The recent events surrounding the Trayvon Martin case has again brought to light the topics of racism and stereotypes in America. In the case of Trayvon Martin, at first glance, it seems as if this teen was unfairly stereotyped as a hoodlum who was “up to no good” in the neighborhood. It may have been viewed this way because because he had his hoodie up and looked suspicious. At a closer glance, he was merely an unarmed teen leaving the corner store with a pack of skittles and iced tea in hand who was headed to father’s girlfriend’s home. The gunman who was a neighborhood watch captain at the time, followed him “strangely” as described by Trayvon. Words were then exchanged and all of a sudden he is shot to death?? Did I miss something? Why does it seem that such harmless, senseless events lead to these types of tragedies?
As a Asian America male growing up, I have been unfairly stereotyped, and have been on the receiving end of racist remarks at various points in my life. On the other hand, I also have made stereotypes as well when I didn’t know any better; I can’t lie. I do believe racism and stereotypes is alive and well, but it is more of a taboo of topics that is swept under the rug. It seems as if America pretends that all is well, because it is a sensitive topic that no one wants to discuss or confront. Even as recently on my trip to South Carolina, I was unfairly followed back to my room by a hotel security guard that felt like I did not belong in the hotel. I truly felt I was stereotyped because of the way I was dressed. In Georgia, in a town outside of Atlanta, while waiting for a table at a restaurant with friends, I felt like a group wanted to start trouble with us solely because of our race, and because we were perceived as different. [click to continue…]
YP’s, when do you feel is a good time to start to look for a new job? Is it when you do not feel you are not challenging yourself, dreading to go to work the next day, or not making enough money to save for the future? Whatever the case may be, it is necessary to examine your current situation from time to time, to make sure you are where you want to be in your life. If you realize that there are more cons than pros, then you might want to think about the next steps for yourself. Below is a list that you may find helpful if you have been contemplating this subject. If you agree with most of the list, then you may want to start the process of updating those resumes and search for a new job. We all want to be happy, and a major component of that is having a job where we feel competent and worthwhile.
by RYAN GUINA
1. Do you continually learn and improve? If you are not improving your skill set or learning something valuable, you are be selling yourself short. Do you have opportunity for personal and professional growth? Six months from now will you still be in your current role? How about 2 years from now? Does your next promotion rely on the person higher than you on the totem pole retiring or transferring? The answer to these questions should play a large factor in your decision to remain where you are or move on. [click to continue…]
In all my years of being an avid sports fan, I have never felt as connected to any other athlete, than I do to Jeremy Lin today. Yes, he is Asian American. Yes, he is an underdog; but I believe the story goes much more deeper than that. It starts with him not being recruited by any power house D-1 schools after he led his team to a state championship at Palo-Alto High School. After having a stellar 4 year basketball career at Havard, he went undrafted to the NBA. After being picked up by an NBA team, he was then cut twice in one year, while landing in the D-League a couple of times that same year. From there on, Linsanity came about!? Wait, what!? There seems like there is something missing from this story. But when you really look at the picture, there was always something missing in someone else’s eye, not Lin’s.
I believe, Lin story resonates with us all wholeheartedly because he has gone through his failures, but has continued to believe and have an unwavering faith in himself and his abilities when no one else did. I even read that his high school basketball coach is surprised by his recent success on the court. Jeremy could have easily given up, and given in to the pundits who said he wasn’t fast enough, athletic, tall, or strong enough, but he would not let that deter him. He continued to hone his skills, work hard, and wait for his opportunity. This is truly an inspirational story for not only Asians, but for anyone who has gone through self-doubt and failures in their lives. It teaches us all that we can accomplish incredible feats if we believe in ourselves, and put in the necessary work to see our dreams through!
YPJimH, Young Professionals writer
“10 Lessons Jeremy Lin Can Teach Us Before We Go To Work Monday Morning”
Happy New Year from YPBlogSpot! It is a new year full of opportunities, and promise. Let’s make this year a defining year in our lives YP’s and not settle for anything less! #SuccessvilleBound
I came across a very interesting article that I wanted to share. It talks about what advice the elder generation would give to the younger generation if they could do it all over again. The elderly share some very good insight on what is really important, which can help any young professional today. Enjoy. [...]
Denzel Washington has always been one of my favorite actors. Recently, he gave a commencement speech at his son’s school, the University of Pennsylvania. While speaking to the graduates he talked about taking risks in life, and not fearing failure, but embracing and becoming better because of them, which I believe is an inspiring message [...]
Today one of the more ridiculous arguments that I’ve heard in years has been resolved. The President of the United States, Barack Obama, is actually from America. I don’t understand how these thoughts and arguments from Obama detractors gain NATIONAL media attention but apparently there are a great amount of people who believed (and probably [...]
Ladies and gentlemen I would like to introduce the beautiful Miss Amber-Joi Watkins. Ms. Watkins is a Ivy League graduate from UPENN and epitomizes the phrase “Beauty and Brains” which is why she is Miss Pennsylvania USA 2011 and on her way to the Miss USA 2011 Pageant. I am very excited that she has decided [...]
YPs I wanted to share a contest for “Dreamers” bought to you by ThaTrashKann. An “ambitious girl” *Wale voice* (woman) by the name of Priority is the creator of the TheTrashKann and she has big dreams as do many of us. In addition, Priority is looking to assist other “Dreamers” make their dreams a reality [...]
YPRichB: Natalie from the Delaware Valley Green Building Council (DVGBC) was gracious enough to reach out to us to share an upcoming meeting by her organization in Philadelphia. Below is more information on DVGBC so I encourage all aspiring professionals to read below and attend if this is relevant for you. Who are the DVGBC [...]
Today is July 1st, the 1st day of the NBA Free Agency Bonanza! I don’t know about the rest of YP’s, but I am very excited to see what transpires this summer. I cannot think of another summer in my life time where there were this many quality free agents available at one given time. [...]
A life long friend of mine sent me a text message regarding his friend Sabina Rose O’Donnell that was tragically murdered June 2nd. Friends of Sabina have started a fund to help pay for her funeral. YPs every penny counts and we ask that you ladies and gents help Sabina rest in peace. You [...]
Americas single biggest sporting event will be making its way to New York/New Jersey area in 2014. This is a huge deal for the league because this will be the 1st Super Bowl that will be played in cold weather. This could then lead to a domino affect where cities like Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, and [...]
I came across a very interesting and informative article this morning about the job outlook for college grads, the affect of unemployment on the human psychic, and other alternatives besides landing a job. The article mentions that for every job opening there are 5 college graduate vying for the same position. It is a tough [...]
YPRichB: I came across this article today on slamonline.com and I found it very interesting and helpful. While Anthony Tolliver is not an NBA superstar, he still is making a good amount of money (espn.com reports $427,000 for the 09-10 season). Despite his salary he is extremely focused on saving and provided some great tips [...]
