Friday, December 19, 2008

The Final Final of the Year

So I'm sitting in the front of class watching my students take their final exam. I'm nervous as usual because this is a test for me too--to see if I've covered everything thoroughly (but they're resourceful and sometimes inattentive so if I didn't cover it, they probably thought it was their fault and went to wikipedia for the answers instead of my assigned reading), and to see if they get the meanings I want them to get.

oops interrupted by late arrival due to traffic, it's a dreary day out there

I let them bring in notes, mainly because I don't want them to memorize dates and events. We all have access to those. But history, I tell them, is not about what happened, but about the interpretations and biases and filters we put on the past. I want to see if they can add up the dates and events and create history. Even rewrite it. The study of history is a thinking exercise--not a memorization one.

oops another one. now all 28 of them are here.

The 29th student is getting commissioned today as an officer in the Navy. I let him take the exam yesterday. He did well. Answered the two questions with essays that showed he read and understood the material. He's an older student (with a wife, two kids and another on the way) and in my limited sample of 100 students in the past 3 semesters, I believe they are more thoughtful students. I enjoy having them in class. They filter these lessons through the experiences of their lives, which is the way I learned Filipino American history. They have more context with which to understand American politics, ideology and hypocrisy. They get it when I say that I'm teaching American history as it has been experienced by Filipinos.

I had a 30th student too. He did not show up for the midterm. Came to one class after that and never bothered to ask me for a makeup or even acknowledge that he missed something. He dropped the class officially after Thanksgiving. I wonder what happened to him?

But it's been hard this semester to feel connected to the class. First, I've never had a class this large (and I know some of you teachers are wishing your classes were this small). Then, I decided to hold the class once a week for 2.5 hours rather than twice a week for an hour and 15, which is the normal schedule. This was a pragmatic decision to give myself more time for other projects--which did not materialize. I feel like I had less interaction with the students because I only saw them once a week. Canceling one class (which I did for election day), was the equivalent of canceling two.

Oh, first one done in less than 45 minutes. Now see, I would have liked to get to know him better. He really needed help with his writing skills. He did badly on the midterm but he tried hard to make up for it in his research paper.

Gotta get up. Nervous energy. More later.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

My Horoscope

It energizes you to think. Your best ideas come while you're walking, showering or doing the dishes. A lot of what you imagine may not have a direct application right now, but keep dreaming into the future. (Today's Horoscope by Holiday Mathis, The Washington Post, Saturday, 12/13/2008, C11.)

I wish I had a direct link from my brain in the shower to the keyboard. I towel off a lot of good ideas.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Human rights and the whispered threat of neocolonization

Oooh, isn't that a title worthy of a (pseudo)academic!

Anyway, this post comes about after hearing from some guest speakers I invited to my Filipino American studies (FAST) class. Katarungan is a group of volunteers who are tracking human rights violations in the Philippines. When I mentioned this to one of my informal advisors, she honestly could not understand why young Filipino Americans would or should care. From her standpoint, the yearning for Filipino/Filipino American identity should "look forward" and be planted here in America, not in "looking back" to the country from whence we (or our parents) came. And that to intervene in Philippine affairs is simply an extension of America's neocolonist ways--only now with Filipino actors as well as white ones. I don't think it would surprise too many of you to know she is Fil-Am, though some of us might call her "Fil-Fil"because of her accented English and fluency in Tagalog.

Anyway, I didn't invite this group just because I wanted to have the class hear about human rights in the Philippines. I invited them because I wanted to show off community building and activism, and to have the class think about the role that Filipino Americans should play in Philippine affairs (after having read a history of the KDP by Helen Toribio). So I asked the speakers to address the issue of "why should we care?" and "whether we are just being the new colonists by intervening in Philippine affairs."

You can read Redante Reed's thoughtful response here (or look on my blog list, he's An Ordinary Person).

So my thoughts on "whether we are just being the new colonists by intervening in Philippine affairs..."

FIRST, the charge of neocolonialism can be easily dispensed with when you look at the intent: no colonizer, whether old or neo style, ever cared about human rights.

But SECOND, the language of American involvement in human rights (anywhere in the world) is easily reminiscent of the benevolent assimilators who sought to Christianize and civilize the Philippines.

NEOCOLONISTS take over the affairs of other countries not (just) by military might, but through infrastructure building, social programs (like teachers), and trade agreements that favor the colonist. The US did this in taking over the Philippines in 1898 and again in giving the Philippines independence in 1946--independence with strings. One could argue that the ubiquity of American media (film, television, music) in the world today further hegemonizes American pop culture (I don't usually use such academic jargon but hey that word has my name in it) such that any country hoping to make it big must imitate American ways of storytelling, downplaying its own cultures.

But whatever dressing colonists put on it, what they really want is economic supremacy. The US wanted the Philippines for military bases (to protect economic interests) and a stepping stone to future economic riches in China. Portugal and Spain competed for God, gold and glory, claiming lands all over Asia for the ultimate prize of India (which neither got).

But no colonist ever concerned himself with human rights. Magellan didn't die in the Philippines defending human rights, and McKinley and Teddy's war against the Philippines might have been exhibit A at the Geneva Convention's "what not to do" seminar. So intervening to protect human rights is not a neocolonist's goal.

But it could be a neocolonist's strategy. It's the language justifying America's role as the world human rights watcher that concerns me. True, as Redante points out, we in America have the enviable position of being able to speak out without fear of losing our lives, unlike many places in the world. But justifying action on the basis of America's role as a world power (which Katarungan does not do, but other groups do), as a beacon of democracy and human rights (which you might laugh at nowadays, but the fact that we are so concerned about this image shows its priority in our national identity), and because we have the resources and know-how is eerily reminiscent of the benevolent language used by Americans in the Philippines. They sought to Christianize and civilize us--never mind that Filipinos had already spent 300 years under Spain's civilizing and spiritual tutelage. All as a cover of course, for what the colonists really wanted.

When our leaders (in the Administration and in Congress) speak about human rights, and attach conditions on foreign aid, what will those strings be? What might will we use to make our way right? Groups like Katarungan probably won't be in the room when those deals are made, but may unwittingly provide the cover for these hidden agendas.

So what to do? Well, the answer is not "nothing." Katarungan, more power to you. In the marketplace of community activism, of volleying for human and financial resources to do good in the world, social reformers can and should stay focused on their missions while not worrying too much about the unintended consequences of their work. Control is an illusion. All we can do is pray. The serenity prayer is a good one.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Papers

I've piled myself under papers...student research projects, creative writing, weekly reflections... magazines, powerpoints, Washington Posts... hence no posts...

Lesson for next semester: When I assign work to the students, I assign work to myself. When I assign lots of work to them, I assign lots of work to me. Simple, yet another lesson best learned the hard way. Oof!

My horoscope

Your even-keeled temperament is contagious. Your secret? Tolerance. You don't require that others do things the way you would. The people around you are getting along because of you. --Today's Horoscope by Holiday Mathis, The Washington Post, Wednesday, 11/26/08, c13.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Diversity of thought

A lesson in what it means to be tolerant of diversity (from one of my students who feels stigmatized for being registered Republican. I don't know how he voted.)

HEADLINE: Tolerance fails T-shirt test

(excerpt) Catherine Vogt, 14, is an Illinois 8th grader, the daughter of a liberal mom and a conservative dad. She wanted to conduct an experiment in political tolerance and diversity of opinion at her school in the liberal suburb of Oak Park.

She noticed that fellow students at Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School overwhelmingly supported Barack Obama for president. His campaign kept preaching "inclusion," and she decided to see how included she could be.

So just before the election, Catherine consulted with her history teacher, then bravely wore a unique T-shirt to school and recorded the comments of teachers and students in her journal. The T-shirt bore the simple yet quite subversive words drawn with a red marker:

"McCain Girl"

Read about her classmates and teachers reactions:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-kass-13-nov13,0,2881384.column

When the only tool you have is a hammer...

...everything looks like a nail

One of my favorite sayings explained in a new way.

from the Healthcare Economist blog
http://healthcare-economist.com/2008/11/14/when-the-only-tool-you-have-is-a-hammer-everything-looks-like-a-nail/

Availability bias is why we need science, not just journalism (and blogs).

[excerpt] How do we solve the health care crisis? The Healthcare Economist received his training in economics and you may notice that he often uses an economic framework to analyze issues. Is economics always the right framework? Likely no.

Salon.com gives some instruction: “You know the joke that economists like to tell each other about the drunk looking for his keys under the streetlight, not because that’s where he lost them, but because that’s where the light is? That’s just the way life is — you use the tools that you’ve got to examine the problems that you’ve got...

Friday, November 7, 2008

Utah Helps California Prevent Marriage--Again

Prop 8 backlash: Gay marriage backers to protest outside Salt Lake LDS Temple
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_10918202?IADID=Search-www.sltrib.com-www.sltrib.com

Mormons reached across state borders to fight marriage equality in California. According to this article which appeared in the Salt Lake Tribune last week, the "LDS Church got into the thick of the California battle when officials issued statements encouraging members to actively support the ban. All told, Latter-day Saints are estimated to have given, by some counts, as much as $22 million to the effort."

That's a huge amount of money invested in taking away our rights.

And it's not the first time that Utah has helped California prevent marriage.

Back in 1933, Filipinos(1) were added to the list of people who could not marry white people in California (so-called anti-miscegenation laws, which were really about preventing non-white men from marrying white women). But this did not stop mixed marriages. No, those determined couples just went over to Utah and other states to marry. The California legislature did notice, so in 1938 they passed a strongly-worded resolution urging Utah to "stop the practice whereby citizens of the state of California and members of the non-assimilable alien race [that's us] have been defeating California marriage laws by resorting to subterfuge of transient residence in the State of Utah." A year later, Utah added Filipinos to their anti-miscegenation laws.

I don't know enough about Utah or Mormon history to know if Mormons were involved in that 1939 decision, but the parallel is obvious enough. Utah has twice now helped take away the right of marriage.

Reference
(1) Staff, “Anti-Miscegenation Laws and the Pilipino.” In Letters in Exile: An Introductory Reader on the History of Pilipinos in the United States, ed. Jesse Quinsaat. UCLA Asian American Studies Center, 1976, pp.63-71. The actual term used was "Malay." The legal fight had been over whether Filipinos were Malay or Mongolian. It was resolved by adding Malay to the law. This story is one of several examples of "just-us" in Filipino American history.


It's Veterans Day. Thanks to all veterans everywhere and especially to the Filipino WWII veterans. From just-us to justice...we will have it.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Stray thoughts on the "post-racial" era

We value the individual and autonomy in this country. But the burden of race is that we feel pressured to represent a people, that our actions as individuals are somehow representative of our race. And this burden is heaped upon us not just by racists (who take every negative headline as indicative of the whole), but by our families and friends (who expect exemplary behavior, as in, "you gotta represent" or "you gotta be twice as good as your white competitor").

Barack Obama surely felt this pressure in ways that I can only imagine. Many people were disappointed that he so rarely addressed race in a direct way. Sometimes I was, but more often I was sympathetic. And I was impressed with his ability to combine an acknowledgment of historic and systemic wrongs (through his community organizing work) with a call for personal responsibility (pull up your pants, and take care of your kids).

I don't buy the assertion that Obama represents a post-racial dialogue. Rather, now that he is going to be President, I am hopeful that we can have new conversations about race, ones that include new ideas for the unfinished fight for civil rights and immigration, and prioritizes building communities (plural) and leaders (definitely plural).

Monday, October 27, 2008

My horoscope

TAURUS - You may feel you're missing out on specific schooling or that there are large holes in your body of knowledge. The fact is that you are more original and unique because you're untrained. (The Washington Post, Today's Horoscope by Holiday Mathis, Monday, October 27, 2008, page C11)

Friday, October 24, 2008

de-jargon-ator

AGENCY - the ability of individuals to shape their own lives.

usually contrasted with

SOCIAL STRUCTURE - the "given" social conditions and power relations

usually, conscious agency is about breaking out of

SOCIAL CONSTRUCTS - a perception of an individual, group, or idea that is 'constructed' through cultural or social practice (dictionary.com); for example, class, race and gender are social constructs.

but in my class, I see this:

MODELING AGENCY - the asserted ability of an individual (shall I say a model minority?) to choose to portray herself/himself in stereotypically disempowered ways (sex slave, dragon lady, nerd, martial arts master, bakla (nelly queen)), (but not with the purpose of making fun of the stereotypes), with no thought to consequences for others. I recognize that you gotta get paid and I might even enjoy the show (ok, I will). But that doesn't negate the consequences (Prof Gem, PhLOL, 2008).

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

The modeling agency

So yesterday in my Asian American Sexualities class we showed pictures of scantily clad Asian American women and asked a loaded question: is this feminism?

There were many thoughtful responses from the students. One that makes me thoughtful goes like this:

"It's not like anyone is forcing her to a be sushi platter."

"No one is forcing them to wear a bikini in a college fashion show sponsored by Asian American organizations."

On one level, that retreat into individual choice is acceptable because it asserts agency: those women are making a choice. It may be contributing to stereotypes, but it is also the source of their power and they are choosing it, so their reasoning goes. I call that the "modeling agency" defense (get it?)

I want to ask them a deeper question next class: So what IS forcing her to make that choice?

Is it peer pressure? A desire to be liked? A paycheck?

Is it to overcome a negative body image (none of the girls are fat)? Is it to support relatives back home? Economic justice is not a term I use often because I don't fully understand it or buy it. But the concept is attractive because it values the connections between individuals and systems.

As much as we value the individual and autonomy, real life teaches us that choices are limited and control is incomplete.

In my syllabus is this quote (and I've actually read Pedagogy of the Oppressed):
  • Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity or it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world. –Paulo Freire (cite…)
So the even deeper question is this: how does your choice contribute to the transformation of your world? The world that you complain about because it doesn't fairly include you in its media? Are these women practicing freedom?

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

test u do

Testudo is the name of the terrapin (turtle) mascot here at the University of Maryland. I found out last week that students make offerings to it and rub its head before an exam. And you can pronounce it "test you do" or "test two doh."

So my Filipino American History students are taking their exam right now.

"Is it going to be hard?" They ask.

"I don't know. I don't know my own strength," I respond.

It's 5:30 and the test started at 4pm. 2/3 of the class is still here. I guess it is hard.

I can never really concentrate or multitask effectively when students are taking an exam. I get anxious too. It's a little harder than last year's exam because I eliminated the multiple choice, but otherwise, I think it's fine. I'll see when I read them, though, what the score really is.

I gave extra credit questions so things will balance out.

Two of my students (out of 30) aren't here. Sucks to be them it will.

I do get a kick out of watching their faces contort, grin, furrow, sigh...smile.

"I'm sorry I wrote on the test."

"That's okay as long as all of your answers are on the paper I gave you."

"Do I have to write my name on every sheet?"

"Yes," I say. What I think is, "What do the directions say?"

I think maybe version 2 of the test may be a little harder since people are taking longer on that one.

One of my star pupils is going over his answers. Oh, ready to turn it in....

Oh, and another just asked for her paper back because she forgot to do the extra cred. They're out in the hall talking about it. LOL.

5:45 - there are 6 students left. I told them I was kicking them out at 6.

Hah, I just checked Facebook. I put that I'm giving an exam on my status line. Someone commented that I be nice and give everyone an "A."

"bakitwhy?"

It's 5:55 and all the Filipinos are done. I have 15 Filipinos. Fewer than I expected but it's great that so many others want to take this course.

"Yes, put your name on all the sheets!"

TIME!