What Would It Take for You to Care?

I think I've found the main difference working at non-profits and working at a lot of other jobs. I'm pretty sure I've realized this before, but yesterday I was sort of like, "Oh em gee. That's what it is."

I remember working at the Social Security office two years ago. It was Monday to Friday, 8:30 am - 5 pm. Right after 5 pm, though, my brain completely shut off anything related to social security. There was no rush, no deadline, no more work...until the next day. But working at non-profits, I feel like I'm on perpetual work time. Even when I leave the office, my mind is thinking about it: I'm still checking my emails and replying, I'm going to meetings and events at night and on the weekends...It never stops!

Like, yesterday, I was at a workshop/conference thing from 9 am to 5 pm. Sighhhh.

But I think it was good, because I did get to see and hear a lot of people/things and realize/learn stuff.

Here they are:
1. I wish people would see the talents of APAs and not just judge us or pass us off because of our race. I think we're doing great things, too, and not just in mainstream society. A lot of APAs aren't just involved with APA issues, but they still care about them.

2. I don't think I'm very utilitarian. I used to write papers like I am, especially when the stupid prompt gives you the number of people's lives in the thousands. Then it's sort of like, okay, I need to create the greatest amount of good. That was also my mentality when I first went to college. I was thinking about saving the world and helping out the poorest and neediest places. I took so many classes on Africa, development in third world countries, etc., and I was so determined to improve their lives. But somewhere along the line, I realized I think I'd rather be here, because communities here have problems, too. It may not seem like the BIGGEST problem compared to some other places, but they exist. I no longer feel like I have to save the world; I think I'd be okay knowing I "saved" one person somehow.

3. Life's formula: 1/3 learning, 1/3 working, 1/3 giving back.

4. A lot of APAs don't see how issues in the APA communities are real or how it's related to them. I guess it comes with the whole model minority myth. But if anything, I just want to point out that the struggles are real. APAs deal with legitimate issues every single day. Sometimes, it includes a hate crime that results in a murder. And then there's poverty, health care, immigration...I know other communities face it, too, but it's different for each. Relative to other communities, sure, we do okay. But if you really break it down, we're not ALL doing well. I think it goes back to the whole utilitarian thing for me; I don't necessarily think I have to help the supposed "worst off" group - 'cause then it's like the oppression marathon (Is that the term? why can't I remember it right now?!).

5. "Use what you might hate to pursue your passion." My mother tries to tell me this a lot. She knows what I really want to do probably won't make money. So instead of going into a career that doesn't make a lot, she always advises me to get a job that does make a lot of money so that I can use that success to help others in return. I still don't know how much I like this idea.

6. The #1 cause of death for young Asian American women is suicide. And a lot of times it's due to family pressures, trying to balance relationships and a career, self-image issues, etc. That was kind of a scary statistic. But like I said before: BALANCE. Ahhhhh - it's tiring.

7. "What issue would it take for you to care?" Really. I want to know.

8. I sort of had an idea how I want the APA community to be in the future, but I wasn't able to express it correctly. Fortunately, Teddy Zee, one of the panelists did. He said, "I want it to NOT be history when APAs achieve something; it should just be a part of a natural course."

9. After so many years in school, I'm still not sure what I've learned. If you ask me about mathematical formulas, dates and events in history, political theories, etc., I probably wouldn't be able to tell you. When it comes to topics in Asian Americam studies, however, I feel like I remember a lot. I can tell you the details of the Vincent Chin murder, I know the summaries for the Kenneth Chu amd Joseph Ileto murders, I memorize the study sheet for our APA Lit class like it's nothing...I want to learn more!!!

Yeah, so I didn't come up with this all just now.

I was kinda just thinking and writing down notes throughout yesterday's panel discussion.

It's sad that I was kind of thinking, "Hmm...I want to blog about this, this, and this." :P

Love Love Love

I love both of my internships a lot.

Being at Kollaboration is just really fun. It doesn't even feel like work...until you stress out about a diva or two. It's very flexible and comfortable. I mean, I watch/listen to YouTube, go to shows, and plan Pinkberry ticket tours. It doesn't get any better.

Being with LIA at LEAP is just so inspiring. Every one cares about similar issues and believe in what they do. I love it when we just talk about random serious topics, and every one knows something about or have an opinion because they care about it. Like gentrification.

Really.

Who sees Johnny Rockets opening in Little Tokyo and have their first thought be, "Gentrification!"

I did.

Just Because You're Big on YouTube Doesn't Mean You Can Be a Diva

That's basically all I wanted to say.

Locating Ourselves on Angry Asian Man

Since I discovered it several years ago, AngryAsianMan.com has been like my bible.
It's like the Perez Hilton of Asian American news - but more classy and less trashy.
I read it religiously every day...sort of.

The interns and I emailed Phil Yu to help us get the word out on our project.
Today, I found that we made it on the website!!!
http://www.angryasianman.com/2009/07/leaps-locating-ourselves-in-history.html

I am sooooo excited.
And the stories that are coming in have been amazing.

Aunt Jemima!

Flyering!!

We spent about 2 hours yesterday flyering Acoustic 3 in the San Gabriel Valley.
It was HOT.

Little kids these days are horrible!
When I was passing them out to middle/high school kids in front of a yogurt shop, one kid asked if I was passing out those stripped cards, and another asked if there was a pool 'cause he'll go if there's skinny dipping. WTH.

Anyway. At one point, we got chased down by the security guard on a golf cart in Focus Plaza 'cause we were putting the flyers on all the cars. He didn't make us take it down, but I think he was going to take each one down himself.

Um, there were 4 of us...and we had been doing it for about 20 minutes.
There's one of him.
I wonder if he finished.

But the flyering was mixed in with a visit to the Ford Theater, office work at Tap Ex, dinner at Boiling Crab, and mango shaved ice at Pa Pa Wok.

The Ford Theater looks soooooo nice. I can't wait to see it during sunset and when it gets all dark. It's going to such a beautiful show.

Meanwhile...