Journal Article Excerpt (Really Good2Read)

SAMMY : JOURNAL ARTICLE EXCERPT

Organizing in communities of color: addressing interethnic conflicts.

by Margo Okazawa-Rey , Marshall Wong

South-Central Los Angeles, April 1992. The images of armed Korean merchants defending their stores against angry African-American looters flooded the network news broadcasts around the country. Many people were killed and injured, thousands of dollars were lost, and dreams were shattered. A less familiar image is that of angry crowds of African Americans surrounding the Family Red Apple grocery store in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York, some two years before. In December 1989, a 44-year-old Haitian woman, Ghislaine Felissaint, entered the Korean-owned market to purchase some items. What happened next is still a matter of dispute. Like the Japanese folk tale "Rashomon," the principal actors recount completely different versions of the incident. The customer claims that she was accused of shoplifting and severely beaten by a store employee; the owner contends that Ms. Felissaint lacked sufficient funds to pay for items she had selected and became enraged, but that there was no physical altercation. The dispute and the subsequent arrest of owner Bong Jae Jang led to a boycott, with daily picketing of the market by African-American activists. The boycott spread to include another Korean-owned business across the street from the Family Red Apple store. Some of the picketers carried placards that read, "Don't Buy From People Who Don't Look Like You." Although what actually transpired between Ms. Felissaint and the Jang family may never be known, it is clear that this conflict was being driven by much more than alleged mistreatment of a Black customer by an Asian merchant. Similar clashes between Asian merchants and African-American residents have led to organized protests and occasional violence in a number of other cities, including Washington, Philadelphia, and Oakland.

Both these incidents have brought to national attention a drama being played out on a smaller scale in urban neighborhoods across the nation. The rapid growth of immigrant Asian, primarily Korean businesses in predominantly Black neighborhoods has created an explosive situation, fraught with misconceptions, prejudices, and danger on both sides. The merchants are viewed by Black people as unwelcome foreign exploiters: persons of a different culture who profit from doing business in the Black community, but offer little in return. This perception is also fueled by the resurgence of "yellow peril" propaganda, though aimed primarily at Japanese businessmen, which threatens an Asian takeover of U.S. The African-American community is seen by Koreans as a dangerous place to be, though it provides entrepreneurial opportunities.

Often the sole point of contact between Black residents and Asian merchants is over the counter, in a business interaction. Because of geographic, economic, linguistic, and cultural differences, the two groups rarely live side by side, worship in the same churches, or have children who attend the same schools. Limited information and contact generate suspicion, fear, and resentment on both sides, and merchants and residents charge each other with insensitivity and mistreatment.

To dissect this phenomenon of Korean and Black conflict one must uncover interlocking layers of facts, attitudes, perceptions, and myths that cut to the very heart of our race-conscious and racist society. It is a gross understatement to say that resolution of interethnic conflict is a protracted process. Those on the forefront of mediating such conflicts are searching for meaningful solutions to a problem steeped in centuries of racial and economic inequity, damaged pride, ruined dreams, and internalized oppression. Any informed discussion of Black-Asian relations at once encompasses the complex issues of community control, economic development, and assimilation of new immigrants.

Neither is the Korean and Black situation the only example of conflict and tension between communities of color in the U.S. Against the backdrop of institutionalized racism, interethnic conflicts(1) have become another aspect of the multilayered racial terrain. Tensions also exist, for example, between Latinos and African Americans, manifested most frequently in urban schools. This article will discuss the problem of interethnic conflicts, drawing from the Korean-Black example, and delineate principles for community organizing to address these conflicts.

The Growth of Asian Immigrant Businesses

Several U.S. immigration laws enacted between the late-19th and early-20th centuries restricted Asian immigration specifically.(2) The Immigration Act of 1965, which established an annual quota of 120,000 immigrants from the Eastern Hemisphere, marked a new chapter for Asians in U.S. history by making way for "the second wave" of Asian immigration (Takaki, 1987). This second wave not only increased the numbers of Asian Americans, making them the fastest growing ethnic group in the U.S., but also changed ...

By Lisa Balbach

I have been receiving a lot of e-mail on the topic of metabolism - What is it? Why is it important? How can I increase it? Metabolism is a fairly complicated subject. I will try to address the questions I receive most often.

What is Metabolism?
Metabolism is the amount of energy (calories) your body burns to maintain itself. Whether you are eating, drinking, sleeping, cleaning etc... your body is constantly burning calories to keep you going.
Metabolism is affected by your body composition. By body composition, I mean the amount of muscle you have versus the amount of fat. Muscle uses more calories to maintain itself than fat. People who are more muscular (and have a lower percentage of body fat) are said to have a higher metabolism than others that are less muscular. For example, let's say you have two people who are the exact same height and weight. One exercises on a regular basis with weights, in addition to aerobic exercise, and has a low percentage of body fat. The other never exercises and has a higher percentage of body fat. The first person who exercises will have a higher metabolism than the second person. What this basically means is that person #1's body will use more calories to sustain itself than person #2.

How can I Increase My Metabolism?

Begin to exercise and stop dieting. If you've never exercised before, make sure you see a doctor before beginning a new exercise program (your problems with metabolism may be the result of a medical condition rather than your diet or lack of exercise).
You can increase your muscle mass by doing some type of resistance work (i.e. lifting weights, using exertubes, rubberbands, dynabands, hand weights etc...). You can also decrease your level of body fat by doing some type of aerobic exercise at least 3 days a week for longer than 20 minutes. By aerobic exercise, I mean an activity (such as walking, jogging, step aerobics, hi/low aerobics, biking, swimming etc...) that will increase your heartrate into the target zone and keep it there for the duration of the exercise session. You also need to eat! - Do not diet, just watch the types of foods you eat. Try to eat a diet that is lower in fat (check the labels on the foods that you buy).

I Never Gained Weight Until I Reached 30, What Happened?

After the age of 30, your body gradually begins to lose it's muscle. If your activity level stays the same and the amount of calories you eat stay the same, you will gain weight because your metabolism has slowed down (you don't have as much muscle as you did in your 20's). If you exercise with weights and do some type of aerobic activity on a regular basis, you probably won't notice much of a change in your metabolism as you age.

How do I Know if I Have Slow Metabolism?

Symptoms of slow metabolism include fatigue, feeling cold, dry skin, constipation, a slow pulse and low blood pressure. These symptoms could be the result of a medical condition rather than low metabolism - MAKE SURE YOU SEE YOUR DOCTOR to rule out any type of medical problem.
Is there any way to Lower Metabolism?

If you eat a very low-calorie diet, your metabolism will slow down in order for your body to survive (your body thinks it is starving).
From dieting, my weight has gone up/down over the years, How has this affected my Metabolism?

If your diet has resulted in a loss of muscle and an increase in your percentage of body fat, then your metabolism has probably slowed down.
Does Genetics Play a Role in Metabolism?

Yes it does. Everyone has a different bone structure and body type (mesomorph, ectomorph, endomorph or combination). It is not realistic to think that everyone can look like the Baywatch beauties or like Arnold Schwartzenagger. However, given your body type and genetic make-up, you can exercise (with weights and aerobically) to look the best that you can.
How Long is My Metabolism Increased After Exercise?

This is a tough question and one that I am frequently asked. Most experts agree that weight training and aerobic exercise do increase metabolism while you are exercising and after you are done. They disagree on how long after exercise your metabolism remains increased.
When you are exercising aerobically, your focus should be on burning calories and working your cardiovascular system. Because it takes more calories to exercise, your metabolism is sped up during the activity.
When you are lifting weights or doing other resistance work, focus on the activity itself which not only burns calories but increases muscle strength, tone and endurance.
The combination of aerobic activity and weight training will result in a body that has more muscle and less fat - so the end result will be a higher metabolism.

Conclusion
I hope this clears up some of the confusion you may have on metabolism. This is an area that is constantly under study. As new information becomes available, I will add it to this page. Still your soul mate friend Sammy O. Mbah
Contacts
Netzone Resources Nig Ltd Or         81 Afam Road,
104 Old Aba Phc Road                       Oyigbo, Rivers State.
Oyigob, Rivers State
+2348065644431