communicASIANS

spring 2009, XIV, issue no.2

cover graphic by Katherina Huong Nguyen

Feature communicASIANS is published quarterly

8
by the Stanford University Asian American
Activities Center (A³C). Views expressed
Service: A Way of LIfe ............................................................................... 3 in communicASIANS are those of the
What’s Keeping AAPI from Entering the Public Service Sector?.......4 writers and do not necessarily represent
The cultural implications of low numbers of AAPI in the public service sector the opinions of the A³C. communicASIANS
welcomes all signed letters of opinion,
The Value of a Dollar.........................................................................6 which are subject to editing for length,
How do you weigh the benefits of donating time or money to AAPI causes? accuracy, and grammar.

A Conversation with Cari Chen ..........................................................8 Asian American Activities Center

A Stanford alumna talks about her experiences with philanthropy Old Union Clubhouse- 2nd Floor
Stanford, CA 94305-3064

10 News
Design for Social Change ........................................................................10
Innovative methods to help you realize your public service goals
Editor-in-Chief
Staff

Betty Pham

Got CAPS? ................................................................................................11 Associate Editor

Meet the Asian American CAPS counselors! Christie Cho

Spring & Summer ‘09 Opportunities........................................................12 Layout Editor

14
A list of four service opportunities to try in the upcoming months and school year Gea Kang

Asian Pacific Islander (API) Heritage Month ............................................13 Contributors

What you should expect in the upcoming month of May for API Heritage Month PaHua Cha
Reflections on Dartmouth ........................................................................13 Lan Le
A student responds to the Dartmouth appointment of an Asian American president Eunice Lee
Jason Lee
Rajan Patel
Voices Andrew Pipathsouk
Indu Premakumar

15
Public Service: Luxury or Responsibility? ................................................14 Jhanvi Shriram
There’s light at the end of the tunnel - service as an opportunity in this economy. Meera Subash
Wanted: Volunteers (Reward: $4000) .................................................... 15 Kelvin Vuong
USAservice.org as a tool for citizens in answering President Obama’s call to service Kentaro Watari
Shelly Xie
Senior Reflection ..................................................................................... 16 Cecilia Yang
A3C senior staff members reflect: what is life after Stanford?

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We’ve generated a survey with questions regarding the publication of CommunicASIANS. We’d love to hear from you!
To provide us with some very helpful feedback, please visit the following link:

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 CA
A3C Staff
Editor’s Letter
Associate Dean and Director
January 20th of this year represented a day of hope for Cindy Ng
many Americans. On that memorable day, we ushered in a
new president who proclaimed that change was in our coun- Associate Director
try’s future. This president spoke of the plans that he had in Shelley Tadaki
store, plans that would improve the state of the economy and
restore the faith of the people in the government. Amongst Administrative Associate
the plans was a special one, directed towards the youth of the Michael Nguyen
nation, highlighting the importance of service and commu- Lilian Thaoxaochay
nity building. President Obama’s “call to service” enthused
Bobby Wei
the younger generation, with many students answering the
call by enlisting in efforts to serve the public.
AIM Coordinator
In high school, it was difficult to explain the reasons I
had for all of the volunteering that I did. My parents took Phillip Hon
issue with the fact that my volunteer hours took time away
from my studies, while I argued that the hours reinforced my Asian American Studies
well-roundedness as a student and that I could put it on my Lan Le
résumé. Little did my parents know that I never even logged
half of the hundreds and hundreds of community service Community Building
hours that I did. Quynh Phan
(I hope they aren’t reading this right now because I cer-
tainly still use that excuse for a lot of the things that I do. CommunicASIANS
Mom and Dad, if you are reading, I’m sorry.) Christie Cho
I think that we, as members of next generation, should Gea Kang
change the negativity surrounding non-technical career Betty Pham
paths. After all, who are we to say that non-profit workers
don’t positively affect the same number of lives as doctors Computer Services
do? Improving communities and the lives of others should be James Xie
something that is respected; not everything can be measured
through the number of professional degrees that someone Facilities Coordinator
holds or his salary. Those who take the road less traveled Emily Zhao
should be celebrated, as those students will be the ones who
will pave the way for younger generations. Frosh Interns
In this issue, we have highlighted several service opportu-
Katherine Chen
nities and how other students have chosen to answer the call.
We hope that these opportunities will be things that you con- Richard Lee
sider during your time here and after graduation. Even if you Melissa Luu
choose not to dedicate the rest of your life to public service, Huy Phan
offering even a small bit of your time and efforts can affect
many different communities in a lasting way. Grad Student Coordinator
CommunicASIANS hopes that it will inspire you to con- Adam Wang
sider what you can do for the community. While we feel that
we do our best to highlight issues that affect API students, After Dark Series
we would love to hear your opinion. Please visit the A3C Eunice Lee
survey at http://a3cservices.stanford.edu/communicasians/ Andrew Pipathsouk
survey to let us know how we are doing. For any other com-
ments, concerns, or questions, please feel free to e-mail me at Publicity Coordinator
bnpham@stanford.edu. I would love to hear from you! Cecilia Yang
Cheers and happy reading!
Speaker Series
Enjoy,
Jason Jia
Jason Lee

Betty Pham
Webmaster
Editor-in-Chief Adam Moua

2 communicasians
 CA

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How w nswer this call
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communicasians 3
 CA
Q: what’s keeping
more from
“
by Pahua Cha
I
n 2007, the U.S. Equal Employment Oppor-
tunity Commission created the Asian Ameri-
can and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Work Group
to look over the federal sector’s employment of
AAPI, recommend ways to increase AAPI employment
in this sector, and abolish barriers to AAPI for senior federal
positions. Many sectors of federal employment fall under public ser-
vice; the move by the commission signified institutional recognition
of the lack of AAPI reaching the federal sector and, moreover, the
public service sector. But the question at large still remains: what is
keeping more AAPI from entering the public service sector? Is it an
institutional problem and/or does it also have roots in cultural biases
for the technical fields?
Contrary to widely held views that AAPI flood the technical fields,
the distribution of bachelor degrees awarded by field is far more di-
verse. In 2003, AAPIs nationally were awarded 28.8% of all business/
management degrees, 21.8% of all engineering/computer science/
math degrees, 6.2% of all biological degrees, a surprisingly low, 3%
of all health science degrees, and a surprisingly high 26.1% of all
social science/humanities degrees. Though the range of bachelor’s
4 communicasians
degrees is larger than preconceived notions, there are also many con-
founds that serve to distort and amplify the overall number of Asians
pursuing degrees in the technical field. One particular confound is
that a high number of international students attending college in the
U.S. and pursuing degrees in the sciences, technology, engineering,
and math fields. These international Asian students make up 86% of
the overall 32% of doctoral degrees awarded to the category “Asians”
in the U.S.
Despite this fact, most people (including Stanford students) be-
lieve that technical fields, rather than fields such as the public service,
are still highly stressed at home and more respected in the communi-
ties. Many studies have attributed this bias for the math and science to
family dynamics and the cultural environment. A study done through
the University of Chicago showed that East Asian American students
at the secondary school level earn higher math achievement levels
than their Anglo-American counterparts and generally fare better in
school; their academic success is thought to be attributed to the values
and aspirations shared with their parents and the expectations of their
teachers and classmates.
To say that AAPIs biases for the technical fields instead of the
public service sector can be attributed to factors such as culture and
family life alone, however, would a limiting view. Immigration of

entering the
sector?
AAPIs into the U.S. has historically had a self-selecting component.
Immigration policy kept the AAPI population low until the enactment
of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. The act set a quota
of 120,000 immigrants for the Western hemisphere and gave prefer-
ence to family reunification, with the most preference to individuals
with job or education qualities sought after in the U.S. In essence,
this “brain drain” policy created a self-selecting immigration pattern
that drew in Asian immigrants with technical backgrounds along with
their families. This process of selection still persists. For the period of
1990-99, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security reported that the
percentages of immigrants admitted from Taiwan, China, and Korea
because of employment preferences were 36.7%, 36%, and 24.9%.
Another huge portion of the AAPI population has more recently
have entered the U.S. as refugees. A series of refugee “waves” from
Vietnam and later on including Laos and Cambodia starting in 1975
have brought in hundreds of thousands of refugee immigrants. This
immigration was later institutionalized into the Refugee Act of 1980.
The percentage of immigrants entering the U.S. from Vietnam, Cam-
bodia, and Laos under the refugee status has not died down since the
Vietnam War – 88.3% Laos, 51.4% Cambodia, and 50.1% Vietnam
for the period of 1990-99. For the parents and children of these refu-
gees, the pursuit of a higher education in the technical fields has often
CA
served as a “stabilizing force in their endeavors to rebuild their lives,”
said Stanford Southeast Asian student, Adam Moua.
The low number of AAPI in the public service sector is a multi-
”
faceted issue that has roots in institutional problems that groups like
as U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have recog-
nized and are trying to address. It has roots in misconceptions about
the number of AAPI pursuing degrees and careers in the technical
field, in the value and cultures of AAPI’s, and in the immigration pat-
terns in the U.S. Moreover, misconceptions of AAPIs entering the
technical fields and������������������������������������������������
�����������������������������������������������
the persistence of the Model Minority myth con-
tinue to keep resources from AAPI communities, creating a bottle-
neck of AAPIs into the public service sector and other sectors as well.
What will continue to keep AAPI particupation in the public sector
low is the lack of concentrated efforts to increase opportunities and
resources into a public service career track. But analo- gously,
as Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees turned entre-
preneurs have demonstrated, the risks of a few into
industries such as the nail salon and donut busi-
nesses has provided the catalyst for other to take
risks into the industries as well. Such “risks”
of AAPIs into the public service sector that
prove successful may do the same. n
Photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/98063470@N00/326044514
communicasians 5
 CA

the value
by Kelvin Vuong for America, and Volunteers in Asia are 2005, charitable foundations in the United

A
introducing college graduates to what a States gave more than $30 billion to the
mericans heeded President Barack lifetime of service entails. But, this path public sector. This influx of capital helped
Obama’s call to engage in public service.  isn’t for everyone. promote the arts, provide healthcare, edu-
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, count- For those choosing a different path, cate children, and much more. The giving,
less people donated thousands of hours to the there are still ways to serve every day. I however, was not distributed equally among
more than 13,000 service projects that took must caution you: this is the one option all communities and fields. According to a
place across the nation. It was a great day for from which many people shy away from- report by Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders
America and the public sector. The follow- particularly college students. Donate. in Philanthropy (AAPIP), foundation giving
ing Tuesday, all went back to work or school. Money, not time. to the Asian American and Pacific Islander
What does the call to service achieve in the As the saying goes, “Money makes the (AAPI) community in 2004 totaled approxi-
long term? How can people continue to heed world go round.” This holds true for the mately 0.4% of all foundation giving. That’s
the call? cash-strapped non-profit organizations the same as 40 cents out of every 100 dol-
The obvious answer would be to pursue trying to serve any community, whether lars of foundation giving going to the AAPI
a career in public service. With jobs in other it be through providing direct services or community.
lucrative fields luring away talent, the public advocating for their community. Without The AAPI community represents ap-
sector faces the tough challenge of recruiting money coming through their doors, those proximately 4% of the total United States
and retaining capable professionals. The good doors will shut and shutting they are. population, and it has grown more than
news is that more people than in the last 30 It’s true that one dollar from an indi- 70% in the past ten years. In New York
years are turning away from the private sector vidual doesn’t compare to the hundreds City, the AAPI community comprises 12%
and instead choosing to enter the public sec- of millions that large charitable foun- of the city’s population, but foundation giv-
tor. Organizations such as AmeriCorps, Teach dations donate each and every day. In ing to the AAPI community was less than

Photo courtesy of http://flickr.com/photos/emdot/50537499

learn, volunteer,

6 communicasians
P
donate, advocate.

{ }
food for thought ...
just 40out of
every dollars
cents
of a dollar
0.4%. The lack of equitable foundation giving
forces AAPI serving organizations to rely on
donations from individuals, which is where
everyone comes in.
Even AAPI organizations that receive sup-
port from foundations need financial support
from individuals. Foundation dollars often
are earmarked for specific initiatives or pro-
grams. The money donated by these founda-
tions cannot be used for the general support of
the organization, what the private sector calls
“overhead.” Donations from individuals give
organizations freedom to allocate money to-
wards increasing their capacity to fulfill their
mission. They can use this money to train or
hire staff, buy or replace aging computers and
equipment, or pay for office space and mail-
ing expenses. That one dollar from the indi-
vidual comes with no strings attached.
By donating to the community, donors do
more than just provide financial support. By
donating, they acknowledge that the AAPI
of foundation
giving go to
the AAPI 100
community.
community is not the model minority.
There are issues that do need to be ad-
dressed. Education, mental health, and
juvenile delinquency are just a few of the
commonly under-addressed issues that
affect AAPI communities. According
to the AAPIP report, “[t]he needs of the
AAPI community have historically been
masked by the inaccurate ‘model minor-
ity’ stereotype, which assumes that all
AAPI communities have assimilated suc-
cessfully into U.S. society.” The AAPI
community is not just one hodge-podge
of happy, well-adjusted individuals.
So what can be done? Learn, volun-
teer, donate, and advocate.
Learn. Learn about the issues that are
affecting the community. Learn about
what is being done by community mem-
bers to address these issues.
Volunteer. Volunteer your time to these
organizations. There are never too many
CA
volunteers in any organization. And volun-
teering doesn’t have to be through directly
serving in the organization, which brings up
the next point.
Donate. $1 may not seem like much, but
when many people donate $1 each, it quickly
adds up. Stanford students constantly and
consistently raise money for worthy causes.
Stanford Dance Marathon raised more than
$130,000 for FACE AIDS. When was the last
time a student group raised that much for an
AAPI-focused organization?
Advocate. This step becomes second na-
ture after doing any or all of the above. When
you learn about the disparities in the commu-
nity and spend time and money working for
the cause, advocacy is as simple as talking to
a friend. And that’s where advocacy begins.
So it’s time to decide. Go back to work and
school and a return to the status quo, or stop,
reflect, and act to make a difference. If you
won’t, who will? n
communicasians 7
 CA
a conversation with
By Shelly Xie
M
rs. Chen is a fourth-generation
Chinese American from Honolulu,
Hawaii. She has volunteered with
a variety of nonprofit organizations in Hawaii
and California while she was in high school.
She graduated from Stanford with a B.A. in
Urban Studies, focusing on community orga-
nizations, and received a M.A. in Education,
focusing on Policy Analysis and Evaluation.
After receiving her degrees, Mrs. Chen was involved in organizations
such as Multicultural Fellowship Program, Hewlett Foundation’s
Neighborhood Improvement Initiative, and Team-Up for Youth.
Now Mrs. Chen is the Program Director of Rebuilding Together
Peninsula, which strives to build relationships and use resources to
provide better quality life for low-income homeowners in the area of
San Mateo and the northern Santa Clara counties.
What influenced you to become interested in public service?
I feel I have always been involved in public service and commu-
nity service. The first nonprofit organization that I was involved in
was the Girl Scouts when I was in elementary school. In high school,
I was involved in several student groups and an environmental group
that focused on community service. When I was an undergraduate
8 communicasians
carichen
student at Stanford, I was in student groups through the Haas Center
and took several service workshops. My Urban Studies major, which
focused on community organizations, and my graduate study on edu-
cation, which focused on policy analysis and evaluation, were both
related to public service.
Did your goals in college match with what you are doing now?
During the summer before college, I did an internship with the
Nature Conservancy of Hawaii that focused on preservation of the
environment in Hawaii. After the experience, I thought I wanted to
run a program like it later on, so I carried the thought with me when
I studied at Stanford. I was able to help assist a program and lead
another program when I graduated from Stanford.
How did your parents react when you decided to pursue this type
of work?
My parents were not very happy, but they knew that this is what
I am passionate about. They told me that if I could make it work, [I
would] do what [I needed to do]. It was more acceptance than sup-
port, but now after seeing my work, they have become more support-
ive of what I am doing.
My message to the students is that there are many ways to serve.
Even if you pursue careers not related to public service, you can still
volunteer and help people with your time and skills you use in your
work. You can always make a difference.
Photos courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebuildingtogethersf/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/johndonaghy
 CA

Could you introduce some possible career paths for someone who
is passionate about public service or community service?
It depends on what interests you. If you want to address certain
issue, do some hands-on work, or help shape and organize certain
project, then positions such as a program director, assistant, or man-
ager would be good. If you have skills such as leadership, then you
can also try executive director of a nonprofit organization. If you are
good at bookkeeping and organizing information, you can work on
the administrative side. It is a matter of how you combine what you
have learned with how you can serve the community.

What is the organization that you are working for?

Originally known as Christmas in April, Rebuilding Together is an
organization consisting of over 200 affiliates nationwide. It focuses
on rebuilding and repairing homes and community facilities for low-
income people so that they can live independently and stay warm and
safe.
“Of the over one million residents that RTP serves in San Mateo
and northern Santa Clara counties, over 94,000 are low-income ho-
meowners with an average annual income of $12,000. RTP is neigh-
bor helping neighbor – people helping people – one community at a
time.” (http://www.rebuildingtogetherpeninsula.org)

Are you currently working on any project? What would you like
to accomplish from the project?
National Rebuilding Day is coming up on April 25th. It is an an-
nual event that takes place on the last Saturday of April. It involves
3,000-4,000 volunteers working to repair homes and community fa-
cilities for the low-income people across the Peninsula. Since this
will be the 20th anniversary, it will be an even bigger event this year. I
encourage students to participate. There is already a diverse group of
students from Stanford volunteering, including law students, diving
team, church group, and so on. Students who can be translators (in
Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, etc.) are encouraged to volunteer so
that they can translate for the homeowners.

Have there been any changes at Stanford in the amount of service

opportunities available or number of groups dedicated to services
over the years?
As part of the National Advisory Board, I have seen some changes
in terms of public service and community service. Although it is not
a rapid growth, there is still some growth. I was very happy when the
ASSU president and vice president promoted community service. n

communicasians 9
 CA

design c y
ha soc
ial
7ge
by Indu Premakumar & Rajan Patel couraged
to think

D
efined as the successful introduction of some- outside the box,
thing new and useful, innovation occurs when students in this ASB
someone uses an invention or an idea to change learn to approach a gamut
how the world works, how people organize themselves, or of community needs - water
how they conduct their lives. While innovation is a com- sanitation, climate change, and ed-
monly used word in product design and entrepreneurship, ucation through a step-by-step process
its emerging role in public service is revolutionizing the of defining the social need, brainstorming
way people approach community needs. From organiza- and prototyping solutions. Through case studies of real
tions like Kiva. who give out microfinance loans to un- issues faced by dif- ferent communities (both local
deserved communities to empower them to solve their and interna- tional), students actively partici-
community needs, to think tanks like IDEO that created pate in problem solving and work
an innovative water pump widely used in developing in a team to brainstorm viable
countries, innovation is embodied in many efforts solutions. During the Spring
to create ground breaking and sustain- able Break trip, these students
solutions. Stanford exempli-
t i v e will visit many different

va
fies such innovative organizations that exem-
attempts
social change
for
i n n o plify innovative com-
munity service in the
through many Bay Area in many
ventures like different fields, like
the Gumball Rethink Media,
Challenge, where an organization
students are given that uses me-
$27, 27 gumballs. dia to increase

e
and one week to raise global aware-

v i c ness on is-

er
as much money for the

s
underserved through sues of pov-
creative endeavors. An-
i t y erty, starvation,
other innovative program
m un and war in an attempt

com
is the Conservation Cup, to bring about world peace.
which encourages students to The students will also collaborate to
conserve water and electricity, implement a service project with Engineers
awarding food as incentive for Without Borders, a national volunteer organization
the dorm that conserves the most that works on creating innovative solutions to community
energy. needs in developing countries. Through learning from
Inspired by such innovation, we decided to cre- organizations like IDEO, Kiva, and Rethink Media and
ate an Alternative Spring Break Program called “Design for through active participation of brainstorming solutions for
Social Change – Innovative Community Service” where social change, these students exemplify the future of pub-
the design thought process from the design school is ap- lic service - where innovation brings about social change
plied to solving community needs through innovation. En- in ways that are sustainable and groundbreaking. n

10 communicasians Photo courtesy of Indu Premakumar


CAPS Staff Psychologist
kathy
Undergraduate: U.C. Irvine (BA in Social Ecology with Spe-
cialization in Psychology and Social Behavior)
Graduate: Pepperdine University (M.A, Psychology); Pacific
Graduate School of Psychology (PhD, Clinical Psychology)
Professional Interests: Asian/Asian-American mental health,
multiculturalism and diversity, clinical training and supervi-
sion, professional development for women of color, cultural and
ethnic identity development, LGBT and questioning,
acculturation, interracial relationships, treat-
v
ment of mood disorders, trauma, grief
and loss.
got CAPS?
The Asian American staff members at Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) are great resources and
can relate specifically to Asian American issues and experiences. Each student should take advantage of the 10
free CAPS appointments they are entitled to each year. Here are profiles of the Asian American staff members.
CAPS Staff Psychologist,
Lecturer at School of Education
v Photos courtesy of http://caps.stanford.edu
Undergraduate: Sonoma SU
(Humanistic Psychology)
Graduate: UC Santa Barbara (M.A, Coun-
seling Psychology emphasis: cross-cultur-
al psychology); Pacific Graduate School
of Psychology (PhD, Clinical Psychology)
Clinical Interests: Eating Disorders/Body Image healing,
Identity Development in Asian/Asian American students,
Empowering women, Buddhist psychology and Meditation,
Exploring Spirituality, Cross-Cultural/diversity issues in the
counseling process.
Presentation Topics: Asian Americans and Mental Health,
Asian Americans and Therapy, Asian Americans and Uni-
versity Life, All about Eating Disorders/Body Image issues
at Stanford and resources available to students, Women
of Color and well-being at Stanford, Understanding De-
pression, The very many benefits of counseling at CAPS,
Destigmatizing mental health care on campus.
Naomi has been at CAPS for 11 years and is offering a
meditation practice class every quarter (Fridays at Vaden,
2nd floor Education Room) where students are introduced to
meditation techniques from around the world. The focus is
on empowering students to learn how to go within to reduce
naomi
stress and find inner calm
and peace.
CA
v Licensed Clinical Social
Worker & Case Manager
Undergraduate: U.C. Irvine (BA in
Anthropology)
Graduate: UC Berkeley (MSW )
Professional Interests: Coordinating
resources in the community to ensure a continu-
ity of care while working with students who are hospital-
ized as well as providing support and assistance to students
transitioning back to the University after a leave of absence.
Interests: Asian/Asian-American mental health, multicultural-
ism and diversity issues.
Linda is also a Certified Nutrition Educator and a Natural Chef
and provides seasonal workshops and counseling at a yoga stu-
dio, specializing in working with individuals in their environ-
ment to assess their unique constitution.
linda
by Eunice Lee & Andrew Pipathsouk
oliver
CAPS Staff Psychologist
Undergraduate:  Stanford (BA in Human Biology)
Graduate:  Biola University - Rosemead School of Psychol-
ogy (MA & PhD in Clinical Psychology)
Clinical Interests:  Cross-cultural Issues, Individual Emo-
tional Growth and Development, Relationship Problems,
Spiritual Concerns
Presentation Topics:  Asian Americans and Mental Health,
Asian Americans and Therapy, Asian Americans and Univer-
sity Life
Oliver will also be teaching a course this
v
spring quarter - Education 193F: Psycho-
logical Well-being on Campus: Asian
American Perspectives, which
any student may take.
communicasians 11
 CA

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12 communicasians
 CA

api
in
celebration of heritage month

*
by Quynh Phan

T
hroughout history, May 1st has served
as an important day for many cul-
tures—International Workers’ Day,
and May Day, a pagan religious holiday.
The first of May happens to be exactly
halfway between the spring equinox and
the summer solstice, making it a very at-
tractive day to have a holiday.
This coming May, we celebrate May
1st for another reason—it marks the
beginning of API Heritage Month, a
month-long celebration commemorating
the achievements and historical contribu-
tions of Asian Americans in the US. It is
also more commonly referred to as Asian
Pacific American Heritage Month.
May 2009 will be the 31st celebration
of API Heritage Month since Congress
passed a resolution in 1978 to declare
the month-long commemoration of API
history and culture. May in particular
was chosen for two important events in
Asian American history: the arrival of
the first Japanese immigrants in 1843 and
the completion of the transcontinental
packed with events that a calendar was
created to organize and track the festivi-
ties. With May 1st on the horizon, you can
railroad, in which Chinese laborers played a look forward to a full month filled with
huge role, in 1869. the following things Asian: amazing dis-
The celebratory month was created in part cussions with significant Asian-American
to highlight the diversity within the Asian community figures, nuggets of historical
community. Too often the assumption is goodness, thought-provoking indie films
made that Asians are all the same. How often from Asian American producers/writers/
is the Asian character on a TV show/movie directors/actors, and of course, mouth-
recognized as Cambodian or Korean? We’re watering food delights.
lumped together to create the conveniently The Asian American Students’ As-
ambiguous group “Asian.” As a result, im- sociation (AASA), A3C and Okada col-
portant differences between our ethnicities laborate to sponsor API Heritage Month
and cultures are marginalized to the point of activities. Keep your eyes out for the
invisibility.  calendar of events or check the A3C web-
In cities with large API populations, the site for a listing. The subgroups under
month is celebrated with large community the AASA umbrella will be putting on
events that range from Seattle’s Asian Pacific events that will showcase the diversity
Islander Festival to film festivals in Florida to of the API community and its interests at
art exhibitions here in the Bay.  Stanford.
At Stanford, the thirty-one days of May Take advantage of May at Stanford;
are filled with events held by the numerous it’ll be one of the few times in your life
Asian Pacific Islander-related student groups, where so many great events will be con-
each event as varied as the group planning it.  centrated into so conveniently clustered a
API Heritage Month 2008 was so jam- space as the Stanford campus. n

{ reflections }
by Lan Le

W ith API Heritage Month just a few months away and only
recently after the election of President Obama, many
might be convinced that we are living in post-racial
America. In early March, many of us celebrated the appointment
of Jim Kim as the first Asian American president of an Ivy League
university, Dartmouth. Soon after, a morning news email circu-
lated with comments that reflected almost every category of racial
stereotypes against Asians and Asian Americans. Critics might say
that we cannot take one student’s act to be representative of the
student body, but that is not the main point. The critical issue is
that these stereotypes are the same ones that have been used day
in and day out, year after year, repeatedly throughout historical
and contemporary portrayals of Asian Americans.
However, I thank the student body at Dartmouth Univer-
sity for engaging in conversation and speaking out against an
act that stems not from ignorance, but from a clear and con-
scious effort to malign the achievement of an Asian American
individual. The deplorable action reasserted ideas that have, for
over a century, reinforced the systematic oppression of Asians
and Asian Americans. And I will ask you, the reader, as I have
asked myself many times before: Why do these actions and
ideas continue to exist, and what can we do about it? n

communicasians 13
 CA
Luxury or Responsibility?
Public Service:
by Kentaro Watashi
T
he term “public service” is mislead-
ing. Service implies an individual
doing something for another and
laboring for another’s interest. Yet public
service is not just charity, and choosing be-
tween public service and self-interest is a
false dichotomy.
Instead, there is something very real and
tangible that one gains by performing pub-
lic service. I see it as a practice of empathy with concrete results; it is
the joy of living life with a cause. The allure of a life filled with pur-
pose and meaning is great. So what’s stopping us soon-to-graduate-
and-go-out-into-the-real-world idealists from dedicating ourselves to
a life of public service? Or in the words of a recent college graduate,
“we came to… [college] as freshmen to change the world, and we’re
leaving to become investment bankers—why is this?”
The simple answer: money, a life of security, prestige, and the
promise of competitive and stimulating work with talented colleagues
– all things that a career in Wall Street can provide. Public service and
even meaningful work seems to be a luxury that few can afford these
days. To use classic economic terminology, the opportunity cost is too
high. Yet much of this has changed in the past few months.
N o t to pick on Wall Street, but Wall
Street’s ability to provide these four “ne-
cessities” has been
14 communicasians
waning. Meanwhile, public service is increasingly receiving the rec-
ognition that it deserves. On our campus, there is a myriad of service
opportunities including the Haas Center for Public Service, and Stan-
ford in Government. The current ASSU executives have put public
service as one of its central tenets (like the Obama administration),
and the cabinet is currently organizing the first-ever Stanford Service
Summit to foster greater collaboration and initiative in the Stanford
community.
There have also been solid steps towards leveling the monetary
playing field. On the national level, the recent economic stimulus bill
includes an American Opportunity Tax Credit which provides $4,000
credit to college students to put toward paying their college tuition in
exchange for 100 hours of community service. Top tier colleges have
also attempted to reduce the financial burden on students choosing
careers in public service. The Harvard Law School now waives tu-
ition for third-year students who pledge to spend their first five years
working in public-interest law, and Tufts recently announced that it
would pay off college loans for graduates who choose careers in pub-
lic service.
Yet, I believe that this is not really a question of whether public
service is a luxury or not. The privilege of a Stanford education un-
doubtedly comes with some responsibility. Can we really enjoy this
privileged experience and NOT do as much as we can to contribute to
society? As Amherst’s president, Anthony Marx puts it, “We’re in the
business of graduating people who will make the world better in some
way… That’s what justifies the expense of the education.” Leland
Stanford would have had it no other way. n
Reference courtesy of Rimer, Sara. “Big Paycheck or Service? Students Are Put to Test.” NYTimes 23 June 2008.
 CA

t e e r s
V o l u n
t e d : 0 0
Wan D: $ 4 , 0
REWAR
by Jhanvi Shriram

P
resident Obama said, “The future of
our nation depends on the soldier at
Fort Carson, but it also depends on the
teacher in East L.A, the nurse in Appalachia,
the after-school worker in New Orleans, the
Peace Corps volunteer in Africa, and the For-
eign Service officer in Indonesia.” How will
we as a nation rise up and answer his call to of service for youth in America. President Obama is addressing the
service? Will the youth of the nation engage young men and women who, up to now, have done service for free
in truly meaningful service? Do young people either out of genuine good will or as a means to supplement their
need an incentive to do service, or should it already lengthy resumes. By adding a monetary
be an inherent desire? Does the service ren- reward, Obama might increase the number of
dered seem less sincere if the motivation youth involved in service, but I strongly believe
for conducting the service is a monetary re- By adding a monetary he would be diminishing the sincerity of their
ward? service. Adding a salary to the motivations for
President Obama’s call to service is more
reward, Obama might service would be devastating to local NGOs
than just a call—it is almost a job offer for increase the number of who are seeking sustainable, dedicated volun-
students. If students do more than 100 hours youth involved in service, teers for their cause.
of community service per year, they will re- Some of the best volunteers are paid, and
ceive $4,000 through the new American Op- but I strongly believe he though this government proposal might in-
portunity Tax Credit proposal. This is a great would be diminishing the crease the number of sincere professionals in
incentive for students to essentially start the service sector, it is not entirely necessary for
earning money through service. But it also
sincerity of their service. students. Especially if there is no way to mea-
dilutes the original call to service as pro- sure accountability and sustainability except for
posed by John F. Kennedy in 1961: “Ask not the 100 logged hours of service. The govern-
what your country can do for you – ask what ment should not have to spend money to ensure youth engagement
you can do for your country.” In this case students would be asking in public service. This motivation and encouragement should come
what they can do for their country in exchange for payment. from parents, peers, and schools; the motivation should not be mon-
By paying students to serve their country in soup kitchens and etary. Service is giving yourself to your community and not expecting
shelters for the homeless, President Obama is redefining the meaning anything in return. n
communicasians 15
 CA

S en iREFLECTIONS
or
Cecilia Yang I wanted to be a pediatrician in a quiet little subur-
Two roads diverged in a lonely wood / and sorry I could not ban community living in a baby blue house with a
travel both. After four years at Stanford, I realize that the white picket fence. Now, after graduation, I will be
things I loved as a freshman haven’t changed, though I’ve working for a multinational corporation in Seoul,
tried over and over again to twist and shape my interests in exploring my ancestral roots, and mastering my
certain directions. I wish I had channeled the energy of these mother tongue. If you go through Stanford with
four years into the things I loved, but then again, I don’t an immutable life plan, you will miss out on a lot.
know that I would still love those things if I had. I know I’m My most rewarding experience at Stanford was
going to miss having so many people I care about my year as KSA President. I love my KSA core,
condensed into a one-mile radius, and through this challenging project of rebuilding
going to the bookstore in the morn- a student group, I learned that I have the ability to
ings (it’s the highest place on cam- bring together and lead the Korean community.
pus with both coffee and a skylight), Now, going forward, I want to be a bridge between
and eating brunch in the dining hall. Korea and America, between Korean nationals and
My advice is something I’ve heard Korean Americans.My advice would be to never
for years but that I didn’t understand until be afraid of change. Change is one of life’s only
recently—as my mother says, health is constants. Luckily at Stanford, change can often
number one. Ambition doesn’t matter if mean great opportunity. You just have to be brave
your body doesn’t work. enough to take the leap. I’m sure that one day I will
find my blue house with a white picket fence, but
I’ve learned that there is a whole world to see and
Betty Pham so many amazing people to meet before I get there.
It’s not what I’ll miss leaving behind, but it’s who
I’ll miss leaving behind. The relationships that I’ve
Jason Lee
built over these four long years have grounded me
and changed me for the better. During my first year here, I
kept thinking that I had made a mistake in choosing Stanford.
Over the years, I realized how fortunate I was to be surround-
ed by such smart, hardworking, multitalented, and friendly
people. I’ll miss the niche that I carved out for myself. I
think that’s the thing about getting older. I’m crossing my
fingers for my success in carving new niches and taking
my experiences one step further in post-col-
lege life. That step after receiv- ing
my diploma will be another
step into adulthood.

16 communicasians Photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffpearce/

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