If I may, I’d like to deviate a little bit from my usual topics and today, talk about what it means to be a “hero.”

These days,we see plenty of examples of superhuman feats that are described as “heroic.” Whether it’s the latest comic book action character getting translated into a movie or the TV show “Hero” about people with strange, magical powers, the term “hero” gets thrown around a lot these days.

But what does it mean to be a “hero” in ordinary, everyday life? Well, here’s the one of the best (and most tragic) examples I’ve seen -- Dad Died Saving His Little Girl:

With an out-of-control car bearing down, Joseph Richardson grabbed his 4-year-old daughter and held her up out of harm’s way. It was his last act -- and one that apparently saved his daughter’s life. . . .

Richardson was walking his daughter to a McDonald’s for burgers at 6:40 p.m. Monday when a 1990 Chevy Cavalier jumped a curb and careened towards them, police said, citing witness accounts. He grabbed his daughter just before the car slammed the two into the fence, police said.

Mr. Richardson, even before you gave up your life to save your daughter’s, it sounds like you made quite a difference in the lives of people around you. For all that you’ve done for your community, your family, and especially your daughter, you are truly one my heroes.

Following up on my earlier post on celebrating APA Heritage Month by describing some demographic and socioeconomic facts about the Asian American community, I pass along a couple of other links that others have sent to me in recognition of APA Heritage Month.

First, the Asia Society recently produced the following YouTube video that illustrates the different ways that various notable Asian Americans around the country identify as Asian American and what it means to them to claim that identity (they also have extended clips at their YouTube channel).

Second, a reader sent to me the following message about a Vietnamese American officer who served in Iraq:

To highlight the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month of May, I have just completed an article about Vietnamese-American James Van Thach. He volunteered to serve in Baghdad, Iraq since April 2006 as a Military Advisor.

He has finally after 2 years reached back to the United States on April 9, 2008. On April 1, 2008, the Republic of Iraq bestowed him the Honorary rank of Staff Brigadier General in the Iraqi Army.

I just completed a follow-up interview with him on April 15, 2008 and would like to release this article to your news agency so that you may share it with your readers.

Thank you very much for your time.

Respectfully,

Tommy Nero Sullivan
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Ventures International Promotions
VIP Promotions/NYC

Many Asian American bloggers have been covering this event and I’d like to do my part to help publicize it as much as possible as well: the National APIA Presidential Town Hall, to be held on May 17. Below is the press release from the organizing group, APIAVote:

APIAVote to Host Historic Presidnetial Town Hall: Presidential Candidates Invited to Discuss Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Issues

Over 2,500 AAPIs nationwide will attend the first ever APIAVote Presidential Town Hall on May 17th. APIAVote has invited Senator Hillary Clinton, Senator Barack Obama, and Senator John McCain to discuss issues and policies important to AAPI communities.

What: First Asian American Pacific Islander Presidential Town Hall

Hosted by: Asian Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote), in conjunction with the 9th Annual Convention of the National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (National CAPACD).

Why: To provide an unprecedented opportunity for presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John McCain to discuss their views, positions, and proposals on issues affecting AAPIs.

When: Saturday, May 17, 2008, 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Where: Bren Events Center, University of California at Irvine, Mesa Road and West Peltason Drive, Irvine, CA 92617. Simulcast in selected cities and venues. Please see website for updates.

Who: (Invited) Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Senator Barack Obama (D-IL), Senator John McCain (R-AZ)

You can get more information at the APIA Presidential Town Hall site and at APIAVote. Several colleges around the country will host simulcasts of the event, including UMass Boston’s Institute for Asian American Studies, for those of you in the New England area.

This is truly going to be a historic event and I encourage everyone to participate by attending in person, attending at a simulcast hosted locally, or by watching the live stream on the Internet.

Here’s another request from a student asking for participants for an online research survey:

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Dear Asian-Nation Visitors,

My name is Hsu Ling-Hui, a Ph.D. student at the University of Texas at Austin, Department of Communication Studies. I would like to invite you to participate in my dissertation project. The study explores the factors that influence impression formation of human beings. Your contribution is very important to the research, and you may win $500 for doing the survey! Thank you very much. Please read on!

Title: Impression Formation (Part I) & Cultural Adaptation of American College Students (Part II)

The purpose of this study (Part I) is to investigate the elements that influence people’s impression formation, both the internal state of a perceiver and the external situational demands.

Although unrelated to this researcher’s study, Part II of the research is to contribute to a large-scale anthropological project on general adaptation of immigrant children at American colleges. The current focus is on cultural adaptation of Asian American students to dynamic campus environment.

To be eligible for the current study, you must meet the following criteria.
a) You are a student and above age 18.
b) You are an Asian American and your country of ethnic origin is China, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, or Vietnam.
c) You were either born in the U.S. or immigrated to the U.S. before age 12.

It takes around 30 to 40 minutes to complete all questionnaires in the study. As a participant, your name will be entered into a raffle to win a $500 award. Two awards will be given away. Winners will be drawn at the end of the data collection and notified (around July 2008).

To ensure accuracy, the study has four links:

Link 1: if the Last Number of your Social Security Number is 0, 1, or 2

Link 2: if the Last Number of your Social Security Number is 3, or 4

Link 3: if the Last Number of your Social Security Number is 5, or 6

If the Last Number of your Social Security Number is 7, 8, or 9, please click any of the above three links (Links 2, 3, or 3) to access the survey because Link 4 has been filled up.

If you may, please extend my survey invite to your friends. Your help is greatly appreciated!

Sincerely,
Hsu Ling-Hui

Yes, it’s here once again -- today marks the start of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Like many other people of color, I am thankful that the federal government has officially “recognized” us for distinction, but on the other hand, would feel a whole lot better if Asian Pacific Americans (APAs) were so completely integrated into the American mainstream that we wouldn’t need to be singled out for our contributions -- they would already be part of the American mainstream.

At any rate, since it’s here, I once again present some interesting demographic facts and data about the APA population, courtesy of the Census Bureau:

14.9 million
The estimated number of U.S. residents in July 2006 who said they were Asian alone or Asian in combination with one or more other races. This group comprised about 5 percent of the total population.

3.2%
Percentage growth of the Asian population (either alone or in combination with one or more other races) between 2005 and 2006, the highest of any race group during that time period. The increase in the Asian population during the period totaled 460,000.

3.6 million
Number of Asians of Chinese descent in the U.S. Chinese-Americans are the largest Asian group, followed by Filipinos (2.9 million), Asian Indians (2.7 million), Vietnamese (1.6 million), Koreans (1.5 million) and Japanese (1.2 million). These estimates represent the number of people who are either of a particular Asian group only or are of that group in combination with one or more other Asian groups or races.

49%
The percentage of single-race Asians 25 and older who have a bachelor’s degree or higher level of education. This compares with 27 percent for all Americans 25 and older.

$64,238
Median household income for single-race Asians in 2006, the highest among all race groups. Median household income differed greatly by Asian group. For Asian Indians, for example, the median income in 2006 was $78,315; for Vietnamese-Americans, it was $52,299.

1.1 million
Number of businesses owned by Asian-Americans in 2002, up 24 percent from 1997. The rate of increase in the number of Asian-owned businesses was about twice that of the national average for all businesses.

47%
The proportion of civilian employed single-race Asians 16 and older who work in management, professional and related occupations, such as financial managers, engineers, teachers and registered nurses. Additionally, 23 percent work in sales and office occupations, 16 percent in service occupations and 10 percent in production, transportation and material moving occupations.

33.4 million
The projected number of U.S. residents in 2050 who will identify themselves as single-race Asians. They would comprise 8 percent of the total population by that year.

213%
The projected percentage increase between 2000 and 2050 in the population of people who identify themselves as single-race Asian. This compares with a 49 percent increase in the population as a whole over the same period of time.

Feel free to read my article on APA Heritage Month to get some ideas about how you can celebrate it in a more meaningful way while still having fun.

In the wake of the recent increased attention and criticism against China as it prepares to host the Summer Olympics, the New York Times summarizes how there’s been a boisterous and growing backlash against western-style “Sinophobia” and all things perceived to be anti-Chinese by Chinese students studying in the U.S.:

Since the riots last month in Tibet, the disrupted Olympic torch relays and calls to boycott the opening ceremony of the Games in Beijing, Chinese students, traditionally silent on political issues, have begun to lash out at what they perceive as a pervasive anti-Chinese bias. . . .

At the University of Washington, students fought to limit the Dalai Lama’s address to nonpolitical topics. At Duke, pro-China students surrounded and drowned out a pro-Tibet vigil; a Chinese freshman who tried to mediate received death threats, and her family was forced into hiding.

And last Saturday, students from as far as Florida and Tennessee traveled to Atlanta to picket CNN after a commentator, Jack Cafferty, referred to the Chinese as “goons and thugs.” (CNN said he was referring to the government, not the people.)

The student anger, stoked through e-mail messages sent to large campus mailing lists, stems not so much from satisfaction with the Chinese government but from shock at the portrayal of its actions, as well as frustration over the West’s long-standing love affair with Tibet — a love these students see as willfully blind. . . .

Rather than blend in to the prevailing campus ethos of free debate, the more strident Chinese students seem to replicate the authoritarian framework of their homeland, photographing demonstration participants and sometimes drowning out dissent.

The NY Times article does a very good job at describing the recent international history that frames much of the current climate of criticism against China but also the students’ role in speaking up loudly and forcefully.

In my previous post that I linked to above, I wrote that, for good and for bad, I’m trying to maintain an objective and moderate stance on these issues. The boisterous backlash of Chinese students does not change my position, which is still that both sides have a democratic right to express themselves and to criticize the other side.

However, those rights also entail knowing the limits of such criticisms and counter-criticisms, namely implicit and explicit threats and displays of intimidation and violence against others.

The NY Times article described how some pro-Chinese protests have crossed that line, and it’s at that point where I agree with the reporter’s statement that “the more strident Chinese students seem to replicate the authoritarian framework of their homeland, photographing demonstration participants and sometimes drowning out dissent.”

In other words, for the Chinese students to make a difference and to change people’s negative impressions of their homeland, engaging in and perpetuating the same kind of repressive techniques aimed at silencing opponents that their government is criticized for is not the way to go.

As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Be the change that you want to see in the world.” With that in mind, if the goal is to change the world’s perception of China from negative to positive, then China’s supporters need to act positively, not negatively.

I received the following announcement about a new film coming to PBS in May, entitled “Tie a Yellow Ribbon.” It’s a story about Asian American women told through the eyes of a Korean adoptee. From the looks of it, it should definitely be worth watching:

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Tie a Yellow Ribbon to Air on Public Television During May 2008
First Feature Drama by Joy Dietrich Offers Compelling View into the Lives of Young Asian American Women through the Eyes of a Korean Adoptee

Making her feature debut, writer-director Joy Dietrich, also a Korean adoptee, introduces audiences to the world of Asian American young women and delicately addresses the abnormally high rates of depression and suicide among Asian American girls, creating a work of great compassion and poetic beauty.

In TIE A YELLOW RIBBON, Jenny Mason (Kim Jiang), a Korean adoptee and aspiring photographer, walks the streets of New York in a state of resigned indifference. Her days are spent with white friends and colleagues, her nights with white men. She has no contact with her Midwestern family due to a childhood indiscretion with her white brother, Joe (Patrick Heusinger). She rejects any attachment, dumping men as fast as she can pick them up. Yet she longs for a connection that would make her feel at home-a home that she has lost and is forever seeking.

One day, her roommate asks her to move out, fanning her fears of abandonment. She moves in with the beautiful but troubled Beatrice Shimizu (Jane Kim) and meets super-cool Simon Chang (Ian Wen), whose socially awkward sister, Sandy (Theresa Ngo), lives next door. Raised in the predominately white Midwest, she is both fascinated and repulsed by the other Asian Americans whom she meets.

Her indifference toward life starts melting away however, as she embraces Bea, who battles her own self-esteem issues with family and a philandering boyfriend, Phillip (Gregory Waller), and tries to help Sandy overcome her shyness. Jenny’s biggest obstacle is opening herself up to the possibility of a relationship with Simon. Meanwhile, Bea and Simon encourage and help jumpstart Jenny’s career in photography.

Suddenly, Joe appears at her door, shattering her current life. As Jenny searches for a voice and photographic style that she can call her own, she finds that she must face her unresolved feelings toward her brother and family, and ultimately reconcile her identity as an Asian American.

“I wanted to make a film that gave nuanced portraits of young Asian American women whose stories are seldom told in mainstream media. The dirty little secret is that Asian American women have one of the highest rates of depression in the United States,” said writer/director Joy Dietrich.

“While this film doesn’t attempt to explain the reasons why, it does expose the isolating, alienating factors that make the young women feel the way they do-the greatest among them the lack of acceptance and belonging. TIE A YELLOW RIBBON is ultimately about three young women’s search for love and belonging.”

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TIE A YELLOW RIBBON will air on public television stations around the United States during the month of May 2008. More information about airdates can be found online at http://www.itvs.org/shows/ataglance.php?showID=7597. Please also check your local listings.

One of the contradictions in being Asian American is the tension between emphasizing unity versus uniqueness. That is, on the one hand it’s frequently in our best interests to be a unified racial/ethnic community and to speak with one collective voice so that we are more likely to be heard.

On the other hand, in fighting against the stereotype that all Asians/Asian Americans are the same, we also want to point out the various ways in which our community has unique histories, characteristics, issues, and needs -- ethnically, social class, politically, etc.

This tension between being united one day and being unique the next day can be very frustrating, especially for bloggers like myself who try to strike that balance and reconcile some of the contradictions that arise form this dichotomy as best as possible.

As one example of these tensions and contradictions, my blogging colleague Jenn Fang at Reappropriate.com recently wrote about her struggles in discussing issues of Asian American feminism and gender equality on her blog and how her posts on such issues frequently leads to more division than unity and the personal toll it takes on her:

I’ve found myself extremely angry and frustrated by the level of the debate. I’m weary of the arguing, frustrated by the tone, and disillusioned by the blog’s mission. My open comment policy has been misused over the past month, and I’ve had to ban several readers — undermining my disagreement in idea censorship and my belief in the power of democratic idea-building. . . .

I’m tired of discussions of sexism being misconstrued as male-bashing, I’m tired of people who don’t know feminism thinking they can define it, and above all, I am tired of the suspicion of my racial solidarity and my pride in the Asian American community because of my identification as a feminist and the choices in my personal life. . . .

I feel like I’ve been banging my head against a brick wall, and all I have to show for it is ostracization, derision, and occasionally ridicule from some Asian American men. I feel like the adage “working twice as hard to get half as far” is poignantly relevant to how hard I’ve struggled for the same acceptance in the APIA online community that some of my male colleagues enjoy almost innately. . . .

I need to remember that advances in APIA feminism is measured in inches, not miles, and that there is a silent majority of Asian American readers who also believe in that dream of a united, politicized Asian American community.

As I wrote to Jenn after reading her post, I found her points to be very genuine and moving. I admit that I don’t read her blog as much as I should and we probably don’t agree 100% on every single issue, but through our previous interactions, I have always admired and respected her work and writings.

Further, as Asian Americans, liberals, and academics, I told her that we have many more things in common than differences. I therefore wanted to post about the struggles she’s been going through as a way of showing my solidarity and highlighting the issues that still unfortunately divide our community.

There is no easy answer on how to address this contradiction between unity and uniqueness, between asserting our similarities versus our differences. But what I can say, and that I hope everyone will keep in mind, is that we can disagree with one another without resorting to personal attacks.

Anonymity on the internet and in blog comments does not give anyone the license to put aside basic norms of human civility and respect for others and to pretend that we’re back in kindergarten and that it’s perfectly fine to call each other names.

Ultimately, my hope is that regardless of our ethnic, political, or other differences, we can all agree to discuss and debate these issues in a calm and rational manner. This does not mean that we can’t be subjective or emotionally invested in our beliefs, just that we should express ourselves to each other fairly and respectfully.

I don’t think that’s asking for too much.