Did you know...

Fortune cookies are an American invention. They originated in California, but who the actual inventor was, and which city in California is the true home of the fortune cookie, has continued to be a matter of debate.

One history of the fortune cookie claims that David Jung, a Chinese immigrant living in Los Angeles and founder of the Hong Kong Noodle Company, invented the cookie in 1918. Concerned about the poor he saw wandering near his shop, he created the cookie and passed them out free on the streets. Each cookie contained a strip of paper with an inspirational Bible scripture on it.

Another history claims that the fortune cookie was invented in San Francisco by a Japanese immigrant named Makoto Hagiwara. Hagiwara was a gardener who designed the famous Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park. An anti-Japanese mayor fired him from his job around the turn of the century, but later a new mayor reinstated him. Grateful to those who had stood by him during his period of hardship, Hagiwara created a cookie in 1914 that included a thank you note inside. He passed them out at the Japanese Tea Garden, and began serving them there regularly. In 1915, they were displayed at the Panama-Pacific Exhibition, San Francisco's world fair.

Other interesting facts:

• Fortune cookies became common in Chinese restaurants after World War II. Desserts were not traditionally part of Chinese cuisine, and the cookies thus offered Americans something familiar with an exotic flair.
  
• Fortune cookies were originally made by hand using chopsticks. In 1964, Edward Louie of San Francisco's Lotus Fortune Cookie Company, automated the process by creating a machine that folds the dough and slips in the fortune. Today, the world's largest fortune cookie manufacturer, Wonton Food Inc. of Long Island CIty, Queens ships out 60 million cookies a month.

Dear Editor...

Dear Editor,

As a young girl I always dreamed of coming to America- the "land of the free." I learned all about the culture, listened to all the American music I could get my hands on, and secretly learned the latest American dances from my older brother. Finally my dream came true. When I was 19, my boyfriend was awarded a fully paid scholarship to a San Fransisco university, and then asked me to accompany him to America (right after he proposed!). I went with, sad to leave my family, but excited to live out my dreams.

When I first got to America, it was just as amazing as I expected. We landed in San Fransisco an dI was in my glory. My high, however, did not last too long. on my 3rd day in America, an older woman gave me a death glare and spit at my feet. I tried to brush it off by telling myself that she was just angry b ecause she had to walk around with a walker and I had 2 healthy legs. but after a while, the truth set in- there were a lot of people who were angry towards me just because of my origin.

I normally don't let these people's behavior bother me, because I know that they are just living with their eyes closed. This time, however, it has gone too far. I can take dirty glances, but I will not stand for being fired because of my ethnic origin. That is considered institutionalized racism and that is illegal. And the laws of this country apply for me, because I, too, am an American citizen- something I worked long and hard for. I have just as many rights as those who discriminate against me.

But what I find worst of all, is that this is just one small point on a line of institutionalized racism that extends far back into history and will continue on into the future. This case will just land itself a spot on a classroom timeline right after Japanese internment, the murder of Vincent Chin, and the beating of Rodney King. We need to work together to open the eyes of our country so we can stop this colored hatred. We need to fight to stop this endless timeline of unjust tragedy, and turn America into the true American Dream of prosperity, liberty, and justice.

Sincerely,
Rachel Kim

Dear diary...

Dear diary,
I am so lost and confused! These big men in uniforms came to our door, told us we had a half an hour to pack, and then shoved us in a big, smelly truck. Mama was calm and told us to pack our backpacks with a toothbrush and some clean clothes. I didn't even have time to pack Teddy. They shoved us in their truck and I was so scared. I held on to Mama, and she told me to be a big girl and not cry. But, diary, I was so scared. I didn't know what I'd done wrong to make the big men so angry. I'd been such a good girl lately- eaten all of my veggies, even if I didn't want to, and going to bed when Mama said. We rode in the big, dirty truck for what felt like days. I don't know how long it really was, but it seemed like forever. And I was SO hungry! And thirsty! But Mama told me to hush and not complain. I didn't dare make the big men even more angry. After an eternity the truck finally stopped. They shoved us out and I gripped onto Mama so I wouldn't lose her. I finally looked at the area around me. Ther were tall barbed wire fences and even angrier looking men than those driving the truck. And they had long guns. I tried not to cry and grabbed onto Mama. They herded us like sheep towards little wooden houses. Except they weren't real houses, just 4 walls made of wood, a roof, and a few sets of bunk beds. Mama set me down on a bed and told me to go to sleep next to Margaret. But I was too scared to sleep. So I wrote to you, dear diary. Oh, I'm so scared. I don't understand what's happening...

reality

Why do they do this
and why don't they try?
How can they do this
and how can they not cry?

They watch as we struggle
they watch as we die
they watch as they smuggle
and no tears leave their eyes.

What they can't seem to see
is that this is no hollywood movie
this is REALITY.

Did you know...

... that in 1978, Congress passed a joint resolution to celebrate Asian American Heritage Week during the first week of May. This week marks two important and symbolic events in American history: on May 7, 1843 the first Japanese immigrants arrived in America, while May 10, 1869 marks the completion of the transcontinental railroad, a feat that would not have been accomplished without the backbreaking work of Chinese laborers.

In 1990, Congress voted to expand Asian American History Week from a week to a month-long celebration.

Disagreements have arisen, however, about the month’s name. Asian American Heritage Month is officially referred to as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month by the government. The month is supposed to honor both Asian and Pacific Islander heritage. However, many Asians do not wish to include “Pacific” in the description of Asian American Heritage Month.
“Asians are not the same as Pacific Islanders, and vice versa,” said Cheska Tolentino, a member of an AAHM planning committee. “The compound term ‘Asian Pacific’ was conveniently coined around the time of the 1990 U.S. Census because the government and other agencies did not recognize that the different Asian cultures and issues are significantly unlike those of Pacific Islanders. "

Did you know...

(5 interesting facts from Exploring the Japanese American Interment)

• The FBI had a list of people they thought were of danger to the USA and created the list using the principle of "guilty by association."
• The Japanese helped support Buddhist churches, therefore the Buddhist priests were considered dangerous by the FBI.
• The FBI arrested more than 2,000 men, labeled them as enemy aliens, and took away their families and all of their belongings.
• The United States went hostage shopping in Latin America and took Latin American citizens.
• In the internment camps, the Japanese were put into a single file line, told to strip, and then were sprayed with a DDT-like chemical power.

Did you know...

... that Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston wrote a novel about her experience as a child in a Japanese internment camp, titled Farewell to Manzanar.

Jeanne tells her story about how her family was forced to the internment camp Manzanar with 10,000 other Japanese Americans in 1942 when she was 7 years old. She recreates the camp including the living conditions of the camp and the whole community that was eventually created with in the barbed wire. She explains how her large family begins to fall apart and how they all struggle to find their identity in a torn world.

Jeanne also continues her story about life after the camp and having to return to a world of hatred and discrimination and her return to the ruins of the camp many years later.

Interview with Rosa Liu

Sarah: Where were you born?

Rosa: I was born in Augsburg, Germany.

Sarah: Would you say that you were raised like a German or more like a Chinese?

Rosa: I think I was raised more like a Chinese because of my parents who are both Chinese and it was important for them that I got to know Chinese culture although I live in Germany. But there were, of course, also many German influences, e.g. the German environment, my German friends, the German kindergarten and finally school. So I was somehow raised in a mixed way: Chinese at home and with our Chinese friends, German in the world “outside.”

Sarah: Do you “feel” like a German?

Rosa: No, I definitely don’t feel like a German. Well yes, I got used to Germany, the culture and so on, it’s a place where everything is very familiar to me. But actually, it’s not my home at all because I know I’m different and in the eyes of German people I will always be a stranger. It’s somehow a contradiction because Germany is almost like a home to me but I still feel like a foreigner and not German.

Sarah: Do you feel “whole” in Germany?

Rosa: I don’t feel “whole” in Germany, not at all. I’m divided into two parts: my German identity and my Chinese one. But I’m never whole, I’m neither German nor Chinese.

Sarah: When did you first realize that you were completely different from other Germans?

Rosa: It was when I started school. On my first school day, some older pupils passed by and they teased me because I’m Chinese. And these kids made fun of me all the years I went to school. I was only 6 years old and therefore I was really confused about it. Afterwards when I realized the situation, I got mad at those people and began to see myself as a foreigner.

Sarah: Have others ever given you trouble because of your Chinese heritage?

Rosa: Yes, there were several arguments with people who were quite racist. But luckily I have never come in contact with Nazis until today and I have never got into a violent conflict. But there was one incident which impressed me very much: about one year ago when I was on my way to the city, an old woman walked towards me and when she noticed me she quickly went to the other side of the road to avoid crossing my way. I was very terrified about this.

Interview with Liyun Chen

Interview with Liyun Chen

Sarah: When did you first come to Germany?

Liyun: In 2004 (September).

Sarah: What were your first impressions of Germany?

Liyun: It was like another world to me, it was new to me, though I knew much about Germany. There were many new faces which were pretty foreign to me, and all of them looked the same. This new situation made me curious but nervous.

Sarah: How did you feel when you first arrived?

Liyun: I was so scared that I lost all my confidence, because I could not speak German well and I didn’t understand anything. So I would be really nervous when someone talked to me. I felt like a special case, because of my Asian looks. Most of the people stared at me and it made me sick. Moreover, I didn’t dare to go out without my mom, and on the other hand I felt like I was handicapped. At school I didn’t enjoy when my classmates tried to approach me to talk with me because of my bad German.

Sarah: How do you feel now?

Liyun: Well, I can speak German pretty well right now, I have no problem to talk to the people or buy something in a supermarket. Maybe I can’t speak German as well as my mother tongue, but I have no problems living here. Now I am more confident and feel much better. Whether other people stare at me strangely or not, it doesn’t matter anymore.

Sarah: Which of your original impressions from Germany have changed?

Liyun: In fact nothing, because I had been to Germany two times, one was an exchange, the other time I was here on vacation. In China, I was at a German-Chinese private school learning German by German teachers since the first class. At that time I already knew much about Germany. Although all Germans look the same, they are really different.

Sarah: Do you feel like a “German”?

Liyun: No, definitely not, I feel like a whole Chinese. Well, I was born and I grew up in China with Chinese culture. I went to Chinese school. So I’ve never had any doubt about my identity.

Sarah: How well has your family integrated?

Liyun: Really well, because my mom studied and works in Germany, so she hasn’t any problems with the language. My father is German, they have mostly German friends and live with German culture, though sometimes we cook Chinese food and celebrate Chinese traditional festivals. Well, I get always gifts for Christmas.

Sarah: Have you had any experiences with racism?

Liyun: No, never. People always stare at me curiously because of my Asian face, but I am used to it and I can understand it completely.

Sarah: Everybody knows about the tragic events that happened in the USA about two weeks ago. The gunman was an Asian. How would you react if your classmates suddenly were afraid of you because you are an Asian, too?

Liyun: Well, I don’t think that my classmates would be afraid of me just because of such a case; it would be really absurd and childish. They know me, so they won’t fear that I could also kill them someday like Cho did. Everybody knows that he is an Asian, but they also know that he is a psycho, too. Just one Asian can’t stand for Asians all over the world. And I will try to make my classmates understand that they can trust me.

Did you know...

...that Rosie O'Donnell caused a great amount of trouble last December with an "offensive racist joke"?

The View co-host, Rosie O'Donnell caused an uproar after using the expression "ching chong" to describe Chinese people talking about Danny DeVito's drunken appearance on her show.

"The fact is that it's news all over the world. That you know, you can imagine in China it's like: 'Ching chong … ching chong. Danny DeVito, ching chong, chong, chong, chong. Drunk. 'The View.' Ching chong," O'Donnell said on a Dec. 5 episode of "The View."

John Liu, a New York City councilman, among with many others, was highly offended, saying that "It really hits a raw nerve for many people in the community — many like myself, who grew up with these kinds of taunts. We all know that it never ends at the taunts."

O'Donnell announced on a later show date that she never intended to mock, and she was
"sorry for those people who felt hurt or were teased on the playground."

Many people still were not satisfied with her meager apology and are outraged that O'Donnell easily got away with such an offensive jab.