Ghosts of Communism in Asia

Journalist Michael Totten considers the history of Vietnam.

Meet Viet Xuan Luong, the Army's First Vietnamese American General

He was promoted yesterday at Fort Hood.  Luong came to the States as a refugee with his family when he was 10.  Here's a bit of what he had to say:

"We are not American by birth but by choice; however, when it comes to defending our great nation and the constitution we won't take a backseat to anybody."

Japan Gives Vietnam 6 Navy Ships

Japan and Vietnam cozy up against China? Who could blame them?  Don't take your eye off the South China Sea.

Quirky Asia Files: Getting From Point A To Point B

It all just makes me want to stay home, ha!

Quirky Asia Files: Vietnam's Fire-Breathing Dragon Bridge

I kind of love it:

Cartography Caper: China to Publish New Map of Its Territories

Expect lots of tendentious claims on that map, and I'm not only talking about the Senkaku islands.  It's almost like Beijing is actively trying to tick off its neighbors.   

Best comment yet: View from Taiwan - "Rumor has it the map will include the Andromeda galaxy, Ringworld, and areas to be named south of Gondor."

Land Grabs: Maps and Territorial Disputes

Bring it on!  Well, at least it's better than Apple Maps.

Pro-Reform Protest in Vietnam

Hmmmm ...

Kitchen Notes: Pho Vs. Faux

This is hilarious.  Make sure to pronounce "pho" properly when you order this delicious Vietnamese noodle soup!

Pho vs. Faux from Brian Wilcox on Vimeo.

China: Not Very Neighborly?

Here's a thought:

A quick tour of China's borders suggests friction with the United States is a symptom, not a cause. China faces numerous troubles with its neighbors — many of the problems exacerbated by Beijing's muscle-flexing and claims of regional hegemony.

Congressman Cao and Some Home Truths for the Vietnamese Government

You may recall Congressman Joseph Cao (R - Louisiana), the first and only Vietnamese-American elected to Congress. He has some unvarnished truths for the Vietnamese government. Read it all -- here is Cao's letter (PDF).

Race, Ethnicity, and Identity Politics in South Korea

Here's a little lesson for all the bubbleheaded multiculturalists who haven't an actual clue about other peoples and nations. I've run into plenty of folks who don't know anything about "Asia" other than the it's "cool and exotic." Things are way more complicated than that.

Here's a case study of identity politics in South Korea, where mixed-blood children are facing some problems fitting into Korean society. And by "mixed-blood" I'm talking about, for instance, half-Korean/half-Vietnamese.

OK, to be perfectly frank here: there is a perceived social-ethnic-regional hierarchy in Asia. I'll just leave it at that before I offend even more people by telling you what groups (and groups-within-groups) rank where. Some groups are very hostile to "outsiders," and sometimes the racism/ethnic-ism can be pretty vicious. The most cursory glance at history will tell you that the continent is soaked with yellow-on-yellow violence (where shades of yellow, actual and metaphorical, matter). At other times, the prejudices are less blatant but still present in different degrees, such as whispers ("She married a . . . Malay" ) and glances and things like "My folks would rather me marry a white guy before a Japanese." There was a kerfuffle some years ago when a family acquaintance married someone with an aboriginal background, for instance.

And in case you're wondering: yes, we can tell. This seems to baffle a lot of non-Asians. "He's Japanese. She's Korean. He's Vietnamese. She's Filipino." "You mean you can tell just by looking?" "Well, yeah. You mean you can't?" An addendum: this is more easily done in Asia itself. In the States, sometimes it's a bit harder to tell on sight. In the case of half-Asian/half-Caucasian people, I for one can't tell what the Asian half is.

OK, I'll say it before someone else does. The old joke is basically, "All you guys kind of look alike." *Sigh.*

Extreme Makeover: Navy Edition

Here's a cool story (with nice photo):

DANANG, Vietnam – On the day his side lost the Vietnam War, Hung Ba Le fled his homeland at the age of 5 in a fishing trawler crammed with 400 refugees. Thirty-four years later, he made an unlikely homecoming — as the commander of a U.S. Navy destroyer.

It's called the American Dream, to start literally from nothing and then to make something of yourself through dedication and hard work. I been there!

Here's a nice little detail too: Le's father had been a commander in the South Vietnamese Navy.

Chinese New Year: A Photo Gallery

Via Tigerhawk comes the link to this delightful photo gallery of Chinese New Year photos from all around Asia.

Happy Year of the Ox! (And that's no bull.)

Congratulations, Newly Elected Representative Joseph Cao (R) of Louisiana!

The American Dream is alive and well.

Louisiana voters have ousted indicted corrupto-crat Bill Jefferson and elected instead a Republican attorney, Vietnamese-American Anh "Joseph" Cao.

Here is a bit more about the loser and the new winner:

Mr. Cao, promising ethics and integrity, offered voters a break from the scandals associated with the incumbent and his siblings, several of whom have also been indicted.

Mr. Jefferson, 61, awaits trial on federal counts of soliciting bribes, money laundering and other offenses. Prosecutors contend that he used his Congressional office to broker deals in African nations, and say he received more than $500,000 in bribes.

Mr. Cao, 41 and known as Joseph, fled Vietnam at age 8 after the fall of Saigon. His father was a army officer who was later imprisoned for seven years by the Communist government. Mr. Cao, who has never held elective office, has been an advocate for the small but prominent Vietnamese community here and has a master’s degree in philosophy from Fordham University.

“Knocking Jefferson off is something you don’t want to bet on,” Elliott Stonecipher, a Louisiana political analyst, said Saturday night. “These elections continue to show us that there is a smaller, different and more progressive New Orleans that is emerging.”

Well, there's some hope and change!  Plus, what a great day for the American Dream, as a former refugee is now a Congressman.  Here is his website.  Mr. Cao, by the way, grew up in Houston, Texas, and also holds a bachelor's degree in physics from Baylor and a law degree from Loyola.

Mr. Cao will be the first Vietnamese-American in Congress.  Congratulations, sir!  Try not to get sucked into DC culture; bring some fresh perspective.

Hm, those Louisiana voters have been interesting indeed.  First they choose Bobby Jindal and now Joseph Cao...

Ranking Courts and Judicial Systems in Asia

The China Law Blog has the link. Short version -- here are the 12 nations involved, ranked from best to worst. Look, of course, for Taiwan and China.

1. Hong Kong
2. Singapore
3. Japan
4. South Korea
5. Taiwan
6. Philippines
7. Malaysia
8. India
9. Thailand
10. China
11. Vietnam
12. Indonesia