2020-2021

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 & Economics major until the second semester of junior year. When asked why she decided to switch to an Asian Studies major, she talked about how she was dissatisfied with the ways of thinking in economics research because economic questions are often examined without historical context. She didn’t feel a sense of belonging in the corporate world, and became increasingly skeptical of capitalism, so she took a few classes in history and sociology...

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 Lotus had the privilege of inviting and hearing from were: Shayna McClure ‘18, Rishi Ling ‘18, Keita Moore ‘11, and Deme Yuan ‘02.  Shayna McClure ’18 majored in Molecular Biology and minored in Asian Studies. Shayna studied Japanese for 4 years and studied abroad in Japan for 5 months at the International Christian University in Mitaka, Tokyo. She is currently a 2nd year pharmacy student at The University of...

Let the words speak. Let the wounds heal. Lâm Thiên Nghi  [ a poetry exploration of body, of womxnhood, of herstory, and the future. ]

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 House. During normal times, the Asian House would house 13 residents including the CPC. But due to the pandemic, the number of residents was reduced to 6 this year. Luca says the smaller number of residents made the Asian House feel like a home to her. While social distancing guidelines made it difficult for students to interact with the broader campus community, they prompted Asian House residents to develop more intimate relationships. “Hanging out ...

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 who has been following the news on the rise in anti-Asian violence during the pandemic, I couldn’t help but think back on all the deeply rooted problems that led up to this tragic mass shooting.  Growing up, I knew of many Asian relatives and friends’ families that worked in industries that exploited their labor—from restaurants to nail shops to salons to massage spas. The work conditions for these places are far from desirable, but this was a way of surviving in a capitalist economy that depended on th...

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 16th of March when a gunman killed eight people across three different spas in Atlanta. Six of the victims: Soon Chung Park, 74; Hyun Jung Grant, 51; Suncha Kim, 69; Yong Ae Yue, 63; Delaina Ashley Yaun, 33; Xiaojie Tan, 49; Daoyou Feng, 44, were of Asian origin.[2] Their murders highlighted the bitter reality of how various stereotypes and myths around Asian communities – whether it is the sexualization of Asian women, or the ...

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). Maya Patel and Erika Hiromitsu (CC ’18) picking tea on a farm in Shizuoka Why did you apply to the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program? I applied to the JET Program because I was interested in learning more about my family’s history. My maternal grandmother was part of the “war bride” generation of Japanese women who married US soldiers after WWII, so I have family in Japan that I had never met. I remember seeing the JET Program advert...

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 most notably in Punjab–often described as India’s bread-basket because of the Green Revolution, as well as the heart of India’s Sikh community– but soon expanded, as protestors can now be seen camping out in their tractors at various border points to the capital of Delhi.  Indian farmers taking part in a tractor rally in New Delhi on Tuesday against the central government’s new agricultural laws. Credit: Money Sharma/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images ...

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 have had varying experiences in Asia. “Sometimes I forgot I was Black.” John Capers ’21 is a senior Political Science and German Studies double major. Born and raised in Chicago, John recalls watching anime and playing Japanese video games with his eldest sister growing up as his first exposure to Asian cultures.  During his junior year winter break, he visited Tokyo and Hong Kong, his first time stepping foot in Asia.  ...

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 Chinese Department this year– gathered a team of students to brainstorm and plan for the LNY events. After many planning meetings and rehearsals on Zoom, the LNY celebration turned out to be a huge success. Riley emphasizes that this success was a product of the collaborative effort of the students, staff, and faculty from the Chinese Department, Asian Student Union (ASU), and Chinese Student Association (CSA).   Riley recalls that the collaborative effor...