Asian American / Asian Research Institute
The City University of New York
“THE CURIOUS THING ABOUT PANDEMICS,” I read in a back issue of The Guardian, “is that novelists don’t seem to know what to do with them.” Well, that is one of the curious things about pandemics. “But when they have written memorably about them,” the critic continues, “it tends to have been as allegories for … Read more
“We [women in the United States] are the majority of the population, majority of the electorate, majority of the workforce… and yet we’re still doing [the] majority of family unpaid or low paid labor.” — Ai-jen Poo TODAY IS JUNE 30, 2020. More than 125,000 Americans have died from the coronavirus; globally, half a million … Read more
“Where do we belong in this unfolding story of America?” WITH THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC and the Black Lives Matter protests, I am powerfully reminded that Ethnic Studies remains more important than ever1 and that much more work still needs to be done. COVID-19 and the Civil Rights protests have underscored longstanding inequalities in the United … Read more
“What kind of life do we want in the 21st century?” THE CHINESE TRANSLATION OF COVID-19 is 新冠肺炎 (xinguan feiyan), literally, “new crown lung inflammation,” or, “new crown pneumonia.” Given its huge impact upon people of all walks of life around the world, the coronavirus pandemic is regarded by many people as the most serious … Read more
Living and breathing martial arts has always been my life. The practice of learning, drilling, sparring, and community at the dojo all provide me with an awakened sense of calmness. AFTER THE IMPLEMENTATION of the national shelter-in-place directives in the U.S., my martial arts ritual and routine was rudely interrupted. On a larger scale, many … Read more
YOU HAVE BEEN STAYING AT HOME with your two children for weeks. The first conversation you have with your two-year-old each day goes: ~What do you want for breakfast? ~I want [a] party. ~Uh… I am afraid it won’t happen for a while. What can I cook for you? ~I want coffee. For weeks, post-breakfast … Read more