ASIA
The Journal of Culture
& Commerce
Southern California’s
newspaper for and about the
Asian and Pacific Islander
community.
contents
Publishing since June 2002
ASIA, The Journal of Culture & Commerce Editor and Publisher
May 8, 2009
Leonard Novarro
Co-publisher, Exec. Editor
Rosalynn Carmen
4 Community/ Asian women are the target of attacks
Chairman, Asia Media L.A.
by a San Diego stalker. Tuan Pham
7 Community/ People of southern India usher in the Advertising and Sales
Len Novarro
New Year with Ugadi, a celebration of cycles while the
Annasha Consulting
Vietnamese Student Association of San Diego commemo-
rates a not-so-pleasant part of history.
Contributing Editors
Jane Dann, Associate
10 Education & Health/ The world of college finan-
Gloria Tierney, Business
Shatto Light, Health
cial assistance can be mysterious and mystifying. Dwight
Barbara Woo, Fashion
Jack Williams, Consultant
Nakata takes some of the puzzle out of the equation.
12 Saving Face / New UC policy that puts a knife into
Associate Editor
Paula Le
API enrollment may backfire.
Administrative Volunteer
13 Opinion/ Judge Lim’s life is complemented by family Family gathering –
Renoo Hmatpongtua
and tradition.
Friends of ASIA, top, gathered for
an informal “pot luck” lunch at the
Senior Contributing Writers
13 Singular View/
newspaper’s office, from left,
Kay Ledger
UC’s admission policy has a lot of
Rajasree Mukherjee, publishers Len
Gloria Tierney
APIAs fuming.
Novarro and Roz Carmen, Buu-
Van Rasih, Suji Kim, Maria Gee and
Contributing Writers,
17 Business & Technology/ Changes are in store for
Shubhayan Mukherjee. Also pres-
Columnists
ent were columnist Gwen
Wayne Chan, Pauline Cheng,
the auto industry and the environment. How do they con- Coronado and health leader Binh
Gwen Coronado (real estate),
Tran. Left, ASIA staffers, intern
Pitchapuk Jirawongsapan,
verge? A distinguished panel explores.
Stella Kim, event assistant Megia
Le Ly Hayslip, Olivia Hsu,
25 Arts & Entertainment/ It’s one show, once a
Chou and assistant editor Paula
Kay Ledger (films, books),
Le, before planning the Asian Patricia Lamkin (arts)
year, but “Welcome to America”resonates forever.
Heritage Awards. Ginger Lai, Lillian Lim,
Virginia Loh (lifestyle),
Romeo P. Marquez,
Dr. Tess Mauricio, (beauty)
Melissa Mecija, Nathan Mecija,
Dwight Nakata (financial)State of Mind...Views from Asia America
Melissa Remulla-Briones,
Suja Sukumaran (business, arts)
Huesan Tran (financial),
Linda Tu, Ray Wong,
U.S. adopting fewer Remembering
Student fights
U.S., Mexico –
State Sen. Leland Yee,
kids from China Al Robles
back, is reinstated
one swine flu zone Su-Mei Yu (food)
Adopting a Chinese baby is nothing
In a dramatic reversal, the Asian stu- Just an hour’s layover at Seoul’s
Contributing Photographers
new these days in the United States.
dent who was suspended for fighting Inchon airport was enough to con- Tom Kurtz,
In fact, adopting a Chinese baby is
back and breaking another kid's nose vince me the swine flu is serious. As
Chad Thompson,
fairly commonplace and has made it
-- after being hit and racially taunted - soon as the plane from San Francisco
Support
into mainstream popular culture, like
- returns to Keswick High School landed we were surrounded by men
Mr. Chips (RIP)
Charlotte in Sex and the City adopt-
today. According to the boy's father, and women in turquoise blue masks
ing a Chinese baby named Lily. But
the student will return to school this who instead of handing us our In
Printing
according to Time, the trend is
morning with the suspension removed Transit stickers made us fill out forms.
Friday, May 8, 2009
declining, and not because of
Al Robles
from his academic record and his Have you had a sore throat, runny Volume 8, Number 9
Americans growing fear of China:
upcoming expulsion hearing can- nose, or fever in the last seven hours?
Published twice monthly by
Asia Media Los Angles Inc. &
“Historically, adoption was neither
Manong Al Robles was the quintes-
celled.Things began to turn around I desperately wanted to blow my nose
Asia Media Inc.
socially acceptable nor a viable eco-
sential amok, whose life was the per-
yesterday when the student and his but willed it not to run as I stood in
30,000 copies in targeted zip codes
nomic option for many families in
fect balance between wildly creative
parents were invited to a reconcilia- line. Obviously all the avian flu and
China. But orphanages were getting
self-expression and dedicated and
tion session with his antagonist and SARS training has paid off.
Send editorial contributions to
crowded, prompting the government
continuous community service. An
his parents. At that meeting, the The other Americans near me were editorial@asiamediainc.com.
to open up to international adoptions
activist and a poet, I first met Al 28
white student apologized. The Asian quite amazed at all the fuss. It’s not
ASIA reserves the right to edit
in 1992 … A slow shift in gender
years ago when I returned to San
student apologized for breaking his like we flew in from Mexico one said
all content for brevity and style.
perception may also be playing a role.
Francisco as a television reporter... I
classmate's nose. The boy still faces a to another. But the sign made it clear
Advertising and Circulation:
I think it’s terrific that the Chinese
found him running a senior center on
charge of assault causing bodily harm – Mexico AND the United States 619-521-8008
public is more open to adoption and
the edge of Chinatown by day, read-
even though the white student's par- were regarded as swine flu zones. In
Member: Asian Business
to adopting girls and not just boys.
ing and writing poetry by night.
ents have twice called York Regional the rest of the world’s eyes we are one
Association of Los Angeles,
The Time article goes on to detail
Earlier this month, I learned Al had
Police asking that the charges be landmass. We are used to going to
Asian Business Association of
that since more Chinese are adopting
Guillian-Barre’ Syndrome, a debili-
dropped. The whole situation up to danger zones of yellow fever and
Orange County, New America
babies, China has instituted stricter
tating disease that compromises the
now has been handled improperly. malaria and then coming back to our
Media, Pacific News Service, San
requirements for foreign adoptive par-
immune system. His illness was not
The Education Act states that a prin- safe cocoons. Sniffing dogs at the air-
Diego Alliance for Asian Pacific
ents, since the adopting agencies can
thought to be life threatening. Only
cipal should consider whether harass- port make sure we don’t bring in
Islander Americans, San Diego
be a little bit more picky now with
this weekend did his close friends
ment because race or ethnic origin some illegal alien herb that might
Better Business Bureau, Torrance
foreigners now that the Chinese are
begin spreading the word that he had
may be a mitigating factor in the inci- puncture our bubble. Now swine flu
Chamber of Commerce, Malibu
more open to adoption.
indeed passed away May 2. Manong
dent leading to suspension. All the has reversed the equation. We are Chamber of Commerce, Asian
In these rough times, Al’s fighting
principal apparently saw was a bro- suddenly all Mexicans now. Pacific American Public Affairs
spirit will be sorely missed.
---www.8asians.com
ken nose. and Educational Fund, San
---Emil Amok
---www.angryasianman.com ---Sandip Roy
Diego Press Club.
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