Yw

[tripostrophe]

Why do people come here? Are we to serve as a resource for Asian Americans to turn to when they realize that their identity does not exist in their homeland nor their motherland? What kind of standard are we bearing, and what's the standard we're setting? Are we helping people transition into this identity and through the struggles that come with it? Are we pushing people beyond the narrow scope of the Asian American identity; to question the identity itself; to identify as People of Color, anti-racists, anti-heterosexists, anti-sexists, etc.? What is the current state of affairs here, and are we meeting people's needs? Are we building and growing as a community, or just letting things fall to pieces because we're tired and there's no support? Are we giving things 100%? Of course there's plenty to be done outside in the world, but obviously there's a reason why forums like this exist -- education, and what else? Are we fulfilling our role as a community?

Is anything wrong with the forum right now?

Maybe we should be willing once again to open up the book regarding sensitive topics -- but only if we've really reached a satisfactory conclusion. Then we can help others learn; but we also have to be willing to open up the debate again. After all, I'm sure the term People of Color was hotly contested before coming back into popular usage..and Oriental is only recently dying, right?

But we should also be looking out for one another, giving support and calling out people who aren't holding themselves accountable.

[Kennyb]

Simple answer to your question - to kill time whilst at work....

[tripostrophe]

There's gotta be more to it than that.

[LaiSteve66]

No, we're here to bitch and moan about anything and everything.

[Banana]

I have an Asian fetish.

[eos]

^copy cat.

tripostrophe: you should read my sister's blog. she thinks the same as you, i think. maybe one day i will read about you 2 making changes in the world around you.

[cloudzero]

its too elitist for the age group that needs this info the most
thats why its dying

[eos]

pray tell, sir, how this site is elitist. i am highly curious as you seem to like this word. (eg. you calling me an elitist because i went to a certain high school.)

[AngryABCGirl]

pray tell, sir, how this site is elitist. i am highly curious as you seem to like this word. (eg. you calling me an elitist because i went to a certain high school.)

Did you go to Lowell?

Anyway, I don't know why I come here anymore. Most likely because it's become a habit after all these years. I think any problems with the site don't lie directly in the site itself, although some things could be done better, but in the Asian America itself, one that's still obsessed with an identity crisis, assimilation and career success, and with issues like IR that are rather self-absorbed and mired in those issues of ego if anything to move beyond anything else.

[tripostrophe]

its too elitist for the age group that needs this info the most
thats why its dying

I, too, would like an explanation of why you think it's elitist. I don't think you're wrong, and I'm not just going to try and disprove you, but if that's an issue that resonates with others...Is it people's unwillingness to engage in serious debate around particular issues or something?

[tripostrophe]

Did you go to Lowell?

Anyway, I don't know why I come here anymore. Most likely because it's become a habit after all these years. I think any problems with the site don't lie directly in the site itself, although some things could be done better, but in the Asian America itself, one that's still obsessed with an identity crisis, assimilation and career success, and with issues like IR that are rather self-absorbed and mired in those issues of ego if anything to move beyond anything else.

What could be done better here?

I think the identity crisis is still a huge issue for us -- a portion of the population at large "gets it," but there are still a huge number who don't. And the term "Asian American" is still so vague and undefined for a lot of people. Even when it is, there are still many who won't view South Asians, Indians, etc. as integral parts of this identity.

Assimilation and career success as referring to the myths of the model minority and America as a purely merit-based society?

I can definitely see how issues related to IR x are self-absorbed. Much more significant than they should be. But at the same time, a lot of tiny things do make up the whole.

I swear, it's still the education that needs to be spread to 80% of the population

[tripostrophe]

*the key is still the education...

because it won't let me edit

[popculturepooka]

I come because it's interesting to me.

[eos]

Did you go to Lowell?

Anyway, I don't know why I come here anymore. Most likely because it's become a habit after all these years. I think any problems with the site don't lie directly in the site itself, although some things could be done better, but in the Asian America itself, one that's still obsessed with an identity crisis, assimilation and career success, and with issues like IR that are rather self-absorbed and mired in those issues of ego if anything to move beyond anything else.

nope....whitney young in chicago. it WAS a good school when i was there, and cloudzero is from lincoln park, which in MY opinion, is an elitist school, what with its IB program.

i come here for the guys.

[cloudzero]

ppl here expect you to already know stuff
new comers who start with no knowledge at all are not taken seriously

the IB program was overrated, ppl just copy off each other and they fail the AP tests

if you ever been to one of those wy annual asian shows, u can see the pride shooting out of their pores

[tripostrophe]

ppl here expect you to already know stuff
new comers who start with no knowledge at all are not taken seriously

the IB program was overrated, ppl just copy off each other and they fail the AP tests

if you ever been to one of those wy annual asian shows, u can see the pride shooting out of their pores

I can definitely see how that could be a problem for those who really want to learn. Again, maybe some articles. Do you feel like there's more you need to learn that you haven't quite been able to wrap your mind around yet?

I wish I went to someplace like WY. Sounds grand.

[eos]

AHAHAHAHAHH......wow, WY asian shows? ok yeah, the annual APIA heritage month show was pretty awesome. think it rivaled lane tech. but the other stuff, like the fashion shows? umm....what about THAT is asian?

i only pounce on newcomers who obviously are too lazy to do research before coming on here and asking dumb questions. what century is this? you have the whole freaking world at your fingertips, and yet you refuse to read up on topics first before using your ass as a megaphone. i ABSOLUTELY REFUSE to accept the excuse "oh, i didn't know". anyone who says that deserves a slap upside the head.

[SunWuKong]

Anyway, I don't know why I come here anymore. Most likely because it's become a habit after all these years. I think any problems with the site don't lie directly in the site itself, although some things could be done better, but in the Asian America itself, one that's still obsessed with an identity crisis, assimilation and career success, and with issues like IR that are rather self-absorbed and mired in those issues of ego if anything to move beyond anything else.

i do wish Asian America would move beyond things like the identity crisis issue. i understand that younger Asian kids probably still need to discuss it, but so much has been said about it already that i don't know what else needs to be said.

[lethal]

I'm letting the young pups get their say in these days.

[kimpossible]

My personal opinion is socializing on the net has gone from message boards to networking circles like facebook and content driven blogs or journal communities. Message boards may be kind of obsolete for social interaction, like an extension of the late 90s to early 2000s.

[cloudzero]

i do wish Asian America would move beyond things like the identity crisis issue. i understand that younger Asian kids probably still need to discuss it, but so much has been said about it already that i don't know what else needs to be said.

even if its the same subject, the individual's particular case always add something new to it. and then there are less obvious subjects that ppl dont know exists. like my issues with the asian radar awkwardness that you thought was another complaint about ir. when i posted that thread, i seriously thought there would be more ppl who share the same experience. but i guess its just me, and i still haven't gotten the answers as to why it happens.

[AngryABCGirl]

My personal opinion is socializing on the net has gone from message boards to networking circles like facebook and content driven blogs or journal communities. Message boards may be kind of obsolete for social interaction, like an extension of the late 90s to early 2000s.

Never really looked it that way, but you may be right. The only people I see at work avidly using message boards are always on gaming sites, not anything like this.

[kimpossible]

ppl here expect you to already know stuff
new comers who start with no knowledge at all are not taken seriously


Know stuff... eh, not so much. Use the search function, take the time to examine if a topic has been covered up the wazoo and out again already, much more so.

We also hate block text without paragraph breaks. It burns us. Other than that my experience over the years has been that the genuine concerns of someone in a jam will be taken seriously here. There is admittedly a "Big Family" feel. Plenty of people rib each other mercilessly. They also help each other out quite a bit. We have quite a few working folks from very useful career paths: medicine, law, tech, business. Usually you can get some good, free advice. But snark is the cornerstone of the internet so you do have to ignore some of the jabs that come your way. Everyone gets them.

[kimpossible]

Never really looked it that way, but you may be right. The only people I see at work avidly using message boards are always on gaming sites, not anything like this.

I noticed this amongst my friends' kids. The current tween to teen generation. They have no use for message boards. It's all MySpace and facebook. It's like message boards are for old fogeys and tech/game stuff.

[TB4000]

Usage of MySpace automatically makes you feel like a sexual predator.

[popculturepooka]

Usage of MySpace automatically makes you feel like a sexual predator.

Got a story for us? :wink:

[applehead]

i do wish Asian America would move beyond things like the identity crisis issue. i understand that younger Asian kids probably still need to discuss it, but so much has been said about it already that i don't know what else needs to be said.

i agree. A lot of the topics have been
discussed to death with the regulars.
But cloudzero, really , feel free to start topics
that have been discussed in the past.
There are newbies like you, who i'm sure
wont mind adding to the discussion.
dont let one bad incident hinder you.

I actually don't visit yw as much as before
but I like getting the news via the current
events forum because its usually Asian oriented.
And also I like to read what other Asian
Americans in my age group feel about those
particular issues.

[kimpossible]

i agree. A lot of the topics have been
discussed to death with the regulars.
But cloudzero, really , feel free to start topics
that have been discussed in the past.
There are newbies like you, who i'm sure
wont mind adding to the discussion.
dont let one bad incident hinder you.

I actually don't visit yw as much as before
but I like getting the news via the current
events forum because its usually Asian oriented.
And also I like to read what other Asian
Americans in my age group feel about those
particular issues.

That's a much better way of putting it and I should have said something to that effect. I actually learn a lot from the younger people posting.

[Adaon]

Did you go to Lowell?

Ouch. That's a shot at me and Mojo/Jolene.=P

Besides the fact it's a public high school which USED to have (rolls his eyes, it's still there, it's just the awkward turtle in the pink elephant costume in the middle of the room) set grade and test score requirements for admission, particularly higher levels of grades and scores for Chinese Americans which made up over 90 percent of the school in the last 20 some years. Even after the disassembly of affirmative action and the slow removal of "ethnic quotas" for the school, [if everyone was based solely on grades and test scores on an even playing field, the Asian American (primarily Chinese American, statistically) percentage would leap even further towards 100%], the ratio of incoming freshman to Lowell is predominantly Asian.

Keep in mind that this particular public school was also underfunded purely on the fact, that even understaffed and underresourced, its students outperformed the private schools in the same area, muchless the better equipped public schools in its area. (When you get textbooks where you read who had previously used it, and find your own instructors/administrators, you'd think that your information might be slightly skewed and out of date, but it was commonplace here. Personally, half my textbooks either had my instructors names in them as students, or had my sister and her friends' names in said textbook when she had graduated from the school 7 years prior).

I don't care how anyone else looks at it. Surviving Lowell and having your head straight on and getting on in life IS something to be proud about. If you didn't go through it, or didn't get it from someone else, I can see how you'd say it was "elitest".

Lowell academically was elitest, since it skimmed across the top of the cream of the crop of San Francisco's students. But the students themselves worked their asses off to get there and through there. The standards are there. -shrugs-

Wait, that means I'm elitest? WOOT!!

[Kennyb]

Is anything wrong with the forum right now?

Yep - people like you who are too high strung about the whole identity marlarkey.... Try letting that big pile of steam out and loosen up abit mate.... I'm getting bored just reading about this crap over and over again....

[Adaon]

YW = Place where I can spit jokes and trade ideas, w/o being (too) offending to anyone and try to make some friends on the way.

Admittedly, I've made some friends that have gone beyond just this "virtual" environment, and I'm so much the better for meeting them, IMHO. At least, that's what YW meants to moi. (Yeh. I forgot to add this to my "elitest" post 2 posts ago. =P)