Panel discusses problems of Asian Americans

The Asian-Pacific-American Symposium was held Tuesday in the Indiana Memorial Union, marking the second anniversary of the Asian Culture Center's opening.\n"We decided that we should host a working celebration of our second anniversary," said ACC Director Melanie Castillo-Cullather. "One that everyone can take part in."\nThe meeting focused on how Asian Americans are perceived in America and the struggle of being a minority in American culture. \nEvelyn Hu-DeHart, professor of history and chair of ethnic studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder, said Asian Americans are a multicultural people.\nHu-DeHart, who was born in China and raised in America, said Asian Americans have been "racially triangulated" -- in other words, they have been placed between the two extremes of black and white. Hu-DeHart said Asians are used to alternately reinforce black or white positions, but always to enforce white privilege.\nShe said they are referred to as a "model minority," a phrase that breeds resentment. She said Americans resent anyone who is overly successful, anyone they perceive as taking too much of the pie.\nHu-DeHart said that while Asian Americans are said to be over-represented in terms of wealth, "I don't hear people say that (Africans or Latinos) are over-represented when it comes to poverty."\nUntil the same people who describe Asians as an over-represented minority use that term to describe white students, Hu-DeHart said she does not see the claim as valid.\nOther discussion leaders expanded on Hu-DeHart's comments. Radhika Parameswaran, an assistant professor of journalism, talked about "Perceptions of Asians in American Culture." Parameswaran said Asian women are often portrayed as submissive victims. She shared the headline of a newspaper article, "Born Oppressed," which discussed Asian women as victims.\n"If we all believe that Asian women are born oppressed, then we will give up," Parameswaran said. "What we have to say is 'I will stop being titillated by these headlines.'"\nChristina Frazen, a junior, missed class to come to the symposium.\n"I don't know that much about Asian culture, and I thought it would be beneficial as an education major to know a little bit about every culture," Frazen said. "I thought (Parameswaran's lecture) was very beneficial."\nThe symposium finished with a panel discussion led by David Takeuchi, a professor of sociology. The panel had four Asian-American students who were all on the symposium steering committee.\nTakeuchi asked the panelists if they could only see one change in the way the Asian-American community is addressed at IU, what would it change be?\nThe panelists said they would like to see more scholarships for Asian Americans in non-science areas, more education for the entire student body on Asian-American issues and more Asian-American students involved in student issues.\nDaisy Rodriguez, a graduate student, said she would like people to think about who is included and left out in every aspect of society.\n"I would like to see everyone get involved in Asian-American issues," Rodriguez said.