Amusing email sent out at work today:
We received a Mother's Day wish from a little boy in the general
mailbox. If you have a little boy, he sounds about 7 or 8 years old,
let me know and I can forward you the message.
And a rather disturbing recount about US/Asia trade orgs in DC from a friend who was just there for business:
Most if not ALL Asia-affiliated trade organizations and gov. entities in Washington, D.C. are staffed by CAUSASIANS, making relations with Asia-staffed entities a bit challenging! Very few Asian or Asian-American professionals. The entire staff at US-Taiwan, for example, is Caucasian which from my POV puts them at a serious disadvantage as far as really establishing their Taiwan-connections and forwarding their cause. I was also told that the Asia Foundation and Asia Society are also largely staffed by what they term "Sinofiles", white people obsessed with Asian culture/politics and believe themselves to be "China/Asia Experts"...
It's the strangest phenomenon, but evidently the word is that these groups are formed to service OTHER white groups, and that Asian-Americans who do get in, don't stay for very long as they are often passed up for promotions, etc...
Apparently these "Asia" organizations in D.C. come up with their own conclusions about what is going on in Asia (some have never been, don't speak the language, don't have Asian-studies background, nothing) and then provide that info to other white groups that are equally clueless but have strong political ties and thus have big PULL at the gov. level, so it's an eco-system of its own that effectively fuels itself.
