Asian-American Leadership Seminar

This seminar for me has been an incredibly eye-opening experience. This quarter in general, has been an eye-opening experience. I come from the world of physical sciences, with no other classes ever to expose me to racial issues. This quarter (my second to last quarter here at UCI), I was able to take thiis class as well as an anthropology class. I've come to learn so much about culture, race, and a wide variety of things that involve humans and our culture.

In particular to this class, I've learned a lot about the history of our racial group. This ranges from the beginning of the Asian-American movement (Vincent Chin) to issues today, such as our very own campus. I think what I'm taking away away from this class is something I don't really think I could from any other class on campus. I'm walking away from this class as an Asian-American. To clarify, I've always known that I'm an Asian-American, but  now I REALLY know that I'm an Asian-American and what it exactly means to be one. I've become (more so than before) aware of the issues that surround the AAPI community and what challenges need to be conquered. 
I'm not sure of some AAPI issues/topics I'll be interested in learning more about on my own, but I do know that I have my eyes peeled for anything that comes my way regarding the AAPI community. I feel like I've become slightly more educated and when I read articles concerning us, I can relate a little better to the topic at hand. This applied very recently to the article "Tacking Asian Privilege" when while reading, I understood what "model minority" referred to! I think it's safe to say I've come out on the other end with a refined identity.

I'm not sure of some AAPI issues/topics I'll be interested in learning more about on my own, but I do know that I have my eyes peeled for anything that comes my way regarding the AAPI community. I feel like I've become slightly more educated and when I read articles concerning us, I can relate a little better to the topic at hand. This applied very recently to the article "Tacking Asian Privilege" when while reading, I understood what "model minority" referred to! I think it's safe to say I've come out on the other end with a refined identity.

The Murder of Vincent Chin

This past week's video on Vincent Chin was an eye-opening experience for me as the murder was one that predated my birth. To begin with, I suppose I could say that I am really surprised that I had never once heard of this murder case at all. With me being born very shortly after the murder, it struck me very odd that I lived so closed to a point in time where Asian-American movement was starting and that all through-out my childhood, I had never been educated this issue and what it represented: the lack of recognition for Asians to be recognized as Americans. I suppose that this could be then forwarded as a question as to why I had never been educated on this? I come from Orange County, a very diverse community with a high percentage of Asians. How did this not once reach me? Did the strength of the Asian-American movement never reach over here from where Vincent Chin was murdered? African-American history is noted in our textbooks and even has a month dedicated to it, yet Asian-Americans receive no recognition in that matter at all. It just doesn't make much sense, nor does it paint a very good picture in many aspects.

I believe the thing that really bothered me the most about the murder case was that these men did not receive life-long imprisonment. They were ordered to make payments of large amounts for a large portion of their lives to that of Lily Chin, however that will never make it quite like justice... they essentially bought themselves out of murder. It is ironic how they live with the ideal freedom expected of every American while the young Asian man never got his true rights to freedom let alone equal representation.