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Showing posts with label Illinois. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Illinois. Show all posts
Saturday, October 10, 2015
Fall Newsletter 2015
Friday, September 4, 2015
To Be or Not to Be …. Married
I could make a grand entrance by writing something soooo deep and dark and really philosophical, but, hey, I have plenty of opportunities in the future to make you cry your eyeballs out. So, for my first blog, I chose something lighthearted. I am fascinated by Indian culture and fond of comedy and music. What could be a better combination than the film Bollywood Hollywood starring Lisa Ray and directed by Deepa Mehta?
Here's the universal and fundamental million-dollar question: To be or not to be ….. married! That is not the only question. Well, that's what makes life exciting.
First, follow me backstage to meet the main characters:
Rahul Seth, the unfortunate soul whose job is to fulfill his dad's dying wish
Mommy Ji, Rahul's widowed mother (and my new favorite drama queen!)
Grandma Ji, who quotes Shakespeare better than any sutras
Kimberly, Rahul's star-crossed lover
Twinky, Rahul's sister
Sue, the mysterious and stunningly beautiful woman
There are other important characters, but they are busy at this time.
Now, ladies and gentlemen, please put your cell phones on vibrate, put out your cigarettes, and take your crying babies to another room. [Curtain rises]
“Remember, Rahul, sacrifice is the brightest torch of Indian family values.” At his deathbed, Baba Ji makes poor ten-year-old Rahul promise to take care of the Seth family. As if he were knighted by the last breath of his father, Rahul carries out his duty courageously and faithfully. Fast-forward to the present time: Rahul and his family live richly -- perhaps happily, too -- in Toronto. One day, he brings his fiancée Kimberly to meet his family. This lovely pop singer tries very hard to please Rahul’s mommy and granny, hoping to be accepted. Well, she is almost perfect; her only fault is that she is white.
Fortunately or unfortunately, she dies in a freaky one-of-a-kind accident. As a consequence, Rahul gets a second chance to find the love of his life… only this time, he has to meet Indian girls arranged by his mother to make her happy. (Thanks to Mama Ji, I am finally able to grasp the profound sentiment - "Cry me a river.") Racing toward a more important deadline than that of many great scientists and engineers of India, Rahul is expected to get married before his sister Twinky's scheduled wedding. Time is running out. Our hero has to take matters into his own hands: either he finds himself a wife in a flash of lightning, or else! He runs into a drop-dead gorgeous woman who looks Spanish and could pass as Indian. She is mysterious and she can be "whoever you want me to be." Wow! Isn't that every man's dream? No sooner than you can put your palms together and say namaste (no hand-shaking), he has transformed her into the sweetest Indian girl, who is well-received by the entire family. Then come her darkest secret and his worst nightmare, and a lot of twists and turns, singing and dancing, etc., etc. [Curtain call.] (Watch the trailer on IMDb here.)
Do they get married and live happily ever after? Sorry, I will not tell you with a mouse, I will not tell you in a house. I will not tell you here or there, I will not tell you anywhere.
Although Bollywood Hollywood is a comedy, it reminds me of a not-so-funny story which inspired me to write about this movie. I know of a high school girl who had to drop out in the middle of the school year and return to her home country to get married. The girl had never met her husband-to-be. It was an arranged marriage. I had to use extra Q-tips to make sure that my ears were getting the news straight. Hello -- it was the turning of the 21st Century! And the girl grew up in the United States! She was practically dragged out of her familiar social world and sent to marry someone her parents obviously approved of. I am not judging her parents: it just sounded so ancient and remote to me. Aren't we supposed to be happy and to celebrate when someone is getting married? One of the most important festivals in any culture is the wedding ceremony. Some cultures also have very distinctive ways to mark such a milestone for the bride and groom. What if the marriage is against their wills? Do they just surrender to their "fate" and lament in private while the rest of the world celebrates? Our parents work so hard and try every way they can think of to make us happy. Ironically, their loving and caring ways sometimes cause us agony. It would be even worse if we unknowingly inherited some of their undesirable qualities and went on to make our beloved offspring suffer! Most of us have heard that 50 percent of marriages in the U. S. end in divorce, and a quick internet search says that 8.8 years is the average length of an American marriage. In olden days, people got married by the arrangements of their parents. Whether they stayed unhappily together or happily not-together, most of them stayed married till death do them part. Is it better off that parents find another family whose social status matches theirs? Is it a good idea that the man and woman never meet before they get married so they don't have many expectations of each other and are able to truly embrace their differences? I really don’t know. All I know is that the war between men and women has been going on probably since Homo sapiens first learned to communicate by language. If I knew what ensured a happy marriage, I could solve one of the world's most important domestic issues and possibly win a Nobel Peace Prize!
However, our ancestors’ pre-digital matchmaking idea, in my opinion, has given birth to a magnificent enterprise on an international scale. You got it – computer matching. Some online matching program boasts an average of over 400 members getting married every day in the US as a result of being matched on the site. So, if you are game for online dating, you know whom you have to thank. (If you are too shy to ask publicly about this website in the discussion board forum, send a confidential letter to Dear Chong-Hwey.)
I hope you check out the DVD if you have not seen the movie. You may also want to check out Mehta's Elements trilogy – Fire, Earth, and Water. Lisa Ray (who stars in Bollywood Hollywood) also stars in Water. At any rate, feel free to comment on the blog or lead the discussion in any direction.
Here's the universal and fundamental million-dollar question: To be or not to be ….. married! That is not the only question. Well, that's what makes life exciting.
First, follow me backstage to meet the main characters:
Rahul Seth, the unfortunate soul whose job is to fulfill his dad's dying wish
Mommy Ji, Rahul's widowed mother (and my new favorite drama queen!)
Grandma Ji, who quotes Shakespeare better than any sutras
Kimberly, Rahul's star-crossed lover
Twinky, Rahul's sister
Sue, the mysterious and stunningly beautiful woman
There are other important characters, but they are busy at this time.
Now, ladies and gentlemen, please put your cell phones on vibrate, put out your cigarettes, and take your crying babies to another room. [Curtain rises]
“Remember, Rahul, sacrifice is the brightest torch of Indian family values.” At his deathbed, Baba Ji makes poor ten-year-old Rahul promise to take care of the Seth family. As if he were knighted by the last breath of his father, Rahul carries out his duty courageously and faithfully. Fast-forward to the present time: Rahul and his family live richly -- perhaps happily, too -- in Toronto. One day, he brings his fiancée Kimberly to meet his family. This lovely pop singer tries very hard to please Rahul’s mommy and granny, hoping to be accepted. Well, she is almost perfect; her only fault is that she is white.
Fortunately or unfortunately, she dies in a freaky one-of-a-kind accident. As a consequence, Rahul gets a second chance to find the love of his life… only this time, he has to meet Indian girls arranged by his mother to make her happy. (Thanks to Mama Ji, I am finally able to grasp the profound sentiment - "Cry me a river.") Racing toward a more important deadline than that of many great scientists and engineers of India, Rahul is expected to get married before his sister Twinky's scheduled wedding. Time is running out. Our hero has to take matters into his own hands: either he finds himself a wife in a flash of lightning, or else! He runs into a drop-dead gorgeous woman who looks Spanish and could pass as Indian. She is mysterious and she can be "whoever you want me to be." Wow! Isn't that every man's dream? No sooner than you can put your palms together and say namaste (no hand-shaking), he has transformed her into the sweetest Indian girl, who is well-received by the entire family. Then come her darkest secret and his worst nightmare, and a lot of twists and turns, singing and dancing, etc., etc. [Curtain call.] (Watch the trailer on IMDb here.)
Do they get married and live happily ever after? Sorry, I will not tell you with a mouse, I will not tell you in a house. I will not tell you here or there, I will not tell you anywhere.
Although Bollywood Hollywood is a comedy, it reminds me of a not-so-funny story which inspired me to write about this movie. I know of a high school girl who had to drop out in the middle of the school year and return to her home country to get married. The girl had never met her husband-to-be. It was an arranged marriage. I had to use extra Q-tips to make sure that my ears were getting the news straight. Hello -- it was the turning of the 21st Century! And the girl grew up in the United States! She was practically dragged out of her familiar social world and sent to marry someone her parents obviously approved of. I am not judging her parents: it just sounded so ancient and remote to me. Aren't we supposed to be happy and to celebrate when someone is getting married? One of the most important festivals in any culture is the wedding ceremony. Some cultures also have very distinctive ways to mark such a milestone for the bride and groom. What if the marriage is against their wills? Do they just surrender to their "fate" and lament in private while the rest of the world celebrates? Our parents work so hard and try every way they can think of to make us happy. Ironically, their loving and caring ways sometimes cause us agony. It would be even worse if we unknowingly inherited some of their undesirable qualities and went on to make our beloved offspring suffer! Most of us have heard that 50 percent of marriages in the U. S. end in divorce, and a quick internet search says that 8.8 years is the average length of an American marriage. In olden days, people got married by the arrangements of their parents. Whether they stayed unhappily together or happily not-together, most of them stayed married till death do them part. Is it better off that parents find another family whose social status matches theirs? Is it a good idea that the man and woman never meet before they get married so they don't have many expectations of each other and are able to truly embrace their differences? I really don’t know. All I know is that the war between men and women has been going on probably since Homo sapiens first learned to communicate by language. If I knew what ensured a happy marriage, I could solve one of the world's most important domestic issues and possibly win a Nobel Peace Prize!
However, our ancestors’ pre-digital matchmaking idea, in my opinion, has given birth to a magnificent enterprise on an international scale. You got it – computer matching. Some online matching program boasts an average of over 400 members getting married every day in the US as a result of being matched on the site. So, if you are game for online dating, you know whom you have to thank. (If you are too shy to ask publicly about this website in the discussion board forum, send a confidential letter to Dear Chong-Hwey.)
I hope you check out the DVD if you have not seen the movie. You may also want to check out Mehta's Elements trilogy – Fire, Earth, and Water. Lisa Ray (who stars in Bollywood Hollywood) also stars in Water. At any rate, feel free to comment on the blog or lead the discussion in any direction.
Chong-Hwey
Photo Credits: Ning Zulauf, Scott Cheng
Friday, March 21, 2014
Letter from Chancellor Wise
Dear Members of the UIAAAN,
Thank you so much for your note of support. The positive responses from you and so many others is consistent with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign that I know. Every day, in the words and actions of our students, faculty and staff, I see a campus community that is generous in spirit, hardworking and dedicated to ensuring that our campus lives up to the expectations the world has for a pre-eminent public university with global impact.
On Thursday, Inside Higher Ed published an op-ed I submitted sharing my perspective. It is also posted on my campus blog (http://go.illinois.edu/
Once again, thank you for your kind words to me and for demonstrating the character and compassion that are hallmarks of the Illinois family.
Best,
Phyllis
Friday, March 14, 2014
Letter to Chancellor Wise
Dear Chancellor Wise,
As a proud Illini alumni group, the University of Illinois Asian American Alumni Network regrets to learn of the disappointing reactions to the your campus memo on January 26 regarding normal campus operations during severe weather conditions.
While we understand that these comments reflect only a small portion of the Illini community, as Asian and Asian Americans, we are sadly all too familiar with negative and derogatory comments based on our race, ethnicity, and culture- as well as our gender. We found the comments posted to be offensive and unacceptable. In addition, they evidenced an appalling lack of civility and respect.
Under your leadership, Illinois, one of the most well respected higher education institutions in the world, has been making great progress towards diversity and global education, which benefits all students, staff, faculty, and alumni. This incident clearly emphasizes the importance of continuing efforts towards diversity and social justice education-- in instilling understanding and respect for all. We graciously appreciate your leadership and look forward to assisting you in the future.
Sincerely,
University of Illinois Asian American Alumni Network
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
"If we don’t advocate for our community and our issues, no one else will do it for us."
Karin Wang is the current Vice President of Asian Pacific American Legal Center, and her life adventure began at the U of I. One of the most important lessons she learned from U of I is the college experience outside of the classroom. She was involved in different leadership roles since her freshman year and learned lots of the practical skills such as public speaking and networking. They became the foundation and the significant elements of her professional development. She changed her major twice before she discovered what she is passionate about: Civil rights issues affecting Asian Americans.In the interview, you will learn more details about how Karin explores her identity as an Asian American college student, what she did to strengthen herself, what her current career focuses on, and how she feels when she sees all the changes on campus since she graduated.
Friday, April 19, 2013
UIAAAN Blog Grand Opening
Welcome to the blog of UIAAAN. Here we will be posting news concerning the Asian American community across the three U of I campuses. The University of Illinois Asian American Alumni Network was originally founded in 2006 as a professional platform connecting Asian American alumni, Asian International alumni, and current students across the three University of Illinois campuses (Chicago, Springfield, and Urbana-Champaign). We offer opportunities to professionally network, engage in public service and community involvement, and to continually contribute to the greater University of Illinois community. Please check back regularly for more updates. Thank you!
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