n early in the 20th century of “hyphenated Americans” who do not join the American mainstream. See FOREIGN-NESS; YELLOW PERIL; YELLOW SKIN.
ASIAN AMERICAN, different emphasis of: See FOREIGN-NESS.
ASIAN EXCLUSION ACTS:
Laws in which Congress barred or sharply restricted the immigration of Asians to the United States. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 barred Chinese laborers and prohibited Chinese from applying for citizenship; it was repealed in 1943. The 1924 Oriental Exclusion Act banned immigration from Asia. The 1934 Tydings-McDuffie Act imposed an annual quota of 50 Filipino immigrants. Only after 1965, with immigration laws designed to encourage European immigration, did Asian immigration also expand. See also WALTER-MCCARRAN ACT.
Caution. Better to specify country or ethnicity, e.g., Vietnamese or Chinese or Filipino gangs, if relevant and the relevance can be explained to the news consumer. Some ethnic groups, notably Italian Americans with regard to the Mafia, say that gangs are criminals first and members of ethnic groups second, so ethnic identification is pejorative. As with any mention of ethnicity, the relevance of ethnicity should be explained (e.g., a recent upsurge of gang-related activity or ethnic turf wars).
More complex than European names. Direct clarify family and surname, as well as use of second reference, with the interview subject will help avoid error. See individual countries’ naming rules, e.g., Vietnamese names. When in doubt, ask the news subject, especially on rules for second reference (such as Mr. Mao, but not Mr. Zedong). Asian pronunciation and transliteration rules are also complex. For example, in Mandarin, Chen is pronounced “chuhn” (rhymes with “one”), Li is “lee” and Yang “yong” (rhymes with “song,” not “sang”). However, many second-generation or later Chinese Americans pronounce their names in an Americanized fashion. Consider including pronunciation explainers in the text, broadcast or graphic. See SOUTH ASIAN NAMES.
ASIAN RELIGIONS: Caution. Religion is an imprecise term. Faith in Asia can differ sharply from that of the Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition. Temples, for instance, are typically not used for “worship” but for meditation; meditation is not necessarily “prayer”; and to most, but not all, Buddhists, Buddha is not a god. Confucianism and Taoism, much practiced in East Asia, are ways of and guides to living. They are informal combinations of practical philosophies, values, and folk beliefs. See BUDDHISM, HINDUISM, ISLAM, SHINTOISM, SIKHISM and TAOISM.
Avoid. A vestige of European colonialism and imperialism (see entries for both). A 19th-century adjective used at the time in “scientific” European treatises assuming the superiority of the white race. See CAUCASIAN; RACISM, scientific; YELLOW PERIL; YELLOW SKIN.
AUNG SAN SUU KYI:
Burmese opposition leader born June 19, 1945, in Rangoon, Burma, now known as Yangon, Myanmar, by the ruling junta. Aung San Suu Kyi (the entire name is typically used on second reference) is the daughter of Aung San, a hero of post-colonial Burma, and Khin Kyi, a Burmese diplomat. She is the winner of the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1991. She was elected to Parliament in 2012. Unlike Chinese and Japanese names, where centuries of interaction with the West have led to acceptable approximations, Burmese names have no settled counterparts in English. “Aung” is pronounced “oun,” like “sound” without the “d” and the “s”; “San” is “sun”; “Suu” is an abrupt “sue” not an elongated “suuuue”; “Kyi” is “chee.” See BURMA; BURMESE NAMES; COLONIALISM; IMPERIALISM.
Formerly the eastern section of Pakistan (once known as East Pakistan). Bangladesh became independent after a civil war in 1971. About the size of Iowa. Capital: Dhaka. Population: 161 million (2012 estimate). Proportion of population younger than 15: one-third. Languages: Bangla (Bengali) and English. Major religions: Islam (90 percent), Hinduism (about 10 percent). Ethnic groups: Bengali (98 percent), Jumma tribal (1 percent). Literacy: 48 percent. (Source: World Factbook.)
A mountainous South Asian