Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This is an ethnographic study of Asian American musicians in the American independent rock scene. As the second or later generations of Asian immigrants, they are trying to find their own voice and speak for the concerns of their community. Looking for Asian solidarity, they sometimes reach beyond national boundaries, making a revitalized connection with Asian 'homelands.' A new kind of diaspora that emerges from these musicians' efforts can be interpreted as a sign of global culture. Although the medium of rock music is not particularly well-suited for defining a racial minority's identity, Asian American indie rock is growing fast as a musicians' community.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Rock music in general, and indie rock in particular, has been characterized as ‘white
music’ in terms of both musicians and audiences. While the two biggest racial minority
groups – blacks and Latinos – have their own rich musical traditions that distinguish
themselves from the white-dominant rock culture, Asians do not seem to have something
equivalent in their musical culture. For many young Asian Americans, especially those
who were born in the U.S. soil, the music of choice often has the origin of ‘other races’
instead of some Asian ‘fatherlands’ where their parents or ancestors came from.

The popularity of hiphop culture among Asian American youths is well known, and
Asian American rap artists and turntablist DJs have been noted by some scholars. But a
lesser known fact is the Asian presence within the ‘white majority’ music community
known as the indie rock scene. This study draws an ethnographic sketch of Asian
Americans in the indie rock scene.
It goes back to the late 1980s, when Sooyoung Park started a band named Bitch
Magnet and later Seam in Chicago. Around the same time, Mike Park in the San
Francisco Bay Area, was leading the seminal ska punk band Skankin’ Pickle. Not only
their musical achievement but also organizational work for indie rock as well as for Asian
communities set the tone for the new Asian American musicians who followed suit.

Based on the interviews with these two Parks (not related) and other Asian American
musicians, I will trace the journey for a new musical-racial identity of Asian Americans.
As more and more bands with Asian descent, Asian-themed cultural festivals, and even
Asian American musical tours pop up recently, this journey is now fully in its course.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Does regional water cooperation reduce the probability of civil conflict in water stress areas/countries? In this paper we argue that international cooperation over water resources reduces the likelihood of civil wars. This occurs through two mechanisms. Firstly, from previous research (Gizelis & Wooden, 2006) we have found that institutional capacity plays a crucial role in whether water scarcity is likely to give rise to violent conflict. Effective governance can affect both water supply (e.g., storage) and demand (e.g., conservation). In the case of weak state institutions, international and Regional Economic Institutions (REIs) can enhance domestic institutional capacity; thus, reduce the likelihood of a civil war caused by water scarcity (Powers 2006, Henderson and Powers 20006). Secondly, regional cooperation over environmental resources, particularly water, in regions where ethnic groups are spread in several states can lead to reduction of domestic strife. For example, members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) use water cooperation through this regional economic institution to deal with the linkages among water stress, water scarcity and civil conflict. SADC water treaties, technical committees and security mechanisms (SADC military forces) are all employed to deal with such domestic clashes. SADC troops have been deployed to address civil conflict between groups over scarce water resources more so than interstate conflict over these resources. The reason is that transnational ethnicities might interact with water scarcity to increase the probability of civil conflict. Thus, cooperation in such regions might mitigate the effect of transnational ethnicities. In this study we plan to examine and analyze regional cooperation in Africa and Europe. Both regions are the most institutionalized in the shared water resources management area; while they have significance variation in domestic capacity. The temporal domain is from 1950-2000.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This paper is part of a larger project studying representations of Jews and Jewishness in English case law, from the late Victorian period to the late 20th century. In this paper, I focus on early 20th century cases. I explore how English judges represented Jewish masculinity and how these representations were contingent upon English understandings of the relationship between class, nationality, and race, also considering how different areas of law reflected particular understandings of ‘the Jew’.