mochi balls issue 1
Mochi Balls indexin this issue
february 1996
Dispelling stereotypes
Welcome to the first issue of Mochi Balls. Mochi Balls is a forum for all queer Asians and Pacific Islanders to communicate and network with each other. Hopefully, the result will be that all of us will be able to develop a more positive queer API identity, the possibility of which the mainstream has prevented and ignored. The original members of Q&A were well-aware of how difficult it is to develop this positive, gay API identity, and, as a consequence, Q&A was organized with this goal in mind.
API cultures often do not condone any other sexual orientation than heterosexuality. Most API cultures place a strong emphasis on the concept of "family," and the result is that the queer API individual faces the conflict of attempting to satisfy cultural expectations with that of being a sexual minority. The API individual might conclude that it is not possible to be gay AND Asian; the individual might then assimilate into Western culture and reject Asian cultural values and practices.
Q&A strives to dispel the assumption that, to be gay, one must disregard one's cultural heritage; at the same time, we endeavor to promote affirmative convictions and ideas: for example, that to be queer AND API is both a viable, valid lifestyle; or that it is not necessary to date white men exclusively--it's possible to date API men, as well.
In order to encourage and foster these beliefs, our meetings are open only to API men. Our meetings are a "safe place" for queer API men to discuss issues of sexuality, ethnicity, and identity. When Q&A started, our meetings consisted of only three members who met every other month. Since then, however, Q&A has grown so that we meet monthly, have a large membership, and have other social events for all queer API people.
Some of our goals for 1996 are as follows:
- To develop a stronger presence in the mainstream gay community;
- To continue to develop a stronger relationship with ALBA and APIHHEP;
- To continue to develop a stronger membership;
- To establish a stronger presence within the API community, particularly in the International District;
- To develop resources with APAC that provide culturally appropriate HIV/AIDS services for Asians/Pacific Islanders, as well as to further HIV awareness in the API community;
- Lastly, to provide social services for API youth and other API individuals dealing with coming out, as well as other issues related to being queer and API.
The Co-Chairs, as well as the rest of Q&A, look forward to the challenges that 1996 brings. We invite you to participate in our events, and we hope that we can affect change and dialogue within our various communities.
Pat Soon and Clement Cheung
Queer & Asian Co-Chairs
