Aline Fall2011

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BE THE FIRST TO KNOW #NEWS #FASHION #FOOD #ENTERTAINMENT

A L I N E

IN THIS ISSUENEW BEGINNINGS

BATTLE RAP

MANAN DESAI

STREET STYLE

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UNIQUETEAHOUSE

171 MARSHALL ST

SYRACUSE, NY

2ND FLOOR

T 315.422.7385

Monday - Thursday11AM - 12AM

The original boba house on SU Campus!

OPEN FROM

12PM - 2AM

12PM - 12AM

Friday - Saturday

Sunday

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Photography Zixi Wu

Korean-American rapperDumboundead (JonathanPark) perorms on stageNov. 5 at the Schine Stu-dent Center. Get up close

and personal 17

CONTENTS FALL2011

6A FAIR ELECTIONSan Franciscos frstAsian-dominatedmayoral election dis-sected, plus insightsrom the citys resi-

dent technophile

WIRED

8TOXIC SOCIALThe new trend olight smoking gainsground among youngAsians here andbeyond

10ON THE SOAPBOXThe frst hire or the

new AAA minor talkspassions and lie sto-ries that inspire him

ON CAMPUS

13PRESIDENTS CLUBThe aces o Asianculture on campus

14CAMPUS, DIVIDEDAn incisive look atthe cultural partyscene on campus.How segregated is ourcampus?

STYLE

20FASHION'SNIGHT OUT

A look at how theannual ashion renzyhas been recession-proofng itsel or theyear and beyond

17ORIENTAL CHARMThe rise o the Asianmodel at major ash-ion houses

COVERVIBE

24DUMBFOUNDEADThis Asian Americanbattle rapper spitsabout reestylin,

YouTube, chas ing girls,and a record deal. Gobehind the scenes inan exclusive Q&A

18STREET SPYProwling campusstreets with acamera

23KOLLABORATIONEven without its ounderat the helm, the ultimateAsian American talentcompetition continuesto wow

BITES

22OBESITY IN ASIAEveryone's avoriteclown has madeinroads into Asia.And it looks like he'shere to stay

23WHINE & DINERead about ourdining experience atBrickstone Eatery

and Chorong House

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4EDITOR'S LETTER5MASTHEAD

22DESIGNER DOSSIER

THIS ISSUE

New Asian designerson the scene to lookout or this season

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EDITOR

'SLETTER

Each issue oALINEis a relection o its editors. Andthis issue is no exception, eaturing an eclectic collection o articles, illustrations, and photography thatdisplays an integral part o counterculture here inSyracuse. From Korean rappers to ast ood conglomerates,ALINEMagazine is still searching or its voiceand style, even ater its 21st year o publication.

Youll notice the layout is distinctly dierent romanything weve done beore. You will have seen thatthe cover is no longer an illustration, but a photo shotby some o the most talented photographers. Alas, theoutstanding and bold vision or art direction and lay

out were not my creation but should go ully to twoo the most beautiul, brilliant, and visionary peopleIve ever met-my managing editor Audrie Tan, andart director Katie Perez. Your diligence, understanding,and mastery o Adobe Suite sotware serve as a greatsource o intimidation or me. I dont say this enough,butALINEloves you and Im really happy we'reworking together this year.

Along with our bold new layout comes an event oconsiderable monument. I am humbled to be able to say that Im editor in theterm o the irst aculty hire or the new Asian and Asian American Studiesminor, a petition that has inally been granted ater nearly 20 years o determination and silenced voices. Our resh new ace eatured in this issue is ProessorManan Desai in "On the Soapbox," page 10.

Special thanks to Dumbfoundead and DJ Zo or making a cover aboutAsian hiphop even conceivable today. You guys killed it.

We as Asian American writers, artists and photographers have come togetherto produce a publication that represents the everchanging ace o AsianAmerican culture and identity-on campus, nationwide and globally.

This is ALine on our grind. Well always dream bigger and reach higherthan we can ever possibly imagine. Thanks or sticking around. Thanks or waiting. And or those who have ound this publication in your hands or the veryirst time, heres to a celebration o Asian American culture and the hope that

youd pass it on.

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FIRSTS

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

MANAGING EDITOR

WIRE EDITOR

ON CAMPUS EDITOR

STYLE EDITOR

VIBE EDITOR

BITES EDITOR

ART DIRECTOR

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

ADVERTISING SALES

PRESIDENT

VICE PRESIDENT

CO-CULTURAL DIRECTORS

SECRETARY

DIGITAL PUBLIC RELATIONS

TRADITIONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS

TREASURER

FUNDRAISER

POLITICAL EDUCATION OFFICER

HISTORIAN

JOSHUA LEE

AUDRIE TAN

ELIZABETH LEE

YUHAN XU

CARMEN REYES

CHRISTINE BAEVICTORIA LI

KATHLEEN PEREZ

KAITY WONG

HEIDI CHU

STAFF

ASIA E-BOARD

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS BENJAMIN FANG,

HARRIS LEUNG, WENDY FENG, JONATHAN TAM,

CAMILLE BAUTISTA, JOURDAN MOR, XIANG WANG,

VANIA MYERS, BETSY HAN, STANLEY HUANG,

SHIRLEY DON, MAVIS REN

CONTRIBUTING DESIGNERS AUDRIE TAN,

EMILY WEN, DANIELA GOMEZ, AIMEE OTSU

CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS AMABEL

CABA, EMILY RAMON, MOLLY SNEE, SEAN BASISTA

TIM HUYNH

DIANA HUYNH

JENIFER LA

WAYNE MENG

JUDY WANG

TY LIEW

YUMING HUANG

REBECCA NG

LIMI LO

NEVILLE SUN

SHARON LEE

Asian Eye began in 1990 as a publication dedicated to promoting awareness o

cultural, social, economic and political issues that aect Asians and Asian Americans.

The magazine evolved intoALINE as the expressive voice or these students on

the Syracuse University/SUNY-ESF campus. Every issue oALINE is a collection o

work rom dedicated writers and artists willing to share their individual perspec-

tives. Contributors o all ethnicities are welcome to submit their works as well.

Our main goal is to bring these perspectives to the entire campus, and to educate

the SU community and beyond on issues pertaining to race and diversity. Syracuse

University emphasizes diversity as one o its main assets andALINE is an integral

part o that ideal. This publication is an outlet or Asian and Asian American stu-

dents to express their views on culture and society with creative reedom. It is also

an opportunity or students to understand the issues that aect Asian communities

in the U.S. and overseas.ALINEMagazine is an aiate o, but is not restricted to

the members o the campus organization Asian Students in America (ASIA).

STAY IN THE LOOP

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

@ALineMagazine

OR LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE

A-Line Magazine

READ OR CONTRIBUTE

alinemagazine.wordpress.com

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS RACHEL

FISHER, ZIXI WU, YUKI MIZUMA, ALEX KIM

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A FAIRELECTION

The San Francisco mayoral elections this November

may be a groundbreaker in Asian American politics.

W I R E D

Text by HARRIS LEUNG

SAN FRANCISCO WILL VOTE FOR A NEW MAYOR Nov.

8, but unlike any mayoral election, six o the 15

candidates in this election are Asian American.

This is perhaps the upshot o a generation

that grew up in a culture o activism during the

Asian American advocacy movements in the

past three decades. It is an ambitious, inspired

generation that has pushed at and now crackedthe upper echelon o American politics.

Among the candidates are: Incumbent Mayor

Ed Lee; Public Deender Je Adachi; David

Chiu, president o San Franciscos Board o

Supervisors; Leland Yee, Caliornia State Senator

or District 8; Wilma Pang, a proessor at the

City College o San Francisco; and Phil Tang, an

AssessorRecorder or the city o San Francisco.

All six candidates have a shared history as the

children o immigrantsnot o elected ocials.

The unprecedented number o Chinese Ameri

can candidates is sure to raise several questions

about how the Asian populationnearly one in

threeo San Francisco would vote.

The two candidates to watch in this election

are Ed Lee and Leland Yee. Lee had initially not

intended to run or reelection despite being

an immensely popular mayor since assuming

oce beginning o this year. However, Lee was

persuaded to declare candidacy in August ater

a planning committee successully collected

12,000 signatures on a petition. Lee is also lead

ing strong against his closest potential challenger

by a margin o 31, and has avorable views

rom all o the citys ethnic groups.

On the other hand, Leland Yee is a veteran

legislator, having served our years in the Cali

ornia State Assembly; he was also elected to the

State Senate in 2006. Yee passed 133 pieces o

legislation, with 100 o those chartered into law,

making him an extremely eective candidate.

Terry Lautz, a visiting proessor at the Max

well School o Citizenship and Public Aairs

specializing in Chinese culture and politics, said

he believes this is a generation o Asian Ameri

cans who is no longer constrained by the past,

in terms o limited opportunity, prejudice and

selimposed cultural barriers.

Their pursuit o a typically unpopular career

path among Asian Americans was a long time

coming, and they are now gaining visibility,

along with their successul counterparts in aca

demia, business and other proessions deemed

prestigious by many Asian Americans.

This is their lielong passion, and with a more

politically conscious voter base, they may have a

shot at orming a more representative govern

ment. A

Illustration by AMABEL CABA

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BRUCE REYES-CHOW KEEPS IT REAL. A native o

Stockton, Cali., Chow is a supporter o

Avalos, one o San Francisco's mayoral c

dates. He is not part o Avalos paid sta-

says he just agrees with John Avalos libe

views on politics.

Chow describes politics in San Fran

cisco as the let against the leter. It is n

ordinary politics, he says. Case in point,

liberal ideology is what makes San Franc

San Francisco.

With a large Asian American populati

San Francisco is a perect platorm or A

Americans to voice their opinions. One

thing special about this election, Chow

is that it has not one but six Asian Amer

candidates, which could potentially br in

more Asian people into both politics and

public service. Which is always nice to se

he added.

I asked i this was a air representation

Asian American politics, given the ve C

nese candidates and one Japanese candid

Chow agreed without hesitation. But all

Asian American mayoral candidates addr

progressiveness, and economic, educatio

and social issues in dierent ways, he saiWe wonder i Asian San Franciscans w

vote or an Asian candidate just because

they are Asian. Chow said he hopes not.

all depends on every individual. You wan

everyone to vote because they support t

candidates ideas, but not everyone is go

to do that," he said.

What are the chances o seeing an As

mayor in a city with a relatively small A

American population? "It all depends on

how much time they put into the com

munity and how much they understand

component o race and identity," Chow

And how about an Asian president?Bruce chuckled and said he would lo

see that in his lietime. He'll leave that to

14yearold daughter, he said. A

TO SAY ASIAN AMERICAN INVOLVEMENT IN

American politics has been insignicant is

a gross understatement.

Even todays political landscape reects

a dire lack o Asian Americans leaders on

Capitol Hill. According to the National

Asian American Survey (NAAS) in 2008,

Asian Americans make up only 1.8 percent

o Congress. This is a relatively small gure,

considering that Asian Americans comprise

nearly 5 percent o the United States popula

tion. Political scientists have attributed this

underrepresentation to the act that most

Asian Americans are highly concentrated instates like Caliornia, New York and Hawaii,

where Asian Americans make up a majority

o the population at 57 percent.

However, Asian Americans have recently

made progress on the political ront. Daniel

Inouye is one o two Asian American sena

tors; he is a Japanese American who currently

holds the position o President pro tempore, a

position given to the longestserving member

o the majority party. Senator Inouye is the

highestranked Asian American in congressio

nal history, holding one o the most impor

tant positions in American politics. The other

is Daniel Akaka, a Chinese American juniorsenator rom Hawaii.

Asian Americans have also made tremen

dous political advancements in the White

House. Two Asian Americans currently serve

in the cabinet. U.S. Secretary o Commerce

Gary Locke, a Chinese American, joins

Steven Chu, Secretary o Energy and Eric

Shinseki, Secretary o Veterans Aairs in the

administration with the most Asian Ameri

cans to date.

Chinese American Elaine Chao, who

served as Secretary o Labor in the Bush

administration, was the only emale Asian

American cabinet member in history.

At the local and state level, Bobby Jindal, a

Republican rom Louisiana, became the rst

Indian American governor in U.S. historyour years ago. In 2010, Indian American

Nikki Haley became the youngest governor

at 39, and continues to serve as governor o

South Carolina.

One notable name is John Liu, the New

York City Comptroller. Liu, a Chinese Amer

ican, is currently on the ballot or mayor o

the city with the largest Chinese population

outside o China (nearly 500,000 people).

In San Francisco, a city with one o the

largest Asian populations, six Asian Americans

in the mayoral race are vying or the top

executive position. This is an election that

could shake up the political demographic

and set the stage or more Asians in American

politics.Talk about a reason to be glued to the

TV screen this month. A

ASIAN AMERICAN POLITICS

A TIMELINEText by BENJAMIN FANG

byWENDY FENG

Pastor and social

media guru, Bruce

Reyes-Chow

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PICTURE THIS.Its Friday night and your nightmarish weekis nally coming to an end. You attend a local party with a ew

o your riends, ready to relieve some stress. A ew hours into

the estivities, your riends decide to get some air, which you

think sounds like a great idea. But once you are outside, enjoy

ing the cool breeze, your riends start lighting their cigarettes.

Problem is, youve never had one o thosenow what?

This is the situation encountered by many young adults,

mostly students. More oten than not, to avoid coming across

as antisocial or worse, a party pooper, the teenager or young

adult will accept the cigarette in an attempt to t in. This is

the relatively new trend o social smoking a common sight

on college campuses and in social settings elsewhere.

Two reshman girls living in Flint Hall, who wished to re

main anonymous, said they smoke two to three times a day. I

dont think Im addicted, I just enjoy it, one o them said.

According to the American Lung Association, overall smoking

has declined more than 50 percent between 1965 and 2009.

While percentages are still considerably high or White

Americans and Arican Americans (22 percent and 21 percent

respectively), only 12 percent o Asian Pacic Americans

(APAs) adults are smokersthe lowest among racial and

ethnic groups surveyed. Moreover, according to a recent study

conducted by the Centers or Disease Control and Preven

tion in 2010, only 14.7 percent o APA males and a mere 4.3

percent o APA emales were smokers.

The problem is that these statistics do not tell the entire

story. The numbers only apply to heavy smokers who, accord

ing to the Asian Pacic Partners or Empowerment, Advocacy

and Leadership (APPEAL), smoke ten or more cigarettes a day.

They do not account or light or intermittent smokers, some

o whom do not even smoke daily.

That said, it is conceivable that Asian Pacic Americans are

greatly aected by this evergrowing trend. A recent study o

479 APA smokers, conducted by researchers rom APPEAL,

shows that APA smokers are more likely to be light or inter

mittent smokers than White Americans.

Social smoking is a cause or concern because o the

potential health risks involved, says Dr. Elisa Tong, an assistant

proessor at the University o Caliornia Davis Cancer Center.

According to Dr. Tong, light or intermittent smoking is

capable o causing ser ious illnesses, such as cardiovascular and

pulmonary disease.

In addition, cessation methods are mostly targeted at heavy

smokers, even though lighter smokers also ace detrimental

health issues.

But why is social smoking especially common among

Asians and Asian Americans?

Dr. Tong believes it is a result o both social and biological

actors. Research has shown that APAs have a slower nicotine

metabolism; Chinese Americans, in particular, show a lower

intake o nicotine per cigarette than White Americans.

But all these reasons are only part o the picture. Smoking

is still a highly social activity that is becoming the norm or

many young Asian Americans, who are willing to light up just

to t in. Social circles oster a sense o companionship among

smokers and establishes a socially exclusive ingroup, which

may reject those who dont play by their rules. But those who

are in get a high o the exper ience.

A lot o Asians and international students smoke, said one

o the girls at Flint Hall. Its un. You just call your riends out

and smoke together. A

W I R E D

PhotographyZIXIWU

by BENJAMIN FANG

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O N C A M P U S

Photography

RACHELFISHER

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SPECTERS, GHOSTS AND LOOMING FIGURES FILLED A

high school classroom, skimming across a sea o

white aces. Bursts o belie grew as voices spokeout, giving strength to the visions, not o the

paranormal, but just as haunting.

These gures and illusions were o the eared

immigrant, discussed by students and leaving an

imprint on the only brown ace in the crowd,

Manan Desai.

The high school debate on immigration

and the vitriol spoken against oreigners was

a pivotal experience or Desai, who had never

beore heard such negative racial opinions rom

his white peers. The event, among many, served

as a catalyst that drove the second generation

IndianAmerican to delve into a world o the

Asian American experience.As the rst aculty hire in the Asian and

Asian American studies program at Syracuse

University, Desai carries a breadth o histori

cal knowledge, rom his amiliar ity with 1960s

movements to caste identity in India, all the

while bringing a resh perspective with ocus on

student participation.

Its really exciting and I think its a big deal,

Desai said. I eel grateul. I know theres been

an attempt to create this program or years and

being the rst hire, thats important. Theres a

huge responsibility to that legacy.

Legacies have been a ocus or much o his

academic career, concentrating on the political

movements and impact o South Asian history.

His amily overseas was involved in the Indian

nationalist movement, spurring him to learn

more about his ancestral story.

Raised by immigrant parents who came to

the United States in the early 70s, Desai grew

up in San Jose, Cali., where there was a large

Asian American population. The amily soon

moved to Michigan, where he was exposed to

the black/white racial dichotomy and heavily

inuenced by the Arican American struggle.

It was in a Michigan high school where

ethnic walls were ortied, where riends rom

elementary school were egged on by a teacher

posing skewed questions such as, What i your

immigrant neighbor cooked ood that smelledbad? The moment was both poignant and

traumatizing, but the impetus to search or

something more.

I still remember that so vividly, Desai said.

I was horried because it turned out so many

o those students were absolutely opposed to

immigration. But Im almost grateul or that

moment, when you learn so much rom your

surroundings. Yeah, it was really traumatic in

some ways but holy cow, did it open my eyes.

He sees himsel in many o his students, he says,

students who are in the process o develop

ing the language or understanding their own

identity. His personal experiences and child

hood o being the other, allows him to relate

to students.

Desais rst semester o teaching at Syracuse

University include Introduction to Asian Amer

ican Literature and Language o South Asia and

its Diaspora. In it, students examine the writings

o authors such as Maxine Hong Kingston, John

Okada and Gene Leun Yang. In his belie that

literature courses should deal largely with his

tory, he aims to have courses where the student

will not only get an exploration o the texts but

also a solid grasp o the history that ormed the

identity.

The rst recognized proessor in the AAA

program hopes to build participation o student

organizations and establish the importance o

history in connection with literature.

Students are going to be the backbone o

this program, he said. Without students, you

dont really have a program, especially an ethnic

studies program at that.

He says he believes the classes in the program

benet not only Asian Americans, but also a

broader population, saying that everyone has a

stake in it i talking about the depth o race in

America.

Kimberly Powell, a reshman in Desais Asian

American Literature class, is considering a mi

nor in AAA studies.

I had no clue the struggles o AsianAmericans, not only rom the past, but simple

stereotypes they still battle today, Powell said.

Manan, hes such a great teacher. He really

conducts great discussions. He is a really helpul

teacher, and it is obvious he values the art o

education.

Desai compels his students to make connec

tions to the texts in discussion. He reaches out

to them through conversation and Powell says

she believes he is eective through his handson

approach.

Since his undergraduate career, Desai has

ound delight in teaching. Graduating as a biol

ogy and English major, he taught chemistry,

composition, Shakespeare, as well as literacy

in Detroit. He later pursued his doctorate in

English, where he ocused on the 1960s and the

political and aesthetic movements that came out

o the era that shaped new identity ormations.

Trips to India and studies o black power

were inuential in his interests. From 2007 to

2008, he spent time in India getting in touch

with Dalit writers, traditionally known as the

Untouchables.

Again, it was a milestone where his eyes were

opened to a struggle ormerly unknown. It was

important to make connections to politics and

migration and to be absorbed in a history so

instrumental to the present.

I knew that I loved hip hop and later in col

lege I gravitated towards black literature because

it was able to express something about race, it

was close, he said.

ON THE SOAPBOX

"I KNEW THAT I LOVED HIP HOP AND

LATER IN COLLEGE I GRAVITATED TOWARDS

BLACK LITERATURE BECAUSE IT WAS ABLE

TO EXPRESS SOMETHING ABOUT RACE."

Once singled out as "the other" in a predominantly white high school, Manan Desai, the frst acultyhire in the new-and long awaited-Asian and Asian American Studies program, is now bringing

together students rom all cultures into one classroom

by CAMILLE BAUTISTA

8/3/2019 Aline Fall2011


By helping students realize the intercon

nectedness o race, Desai says he hopes to build

on the existing program and ocus on student

activism, a key actor that brought AAA studies

into ruition. It is important to him to have a

strong emphasis on Asian American studies as

opposed to Asian, as well as bringing in Asian

American scholars to the university.

Prema Kurien, director o the AAA program,

said development or the program was very slow

to reach out to aculty who worked on Asian

American issues. She noted that the department

has made rapid progress in a short amount o

time, including the new aculty hire and seven

new courses.

I am thrilled that he is here, she said o

Desai. I think that it is great to have someone

who is young, dynamic, and doing cuttingedge

work.

Not only is he a dynamic aculty member, he

also brings his passion to all that he does in lie,

said his cousin, Haley Naik.

Sharing Desais zeal or Asian American

studies, she helped to bring a similar program

to the University o Illinois at Chicago. Though

they spent much o their childhood together,

Naik took great interest in getting to know her

cousin all over again as adults.

Manan is a person that ollows his heart,

she said. He wouldnt do anything that he

wasnt 100 percent passionate about. I tell him

this a lot and he doesnt believe me, but hes

extraordinarily brilliant.

As a child, Desai enjoyed burying his head in

books and sketches, Naik said. He was talented

in painting and drawing as well. Each sum

mer they spent together allowed her to see his

insight.

Hes a really calm orce in our amily and

you always got the sense that he was deep in

thought, always thinking about something.

Currently, Desai says he is thinking o ways to

engage the student body, particularly through

collaborating with student organizations to

create a lm series, as well as working with the

Asian American Writers Workshop.

He says he also hopes to help develop mate

rial in SUs library, where students can explore

the world beyond the classroom with available

resources.

In the spring 2012 semester, he will be teach

ing two courses, including an upper level Asian

American literature course.

Outside o SU, Desai is involved in the South

Asian American Digital Archive and is a con

tributor to Hyphen, an Asian American magazine

covering arts, culture and politics. A

O N C A M P U S

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PRESIDENTS CLUB

TIM HUYNH, ASIA

MIDORI SHIROYAMA,JSA

HE JIAO, CSSA

DENNIS OH, KASA

COURTNEY YEH, HKCO

FIRDAUSARASTU, SASA

LORENZ CHIU, TAIWAN CONNECTION

ASH SINCHAWALA, THAI SOCIETY

We tried to provide a better platorm or Chinese

students to become closer with each other and let

other people learn about Chinese culture.We're looking into collaborating with groups that wehaven't approached beore, especially or Asian Pacifc

American Heritage month so please be on the look out!

I eel like a lot o the Asian groups here do try a

a variety o other Asian culture and cliques. But it

really hard here because people just like to stick wown people because they have their own connec

We dontwanttomakeJSAjustforJapanese

students.Wewanttoopen ourdoor, andwelcome

more studentswho are interestedin Japan.

Weve always believed in a community service or the

greater Syracuse area. I think thats a place where we

can really use the support o other Asian organizations

on campus. SASAhelpsmegrowandteaches meapprecia

t

theSouth Asianculture,aswell asmyowniden

t

incollege.

Our organization is a platorm which enables students

to realize that although we don't reside in the most hap-

pening city in the U.S., we are or tunate enough to have a

large international community ull o interesting people!

I just wanted a social organization at

and then we'll see where it goes rom

Now that we have 20 to 30 people, w

had a BBQ with Taiwan Connection. W

getting somewhere.

We caught up with some o SU's Asian Organizatio

8/3/2019 Aline Fall2011


ACCORDING TO THE 2012 PRINCETON REVIEW,

we are the 12th best party school in the nation,

sandwiched between collegeriendly titles

like Lots o Beer at #13 and Lots o Hard

Liquor at #19. Even at the cusp o the Top 10,

we couldnt have been prouder o our new

ound ame. Even rapper B.O.B. pointed out the

sobering math o the situation when he cameto perorm in this year's Juice Jam. Thousands o

staunch party goers excitedly cheered and hol

lered back in agreement.

THERE ARE 2,618 FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES and

universities nationwide and we ranked 8th on

Least Race/Class Interaction this year. Even

or Syracuse, a school some would call white

washed, that was quite a lot o segregation to

live up to. And i you were here in 2010, I'm

sure you remember your reaction when you

rst heard about this ranking. I remember non

chalant responses along the lines o, Yeah that

makes sense. One things or sure: it did not

take most by surprise.

Segregation is not just a separation o

the races but also social, cultural, and socio

economic dierences; however, many think its

only the ormer. But or our purposes, well

use mainly racial segregation even though the

Princeton Review included socioeconomicdierences.

So how did we manage to bag that coveted

ranking in the rst place? Personally, I wanted

to know how these barriers were created in

the rst place, and who better to ask than those

who may have experienced it beore?

I was able to gather interviews rom an

eclectic group o undergraduate upperclass

men-all SU students rom dierent cultural

backgrounds, majors, and organizations includ

ing those with Greek aliation. They were

two Asians, three Latinos, our Caucasians, and

two Arican Americans. Out o the 11, seven

were male and six o them were afiated wit

Greek organization.

They were majoring in Supply Chain

Management; Finance; Computer Engineer i

Sociology; Visual and Perorming Arts; Entre

neurship; Inormation Technology; Advertisin

Public Relations; French; Computer Science

Architecture; Psychology; and Music and Hitory Culture.

SU nightlie is such a hot topic among th

students here that it would be the most relev

one to examine. I asked the interviewees i th

thought the SU's greek nightlie segregated a

they unanimously answered yes.

As they revealed more about their identity

within their own social groups, two groups

stood out the most:

Those who were o the same ethnicity as

people they interacted with on a daily basis a

partied with people o the same ethnicity.

The ones who interact with dierent ethn

DIVIDEDby JOURDAN MOR

O N C A M P U S

1

2

CAMPUS,Photography

ALEXKIM

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ties during the day and at social events do not

automatically identiy with those culturally

similar to them.

When asked i they would eel comortable

in a setting outside their ethnic community,

most said yes. One emale even commented that

she sees people and not as a specic entity o

racial or social identity. Although they are will

ing to be a minority at a party or social event,

the students still agreed segregation was still ap

parent on campus. The group said they believeit is due to multiple social dynamics:

For instance, obvious visual cues. The emale

students agreed it is the male who oten gets

rejected when trying to enter parties. However,

some emales interviewees pointed out that

male minorities get rejected more oten, and

due to the packed crowd at these parties, they

are given little reason besides the party is ull.

Sometimes, another group o males (usually not

minorities) are granted entry at the same time.

According to a Greekaliate in the Multi

cultural Greek Council (MGC), Ethnocentric

Greek organizations are established as a state

ment o representation due to underrepresen

tation o their own identity in a predominantly

Caucasian majority.

The ip side with an Ethnocentric Greek

organization is that these establishments

unknowingly-or intentionally-reinorce seg

regation by separating themselves as an ethnic

entity rather than serving as a bridge or cultural

awareness with those signicantly dierent rom

themselves.

It is inevitable that these segregated interaction will occur, the Greekafiate said. This

would minimize the social interactions between

the underrepresented minority and the majority

because the ormer may eel the pressure to

identiy with or stick to those similar to them,

and may be inadvertently segregating themselves

rom others. On the upside, another Greek

afiate insists, i handled correctly, the ethno

centrism would not translate to segregation

but rather to more diverse relations between

dierent ethnicities.

Most o the time, its not similar interests that

bring people together, but rather similarities in

skin color. In act, the students I interviewed

spent the majority o our time interacting with

others o the same ethnicity as them, although

they insisted they were open to interacting with

others culturally dierent rom them.

One student said people attempt to gain

social acceptance subconsciously and would

rather conorm than stick to their own person

ality when the roles are reversed and they are

the minority. He said he does not believe this

would be considered stereotyping since socialacceptance is important.

It takes eort to impress and some might eel

out o their comort zone-it's easy to see why

students would rather party with those ethni

cally similar to them.

But at the end o the day, everyone parties

or the same reasons. The same ingredients are

still involved: alcohol, music, and the contest to

have the best story at next mornings brunch.

However, this is no way pits the majority against

the ethnic minority as there is no dichotomy in

segregation, despite the irony o the statement.

It is ar too complex or that. A

8/3/2019 Aline Fall2011


F A S H I O N

Big-name designers are taking the world o aordable ashion by storm. Versace or H&M just debuted in stores

Nov. 19, and already the talk o the town is buzzing about a new collaboration-Jason Wu or Target.

Wu's collection hits stores Feb. 15 and can be ound online at target.com

rt--Porter

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17/32FALL 2011 ALIN

ORIENTALCHARMText byVANIA MYERS

MOVE OVER, LONDON AND NEW YORK. Fashionistas,

say hello to the Asian invasion in high couture

ashion.

Fashions avorite goth-Givenchy creative di

rector Riccardo Tisci-is ocially obsessed with

Japan. No, not geishas or obis. Try something

a little dierent: robots and legendary Japanese

Butoh dancer, Kazuo Ohno, or instance. Tisci

was inspired by the masculine and eminine ele

ments in the dance orm, which he borrowed orhis Spr ing/Summer 2011 Collection. The palette

colors, inspired by dried, pale owers, comple

mented the lightweight gowns and showcased

distinct Asian style elements such as structural

shapes o the dresses, the origami olding tech

niques on some o the bows, which was inspired

by cranes, and edgy, uturistic headgear borrowed

rom the world o Gundam ghters, a Japanese

animated TV ser ies.

Even better? Tisci chose an allAsian model

lineup or this collection.

The cast o models included Shu Pei, Ming

Xi, Tao Okamoto, Kye Rim Park, Fei Fei Sun,

Liu Wen, Jiang Xiao Yi, Ai Tominaga, So Young

Kang and Du Juan-all upcoming models on the

ashion scene.

Asia is ashions next destination because o its

maturing ashion markets. Shanghai and Moscow

are currently the two largest consumers o high

ashion products. Luxury labels continue to stage

their ashion shows in Asia while major ashion

and beauty brands are hir ing more Asian models.

Asia is making remarkable progress on the

ashion ront. For one, there was Marc JacobsAsianinspired Spring show or Louis Vuitton at

Paris Fashion Week, which eatured bright, orien

tal prints and variations o the iconic cheongsam,

a tted traditional Chinese dress. Miuccia Prada

held a Asianinspired Spring presentation in

Beijing. The worlds rst male Asian supermodel,

Taiwanese Godrey Gao, was the newlynamed

ace o Louis Vuitton last January. Chinese model

Liu Wen is the ace o Este Lauder and is the

tenth highestpaid emale model in the world.

But Asian models still have some way to go

beore they can be on even playing eld with

western models, simply because o how the

industry works.

One o the major downalls o the high

couture ashion world is that it cant depart rom

the image o the stickskinny Caucasian model

Arican American and plussize models have be

trying to break into the ashion industry or yea

but still, its without overwhelming success.

Project Runway alum Daniel Vosovic held his

rst show at New York Fashion Week February

2010, in which he cast only Asian models. I e

like we ound 15 amazing girls, but it was a reaing struggle. Some agencies just had no Asian

girls. It just threw me or a curve. This is the r

time Im showing, and I eel like it was a huge

awakening. You hear about it all the time, and

then youre in the position to request it, and Im

like, this is insane.

Now he sees the modeling world dierently.

It seems really unny that people have been

casting allwhite shows orever and thats never

discussed, he said. And its like, Why did you

cast all white girls? And Im like, Well, thats

what the designer wanted. A

Illustration by EMILY RAMON

8/3/2019 Aline Fall2011

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STREET

Clockwise rom top let:

HANNAH KIM, Sophomore, wearing

geometric cube earrings bought

rom a vendor in Brazil;

CHRISTOPHER NOMURA, Assistant

Proessor at SUNY-ESF sporting a

coieured mohawk;ERIC MUN, Sophomore, wearing

Yankee love on a hat;

DU YOUNG,Senior, layering with a

preppy varsity cardigan S T

Y L E W

A T C

H

8/3/2019 Aline Fall2011


F A S H I O N

How is the annual shopping extravaganza weathering the recession?

ECIAL REPORT

Red and black: The cast o Glee at a Fashion's Night Out-themed shoot

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21/32FALL 2011 ALIN

SHOPPING. EVERYONE LOVES IT. For many women

around the world, the thought o buying that

extremely sot but expensive cashmere sweater

is the only incentive let to keep them moti

vated to go to work or the rest o the week.

But what is it about that $450 Vince sweater

that we so resolutely try to convince ourselves

is worth it or its quality? The answer is

simple: one is a luxury and the other, a necessity. This distinction is one that put the ashion

industry in great peril when the economic

recession hit three years ago.

Although clothing is part o the big three

necessities to survive (along with ood and

shelter), the ashion industry rarely revolves

around the concept o utility. Fashion is

associated with glamour; it was never really

intended to be practical.

In 2009, the ashion industry was badly

shaken by the economic crisis as global con

sumerism trac plummeted. As i the ashion

industry wasnt cutthroat enough to begin

with, as consumerism took a dive in 2009,

designers expressed their concerns.

Alessandra Facchinetti, appointed in 2007 to

replace Valentino Garavani as creative direc

tor at ashion house Valentino, let the position

ater only a year, because she was unable to

deliver results as quickly as Garavani had.

The very class o people that have driven

the whole boom in all these international

brands are the very people who are going to

lose their jobs in the nancial sector, Godrey

Deeny, senior ashion critic at Fashion Wire

Daily, reported to AP Television News in 2009.

Designers concerns were also reected

on the runway. Observers recognized that

designers, themselves budgetconscious, usedlessexpensive materials to trim cost and oer

buyers a more reasonable price. It eels as

though many designers have opted or abrics

that are o lesser distinction and or more

seasonless items versus heavyweights, observed

Tom Julian, New Yorkbased director o trends

or the global advertising agency McCann

Erickson.

Amid what had looked like the end o the

era o ashionable extravagance and the begin

ning o aordable, recessionproo clothing,

Vogueand the Council o Fashion Designers

o America (CFDA) teamed up to create the

ashion event o 2009: Fashions Night Out.

Taking place in one o the ashion capitals

o the world, New York, Fashions Night Out

served as a means to encourage consumers to

shop and support the ashion industry during

the dicult nancial climate. With appearances

rom the editors o top ashion magazines like

Vogue, ashion designers, and the worlds most

beautiul supermodels, the event was deemed

a great success. The event has been an annual

tradition since and has expanded into a global

event with 16 dierent countries participating

in 2010 and 19 by this year.

Ater the Asian debut o Fashion's Night

Out last year, many Asian countries remain on

the list o places set to host the annual shop

ping extravaganza. These countries include

South Korea, China, India, Taiwan, and Japan.

Ater a dazzling opening in New York and

parts o Europe in September, Fashions Night

Out is anticipated to ourish in Asia. Just a ew

years ago, many cities in Asia were not consid

ered as ashion capitals, but many speculators

now believe Asia is the uture o ashion.

With emerging Asian designers in the indus

try who have enjoyed success in recent years,

such as Alexander Wang, Jason Wu, and Phillip

Lim, Asia's inuence on the ashion world is

about to be reevaluated.

And as consumerism continues to grow in

parts o Asia-especially China-designers aregearing their designs to better suit the taste o

the Asian, or Chinese, consumer markets.

Tracking the growth o the Chinese ashion

market, veteran designers such as Karl Lager

eld o Chanel and Miuccia Prada have been

requenting their visits to China in an attempt

to raise their proles there and to better un

derstand the exponentially growing market in

dierent regions o Asia.

Currently China makes up less than 10

percent o the global US$206 billion luxury

goods industry, but analysts have predicted

this gure to double by 2015. A recent report

published by McKinsey & Company also pre

dicted that the number o wealthy household

in China with an annual income will increase

rom 1.6 million in 2008 to more than our

million by 2015, lending cause to optimism

that the ailing ashion industry will soon n

a new niche.

With design houses launching ashier and

sleeker boutiques across the country, there is

no doubt that the ashion industry has pinned

China as a large potential market.

Until recently, the brands most desired in

China were divided evenly and predominantl

among Louis Vuitton (43 percent), Chanel (20

percent), and Gucci (20 percent).

However, as dierent labels are beginning

to enter the Chinese market and opening

boutiques in Asia, consumers' tastes are shitin

away rom mainstream to more niche brands

in the likes o Marni, Balenciaga, Lanvin, and

Stella McCartney. A

Text by BETS

8/3/2019 Aline Fall2011


ESIGNER DOSSIER

DANIEL NGOOis a resh-aced designer who, at 22, wonthe Star Creation competition, a ashion design competi-

tion recently star ted by the Textile & Fashion Federation

Singapore to uncover new talent. Ngoo put his entry

together in just our days and blew viewers away with his

collection titledAge of Sobriety. A native o Malaysia, Ngoo

has honed his signature look, which incorporates mixed

abric and heavy draping to create a grunge-eminine look.

SHEGAR CHANDRA is defnitely an up-and-coming designer to keep an eye

on. On top o being a skilled ashion designer, he is also an interior designer,

hair stylist, makeup ar tist, wedding planner, and most recently, an artistic

director. Shegar and his designs have already gotten a stamp o approval rom

supermodels, such as Liya Kebede and Cindy Craword. His most recent

collection accentuates owy tops and dresses that incorporate a marriage

between classic and modern avor.

JEZMINE ZAIDANis the owner o the successul vintageboutique Old Blossom Box Store. She came into the

limelight when she entered as one o the contestants or

Project Runway Malaysia. Besides her career in ashion, Zaidan

also dabbles in jewelry design and writes or magazines such

as Life & Time NSTandMarie Claire. With experience as a

designer, writer, and manager o her own store, she is able to

run the ashion industry rom all dierent angles.

F A S H I O N

MODERNCLASSIC

QUIRKYVINTAGE

GRUNGE CHIC

THE OLD BLOSSOM BOX STORE

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IT IS MORE THAN JUST A TALENT SHOWor Asian

Americans; it has become a movement. Kollaboration has become a key stepping stone

or many AsianAmericans to enter the enter

tainment industry.

Starting with one show in Los Ange

les, ounder Paul PK Kim has expanded

Kollaboration to 15 shows throughout 13

North American cities such as LA, New York,

Toronto, and Seattle. With Asian Americans

not prominently shown in entertainment, Kol

laboration stays true to its mantra giving Asian

Americans a chance to showcase their talents

through Empowerment through Entertain

ment.

Thanks to Kollaboration, talents such as

Far East Movement, Quest Crew, and Clara

Chung have launched their careers.

In regards to whether Asian Americans

are making an impact in the entertainment

industry today, Kim believes that we are in

the middle o the (Is this italicized because

you added it in? It should be [the] i thats the

case.) historic time or Asian Americans with

Far East Movement making it big with their

breakthrough album, Free Wired.

Kollaboration played a big part o that be

cause were the rst ones to give a large audi

Modern, Ben Chung rom the Jabbawockeez,

Clara Chung, David Choi, Kina GrannisImean, like, you name any Asian star and they

were a judge, they were either a comedian, or

they were either a perormer at Kollaboration

and Im really proud o that.

Clara Chung, winner o Kollaboration

10, has gone on to pursue a career in music

ulltime. Some may remember Clara rom her

recent visit to Syracuse University as the head

liner or Korea Night 2011. She has already

had her own minitour in LA, Boston, Seattle,

and San Diego. Clara has also just announced

her shows in her rst Asia/Australia tour.

Kollaboration supports and helps elevate

all kinds o entertainment. I you appreciate

music and outdoor entertainment, there is

Kollaboration Acoustic in Caliornia. Kollabo

ration Acoustic ocuses on vocals, acoustics,

guitars, and other nonelectrical instruments

with seating in the Ford Amphitheatre in Los

Angeles.The uture or Kollaboration is bright. Kim

conrms that a Kollaboration Hawaii is slated

to open some time next year with a Kollabo

ration Asia in speculation. Yes, you read it here

rst. However, it is still a speculation and Kim

is hopeul that Kollab will eventually reach

Asia. Paul PK Kim who ounded Kollabora

tion is no longer with the show because heis working on his own television show as the

host and producer, Beats Per MNet. He also

has his own YouTube channel: Youtube.com/

ChannelPktown.

I you have the talent and ambition but

have yet to showcase it to the world, what are

you waiting or? Kollaboration is hosted in 13

North American cities and is still expanding.

You can take part now! Kollaboration can be

your boost to ame i you have a talent or

music, dancing, or standup comedy. Whatever

your talent is, you can take part in being a part

o history. A

KOLLABORATION:A MOVEMENT

EMPOWERMENT THROUGH

ENTERTAINMENT[ ]

Text by STANLEY HUANG

Illustration by MOLLY SNEE

8/3/2019 Aline Fall2011


IN A WAY, THE SONG PUSHIN EXEMPLIFIES the importance o

KoreanAmerican rapper Dumboundead in the Asian

American and internet communities. His story about

nding ame is a genuine testament to the success that

comes with pushing and persevering. Today, Dumboun

dead has a large online presence in the Youtube world,

with new songs receiving at least 200,000 hits per song.

Growing up in Koreatown o Los Angeles, Caliornia,

Dumboundead, born Jonathan Park, was immersed in a

community where hiphop painted the cultural landscape.

At the age o 14, the West Coast HipHop Movement

created a desire in Park to rap. His love or reestyle moti

vated him to perorm at hiphop shows and rap battles in

the area, eventually leading him to an open mic oppor

tunity or aspiring rappers, Project Blowed. It was at this

early stage o his career where Dumboundead, sometimes

reerred to as Dumb, developed his crat.

Dumboundead ound himsel amongst other Blowed

ians in two rap groups that he joined: Thirsty Fish and

Swim Team. His work with the Thirsty Fish saw the re

lease o the 2007 album Testing the Waters, ironically get

ting his eet wet in the commercial hip hop world. As his

experience grew along with his exposure , Park became a

master lyricist that dabbled in written hiphop as well.

Although known to the underground LA hiphop

scene, Park didnt win publicity in the masses until his

participation in the west coast edition o Grind Time

Now. A hiphop battle league, Grind Time Now is a

competition or rappers, challenging participants to dam

age the ego o their opponents through spoken word. In

act, his Youtube exposure came initially rom Grind Time

Now videos that were released online; a 2008 video o

Dumboundead battling ellow Caliornianative Tantrum

boasts over a million views.

DUMBFOUNDEAD

What the hell dude, stop rapping and go sell shoes /

Ater he lost that battle he went to his dad, got down on

his knees and said, I have ailed you, he preaches as the

crowd gasps and laughs over his visibly intimidated oppo

nent. The video is Grind Time Nows most popular battle.

His calm demeanor but quick wit won him incredible

respect in the underground rap community.

The YouTube community lited Dumboundead to

even greater ame, adding his name to a comprehensive

list o AsianAmericans who ound success through the

online video medium such as: Nigahiga, Wong Fu Pro

ductions, Kevjumba, and Clara Chung. This helped him

create a an base with the release o Fun With Dumb, a

2009 album under his independent label.

Perhaps one o the most signicant steps in his career

was his appearance on South Korean group Epik Highs

[e]nergy album, a cult classic among KoreanAmericans.

The popular song Rocksteady brought Dumboun

deads talents to the oreront o AsianAmerican culture,

illuminating his name among other star Asian perormerslike Kero One and MYK. With the incredible momentum

that Dumboundead amassed, he released the mixtape

Music in January o 2010, eaturing a remix o songs by

Aloe Blacc and Lily Allen.

Dumboundead loved the concept o using collabora

tion projects to show the power o the Internet to uniy

musicians and artists all over the world. The most notable

number on his 2010 album was Jam Session 2.0, a

song about world peace that gained incredible ame on

Youtube because o its production with eight musicians

rom our dierent continents by using the Internet to

communicate. The music video, eaturing blackand

white clips o each musician, became hugely popular and

earned national attention on huge networks such as Foxand NBC.

The hustlers o the world trying to make that sound, keeppushing," an inspired voice sings

V I B E

Text by STANLEY HUANGIllustration by DANIELA GOMEZ

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25/32FALL 2011 ALIN

In 2010, Dumboundead produced a string o singles

to coincide with his launch o Knocksteady, a group o

musicians trying to defne their own liestyle brand by

releasing positive media to the masses.

Since the creation o Knocksteady, Dumboundeadhas produced music with upliting and inspiring mes-

sages, contrasting sharply rom his hip-hop battling

days. But as ambitious Asian-Americans look to him or

inspiration, Dumboundead fnds himsel in a power-

ul position where he can become a beacon in the

minority community. This doesnt mean however, that

he has abandoned his unique style. Today, he continues

to represent Koreatown and the City o Angels. He is

a loyal partner to his collaborators, and still produces

music with DJ Zo, his ellow Blowedians, Sam Ock, and

many other Asian-American musicians.

In November, Dumboundead will come to Syracuse

University to perorm at the Elements o Hip Hopshow, which showcases both proessional and student

talent. The event serves to promote awareness o the

Hip Hop art, while additionally explaining its signif-

cance in the Asian American community. Every year,

the campuss Asian Students in America organization

plans the event and donates proceeds to a designated

charity. Dumboundeads presence at the event will

undoubtedly sharpen the vision that ASIA seeks with

Elements o Hip Hop.

I know I look crazy cause I push daily, and I keep

pushin till I push daisies, he says. Through the story o

his success, one can see how he has pushed to get

where he is now.

And he wont stop anytime soon.

Theyre all in totally dierent places, but thanks to

the Internet, theyve hooked into basically the same

eed, Josh Levs o CNN commented, and theyre all

putting this show together.

Additionally, or the Dierent Galaxies music

video, Dumboundead combined video ootage ohimsel rapping in Los Angeles with ootage o Sam

Ock singing a chorus and background vocals in Elliot

City, Maryland. He also collaborated with Beatnik8,

a law student in London who provided him with the

beat or Pushin. They communicated online, and

never met in person. A

8/3/2019 Aline Fall2011


one o the ew Asians, I always elt like that was an advantage , you know. I stood out,

and Hip Hop is always about standing up and being unique, you know what I mean.

The act that theres less o us like I was happy about that. It was gonna help us

grow. And its gonna help us like really fnd those leaders out in the hip hop com-

munity and help us grow, you know. So I think thatyeah as ar as Asian-Americans

in Hip Hoptheres been pioneers. From Mountain Brothers, back in the day, to

Denizen Kane, Typical Cats, like, uhmbunch o poets. Theres a history to it that us

too that Asian-American kids need to learn about with Asian-American artists in the

game. Like yeah, Far East Movement is in the mainstream but thats not the Asian-

American history. Yeah, theyre like the frst ones to go mainstream but theres ucking

ten, fteen, twenty years o history o Asian-Americans in Hip Hop, way beore them,

you know what I mean. Weve been there.

ALINEHow do you defne your position as a Korean-American in

defning Asian-Americans in the rap movement? Where do you see

Asian-Americans as ar as Hip Hop culture?

DF I think a lot o peoplethere is a lot o argument on how theres a lack o Asian

representation in the Hip Hop community. But I think thats alse . I you look at the

ndependent movement, theres tons o Asian American ar tists, you know what I

mean, rom the Blue Scholars to the DJ community to the dance community. Theres

tons, you know. Yeah theres not too many in the mainstream. But I think thats going

to change once weve gotten enough o us involved in the independent community.

And thats where my role is. Im independent, you know what I mean. And Im doing

my thing. And Im building my an base large enough to the point where mainstream

abels and stu wont be able to ignore that. In the end, even i they do ignore it, likem gonna get to the point where its not even going to matter. Im going to have

enough o a big ollowing where I can do my own thing, you know. Major labels are

ailing anyways, you know what Im saying. Its all getting to the point where there is no

mainstream and underground anymore. It just, all comes down to numbers and how

many ans you have. There is no separation o mainstream and underground anymore.

think my role as an independent Asian-American hip hop ar tist like, Im gonna do

whatever I want and what I represent is really an Asian kid rom Los Angeles who is

not your typical Asian dude, who doesnt really talk about Asian shit. I just- I represent

Asian-Americans in music mainly because I am Asian-American. I dont need to preach

t or anything, you know what Im saying. People see me and I think thats one reason

they can relate to me. Is thatthe struggles that a lot o Asian-Americans go through

are the same struggles o anybody ucking else, you know what Im saying. A lot o

Asian-Americans try to use that as a crutch. And oh but us Asians, we dont get

respect in the Hip Hop community. Thats total bullshit. Like Ive always elt like being

one o the only Asianslike everytime I stepped into a Cypher or a battle and I was

V I B E

B

ACKSTAGEWITH

D

UMBFOU

NDEAD

FRONT ROW

ALINEYoursel, Jin, Blue Scholars. Your type o Hip Hop, through your lyrics and

the messages youre saying, is a lot dierent than what people think o Hip Hop

and the mainstream. As an artist, what kind o message are you trying to send?

DFEverything I talk about is me, you know what Im saying. Thats me. My method

is the things that I believe in and that reects me. I think that one thingmy overall

message to everybody else is just do you, you know what Im saying. There is no

type o message. Im not necessarily a political guy. Im not a lovey dovey rapper. Im

kind o a little bit o everything. Yeah I can be a scumbag with girls but I can also be

a sensitive dude. Thats just who I am, you know what Im saying. My overall message

is just do you. Dont be the Asian rapper. Dont be the political rapper. Be you,

you know what Im saying. I think thats why people can relate to me is because

I can be the good guy in one video where Im talking about positive things. And in

another video, I just like to have un, you know, and drinking and smoking weed or

something. Thats my overall message. Is thatus Asian-Americans there isnt just

one type o message. Were all over the place, you know. I am trying to promote

that individualism amongst Asian-Americans.

nterview by BRIAN CHEUNG

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27/32FALL 2011 ALIN

ALINEHow does that play into Knocksteady?

DFKnocksteady is a collective o artists. We allIm not the head o Knocksteady

or anything. We have a collective and were all equal and we just promote things

that we think are dope. Its not Asian. Its not this. Its not just Hip Hop. Its everything

we think is dope. So we interview ar tists that we think are dope. Have podcast

videos. And we sell merchandise through our clothing company, namely to und the

things that we like to do, you know. With putting out concerts.

ALINEWhy reestyle instead o written word at frst?

DFI mean, I write my songs now. But my roots in reestyle were mainly because

when I was our teen or fteen, I was part o an open mic in Los Angeles called

Project Blowed. Its one o the most amous open mics in Los Angeles. And theyre

really inamous or reestyling. And thats where I got exposed to some o the most

incredible reestylers like, you know, o my lietime. I would go there every Thursday

night. I was like the only Korean kid and I would listen to these guys reestyle and

they were ucking amazing. You know, and I think that reestyle really reects my

liestyle. I kinda go with the ow or things. Im the type o artist that, i on stage, i

something were to go wrong, with like a piece o equipment, like the beats arent

playing, or my mic power goes out like Im not gonna stand up there, Im gonna be

able to do something, you know what Im saying. I will be able to go with the ow

and create a show out o that, you know. And I think that lie is l ike that. Shit goes

wrong all the time. You gotta reestyle things. I always enjoy that reestyling and that

reedom to go into dierent things, you know. Ive always been that kind o ar tist.

And eventually, I defnitely got into writing songs because, you know, I wanna be able

to control what I write, and you know, get my message across more clearer thanreestyle because in reestyle, you pull whatever the uck out o your ass.

ALINEHow do you describe your style?

DJ ZO I dont know, just being in the studio and whatever we fndthe synergy o

us being in the studio, messing around until we stumble across something.

DF Our shit is un, man. We loveI mean you can tell that in every song we do,

its un. You can tell were having un. Whether you like it or not, thats what we like

to do and its un. I think in my career, back in the day, I remember when a bunch o

Asian artists were around, and I was doing my thing. A lot o Asian artists didnt like

me. They thought I was weird. You know, that was the big thing. Like they thought

I was weird. And I looked at them and I thought they were too normal. Like, too

regular. You know what Im saying? And thats what I think I did dierently rom a lot

o other Asian artists back then. All the Asian artists back then sounded like typicalNew York rappers with like, you know, the same shit likenothing was unique

about it, you know what Im saying? Their unique- their straighttheir rebuttal to

that was like no we are unique, were Asian. But when they rap, they still sound

like everyone else. And the unny thing, the ironic thing is that Im Asian and I dont

talk about being Asian but I almost eel like I represent Asians more because the

act that I stand out and Im more unique, you know what Im saying. And thats the

ironic thing about that whole situation. And I think thats what dierentiated mysel

orm other artists. I think being weird ucking helped me. You know, like I love being

weird. Because i youre not weird, youre just ucking regular.

READ MORE INTERVIEWS

WITH DUMBFOUNDEAD

AND DJ ZO AFTER THESHOW

CHECK OUT MORE PHOTOS

OF THE PERFORMANCE

alinemagazine.wordpress.com

Dumboundead, a.k.a Jonathan Park, is a Korean American battle rapper rom Los An-

geles., Caliornia. Dumboundead perormed at Schine Underground Nov. 5 with DJ

ZO. Dumboundead is involved in several projects, including Kollaboration and Knock-

steady, a hip hop movement based in LA, which aims to "push new music and media

to the masses via select musicians and ar tists to create a unique liestyle brand that

promotes positivity and originality without losing sight o the greater social power."

8/3/2019 Aline Fall2011


WESTERN EXPANSION OF FAST FOOD IN ASIA has been

occurring so ast that some people say that it

seems like Ronald McDonald is becoming like

a ather gure to Asian children everywhere. In

China alone, there are around 3,200 KFCs, 500

Pizza Huts, and 1,300 McDonalds restaurants.

Although Asian Americans typically have

lower rates o obesity than many other groups

in the United States, all Americans including

Asian Americans are now at risk with the r ising

obesity rates in the U.S.

As technology advances, it reduces the need

or physical activity and increases the accessibil

ity o oods that are available in large and cheap

quantities. And when the adage o quality over

quantity gets ipped on its head, numeroushealth hazards are bound to surace.

In Morgan Spurlocks documentary, Super

Size Me, Spurlock was able to demonstrate

exactly how easy it was to access a ast ood

restaurant. He showed how consuming large

quantities o cheap ast ood or 30 days could

aect the overall quality o lie, by causing seri

ous health issues like cardiac arrests.

The spread o western ast ood is extremely

prevalent overseas because it has proven to

generate large amounts o revenue at a relatively

low cost. Ater studying abroad in Hong Kong

or one semester, I noticed there was at least oneast ood chain in every subway station.

This was mainly because each subway station

was connected to a large mall. Western ast ood

companies oten alter menu items, giving them

a more local avor and adding to local demand.

I you travel to Asia and visit dierent

McDonalds locations you would nd similar

menu items in addition to a ew things that you

may not have seen beore in the McDonalds

chains here. There were a ew items on the

McDonalds and KFC menus that I have never

seen beore. Instead o the usual apple pie, the

McDonalds in Hong Kong had taro pie and

the KFC served egg tarts. Western companiesroutinely change the menu so that it would be

more compatible with Asian taste buds.

Here, ast ood chains do not sell ne dining

experience as part o their appeal. But in places

like China, Pizza Hut oers a dining experience

compatible with some o the more expensive

restaurants in the U.S.

The increase o western ast ood in China

has caused a growing concern or obesity in the

Chinese media. According to the World Health

Organization, more than 30 percent o Chinese

adults are now overweight. However, the

denition o overweight or obese is completdierent rom that in the U.S.

In the U.S., anyone with a Body Mass Ind

(BMI) o 25 to 29 is considered overweight

obese i BMI exceeds 30. In contrast, the BM

or Asians to be considered overweight is 23

27 and anything above 27 is considered obes

The standards are dierent because Asians

have traditionally had a dierent diet, physiq

and build rom Americans. But the increase

in western ast ood chains in Asia is quickly

overturning a ood culture that has stood or

thousands o years by creating an obesogenic

environment, where oods high in saturated

ats are increasingly and shockingly (g iven thserious health implications) accessible. Herei

lies the bitter and sad reality in the McDona

success story. A

STUFFED

B I T E S

Text byMAVIS RENIllustration by SEAN BASISTA

8/3/2019 Aline Fall2011

29/32FALL 2011 ALIN

AFTER COUNTLESS SIGHTS OF PIZZERIAS and

burger joints coming and going along the well

trwaveled Marshall Street, Brickstone Eatery

brings a resh perspective on Asian dining to

the SU community. Serving up an array o dim

sum dishes, madetoorder noodles, and congee

(Chinese style rice porr idge), youre sure to be

in or a savory surprise.

Dim sum is the traditional Hong Kong style

o sharing plates o bitesized deliciousness

amongst a table o amily and riends. Popular

dishes such as roasted pork buns and shu mai, a

pork and shrimp based dumpling, are just some

o the Chinese style comort oods that can be

ound on Brickstones menu. For those who

dare to eat, they oer sweet glazed chicken

eet, a delectable tangy delicacy.

But whether youre in the mood or a bite

o Hong Kong style scrumptiousness, or just

want a nice hot and calming bowl o noodles

or congee, you might have trouble remem

bering youre in an Asian restaurant. From

the name itsel, to the music and dcor o the

restaurant, youll quickly realize that the oodthey serve might be going through some sort

o identity crisis. The dcor resembles a quiet

and cozy coee shop; a great look or coee,

not so much or dim sum.

Petite yet decadent, the dim sum plates

range rom $2 to $5 per dish. For a heartier

serving, madetoorder noodles start around

$89 with additional toppings available at

an extra cost. A warm and soothing bowl o

congee goes or around $7.

The next time youre looking or a casual

and un bite, stop by Brickstone Eatery and

take a couple o riends with you. Theres

always plenty o seating. And while it maynot be the most visually attractive place to

dine, your taste buds will welcome the unique

cuisine that has now been made available to

the campus community. A

CHORONG HOUSE

BRICKSTONE

EATERY

Review byJONATHAN TAM

Review bySHIRLEY DON

147 Marshall St

(315) 565-5674

IT'S NO SECRET THATGOOD, HOME-COOKED Asian

ood is hard to nd around here. Chorong

House is a diamond in the rough. Despite its

sketchy location, it is worth the trip. ChorongHouse has a homely eel to it, rom the inside

and out. The environment eels just like a

Korean home. Once you step inside, you will

nd two sections, one or usual dining and

another or larger groups. In the usual dining

section, there are small tables and booths set up,

t or two to our people. When entering the

section or larger groups, you are kindly asked

to remove your shoes. Two rooms make up this

section; one with several booths similar to those

in the usual dining area, and the other urnished

with long tables and olded chairs or six people.

Ater being seated, the waitress serves big cups

o warm tea and hands out the menus. There

is a limited variety o dishes, but the staples

o Korean ood can denitely be ound, such

as kimbap, bibimbob, samgyupsal, and kimchichigae. Several side dishes are also served. These

small dishes o kimchi and other ermented

vegetables are ull o avor and can appease

customers during the short wait. The prices may

be a bit heavy or the amount o ood you get,

but there are several lunch specials to lighten

the burden o the bill. Although the appetizers

and smaller dishes lack in avor, the main dishes

make up or it. One o the dishes that did the

restaurant justice was the bokumbap, ried rice

topped with a ried egg and a choice o bee,

shrimp, or kimchi. The jajangmyun was kind o

bland, but the rice was so amazing I didn't care

about that disappointment, I just wanted more

o the rice, junior Vincent Fang recalls, It was

unique with a certain avor that you could not

get anywhere else on campus. It was clearlymade with a graceul touch o homecooking,

a rare commodity in ood consumed by college

students. The kalbi, short bee rib barbeque with

special garlic and soy saucebased sauce also

received praise. The meat was awesome, it was

just like the Korean barbeque I could get back

home, said junior William Kwan, It was crispy

but somehow, melted in my mouth at the same

time. Chorong House is a place or college stu

dents with a craving or genuine Korean ood,

extra money to spend, and the determination to

walk urther than Marshall Street. A

For more photos o oodrom Brickstone Eatery, visit

our site atalinemagazine.wordpress.com

Photography

ZIXIWU

WHINE&DINE

8/3/2019 Aline Fall2011


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