ABEER ABUNAYYAN WRITES — In 2018, Prince Mohammed bin Salman lifted the ban on theaters that had been in place for 35 years. The ban had originally been in place due to social pressure from conservative Islamists to limit public entertainment, particularly theaters that had mixing between men and women. However,…
Month: March 2021
JAPAN: BASEBALL STAR SHOHEI OHTANI IS BACK IN THE GAME
NICOLAS PAPA WRITES — It has been almost three years, but Japanese baseball star Shohei Ohtani is starting to show glimpses of the two-way talent that had previously made him one of the most anticipated players in the history of Major League Baseball. The Los Angeles Angels player had sent…
ASIAN AMERICANS: BLACKS AND ASIANS UNITE OVER RISING VIOLENCE
NATALIE CHRISTENSEN WRITES — On February 27th, I held a Black-Asian Solidarity March in Playa Vista. Prior to the march, LMU’s Saisei Taiko gave a drum performance at Central Park. We then marched down Millenium Avenue to The Lawn. Speakers included Reggie Watkins, the co-founder of the Valley of Change,…
SOUTH KOREA: WHERE THE COVID BUST HAS CREATED A GOLF BOOM
CRISTINA PEDLER WRITES — The pandemic has forced South Koreans to look within the country for their golf fix. South Koreans are avid sports and outdoors enthusiasts. Their golfing population has continually been on the rise, despite declines in other golfing countries like the United States. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has strained the…
CHINA: TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE PROVIDES ANSWERS TO MENTAL ILLNESS
RYAN FRAZEE WRITES- How can we truly help the mentally ill? The Western world has undoubtedly revolutionized science and medicine. Yet the West has often overlooked and mishandled mental illness. In the United States in particular, the unfortunate tradition of stigmatizing psychiatric disorders such as Social Anxiety and Post-Traumatic Stress…
ASIAN-AMERICANS: HOME DOES NOT FEEL LIKE HOME TO AN ASIAN AMERICAN YOUNG MAN
JONAR COWAN WRITES — I am a 23-year-old Asian American raised in San Francisco for the majority of my life. San Francisco felt safe and accepting while I was growing up because I rarely experienced racism or anything that insulted my Asian heritage. In fact, I grew prideful of my…
JAPAN ANIME: WHO NEEDS GIANT HUMANOIDS AND DARK VIOLENCE IN TODAY’S CRUEL WORLD?
MILES WHITTINGHAM WRITES – The Anime craze in the United States is one that I’ve never fully understood. Fans seem to keep coming forward, but this type of animation has never particularly drawn my interest. So recently I figured, why not finally see what all the infatuation with this art…
CORONAVIRUS CHRONICLES: POETRY FOR THE PANDEMIC AND BEYOND
KEZIA LAKSMONO WRITES — I was reminded of “Pantun,” an oral literary form of expression traditionally used amongst Indonesians, during this pandemic. In its most basic form, it consists of even-numbered lines which are recited according to a fixed rhythm. For example: “Kalau ada sumur di ladang, bolehlah kita menumpang…
KOREAN PENINSULA: KEY ROLE FOR AN OUTSIDE (LADY) MEDIATOR?
TOM PLATE WRITES — Minari is both the name for a celery-like herbal plant and the title of a wonderful new Korean-American movie that is stealing people’s hearts and winning major recognition. The plant is also a symbolic plot point that is as rich in the movie as the real-life…
AFGHANISTAN: WITH THE WITHDRAWAL OF AMERICAN TROOPS, ARE WOMEN LEFT BEHIND?
LIAM ROGERS WRITES — Afghanistan has been an unfriendly place for women. During the 1996-2001 Taliban rule, women were not allowed to attend school, work, leave their homes without men, or show skin in public. The 2018 Academy Award Nominee, The Breadwinner, featured a beautifully horrific presentation of this reality.…
JAPAN: THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR DISASTER
CLAIRE GUTE WRITES — Ten years later, the effects of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake in Japan are still evident. Recent seismic activity has led scientists to believe that radiation levels in damaged cooling tanks at Fukushima’s nuclear plant are higher than previously believed. The damage is creating new issues for…
ASEAN: THE MILK TEA MOVEMENT BREWS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
MANAGING EDITOR ZHI JIAO DANIELLE GOH — First it was Hong Kong and Taiwan. Then it was Thailand. And now Myanmar. What’s going on in Asia? Perhaps the Milk Tea Alliance can help you understand the situation in the region. The Milk Tea Alliance began with a tweet by Thai…
INTERVIEW: MADAM VIOLET, A STORY OF SURVIVAL AND TRIUMPH OVER SOUTH KOREA’S SEX TRAFFICKING EPIDEMIC
*For the protection of all parties involved (as well as a request from the interviewee herself), all names and identifiable information have been redacted. The interview was conducted virtually via FaceTime to comply with CDC and CDPH Health Guidelines for COVID-19. **Trigger Warning: This article recounts the interviewee’s experiences of…
ASIA: HOW THE ‘HUNGER GAMES’ SALUTE BECAME A SYMBOL OF SOLIDARITY ACROSS RECENT PROTESTS
QUINN MCGANNON WRITES — Recent years have seen an explosion of protests across Asia, most stemming from a frustration with oppressive governments and lack of freedoms. An increasing number of young people in Asia are participating in their countries’ affairs, and they’re not being subtle about it. While protests generally…
SOUTH KOREA: ‘MINARI’, THE MOVIE THAT SHOWS GRANDMA KNOWS BEST
ANDREA PLATE WRITES — “Everyone needs to have access both to grandparents and grandchildren in order to be a full human being.” So wrote cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead, at least a half-century prior to the release of “Minari,” awarded “Best Foreign Film” by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association at the…
JAPAN: HAPPY 25TH ANNIVERSARY POKÉMON – BECOMING THE VERY BEST THAT NO ONE EVER WAS
CADY ABE WRITES — Pokémon, one of the most well-known video games, trading card games and anime both in America and Japan, celebrated its 25th anniversary February 27th. How to celebrate? Nintendo released free Pokémon trading cards alongside any purchase of a McDonald’s Happy Meal, created an anniversary event within…