Transcripts For KGO Beyond The Headlines 20160606 : vimarsan

From 2000 to 2010. Now, this is a much faster rate than the total u. S. Population, which increased by 9. 7 during the same time frame. According to the library of congress, the term asianpacific encompasses all of the asian continent, as well as the Pacific Islands of melanesia, micronesia, and polynesia. The people and cultures of this region have added significantly to the rich diversity of the bay area. Abc7s kristen sze is here now with leaders in our local Apa Community. Thank you, cheryl. We have a great group for todays show. Nick kuwada is staff attorney with asian law alliance, based in santa clara county. Masashi niwano is festival exhibitions director for center for Asian American media. And elise maar former senior associate director of admissions to stanford. Now, we brought you all here because your expertise will really help us understand some issues that are very important. Were talking about timely and relevant to asianamericans and also the broader bay area community, of course. Were talking about this election year, president ial election, so we want to talk about voting, getting out the vote. Also, this year is the oscars so white controversy, so we want to bring in the issue of media representation of asianamericans. And, of course, something that is so stressful to parents out there, not just asianamericans, but it is a particularly important topic to asianamericans were talking about the stressful road to Higher Education and college in particular, elise. So feel free to jump in with your ideas. This is a freeflowing conversation, hows that . All right, so, masashi, were gonna start with you. A lot has been made this year over the lack of diversity in hollywood. And a lot of people dont realize that is not just affecting africanamericans, but also asianamericans, and in a different way. Can you explain that . Yeah, absolutely. Well, the oscars so white started in january, february, when the nominations came out for the Academy Awards and there were really no people of color being nominated for some of the big awards. And so not only africanamericans, but all people of color were really frustrated about this. And then, for people who watched the oscars, they saw so many kind of targeted jokes towards asianamericans that, i think, as a community, it was kind of a standup moment where we all thought, wait a minute. The moment where the whole world is watching and have eyes on this kind of event, the fact that asianamericans are still the butt of jokes is very problematic. And since then, weve had a lot of films that are being made that have caucasians being portrayed for asianamerican roles. So were looking at films like ghost in the shell. Yeah, absolutely. Scarlett johansson. That role was supposed to be asian . Absolutely. And Doctor Strange Tilda Swintons playing a monk. So were at a point right now where were in 2016. A lot of asianamericans and people who are just frustrated with media are standing up and saying, why is this still happening . Lets talk about the ways somebody has stood up for this, and its actually through a Socialmedia Campaign starring john cho. Can you explain that . Yeah, absolutely. Well, one of the things that asianamericans do very well is social media is something that we do well. And we want to be creative. I think, if we want to get our voices heard, we cant always do it just by being frustrated. So this starring john cho is a great example of you know, for people who say asianamericans cant be portrayed in these big roles, seeing john cho in all these different posters is a great way to show that we are sellable, that we have that appeal. And after this so his face has been photoshopped into the posters of all these big films. And done pretty well. To say that, sure, why not john cho . He could open a film. He could be a lead man, and he absolutely could. Isnt that an argument that asianamerican actors are not profitable, not bankable . I think thats one of the key things that hollywood is saying, and the reasoning why they wont cast asianamericans is that were not bankable, that you know, whos gonna see asianamericans on the big screen . So i think this poster idea is a great way to say, actually, look at this. It looks really you know, this could be really good. Mmhmm. It seems like asianamericans have made inroads on the small screen, in television. Just on abc, we have a couple of shows in which asianamericans are the stars. We do have clips, as well, of fresh off the boat and dr. Ken. What do you think about that . I mean, that is progress. Yeah, absolutely. I definitely think there is progress in the media. And television, you can see a lot of great shows. I think every big network now has asianamericans in some primetime show. So thats progress. And if you look at hollywood, from film to tv tv, theres more producers, directors, writers who are making shows about asianamerican stories, and thats great. When you look at film, not so much. And i do think that thats where were kind of putting our focus on right now, because we want it to reflect both areas. So, for our viewers who are not familiar with fresh off the boat, just want to show them a clip real quick. Yeah. Jessica, i figured it out. Dad, how come we have to start school on a wednesday . Thats a great question. Go to school. Go, go, go, go. [ sighs ] i was blowdrying my hair, and i figured it out how the restaurant can attract bigger crowds. What how . Now, for our other guests, elise and nick, feel free to chime in. When you see asianamericans onscreen, either on tv or in the movies, would you be more likely to go see that show . Or does that not make a difference . I mean, it goes towards hollywoods arguing, maybe asians dont want to see asians, even. What do you think . I absolutely jump onboard when i see someone who looks like me onscreen. I think it works both ways, actually. When somebodys onscreen that looks like me, i feel this connection. I might not even be interested in the subject matter, but, heck, ill go see it anyway. But it works the other way, too, when i see that there is a role that should be probably played by an asianamerican and its recast by somebody else, and it angers me. So, in a way, it works both to my benefit and negatively towards a movie if i dont see it happen. But the portrayal of that asianamerican character is important, too, right the authenticity . Oh, sure. Absolutely. And i havent seen this film, but, apparently, recently, emma stone was cast in a movie about i guess its set aloha. Yeah, its set in hawaii, and shes supposed to be part asian . That seems very strange to me. I know there are a lot of asianamerican actresses who, you know, wouldve been wonderful in that role. Yeah. Also want to show our viewers a quick clip of dr. Ken. Its three strikes im not a baseball guy its three strikes you dont have to be a baseball guy i was homeschooled. Where . outer space . as we watched that, elise, an interesting thought came to me. You mentioned that you do enjoy seeing asianamerican characters on tv but their role needs to send a positive message. Absolutely. I started watching fresh off the boat at the beginning of the season. I was very excited about it. And i just felt like, as i see in a lot of shows or movies, the reduction is that the men are always emasculated somehow. They fit into this stereotype that the asian man is not a strong man. And i find that really frustrating. Mmhmm. Well, masashi, what can we do to diversify the storytelling of asianamericans and make the experience more true for the viewer . Yeah, absolutely. And i do think there are so many stories within the asianamerican communities that havent been told, and i do think that fresh off the boat, dr. Ken may not be for everyone. Its a very accessible show, and, by doing that, you kind of lose the nuance and the richness of our communities. Mmhmm. But i do think that the more people go out and are active about watching films by asianamericans, stories that come from the community i think the more that those films are successful or those shows, i think thats just gonna blossom even more stories. So i would hope that people you know, if you see something out there that frustrates you, dont support it, dont watch it, and then, on the other hand, if you see a film, a show that really resonates with you, support it. Have your voice be heard. Let people know that you love that show. Vote with our dollars, so to speak, right . All right. Makes sense. Thank you so much. Hang on. Were gonna take a short break and be back with more beyond the headlines, talking about issues important in our apa communities. Well be right back. [ theme music plays ] i thought, the red cross does katrina. They dont help single moms. Hi. Hi. What happened to our house last year . It flooded. And the water flooded out. Yeah. The red cross arranged the hotel for us. They gave me that break, that leverage, to be able to get it together and. Take care of them, you know . I feel like weve come full circle. Like that this is how ill do it. Sarah there you go. Eight years into the disease was when all the light went out. For me, it was heartwrenching. Look into the eyes of somebody with alzheimers sometime, you just dont see the persons soul is, like, gone. Bea and it takes a toll on everyone. I mean, its its a depressing disease to watch unfold before your eyes. She actually thought those of us who were caring for her and who loved her most were her worst enemies. More and more responsibilities fell on my shoulders. Lisa this disease just ravages a family. It changes your life. The magnitude of it is indescribable. My mother taught me to be in the moment. We have to live in the moment with them. And im going to be with that person right now, in this moment, wherever she is. Art now is the moment. If we work together, we can stop this epidemic. Grace contact brightfocus and learn more. Welcome back to a special roundtable episode of beyond the headlines. Im kristen sze, in for Cheryl Jennings to have this conversation about issues important to our Apa Community. I want to move on to elise and your topic of Higher Education with your background. Very important right now because i find that, not just for asianamericans, but the stress level of the road to college, applying to college, seems higher than ever before. Why is it . Well, i think our society right now theres so much focus on selectivity and theres so you know, everyone seems to want to go to the same 12 schools. And i think, if we can get parents to reassure their kids that there are other places to go, if we can get the parents to find other places to be acceptable for their kids to go to, we can bring down the stress level a great deal. Do you think, among asianamericans and immigrant families, there is the sense that those 12 colleges, the big names, do something for you in life that its so important to get into those particular colleges . Well, i can say, for immigrant families that have come over from asia, they have probably heard of those names. And i think its a sign that their families have made it if their kids get into those colleges. But i think they need to realize we have hundreds and thousands of amazing universities and colleges in this country. And just because you get into a particular school does not mean that youre necessarily going to have a successful life. Right. Quick polls where did everybody go to school . I graduated from San Francisco State University. All right. University of virginia. Okay. University of utah. All right. Uc berkeley. Four different colleges, right . And were all doing fine. I think were fine. [ laughs ] i think so. We hope so. But it is important to note, though, that the pressure isnt just coming from the parents. The students seem to be putting more pressure than ever on themselves, and sometimes were seeing tragic results, right . Weve had that spate of suicides in palo alto. Thats just one sharp example. But what is happening that the children really put that much pressure on themselves . Well, again, i think a lot of it comes from the families. I think parents need to really reassure their kids that they love them unconditionally and theyre going to love them wherever they go to college. I think there is a lot of emphasis on getting into college as the ultimate goal, not valuing the highschool experience. And what people need to realize is, once you get into college, you also need to be able to graduate from that college and that theyre still developing throughout college. So i think making getting into college not the ultimate goal would help a lot. For our viewers just joining us, with your background, you have read a lot of applications at stanford and other places. Do the colleges in fact want a kid whos checked every box . I was studentbody president. I was in four sports. I founded a club. I founded a business. Do they need all that . They dont. What they do need they do need to show that theyre engaged intellectually and that theyre engaged authentically. And so i always suggest to students that they take certainly the most rigorous course load that they can handle, and thats a big part that they can handle. Just because your school offers 10 aps does not mean that you should take every single one of them. Parents should really make sure that their kids are sleeping enough. And you know what colleges are looking for is, when admission officers are reading applications, they want to see students who have had the time to reflect on the experiences that theyve had, on their opportunities, and on what theyve learned. No, theyre not looking for students who are just going through and checking off boxes and jumping through hoops. There needs to be deeper meaning to that. Do you feel like the selectivity of a college is necessarily a good indicator of how good of experience that college will either give you or how well it will set you up for life . So, selectivity has become such a big thing because, you know, theres the u. S. News world report ranking that everybody goes to. What people dont know is a lot of what go into the rankings its a lot of meaningless data, really. Some of the things include asking deans of admission about what they think of other schools. And ive heard deans of admission say, why would i be qualified to judge another school . I dont work there. I dont know much about it. So theres a lot about reputation. Selectivity actually impacts bond ratings that colleges and universities so they have an incentive. They have an incentive to keep their percentage of acceptance low. And so theres this perception that selectivity gives you an indication of how strong a school is, but let me give you an example. So, about 10 years ago, the university of chicago, their admit rate was about 40 . And i think all of us here will agree that the university of chicago is a highly intellectual place and always has been. They over the years, they got rid of so, they had this very interesting application 10 years ago where they thought that, by asking students certain essay questions, they would find the right students for them. And they did, and it was a hard application, but if you really wanted to go there and you were that type of student, you know, it was a good application for you. They got rid of that application, and their application numbers have gone up, and so, all of a sudden now, 10 years later, i think they may be below 10 now. So they look more selective. They look more selective, but has the quality of education changed . Not at all, right . So, i do think its important for families to, as you say, give the unconditional support. Nick and masashi, did you feel like, when you were applying and looking at schools, did your parents give you the sense that you can choose and truly be what you want to be and not necessarily a doctor, lawyer, or any of the stereotypical things that you might think . Well, when i was nine years old, i told my family that i wanted to be a filmmaker, so that kind of broke a lot of those expectations. And i actually did a lot of research, and, for me, i knew that i wanted to make asianamerican work and i wanted to be a filmmaker. So San Francisco State University was the perfect space for me and has helped me out in my career. And they were incredibly supportive of that, but i have a lot of friends who had a different experience. Yeah, how about you, nick . Well, i did become a lawyer, so i guess i didnt really buck the trend in that sense. But it wasnt from their pushing. No, definitely not. But i also do feel that a lot of my colleagues, a lot of my peers growing up, they almost take a sense of pride being asianpacific islander and saying, oh, well, my parents were so harsh on me, and i had to go to this topend school and become two things a doctor or a lawyer, you know . And i do feel that there still is that underlying aspect to our community that we do need addressing. Thats not a rite of passage, you know what i mean . You know, growing up here and getting that education is a gift, and you should enjoy it, you know . Enjoy it. Yeah. That is the takeaway, right . Absolutely. All right. Great conversation. Lets continue it after just a short break. Stay with us because well definitely keep talking about issues important to the Apa Community in just a few minutes. [ theme music plays ] for colon cancer . Get tested i dont have any symptoms. [female announcer] of cancers affecting both men and women, Colorectal Cancer is the 2nd leading Cancer Killer in the united states. And it doesnt always cause symptoms, especially early on. But im only 53. Im too young. [announcer] screening is recommended for men and women beginning at 50. But no one in my family had colon cancer. It doesnt run in my family. [announcer] most Colorectal Cancers occur in people with no Family History of the disease. But. That test. [announcer] there are several kinds of screening tests for Colorectal Cancer. 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