Asians in America : Magazine

Young Skating Talent Lianna Thomas Seeks Sponsors

Stephen Chan for AIA | October 31, 2008

When we watch figure skaters perform their graceful poetry on ice, the last thing on our minds is the business side of the sport.

Those double lutz's, triple axels, and pretzel-like contortions that leave us breathless are the result of fierce determination, unimaginable practice time, and to be blunt...lots and lots of bills. There's a line from a Robert De Niro movie that goes, "The saddest thing in life is wasted talent." In the real world, talent is often not enough. Without proper funding, many skaters reluctantly leave the sport; sometimes at the brink of greatness. 

Peacemaking in the Art Studio

By Rukshana Jalil for AIA | August 4, 2008

Students from public schools from all over New York City show their peacemaking skills through mind-blowing artwork.

If you walk into the Inspired by Kashmir exhibit in Asia Society, you'll find yourself surrounded by an interpretation of art colorful and vivid enough to blow your mind. The sculptures and prints are based on Kashmiri art, but send a message of peace to viewers. The signage reveals who these artists really are – fifth graders, third graders, AND kindergartners, believe it or not.

The exhibit, Inspired by Kashmir, is a result of collaboration between Asia Society and Studio in a School, a nonprofit organization that brings working artists into New York City public schools. The project, which has continued for fifteen years, is based on an exhibition featured earlier in the year every year. This year, students from public elementary schools all over New York City, created artwork after being inspired by Arts of Kashmir, an exhibit that was featured in Asia Society from October 2007 to January 2008.

Asian Students Left Behind

Special Report | May 2008

A new report shows that Asian American students are falling behind despite the No Child Left Behind Act.

At the first-ever National Asian American Education Advocates Summit held at Columbia University last month, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), a 34-year old civil rights organization, released its new report detailing several provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) that must be overhauled in order to meet the needs of Asian American students.

AALDEF’s report, Left in the Margins: Asian American Students and the No Child Left Behind Act, demonstrates how Asian Americans who are English Language Learners (ELLs) are currently set up to fail under NCLB. Citing Census statistics and numerous examples in school districts around the country, AALDEF illustrates how this marginalized community is falling through our public education system’s cracks. Left in the Margins puts a spotlight on particular school districts where Asian American ELL students are the most visible and also highly vulnerable due to the lack of appropriate services.

Providing the right tools to future leaders.

By Lorial Crowder for AIA | December 2004

The LEAP team at the Los Angeles Dragon Boat races.

Contrary to popular belief anyone is capable as long as you have the proper training and tools according to the Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Inc. One of their mantras is "Developing people... Because leaders are made, not born." Some people are born leaders others may not think that they have the material or what it takes to be a leader.

Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Inc. (LEAP) was founded in 1982 by a group of concerned Asian Americans in Los Angeles with the mindset that we all could become skilled leaders in our community and as professionals in the workplace. The initial idea of LEAP was to offer leadership development and training for Asian Pacifics to produce new leaders for the future. It seemed that the same people were extremely involved and LEAP wanted to give the opportunity to others and create a new pipeline of leaders.

"LEAP has grown steadily from its roots as a volunteer organization offering community training, into a national organization with a currently clientele of over 500 nonprofit community and student organizations; federal, state, and local government agencies; colleges and universities and Fortune 1000."

Bringing together Atlanta's diverse youth.

By Melissa Nolledo-Christoffels for AIA | July 2004

Playing games at the AAYA Welcome Breakfast

Asian American Youth Alliance (AAYA) is a young organization that provides a volunteer service program for Asian-American and other minority youth.

This is done in order to increase volunteerism among Asian-American college students and to increase Asian-American cultural awareness and sensitivity in metro-Atlanta.

In the fall of 2003, AAYA was founded by a group of college students, a number of who are still strong members today. Two specific members, Lilly Lin and Jean Kwak, had a vision for AAYA: to cater to the needs of the minorities/Asian-Americans in their metro-Atlanta community.

APEX: Reaching out to the Asian American youth.

By Armi Macaballug for AIA | June 2003

A mentor and her mentee working the garden on Community Day.

When it comes to Asian youth, society assumes they are academic wunderkinder, self-imposed overachievers who carry the immigrant burden to succeed in the American way of life. They are known for their exceeding intellect, high SAT scores and their mathematical inclination. In a classroom setting, they are the students to ask for answers on homework and tests, rather than the ones who need academic or personal help.

As the face of the "model minority" myth, Asian American youth have been categorized by the American society as exemplary pupils and nothing else, rather than true faces of ordinary children and teenagers who are confronted with normal academic and personal problems. So it was a defining moment when Sunny Kim, the Executive Director of Asian Professional Extension, Inc. (APEX), a mentoring program geared towards Asian American youth, had a recent encounter with a white woman who questioned the need for Asian role models and an organization like APEX and proceeded to ask her to find a peer tutor for her son.

Kim, surprised by the comment, set the woman straight and dispelled any kind of "model minority" myth the woman believed. "I told her that what you don't know about Asian Americans is the fact that there are those students who do come from extremely low income family households and there are those who don't even graduate on time; who have difficulty assimilating into Western culture because of the fact they are recent immigrants and she found this utterly shocking."