Iris Chang - She who stood the fuck up

[Subversive]

Read about this young late author bringing to light her research into Chinese History.

http://www.unearthedfilms.com/iris_chang.htm.

....

[redguard]

Fix the link man its broken :(

[Subversive]

http://www.unearthedfilms.com/iris_chang.htm

[ric]

Read about this young late author bringing to light her research into Chinese History.

http://www.unearthedfilms.com/iris_chang.htm.

....

Did you just missed the whole threads on Iris Chang?

NANKING IS not a cause to fight but lesson in history and education about that time period

[Scowl]

Getting the Japanese government to admit that it happened (I'll admit that I don't know what kind of progress, if any has been made in this area) and to pay reparations could certainly be a cause to fight for.

Not my top priority, personally. I'm more concerned about shit going down on this side of the Pacific. But, it seems as valid a cause as any.

[Subversive]

Yo ric,

Wasup... I guess I did miss the threads.... colour me newbie and short on time to read through all the past posts. You're right Nanking is no reason to start a fight (and I don't want it to be), but rather I want there to always be a fight against apathy and ignorance.

We should all be gettin' the word out. And vice versa, we should be seeing the other side, seeing how things have moved on. I went on a vacation in Japan a few years back and met a WWII vet. He barely spoke English, but was welcoming me into his house to talk about some history and his past. He started telling me about his time in the Japanese Army....how he was one of those kids who was desensitized/trained and was ordered to bayonet live Chinese POWs tied to posts.

It was surreal to talk to him about something that my parents and grandparents had lived.

[ric]

Yo ric,

Wasup... I guess I did miss the threads.... colour me newbie and short on time to read through all the past posts. You're right Nanking is no reason to start a fight (and I don't want it to be), but rather I want there to always be a fight against apathy and ignorance.

We should all be gettin' the word out. And vice versa, we should be seeing the other side, seeing how things have moved on. I went on a vacation in Japan a few years back and met a WWII vet. He barely spoke English, but was welcoming me into his house to talk about some history and his past. He started telling me about his time in the Japanese Army....how he was one of those kids who was desensitized/trained and was ordered to bayonet live Chinese POWs tied to posts.

It was surreal to talk to him about something that my parents and grandparents had lived.

Don't get me wrong myself and REST of chinks, gooks, flips etc WANT japanese GOV to fess UP about this incident. It's too bad that japanese culture probably won't allow this to happen due to saving face ideals.

What we should do is fight the issues facing US right now as asian americans. It's very futile IMO that we as AA can do anything about making JP GOV give in. Maybe economic pressures and possible/potential $$$ MIGHT SWAY the JP gov for an apology.

Anyways welcome hope to read from you more and spread word about 44 site, newbie

:lol:

[Subversive]

and.. thanks for the welcome....

Fuck the apology. I don't care what happened in the past, I only care that everyone knows the truth about it, both sides of the truth. The attackers and the victims... I want people to know the social circumstances in which the governments made the decisions to attack. I people to understand how China let itself became so weak at that point, that an army from a much smaller country could walk right to the capital.

As for chinks, gooks, and flips... are these terms empowering? I fuckin' hate it when I hear it, from whomever... well, specifically Chinks and Gooks... even Japs. (I donít know if Flip is really all that derogatoryÖ any Pilipino care to correct me?). Its self deprecating, like when hip hop artists call each other N@#$#. Why do any of us use these terms, to describe ourselves no less!

Like some others in this forum, I grew up in a mostly white town, before moving to a place with a lot more diversity. What that means is that every day, from grade 3/4 until the end of high school, I would hear racist shit like this. When I hear Chink, my first reaction is to curl my fist and be ready to drop the mother fucker who said it, and then rip their throat out and feed it to their bitch of a mother. I've fought physically, socially, and through knowledge to rid this term from common lexicon.

Do many of us even know what the etymology of the word 'Chink' is? From http://www.chinkssteaks.com/includes/about.shtml (the awareness site, not the restaurant) its is stated "'chink' most likely originated in reference to the Chinese coolies of the late 1800's".

From my understanding, this is somewhat historically correct, but the true etymology of the word stems from the Ching dynasty. It was possibly the weakest unified ruling class in all of Chinese Dynastic lore. All Chinese and Asian immigrants were assumed by the pre-existing immigrants to be Chings... Chinks..... I'll never use that word to describe another Asian. The only way it could be empowering if we explained the roots of the word to each and every person who used it.... and even then, if they used it.... I'd kick their fuckin' teeth in.

S.

[xian]

WTF?
How is her history of Chinese in America not relevant to the present of Chinese and Asian Americans in general?

Hell, half of what she talks about gets at the root of the CCB phenomenon for those of us who are one track mind motherfuckers.
Read the book, bitches.

[Subversive]

HAHA! I love it Xian. You're right. Her work must be read. Without an understanding of history and how it led us to where we are now, we are truly lost. What I'm saying is that we should read more than just her work. We should all get to know the broad history. In addition to Iris' work, we need to know the entire geopolitical situation from every side's POV.

As for an apology from the Japanese government... would that really change anything? Would our ancestors forgive the the past for just a few words? Between chasing an apology, and working to never let it happen again, I'd choose the latter. Let's never be weak again, work to never again be the victim.

S.

[KeJia Sista]

WTF?
How is her history of Chinese in America not relevant to the present of Chinese and Asian Americans in general?

Hell, half of what she talks about gets at the root of the CCB phenomenon for those of us who are one track mind motherfuckers.
Read the book, bitches.


Speaking of which, didn't she herself marry a White man? No disrespect but I feel that a lot of her work failed to ignite Asians because of the choices she made.

When I first read the book, I dont think I knew who she was married to. If it was mentioned, it didnt make an impression that overshadowed the content.

Jin is singing about Spanish girls now. Should we withhold support cause his first big vid didnt have a Chinese girl? Hell, he should have been singing about a Hakka. :evil: :wink:

KeJia Sista

[Subversive]

Yo KeJia/TB, I'll follow up with the previous two posts a little later....

For the time being, if anyone's still reading this threadÖ Its obvious I see RED when I hear Chink. But I actually had an alternative version of my rant which I thought softened the tone too much... here's how the rant might have been....

"ÖWhen I hear Chink, my first reaction is to curl my fist and be ready to drop the mother fucker who said it, and then rip their throat out and feed it to their bitch of a mother stir fried with bamboo shoots, snow peas, a cup of MSG, and a little soy sauce. Racism never tasted so good..."

"...The only way it could be empowering if we explained the roots of the word to each and every person who used it.... and even then, if they used it again I'd be reachin' for the soy sauce and callin' their mother."

It actually made me laugh when I wrote it this way and it killed the catharsis of my childhood rage.

Moving on, yes, Iris married a Caucasian. Has anyone stopped to think that maybe this heightened her sensitivity to everything? Perhaps the effect of her marriage crystallized her understanding of AA's and their issues. Was she fulfilled by her marriage or torn by it?

Just a thought.

(BTW.. am I covering old ground here? someone stop me if I am... and point me to the forum... I've finally found "The Rape of Nanking, old world hatreds, and Asian America" thread... reading...)

[ric]

You do realize also Iris maybe the classic example of modelminority vicitm?

I mean if you look at what her parents do for a living

Mom is a Ph. D scientist in Microbio and father is a Ph.D in nuclear Physics. Both are very WELL respected in their scientific community. Iris got a MA in writing. I mean WTF is MA in writing?

I ' m sure PART of reasons why she wrote NANKING is do something of some significane in her community. Her marriage to some WM may have played in role on why she started to become more pro about chinese -american issues, not sure if we can call her AA activist though.

[OctaVentiConPanna]

You do realize also Iris maybe the classic example of modelminority vicitm?

No, Iris is not a "model minority victim". She'd only be a model minority victim if she was just some ordinary individual who has not achieved much. Iris was anything but ordinary. She is a brilliant author who has written a New York Times best seller.





I mean if you look at what her parents do for a living

Mom is a Ph. D scientist in Microbio and father is a Ph.D in nuclear Physics. Both are very WELL respected in their scientific community. Iris got a MA in writing. I mean WTF is MA in writing?


WTF is an MA in writing for?
She used her considerable skills to write a few books and her last book was a best seller. "The Rape Of Nanking" was the only English language book detailing the atrocities that happened in Nanking. And before she died, Iris was also working on a book about the Bataan Death March where Japanese soldiers made their POWs bury themselves alive and they also used some of them for slave labor.

Iris exposed the gross violations of human rights by the Japanese military, to which they have NEVER even apologized for. Not only do the Japanese government not apologize, they revere their war criminals as heros with monuments set up for them. Iris, with one book, exposed them as the criminals they are. THAT'S what-the-fuck an MA in writing is for!! So compare your skills (writing especially) and achievements to hers and you will realize you are in no position to criticize her.




I ' m sure PART of reasons why she wrote NANKING is do something of some significane in her community.



That's right. It was a very significant book. It brought to light a genocide in China that was hidden from the western world. Up until that point, there were almost no English accounts of what happened in Nanking.





Her marriage to some WM may have played in role on why she started to become more pro about chinese -american issues, not sure if we can call her AA activist though.


That is NOT correct.
Iris was told by her parents over and over about the atrocities that happened in Nanking. The stories about Nanking was told to her, but in her research, she had a hard time finding much documentation of the atrocities in English. There wasn't much about the Nanking massacre in Western literature. Iris wrote the book after seeing pictures of the Nanking massacre at an event. She remembered the stories her parents told her over and over and decided she'd write about it. Iris' decision to write the book had NOTHING to do with her husband. Iris' decision to write "The Rape Of Nanking" was inspired by her parents and her concern for human rights. Iris was brought up right by her parents.

After her book was published, Japanese ultranationalists tried to discredit her work. She would go head to head with all comers and fight their lies and distortions. In one instance, after some Japanese ambassador was done talking about the events in Nanking on the MacNeil-Lehrer Newshour, Iris tells the moderator, "I did not hear an apology."

Iris would tell people "Japan is lying and here's why...." and Iris would list the reason one by one backing up everything she said. So hell yeah!! Iris is an activist..... IRIS CHANG STOOD THE FUCK UP!!!

Read the story of her life. Show some respect!!
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/04/17/CMGCNBQRRP1.DTL&type=books


On a sidenote:
I think its worth considering the fact that Iris did not even drive a Japanese car. She drove a 99 Alero. Even with her money, she's standing up for what's right. Damn, that woman was raise right.

It might be a little thing, but her decision to drive an American car was not lost on me. I'm thinking my next car will be a Ford or GM. I was gonna get a 93-98 Toyota Supra TT..... but thinking about how the Japanese have NEVER apologized for their transgressions and not only do they not apologize, but they erect monuments for their war criminals and deify them..... Now, I find it very hard to spend money on Japanese products... so maybe a Corvette or Mustang. I'll be like Iris and I'll vote with my money.

[ric]

No, Iris is not a "model minority victim". She'd only be a model minority victim if she was just some ordinary individual who has not achieved much. Iris was anything but ordinary. She is a brilliant author who has written a New York Times best seller.

UH? Having parents who achieved alot in terms of higher education and of course the pressures to supersede them is not a case of being bitten by " model minority myth" bug?

Any lame brain can go and get a MA if they really wanted to.
But going to JOHN HOPKINS for WRITING? COME ON, there are other schools alot better in terms of development as a writer than a school that is not a liberal Arts media.

But going to HARVARD as a non -english speaking- foregin- students with scholarships is not something in regards to her parents?

By who accounts is she measured to be a " brilliant" author? Anybody with right amount of time can write a document journalistic style book.
Having a so called " JEW YORK TIMES" bestseller isn't saying much.

http://www.cantonpl.org/nytbest.html


WHOPPPEEE! Jon Stewart is on top ten list in 9/05 ...even 50 cents


But her go-go attitude and energy as well as being chinese is what I respect the most from her time on this earth. She may not be aware of book being funnel for anti-JP sentiments in America, but she did place her name in MUCH better light than other so called chinese-american women .













And before she died, Iris was also working on a book about the Bataan Death March where Japanese soldiers made their POWs bury themselves alive and they also used some of them for slave labor.

Well anti-japanese theme books make money.

Funny how " The Rape of Nan jing " made her $$$ and she started to write ANOTHER BOOK on japanese.

GREAT ASIAN AMERICAN AUTHOR :roll:

Iris exposed the gross violations of human rights by the Japanese military, to which they have NEVER even apologized for. Not only do the Japanese government not apologize, they revere their war criminals as heros with monuments set up for them. Iris, with one book, exposed them as the criminals they are. THAT'S what-the-fuck an MA in writing is for!! So compare your skills (writing especially) and achievements to hers and you will realize you are in no position to criticize her.

Like others scholars in China haven't done same thing as she has in terms of writing about Nanjing? give me a break.....
She doesn't have some IP on historical contexts of Nanjing or sole owner of this type of information.

Well actually If I had to compare what we both have done at same age, 25 that is:

I for one actually got into a technical school under science/eng majors, not some small college with a MA in writing

Making close to 100k. Starting up a business, but putting aside for my AA cause

Then again after reading her bio, practically most chinese kids have parents that push them to overachieve academically. I got all those stupid awards, etc...in school as well.



She did noting as a whole for AA community. All of her books are great for 1 generation Chinese and chinese community, but she ditto crap in regards to issues we face as AAs. There are plenty of themes in AA condrum world of issues she could've addressed but she decided to write about old country issues. then she has a nerve to call herself a AA writer?
She had a history of mental unbalance throughout her whole life. Being able to grasp onto something constructive and pour your soul into it is great outlet for those who have mental issues. She became a writer, average in regards to high she able to write her own views onto a backdrop of other scholars ( history).





Considerable writing? well I can admitt I'm defintely not vert good writer by far ( only if I have to), but I can recognize if someone has REAL INTELLIGENCE in their writing. If you have real higher education you can spot bullshit- coffee-ultra liberal-cookie cutter-pseduo intelluect yak when you read it.

What she did is take other ppl works, slapped it together ( WITHOUT any real academic scientific rigor analysis- which is expected from english majors), write about GROSS-graphical nature of what happen ( shock value) and with backdrop of world history package it so that americans can read and understand what happen during Nan jing



I ' m sure PART of reasons why she wrote NANKING is do something of some significane in her community.



That's right. It was a very significant book. It brought to light a genocide in China that was hidden from the western world. Up until that point, there were almost no English accounts of what happened in Nanking.

There are plenty of CHINESE accounts. So we really should praise someone who brings to light an issue that most who actually are educated individual would know about it? Like I said before what she did as whole for CHINESE people everywhere is great, but we have to deal with issues that affect chinese americans, not old country.

This is no different than JEWOOD always making movies about Nazis, Hitler, and holocaust every now and then which much surpise always gets nominated for BEST picture for Oscars :roll:





Her marriage to some WM may have played in role on why she started to become more pro about chinese -american issues, not sure if we can call her AA activist though.


That is NOT correct.
Iris was told by her parents over and over about the atrocities that happened in Nanking. The stories about Nanking was told to her, but in her research, she had a hard time finding much documentation of the atrocities in English. There wasn't much about the Nanking massacre in Western literature. Iris wrote the book after seeing pictures of the Nanking massacre at an event. She remembered the stories her parents told her over and over and decided she'd write about it. Iris' decision to write the book had NOTHING to do with her husband. Iris' decision to write "The Rape Of Nanking" was inspired by her parents and her concern for human rights. Iris was brought up right by her parents.

After her book was published, Japanese ultranationalists tried to discredit her work. She would go head to head with all comers and fight their lies and distortions. In one instance, after some Japanese ambassador was done talking about the events in Nanking on the MacNeil-Lehrer Newshour, Iris tells the moderator, "I did not hear an apology."

Iris would tell people "Japan is lying and here's why...." and Iris would list the reason one by one backing up everything she said. So hell yeah!! Iris is an activist..... IRIS CHANG STOOD THE FUCK UP!!!

Read the story of her life. Show some respect!!
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/04/17/CMGCNBQRRP1.DTL&type=books


Well I did type " may " have contributed to her so called marriage. Fact iis she meet her husband in college, how emotional strong willed are women in their early stage of their college years?


All chinese parents have told their childern about Nanjing. This isn't anything new, but why didn't she write about this or became more vocal about it until she got much older AND right after event where pictures were shown about massacre?

If my parents continue to hammer in Nanjing masscare into my head all the time, I would've wrote about it alot more sooner than waiting till I after getting a MA.



On a sidenote:
I think its worth considering the fact that Iris did not even drive a Japanese car. She drove a 99 Alero. Even with her money, she's standing up for what's right. Damn, that woman was raise right.

It might be a little thing, but her decision to drive an American car was not lost on me. I'm thinking my next car will be a Ford or GM. I was gonna get a 93-98 Toyota Supra TT..... but thinking about how the Japanese have NEVER apologized for their transgressions and not only do they not apologize, but they erect monuments for their war criminals and deify them..... Now, I find it very hard to spend money on Japanese products... so maybe a Corvette or Mustang. I'll be like Iris and I'll vote with my money.

Well I guess she NEVER owned anything that was japanese, right?

I mean her TV must have come from Korea..etc...?

There are plenty of chinese who spend money on SONY or Lexus products

Money talks man

In regards to Jp gov, THEY WILL NEVER make a former apology, but they well bow down to sooner or later to China in regards to global economy.

It's not much, but hey Money is power.

[xian]

Are you a moron? Her second book was on the Chinese Experience in America. It, with Takaki's work are pretty much the only narratives that don't attempt to sterilize the history and ignore the atrocities against Chinese Americans.


Just because you hate someone and choose to be ignorant about their work doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

If your answer to her immense work for the Asian American community is to make a lot of money for yourself and attack Asian American leaders who have made real progress for our community, then I fear for our community.

[ric]

Are you a moron? Her second book was on the Chinese Experience in America. It, with Takaki's work are pretty much the only narratives that don't attempt to sterilize the history and ignore the atrocities against Chinese Americans.


Just because you hate someone and choose to be ignorant about their work doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

If your answer to her immense work for the Asian American community is to make a lot of money for yourself and attack Asian American leaders who have made real progress for our community, then I fear for our community.

Well yeah I never knew AA community is soley just us, chinese.

As for her other works, she is great for CHINESE community

[xian]

Are you a moron? Her second book was on the Chinese Experience in America. It, with Takaki's work are pretty much the only narratives that don't attempt to sterilize the history and ignore the atrocities against Chinese Americans.


Just because you hate someone and choose to be ignorant about their work doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

If your answer to her immense work for the Asian American community is to make a lot of money for yourself and attack Asian American leaders who have made real progress for our community, then I fear for our community.

Well yeah I never knew AA community is soley just us, chinese.

As for her other works, she is great for CHINESE community

Have you read the book?

Why bother, I'm sure you will and then you'll just say, "Well, she wrote the second best book in the world on nativist racism against people of Asian descent, but she didn't do anything specific for one-legged half-asians with who like porn--what a sellout!"

I guess having used her books in my classrooms and gotten mixed classrooms of kids to work actively on Asian American issues thanks to her books, I have a different perspective. But hey, she had a white husband and our goal is not to stop racism against Asian Americans, it's to make sure there are no white husbands, right?

[Liang]

For all the crimes and lies that the Japanese (government) have committed and still commit to this day, I will never buy a Japanese car. I'm thinking either a German, Korean, or if the day ever comes, a Chinese car. American cars suck ass.

[ric]

For all the crimes and lies that the Japanese (government) have committed and still commit to this day, I will never buy a Japanese car. I'm thinking either a German, Korean, or if the day ever comes, a Chinese car. American cars suck ass.

so basically

VW, BMW, or Benz

Hyundai

[ZhuBaJie]

For all the crimes and lies that the Japanese (government) have committed and still commit to this day, I will never buy a Japanese car. I'm thinking either a German, Korean, or if the day ever comes, a Chinese car. American cars suck ass.

so basically

VW, BMW, or Benz

Hyundai

of the Korean cars that are available in the US, there are also Daewoo and Kia.

and there are people that are pushing for the US auto market to be opened to Chinese imports. but hell, until Chinese cars prove themselves to the general consumer market, i won't be buying one.