Asian and Native American Center

2014 Asian Heritage Month Photos

Lecture: Adolescent Development Trajectories of Asian and Hispanic 1.5 and Second Generations by Dr. Lingxin Hao

Wright State faculty, staff, and students listened to Dr. Lingxin Hao, professor of Sociology, John Hopkins University, discuss her study on children of immigrants that have generally ignored distinct developmental trajectories during adolescence and their role in the transition to adulthood. This study identifies distinct trajectories in cognitive, socio-behavioral, and psychological domains and estimates their consequences for young adults. Drawing data from a nationally representative sample of 10,795 adolescents aged 13-17 who were followed up to ages 25-32, the study uses growth mixture modeling to test advantages for children of immigrants. The analysis shows a 1.5-generation advantage in academic achievement and school engagement, as well as a weaker second-generation advantage in academic achievement, but no disadvantage in depression for all children of immigrants. Additionally, these results also hold true for children of Hispanic origin. Theoretical and policy implications as well as future research directions were also discussed.


Panel Discussion: As Asian Parents Age, Asian Americans Struggle to Obey a Cultural Code

In a country that is growing older and more diverse, elder care issues are playing out with particular resonance for many Asian-Americans, notes an article from The New York Times in January 2014. Language barriers and cultural traditions that put a premium on living with and caring for the elderly further complicate the issue at a time when the population of older Asian-Americans is surging. According to the Administration on Aging, an agency of the Health and Human Services Department, the number of Asian, Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders over age 65 is expected to grow to 2.5 million by 2020 and 7.6 million by 2050, from fewer than one million in 2000.

As Asian parents age, Asian-Americans are commonly expected to care for their parents at home. Filial piety, or respect for one’s elders—a concept based on Confucian philosophy—was a large part of Asian Americans’ cultural expectations. Wright State faculty, staff, and students were able to have a discussion of these culturally sensitive issues with Asian American staff and faculty.

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Presentation: Myanmar: The Land and Its People

'This is Burma', wrote Rudyard Kipling. 'It is quite unlike any place you know about.' How right he was: more than a century later Myanmar remains a world apart. Located in South East Asia, Myanmar is a stunningly beautiful country. Filled with constructions of thousands of Buddhist pagodas, temples and monasteries, it is given the name "the Land of Pagodas.” For the past two years, Myanmar has begun a remarkable transformation, edging toward democracy and moving past the legacy of five decades of military rule. Mai Nguyen, director of the Asian/Hispanic/Native American Center,  presented color photographs and mementos which capture the history, culture and the spirit of Myanmar today: the people and their heritage to the Wright State community.

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myanmar map

Showcase of WSU Students' Artwork in Chinese Calligraphy

WSU students in the Chinese Writing Course will showcased their proud artworks in Chinese calligraphy.


Asian Culture Night

Wright State University's Asian Culture Night is a night of cultural explorASIAN through the performing arts. Audience members enjoyed an evening of traditional folk dances, colorful fashion show, and a multimedia theater production as the evening special feature—Desh—the Sights and Sounds of India—which use music, dance, narration and multimedia to tell the story of India, a land of dazzling contrasts and spectacular diversity, a land that is at the cutting edge of technology and is also home to monuments that have stood the test of time.  Desh is composed and directed by Kanniks Kannikeswaran, an internationally acclaimed, award winning composer and music educator based in Cincinnati.