Monday, April 7, 2003

by Pei Pei Liu
Co-Managing Editor

Dr. Kevin K. Kumashiro, founder of the Center for Anti-Oppressive Education
and former visiting professor at Swarthmore, presented “Troubling Stories
of Queer Asian/Pacific America and Their Usefulness for Anti-Oppressive
Education” in LPAC Cinema last night. Part of Asian Pacific American month
as well as the Sager Symposium, the event was sponsored by SAO, SQU,
COLORS, DESHI, the Intercultural Center, the Serendipity Fund of the Cooper
Foundation, and the Education department.

Kumashiro began his talk by illustrating what he meant by “troubling
stories.” Citing the backlash against people who looked Muslim in the
months following the September 11 attacks, he explained that the reaction
among educators was predominantly to begin putting forth alternative and
more complicated stories about Muslims, to educate students and show that
not all people who look a certain way will act a certain way. Kumashiro
argued, however, that while he does support this idea, any and all stories
presented will always be “partial and problematic” in that they can only
express a singular view of a group at any given time. He suggested instead
that educators seek to “unearth the political implications of any stories
we tell.”

The subjects of Kumashiro’s talk were “double and triple minorities,” queer
Asian/Pacific American men and women who face racism, heterosexism, and
sexism on a daily basis. Kumashiro demonstrated how each of the stereotypes
and cultural scripts surrounding these identities takes on a different
meaning depending on the context. Showing how racial stereotypes of
Asian/Pacific Americans frequently stemmed from normative models of gender
and sexuality, Kumashiro called attention to “gendered racism” and argued
that people frequently “ascribe deviant gender to racial differences,” such
as the Suzy Wong, geisha girl, or dragon lady models of Asian/Pacific women.

Kumashiro delved into the paradoxes and contradictions inherent in these
stereotypes–the sexually passive geisha versus the hypersexualized Suzy
Wong–and then showed how these paradoxes became further complicated in
queer contexts. For example, Asian/Pacific men who are seen as feminine and
undesirable in heterosexual contexts may conversely be preyed upon in queer
contexts.

Drawing on film clips, interview quotations, and APA writings, Kumashiro
illustrated the dilemma of queer APAs, calling attention to the “racialized
homophobia” many Asians faced when their traditional parents labeled
homosexuality a “White disease” that “corrupted” their children. Queer APAs
are thus frequently forced to separate their racial identity from their
sexual identity, making it difficult for them to find a home. Kumashiro
also documented the ways in which queer APAs often strategically perform
certain normative identities–whether intentionally or not–in order to
belong to a community.

Kumashiro argued, however, that performances of identity could be made into
a positive, anti-oppressive force. Because people are “mapped onto the
story with which we’re most familiar,” refusing to perform that expected
identity would challenge society’s dominant, normative assumptions about
race, gender, and sexuality. He thus urged educators to complicate the
traditional method of presenting alternative stories by teaching students
how to critique and question the alternative material they do learn, as
well as the process of learning and teaching itself. Recounting a story
from his own teaching experience, he reminded the audience that teaching a
certain way of critiquing or questioning is in itself a presentation of an
alternative story that cannot simply be accepted as fact. He urged people
to see the contradictions inherent in teaching anti-oppressive lessons, and
to encourage their students to raise these issues.

“It’s not an easy way to teach,” Kumashiro said, “but these gaps, these
uncertainties…are exactly what makes education useful in helping
anti-oppressive acts.”

*****

by Sanggee Kim
Gazette News Reporter

If you’re up in New York City some weekend and want a place to entice your
senses, try Cafe Lalo. Featured in the movie “You’ve Got Mail,” Cafe Lalo
is by far one of the best hangout places I have been to. The desserts are
to die for, the coffee is oh-so-perfect, and hey, the waiters and
waitresses aren’t bad-looking, either. Everything you could ever want in
heaven available here on earth, for a price.

As soon as my friends and I walked in, we were overcome by the wonderful
aroma from the kitchen. Glass cases were full of scrumptious desserts that
left us absolutely drooling. At three o’clock in the afternoon, the place
was packed, and we had to wait about 10 minutes for our seats, which were
shoulder-to-shoulder with the tables next to us.

If presentation is an art, the chefs at Cafe Lalo have it down to
perfection. The raspberry chocolate cake came with Cafe Lalo’s special
homemade whipped cream and fresh strawberries on the side. The milk for the
coffee came pre-heated, and the hot chocolate came in a fat mug with two
marshmallows artistically toothpicked together over the top. The “Soo
Strawberry” smoothie came in a sleek tall glass with a funky straw. And all
the silverware looked like it came from the ’20’s.

You can ideally stay as long as you like, but when it’s really crowded, the
waiters start asking repeatedly if you needed anything else. A reasonable
hint, and well-taken.

* On Sunday, US forces continued to encircle Baghdad. The first American
plane landed at the capital’s airport, allowing much needed supplies to
reach the troops. The forces made two main raids into the center of the
city, using ground troops to destroy Iraqi military vehicles and engage in
gunfighting. Meanwhile British forces pushed into Basra, Iraq’s second
largest city and a stronghold of Hussein’s Baath party, but the British
found less resistance than was expected.

* Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said on Sunday that the set-up of
a new Iraqi government will most likely take six months. The US denied that
the interim government will continue to stay in power for the long term,
and instead said that through a democratic process, the Iraqi people will
be able to pick their own government. Already, 700 Iraqi exiles have begun
to be deployed into Iraq, where they will help the coalition troops root
out Hussein’s paramilitary troops, as well as keep order and distribute aid.

* The SARS virus killed yet another person in Canada over the weekend,
bringing the total dead in that country up to nine. Meanwhile, the number
of total cases in Hong Kong, the epicenter of the disease, rose to 842.
Officials in that country said that the hospitals were equipped to deal
with up to 3,000 cases if need be.

*****

“Hidden Treasures: An Introduction to Friends Historical Library and the
Peace Collection”
presented by Chris Densmore & Wendy Chmieleski
Friends Historical Library, 11:30 a.m.

SWAP Lunch
Sharples Room 6, 12:15 p.m.

Tamagawa Dance and Taiko Group
an APA Month Event
Lang Concert Hall, 7:00 p.m.

“The Palestinian-Israeli WAR”
Dr. Daniel Pipes, author of Militant Islam Reaches America
Short lecture and extensive Q&A with book signing and reception to follow
LPAC Cinema, 7:30 p.m.

Guided meditation by Michael Carrol
Bond Common Worship Room, 8:00 p.m.

SAC meeting
Trotter 301, 9:00 p.m.

SWIL Movie Night: “Miracle Mile”
Kirby Lecture Hall, 10:00 p.m.

———-
Africa Peace Tour Speakers to lecture at Black Cultural Center
Tuesday, April 8, 2003 at 7:00 p.m.

On this eighteenth annual educational tour African Speakers will hold
seminars, lecture on African issues and dialogue with student and community
audiences about how U.S. trade and aid policies often result in more
suffering and economic problems for African countries. Throughout the
Delaware Valley in colleges and universities and community gatherings, “the
Peace Tour will help students break out of their preconceptions about
Africa and its people.”

This year’s theme is, “U.S. Africa Policy in the 21st Century.” Tour
speakers will offer and encourage their audiences to join with them in
thinking through what US Policy is and what it is perceived to be by the
average U.S. citizen. In addition they will review the north/south economic
relationship, the effects of arms transfers from the west to African
countries, and review the influence of Islam on African politics. They will
also assess the impact of war in Iraq on Africa. Tour speakers will be
trying to challenge audiences to learn more about U.S. policy towards the
African continent.

The Garnet took both games of a doubleheader against Dickinson with twin
scores of 5-1 and 5-1.

Swat fought back in the first game after falling behind 1-0 at the start of
the game. Mary Mintel ’05 scored two runs, while Val Maulbeck ’06, Emily
Remus ’06, and Val Marone ’05 each scored once. Pam Lavallee ’03 and Remus
had RBIs, while the other runs scored on errors. Remus also picked up her
second win of the season, pitching a complete game and allowing just five
hits while striking out two.

Marone was the hero of the night cap, as she went 2-for-3 with two doubles,
two RBIs, and two runs scored. Lavallee also scored twice, with Christina
Procacci ’06 accounting for the fifth Garnet run. In addition to Marone,
Danielle Miller ’06 knocked in two, and Mary Blair ’05 had one RBI. Lindsay
VanSciver ’03 picked up the win, pitching five innings and allowing two
hits, one run, and striking out five. Maryann Chambers ’04 pitched two
perfect innings in relief.

The team is now 3-12 overall and 2-2 in the Centennial.

*****

The men’s lacrosse team recorded a 11-8 CC victory over Dickinson this weekend.

Joe DeSimone ’04 recorded a hat-trick and Tim Chryssikos ’05 and Patrick
Friel ’03 each scored twice to lead the Tide. Than Court ’03, Jeff Donlea
’05, John Murphy ’03, and Tom Coughlin ’05 rounded out the scoring for the
Garnet, who are now 6-4 overall, 2-2 in the Centennial. Sophomore
goaltender Ryan Croken stopped 12 shots in a game filled with penalties–15
for Swat, 11 for Dickinson.

*****

The men’s tennis team swept its weekend matches, claiming victories over
Rhodes and University of the South, both by margins of 4-3. In the Saturday
game against Rhodes, the bottom three singles players were winners, with
Justin Singer ’03, Zac Rodd ’06, Ben Rae ’04, and Brian Park ’06 taking
their matches in straight sets. Singer and Mike Noreika ’04 were winners at
No. 3 doubles.

On Sunday, the Garnet took the doubles point when Park and Jayson Yost ’03
took second doubles and Noreika/Singer won third doubles. Yost was also a
winner at second singles and Rodd won in straight sets at fourth singles.
Rae clinched the tiebreaker and won his No. 5 match as well.

The women bounced back after being swept 9-0 by Rhodes to defeat U. of the
South 6-3. Kristina Pao ’04 and Elli Suzuki ’06 teamed up to win at No. 2
doubles and also won their matches at second and third singles. Anjani
Reddy ’04 won her match at No. 1 singles, while Megan Speare ’05 and Sonia
Vallabh ’06 took the fifth and sixth singles matches.

*****

The Garnet fell 9-8 at Dickinson over the weekend, despite freshman Heidi
Fieselmann’s four goals. Meg Woodworth ’03, Jackie Kahn ’04, Chloe Lewis
’06, and Niamh Shortt ’06 also scored. Sam Uslan ’03 recorded 13 saves for
the Tide.

*****

The Garnet were edged by Muhlenberg 5-4 on Friday. Ryan Pannorfi ’04 went
2-for-4 with two runs scored, and Wes Sconce knocked in two, but the Garnet
couldn’t hold onto their 4-1 lead.

In a make-up of the doubleheader scheduled for Saturday, the team faced the
#6 Johns Hopkins Blue Jays yesterday and dropped both games, 4-3 and 23-8.
In the first game, the Garnet again led, carrying a 3-2 lead into the final
inning but saw that lead erased by a Paul Winterling walk-off two-run
homer. Adam Schlossman ’06, Matt Goldstein ’04, and Bill Farrell ’05 scored
Swat’s three runs in the sixth inning, with Jody Fisher ’05 and Mike
Pieropan ’06 plating the runs. Pannorfi went 2-for-2 and Goldstein and
Farrell also had two hits apiece, while James Zvokel ’04 pitched a complete
game, giving up six hits and four earned runs to take the loss.

The Jays exploded in the night cap, scoring 12 runs in the first inning,
three in the second, two in the third and fourth, one in the sixth, and
three in the seventh to roll over the Garnet.

*****

Elizabeth Gardner ’05 won the 1,500 meter run and James Golden ’05 and Matt
Williams ’04 finished second in the 1,500 and 110 high hurdles,
respectively, to pace the men’s and women’s track teams at the Muhlenberg
Invitational on Saturday.

Claire Hoverman ’03 and Njideka Akunyili ’04 placed back-to-back, in
seventh and eighth, behind Gardner, with Hoverman recording a personal best
time of 4:54.70. Krista Gigone ’04 finished sixth in the 5,000, while Robin
Dawson ’06 placed seventh in the high jump.

Lang Reynolds ’05 finished 10th behind Golden in the 1,500, while JJ Lee
’03 finished third in the triple jump and Kier Wachterhauser ’04 placed
fifth in the 100 and seventh in the 200. Paul Thibodeau ’06 finished sixth
in the 800 and Rob Melick ’03 was seventh in the shot put.

*****

Today:
Golf at F&M Invite, 1:00 p.m.
Softball hosts Rutgers-Camden (DH), 3:00 p.m.

Tomorrow:
Softball hosts Muhlenberg (DH), 3:00 p.m.
Baseball hosts Ursinus, 3:00 p.m.
Women’s Tennis at Haverford, 3:30 p.m.
Women’s Lacrosse at Chestnut Hill, 4:00 p.m.

*****

Friday’s issue of the Gazette reported that the women’s lacrosse team lost
a match against Muhlenberg. The game was actually against Widener.

*****

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Editor: a person employed by a newspaper, whose business it is to separate
the wheat from the chaff, and to see that the chaff is printed.”
–Elbert Hubbard

*****
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