ABSTRACTS - oia - Portland State University

ASPAC Conference 2010
June 18 – 20, 2010 | Portland, OR
One representative common fact is that the two clauses are routinely utilized in the sense that the
main clause occurs before the event of the subordinate clause is realized or completed. The notable difference
may be explained by the possibility ofthe replacement of one clause the other. In other words, the clauses mae
ni and made ni can replace each other in some cases and they should not replace each other in other cases. In
this presentation the conditions for the permissible and impermissible replacement of the two clauses mae ni
and made ni will be investigated with examples.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jordan Johnson
Looking Forward Toward an Idealized Past: Modern Thai Buddhist Approaches to Sustainability
This paper will seek to examine the ways in which prominent members of the modern Thai Buddhist tradition
have sought to articulate a path toward sustainable living that is rooted in Buddhist thought. Buddhism has a
great deal to say on the subject of avoiding over-consumption, and several recent Thai Buddhist thinkers have
sought to employ Buddhism as a tool around which to envision a path forward for Thailand that involves
both sustainable development and the creation of a just society. Recently, “socially engaged Buddhists” in
Thailand have been active in constructing a picture of the “original” intent of the Buddhist tradition that is in
keeping with progressive contemporary values such as sustainability and the establishment of social and
economic justice. This is particularly interesting insofar as the global conversation concerning a “return” to
the original intent of religious traditions tends to focus on the phenomenon of conservative religious
“fundamentalists,” but here we have an example of a movement that construes the “foundations” of the
Buddhist tradition to be in keeping with modern, progressive social values. By examining the writings of
influential members of the Thai tradition of “socially engaged Buddhism,” this paper will critically examine
the phenomenon of Thai Buddhists constructing an idealized notion of “true” Buddhism – and of Thailand as
a Buddhist nation par excellence – that fits with contemporary notions of the importance of just, sustainable
living.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Ann Kaneko
Expanding Asian Studies: Looking at Cross-Cultural Identity in Two Films
As a Japanese American filmmaker, filmmaking has been a way to explore parallel experiences and expand our
knowledge of the Asian diaspora. I have made two feature-length documentaries that explore cross-cultural
identity in different but similar contexts than my own. Both films have been great platforms for discussing
these issues and have successfully made these stories accessible to educators and students-perhaps an
important direction in re-energizing and finding intersection between Asian and Asian American Studies.
Overstay looks at foreign migrant workers in Japan during the late 1990s and was prompted by my
interest in re-examining this country's role as a host. Japan, largely perceived as a homogenous society and the
place my grandparents left behind, was experiencing growing pains, dealing with the complex cultural,
economic and political implications, stirred up by these "new-comers." The film looks at six young people
from Pakistan, Iran, the Philippines and Peru; and, especially, the Peruvian woman, who uses a Nikkei ("of
Japanese descent") pseudonym, raises questions about Japan's reliance on blood relations.
Against the Grain: An Artist's Survival Guide to Peru looks at four political artists and resistance under expresident
Alberto Fujimori. One of them is Japanese-Peruvian and struggles with language differences in his
own family and the backlash associated with being of the same descent as a president who had fallen out of
favor. Through this character, the film looks at the Peruvian Nikkei community and Fujimori's relationship to
it, as I draw parallels to my own experiences as a Japanese-American artist.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Priya Kapoor
Identity and Difference in Transnational Feminism: The South Asian Experience
Transnational feminism is a paradigm that carefully acknowledges the contemporary free flowing movement of
ideas, problematizing gender and sexuality at the intersection of nationhood, class, ethnicity and history. As
17