ETHNIC

Ray?s Hell-Burger, 1713 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA, 703-841-0001, open for lunch only on weekends, I believe 5 p.m. dinner on weekdays. (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | menuism | Don Rockwell | Yelp] All...

Caribbean Sea Seafood Restaurant, 6869 New Hampshire Avenue, Takoma Park, MD, 301-891-3497, closed Mondays. It is hard to see from New Hampshire but it is there, if you are coming from Univ. Blvd. it is on the left just a...

I love Thai X-ing (DC), Meaza (Baileys Crossroad), Nava Thai (Wheaton), Hong Kong Palace (Falls Church), China Star (Fairfax), Bombay Indian (Silver Spring) and Angeethi (Herndon), plus just about everything Vietnamese in Eden Center (Falls Church). The 9th Street Ethiopian...

Teddy?s Roti Shop, web site, 7304 Georgia Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 202-882-6488. (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | MenuPages | Don Rockwell | openlist | Yelp] Any of the rotis with goat are superb, make sure...

Texas Ribs and BBQ, web site, 7701 Old Branch Avenue, Clinton, MD, 301-877-0323 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Gazette.net | City Paper | openlist | Yelp | Gayot] I had high hopes going to this place, which...

A brief interlude from a friend in Korea:

Yesterday was a holiday here b/c 3rd grade high school students took the university entrance exam all across the country (I guess like they do in Jan. in Japan).

Get this – during the Korean listening and English listening portions of the exam (which all happened at the same time in the whole country), planes were not allowed to fly in or out of the airports!!

They actually stop air traffic during those times on that particular day!

And if students are going to be late to the place where they take the test, they can get a police escort to the test site!

I love the idea that massive hulks of metal cease to be hurled through the sky, all so the children might focus uninterrupted.

Beautiful.

Note: Not a normal Kid Ethnic post, but I wrote this way back for a foreigners-in-Japan newsletter and did not want it to rot on my hard drive (smelly!). See links/notes at bottom.

So, summer’s over and you’re burned out on Japanese study? Here’s what’s worked for me. Illustrated!

Tip 1: Don’t Fight the Fun

Above is a science-y graph of the fun potential of several different things. Note that all four of the things on the left are good for one’s Japanese. Note the difference in fun potential.

When I get burned out, I try to spend lots of time in the circled area, and maybe just a smidge with the textbook.

Because if it’s between fun and good for you or just good for you, well, you know, the choice is clear.

( * Just kidding! I love you, Janey! Call me!)

Tip 2: Set tiny, wimpy, goals

One foolish thing I do when I’m behind is attempt to catch up. Really fast.

This inevitably makes me really sad.

Stuff goes a lot better when I’m like, ‘Yo, I’m gonna just study for 15 minutes then go outside and play.’

Actually, when I’ve got 15 minutes a day as a goal, I usually end up doing lots more.

(If I have 3 hours a day as a goal, I often end up doing nothing instead. ‘Cause I’m weak like that.)

Tip 3: Chill with the locals, alone

Note the happy, peaceful, vibe of Diagram A.

Show up at a Japanese izakaya, noodle shop, whatever, sit at the counter alone and someone will talk to you. If not the first time you go, then probably the second, and definitely by the third.

Free, often bizarre and/or interesting Japanese practice. Quite motivating.

(Diagram B provided for contrast.)

Tip 4: Don’t stress. It’s no race.

Sometimes there’s so much talking about Japanese in the JET community that folks can get a little too caught up in it.

‘Dang, his Japanese is so good,’ or ‘yeah, his Japanese is okay, but not as good as Laverne’s Japanese,’ or ‘Man, that basset hound’s only been living here 3 months, and his kanji’s already better than mine. I am sad now and shall make a frowny face!

But, really, that’s all silly.

THE END
—————
Postscript:
Lots of other sites out there talk about language motivation way more in depth than this post. Perhaps try AllJapaneseAllTheTime.com or the book How to Learn Any Language.

YOU: Hey, Bouncer. How’s things at the club tonight?

BOUNCER: Sorry, club’s full. You can’t come in.

YOU: What? But I just saw you wave in the three hot girls behind me?

BOUNCER: Club’s full.

YOU [reaching into pocket for a very special government issued card]: Ah, but sir, perhaps you were unaware. I am carrying… [showing card]…

BOUNCER [nearly coughing cigarrette out of mouth]: Sir! my apologies, I was indeed unaware! Please, my Safe Driving friend, right this way. May I take your coat?
—-
NOTE:
The blinging piece of paper above is an actual card issued by the Kumamoto government to people who drive safely for a set number of years. It won’t really get you into clubs, but it should.

For it is beautiful and bright and true. And gaudily magnificent.

I’ll begin with a photograph:

THE END

Taken at the Fujisaki Hachimangu Shrine Festival, aka The Drunken Horse Festival, which I wrote about here long, long, ago. With pictures, and dubious bits of information from locals.

ME: Rambo-Era Stallone, my man, I just don’t think I can do it alone. All this passing-the-day-not-eating, far-away-from-the-family, constantly studying picture-language-symbols business…

Some days I get tired, you know?

RAMBO-ERA SYLVESTER STALLONE BOOKMARK: Look Saleem, no need to face your problems solo, bro. We can do this…

ME: Really? Together? Aw, thanks, man. That makes everything feel okay. You probably shouldn’t drink beer if you’re going to be shooting people, though.

R-ESSB: I’m not, man. I’m just chillin’ in the sunset, bro. Waiting to get back to a good book and whatnot.

ME: In that case, imbibe freely.

Found in the ‘Take Free’ box at Book-Off, Kumamoto. Squint and you can see hints of a real rainbow in the background.

I woke up this past Sunday morning to tragic news that my Grandmother's house was on fire in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Thankfully, she and my mother escaped with minor injuries. Although her possessions may have been lost, my 89 year old...

Here's another page I created from images people forwarded to me through e-mail. I printed these images using my home computer printer, maybe not the most archival materials, but will have to do. After I complete this album I plan...

This is the first in a series of posts where I will share with you my latest scrapbook project to preserve my family memories about an historical United States Presidential election. Here's the first page that I made. I decided...

Preservation question from reader "GINA" I literally started scrapping as a 14 year old when I would collect photos of popular groups and articles and save them in pages of albums labeled " scrap book". The pages have aged and...

A future President and Vice President of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! Prayers have been answered, but more prayer is still necessary. I tried to make this a day my kids will never forget by documenting it as much as...

The authors explore how Black and White women view three aspects of normative femininity, and whether self-rated femininity is related to feminism. Through telephone surveys, a nationally representative sample of women (N=1130) rated themselves on feminism and items derived from Collins' (2004) benchmarks of femininity: feminine appearance, traits, and traditional gender role ideology. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed both groups conceptualized femininity as including the same dimensions, although Black women rated themselves higher on items related to feminine appearance. Among White women, traditional gender ideology was negatively related to feminism; among Black women, wearing feminine clothes was positively related to feminism. Results are discussed in terms of possibilities for resistance to the hegemonic concept of femininity that both groups share. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved)

In the present study the authors examined the relative contributions of typical acculturation indicators, general coping, and intercultural competence in predicting depression among 96 Hispanic adults. The results indicated that intercultural competence served to moderate the relationship between acculturation and depression. The combination of high acculturation and high intercultural competence was associated with fewer symptoms. General coping accounted for significant amounts of variance in predicting depression, over and above traditional acculturation variables alone, suggesting that an active problem-solving style was associated with a healthier outcome. The findings are discussed within the context of integrating competence-based variables into psychological conceptualizations of cultural adaptation and the importance of group-specific abilities as potential buffers against negative mental health consequences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved)

This study examined the influence of race and ethnicity on psychiatric diagnoses and clinical characteristics of 1,189 children and adolescents participating in the federally funded Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program. Results showed that after controlling for age, gender, functional impairment, and socioeconomic status, there were significant race and ethnicity effects on diagnosis and clinical characteristics. Black and Native Hawaiian youth were more likely than White youth to be diagnosed with disruptive behavioral disorders. Hispanic and Native Hawaiian youth were less likely than White youth to be diagnosed with depression or dysthymia. Black, Asian American, and Native Hawaiian youth were rated as exhibiting less internalizing behavior problems than White youth. Implications for research, practice, and policy are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved)

This study presents the results of semistructured interviews conducted with 18 African American Christian women regarding the role of spirituality throughout their breast cancer experiences. The spiritual themes relevant for phases of the breast cancer experience are identified. Analysis resulted in the identification of 11 codes and 5 subcodes that corresponded to the diagnosis, treatment, and posttreatment phases of the breast cancer experience. Most of the survivors indicated that their spirituality and faith assisted them throughout the breast cancer experience. Discussion focuses on the spiritual resources used by the participants at the different stages in the breast cancer experience. Attention is given to implications for how professionals can use these resources to assist African American women coping with breast cancer. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved)

A modified CES-D was administered to a community sample of 176 European Americans (EA), 209 Native Hawaiians (NH), and 357 Japanese Americans (JA), yielding measures of depression, positive affect, depressed affect, somatic disturbance, and disturbed interpersonal relations. Positive affect was lower in JA relative to EA, consistent with findings among Native Japanese, a pattern attributed to cultural variation in emotion regulation. NH reported lower positive affect than EA, accompanied by elevated negative affect and somatic disturbance, suggesting generally higher levels of depressive symptoms. The three ethnic groups varied in mental health care usage with differing associations between depressive symptoms and experiences of stressful life events. Taken together, these results suggest ethnic variation in depressive symptoms may arise from differing cultural beliefs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved)

Senator John McCain's presidential campaign kicked off its general election Hispanic voter outreach today on Cinco de Mayo, the popular Mexican holiday. New site; http://www.johnmccain.com/espanol/ Committed Hispanic outreach is a good sign and means there will be a nice competition with the Democratic nominee (either Obama or Clinton) come this summer, even if the Dems start with a huge advantage. McCain spoke in Phoenix and his campaign headquarters was decked out for a launch event. Lots of encouraging signs about the importance of this outreach effort within the campaign. Media eats it up: Associated Press reports (http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iNxTApa2sQRu0Xx99P3jt2bEXw7gD90FL4OO0): "Republican John McCain on Monday said the focus on illegal immigration during the Republican primary race harmed his party's image among Hispanics." CNN reports (http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/05/mccain/): "The senator from Arizona used Cinco de Mayo as a launching pad for a new Spanish-language Web site on Monday, and he emphasized his stance on immigration and border security as he tried to court the Hispanic vote." "McCain also pledged to attend the National Council for La Raza's convention in July, the largest national Hispanic civil rights organization which seeks to improve opportunities for Hispanic-Americans." Drudge gave it top-billing, wow (http://www.drudgereport.com): http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN0541135620080505?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews&rpc=22&sp=true Other coverage: CBS News blog (http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/05/05/politics/fromtheroad/entry4072857.shtml): "John McCain said today that Hispanic voters are tailor-made for the Republican message..." Boston Globe blog: http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2008/05/mccain_courts_h.html The Hill: http://thehill.com/campaign-2008/mccain-courts-hispanic-voters-2008-05-05.html

Initial Findings: Spanish-Language Advertising in the 2008 Presidential Campaign The two leading Democratic presidential candidates spent millions of dollars on Spanish-language television ads, setting records for individual and combined Democratic expenditures in a presidential primary season. By combining original research, interviews and news reports, the Hispanic Voter Project at Johns Hopkins University estimates that the Democratic presidential candidates spent more money ? at least $4 million ? on Spanish-language television advertising this cycle, outpacing total spending in 2000 and total primary spending in 2004. ?Three factors have likely contributed to increased spending on Spanish-language appeals: a front-loaded calendar and extended process featuring states with large Hispanic populations, a very competitive Democratic contest, as well as record candidate fundraising and overall spending,? according to Adam J. Segal, founder and director of the Hispanic Voter Project at Johns Hopkins University. The two remaining Democratic candidates, Senators Hillary Clinton (NY) and Barack Obama (IL) have continued to create and air Spanish-language ads as the Democratic primary contests have dragged on, with attention now turned to Pennsylvania (where both campaigns are airing Spanish-language TV spots) and eventually Puerto Rico. Meanwhile, Republican candidates also aired Spanish-language ads during the primaries and the campaign of likely party nominee? Sen. John McCain (AZ) recently released its first general election Spanish-language TV spot. This information is the result of a research project that involved interviews with TV station managers, visits to TV stations to review the public political files, as well as Internet and news media research. The findings were released late yesterday at the ?Understanding the Hispanic Vote in 2008? Conference sponsored by the Center for Politics and Governance at the LBJ School at The University of Texas at Austin. The full report is now available online in PDF form at http://advanced.jhu.edu/government/hvp

A couple months ago a reporter with a major national news organization called to ask what I thought about the fact so little had been spent on Spanish-language TV advertising in the months before the presidential primaries, given how much growth we had seen in recent cycles. He or she reminded me of a press release I distributed years ago that screamed record spending. My reaction was that it was way too early to assume a decline and that the story is probably best written after the primaries were held in states with huge Hispanic populations.

Well we're nearing that point. I was excited to see Ira Teinowitz's (of Advertising Age) scoop on this subject. His story, out tonight, reports:

"Hispanic Spending in Texas to Surpass $2 Million"

AND

"Together, the candidates spent nearly $2 million advertising to Spanish-speaking Hispanics in California, and broadcasters are saying spending ahead of the March 4 Texas primary could top that."

AND

"TNSI Campaign Media Analysis Group reports that before Texas, a total of $2.6 million had been spent on Hispanic media. Texas already has seen $400,000 and the broadcasters said total spending is fast moving up."

Wow. It's nice to have access to these data.

I'll have to look back at my records before I can say for certain, but gosh this seems huge. Is it evidence of record spending in the Democratic primaries yet? Hmmm, perhaps.

Regardless, this seems to predict it will reach record levels by the time the Texas primary is held during the first week of March (on the 4th).

A side topic is the campaigns' choices of media consultants. Teinowitz points out the Obama campaign chose a Texas-based consultant, perhaps providing unique state-specific insights.

Visit my Hispanic Voter Project page for data from part cycles:
http://advanced.jhu.edu/academic/government/hvp/

It looks more and more likely that the next Democratic presidential candidate, no matter who they are, will be able to count on the Hispanic vote jackpot. Two new stories out today are really in line with this thinking.

First, skilled political writer Susan Page at USA Today reported from San Antonio for a cover story on "Hispanics turning back to Democrats for 2008." The headline itself is somewhat misldeading -- My sense is that Democrats have historically enjoyed 56% or more of the Hispanic vote (if you think the exit polls are usually wrong you start at 60% or more). But the premise of the piece is absolutely accurate: Democrats are poised to receive the largest share of the Hispanic vote in years if all goes in their favor in the walk-up to the 2008 presidential election. And with the immigration bill blocked in Congress -- by the GOP is you ask Democratic Party leadership in Congress -- it'll be a very big up hill climb.

Page reports on a new USA Today poll which finds: "A new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll indicates that Hispanics, by nearly 3 to 1, say they're Democrats or lean that way. Of those, 59% support the New York senator [Sen. Hillary Clinton] over her presidential rivals ? her strongest showing among any major demographic group and a huge potential asset for early contests in Nevada, Florida, California and other states with large Hispanic populations."

Page writes that Hispanic New Mexico Governor Bill "Richardson still has to introduce himself. Six in 10 Hispanics polled say they've never heard of the former congressman and Cabinet member, the first Hispanic to seek the Democratic presidential nomination."

Page gives the kicker quote to San Antonio advertising super-star, and a friend of mine, Frank Guerra. Guerra says Hispanic brand loyalty -- and political loyalty -- is up for grabs. We'll see.

Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports today out of Orlando, Florida that "Republican presidential candidates made a major miscalculation this week by skipping the nation's largest gathering of Hispanic elected officials, local party representatives and event organizers said."

Can you say intra-party problems: "The Republican candidates have blown off Hispanics in Florida," said state Rep. Juan Zapata, a Republican who helped bring the NALEO event to the state.

More: "With many Hispanics already concerned about some of the candidates' opposition to a bill that would provide a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants which failed in the Senate Thursday and anti-Hispanic rhetoric accompanying the debate, top candidates can ill-afford to alienate those loyal to the party, especially in a swing state like Florida, they said."

Right on. Ok, sure most Hispanics never hear anything out of this conference but if you're a supporter and your candidate is doing little to stimulate interest among influentials, particularly Republican Hispanic elected officials, you're really upset they're skipping the NALEO conference.

Now for your added enjoyment, here are some recent articles that quote me or reference my research on Hispanic voters, Hispanic political outreach and immigration issues:

- Agence France Presse (AFP)
- The Washington Post
- The Washington Post (II)
- National Public Radio (NPR)
- U.S. News & World Report
- Christian Science Monitor