For Generations to Come: Chinese American Philanthropy in the Bay Area

In order to understand better philanthropy among Chinese Americans in the San Francisco Bay Area, Silicon Valley Community Foundation commissioned this report, sponsored by the Chinese American Community Foundation in which active Chinese American donors were asked about their giving practices and preferences. Interviews were conducted with 33 Chinese American individuals who encompassed a range of ages, origins, and counties of residence in the Bay Area.To address the questions motivating this report, participants were asked to describe the values and vision that guide their charitable giving. They spoke about their appreciation for the opportunities they had, and their desire to give back by making the world a better place. Linking the past to the future, they voiced their aspirations for the next generations, especially of Chinese Americans, that they may have those same opportunities and eventually contribute to the community through their leadership and philanthropy. Their efforts emphasize creating opportunities for all, but especially for children, youth, and young adults, by supporting schools (both locally and in China), creating university scholarships, and serving on boards of universities and leadership development organizations. In addition to their focus on the future, participants spoke of their passion for a wide variety of causes that contribute to the community, society, and the environment in the present

The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Menopausal Symptoms among Chinese-American Women

The objectives of this research were to study the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for menopausal symptoms among Chinese-American women, and to examine the correlation between CAM use, acculturation, and CAM insurance coverage. The study revealed that Chinese-American women experience menopausal symptoms even when they still have regular menstrual cycles. Early education on women\u27s health, especially about menopause, is recommended. A significant correlation was found between the women being asked by their health care providers regarding CAM use, and open discussion regarding the women\u27s CAM use with their health care providers (p\u3c0.05). The researchers suggest that health care providers ask their patients about their CAM use in order to encourage open discussion of CAM use with their patients

Breaking the Mold: Four Asian American women define beauty, detail identity, and deconstruct stereotypes

The experiences of four women reveal how notions of outer beauty touch ideas of personal ethnic identity, racism, media-imposed pressure, and social stereotypes; shaping the lives of Chinese, Chinese American, and Asian American women

Unraveling the myths of Chinese American giving: Exploring donor motivations and effective fundraising strategies for U.S. higher education

Chinese Americans form a growing population of individual philanthropists in U.S. universities and colleges. Despite their continuing contributions to the development of U.S. higher education, the voices of Chinese American donors have not garnered enough scholarly attention. In fact, there still remain hidden "myths" about Chinese American giving: 1) Chinese American donors are "non-traditional"; 2) Chinese American giving is "small, private, and personal"; 3) Chinese American giving differs generationally; and 4) increasing international Chinese student populations in the U.S. will generate positive effects on overall trends in Chinese American giving. Using interview data from fourteen Chinese American donors who have supported U.S. higher education, this dissertation explores these four "myths" regarding Chinese American giving to U.S. higher institutions. The findings highlight that the impact of "traditional" and "non-traditional" perspectives regarding donor motivation combines to form a more holistic dynamic of Chinese American donor behaviors. While cultural factors influenced donors in different ways, "traditional" donor motivations did encourage Chinese American giving to U.S. higher education. These included familial obligations, community and institutional reciprocity, and an appreciation for the impact and value of education. In contrast, though, while donors' motivations could be characterized as "traditional," the way in which Chinese Americans donated to higher education was decidedly "non-traditional." Donations described in the study were large, institutionalized, and public, all of which characterize Western patterns of philanthropy, not Chinese. However, participants in the study were not Chinese; they were Chinese American, and nearly all of them cited the impact of Western culture on their giving practices or their concept of philanthropy. Many elaborated further, referencing their use of skills acquired in capitalist ventures as influencing how they donate funds. In other words, donors acquired and implemented American models of professional philanthropy. Chinese American donors interviewed for this study gave directly to universities and established nonprofit foundations to operate their charitable funds. Others served on university boards, providing strategic advice and assisting with institutional fundraising efforts. While still influenced by traditional concepts of Chinese philanthropy, Chinese American donors have transformed their practices into a new and unique culture of ethnic philanthropic giving

Chinese American Librarians in the 21st Century: Profile Update

There is an increasing need to understand the role of Chinese American librarians as one of the largest ethnic librarian groups in American library communities and a renewed interest to demonstrate and prove a critical role they play in the Library and Information Science profession. With first-hand insights, this study reports the current status of Chinese American librarians. It helps develop our knowledge about the Chinese American librarians in the 21st Century. A sequel study in a separate paper reports the findings of career development of Chinese American librarians and documents strategies they adapted to meet challenges and barriers facing the

Perceived Social Support among Chinese American Hemodialysis Patients

Social support is linked to improved health outcomes both in Western and Asian societies and is a vital factor in a patient\u27s adjustment to end-stage renal disease and its treatment regimen. This study explored perceived social support among 46 Chinese American hemodialysis patients in San Francisco\u27s Chinatown using the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire plus open-ended questions. Findings unexpectedly revealed low levels of perceived social support and lack of tangible support especially in elder patients. We can no longer assume that traditional family cultural values are providing adequate social support for this population

Career Choices and Career Advancement: Chinese American Librarians in the 21st Century

There is an increasing need to understand Chinese American librarians as one of the largest ethnic librarian groups in American library communities and a renewed interest to demonstrate a critical role they play in the Library and Information Science profession. This paper documents some strategies Chinese American librarians have adopted to meet the challenges and barriers they face. It is hoped that this study will encourage Chinese American librarians to develop methods for analyzing their careers so as to reach higher career goals

Cultural Identities of Chinese American Adolescents

This study examines the cultural identities of five Chinese American adolescents in a Chinese school in a southern city of the United States. This is a story of how the informal Sunday Chinese school setting, the regular school settings, the Chinese American community and the family shaped the identities of these Chinese American adolescents. It is a story of how they deal with two different cultures (American & Chinese culture) in everyday life and how they give meanings to their lives. This study employs the qualitative research method and ethnographic tradition. Using data collected from interviews, observations, and a literature review, the researcher used political analysis and a critical paradigm to analyze the multiple factors shaping cultural identities of Chinese American adolescents. This study aims to improve social justice based on ideals of cultural diversity and social difference. It hopes to develop cultural diversity in American society and bring more attention to Chinese American studies

Relocation of Cultural Identity in Tripmaster Monkey: His Fake Book

Maxine Hong Kingston, born in California, America in 1940, is a celebrated Chinese-American writer. And she is the most representative female writer in promoting the prosperity of Chinese-American literature in the late 20 century. As a Chinese American writer’s unique identity, she pays special attention to Chinese-Americans in her works. Tripmaster Monkey: His Fake Book is her first real novel published in 1989. Its publication brought strong social shock and numerous literary critics and scholars to evaluate her works from different perspectives in a variety of literary theory. Unlike her previous works, Tripmaster Monkey: His Fake Book transfers the focus from the reconstruction of Chinese-American history to the Chinese American cultural identity. Through careful reading of the text, this paper, with Homi K. Bhabha’s post-colonial theory as a theoretical base, aims to explore the reconstruction and relocation of cultural identity after cultural perplexity and disillusionment, trying to open up a new way out for Chinese-Americans.

Tranquilizing Forgivable Feuds between Frank Chin and Maxine Hong Kingston to Establish the Group Identities of Chinese Americans

In the midst of seeking for the true cultural identification of entire Chinese Americans, imaginative discrepancies cropped up in the actual aesthetic and artistic production of Chinese American literature due to the inconsistent insistence of the cultural stances exemplified in the aesthetic and artistic articulation of the true cultural values and cultural virtues in the diverse and distinctive production of Chinese American literary works. Among those discrepancies between either two of various Chinese American writers, those between Frank Chin and Maxine Hong Kingston has stirred a great sensation in the forum of Chinese American literature because of the persistence of the former in positive protection of the masculinity of Chinese American men and the ongoing insistence of the latter on the negative promotion of it from the perspective of feminism without knowing in a very clear fashion that their inconsistence led to the strong feud between them and the harm it has done to the establishment of the cultural identity of Chinese Americans. Indebted to the insights carried in the group identities proposed by Henry Tajfel and John Turner (1979), this article will make a rational comparison between what they have sticked to in a respective fashion and come up with the point that the feud between them are forgivable and forgettable as what they have done is very valuable for the improvement of the true social, cultural, and, ethnic identities of Chinese Americans who are composed of both Chinese American men and Chinese American women to deal with the great danger into which all Chinese Americans have been thrown into due to the excessive popularization of the social, cultural, and, ethnic discrimination of the entire ethnic group of Chinese Americans in Chinese American community