The AACP Newsletter Since 1970 Asian American Curriculum Project, Inc. May 2008 AsianAmericanBooks.com - The Most Complete Nonprofit-Source for Asian American Books Entries From Growing Up Asian in America 2008 A Program of the Asian Pacific Fund AACP is please to present to you a few of the essays and art from competition and cooperation, and on winning and losing. With an the Asian Pacific Fund's 2008 Growing Up Asian in America eye on the stereotype of Asians and their competitiveness, Asian contest. This marks the fourth year that we've helped to Pacific Fund wanted to explore whether their contestants felt there highlighting this wonderful contest. We first wrote about the was some truth to the stereotype and to take their pulse on this Asian Pacific Fund and their contest back in our May 2004 fascinating philosophical topic. newsletter. To see the traveling exhibit of all of the winning entries, go to Growing Up Asian in America is a writing and art contest for asianpacificfund.org/awards/guaa/library.php to find the date and students from around the San Francisco Bay Area. The contest is locations of the exposition nearest you. To see all of this year's timed to work in conjunction with Asian Pacific American winners, go to asianpacificfund.org/awards/guaa/program.php . Heritage Month. Each year the Asian Pacific Fund chooses a different theme for the contest. This year's theme is entitled To those of you that are interested in entering next year's contest, "Winning and Losing, Competition and Teamwork." check back with the Asian Pacific Fund's website in January of 2009 to learn of the new theme, and to find the entry form and With the 2008 Beijing Olympics coming up, Asian Pacific Fund rules. decided to asked their student participants to share their ideas on 2008 Growing Up Asian in America Featured Entries Provided courtesy of the Asian Pacific Fund and their Sponsors K-5 Honorable Mention the team that finishes all the knots first, wins. Trying to tie the Being a Victorious Asian in America knots fast makes me a better knot tier. Like they always say, By An Quynh Nguyen "Practice makes perfect." Age 8, Milpitas (Santa Clara County) Joseph Weller Elementary School I enjoy entering contests, like this one, because competing makes my skills become stronger. Even if I do not win, I will still learn Hi! My name is An Nguyen. I am an eight-year old Vietnamese something new. For example, when I entered a Spelling Bee at my girl. For me, it is pretty easy growing up Asian in America. I left after school program, I sometimes ran into words that I did not Vietnam when I was eighteen months to come to America with know. So I practiced more and became a better speller. my family: Mom, Dad, my older brother and my older sister. More important than winning or losing is learning and becoming When I turned two, I started preschool. At age five, kindergarten. the best that I can be. If I keep trying and never give up, my own After finishing kindergarten, I went to first grade. During first history will be victorious! grade, I joined an all-Vietnamese Girl Scout troop that speaks Vietnamese. I also attend Vietnamese language school on K-5 Honorable Mention Sundays. Now, I am in second grade! I enjoy writing, reading, Growing up Filipina in Berkeley doing math and many other things. I usually finish my homework Age 10, Berkeley (Alameda County) packet by Wednesday, even though it is due on Friday. In school, Le Conte Elementary School I often spend time with my friends, Riddhi, Aliyah, Crystal and Michelle. We like playing games together, but I especially enjoy Growing up in a Filipino family, my parents expect us to do our playing with Riddhi, my best friend! best so that we can take care of ourselves and others when we grow up, like my widowed Lola who took care of 7 kids on her I work in a team everyday. At school, my teacher puts us in pairs own and found a way to bring them all to the U.S. I guess taking or small groups to work on projects. We share ideas and help one care of ourselves means learning to be competitive, like my sister another to get the job done. In Girl Scouts, we sing songs and play who wants to get good grades and to do well in school to get a games as a team. By working together, we get to know each other good job. I never considered doing my best as competing against better and become closer friends. other people. Instead, my parents have always encouraged my sister and I to be self-disciplined. For example, I have been Competition also helps me strengthen my skills. In the Girl practicing piano nearly every day for the last five years. I am also Scouts, when we play knot relay, we help each other tie knots, and (Continued on Page 2) Give Us Your Feedback Editor's Message Please feel free to send us your reviews, comments, and book Hello Everyone, suggestions. You can contact us at - [email protected] Yes, this was suppose to be the April Newsletter and for those of Up Coming Events you living in Hawaii and reading this right after I send this, it still qualifies. Here are some events that AACP will soon be attending. Invite us to your events. Our upcoming event, the 8th Annual Asian Pacific American Date/Time Event Location Heritage Celebration (APAHC) in San Mateo, has been keeping June 2 Adventures of Eddie Fung: SM Main Lib. us very busy this year. After I finish this newsletter, I'll probably 7pm Chinatown Kid, Texas Cowboy, San Mateo, CA have to do a few more things for this event before I go to sleep. & Prisoner of War Featuring author Eddie Fung Please come to our May 10th event. AACP and the local and editor Judy Yung Chapters of the JACL and OCA have worked hard to make this June 28 San Mateo Buddhist Temple 2 S. Claremont St. 4-10pm Annual Bazaar San Mateo, CA event the best ever. We invite you all, especially non-Asian July 12-13 San Jose Obon Festival SJ Buddhist Temple Pacific Islanders, to come to our event. In order to truly bridge San Jose, CA communities we require all to participate and not just our own July 19-20 Ginza Bazaar & Obon Odori SF Buddhist Church APA community. Sa 1-10pm San Francisco, CA Su 11-8pm Okay on to other business - my apologies to all of you that wrote Other Event of Interest that AACP May Not Attend me after the last newsletter. Thank you very much for your June 8 25th anniversary Celebration Merced County feedback, I hope to reply to you all some time after the 10th :). 1-4pm of the Merced County Courthouse Courthouse Museum Museum Thank you Norman Masuda for our interview. We look forwards Eugene Lee will be signing his Merced, CA to having you at this year's APAHC. new book Cressey: Land of Sand and Stars Thank you to the APAHC committee for all of your hard work June 21 Japanese Cultural Fair Mission Plaza Park and bearing with my often absent leadership (especially while 11am-6pm Santa Cruz, CA July 3 Eugene Lee will be signing Cressey Library working on this newsletter and on the book). Thanks especially his new book Cressey: Land Cressey, CA to my co-coordinator Martin Jung - we couldn't do it without of Sand and Stars you. July 3-6 Tule Lake Pilgrimage Klamath Falls, OR Tulelake, CA Thank you Sharon for your help on the newsletter. July 3-6 Whose America? Who's Hyatt Regency CO American? Diversity, Civil Convention Center Hey Uncle Gaing, I'll try to get to an article on Oroville for our Liberties, and Social Justice Denver, CO June travel newsletter. That's right everyone, summer time is just July 16-20 JACL National Convention Marriott Hotel around the corner. Send me your suggestions on APA significant Salt Lake City, UT travel destinations for our June newsletter. I got dibs for the July 31 - Aug OCA National Convention Sheraton Grand inside scoop on the Oroville Chinese Temple - you other APA 3 Hotel Washington, DC news organizations, hands off, this one is really mine :). Stay tuned everyone. Bye for now. Leonard Chan Executive Editor Growing Up Asian in America taking music lessons. I realize that when we see people doing (Continued from page 1) amazing things, we try to do the same because sometimes we very committed to singing and so I commute to San Francisco think doing amazing things makes you an amazing person. It is from Berkeley three days per week and willingly give extra time sad that sometimes people see our effort and success as and effort to participate in operas like Tannhäuser and The Little unwelcome competition. Prince. This self-discipline to become better is enjoyable and rewarding! Although my parents expect us to do our best, it is definitely okay to be average. As long as you try your hardest and don't get I love learning, even more than I love my favorite Filipino dish, discouraged, you will improve. For example, in chorus, for a long adobo. I love it so much that I am learning some analytic time, I wasn't noticed very much. After a while though, because I geometry because I see my 14-year old sister studying it.