF Strategic Plan (http://www.ods.usf.edu/plans/strategic/); (ii) the department with which you would like to be affiliated; (iii) your teaching experience and courses that you would like to offer; and (iv) your long-term goals
A Curriculum Vitae
Two letters of reference
Scanned copies of your published papers/scholarly works or book chapters (maximum of 3)
Scanned copies of current academic transcripts from all degree awarding institutions (Official transcripts will need to be supplied by those individuals who receive formal offers)
Copies of teaching evaluations
Send all application materials to: postdoc@usf.edu. Final application submission deadline is Friday December 7, 2012.
The University of South Florida is one of only three Florida public universities classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in the top tier of research universities (RU/VH), a distinction attained by only 2.3% of all U.S. universities. USF is ranked 50th in the nation in total research expenditures and 27th in federal research expenditures for public universities by the National Science Foundation. The university is authorized to provide 237 degrees at the undergraduate, graduate, specialist and doctoral levels, including the doctor of medicine. USF ranks 10th among all universities granted U.S. patents in 2011 according to the Intellectual Property Owners Association, an increase of more than 3 percent from 2010. The University has a $1.5 billion annual budget, an annual economic impact of $3.2 billion, and serves more than 47,000 students on campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Sarasota-Manatee.
Selection Criteria
Strength of research/creative scholarship record and demonstrated promise of a successful academic career
Research and teaching experience in Global Change in a Dynamic World aligned with the goals of the USF Strategic Plan especially interdisciplinary inquiry, global initiatives, and community engagement
Teaching experience and contributions that fit within USF programs
Position: Asian American Studies, Univ. of Illinois, Urbana
The Department of Asian American Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign invites applications for a tenured/tenure-track faculty position (Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor ) in the field of transnationalism, diaspora, or migration/immigration. We seek a theoretically sophisticated and empirically-driven scholar in traditional social science disciplines or interdisciplinary programs utilizing mixed methodologies.
Research specialization is open, but preference will be given to scholars with interests in spatiality, including but not limited to militarization, incarceration, and settler colonialism; economic and social networks; urbanization and community development; and technology studies. Junior applicants must have a Ph.D. in hand or show clear evidence of completion by start of appointment. Senior applicants must hold a Ph.D. and should have an outstanding record of research and scholarship. The anticipated starting date is August 16, 2013; the starting salary is competitive.
Applications can be submitted by going to http://jobs.illinois.edu and uploading a cover letter, CV, and contact information for three potential references. Senior candidates will be contacted before any references are requested. To ensure full consideration, all required application materials must be submitted by December 10, 2012. Applicants may be interviewed before the closing date; however, no hiring decision will be made before December 10.
For further information regarding application procedures or to submit nominations, please contact Sherry Clayborn at sclaybor@illinois.edu or call 217-333-3736.
Position: Native American Studies, Occidental College
Sociologist of Native American Studies
The Sociology department at Occidental College and the Autry National Center invite applications for a joint tenure or tenure-track position starting in fall of 2013. Rank, discipline, and research and teaching specializations are open, however, scholars with expertise in the societies and cultures of the Southwest or California Indians are especially encouraged to apply. The successful candidate would teach three courses per year at Occidental College and would work at the Autry National Center in program development, exhibition planning, and community outreach.
Applicants should submit a letter of interest that demonstrates a commitment to academic excellence in a diverse liberal arts environment and to the work of a public intellectual. The letter should include a statement of teaching philosophy, areas of teaching interest, and plans for research. Applications should also include: a curriculum vitae; samples of scholarly work; a statement of interest and qualifications for the position at the Autry; evaluations of undergraduate teaching; and three letters of recommendation.
Applications should be sent to Ms. Patricia Micciche, Native American Studies Search Coordinator (History Department M-13), Occidental College, 1600 Campus Road, Los Angeles, CA 90041. All materials are due by December 15, 2012.
Occidental College is an equal opportunity employer. The College is committed to academic excellence in a diverse community and supporting interdisciplinary and multicultural academic programs that provide a gifted and diverse group of students with an educational experience that prepares them for leadership in a pluralistic world. Women and minorities are strongly encouraged to apply.
Contact: Lisa Wade
Email: lwade@oxy.edu
Phone: 323-259-2900
Address: 1600 Campus Road, Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA 90041-3314
Seattle University’s Sociology Department invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant or Associate Professor to begin September 2013. The successful candidate will teach, have a strong and developing program of research/scholarship and experience teaching in the areas of race and ethnicity, community action research, and cultural studies and contribute to departmental and university service.
Minimum requirements: Ph.D. in sociology, and commitment to critical pedagogy and scholarship in a social justice context. The qualified candidate will also be able to teach in one or more of the following interdisciplinary programs: Global African Studies; Latin American Studies; Middle Eastern Studies; and/or Women and Gender Studies.
Seattle University, founded in 1891, is a Jesuit Catholic university located on 48 acres on Seattle’s Capitol Hill. More than 7,700 students are enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs within eight schools. U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Colleges 2012†ranks Seattle University among the top 10 universities in the West that offer a full range of masters and undergraduate programs. Seattle University is an equal opportunity employer.
Applicants should submit applications online at https://jobs.seattleu.edu, including CV, contact information for two references, teaching materials (teaching portfolio including syllabi, and evaluations), and a writing sample (published or unpublished). Position is opened until filled. Applications received by December 20, 2012 will receive priority consideration. For more information visit www.seattleu.edu/artsci/sociology/candidates.htm.
Call for Proposals (2): Race, Ethnicity & Culture and Racism in Institutions
Call For Proposals:
(1) Intersections of Race, Ethnicity, and Culture in America
Series Content:
The intersections of racial and ethnic culture within the dominant American white culture re-veal challenges and tensions. This open-ended series of one-volume works (each 105,000 – 135,000 words long) will examine changing and often controversial issues in racial and ethnic culture in the U.S. Projects will explore the intersections of race and ethnicity with gender, sexuality, religion, class, nation, and citizenship. These titles uncover and explore racial ten-sions, stereotypes, and cultural appropriation, as well as celebrate cultural forms, influential people, and critical events that shape today’s American culture.
This fascinating new series complements our reference series—Cultures of the American Mo-saic—by exploring often controversial issues in America’s ethnic cultures. Addressing hot top-ics of yesterday and today, the series will appeal to both general and academic libraries and a wide range of readers interested in American and ethnic cultures.
Examples of potential topics/titles:
Appropriation of American Indians in popular culture – film, television, fashion, sports
The Model Minority Myth: Beyond the stereotypes of Asians in America
From Navajo Prints to Wiggers: Appropriating ethnic culture in the name of fashion
Hip Hop Goes Mainstream and the Impact on African American Culture
African American Women and Islam: Tensions between Liberation and Oppression
Series Editor: Gary Okihiro, Columbia University
Contact: Kim Kennedy White, Ph.D.
Senior Acquisitions Editor, American Mosaic
ABC-Clio/Greenwood/Praeger
kkennedy-white@abc-clio.com
303-385-1609
http://www.abc-clio.com
(2) Racism in American Institutions
Series content:
Despite the fact that America has elected its first Black President, racism has historically been a problem in our society and continues to be a problem today. We may have done away with such overt racist policies as the Jim Crow laws and school segregation, but covert racism still affects many of America’s established institutions from our public schools to our corporate of-fices. For instance, schools may not be legally segregated, but take a look at some of the schools in wealthier suburban areas where there are few minority students. What racist policies both in the housing market and in the school systems might be contributing to the fact that many schools have so few students of color? Or look into our prisons. What racist policies within our legal and prison systems might account for the fact that so many people of color are behind bars and are being kept there?
This open-ended series of one-volume works (each 70,000 – 90,000 words long) will examine the problem of racism in established American institutions. Each volume will trace the prevalence of racism within that institution throughout the history of our country and will then explore the problem in that institution today, looking at ways in which the institution has changed to fight against racism as well as at ways in which it has not. Special attention will be paid to the ways in which racism within each institution has harmed not only individuals but also the institution itself, and solutions, with examples of successful programs, if available and applicable, to the problem of racism within each institution will be provided.
Examples of potential topics/titles:
Racism in Politics, Racism in Corporate America, Racism in Academia, Racism in the Public Schools, Racism in the Medical Profession, Racism in the Prison System, Racism in the Legal System, Racism in Religious Institutions, Racism in Journalism, Racism in the Entertainment Industry, Racism in the Housing Market, Racism in Mental Health and Social Work Fields
Series Editor:
Brian Behnken, Assistant Professor in History and Latino/a studies at Iowa State University
Contact: Kim Kennedy White, Ph.D.
Senior Acquisitions Editor, American Mosaic
ABC-Clio/Greenwood/Praeger
kkennedy-white@abc-clio.com
303-385-1609
http://www.abc-clio.com
People For the American Way Foundation conducts research, legal, and education work on behalf of First Amendment freedoms and democratic values; monitors, exposes, and challenges the Religious Right movement and its political allies; identifies, trains, and supports the next generation of progressive leaders through its Young People For youth leadership programs and its Young Elected Officials Network; and carries out nonpartisan voter education, registration, civic participation, and election protection activities.
Young People For (YP4) is a progressive leadership development program focused on identifying, engaging, and empowering the next generation of progressive leaders. YP4 is dedicated to identifying young campus and community leaders, engaging them, and supporting them with the skills and resources they need to create change. Together, People For and YP4 are building a long-term network of emerging leaders committed to protecting our nation’s fundamental rights and freedoms.
YP4 has three overarching priorities: 1) to diversity leadership in the progressive movement; 2) to support young leaders to effect change in their communities now; and 3) to ensure that young leaders are sustained in their leadership over the long term. The core of YP4 is our one-year Fellowship for progressive college students, which supports and empowers them to create change now on their campuses and in their communities. The 2012-2013 Fellowship class is comprised of 151 Fellows from over 80 campuses in 32 states and is the next generation of YP4’s growing network of over 1,000 alumni across the nation. The position is located in Washington, DC and reports to the Fellowship Program Manager of Young People For.
Responsibilities:
Assist the Fellowship Program Manager with Fellowship program planning, program development and piloting new strategies to engage Fellows
In consultation with the Fellowship Program Manager, develop and manage the vision, strategy, and process for Fellowship program recruitment and selection
Oversee planning, logistics and evaluation for all four Regional Trainings, the training of trainers, and the YP4 National Summit
In consultation with the Fellowship Program Manager, work with the Advanced Leadership and Alumni department on the evaluation and implementation of curriculum for the YP4 program
Work closely with YP4 staff, alumni, and other People For staff to manage day-to-day communication with Fellows
Work with Fellows to plan, manage and execute sustainable, community-driven projects, which may include some travel to campuses to provide in-person support
Work to build strong relationships with professors, administrators and campus activists at state universities, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI’s), Tribal Colleges, liberal arts universities and community colleges
Work with the Fellowship Program Manager to build strong relationships with national, state, and local progressive organizations
Represent the Young People For program at national conferences and events
Other activities and responsibilities as assigned
Qualifications:
1 – 3 years related work experience
Bachelor’s degree, preferably in social sciences, political science or government, or equivalent experience
Excellent interpersonal and communications skills
Demonstrated ability to motivate and manage a variety of people
Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment; must be well-organized and able to effectively manage competing priorities and meet frequent deadlines
Ability to work well both independently and with supervision
Willingness to learn, show initiative and creativity
Familiarity with MS Office applications; experience with online communities and interest in web-based tools
Ability and willingness to travel as needed
Familiarity with the progressive community, and a commitment to the issues of Young People For (campus diversity, civic engagement, civil rights, economic justice, education, environmental conservation and justice, healthcare, immigration, international human rights, worker’s right, Native American issues, traditions, and empowerment, and progressive coalition and alliance building) and People For the American Way Foundation
To apply: Send resume and statement of interest to Human Resources, People For the American Way Foundation, 1101 15th Street NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005. Email hr@pfaw.org
I am relieved to report that after a hard-fought and expensive campaign, President Barack Obama has been reelected as President of the United States, having defeated Republican nominee Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts. Many of the major media outlets and blogs will describe in detail the different factors that led to President Obama’s victory and what his victory means for him in terms of moving forward with his agenda in his second term.
For now, I just wanted to share a few interesting exit poll data and quick observations about this 2012 Presidential election as it relates to Asian American voters and compare it to the President’s 2008 victory. The exit poll statistics below come from both the New York Times and CNN.
How Asian Americans Voted
In the 2008 election, 61% of Asian Americans voted for President Obama. In this 2012 election, that percentage increased to 73% as reported by both the New York Times and CNN. In fact, this number is higher than the percentage of Hispanics/Latinos who voted for President Obama (71%).
Although I have not heard of any high-profile Democratic campaign to appeal to Asian Americans, I think this is a pretty remarkable performance by the President. Increasing his support among Asian Americans seems to suggest that even without a direct and sustained appeal that was specific to Asian Americans, the vast majority of Asian Americans still resonated with President Obama’s platform and message.
I also think that increasing his support from Asian Americans should also dispel the belief that Asian Americans are only concerned with economic success and financial issues. In other words, if the majority of Asian Americans thought that fixing the economy was the single most important issue in the election, more than likely they would have voted for Romney, since most surveys found that more than half of Americans thought that Romney would be better at fixing the economy.
Instead, it seems that most Asian Americans, while still concerned about the economy, also considered other policy and social issues to be important as well, which may include immigration reform, wealth inequality and economic justice, civil and LGBT rights, etc. Perhaps this is due to the demographic trends within the Asian American population and how Asian Americans are gradually become younger and more U.S.-born than in years past.
In the end, President Obama getting 73% of the Asian American vote should also demonstrate rather convincingly that most Asian Americans are solidly liberal. While the ideological pendulum will always swing back and forth and the percentage of Asian Americans who vote Democratic will fluctuate, data from the past several elections confirm that Asian Americans are a pretty solid Democratic constituency.
Along with the Hispanic/Latino community, this should be a wake up call for the Republican Party going forward — if they want to have a fighting chance to consistently capture the White House and Congress in upcoming elections, they need to reverse their swing to the far right and move more toward the center if they want to avoid alienating the growing Hispanic/Latino and Asian American communities.
Along with many other Asian Americans, I will savor this victory for now, but also look forward to using this reelection to enact policies that will move the country forward and make life better for Americans from all backgrounds.
Roundup of How Asian American Candidates Fared
Here is a listing of some articles from Asian American media and bloggers on how Asian American political candidates fared in the 2012 election:
