“Subtle Asian Traits”: A fun but problematic meme group
Created as a Facebook group in September 2018, “Subtle Asian Traits” has over one million members and is filled with memes about being a second-generation Asian in a variety of countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. The shared experience of having immigrant parents is the uniting factor for many… Continue reading
Hong Kong New Year’s
by Sunny Chiu Hong Kong is a mixture of many cultures influenced by Western and Chinese traditions. As a result, the new year is celebrated twice in this country. The Western New Year Eve (NYE) on January 1st and the Chinese New Year (CNY) which comes between the 1st day and the 15th day of… Continue reading
Hmong New Year’s
by Charmie Vang The Hmong New Year’s celebration in November or December (depending on the location) is one of the most revered festivals organized each year by the Hmong people. For instance, the 2018-2019 Colorado/Denver Hmong New Year’s occurred during Fall Break this year while the Fresno Hmong New Year will be held in late… Continue reading
Shogatsu
In Japan, New Year, known as shogatsu, is the biggest holiday. Filled with various traditions, New Year’s is a religious holiday celebrated with friends, family, and food. Prior to the New Year, nengajo, postcards similar to Christmas cards in America, are sent to friends and family to update them about family news and include designs… Continue reading
Diwali at CC
Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, occurred on November 7th this year. November 5-9th was International Education Week, “an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide”; it was celebrated during the 3rd week of 3rd block here at CC. One of the main events during the week held on campus was… Continue reading
Christmas in India
Other religious festivals in India are much larger than Christmas, mostly due to the small Christian population (about 2.3%). Mumbai is home to one of the largest Indian Christian communities, where many are Roman Catholics. Christmas is closely tied to religion, making midnight mass very important, followed by a feast mostly of various curries, and… Continue reading
Christmas in Japan
by Risa Seu Christmas in Japan is a little different to from Christmas in other countries. Since less than 2% of the population in Japan identify as Christian, there was a big void to fill in for the tradition of Christmas. The biggest difference is that fried chicken, especially Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), is synonymous… Continue reading
Christmas in Vietnam
by Charmie Vang In Vietnam, the end of the year marks the beginning of numerous festivals and celebrations including Christmas and Christmas Eve. It is a time of massive revelry comprised of family suppers and gatherings. Although only a small percentage of Vietnamese practice Christianity and Catholicism, people enjoy gathering in Ho Chi Minh City’s… Continue reading
Christmas in the Philippines
by Sunny Chiu Can you name the country that loves Christmas the most? It’s the Philippines! With an over 80% Roman Catholic population in the Philippines, they celebrate Christmas for three months with a mixture of western and native Filipino traditions. Christmas songs start playing on the radio and decorations appear in the malls and… Continue reading
Christmas in China
by Yizheng Wang People sometimes doubt if Chinese people celebrate Christmas as only approximately one percent of Chinese are Christians. The enthusiasm mostly comes from the youth. Often they exchange Christmas gifts and hold Christmas parties to celebrate the so-called “Western Festival.” Christmas in Mandarin is “Sheng Dan Jie” (圣诞节) which could be translated into… Continue reading
Study Abroad in Asia Luncheon Recap
by Charmie Vang For some students, including myself, the academic year of 2017-2018 emerged as a year of global experience and adventures in Asia. These study-abroad programs were highlighted in the Study Abroad in Asia Luncheon event hosted by the Asian Studies Department on September 12th. For each of the abroad offerings, participants spoke about… Continue reading
Japan’s Imperial Throne: A New Emperor to Success
Emperor Akihito’s succession to the Japanese throne began the Heisei era in January of 1989. Next April, he will abdicate the throne, ending the Heisei era intended to mean “peace everywhere”. The Japanese imperial family serve as “the symbol of the State and the unity of the people” and wield no political power but instead… Continue reading
China-US Relations
by Julia Gledhill Anxiety in the global stock market is growing given President Trump’s newest round of $200 billion of tariffs on Chinese imports. Asian markets particularly are declining for the third consecutive trading session because of fears of the U.S. – China trade war. In the past month, the People’s Bank of China… Continue reading
Dr. Pallavi Sriram
by Alex Rehorst Dr. Pallavi Sriram joined Colorado College this year as an assistant professor in the Dance Studies department. She received her B.S. in chemical engineering and dance from Northwestern University and completed her Ph.D. in culture and performance last year at the University of California, Los Angeles. While Dr. Sriram grew up in… Continue reading
Najnin Islam
by Julia Gledhill Najnin Islam is an Assistant Professor in the English Department. She focuses on Global Anglophone and Postcolonial Literatures. She received her Ph.D. from the Department of English at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to that, she received an M.Phil. from the Center for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta and her B.A. and… Continue reading
Professor Mori (Shunta Mori)
by Risa Seu Dr. Mori is a visiting professor from Shizuoka, Japan teaching Japanese Society Block 1. This is his fifth time teaching at CC; the last time he taught here was about 10 years ago. He is the Dean of Faculty and Cultural Policy at Shizuoka University of Art and Culture where he teaches… Continue reading
