08.12.08
Posted in Sports, Politics, Media and Entertainment, Racism, Education, China, journalism at 9:52 pm by mark_chang
I’ve found the news coverage of the Beijing Olympics provided thus far to be highly opinionated at best. Why should persons of Chinese descent living in America be concerned? Because in a group setting, you’re the defacto “China customer service rep” and will be expected to address these issues from a “Chinese person’s perspective”.
So as the press tears China a proverbial “new one”, let’s ask a few questions and make a few observations about the more noticeable recurring themes.
2008 OLYMPICS: USA VS CHINA
“China-USA rivalry shapes Olympics” (a USA Today front page headline)
(Comedic) Question: Since the press seems to have shaped into a battle between two nations to see who wins the most gold and most overall medals, why have all the other countries in the world even bothered to show up?
CHINA’S BRASS TACTICS OLYMPIC PROGRAM
“Chinese directing athletes into sports that award lots of medals” (title of a USA Today article)
Question: What are these sports and who is taking home the lions’ share of medals? The only ones I can think of off the top would might be swimming and track and field. Hmm.
“China’s communist government has plowed untold resources into developing athletes for Olympic events that award a lot of medals.” (USA Today)
Question: I’d be curious to see a listing of how much money, dollar for dollar, the highest spending countries are putting into their respective Olympic programs. If China is indeed the highest spender by far, OK, we’ll take the hit for that. So let’s see the numbers.
“Sports officials sweep the country measuring and testing young children for their potential in various Olympic sports, then enroll them in a network of sports schools.” (USA Today)
There are no questions here, this is simply an untruth. The phys. ed. coaches in the (let’s call them) “regular” schools may give the option based on the performance of the student. The operative word here is option. No one is forced to go to a school they don’t want to. USA Today simply did not do their research on this one.
“they want to win every time” (USA Today)
Question: Enlighten me because I can’t seem to think of too many athletes who enter a competition thinking: “Ehh, I’ve already won a few, I guess I don’t really have to win this time.”
… Forcing athletes (like Yao Ming) to compete at the expense of his body
Question: Without naming names, could steroid abuse also be classified as competing at the expense of one’s body?
“China has never won the most Olympic medals. But no host country has ever prepared its athletes as well.” (USA Today)
Question: I have to assume every country prepares its athletes as best it can. It’s simply a matter of spending resources and I’d like to know which countries have the most resources.
UNFAIR PLAYING FIELD
“home field advantage”
If I may make a humble observation: Competing at home can be either an advantage or disadvantage depending on the athlete. Some draw energy from the crowd and push themselves farther than they normally would. Others, however feel a considerable amount of additional pressure competing in front of a home crowd and either expend nervous energy, lose concentration, or both.
“Biased judging”
Question: Who are these judges, are they all from China favoring Chinese athletes over foreign athletes or are these judges from other countries?
SAVING FACE
“Saving face is paramount” (USA Today)
Observation: From a viewer’s perspective I prefer saving face to “in your face”. Take the US gymnastics team for example who, while other teams showed the class to remain humble in front of the camera, were clamoring “That’s how we do it!”, “Yeah USA Baby”, and other frat-like bravado into the cameras.
… Fake fireworks and lip sync’ing
Observation: OK I’m not going to disagree here. I hate lip syncing and think it should result in jail time 
But this isn’t just a Chinese thing (Ashlee Simpson, 50 Cent, and Whitney Houston come to mind along with the fallen-from-grace Milli Vanilla).
“national pride”
Observation: Given the the bombardment of American flags and slogans on bumper stickers, windows, flagpoles, etc. I think the USA is holding it’s own when it comes to Nationalism.
USA BEATS CHINA IN BASKETBALL
Question: The USA routinely points out and ridicules Asian males, Chinese in particular, for their lack of height, OK.So with basketball being a game in which height is of crucial importance, how is it that beating China in basketball is an accomplishment worthy of such extensive news coverage?
DARFUR
Observation: I find it curious how China is being thrown under the bus for a civil conflict in Darfur while the West is never asked to take responsibility for holding a monetary inventive resulting in gangs chopping off children’s limbs for wandering into diamond mines.
Contrary to what the jewelers advertise, the consumer has no way of knowing the source of a diamond and diamonds themselves are not as rare as they’d have you believe. They are only rare because they are controlled.
HUMAN RIGHTS
… Comparisons to Nazi Germany (the 1936 Olympics)
Question: Is there a group that I don’t know of that is being forced out of their homes into gas chambers based on their race or could this possibly be a case of sensationalism?
“Homes in path of construction for the Olympics were torn down” (USA Today)
Observation: It’s called “eminent domain”. In the US it’s just a couple of retirees sobbing on “60 Minutes” about the new shopping mall that was built on their plot. When it happens in China, it’s front page news.
“Some Chinese people feel they cannot win justice, because the judges in the People’s Court are appointed by the Communist Party.” (USA Today)
Observation: I guess I must have missed the deadline to enroll my name on the election ballot to win a spot as a judge in my local county.
“China executes more people each year that the rest of the world combined.” (USA Today)
Because as the West keeps reminding everybody, China has 1.3 billion people. Of course there are going to be more executions. Maybe if China wasn’t a third world country and had the money to house criminals for life, they would. Besides (most) Westerners hate Chinese people anyway (as evidenced by the frequent beatings of Chinese people and the daily verbal abuse) so shouldn’t they be glad there are less of us?
“Systematic oppression of 1.3 billion people” (USA Today)
Question: What about the systematic oppression of Asian males in America? Of course this isn’t written as law but try getting a decision-making position or even a date for that matter.
“Even so, a Pew poll shows that the Chinese overwhelmingly approve of the direction their country is headed.” (USA Today)
Question: Whoa, now I’m really confused. If 1.3 billion people hate their government and are clamoring for freedom (according to the West) why did they vote as such?
GOOD OLD FASHIONED MOCKERY
You thought the days of people making their eyes slanted, holding their fingers two inches apart, bowing, and speaking with an accent were over after you graduated but it looks like the games which are supposed to bring the world together is doing so, as usual, at our cost.
The brightest example is a team photo of Spain’s Olympic basketball team where all the members are shown using their fingers to make their eyes slanted.
People are inevitably going to defend this as playful humor. Don’t fall for this “can’t take a joke” bullspit. Mocking peoples’ genetics is unacceptable. Other races don’t stand for it and neither should we.
LESSON LEARNED
I for one, was never in favor of the Olympics because it wouldn’t take Nostradamus to predict this fussilade.
The 2008 Olympics were originally thought to be China’s “coming out party”, where a grandiose spectacle would be seen by all the world.
Somebody should have told the sponsors of this project that a homecoming (or “coming out party”) is like a plane crash. If you come out alive, you’re doing good.
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05.20.08
Posted in Politics, Activism and Empowerment, Community Alerts at 9:31 am by jj_de_la_cruz
Dear Friends:
This is an appeal on behalf of our surviving Filipino WWII veterans. Out of the more than 400,000 listed after WWII, only about 20,000 remain. Time is of the essence as they are in their mid-80s and their numbers are dwindling. In a few years they will all be gone. For the first time ever, the Filipino Veterans Equity Bill has passed Committee levels of both Houses and has passed the US Senate. The House will act on S1315 TOMORROW, May 21.
S.1315 was passed by the U.S. Senate on April 24, and it contains a range of benefits for U.S. veterans, as well as benefits for our surviving Filipino WWII veterans. We must all ask Speaker Pelosi to move S.1315 towards approval and we should contact our U.S. Representatives to support the House version of S.1315 and to ensure that the benefits to Filipino WWII veterans are not amended or removed.
HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO DO NEXT:
- CALL SPEAKER PELOSI NOW!!
The contact phone is 202-225-0100. Or email her directly here: http://speaker.house.gov/contact/. Tell her: I AM [your name], A VOTER FROM [your home state]. I ASK THAT YOU LEAD THE HOUSE TO PASS S.1315, THE VETERANS’ BENEFITS ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2007, AND DO NOT AMEND OR REMOVE THE BENEFITS IN IT FOR THE FILIPINO WWII VETERANS.
- CALL ON YOUR US REPRESENTATIVES, OR TELEPHONE, FAX, OR EMAIL THEM, NOW!!
The contact information for your Congressman is on http://www3.capwiz.com/c-span/dbq/officials/. Or email your message using the process below. Tell them: I AM [your name], A VOTER FROM [your hometown/city], [your home state]. I ASK THAT YOU SUPPORT S.1315 AND DO NOT AMEND/REMOVE THE BENEFITS FOR THE FILIPINO WWII VETERANS.
I just sent an email to my representative by following along with the very SIMPLE steps below. You should do the same NOW. Do each step as you read it now:
- Open your web browser and go to http://www3.capwiz.com/c-span/dbq/officials/
- Enter your zip code and click on GO. You will go to a new page with the list of your elected officials.
- On the bottom of the leftmost column, click on the name of your U.S. Representative.
- You will go to a new page with your Representative’ s photo and contact information. Click on SEND MESSAGE in blue under the photo.
- You will go to a new page where you will type in and send your message.
- In the subject box, enter: SUPPORT S1315 AND DO NOT AMEND FILIPINO VETERANS BENEFITS.
- Click on the arrow on the Issue Area and select VETERANS AFFAIRS at the very end of the list
- In the message box, enter: I AM A VOTER FROM [your home town/city], [your home state]. I ASK THAT YOU SUPPORT S.1315 AND DO NOT AMEND THE BENEFITS IN IT FOR FILIPINO WW2 VETERANS.
- Type in your name in the Name box.
- Complete Part 2 with your contact information. This is important. It will show to the US Representative that you are indeed from his voting district.
- Make sure the REMEMBER ME box is checked.
- Click the SEND MESSAGE in blue in the bottom. You will get an acknowledgement page that your message has been sent.
- When you have sent your message, help each of your family and friends of voting age to do the same thing.
- Add the web page to your list of FAVORITES so you can use it for follow-up messages later.
- That is it. If you haven’t been following along, go back to step 1, and DO IT RIGHT NOW!
(This is an adaptation of the NaFFAA call to action email.)
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04.26.08
Posted in Politics, Media and Entertainment, Blog at 12:49 am by jj_de_la_cruz
The Bush administration has accused China, and eight other nations of not protecting American producers of movies, computer software and other copyrighted material from widespread piracy.
In addition to China, eight other nations have all been placed on a “Priority Watch List” for piracy: Russia, Argentina, Chile, India, Israel, Pakistan, Thailand and Venezuela. The placement of these countries on this list subjects them to increased scrutiny and could lead to economic sanctions.
Click here for a link to the Washington Post article
When it comes to American producers of movies, no one should be under any obligation to protect Hollywood’s copyrighted material until racist and discriminatory casting policies against Asians are put to an end. To mercilessly subject Asian audiences to Hollywood’s poisonous, diversity-negligent images and then force them to pay for such filth evokes memories of the Opium Wars of the mid-19th Century.
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04.24.08
Posted in Politics, Activism and Empowerment at 9:27 pm by jj_de_la_cruz
Statement by the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA)
Washington, D.C. April 24 - At around noon today, the U.S. Senate passed S. 1315 by a vote of 96-1. The omnibus bill includes a provision which restores U.S. veterans status and pension benefits to Filipino World War II veterans.
Today’s historic vote came about after the senate struck down an amendment introduced by Richard Burr, ranking minority leader of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. By a vote of 56 to 41, senators rejected Burr’s proposal that would have denied pension benefits to Filipino veterans in the Philippines. Burr needed 49 votes for his amendment to pass. Six Republicans joined the Democrats in rejecting what was widely viewed as a highly discriminatory act against Filipino veterans.
The bill now moves to the House for debate and a floor vote. If it passes intact, it will then go to President Bush for his signature.
“This is a great day for our veterans,” says NaFFAA National Chair Alma Kern. “It has restored our faith in the American justice system. Our veterans have waited more than 60 years, and now they are closer than ever to regaining their honor and dignity.”
Kern calls on the Filipino American community to call members of the House of Representatives and urge them to support the Filipino Veterans Equity Act. “We have to see this campaign through to the finish,” she adds. “It’s up to us to make this happen.”
In December 2006, NaFFAA and the Philippine Embassy co-hosted a meeting of advocates for the Filipino Veterans equity that resulted in the formation of NAFVE, the National Alliance for Filipino Veterans Equity. In the last two years, activists from NAFVE, which includes NaFFAA, and the American Coalition for Filipino Veterans (ACFV) lobbied long and hard to get Congress to act on this bill. “I’m very hearted by our community’s response, flooding the various offices in Congress with e-mails, phone calls and visits. We couldn’t have done this without your support,” Kern says.
She also thanked Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senators Daniel Akaka, Daniel Inouye, Ted Stevens for their consistent championing of Filipino veterans equity.
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Posted in Politics, Activism and Empowerment at 11:51 am by jj_de_la_cruz
On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate began debating on whether to give pension benefits to Filipino veterans of World War II. If you are a person of common sense, you’d be wondering, what the heck is there to debate about? These men fought valiantly alongside U.S. forces, and haven’t received a dime of what was promised them!
Well according to the New York Times:
Republicans argued that the pension benefit was too big given the average annual income in the Philippines is $2,864. They argued that would give Filipino World War Two veterans a better benefit than the average U.S. veteran given the lower cost of living in the Philippines.
Sen. Richard Burr, a North Carolina Republican, planned to offer an amendment that would limit pension benefits to Filipino veterans living in the United States and use the $221 million savings to enhance benefits for U.S. veterans.
“I believe it is time for us to stand up for our guys versus that select group (for whom) there was never a promise made,” Burr said during Senate debate.
Senator Burr, imagine how much more we’d be paying the veterans had this bill included the BACK PAY they deserve! And that’s not even to mention the thousands of Filipino veterans who will never receive any compensation because they died before justice was ever served!
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