Meeting Senior Asian Studies Majors 2021
Asian Studies majors– Rui, Nicolette, and Sam– share their unique experiences in the Asian Studies Program throughout their four years at Colorado College. Rui Z. ’21 is a senior Asian Studies Major from Chengdu, China. Her recent passion has been trying out different baking recipes that are simple and delicious. Rui was a Math &… Continue reading
Words for Healing: Student submissions in response to #StopAsianHate
Let the words speak. Let the wounds heal. Lâm Thiên Nghi [ a poetry exploration of body, of womxnhood, of herstory, and the future…Continue Reading
Asian Studies Alumni Career Panel
On April 8th, 2021, The Lotus hosted its first ever Asian Studies Alumni Career Panel. The purposes of this career exploration event were to better understand post-graduation opportunities for students who studied Asian Studies; discuss work or fellowship experiences in Asia; and more broadly, address post-CC trajectories, questions, and concerns. The CC alumni that The… Continue reading
The role of affinity groups in CC’s Asian community
In predominantly white institutions such as CC, it can be challenging to feel like all aspects of your identity are acknowledged and respected. Affinity groups can help people feel seen with respect to the various identities they hold. – Mateen Zafer [1] Discrimination, hate, and the purposeful exclusion of the Asian American community peaked on the… Continue reading
A Symptom of Centuries of Anti-Asian Racism, Misogyny, and Violence
By Jia Mei On March 15, 2021, I got a New York Times notification on my phone saying that a shooting at spas in Atlanta killed 8 people. Two hours later, my roommate told me that some of the victims have been identified– 6 of whom were women of Asian descent. As an Asian American… Continue reading
A Smaller Group, A Tighter Bond: Living in the Asian House during a Pandemic
By Kelly Yue The Lotus paid a socially-distanced visit to the Asian House on a Wednesday evening to participate in their weekly dinner and speak with the Japanese Cultural Program Coordinator (CPC), Machi Niiya, as well as three residents (Sarah Yamamoto, Luca Xu, and Andrew Choy) to learn about their experiences living in the Asian… Continue reading
Behind the Scenes for CC Lunar New Year 2021 (Year of Ox) Virtual Celebration
By Jia Mei “The biggest highlight for me was what a team effort this event was…” 2021 marks the year of the Ox and the first virtual Lunar New Year celebration at Colorado College. Despite the challenges of planning for a virtual Lunar New Year (LNY), Riley Hutchings– the Cultural Program Coordinator (CPC) for the… Continue reading
Black Experiences in Asia: Featuring John Capers ‘21, Dylan Hall ’22 and Josh Kalenga ‘23
By Kelly Yue While travelling and studying abroad in Asia are rewarding opportunities, Black students often encounter different experiences due to the color of their skin. The Lotus interviewed three Black students, John Capers ’21 (Japan and Hong Kong), Dylan Hall ’22 (China and South Korea), Josh Kalenga ’23 (Hong Kong, Cambodia, and Nepal), who… Continue reading
The Farmers’ Protest in India: With a Lens on Gender Violence in Social Movements
From August 2020 to the present day, millions of farmers in India have been protesting three farm acts which were passed by the Parliament of India. These laws, often called the Farm Bills, have been described by many farmer unions as pro-corporate and anti-farmer laws, thus demanding that the laws be repealed. The protests began… Continue reading
Interview with Maya Patel ’18 on Japanese Exchange and Teaching Program (JET)
By Jia Mei Maya Patel’ 18 graduated from CC with a Comparative Literature major and Feminist and Gender Studies minor. Following graduation, she taught English in Japan through the Japanese Exchange and Teaching Program (JET). She is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Asian American Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).… Continue reading
Interview with Rishi Ling ’18 on Princeton in Asia Fellowship ’19
By Jia Mei Rishi Ling ’18 is a CC alumnus who majored in Music. Following graduation, he worked for one year as a Paraprofessional at the Department of Music at Colorado College. He received a Princeton in Asia Fellowship ’19 to teach English at the University of Macau in Macau, S.A.R. China. He is currently… Continue reading
Interview with Dr. Yogesh Chandrani
By Kelly Yue Dr. Yogesh Chandrani joined Colorado College in 2015 as Visiting Assistant Professor of Anthropology and is now Assistant Professor of Religion and Asian Studies. His academic interests include Modern South Asia, religion and secularism, colonial modernity, nationalism, violence, memory and subjectivity. Why did you decide to come to CC? I have always… Continue reading
Asian Things: No Shoes in the House
Growing up, I never really understood why people would wear their outdoor shoes into their homes. It was even more shocking to see people wear their shoes into their rooms, a place I imagine one would want to keep clean, especially if they would walk barefoot after showering. To me, taking off our shoes and… Continue reading
Webinar – “Brainwashed: The Legacies and Perils of American Sinophobia”
By Jia Mei Webinar hosted by Dr. Emily Chan at Colorado College, Joined by five panelists: Dr. John Williams (Colorado College), Dr. Christian Sorace (Colorado College), Dr. Keisha A. Brown (Tennessee State University), Dr. Catherine Liu (University of California, Irvine), and Dr. Maria Repnikova (Georgia State University). Amidst the increasing political tensions between the United… Continue reading
From Japanese Hamster to Family Conflicts: The Student Protest in Thailand
By Kelly Yue Young people in Thailand have long been disillusioned by years of military rule. They are now taking their frustration to the streets and demanding amendments to the constitution, a new election, the prime minister’s resignation, and an end to the harassment of activists. The movement has primarily been leaderless as protesters use… Continue reading
Protests in Inner Mongolia, China against New Language Policy
By Kelly Yue Is Inner Mongolia part of China? What is its history? Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of the People’s Republic of China established in 1947, bordering the country of Mongolia. In the 1940s, Mongol leaders allied with Mao Zedong’s Communist Party as they were convinced that the communist system would give them… Continue reading
Interview with Mateen Zafer: Coordinator of Mentorship and Diversity Initiatives
By Kelly Yue Mateen Zafer joined Colorado College in August 2019 as the Coordinator of Mentorship and Diversity Initiatives at the Butler Center. He advises the Quest Scholars Network and the Enclave Living Learning Community. How has working from home been for you? Has it affected your interaction with students? I am privileged to be… Continue reading
Interview with Edwin Toshio Hamada: Assistant VP for the Residential Experience
By Kelly Yue Edwin Toshio Hamada joined Colorado College on September 1 as our new Assistant Vice President for the Residential Experience. He identifies as a Japanese-American and is beyond excited to join CC’s tight-knit community after previously working at numerous larger public universities. We started off the interview with a typical CC icebreaker question:… Continue reading
Student Organizations – Affinity Groups
Asian Student Union/Korean-American Student Association (ASU/KASA): Asian Student Union/Korean-American Student Association aims to provide a space on campus for students of Asian heritage to build community and create a sense of belonging. We will engage with topics and issues that are currently transpiring in our world today, through forms of media, discussions, and engagement. Meeting… Continue reading
Meet this year’s Asian Studies CPCs!
Riley Hutchings – Chinese CPC Favorite Food: Xiaolongbao (Chinese steamed buns) Hobbies: Reading and cooking; hiking if not during pandemic Email: rhutchings@coloradocollege.edu Office Hour: By appointment through email; flexible in time Our new Chinese CPC is Riley Hutchings from Portland, Oregon. Riley graduated from Colorado College with a degree in Economics and a minor in… Continue reading
