Rant of the Exiles

My son, Caleb, graduated from high school this past May. I wanted to celebrate the milestone with an event that would foster a sense of dignity about becoming a man while also conveying responsibility and vulnerability in regards to power.  Months earlier, I told my friend Jon about my son’s imminent adulthood. Jon described how he hosted a manhood blessing event when his son turned 18 years old. He gathered a group of men that had spent time with his son. He called it Knights, Warriors, and Barbarians: The Commissioning of Sam. There were copious amounts of grilled meat. And each man spoke a blessing over his son. I loved everything about it except the name. Chivalry, protection, and courage are vital aspects of manhood but violence has a tainted narrative. The process of planning and executing this event was greatly meaningful to me. So much so, that I debated whether and how to write about it. My indecision finally broke after I recounted the manhood blessing night to...

Back in 2006 when I was working at Hitachi and finishing up seminary on nights and weekends, I took a class with Steve Korch . I don’t remember what the class was but one day, Steve segued into a discussion about parenting. He described a tradition he started when his children were young. Every year on each of their birthdays, he would give them a letter he had written them ten years earlier. He shared how his daughters and son would eagerly anticipate the letter they would receive each year. Each birthday, it must have been like opening up a time capsule about one’s life. I was impressed. I decided it would be a practice I wanted to adopt with my own children. My oldest son, Caleb, turned fifteen yesterday. I wrote my first birthday letter to him ten years ago. On his latest birthday, I told him about my letter-writing tradition and how I started when he was in kindergarten. I sense he was ...

An awkward Asian American intellectual reflects on being a missionary exile in East Oakland Russell Jeung’s new book is called At Home in Exile: Finding Jesus among My Ancestors & Refugee Neighbors . An alternate title could have been "Nerdy Asianz in the Hood". Make no mistake about it - Russell Jeung is a nerd. He absolutely fits the model minority stereotype. How to tell? Exhibit A: When you graduate from world-renown Lowell High School in San Francisco, get a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Stanford University, and then later obtain a PhD from UC Berkeley. Check those boxes for Jeung. He now works as a sociology professor at San Francisco State University. I met Jeung for the first time at his book launch. Exhibit B: When you are decidedly unimposing physically. Jeung doesn’t wear glasses but his look fits the nerd mold. He is rail thin and doesn’t appear to do any strength training. His body language is awkward and although a fluid public speaker...

Over at our South Africa ministry trip blog 

I am a fidgety person. I cannot sit still. And when seated, I love shaking my leg and it drives my wife crazy. Motion has a calming effect on me. It helps me concentrate. I especially need to do something with my hands. I remember in middle school all my friends (three Asian guys) would twirl their writing devices around their thumb. They would sit there listening to the teacher and spend the entire class session twirling their pens. I was always bitter I wasn't coordinated enough to do it. My sixth grade teacher, Ms. Delbridge, let me entertain myself with modeling clay during her class. I would make tanks and alien creatures.  She allowed it because she knew I was listening. Every now and then, I would pause to ask or answer a question and then go back to molding my gray block. I never had a problem staying engaged in that class - both because of the content and because of the creative freedom she gave me. Fast forward almost twenty years. My former company sends m...

There are few spiritual forces more potent than the Asian youth group. It is a unique avenue of blessing. I was talking to another English ministry pastor in a bay area Chinese church and we both agreed on the incredible bonding effect that happens within youth groups in Chinese and Korean immigrant churches. He met his wife through their youth group. Many of my friends and acquaintances who attended an Asian youth group on a weekly basis formed lifelong friendships in the process. 20 years later, these social networks are still alive and vibrant, even when former youth group participants no longer attend church. Young people make decisions in their junior high and high school years that shape the trajectory of their lives. How does the Holy Spirit work uniquely through Asian youth groups? How are they different from their mainstream (white) counterparts? What might a sociological explanation look like? Here are some attributes that make Asian youth groups a uniquely ...

It seems most parents are deathly afraid of their kids being bored. I'm surprised when my peers tell me they can't take a family road trip without playing a movie on their portable DVD player. They can't handle the complaining. I've heard of parents going grocery shopping with their toddler-aged children sitting in the cart entranced by an iPhone. I see parents bribing their children with candy during church so they'll sit quietly. I see parents scheduling every hour of their school-aged kids' free time with music, language, sports, and tutoring. I'm not sure who is more afraid of boredom - the parents or the children. I totally get it though.  My first temptation, especially when I'm tired, is to turn on the electronics - hand them the iPad or pop in the video. Appeasement always works in the short-term. If I'm more energetic, my second temptation is engage them in some creative, imaginative building activity involving styrofoam balls and toothp...

Stereotyping of Asian-Americans: During the day, I work on sermons at Peet’s Coffee. A lady who is a regular there saw me one time and approached me. She asked me if I was unemployed and looking for a job. She told me her husband has a company and they are looking for people who have computer skills. She said “I know your people are good at these types of things. . .” Ignorance of Immigrant Church: The dozens of Caucasian parents I meet through my kids’ school eventually find out I’m a pastor in a Chinese church. Their first question is “So do you preach in English?” Asian-American High School Competitive Atmosphere: I’m talking to a high school senior. Him: “Ugh. I have cross-country practice today. Its so pointless and such a waste of time.” Me: “So why do you do it?” Him: “It looks good for college”.