IMHO #2

 Funny In Farsi

Middle Eastern-Americans need to be on television, and not in the kind of 24 way playing Terrorist #1 and Terrorist #2. The world really needs to see the family dynamics, the rich culture, and the constant struggle to completely fit into a country that holds values very different from what we are raised with.

Funny In Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America by Firoozeh Dumas is an autobiography encompassing the struggle of her immigrant family moving from Abadan, Iran to Whittier, Calif. in the 1970’s. The culture clash between her Iranian values and Western civilization are interesting and humorous. Whether it is the fascination of ordering products on television, free samples at Costco, or clean toilets, Dumas captures the enthusiasm (and sometimes confusion) of her parents in this delightful book.  Although Dumas pokes fun at her parents throughout the novel, the reader can see the deep admiration she has for them.

The book is ultimately about the strong bond of a family and no matter where a person comes from, they can identify with the characters of this novel.

The award-winning novel sparked enough interest to be adapted into a television series. Iranian American Nastaran Dibai and her husband Jeffrey B. Hodes joined forces to executive produce and write the script. Barry Sonnenfield, the director of the Men In Black franchise and Pushing Daises, was ready to produce and direct the pilot as a single-camera series under his two-year contract with ABC.

The cast represented an array of prominent Middle Easterners ranging from Marjan Nehsat who was recently in the iPhone 4 commercial and familiar face Maz Jobrani from movies like The Interpreter, Better Off Ted, and his stand-up in the “Axis of Evil” comedy tour. "It's a very brown cast," Dumas explained in an Iranian news report. "The faces are not well-known. They made an effort to get the right actors for this show."

Everything was set for the pilot to make its debut until ABC withdrew. “I am so sorry and disappointed. The pilot was hilarious and had many, many fans at ABC, but the decision came down to just one person, the President of ABC, and he passed on it,” Dumas explains on her website. The green light for Funny In Farsi turned red.

On Facebook, Dumas expressed her deep condolences to the people involved with the Funny In Farsi project “since ABC owns the script, no other station can pick it up. I am very, very disappointed, not just for myself but for the talented writers, actors and crew who put together such a truly hilarious pilot.” It is clear that Dumas is disheartened about the series being put on a hiatus until further notice.

This country is made up of a wonderful mix of cultures and religions, and it is time for Muslims to get their voice in popular media. Muslims are grossly underrepresented in television. There needs to a successful TV show to center on Muslim characters. Funny In Farsi was the glimmer of hope for the Muslims community, to be seen as more than just radicals and extremists, but to be seen realistically: family orientated, hardworking, and strong in faith.

In a country founded on the immigrant experience, Funny In Farsi is easily relatable to an American audience, and it truly is a disservice to the book and Muslims everywhere that this show will not see air.

Word Count: 567

Fish Out Of Water

I went to one of the Akbayan meetings for mainly Filipino students on campus. At first when I walked in there, a few people looked at me since I was an unfamiliar face, but being at the side of one of my good friends helped. Although the Akbayan Club, is filled with many different races, Filipinos easily dominate. I look nothing like a Filipino and had no encounters with any of these people so while everyone hugged each other and started small chit-chat, I leaned against the wall and waited for the head to call order. Finally, the time came to start the meeting and one of the girls asked everyone to quiet down. It didn't take long for the room to become silent, so I figured the organization was well run. When the girl stood in front of her fellow Akbayan's she thanked everyone for coming to the meeting. She then brought up the recent event Akbayan attended. That weekend, they came back from the Friendship games that took place in Los Angeles where clubs and fraternities gathered together to showcase their organizations. Some of the members were wearing the shirts they made specifically for that event. When she mentioned Los Angeles, everyone cheered. I must admit that I also clapped because it seemed like the appropriate thing to do. She then called "Eric" to come up to the stage. As he went up, everyone clapped their hands and woo-ed so one would assume he was well liked amongst the Akbayans. He took out a piece of paper from his pocket and was having a bit of difficulty trying to unfold it. To keep it from getting silent he said, "You would think a folded piece of paper would be much easier than bringing my laptop here, but now I am starting to re-think this." As everyone laughed, he finally unfolded his paper. His eyes scrolled down the list and he announced what events were coming up. He assured the group that Los Angeles was a success, but that it was only the start of what the group planned to do. There was a bake sale happening next week to raise funds for their trip to Sacramento and they were planning a dance competition with other Akbayan groups in the area to have fun and get to know more people. After different people volunteered tabling for the bake sale and formed dance groups, the meeting was dismissed. Before I made my way to the door, one of the girls stopped me and asked me if I had been here before. I told her I was with my friend and had an assignment to do for a class. She then insisted that I come around more often and learn about the organization for myself. I smiled politely and took the brochures she handed me. When I walked out the door I noticed many of the people hugging and smiling and although it is not a community I personally belong to, there is definitely a sense of community felt in that room.

Word Count: 511

Word Of The Week #10

1. Parsimonious- adjective

Pronunciation: (par-si-MO-nee-uhs)

Definition:  Excessively sparing or frugal. 

Used in a sentence: My father is so parsimonious with his words, he has gained the nickname in our family as "Silent Suhail."

Copy Edit The World #3

Although the photo is a little blurry, this is an assignment we received in class where "Henry," "running," and "Detroit" are spelled wrong.

Word Of The Week #9

1. Dutch Uncle- noun

Pronunciation: duch UNG-kuhl

Definition: Someone who advises or criticizes frankly and sternly.

Used in a sentence: When families have unruly children, having a Dutch uncle close by could be beneficial for discipline. 

Japanese Internment Memorial Essay

The Japanese internment took place in 1942 when over 100,000 of Japanese Americans and Japanese were housed in what were "War Relocation Camps" in fear of a West coast plot against America from people with Japanese ancestry. Many political figures questioned their loyalty to the country, even though 62 percent of the people interned were American citizens. And although Ronald Regan came out and apologized about the incident, the emotional impact it left on the Japanese could not be mended. Ruth Asawa was one of the victims of the internment camp where she learned to hone her anger and sadness and projected it onto her artwork. She created the Japanese internment memorial artwork which is now displayed in San Jose, Calif. where people from all over the world come to see it. Her artwork shows the many perspectives of the victims involved in the Japanese internment camp of 1942.

This picture shows how the Japanese were housed in stables where horses would stay and although the horses were not actually there at the time, this comparison depicts the Japanese being treated like animals.

Even though they were marginalized from society, the Japanese interns built a community which they shared the burden of labor and the empathy of compassion.

 This picture really moved me because it seemed ironic to have a military man with a gun presiding over a family. I think the internment camp lead to the destruction of the family unit because of difficult times and separation from the people we most loved.

Many Japanese Americans were displaced to San Jose, Calif. and even SJSU played a part with the Japanese interns where Uchida Hall was once a transfer point for Japanese Americans to be registered and taken to other places across the west coast. It seems strange to attend  a university where so many people experienced suffering and pain, and although that is in San Jose State's past, there is still a certain guilt I feel being here. I have a class in Uchida hall and now whenever I go in there, I can no longer look at it the same. It is tragic what happened to the Japanese people during 1942, but the legacy of Ruth Asawa and her art display will forever educate the minds of others and touch the hearts of her fellow interns.

IMHO #1

Qur’anic Artwork For The American Soul

The popular American perspective of the Qur’an is seen as a book which fuels extremists, promotes jihad, and fosters Muslims to become terrorists.  The “average American” most likely does not understand the message of the Qur’an, but one individual wants to shed light on this controversial book through artwork known as “The American Qur’an.”

Women in jeans, golfers teeing off, and modern market places, are all images that represent the theme of the holy Qur’an, which will be featured in Sandow’s Birk’s artwork. Instead of the traditional pictures of Middle Easterners dressed in rags, wearing sandals, and traveling by camel, Birk’s artwork takes place in today’s American society.

In an interview, Birk describes his inspiration and his overall purpose for depicting these stories in an American perspective. “I began the project out of personal interest and a desire to learn more about Islam and the Qur’an by myself, and to think about how I might understand it in relation to my own life. But, yes, I do sort of posit myself as an “average American” and I do hope that it might lead more Americans to understand more about Islam. More understanding can only be a good thing.”

The project will be an illustration of the Qur’an, along with the accompanied text in English. Birk says, “The project will be an entirely hand-transcribed English language adaptation of the Qur’an, illuminated with scenes of contemporary life in America that relate to the message of the text.” Birk uses the passages from one of the first English translations of the Qur’an ever published. “For legal, copyright reasons, I’ve been largely using the English translation of John Meadows Rodwell from 1861. However, when that English is obscure or obtuse, I have used some elements from other copyright-free translations.”

Although Birk’s project is not complete, the expectations are high. Many online forums have lauded Birk’s work calling it “highly creative” and “a beautiful concept,” but some antagonists believe that turning the message of the Qur’an into an American perspective will diminish what the book was originally intended for. Birk explains his side, “The images are my own personal reflections about the message in the text of each chapter, or surah, and my pondering what that message means to me in my daily life. The images are metaphors for the imagery of the text. I try to think of things in our lives that are symbolic or emblematic of the text, things that present the message in a more easily graspable way, things that average Americans can relate to.” Whether it is positive or negative feedback, his finished project is being anticipated everywhere, and has even expanded beyond the traditional exhibition. 

Birk is planning for much more, even before the project is fully finished,  “This project is only half complete. I’m going to carry on working on it for a couple more years before I’m finished, and then it will become a book and there will be exhibitions of the completed project. I am personally glad he is doing this because no holy book should face the harsh judgments that the Qur'aan faces and I think to explore it and do something creative will generate more tolerance instead of hate.

For some images of what Birk’s gallery is going to look like, go here.

Word Count: 584

Extra Credit

I went to the Symposium for PR on October 28th at 3pm and the speaker was talking about the relevance of PR in today's economy and how to get involved. Although I am not a PR major, I found myself interested in what was being said. Being able to work with a diverse amount of clients on a daily basis. He also talked about how Public Relations have changed throughout the year and has become more of an industry than just a simple business relationship. He mentioned how PR works with many other departments so having a little bit of background in everything can only be beneficial to someone's career. Some students asked questions regarding his experience, but I only heard a little since the two girls in front of me were talking about what "trash" her ex-boyfriend is. All and all, the talk lasted about an hour and I can definitely say I learned something. I have always thought PR was kind of a boring career, but now I see that it is exciting and even though I am pursuing Journalism, it could only help my social skills with other people if I learned some PR techniques.

Word Of The Week #8

1. Kvetch: (noun)

Pronunciation: (kah-vech)

Definition: A complaint. Or a complainer.

Used in a sentence: I would assume people who work in hotels have to deal with kvetches from all over the world.

Drinking Coffee Elsewhere

When I read ZZ Packer's short story "Brownies," I really found myself examining the symbolism. Even though the troop was named after the popular dessert, it also represented the color of the main character's, "Snot" skin. She feels like an outcast in her troop because there aren't many girls who look like her and at her age, she needs a sense of community to feel accepted. Even though the story was short, I saw "Snot" grow in front of my eyes. From being hesitant and reluctant to standing up for herself when the other troop of girls call her and her friends retarded.
The technique of the story is also very interesting. The plot isn't furthered by narration, but is furthered by dialogue instead. The most interesting parts of the story happen when the characters are talking to one another and the reader is given background information about where the different girls come from in the book. Another topic the author highlights is the importance of religion, which helps the reader distinguish the kind of community the characters are coming from. Whether it is Presbyterian, Lutheran, or even Mennonites, it is understood that the characters are from the South where what sect of Christianity a person belong in encompasses their social hierarchy. Packer is either a very religious person or anti-religious person because secular beliefs are mentioned often in all of her stories.
Another thing I noticed is that Packer does not describe her characters. She leaves it to the readers to imagine them the way they want to imagine them. The social issues of the story are also portrayed through the conversations of their children. It is apparent that Packer is talking about how different people are treated in society, but uses children to spread that message.
The few stories I read from Packer grabbed my attention and got me thinking and if a book has that affect on someone than it is obvious that it is well-written.

Word Count: 329

NPR Interview Analysis

When  I listened to "All Things Considered" with Michele Norris, even though it was just a broadcast show, I feel like I could picture everyone in the studio perfectly and their facial expressions appeared to my mind just by hearing their voices. The interview that I listened to was with an Imam, a Muslim feminist, and a liquor store owner. In the interview, they discussed the rise of liquor stores across the nation and how these places are ironically owned by Muslim men, who according to their religion are not supposed to drink alcohol. But surprisingly, many liquor stores keep opening in low-income neighborhoods instead of grocery stores and places where nutritious food would be found. Norris hounded the liquor store owner about what his demographic is and what his profit is when it comes from these markets. The liquor store seemed hesitant to answer these questions and could feel him getting uncomfortable. The imam was then questioned as to why Muslims will open liquor stores and he answered that sometimes they don't have an option to do anything else. They usually start off selling groceries, but it is a competitive market and it is not easy to put out the same sales as a chain like Walmart or Target. Norris asked if the imam was for it or against it and he even said it was a close call because of course it is "morally wrong," but it is also wrong to not be able to provide for the family. Norris' strategy was that she seemed prepared and she didn't give much time for the people she was interviewing to speak. It was quick and she covered a lot of information.

Word Count: 282

Copy Edit The World #2

It should be "pop star." It is not a hyphenated word.

"Breathtakingly" might not even be a word and if it were it would be two separate words.

 The period should be outside the parentheses.

Word Of The Week #7

1. Harlequin- noun

Definition: noun- a clown
adjective- varied colors

Pronunciation: (HAHR-luh-kwin)

Used In A Sentence: In The Cask of Amantillado, the main character dresses up as a harlequin for the county fair. 

Mystery Character

My blue eyes and brown hair make me attractive according to many women, even though I started off as a homeless kid. At one point, you could even call me Romeo. I am familiar with many walks in life be they fictional or non-fictional. I quit basketball to do drugs, I swam in the sea during a historic moment, I've traveled to South Africa, been in New York gangs, and even worked as an undercover cop in Boston, or "the staties" as my colleagues liked to call it. I've been known to be a con artist, have schizophrenia, and recently learned how to manipulate people in their dreams. Who am I?

Word Count: 111

Word Of The Week #6

1. Custos Morum- noun plural 

Pronunciation: [koos-tos-moh-rum]

Definition: A guardian of morals; censor.

Used in a Sentence: In Journalism, it is necessary to follow the custos morum of the industry to be a professional writer.

Copy Edit The World #1

Should be "inconvenience"

Word Of The Week #5

1. Hobbledehoy- noun
 Pronunciation: [hob-uhl-dee-hoi]

Definition: an awkward, clumsy youth.

Used In A Sentence: The classic show focused on the live of hobbledehoy children growing up in the mid 70's where they discovered the importance of adulthood and the importance of being comfortable with who they were. 

 

What Makes It News?

http://dnainfo.com/20100914/downtown/michael-moore-raises-50000-for-islamic-center-near-ground-zero

I was watching "Real Time With Bill Maher" and his guest speaker was the controversial film maker Michael Moore. Although the show is formatted as a talk show, there are so many political issues discussed and often the most interesting news is revealed. I have been following "The Ground Zero Mosque" story for awhile and when I saw Michael Moore advocating for it on the show, it really surprised me. Michael Moore is launching a website www.michaelmoore.com, where he wants to raise about 10,000 to build the mosque. Donald Trump told the community of New York that he would buy out the area where the mosque would be built and make it into something else. Moore took offense to this and will use his website to ask the American people to "trump" Trump. 
For me this story represents the news value of: impact/significance  because mosques are something that I pay special attention to because they represent my place of worship. It also is conflict because it is being decided whether or not Muslims should have a mosque in the area. It really upset me when Americans were speaking out against it and calling it an "atrocity to the victims" of 9/11, but what most people are not considering is that Muslim Americans also died during the attack on the Two Towers and to dismiss their religion and their place of worship I think implies that all Muslims are terrorists and are responsible for the tragedy.
To use the news value of proximity, a reporter could localize this story by perhaps going to a Bay Area mosque and asking the Imams how they feel about it. They could also go to synagogues and churches to get insight on how other religions feel about a mosque being built and discuss if it is offensive and give their standpoint on the situation. Getting the American opinion would also be important to show how the majority feels about it.

Word Count: 325

Word Of The Week #4

1. Fait Accompli- noun

Pronunciation: [fe-tah-kon-plee]

Definition: An accomplished act; a thing already done.

Used In A Sentence: Heath Ledger's performance of "The Joker" in the movie The Dark Knight was considered a fait accompli for his acting career.

Fly On The Wall

I don't really remember what its like being a kid again. I've been told throughout my life that "It's time to grow up" or "With age, comes responsibility." No one ever told me to act young or to forget responsibility, but that is exactly what kids had the power to do. They could get dirty, and be loud, and run all over the place and even if it was rambunctious or annoying, it was just a kid being a kid. There were many things to observe on the playground: kids playing together, the wonders of the jungle gym or even the patty cake rhymes kids sing today. But one thing stood out in my mind when I saw a little girl on time out. As adults, our punishment is much more severe, but as a child, the worst that could happen was a "time out," and I totally forgot what that felt like. I help out a school from time to time and when a girl was put in time out, I decided to observe her.
 It was time for recess, and I stood in the shade between the playground and the "time out" wall. One girl gladly took my place against the wall. She was smiling and humming, and relaxing. I don't remember time out being this fun. Ten minutes in, a boy with brown hair and glasses comes over, “Hey are you okay? I’ve been worried about you.” he said. The girl rolled her eyes and said, “I’m fine” The little boy offered his company, “You want me to stay here with you?” he asked.
The girl shook her head, “No.” The boy got the hint and walked away. The girl looked at me and I pretended I didn't hear a thing a quickly looked in another direction. A few minutes later, the boy with the glasses came back. “Are you sure?” he asked. "Sure about what?" the girl questioned.
The little boy adjusted his shirt and said, "Are you sure you don't want me to stay here with you. I will make your time out less lonely." The girl said "Yes I am sure."
“Why not?” he inquired. She shrugged and looked away, “I need to be alone.”
The little boy came closer, “But I am your boyfriend,” he argued. “Not for long,” I muttered under my breath. “What does that mean?” he asked.
The girl started to shake. I thought maybe I should step in, but I was too late. “I don’t want to be your girlfriend anymore! You are driving me crazy. I only yelled at Amanda so I could get on time out and avoid spending time with you! Everywhere I go, you are there! You never go away!” she said very loudly. He used a conciliatory voice, “I just like spending time with you, honey.”
She snapped back at him, “Well I don’t. All I wanted was to race you and the next minute I am your girlfriend. I didn’t want this.” The little boy sunk his head down to his chest and said, “I am sorry. I will leave you alone now.”
He began to walk away. “Oh I almost forgot,” he dug into his pocket and pulled out a yellow flower. “This is for you. It’s pretty and it reminded me of you. I thought it would make you feel better during time out.” He handed her a yellow daisy and walked away.

Word Count: 572

Word Of The Week #3

 1. Sesquipedalian- adjective

Pronunciation: [ses-kwi-pi-dey-lee-uhn]

Definition: A word having many syllables. A long word.

Used in a sentence: I would often get annoyed by the kids who used verbose language and sesquipedalian words in class in order to impress the teacher.

Word Of The Week #2

1. Décolletage- Noun

Pronunciation: [dey-kol-tahzh]

Definition: the neckline of a garment or dress cut low in the front or back and usually across the shoulders.

Used in a sentence: The décolletage of the dress accentuated the celebrity's slim figure on the red carpet.

My Favorite Writing

"A soul mate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys to fit our locks. When we feel safe enough to open the locks, our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly who we are; we can be loved for who we are and not for who we’re pretending to be. Each unveils the best part of the other. No matter what else goes wrong around us, with that one person we’re safe in our own paradise. Our soul mate is someone who shares our deepest longings, our sense of direction. When we’re two balloons, and together our direction is up, chances are we’ve found the right person. Our soul mate is the one who makes life come to life."
- Richard Bach

Thoughts: I remember I wrote this down on my binder my senior year of high school. It really opened my eyes to the beauty of love and why certain people come into our lives and make it that much better. I am not entirely sure if I believe in "soul mates" but reading something like this, reaffirms my faith that perhaps, they do exist. My name is Persian for "loving" so a passage like this describes just how important love is and that kind of makes me feel closer to my parents because they were responsible for naming me.
The person who wrote this was Richard Bach. That name didn't mean anything to me at first but, after I did some research on Richard him, I found that he is an American novelist. This quote inspired me so much, I plan on reading at least one of his books.

Word Count: 149

Word Of The Week #1

1. Gormandize (verb): 

Pronunciation: [gawr-muhn-dahyz]

Definition: to consume a food or a beverage with greed.

Used In A Sentence: In the Student Union of SJSU, it was hard not to stare at the girl gormandizing her Subway sandwich in between her classes.

My Life In A Nutshell

My name is Unsa. I was born in Karachi, Pakistan and my family came to the United States on July 4th 1990. Normally, Americans celebrate this day as their independence and the beginning of freedom, but my family sees it as a day to celebrate our opportunities. Although it was very hard for my family to leave the only country they have known, they moved to provide a better life and a better education for my older brother and I. My mom gave me the original name Unsa because she wanted me to live up to it and my greatest fear is that I will disappoint her. I am Indian (if that is not obvious enough) and I come from a very traditional background. Surprisingly, my favorite music is rap. When people hear the word rap, they associate it with booty shaking, club hopping, and drug popping. Instead, I listen to lyric-worthy rap, which vocalizes the need for social consciousness and explains why a certain community is placed in the circumstances they are forced to live. I secretly consider myself the 10th member of the Wu-Tang Clan, and I think that Tapatio hot sauce goes with everything. I will never tire of watching Martin Scorcsese’s Goodfellas and I have the amazing talent of being placed in the most awkward situations.

Word Count: 220