Presidential Proclamation--Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month | The White House

Presidential Proclamation--Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month | The White House

ACJ VINCENT CHIN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP AWARD

From American Citizens for Justice: Vincent Chin Memorial Scholarship for Law Students
Deadline May 19, 2012

American Citizens for Justice (ACJ)
A Community Partner of Asian American Justice Center

VINCENT CHIN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
ELGIBILITY AND CRITERIA:

1.  The scholarship award in the amount of $2,000.00 will be granted to an application who must be attending law school in the state of Michigan and during the 2012-2013, will be a first year law student in either a full-time or part-time program. 

2.  The applicant must demonstrate at minimum, a previous one-year commitment toward working for the benefit of the Asian Pacific American (APA) community with a local or community nonprofit organization or governmental entity. The applicant’s work may have been in either on a volunteer or paid basis. Applicants are required to submit a recommendation letter from a supervisor, to demonstrate the applicant’s work in this regard.

3.  The applicant must submit a transcript for an accredited college or university showing an undergraduate grade point average of no less than a 3.0. 

Please provide supporting documents for requirements 1-3. Additionally, please submit an essay of no more than 200 words describing the applicant’s desire to contribute to the Asian Pacific American community through the law profession.

By submitting the application, applicants consent to the use of their essay by American Citizens for Justice through publication of the essay on their website or in written form elsewhere, as long as applicant’s name is included.

During the scholarship year, it is highly recommended that the recipient of the scholarship actively participate in any local Asian Pacific American law student association

Eligible students must submit their application by the deadline and the finalists must attend the interview for the final selection. The decision of ACJ’s Award Committee is final.

APPLICATION SUBMISSION DEADLINE:  MAY 19, 2012

INTERVIEW DATE: JUNE 5, 2012

The interview is mandatory for selected finalists who will be contacted after all the applications are received.

Chicago is the World » Seeking Asian Pacific American Superheroes…at a Conference?

by Frances Kai-Hwa Wang, contributor

Purdue University recently had some race-related troubles in the form of a racist anti-Asian Twitter account(s) that denigrated and ridiculed Asian and Asian American students there. The Asian American community was offended. Others thought it was funny. The university was slow to respond.

As the Asian Pacific American media began talking about it nationally, I began to fantasize about a more effective solution. I knew that two very cool Asian American activists happened to be headed to Purdue for various Asian Pacific American Heritage Month activities. I conjured up the image of the two of them dressed up in sky blue superhero costumes with fluttering capes and bright yellow masks and gloves, parachuting into the center of Purdue to take care of business.

Ka-pow! Sock! Bam!


click on link for more: Chicago is the World » Seeking Asian Pacific American Superheroes…at a Conference?

Chicago is the World » Helping Asian American girls and women navigate a crossroads of stereotypes and expectations

By Frances Kai-Hwa Wang for Chicago is the World:


My twelve-year-old daughter was recently backed up against a wall at school by someone much taller and heavier than her—that classic pose with one hand against the wall behind her head, body leaning into her as he talked, running his other hand through his hair, acting so cool. She did not feel like she was in any danger, but she did not like the feeling of being trapped there.

So back home in the safety of our kitchen, we practiced different strategies for what she could do if it ever happened again. She could push him back with two hands. She could casually take one step away from the wall. She could even point, “Look, over there!” She does not need to make a big deal out of it, but practicing these small adjustments empowers her to discretely shift control of the situation.

I shared this story with the very cool Lisa Lee, a former publisher of Hyphen Magazine and co-founder of  ThickDumplingSkin.com, then peppered her with awkward and inappropriate questions.  She works with young Asian Americans on issues of body image and self-esteem. Together we worried about young women finding themselves, staying safe, having fun, demanding to be treated with respect, and cultivating their characters. It is not easy, especially with all the different messages they get. There is a fine line between sexy and slutty, free-spirited and cheap, nice and taken advantage of. We like to think we can navigate that line with spirit and style, but as this perfectly titled article in Jezebel says, “People Are Terrible, So Stop Putting Your Boobs on the Internet.”

Figuring this out may be more complicated for Asian American girls and women because they live at such a crossroads of different stereotypes and expectations—for Asians, Americans, Asian Americans, Asian American girls, Asian American women, girls and women, daughters, partners, etc.— many of which are contradictory. Talking about race is not enough, nor is talking about gender. We need to talk about both. In addition, parents may not want to talk about it or may not know how.

click on link for more: Chicago is the World » Helping Asian American girls and women navigate a crossroads of stereotypes and expectations

Launching RememberingVincentChin.com Postcard Project

Launching the RememberingVincentChin.com postcards at ITASA Midwest Conference at the University of Michigan. Thanks UM Yuri Kochiyama Leadership Program!

Chicago is the World » Preparing our children for the bullying and hate crimes we hope never come

by Frances Kai-Hwa Wang

Last Thursday, my son, eight-year-old Little Brother, did not want to go to school. No fever. No stomachache. No runny nose. Normally, I am a big softie when the children do not feel well, but that day I had to go to the courthouse, so no time for fooling around. As I carried him to school under one arm, socks and shoes and breakfast and backpack under the other, he finally admitted that he did not want to go to school because something had happened on the playground a day earlier. Nothing too serious—definitely not bullying—just boys playing a little too rough, but he was frightened. He did not want to get his friend in trouble, but I told him that he had to tell, if only to help his friend learn how to become a better friend, and to let the grownups know to keep a closer eye on the foursquare. Together, we went in to tell his teacher and the principal, after which Little Brother was able to go to class without worries.

The Trayvon Martin case was wearing heavily on my mind. It was important to me that Little Brother tell his teacher and principal as “practice.” Time to review the skills I teach my children in preparation for the bullying and hate crimes I hope never come. Because when it happens, one can never think quickly enough, these skills have to already be there.

click on link for more: Chicago is the World » Preparing our children for the bullying and hate crimes we hope never come

Site redesign and relaunch

AsianAmericanCenterForJustice.blogspot.com is relaunching as www.rememberingvincentchin.com to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the baseball bat beating death of Vincent Chin and to ask the question: What does the Vincent Chin case mean to you?



















This site is no longer being maintained by American Citizens for Justice. You can find them at www.americancitizensforjustice.com.