Context: Folsom Cordova Unified School District Southeast Asians in California 2460 Cordova Lane, Volume 11, Number 86, Novmber-December, 1990 Rancho Cordova CA 95670 (916) 635-6815 Judy Lewis, Editor

Human Mirrors and Self-Worth

We were in the “suicide lane”, waiting for a break can’t hurt anyone.” in the oncoming traffic to make a left turn. Facing us “But do people do that to you a lot? Do you get was another car, also waiting for to turn left. My idling that kind of look from people all the time?” words froze in the air as I suddenly I became aware of “Sure, I guess so. Usually I just ignore it. We say the woman passenger in the other car. The malignant that when you come to another people’s country you expression on her face as she talked to her compan- have to act like a female cow. But my wife does get ion, looking back and forth between him and us cut really upset. Sometimes she doesn’t want to go out.” right through the insulating space and windshields that “I can’t blame her for that.” separated us. I was struck literally dumb. I was as- “One time she was driving the Celica by herself tounded that so much could be communicated without and some Americans in another car drove up beside words or gestures. I don’t think it was paranoia—as a her and started yelling at her and pointing, saying white girl raised in a mellow middle-class neighbor- things like why was she driving that kind of car, and hood, my experiences up until that moment had taught why didn’t she go back to where she belonged, called me that my fellow man was generally tolerant or at the her ‘nip’ and things like that. They drove along beside very least benign in his disinterest. her for a long time, and she felt really afraid. Some- I turned to the person who was driving the car, my times other people are hard to ignore.” friend and co-worker, a Hmong. “Does this happen to you very often?” Sociologists and psychologists say that each of us “What’s that?” he wondered. forms an image of who we are by the reflections we “Look at them, over there, in that car. Can’t you see in the mirrors that are other people. What this see the hatred? What’s her problem?” woman reflected was very negative—if members of “Oh, that. Don’t worry about it. It’s only a look, it (continues on next page) page 2 Context: Southeast Asians in California

minority groups see such reflections, and faced with the reality of being minorities, if the reflections are so easily seen over of looking into mirrors where the image distance, without the use of words, how is suddenly becomes menacing. Some it possible for them to learn self-worth? newcomer groups are better prepared How do people get up the courage to go than others for dealing with these out into a world inhabited by people who negative reflections. communicate their attitudes so easily, so Some groups arrive with a long silently, so quickly? history of being minorities in their Jade Snow Wong, author of Fifth former countries—the Hmong, Mien, Chinese Daughter was interviewed for a Khmu, overseas Chinese. By choice most PBS program about Maxine Hong lived apart from the majority group, in Kingston, author of Woman Warrior and different villages or sections of town. China Men. She said, in response to a Still, they developed skills that enable question about racial prejudice: “they them to maintain personal worth when called me ‘chinky chinky chinaman’, but I faced with the “majority mirror”. These thought, ‘Well, Chinese were civilized skills would be valuable to identify and before your ancestors were. I think that teach in American schools. kind of thing kept me from feeling Other newcomer groups used to be inferior. I never felt inferior even though I the majority (the Vietnamese, Lao, and was discriminated against.’” I’ve heard Cambodians) and must be ill-prepared to the same kind of thinking when one deal with their new position as minori- Hmong says to another about an incident ties. Their cultural orientation to life in someone of ‘looking at me strange’: America needs to include interpersonal “Well, he doesn’t really know how to act skills that enable a person to recognize like an adult yet...” Displays of emotion, and deal with negative interactions, especially out-of-control emotion, are verbal and nonverbal, without losing seen as the province of children. personal worth. Actually, I was a minority once. I The two problems that face us as visited Thailand a few years ago, and educators are (1) how to identify those there were times when I was the only essential skills and incorporate them into white face—the only falang—in the crowd teaching newcomers, and (2) how to for days at a time. My Thai “mirrors” break the generational cycle of xenopho- reflected curiosity, wariness and even bia. eagerness, but not once hatred or preju- Any ideas? Do you have materials dice. My difference seemed special rather that work? Has anyone tried the old than strange—a positively valued differ- Values Clarification strategies in class- ence rather than a negatively valued rooms with both newcomers from difference. various cultures and American-born students? Are there any materials for Of course, in this country, to be conflict resolution that focus on the American has been for 200 years nonverbal and intercultural? synonomous with being European. As the implicit definition of American is in the throes of change, there is resistance from those who want to keep the racial distinc- tions intact (“us” vs. “them” thinking). OPINIONThose non-Europeans who have come to live in America are immediately Volume 11, No. 86, November-December, 1990 page 3 By Diana Ho: Life, for anyone, begins as a taught me to realize I must work people. I would thereby repay simple journey; then as time hard to educate myself to acquire this country for helping my passes, there emerge wide rivers to the sense of self-worth and dignity family and me in our times of cross and high mountains to climb. to be independent and confident. poverty, and I would give These barriers are tests of strength As I stepped from childhood myself the gift of great personal and character an individual must into adolescence, my culture and satisfaction. overcome to mature both intellec- family values caused me many I have overcome feelings of tually and emotionally. The major internal conflicts. Being restricted disgrace and shame to learn obstacle I’ve had to confront is from participating in American fun pride. My family and back- being able to respect my family and activities of dating and parties ground have had a profound myself as Vietnamese people, as made me feel different and inse- and positive influence on my non-whites in a society where cure. I recall inviting very few identity and values, both of customs are often completely American friends to come to my which will help me for the rest contrary to the oriental value home because I was embarrassed of my life. From extremely system. My experiences integrating about my parents’ heavy accents. modest circumstances, I have into the American culture have Yet my mom would always cut out developed into an independent, proven that my heritage and family magazine articles of successful confident, outgoing and re- are blessings that have helped me Oriental students for me to tape to spected person, which gives me become independent, confident, my wall, and at dinner my dad courage to move forward. secure and appreciative. would often have discussions Wherever I go to college— I remember how much I about education, morals and his whether it be U.C. Berkeley or desperately wanted to be a part of life experiences. Feeling torn apart U.C. Davis, both of which the American crowd in elementary from what I assumed I had to act would be fantastic learning school, especially after my parents like at school and how I actually environments for me—I am told me to play with the white, was at home often caused me to determined to succeed for middle-class kids because I would resent my parents; however, their others and for myself. My learn more from them than from constant pride and love made me journey has already taken me the Orientals and Mexicans living ashamed of my own self-conscious- across the wide river of racial in my housing area. Although I ness. Now as I shift to adulthood, I identity. I now seek the high kept trying, I was never accepted as feel thankful to my parents for mountains of an inspiring American because I was a shy, giving me a sense of identity in university education where I strange-looking Oriental girl who being Vietnamese; therefore, I will find academic and personal dressed in free clothes given by consider myself unique, rather than success. church charities to those who lived strange, at never having shaved my on welfare. I would try to eat my legs, never having a boyfriend, or free lunch with the white children, never having been to a school but the seats were often saved for dance. their friends. My real friends were Looking back, I know I have Follow up questions: the Cambodians, Hmongs, and discovered the best of me as This essay was written to appeal to Vietnamese with whom I played evidenced by my leadership in a panel of American essay evalua- rubberbands or with whom I went extracurricular activities, my tors, and follows “rules” for what is apple-picking, tree-climbing, and honors, and my number one rank acceptable, desirable, etc. Can you crayfish-catching on Saturdays and in my class. I am committed to identify the ways in which the Sundays. It was with those Asian continue the pursuit of excellence writing conforms to American kids that I had fun, yet I dispar- by fulfilling my lifelong goal to values? What conventional Viet- aged them at the same time be- become a doctor. I wish to be a namese values have been aban- cause I felt shame at being a university professor, teaching doned for the purpose of this minority, poor and always depen- medical students, doing research, essay? Can you verbalize the dent on charity. Ironically, how- and offering my time at a free values that would are in conflict? ever, it was these humiliations that medical clinic to aid low income How might a bicultural person page 4 Context: Southeast Asians in California

What do you mean when you say that?

What people say... “Speak English at every opportunity, so you can become proficient in English quickly.”

What they mean... People learn English by speaking it.

Why it’s a fallacy This is a holdover from the old theoretical model of language learning in which a person memorizes set patterns of English, and that saying them over an over helps cement them in the speaker’s repertoire. The current model hold that spoken English is only a clue that language acquisition has taken place—not the process by which English profi- ciency develops. Think of English output as a dipstick measuring the 1 amount of English in the brain. Whether or not a person acutally uses the English they know depends on many factors.

What the listener hears... 1—What does this person think I do all day long??? S/he is criticizing my effort! If only s/he knew how hard I try! 2—Does this person think I don’t understand the importance of speak- ing English in the US? I may be new, but I’m not a fool. 3—I work hard at speaking English—I wish this person would work a little harder at understanding what I mean...even though my speech is imperfect.

What people say... To newcomer adults: “Always speak English at home with your children.”

What they mean... 1—Speaking English with your children will speed up their acquisition. 2—Show your children by example that English is important.

Why this is a fallacy Think of the number of hours children have English input in school, with friends, from TV. If parents have limited English, they will have limited verbal interaction with their children if they use English— children then end up with no language to think with. It’s preferable to recommend that parents provide plenty of English reading material in the home, to talk about all kinds of things in the 2 native tongue, and to read to the children in any language.

What the listener hears... 1—Our children are learning English very fast as it is—they’re losing the chance to be bilingual. 2—Does a/he think I don’t encourage my kids to know English well? Volume 11, No. 86, November-December, 1990 page 5

What people say... To children at recess: “English only at school! Don’t speak ______here.”

What they mean.. I don’t feel comfortable when I don’t know what you’re talking about. See #1.

Why this is a fallacy Thinking in a second language is an energy-intensive occupation (it requires alert attention, and is often accompanied by anxiety). Finding a friend who speaks the same language is a chance to relax.

What the listener hears ... This person doesn’t like my language (doesn’t like me). 3

What people say... “You’re in America now—do it our way.”

What they mean.. I think that diversity results in disunity. The US is a melting pot, so every- one must quickly become “American”.

Why this is a fallacy The US is monolinugual by public policy and economic practice. Linguistic diversity does not result in separatism unless people—as a group—are denied access to the “American dream”.

What the listener hears ... It’s not good to be different linguistically (however, it is good to be differ- ent artistically or athletically or intellectually). 4

What people say... “You should ______” (fill in the blank).

What they mean.. It’s my place to teach you.

Why this is a fallacy The verb should implies that there is a desired goal, and the person has not yet reached it. If the person is already aware of the desired condition, the should can be insulting or at the least a statement of the obvious.

What the listener hears... This person is treating me like a parent treats his child. I wish this person would instead tell me how Americans do things, and why, and let me decide for myself if I should ______. 5 page 6 Context: Southeast Asians in California

Refugee Ceilings for Estimated Authorized Refugee Arrivals Levels FY 1991 FY 91 FY 1990 The 1991 ceiling for Africa 3,500 4,900 refugees entering the U.S. has been set at East Asia 51,800 52,000 131,000, including Eastern Europe 6,200 5,000 10,000 who will be sponsored at private Latin America & 2,400 3,100 Caribbean expense. Southeast Asia and the Soviet Soviet Union 42,800 50,000 Union account for Near East & South 5,000 6,000 more than 100,000 of Asia the total number. Africa’s ceiling has Subtotal: funded 111,700 121,000 been raised to 4,900, refugees an increase over Unfunded USSR 8,000 prior years. Other Private Sector 3,100 10,000 Highlights include: Total 122,800 131,000

•Ethiopians will comprise the largest number of African refugees without individual proof—Soviet refugees, followed by refugees from South religious groups, Armenians, certain groups Africa. African countries of Angola, Ethiopia, from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.) Liberia, Mozambique, South Africa, Somalia, Approximately 40,000 will be Soviet Jews, and Zaire are listed as FY91 concerns. 10,500 Evangelical Christians, 5,000 Arme- •Indochinese will enter from first asylum nians, and 3,000 Catholic and Orthodox camps (about 14,500: 5,500 Vietnamese, Ukrainians. 3,000 Lao, and 6,000 Laotian highlanders) as •The American Jewish community privately well as via the Orderly Departure Program. funded 8,000 refugees last year. The US will Cambodians are offically considered as provide about $35 million to Israel to assist “finished”—the 300,000 Khmer living in with the resettlement of Soviet Jews there. border encampments do not qualify as •From Eastern Europe, 5,000 refugees will be refugees. Those 12,300 remaining in the last Albanian, Romanian or Bulgarian. Hungar- UN run refugee camp, Khao-I-Dang, have ians, Polish, and Czechs are no longer been rejected as refugees. Their cases will be considered to be refugees, except for close considered one by one on appeal. relatives entering with “Visa 93” (spouses •Burmese, Tibetans, and Chinese refugees will and children) from Poland and Romania. total about 1,500. This the the first time they •3,100 slots are available for Latin America have been listed separately. Last year the UN and the Caribbean—3,000 slots are for provided food relief to Burmans in refugee Cubans, leaving 100 for all of Central camps inside Thailand. America. •Soviet refugees now process directly from •6,000 refugees from the Middle East will be the USSR (This means they do not have to be Afghans, Iranians, Iraqi, along with a few outside their country of residence to be Syrians, and Libyans. Those from Iran are considered refugees—the Lautenburg religious minorities, and those who played INFOamendment presumes certain groups to be significant roles under the Shah. This region Volume 11, No. 86, November-December, 1990 page 7

has the largest number of refugees and dis- 600,000 Arab and Asian nationals working placed persons: 5 million Afghans, 4 million in Iraq and Kuwait. The Iraqi Kurds in Palestinians, 1 million Iranians, 100,000 Iraqis, Turkey are a group of special concern. The and thousands of others; following the invasion Afghans are waiting for repatriation after of Kuwait, hundreds of thousands were conditions in Afghanistan stabilize. displaced, including 240,000 Kuwaitis and

Refugee Arrivals, FY 90 (11 of 12 months)

Country FY90 Total, as of Ceiling August 31, 1990 Africa 3,500 3,070 East Europe 6,200 5,663

Angola 59 Albania 76

Benin, 10 Bulgaria 303 Czechoslavakia 340 Ethiopia 2,856 Hungary 274 Ghana 11 Poland 1,417 So Africa 24 Romania 3,247 Uganda 27 Yugoslavia 6 Zaire 59 Soviet Union 52,100 49,395 Burundi, Cameroon, 24 Chad, Liberia, Direct 3,050 Mozaique, Somalia, Sudan Via Rome, 46,395 East Asia- 25,000 21,292 Vienna 1st asylum Latin 2,400 1,610 America Cambodia 1,992 Cuba 1,065 China (PRC) 51 El Salvador 22 Lao 2,857 Nicaragua 518 Laotian 4,462 Peru, Argentina 5 highlanders Near East/ 5,000 4,567 Vietnam 11,298 So Asia Burma 2 Afghanistan 1,314

ODP 10,437 Iran 3,199 Amerasian

ODP 11,320 Reeducation camp, other refugees

From Refugee Reports XI(10): 3, October 26, 1990 page 8 Context: Southeast Asians in California

Keeping Traditions Alive: FALCON The Arts of Southeast Asia Cornell University’s special year-long The Peabody Museum, East India language study program. Students study Square, Salem, MA 01970, 508 745-1876 language only, six hours per day—1,200 March 1990 to June 15, 1991 hours of study. FALCON programs are Exhibit of traditional arts of Cambodia, offered in Indonesian, Chinese, and Lao, T’ai, Khmu, Hmong, and Vietnam- Japanese. Contact Director, FALCON, ese people in the United States. Dept of Modern Languages and Linguis- tics, Cornell University, 203 Morrill Hall, Ithaca NY 14853-4701, 607 255-6457. Hmong Odyssey: Tradition in Transition Burma Studies Foundation Science Museum of Minnesota Center for Burma Studies Wabash & 10th Streets, St. Paul, MN John Ferguson, Secretary-Treasurer, Opens December 1, 1990 Burma Studies Foundation, HCR1, Box The centerpiece of this exhibit is a 144, Warnerville, NY 12187, 518 234-2276. traditional Hmong house, built by four Hmong men in the Twin Cities, led by Lines of Fire senior crew member Nyia Yer Yang. The First Run Features, exhibit tells the story of the Hmong 153 Waverly Place, people, their traditional culture and their New York, NY 10014, 212 243-0600. resettlement in the US and Minnesota. 58-minute video of the September 1988 uprising of Burmese students for democ- racy. Following the bloody crackdown SEASSI 1991 that ensued, many fled to the Thai Cornell University border, where they wait in refugee June 3 to August 9, 1991 camps. Burmese, Indonesian, Javanese, Khmer, Lao, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese. Ten weeks’ language study carries eight Bank of Thailand— credits, or 2 semesters’ worth of study. Grants for Some tuition fellowships are available Thai Graduate Students (deadlines for application are January 15 Support for graduate study in the US, and April 1, 1991). Contact John Wolff, UK, Australia, New Zealand for Thai Director, SEASSI, Cornell University, citizens. Students must be under 25, in G02E Uris Hall, Ithaca NY 14853, 607 255- good health, have excellent academic 1906. Deadline for application to the records, and have finanacial support. program itself is May 15, 1991. Contact Bank of Thailand, Surawongse Road, Bangkok 10500. Passages Ordering information $24.95, plus tax and $2.00 shipping & Lost Years: My 1,632 Days handling, from Katsuyao Howard, in Vietnamese Reeducation Southeast Asia Student Services, Califor- nia State University, Fresno. 93740-0056. Camps Phone 209 278-2782 for information. 1988. Vu Tri Tran. Institute of East Asian Studies, 2223 Fulton St., Univ of CA Resources Berkeley 94720. $15.00. Volume 11, No. 86, November-December, 1990 page 9

Southeast Asian The Center for Applied Lin- Linguistics Society (SEALS) guistics National Clearing- 1st annual conference house on Literacy Education May 9-11, 1991 (NCLE) Wayne State University, Detroit MI 1118 22nd St., NW, Washington, DC 20037 Key speakers will be Gérard Diffloth of 202 429-9292 Cornell, and James Matisoff of UCBerkeley. Directory of US literacy programs serving Presentations will address topics of Tibeto- LEP adults and out-of-school youth, mono- Burman, Hmong-Mien, Tai-Kadai, graphs, guides, fact sheet (ERIC Digests). Austroasiatic, and Austronesian language families. For information on SEALS or the conference, contact Martha Ratliff, Linguis- tics Program, Dept of English, Wayne State Sacramento-Stockton University, Detroit, MI 48202, 313 577-3358. Family English Literacy Project Parenting Curriculum for NCBE Language Minority Students National Clearinghouse for Available in English, Hmong, Khmer, Bilingual Education Spanish, and soon Lao. Contact the Cross- Cultural Resource Center, 916 929-3708, for 1118 22nd St., NW ordering information. Washington, DC 20037 Field program teachers at Kennedy 202 467-0867, 800-321-NCBE Elementary School (Elk Grove USD), Ethel Fax 202 429-9766 Phillips Elementary School (Sacramento City USD), Dyer-Kelly Elementary School Program Information Guide Series (San Juan USD), and Marshall Middle No. 10: Innovative Strategies for Teaching Math to Limited English Proficient Stu- School (Stockton USD) coordinate this text dents (W.G. Secada) with two other ESL texts, English for Adult No. 11: Teaching Writing to Potentially Competency (Prentice-Hall), and A New Start: English Proficient Students Using Whole Literacy Workbook I and II (Heinemann Language Approaches (E.V. Hamayan) Educational Books). No. 12: Strategies for Involving LEP Stu- dents in the All-English-Medium Class- room: A Coopertive Learning Approach (C. Building on Diversity: Cochran) Language Minority Students Occasional Paper Series as an Asset in our Schools No. 10: Limited English Proficient Students February 28-March 1, 1991 at Risk: Issues and Prevention Strategies Oakland Airport Hilton (R.C. Gingras, R.C. Careaga) Sponsored by Multifunctional Resource No. 11: Training LEP Students for the Workplace: Trends in Vocational Education Center, 5th annual training conference. (J. Lopez-Valadez) For information, call Bruce Akizuki, No. 12: English Literacy Development: 415 834-9458. Approaches and Strategies that Work with LEP Children and Adults (C. Simich- Dudgeon) Resources page 10 Context: Southeast Asians in California

Hmong Class The Changing Lives of Repeat of Hmong 1 taught by Lue Vang Refugee Hmong Women, Ph.D. thesis, 1989. 45 hours of class time, equivalent to 4.5 Nancy Donnelly. Univ of WA. South- CEU’s (or 3 units). Continuing Education east Asian Studies, DR-06, Units granted through California State Univ of Washington, University Extension, useful for teachers Seattle WA 98195, 206 632-4264. and nurses professional growth. This class Anthropological study that compares meets half the requirement for language Hmong women’s current lives with study for the Language Development their Southeast Asian past. Specialist certificate. One class has been scheduled for Kampuchean, Laotian, and semester break (December and January, on Vietnamese Refugees: CSUS campus); it is currently full. We have one or two people who want to meet at a A Bibliography different time and place. If there are a few 1988. Michel Mignot. more—who want to meet on Saturday Centre National de la Recherche mornings or in the evening—we can open a Scientifique and the Refugee Studies second class. Programme, Oxford University. Students share the instructor fee, and £4.00 plus postage from Refugee those who want CEU’s pay about $60. Call Studies Programme, Queen Elizabeth Lue Vang at 916 635-6815 for information. House, 21 St. Giles, Oxford OX13LA he Production and England. Marketing of Ethnic Cambodian Folktale Series Handicrafts in the US, 1989. Peng Kem. A Curriculum and Teacher’s Guide Portland Multilingual Educational for Training Refugees Programs, Portland Public Schools, 331 1988. Refugee Women in Development, Inc., Veranda St., Portland, MA 04103, 207 810 First St. NE, Suite 300, 874-8135. $3.50. 15 illustrated bilingual Washington, DC 20002, 202 289-1104. folk tales. A 330-page guide for helping refugees The Amerasians: establish a business for the development A 1990 Update and sale of quality handicrafts. $17.00 per copy. RefWID also loan a 384 slide collec- In America: Perspectives on Refugee tion to assist with presentations ($20.00). Resettlement, No. 9, October 1990. Contact person at the above address is Douglas Gilzow & Donald Ranard. Phyllis Erikson. Vietnamese Amerasians: Practical Implications of Current Research J. Kirk Felsman, Mark C. Johnson, Frederick Leong, Irene Felsman. Office of Refugee Resettlement, 370 L’Enfant Promenade, SW, 6th Floor, ResourcesWashington, DC 20447. Volume 11, No. 86, November-December, 1990 page 11 Armenians

Bookstores 213 467-9483 213 933-5238 818 500-1343

Armenian Language Lab and Organizations Lutheran Social Services In the Sacramento area, Resource Center 333 W. Broadway #303 contact Armenian Diocesse Book- Zoryan Institute Glendale, CA 91204 store 16200 Ventur Blvd #423 818 502-0146 Father Asbed Balian 630 Second Avenue Encino, CA 91436 Armenian St. James Church New York, NY 10016 818 784-0748 Armenian Educational 3240 B Street 212 686-0717 Foundation Sacramento, CA 95816 Armenian National 600 W. Broadway #130 916 443-3633 Armenian Prelacy Bookstore Committee Glendale, CA 91204 138 39th Street 419-A West Colorado St. #3 818 242-4154 New York, NY 10016 Glendale, CA 91204 212 689-7810 818 500-1918 Council for Armenian Students in Public Schools National Association of Armenian Film Foundation 213 663-8273 Armenian Studies and 2219 E. Thousand Oaks Research Blvd #29 3985 Concord Avenue Thousand Oaks, CA 91362 People Belmont, MA 02178 617 489-1610 Hamazkayin Alice Petrossian 109 E. Harvard (basement) Director, Intercultural Shirak Printing and Glendale, CA 91203 Education Bookstore 818 244-4477 Glendale Unified School 4960 Hollywood Blvd District Los Angeles, CA 90027 Homenetmen, Ararat Chapter 223 N. Jackson St. 213 667-1128 544 W. Broadway Glendale, CA 91260 Glendale, CA 91204 Sardarabad Bookstore 818 246-3165 Zabelle Alahydoian, 1110-B South Glendale 213 664-1137, or Ave. A.G.B.U. Nora Ashjian, 213 664-7610 Glendale, CA 91205 589 N. Larchmont Blvd Armenian Evangelical 818 500-0790 Los Angeles, CA 90004 Service Center 213 467-2428 5250 Santa Monica Blvd, Uniarts Publishing Co. Suite 201 1745 Gardena Ave., #102 Armenian Society of Los Los Angeles, CA 90026 Glendale, CA 91204 Angeles 818 244-1167 221 S. Brand Avenue Edward Tchakalian Glendale, CA 91204 St. Peter Armenian Apostolic Armenian Reference Book 818 241-1073 Church [Taken from program book Company 17231 Sherman Way for the 1st Statewide PO Box 231 Armenian Youth Federation Van Nuys, CA 91406 Armenian Cultural Confer- ence, May 8, 1990, in Glendale, CA 91209 419-A West Colorado 818 344-4860 Pasadena, and Hach 818 504-2550 Glendale, CA 91204 Yasamura, Sacramento Dept 818 243-4491 Armenian Relief Society of of Social Welfare (916 732- 3514). The numbers have not Abril Bookstore Western USA, Inc. been re-checked for current 5450 Santa Monica Blvd Armenian Society of America 517 W. Glenoaks Ave. status, however....] Los Angeles, CA 90029 6311 Wilshire Blvd #222 Glendale CA 91202 Los Angeles, CA 90048 Resources page 12 Context: Southeast Asians in California

Iu-Mien, Yiu Mien, Kim Mun, Yao

The Yao ethnic group in Southeast Asia has two main branches, the Yiu Mien and the Kim Mun. Many clans in northern Vietnam are Kim Mun, while the majority of Yiu Mien in northern Laos and Thailand belong to the Yiu Mien branch. Each branch has subdivisions with various names, distinctive dress and clan ritual customs.

This opening paragraph comes from David Tsanh Tzing Lee, of Portland, Oregon, who was one of several American Iu-Mien to attend the Third International Colloquium of the International Association for Yao Studies, held June, 1990, in Toulouse, France. The research conference was jointly sponsored by the French Association for Yao Studies, the Association of the Yao in France, the Research Centre on the Anthropology of South China and the Indochinese Peninsula, and the Department of Anthropology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. What is remarkable about the efforts of this group of Yao (Mien)-oriented associations is that it is a global effort. This recent conference used four languages: Mien (Yao), Chinese, English, and French. The proceedings are published in Chinese and English. The conferences have alternated between China, Hong Kong, France, and Thailand. Interested persons from all over the world work together to research and document (print) information on aspects of Mien life. At the very least, this kind of global association creates a network that can easily be linked by satellite. This effort emphasizes the rather remarkable fact that the Mien—in France, China, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, etc.—see themselves as one people, and make decisions, for example, about the written language, with an eye to the needs of the Mien in all these different places. [Another model of this world-wide linkage of “overseas” people is the Over- seas Chinese Education program based in Taiwan. That program provides educa- tional materials of high quality in Chinese and English (Spanish, Vietnamese, etc.) for Chinese schools to use in teaching the next generation. In addition, they provide a monthly bilingual newsletter that provides lessons and background information for teachers in these extra-curricular programs. With interesting and dependable materials, the communities locate teachers, who are not hindered by local credentialling hurdles, and organize programs that do in fact produce biliterate individuals. The parents pay tuition.] Persons interested in Mien issues—worldwide—might want to subscribe to the IAYS (International Association of Yao Studies), and receive their occasional newsletter. Dues are $15US per year, payable to IAYS, care of the Treasurer, Inter- national Association of Yao Studies, Dept of Anthropology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong. Moving Mountains: The Story of the Yiu Mien a new film by Elaine Velazquez “It has not been easy for $900 (16 mm color film) This hour-long video our old people to adjust $100 (rental of film) shows through images, from one culture to $450 Videocassette interview, and sound the another. As we Mien say Feather & Fin Productions essence of “Mien”, past ‘moving mountains is 2818 SW First Avenue and present. Meeting three Portland OR 97201 more easy than moving 503 294-0321 wives, the viewer catches a your mind’.” glimpse of the social Ay Choy Saelee changes taking place. It’s a good one!! Volume 11, No. 86, November-December, 1990 page 13

January in Florida! NAFEA Conference

St. Petersburg, Florida has been chosen to host the 12th Annual National Associa- tion for the Education and Advancement of Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese Americans (NAFEA) Conference on April 18-20, 1991. The conference will be held at the St. Petersburg Hilton and Towers, situated near the harbor, the baseball stadium, Bayfront Center entertainment complex, museums, waterfront parks, and specialty shops. To become a member of NAFEA, send $20 NAFEA, a non-profit organization founded in 1979 as the National Association (individual membership for Vietnamese American Education (NAVAE), changed its name in 1989. It was for 1990) to Pam Seubert, renamed NAFEA to better represent its ongoing agenda, one that has always NAFEA Treasurer, Illinois Refugee Social Services sought to serve and reflect the interests of the Indochinese communities which are Consortium, One South made up of Cambodians, Laotians, and Vietnamese. Today NAFEA stands as the Franklin, Suite 805, only national forum for the development and the exchange of knowledge and Chicago IL 60606, or expertise among professionals serving Indochinese. phone 312 444-2811 for information. The 1991 theme is “Agenda for the 90’s: Participation, Progress, Pluralism”. The program committee invites proposals for presentations, workshops, or panel discussions dealing with issues related to the main theme. For more information, contact: Cindy Le, Program Chair: 800 328-6720 (FL residents), 800 328-6721 (all others); or Nancy Kelley Wittenberg, NAFEA Conference Coordinator: 904 488-3791.

Folktales of the Mien

Stories will be told first by a Mien story-teller, then by Nancy Lenz in English. There will also be traditional music of the Mien.

Presented by the Outreach/Public Programs Office, Asian Art Museum of San Francisco and the Laotian Handcraft Center of Berkeley.

Wednesday, February 6, 1991 7:00 p.m. Free Adrian Gruhn Court Asian Art Museum Golden Gate Park San Francisco, CA 94118 415 668-6404 Fax 415 668-8928. page 14 Context: Southeast Asians in California New Immigration Law The new immigration law increases legal immigration by CulturgramsCulturgrams about 40% to 700,000 for each of Algeria Nicaragua the next three years. The category Argentina Nigeria for skills increases from 54,000 to Northern Ireland Australia 140,000. (Refugees are counted Norway Austria outside this number; Congress Pakistan Barbados and the President set the number Belgium Panama Paraguay of refugee slots annually—FY 91 Bolivia will see 121,000-131,000 refugees Brazil Peru enter from different parts of the Bulgaria Philippines world.) This is a revision of the Cambodia Poland Canada (Atlantic) Portugal 1965 Immigration Law that Canada (Québec) Puerto Rico changed the face of the newcomer Canada (Ontario & West) Romania to America. This new law also Chile Samoa tries to rectify inconsistencies in China (PRC) Saudi Arabia the law, as in deleting certain Colombia Scotland exclusions, including past Costa Rica Senegal membership in the Communist Czech & Slovak Republic Singapore party and sexual preference. Denmark South Africa Other highlights: Ecuador Spain •Salvadoreans now in the US Egypt Sri Lanka will not be deported before El Salvador Sudan June 1992, and may register England Sweden for work. The Attorney Switzerland Ethiopia General may extend similar Syria Fiji protection to nationals of Tahiti Finland Kuwait, Lebanon, and Liberia. France Taiwan (ROC) Tanzania •Individuals in the US as Germany, E asylum-seekers will not be Germany, W Thailand required to prove that they Ghana Tonga still meet the criteria for Greece Turkey Guatemala Uruguay refugees, after changes in their Honduras USA home countries. They will be Hong Kong USSR allowed to apply for perma- Order from BYU Hungary Venezuela nent resident status (green (Brigham Young Iceland Vietnam card). This affects about 9,000 University), India Wales Nicaraguans, 1,000 Poles, 450 Kennedy Center for Indonesia West Bank & Gaza Hungarians, and 350 Panama- International Iran Yugoslavia nians. Studies, Publication Ireland Zaire •After 1995 there will be an Services, 280 Israel Zambia increase in Irish immigration. HRCB, Provo UT Italy Zimbabwe •Hong Kong is considered as a 84602, 801 378- Jamaica country rather than a territory 6528. Prepayment Japan Each Culturgram is 4 for immigrationpurposes, preferred. Purchase Jordan pages, and costs $1.00 in doubling its number of slots Kenya order for more than quantities of 1-5; for 6-49 from to 10,000 per year. $5.00 accepted; Korea, N •There are provisions for copies, the price is 50¢. VISA and Korea, S persons coming into the US Mastercard Laos The prices include with $1,000,000 to invest; they Lebanon accepted. Orders shipping. commit themselves to create Lesotho for less than $40.00 ten new jobs by opening a Luxemburg that are not on new business. purchase orders Malaysia USA Culturgram for the The implication of all this for must be prepaid. Mali International Visitor Mauritius schools is that the next few years Mexico ($1.00, 1990, 6 pages) will bring an increased number of Morocco immigrants and refugees from a Nepal variety of places—and schools Netherlands will continue to be the prime ResourcesNew Zealand agent of acculturation. Volume 11, No. 86, November-December, 1990 page 15

I know that you believe you understand what you think I said,

but,

I am not sure you realize

that what you

heard is not what I meant.

—From a sign at the Exploratorium, San Francisco “Rhyming talk” is a secret language that has been used for hundreds of years, often by thieves and others who wished to outwit the police (or other authority). In England, it is known as “Cockney slang”. for example, “twist and twirl” is substi- tuted for “girl”; “fisherman’s daugh- ter” becomes a code for “water”, and of course, “alligator” is “later”— see you later, alligator!

ESL teacher supplementary Prior to the sunset of California’s bilingual law in 1987, teachers who held credentials in English authorization or a foreign language were legally assigned to teach ESL. Post-sunset regulations have made some of these teachers illegal in their assignments. Window of Teachers that meet the requirements must apply before June 30, 1991 if they want to take opportunity advantage of the revised supplementary authorization. for those who have been Requirements include: teaching ESL since •Evidence of successful evaluation in an ESL teaching position after September 1, 1986 but September 1, 1986. before June 30, 1991. •District verification that competence in ESL methods and subject matter has been determined in the past three years. •Committment to complete, prior to September 1, 1992, six units in ESL coursework or 30 hours of staff development in ESL. This window of opportunity closes September 1, 1993.

Non-profit Context: Bulk Rate U.S. Postage Paid Southeast Asians in California Permit No. 140 c/o Folsom Cordova USD Folsom, CA Transitional English Programs Office 125 East Bidwell St Folsom CA 95630