Generasians: Fall 2010
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FEMINISM IN THE KPOP INDUSTRY? WELLESLEY ABROAD LIVE, STUDY, WORK GENERASIANS FALL 2010 Q&A WITH PROFESSORS KO AND CREEF THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF WAAM-SLAM THE MOST VIGOROUS STUDENT-LED ACTIVIST MOVEMENT IN WELLESLEY COLLEGE HISTORY FALL2010 1 GENERASIANS | FALL 2010 [ EDITORIAL BOARD ] President Tiffany Chan ‘12, Dear Reader, Caroline Sun ‘11 Ten years ago on December 15, Wellesley College’s Managing Editor Committee on Faculty Appointments denied Natalie Ornell ‘12 Asian-American Studies scholar and then-Assistant Pub Relations Chair Professor of Women’s Studies Elena Creef tenure. Alice Tang ‘13 As you’ll learn in our cover story, the College’s rejection of Creef’s tenure pushed students beyond Main Layout Editor a threshold of tolerating thwarted efforts to nurture Lucy Liu ‘13 multiculturalism, spurring the entire campus into Business Manager/Treasurer action and triggering the largest student movement Alison Song ‘12 ever to hit our campus. As we look ahead to next semester’s events commemorating this critical chapter in Wellesley’s [ GA STAFF ] history, we attempt to capture snapshots of Copy Editors intersections between diversity and cultural identity Mona Guo ‘11, Ashley Lee ‘11, shaping our experiences today. Rachel Shuen ‘12 This issue delves into how our on-campus Features Editor experiences and diverse backgrounds will shape our HeeSoo Chung ‘13 our views and actions beyond the Wellesley “bubble”. The tenth anniversary of WAAM-SLAM comes in a Opinions Editor year when 8 percent of our first-year class identifies as Michelle Shkedi ‘12 biracial, accompanied by the revival of Club Fusion. Assistant Opinions Editor In March, Asian-American Awareness Month, we Erika Turner ‘13 look forward to a student-held stage production Spotlights/Reviews Editor contemplating Yellow Face, a satirical contemplation Esther Kim ‘12 of the Hollywood practice that brought us faux-Asian characters like Mr. Yunioshi in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” Assistant Spotlights Editor In addition to chronicling advances and issues in Connie Shen ‘14, Diana Su ‘14 multiculturalism on campus, we consider how cross- Arts/Literary Editor cultural collaboration bridges understanding on a Regina Tahk ‘12 global scale. As critical consumers of pop culture, Creative Works Editor corporate culture, and many themes in between, our Jie Han ‘12 writers consider how the world around us shapes what we know and learn, and how we, in turn, affect Creative Works Team the world. Wendy Chen ‘14, In celebrating the 10-year anniversary, we Reffat Manzur ‘14, Ji-Su Park ‘13 acknowledge that the narrative of WAAM-SLAM Columnists is just one thread woven into the larger tapestry Catherine Guo ‘13, Christine J. Lee portraying the evolving ideals of multiculturalism ‘12, Katie Wright ‘12 and diversity at Wellesley and beyond. We hope that this issue begins conversations and inspires our Contributors readers to think deeply about their own experiences Jane Qu ‘14, Eda Lee ‘14 and identities. Staff Writers Katie Chen ‘13, Jessica Choi ‘13, Questionably yours, Patricia Liu ‘14, Christine Oh ‘13 Assistant Layout Editors Tiffany Chan ‘12 and Caroline Sun ‘11 Michelle Chien ‘14, Shreya Chohan ‘13, Cicia Lee ‘14, Yang Li ‘13 Business Team Allison Li ‘13, Carol Ling ‘13, Lin Mimi Han ‘13 2 GENERASIANS GENERASIANS STAFF SPOTLIGHT 4 BY HEE SOO CHUNG ‘13 & YANG LI ‘14 FEMINISM IN KPOP: IT’S THE MANGEMENT, STUPID 6 BY PATRICIA LIU ‘14 THE NEW EVOLUTION OF FEMINISM IN KPOP 8 BY REGINA TAHK ‘12 MEET PROFESSOR YU JIN KO 10 BY ESTHER KIM ‘12 & REGINA TAHK ‘12 NEEDED: BONE MARROW DONORS OF ASIAN/MULTICULTURAL DESCENT 12 BY KATIE CHEN ‘13 FUSION: BEST OF BOTH WORLDS 15 BY KATIE WRIGHT ‘12 THE P’YONGYANG PROJECT 16 BY ERIKA TURNER ‘13 HOW TO.... 20 BY WENDY CHEN ‘14, JIE HAN ‘12, REFFAT MANZUR ‘14, JI-SU PARK ‘13 WAAM-SLAM: TEN YEARS LATER 22 BY JESSICA CHOI ‘13 ASIAN POSES PHOTOSHOOT 27 BY JIE HAN ‘12 & CAROLINE SUN ‘11 DESTINATION: ALLSTON 30 BY WENDY CHEN ‘14, JIE HAN ‘12, & CAROLINE SUN ‘11 CONTENTS A SUMMER OF EXCHANGE IN JAPAN 32 BY EDA LEE ‘14 VIDEOTAGE: INTERNING IN HONG KONG 34 BY ASHLEY LEE ‘11 INTERNSHIP ABROAD: SOUTH KOREA 36 BY CHRISTINE J. LEE ‘12 HUGE ECONOMIES, BUT WHERE ARE THE WOMEN? 38 BY CATHERINE GUO ‘13 OF YELLOW FACE COMES TO WELLESLEY 40 BY NATALIE ORNELL ‘12 CREATIVE WORKS 42 BY WENDY CHEN ‘14 & JAELIM CHUNG ‘12 MIRROR, MIRROR: DIGITAL YOUTH AND BEAUTY IN KOREA 44 BY JESSICA CHOI ‘13 & JI-SU PARK ‘13 TARGETED: A LOOK AT MOB CULTURE IN KOREA 49 BY PATRICIA LIU ‘14 ASIAN PRESENCE ON TV 54 BY CONNIE SHEN ‘14 & DIANA SU ‘14 THE LEGEND OF KORRA 56 BY ESTHER KIM ‘12 TABLE MEANWHILE 59 BY WENDY CHEN ‘14 FALL2010 3 GENERASIANS: STAFF SPOTLIGHT As part of GenerAsians Magazine’s annual fall staff retreat, members were paired with an interview partner, given five minutes to get to know each other, and then had ten minutes to write a brief profile on their new friend. Of those interviews, the editorial board selected these as the best. COOL BANGS SPEAK A THOUSAND WORDS: CICIA LEE ‘14 by heesoo chung ‘13 ith her bangs cooly got formed. swept aside, Cicia “We were in sixth grade… Lee, a first-year at and we were lame,” Lee said. WWellesley from Michigan, Other than guitar-playing, began explaining how she Lee likes to read and drink tea. started playing guitar. She also likes to eat breakfast A guitar-player for seven but doesn’t like eating in years, Lee explained that she general. When asked about started learning guitar in pet peeves, she said she didn’t sixth grade when her friends have many. wanted to start a band, “I’m pretty chill about which, unfortunately, never things,” Lee said. (Top) Cicia Lee ‘14 (Left) HeeSoo Chung ‘13 4 GENERASIANS THE PASSIONATE JOURNALIST AND WRITER: ESTHER KIM ‘12 by yang li ‘13 inger on her chin and eyes in deep thought, Esther Kim scribbles furiously yet elegantly onto a piece of paper. It’s Fa typical activity for an aspiring writer. Kim hails from New York, and has a younger sister. This summer she took Introduction to Statistics (ECON 103) and then, in her own words, “bummed around back home in New York.” Although Kim is minoring in economics, her true passion lies in writing. The English major has written for The Wellesley Pavilion, Wellesley News, and has photographed for Legenda. Her goal is to be published in every Wellesley publication before she graduates. “I still need to write for Counterpoint!” she exclaims. Nonetheless, she claims that GenerAsians is the best publication at Wellesley. Why? “It’s the prettiest magazine, and it’s in full color!” Here’s to another exciting year of writing. (Right) Yang Li ‘13 (Top) Esther Kim ‘12 FALL2010 5 FEMINISM IN KPOP IT’S THE MANAGEMENT, STUPID by patricia liu ‘14 -pop: It’s all fun and their willingness to tell boys and games until that they “don’t care-eh-eh-eh- someone brings eh-eh.” Young, female audiences Kup sexism. liked that. Heck, I liked that – and I don’t know about not only because I was a total CL all you other K-pop fans fangirl. I saw 2NE1 and thought, out there, but when I’m “Hey! Maybe this is a sign that the jamming out to the latest feminist movement in Korea is overproduced cotton candy growing! Maybe empowerment fluff to hit the K-pop scene, in women will become a social I’m not gonna distract myself norm! Maybe we’ll finally be with comparatively unfun things regarded as equals now!” like gender roles, hypersexuality Wrong. and objectification. Oh no, surely 2NE1 is oftentimes compared not when I’m being distracted to Girls’ Generation (also known full-time by flashy dances and as So Nyeo Shi Dae, or SNSD), Kpop group 2NE1 Kpop group http://ygfamily.com godly voices and very, very a popular K-pop girl group attractive faces. and home to the nine reigning So when one of my favorite princesses of the K-pop industry. attractive faces drives herself Girls’ Generation has stolen straight into a trainwreck of a the hearts of men everywhere feminism issue, then I’m a little since their 2007 debut, which peeved. Just a little. therefore makes them nine of I’m not the biggest 2NE1 fan, the most hated girls in the K-pop but I am a fan of 2NE1’s leader, industry by other girls. One CL. The 19-year-old rapper might assume that this hatred redefined the girl group image is rooted out of jealousy. Which when 2NE1 burst onto the K-pop is a viable possibility. But then scene in mid-2009. 2NE1 brought one discovers organizations like something that was previously “Stand Till All Nine Disappear,” unfamiliar to the K-pop girl or STAND – who have a mission group scene, which had been rooted in a purpose much deeper dominated by the girly-girlish than mere jealousy. likes of Girls’ Generation and “Everything from [Girls’ Wonder Girls. That “something” Generation’s] dance moves, was called “fierce.” facial expressions and their Since then, the four members outfits are chock full of sexual of K-pop girl group 2NE1 have connotations,” claims STAND. become the pioneers in promoting “The image characterizes them the “strong girl” image in K-pop, as representatives of their what with their crazysexycool Generation…” outfits, their club-oriented songs “What kind of society needs 6 GENERASIANS “INDEED. GIRLS’ GENERATION WAS DESIGNED TO APPEAL TO MEN – MANY OF THEIR SONGS’ LYRICS PORTRAY AND PROPAGATE A RATHER SUBMISSIVE IMAGE OF GIRLS PANDERING FOR AFFECTION FROM OLDER MEN OR ASKING THEM TO ‘TELL ME YOUR WISH.’” Girls’ Generation (SNSD) http://pandabutter.wordpress.com a role model that characterizes designers want you to think.