Sunday, January 30, 2011

Adventures in Multicultural Living: Balancing family and friends, public and private at Chinese New Year's - AnnArbor.com

From ACJ Advisory Board Member Frances Kai-Hwa Wang:

Posted: Jan 30, 2011 at 6:12 AM [Today]

I woke up early on the first Sunday of the year and stumbled about my kitchen, dirty dishes from New Year’s Eve still piled up, thinking that I should call Mr. Aramaki in a thinly-veiled attempt to get invited to Oshougatsu (Japanese New Year’s) at his house or to get him to invite me to tag along with him to the Shimouras’ Oshougatsu. I think about this every year on New Year’s Day as I do not really know where else to go. I am not enmeshed in the Japanese American community here as I am in California. Japanese New Year’s is big, going from house to house, eating oneself into oblivion on ozoni, sushi, sashimi, tempura, gobo, namasu, mochi…

Then (sound effect of a record screeching to a halt), I realized that it was Jan. 2, and I had missed New Year’s Day completely.

Doh!

But that’s ok. I still have Chinese New Year’s on Feb. 3 this year.
Of course, that is what I always say about my Christmas letter that never gets out, “I’ll send it out at New Year’s.” Then Chinese New Year’s (February)…Tibetan New Year’s (March)…Nepali New Year’s (April)…

click on link for more: Balancing family and friends, public and private at Chinese New Year's - AnnArbor.com

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Adventures in Multicultural Living: The legacy of the Vincent Chin case for the Asian American civil rights movement and all of us - AnnArbor.com

Posted: Jan 2, 2011 at 6:12 AM [Today]
I recently had the honor of participating in the installation of the State Bar of Michigan’s 34th Michigan Legal Milestone Plaque, “From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry,” which recognizes the many legal changes that have come about because of the Vincent Chin case and benefit all of us, including minimum sentencing guidelines, victim’s impact statements, the importance of sentencing hearings, recognition of the risk that goes with changes in venue, as well as the role of this case as the catalyst for the Asian American civil rights movement.

Outgoing Mayor of Ferndale Craig Covey, who also installed an accompanying Vincent Chin memorial plaque by the City of Ferndale, recognized the struggles for equality throughout American history by “almost every group that has made this place home” including Native Americans, African Americans, Chinese Americans, Irish Americans, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, gays and lesbians, and said:

"Equal justice in America is not a given. It is not a guarantee…rather…it is a constant struggle. It takes vigilance and effort and energy. We must always strive toward fair and equal justice, knowing that it may never be fully achieved."

click on link for more: The legacy of the Vincent Chin case for the Asian American civil rights movement and all of us - AnnArbor.com