Monthly Archives for January 2012

Songs about the Asian diasporic experience

The Sociology Source teaching blog has started a new section called Sociology Sounds for songs that can be used as teaching tools. Here are the songs that I submitted about the Asian diasporic experience (none of which, unfortunately, have been posted on that blog at the time of writing). Any suggestions? Please share them in the comments!

Taiyo Na – Lovely to Me (Immigrant Mother)

This song about Na’s love for his working-class, single immigrant mother touches not only on immigration but also on family structure, violence against women, and language discrimination. The above video was shot in Philadelphia’s Chinatown, of which I have many fond memories from my college days.

Jimmy Wong – Ching Chong! Asians in the Library Song

A humorous response to a racist rant that unfortunately incorporates some sexist imagery. This song went viral last year and even got the attention of National Public Radio.

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Happy Fred Korematsu Day!

Fred Korematsu, center. Photo: the Korematsu family (Flickr/Creative Commons).

Today in California we celebrate Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution. The late Korematsu, born in Oakland in 1919, fought against the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II and later became a civil rights leader. Fred Korematsu Day is the first official holiday named for an Asian American in the United States. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the holiday into law in September 2010.

Read more about Korematsu’s inspiring story:

Dr. Charlie Teo on racism in Australia

Dr. Charlie Teo. Photo: Australian of the Year Awards.

Prominent neurosurgeon Dr. Charlie Teo delivered an Australia Day speech last week touching on racism and the country’s attitude towards immigrants and refugees. He also reflected on his experience living and working in the US and compared the two countries’ attitudes towards racial minorities. Read the full text here.

“Australia has become multicultural and racism has certainly diminished over the last 50 years but it still disturbs me when I hear some of our politicians reassuring overseas governments that it doesn’t exist at all.

I have not experienced overt racism since returning 11 years ago from the USA, but one of my visiting Indian neurosurgeons was spat on by an adult male who drove past him as he waited at a traffic light.

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