Round Eyes and D & D

Israeli girls write messages on shells ready for firing towards Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.

That is just odd.

July 18, 2006

Round eyes being discriminated? It can only happen in Hawaii, where 60% of the population is of either islander or Asian descent. An interesting topic being discussed at http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/archives/2006/07/hawaiis_unique.html#more , where according to the main entry it might be the only place outside of the NBA where white people may feel discrimination. Hah, they made a funny. But racism or unjust discrimination is never funny. Just because they picked on us in the past does not mean we get a chance to pick on them once we get bigger than them. We (as a whole) are supposed to be better than that, are we not? I have never been to Hawaii properly, so I cannot really comment on the situation there.

However, I did go to a high school where, at the time, round eyes were a minority (I believe at the time, it was just a little over 50% Hispanic, about 30% white and the rest being Asian, African-American and other; the school had a higher than usual Filipino population due to the Navy having a base close by). There were certain groups that tended to keep to themselves, but for the most part, people were mixed racially in their groups. It was not until I got to Cal State Northridge did I find the racial groups keeping to themselves. Not that I saw crosses burning in people’s front yards or anything. Although I did try to keep myself away from FASA (the Filipino American Student Association) because their group members tended to keep themselves in higher regard over others. An example of this is of twins I used to know. They were halo-halo; half Filipino and half white. One looked more like one half than the other. And vice versa. Guess which one the FASA kids treated better and which one they just ignored?

And again, not all the FASA kids were like that. But enough to keep me away from them. But that does not let you round eyes off the hook either. I have had my share of you folk going ching chong at me thinking I would understand them. Dude, I barely speak Tagalog. And do not get me started about the one time someone offered me chop sticks at a party where all they had here burgers, hot dogs and pizza. Oh, and that I know kung fu. I so wish.

The funny thing about California and Texas (or at least Austin)? California is more like my high school where you have a nice amount of diversity and the various races would mix. Texas would be more like Cal State Northridge where the different races are there but they all tend to keep to themselves. I wonder if it is different on the UT campus, but me being a townie, I do not get invited to the university shin digs.

Moving along now.

Next up is the dilemma of the farmers of the villages Daechuri and Doduri in Korea or D&D so I do not have to keep spelling that. Detailed more at www.saveptfarmers.org , it is the plight of farmers being forced off their land so the US Military can expand their bases in that country. The response of the farmers to declare themselves autonomous of the Korean government and renouncing their citizenship. According the aforementioned website, the farmers receive no provincial funding and, on official records, have ceased to exist. Can they help it? The declaring themselves thing, not the non-existent thing. Hey, we need you land. Move over now. Your farmers? Like we care. Reminds of the time in Oxnard, CA when they paved over the strawberry fields just so they can extend the freeway. Dude, what is Oxnard without the strawberries?

Meanwhile, back in Korea. Apparently the military riot police, back in March of this year have begun forcing residents out of the villages of D&D. People got beat up and they got arrested. But they backed down. And the military started work on rice fields, digging them up and filling up waterways. Dude, now you are just a bully. There is more but then I would just be repeating what is on the website. The villagers and the government have talked, protesters have made human chains around bulldozers and more people have been beaten up. As of May 2nd of this year, the intent to forcibly remove the villagers continues.

I do not mind the American military having a base in South Korea, what with Uncle Kim up north being missile happy and all. But did you guys need to have a repeat of what happened to the American Indians? In a century or so, will the villagers of Daechuri and Doduri be returned land to build casinos upon? Everyone who remained in their homes will be guilty of trespassing on federal property. Imagine if that happened to you. In this country. By the way, the actions that led to this does not have the support of the Korean people, it was developed in "high-level consultations" between the US Military and the Korean Ministry of National Defense.

Fun.

There are folk going around talking about this situation and I believe Amnesty International are involved somehow as well. Listen to them if you get a chance. There are bombs going off in Israel, gas is going up again and it is hotter that hell at the moment. There may be more important things going on at the moment. But listen to them if for at least a moment. They are going to lose their homes and their livelihood. Their personal worlds are ending and against impossible odds they are fighting.

That is worth a look at least.

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