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ASSIGNMENT COMING TO YOU AS ALWAYS FROM VOICE OF AMERICA HEADQUARTERS IN WASHINGTON. WELCOME
TO THE PROGRAM ...I'M IMRAN SIDDIQUI. AND I'M ALEX VILLARREAL. COMING UP...WE'LL
TALK WITH OUR REPORTER IN KABUL ABOUT AFGHANISTAN'S CHANGING ECONOMY, AND A CONTINUING THREAT
TO JOURNALISTS THERE... IRAN ELECTS A NEW PRESIDENT -- COULD THE SURPRISE
WINNER MEAN CHANGE IS ON THE WAY? OUR LOS ANGELES REPORTER TELLS US ALL ABOUT
A PHENOMENON MAKING IT COOL TO BE ASIAN IN AMERICA ...
AND HERE IN WASHINGTON, THE NATIONAL MALL COVERED IN BONES? WE'LL EXPLAIN.
YOU'RE GOING ON ASSIGNMENT WITH THE VOICE OF AMERICA ... RIGHT NOW.
OUR FIRST STORY TAKES US TO KABUL. AS INTERNATIONAL TROOPS PREPARE TO LEAVE AFGHANISTAN NEXT YEAR,
SOME BUSINESSES AND AID GROUPS ARE LOOKING TO CURB THEIR INVESTMENTS IN THE COUNTRY.
BUT
OTHERS ARE PLANNING TO EXPAND, DESPITE THE UNCERTAINTY...
AND IN ANOTHER SIGN OF FUTURE TROUBLE, WE'VE SEEN A GROWING NUMBER OF ATTACKS ON JOURNALISTS
IN AFGHANISTAN. ON ASSIGNMENTS DOUG BERNARD TALKED ABOUT THESE ISSUES AND MORE WITH REPORTER
BETHANY MATTA IN KABUL. HERE'S SOME OF HER RECENT COVERAGE.
MORE THAN A DECADE OF FOREIGN ASSISTANCE HAS A MIXED TRACK RECORD IN AFGHANISTAN, WHERE
BASIC SECURITY REMAINS THE BIGGEST CONCERN. BUT ADVERTISING CONSULTANT MUSTAFA MIRZA SAYS
THERE IS A
RICH AND GROWING MARKET FOR SOME CONSUMER GOODS THAT DID NOT EVEN EXIST SEVERAL YEARS
AGO: "I DON'T THINK THAT ANYTHING WILL HAPPEN IN
THE PRIVATE SECTOR. IF YOU GO OUT, LIKE IN KABUL, YOU'VE GOT SUPER-STORES LIKE FINEST
AND SPINNEYS. LIKE, YOU CAN GET CAT FOOD FOR EXAMPLE. THERE
WAS NO CONCEPT OF CAT FOOD TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO."
YOU TELL THE STORY OF AFGHANISTAN'S DOMESTIC ECONOMY THROUGH, OF ALL THINGS, CAT FOOD.
HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT'S ALL ABOUT. YES, I THINK, IT WAS AN INTERESTING POINT
THAT I'VE SEEN AS WELL, IS THAT IN THE PAST TEN YEARS MANY THINGS HAVE CHANGED HERE. I
MEAN, THE ECONOMY HAS BEEN FUELED BY AID, AND OBVIOUSLY
THAT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE. THAT'S ONE THING THAT WE'RE DEFINITELY SEEING. BUT I THINK DOMESTICALLY
THERE ARE THINGS HAPPENING. I MEAN, PEOPLE ARE STILL INVESTING.
DESPITE WORRIES ABOUT THE SECURITY SITUATION AND THE CAPABILITY OF THE GOVERNMENT, MANY
BUSINESSES ARE PLANNING TO EXPAND, SUCH AS COCA-COLA. THE COMPANY WANTS TO INVEST MILLIONS
MORE TO
INCREASE CAPACITY, BUT LAND IS A PROBLEM. THE FACTORY AND PARKING LOT ARE ALREADY USED
FOR STORAGE. [[BM]]
AND NOT ONLY DO YOU SEE, LIKE, ONE TYPE OF ENERGY DRINK, YOU SEE TEN TIMES MORE THAN
WHAT YOU WOULD SEE IN THE WEST. SO THEY'VE TAKEN ON MANY NEW THINGS AND A LOT OF THOSE
THINGS WON'T GO
AWAY. THE COMPANY NOW BOASTS 75 NEW TV CHANNELS,
175 RADIO STATIONS, AND HUNDREDS OF NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES. YET BEHIND THE HEADLINES LIES
ANOTHER STORY. SINCE JANUARY, THERE HAVE BEEN 36 CASES
OF VIOLENCE AGAINST JOURNALISTS; A 40 PERCENT INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR.
IN GENERAL THE COUNTY'S BECOMING MORE VIOLENT. SO, OBVIOUSLY IF YOU HAVE MORE ATTACKS, JOURNALISTS
ARE USUALLY CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THESE ATTACKS. AND TYPICALLY, THE ATTACKS RIGHT
NOW
ARE TARGETED AT GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS. ONE EXAMPLE IS NDS, WHICH IS BASICALLY THE C-I-A
HERE, IT'S THE MAIN SPY AGENCY. AND SO, WHEN YOU HAVE ATTACKS THERE, IT'S VERY CHAOTIC
WHEN THERE'S
AN ATTACK AT ANY SCENE. BUT TYPICALLY ALL THE JOURNALISTS RUSH TO THE N-D-S FACILITIES
AND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED, OBVIOUSLY. THEIR COLLEAGUES HAVE BEEN KILLED AND IT'S CHAOS.
AND THE
OTHER BIT IS THAT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY REALLY HAS NOT SAID ANYTHING, WHICH IS QUITE
SHOCKING. BUT IT'S PUT THE IDEA OUT THERE THAT IT'S OK THAT YOU ABUSE JOURNALISTS AND
BEAT THEM. AND THE GOVERNMENT'S NOT STOPPING IT AS QUICKLY AS THEY SHOULD.
IN AN ALREADY TENSE REPORTING ENVIRONMENT, AND WITH PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS LESS THAN
A YEAR AWAY, MEDIA RIGHTS GROUPS FEAR THE NUMBER OF VIOLENT ACTS AGAINST JOURNALISTS
WILL ONLY INCREASE. I'M CURIOUS BETHANY, HOW OFTEN DO YOU YOURSELF
FEEL TO BE AT THREAT? I DO FEEL THAT THINGS ARE GETTING WORSE HERE.
YOU CAN JUST FEEL IT OUT ON THE STREET, IF YOU PAY CLOSE ENOUGH ATTENTION. THERE ARE
A LOT OF TENSIONS, ESPECIALLY AFTER AN ATTACK. SO, YEAH, I
DO FEEL THAT IT IS GETTING WORSE, FOR EVERYBODY. NOT JUST FOR ME, FOR AFGHANS. FOR EVERYBODY.
ALRIGHT, BETHANY. STAY SAFE OUT THERE. AND ONE BIT OF POSITIVE NEWS, AFGHAN FORCES RECENTLY
TOOK OVER COMPLETE SECURITY RESPONSIBILITY FROM THE INTERNATIONAL MILITARY COALITION,
SOMETHING
THAT PRESIDENT KARZAI CALLED A MAJOR MILESTONE OF THE NOW 12-YEAR WAR.
WE'RE TAKING A BREAK NOW. COMING UP - IRAN ELECTS A NEW PRESIDENT, AND HE'S NO MAHMOUD
AHMADINEJAD. YOU'RE WATCHING ON ASSIGNMENT. IRAN'S NEWLY-ELECTED PRESIDENT HASSAN ROWHANI
SAYS HIS VICTORY SIGNALS A NEW ERA FOR THE IRANIAN PEOPLE. THE 64-YEAR-OLD CLERIC SAYS
HE WILL FOLLOW A PATH OF MODERATION AND JUSTICE, NOT
EXTREMISM, AND HE PROMISES TO PURSUE WHAT HE CALLS "CONSTRUCTIVE INTERACTION" WITH THE
WORLD. I'M JOINED NOW FOR MORE BY SETAREH DERRAKHSHESH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF VOA'S PERSIAN
NEWS NETWORK
HERE IN WASHINGTON. SETAREH, WELCOME ... THANK YOU ALEX.
THIS ELECTIONS HAS GARNERED A LOT OF ATTENTION, AND WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT IT, WE SEE THIS
HASSAN ROWHANI, THIS MODERATE CLERIC -- BUT I'M INTERESTED TO KNOW FROM YOUR INSIGHTS
AND YOUR
REPORTING, HOW MUCH CHANGE WILL WE REALLY SEE WITH ROWHANI? HE EARNED THE SUPPORT OF
THE REFORMISTS IN IRAN, BUT WILL HE REALLY BRING ABOUT THE CHANGES THEY'RE LOOKING FOR?
WELL I THINK THE WORD 'MODERATE' SHOULD NOT BE USED AS LOOSELY AS IT IS RIGHT NOW. HE
IS AS ESTABLISHMENT AS IT GETS. IF YOU LOOK AT HIS BACKGROUND, WHAT HE HAS DONE, HIS UPBRINGING
-- HE
WENT TO THE QOM SEMINARIES, WHICH IS FOR RELIGIOUS STUDIES. HE WAS A VERY VERY CLOSE ALLY OF
THE GRAND AYATOLLAH KHOMEINI, WHO IS THE SUPREME LEADER. HE HAS HAD VERY VERY HIGH POSITION
AND POSTS WITHIN THE ESTABLISHMENT. SO EXPECTATIONS ARE HIGH RIGHT NOW, BUT I WOULD USE WHAT THE
PRESIDENT, PRESIDENT OBAMA JUST SAID: CAUTIOUS, CAUTIOUS POSITIVE. MR. ROWHANI HAD THE
SUPPORT OF REFORMISTS, AND I THINK IF I MAY, JUST TO EXPLAIN IT BETTER, I CAN SAY THAT
THERE ARE TWO SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT HERE. ONE THAT SAYS, ONE THAT BELIEVES, THAT THE ELECTIONS
WERE
ORCHESTRATED BY THE REGIME. ANOTHER SCHOOL OF THOUGHT BELIEVES THAT AT THE VERY LAST
STAGE, THE IRANIAN PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT EVEN THOUGH THIS CLERIC WAS NOT TO THEIR LIKING,
BUT HE WAS LESS
CONSERVATIVE THAN OTHERS AND THEY THOUGHT THAT MAYBE WE WILL BE ABLE TO GET THEM OUT
OF THE ECONOMIC SITUATION, AND ALSO THE CONFLICT THAT IRAN IS FACING RIGHT NOW WITH THE WEST.
SO, AS I
MENTIONED, EXPECTATIONS ARE HIGH. IT SEEMS THAT IRAN IN THE PAST WOULD RATHER CONTINUE
ON THE SAME PATH RATHER THAN MAKE CHANGES, SO WE HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE. I DON'T BELIEVE
THAT THE
ESTABLISHMENT - BECAUSE THERE ARE CENTERS, COMPETING CENTERS OF POWER IN IRAN -- I DON'T
BELIEVE THAT THEY WILL CHANGE THEIR POLICY, BUT CERTAINLY THERE IS A CHANGE OF TONE, THERE
IS A
CHANGE OF STYLE, AND WE MIGHT HAVE A CHANGE OF APPROACH.
IN TERMS OF MR. ROWHANI AND HIS ACTUAL POWERS THAT HE'LL HAVE IN THE POST, I THINK IT'S
IMPORTANT FOR OUR VIEWERS WHO AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH IRAN'S POLITICAL SYSTEM, TO NOTE THAT
IT'S REALLY
THE SUPREME LEADER THAT'S IN CONTROL OF ALL THE MAJOR POLICY DECISIONS. SO HOW MUCH POWER
WILL HE ACTUALLY HAVE TO INFLUENCE THE ESTABLISHMENT? WELL AN INTERESTING THING IS THAT ALL THE
PAST PRESIDENTS, OF COURSE EXCEPT AYATOLLAH KHOMENEI, WHO'S NOW THE SUPREME LEADER, THEY
HAVE BECOME PART OF THE INSIDE OPPOSITION. AS I MENTIONED
BEFORE, THERE ARE VERY VERY COMPLICATED INSTITUTIONS. THEY ARE INTERTWINED. BUT IT IS VERY CLEAR
IN THE IRANIAN CONSTITUTION, IN THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC'S CONSTITUTION, THAT THE PERSON WHO
HAS VETO, AND WHO CONTROLS EVERYTHING, IS THE SUPREME LEADER. IT'S CLEAR, IT'S VERY
TRANSPARENT. AND I WOULD COMPARE THE ROLE OF THE PRESIDENCY IN IRAN AS MORE THAN OF
THE PRIME MINISTER.
THE LAST WORD -- WHETHER IT'S ON THE SANCTIONS, WHETHER IT'S ON DOMESTIC ISSUES, ON THE ECONOMY,
WHETHER IT'S THE NUCLEAR ISSUE -- IT'S ALWAYS THE AYATOLLAH. BUT I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO QUOTE
SOMETHING FROM A MEMOIR BY A FRENCH AMBASSADOR, AMBASSADOR FRANCOIS NICOULLAUD, WHO WAS THE
FRENCH AMBASSADOR TO IRAN FROM 2001 TO 2005, IT IS A VERY INTERESTING MEMOIR, AND HE WAS
VERY
CLOSE TO MR. ROWHANI. APPARENTLY THEY HAD MANY DEALINGS BEFORE AS MR. ROWHANI WAS ONE
OF THE TOP NEGOTIATORS. AMBASSADOR NICOULLAUD WAS SAYING THAT, "I AM AMAZED BY THIS WONDERFUL
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MR. ROWHANI AND THE GRAND AYATOLLAH. THERE ARE NO RIFFS BETWEEN THEM,
THEY NEVER GET ANGRY AT EACH OTHER, AND IT SEEMS THAT MR. ROWHANI IS ALWAYS HAS PLEDGED
HIS
ALLEGIANCE TO THE AYATOLLAH, AND HE IS ALWAYS ON VERY VERY GOOD TERMS WITH HIM. IF THIS
IS AN INDICATION, WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE THE SAME WAY, AND THE PRESIDENCY'S GOING TO
BE VERY
LIMITED AS FAR AS IT'S AUTHORITY AND POWER. IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN.
ABSOLUTELY. IT'S IMPORTANT TO GET THOSE INSIGHTS, BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS A MODERATE
SO MUCH. SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO SEE BOTH SIDES OF THAT, AND WE'LL BE WATCHING THAT VERY VERY
CLOSELY AS WE TRY TO SEE HOW IRAN'S APPROACH MAYBE POTENTIALLY TRANSITIONS TO THE NUCLEAR
ISSUE, AS WELL AS OTHER ISSUES WITH THE WORLD. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH SETAREH FOR JOINING US.
AGAIN, SETAREH DERRAKHSHESH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF VOA'S PERSIAN NEWS NETWORK. WELL WE'RE
GOING TO TAKE A BREAK NOW -- COMING UP, THE CHANGING CULTURAL IDENTITY OF YOUNG ASIAN
AMERICANS.
YOU'RE WATCHING ON ASSIGNMENT. HERE IN WASHINGTON RECENTLY, AN UNUSUAL SIGHT....ONE
MILLION REPLICAS OF HUMAN BONES WERE LAID OUT ON THE NATIONAL MALL IN FRONT OF THE U.S.
CAPITOL. THE DISPLAY WAS HUGE AND MARKED AN
INTERNATIONAL EFFORT TO CALL ATTENTION TO GENOCIDE WORLDWIDE.
THE "ONE MILLION BONES" PROJECT HAS BEEN CALLED A VISUAL PETITION AGAINST ATROCITIES -- VOA'S
JULIE TABOH WAS AT THE EVENT AND TALKED ABOUT ITS SYMBOLISM WITH REBECCA WARD. BE FOREWARNED,
THIS SEGMENT CONTAINS SOME DISTURBING IMAGES. THEY STARTED WITH JUST ONE BONE AND IT WAS
LAID DOWN BY JOHN DAU WHO WAS A SURVIVOR OF GENOCIDE HIMSELF. HE WAS ONE OF THE LOST BOYS
OF SUDAN. AND HE LAID THAT SYMBOLIC FIRST BONE AND
THERE WAS JUST THIS PALPABLE SILENCE. AND WE HAD A CELLO PLAYING IN THE BACKGROUND,
A CELLIST WHO HAD THIS VERY HAUNTING TUNE. AND SO IT SORT OF REALLY FOCUSES YOUR ATTENTION
ON WHAT THAT
ONE SYMBOLIC BONE MEANS. AND THEN WITHIN A SPAN OF FOUR HOURS, ONE MILLION - ONE BY ONE
VOLUNTEERS DRESSED IN WHITE - WHO WOULD START AT THE EDGES OF THE MALL AND EACH ONE CARRYING
ONE,
TWO, AT TIMES PILES OF THESE BONES, AND LAYING THEM DOWN ON THE MALL. AND AS IT STARTED TO
UNFOLD, AND YOU SAW THESE BONES MULTIPLY, YOU CAN'T HELP BUT AS A HUMAN BEING BE AWARE
OF WHAT
THAT SYMBOLIZES. THE EVENT WAS THE BRAINCHILD OF NAOMI NATALE,
FOUNDER OF THE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION, ONE MILLION BONES; ITS MISSION IS TO USE ART AND
ACTIVISM TO FOCUS ATTENTION ON GENOCIDE. "IT'S REALLY INSPIRING AND HUMBLING TO SEE
EVERYBODY COME TOGETHER. WE'RE ALL DRESSED IN WHITE AND WE'RE LAYING DOWN BONES WITH
THE SAME INTENTION OF RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT THESE
ATROCITIES THAT GO ON IN SUDAN AND SOUTH SUDAN AND CONGO, BURMA AND SOMALIA. IT'S POWERFUL.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WHEN YOU SAY GENOCIDE, A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK HOLOCAUST, THEY THINK RWANDA
GENOCIDE. BUT MANY PEOPLE AREN'T AWARE, AND WHAT NAOMI MENTIONED ARE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE
NOT AWARE
IN AMERICA. WE KIND OF HAVE THIS FEELING THAT GENOCIDE IS GOING ON BUT IT'S SO FAR AWAY.
BUT IT IS GOING ON IN SUDAN SOUTH SUDAN. IT'S GOING ON IN THE CONGO THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC
OF THE
CONGO, IN BURMA. AND SO HER FEELING WAS THIS IS A VISUAL PETITION TO RAISING AWARENESS
ABOUT GENOCIDE THAT IS CURRENTLY GOING ON IN THE WORLD AND HAVE PEOPLE BECOME AWARE
AND BECOME
ACTIVE, AND ALSO FOR THE US GOVERNMENT TO TAKE MORE ACTION AND RECOGNIZE AND DO MORE
FOREIGN-POLICY IN TERMS OF ADDRESSING THIS VERY SERIOUS ISSUE.
"I BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE WHO CAME HERE WILL TAKE THE MESSAGE TO THEIR COMMUNITY SO THAT
PEOPLE CAN BE HELPED IN THE CONGO AND OTHER COUNTRIES."
THE BONE-LAYING CEREMONY WAS PART OF A THREE-DAY EVENT.
THE BONES WERE CRAFTED OUT OF PAPER, CLAY AND PLASTER BY STUDENTS, ARTISTS AND ACTIVISTS
ALL AROUND THE WORLD OVER THREE YEARS. MANY OF THE VOLUNTEERS WHO MADE THESE BONES
AT FIRST WERE A LITTLE BIT WARY - WELL I'M NOT ARTISTIC - AND THEY QUICKLY UNDERSTOOD
IT WASN'T ABOUT THAT. IT WAS ABOUT PUTTING SOMETHING
TANGIBLE IN YOUR HAND AND THE FEELINGS THAT EVOKED.
"THERE IS A BEAUTIFUL QUOTE FROM CARL WILKINS WHO SPOKE IT AT ONE OF OUR EVENTS THAT WHEN
YOU MAKE SOMETHING WITH YOUR HANDS THAT CHANGES THE WAY YOU FEEL WHICH CHANGES THE WAY YOU
THINK
WHICH CHANGES THE WAY YOU ACT. AND THAT REALLY IS A PHILOSOPHY THAT THIS PROJECT IS BASED
IN." OTHER THAN JUST KEEPING THE ISSUE OF GENOCIDE
ALIVE, WHAT DOES THE EXHIBIT OR WHAT DOES THE ARTIST HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH BY PUTTING SUCH
A MASSIVE EXHIBIT TOGETHER? WELL THIS WAS A THREE-YEAR PROJECT, THREE
YEARS IN THE MAKING, 125,000 PARTICIPANTS ALL OVER THE WORLD, 30 COUNTRIES, ALL OVER
THE UNITED STATES. AND NOW THAT IT'S GOT THE ATTENTION, SHE
HOPES THAT THIS WILL END UP IN A PERMANENT DISPLAY THAT PEOPLE CAN HONOR GENOCIDE VICTIMS
AND BRING TOGETHER THE COMMUNITY TO ADDRESS GENOCIDE THAT IS ONGOING.
THE ONE MILLION BONES EVENT IN WASHINGTON WAS THE THIRD SUCH BONES-LAYING EVENT IN THE
UNITED STATES. YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ON THE PROJECT WEBSITE, ONEMILLIONBONES.ORG.
MOVING ON ... IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA -- THE ENTERTAINMENT CAPITAL OF THE WORLD -- YOUNG
ASIAN-AMERICANS SAY THEY ARE EXPERIENCING A NEW AND GROWING SENSE OF CULTURAL IDENTITY,
FINDING
THAT IT IS "HIP" TO BE ASIAN IN THE UNITED STATES. YOU GOT THAT RIGHT.
YES. SOME OF THAT ASIAN IDENTITY IS BEING SHARED ACROSS A CAFE TABLE, WITH A DRINK CALLED
BOBA. ON ASSIGNMENT'S PHILIP ALEXIOU TALKED WITH REPORTER ELIZABETH LEE ABOUT THE TREND.
FIRST,
A LITTLE OF HER REPORT. ON ANY EVENING, AFTER 9 O'CLOCK, COLLEGE STUDENTS
AND PROFESSIONALS PACK THE FACTORY TEA BAR. BUT THIS BAR SERVES NO ALCOHOL; THERE IS ONLY
SWEETENED TEA, OFTEN SERVED WITH ICE, MILK AND
AN IMPORT FROM TAIWAN, LARGE CHEWY TAPIOCA PEARLS CALLED BOBA.
IT ORIGINALLY STARTED AS A STREET FOOD, OR A STREET DRINK, KIND OF A DESSERT DRINK. BUT
IT HAS EVOLVED SINCE THEN TURNING INTO CAFES AND LOUNGES AS WE SEE HERE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
WELL, WHEN DID THESE BARS SERVING BOBA DRINKS REALLY BEGIN TO CROP UP AROUND THE COUNTRY...HAS
IT BEEN SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN SORT OF GRADUAL OR RECENTLY HAS IT BEGUN TO EXPLODE AROUND
THE
ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY? WELL, BOBA DRINKS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR AT
LEAST A DECADE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA BUT THEY WERE MORE IN THE FORM OF A TAKEOUT DRINK.
YOU JUST GO ORDER YOUR DRINK AND TAKE IT HOME WITH YOU.
BUT THE IDEA OF LOUNGES WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO IS RELATIVELY NEW IN THE LAST FEW YEARS AND
THAT'S WHAT THE OWNER OF BOBA BAR THAT I FEATURED IN THE STORY TOLD ME A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.
HE
LOOKED AROUND AND SAW THE DRINK WAS AROUND BUT THERE WAS NO LOUNGY TYPE OF PLACE AT LEAST
IN HIS NEIGHBORHOOD AND SO HE DECIDED TO OPEN ONE AND IT'S BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.
BOBA CULTURE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HAS BEEN EMBRACED BY PEOPLE WHO CAME FROM ACROSS ASIA,
INCLUDING INDONESIAN-AMERICAN LINA YAORI WHO SOCIALIZES AT BOBA CAFES.
WE LIKE RELAXING. WE LIKE CHATTING, AND THEN WE LIKE TO ENJOY THE DRINK.
IT HAS SORTED OF CREATED WHAT I GUESS YOU ARE CALLING THIS BOBA GENERATION. WHAT EXACTLY
IS THAT? IT'S YOUNG ASIAN AMERICANS, THEY ALL SPEAK
ENGLISH. THEY MAY OR MAY NOT SPEAK THE NATIVE TONGUE IN WHICH THEY OR THEIR PARENTS OR GRANDPARENTS
SPOKE BUT EVEN THOUGH THEY IDENTIFY WITH
THEIR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN OR WHERE THEIR ANCESTORS CAME FROM THEY WOULD FIRST IDENTIFY THEMSELVES
AS ASIAN AMERICAN BEFORE THEY WOULD CALL THEMSELVES CHINESE AMERICAN, TAI AMERICAN OR KOREAN
AMERICAN. "THE BOBA PLACE IS UNIQUE TO ASIAN PEOPLE
AND SO, IF YOU WANT THAT ASIAN COMFORT, YOU COME TO A BOBA PLACE AND SO YOU CAN FEEL AT
HOME WITH A LOT OF OTHER ASIAN PEOPLE." TIFFANY PORTER IS PART OF WHAT SOCIOLOGIST
OLIVER *** CALLS THE "BOBA GENERATION." "I THINK THE BOBA GENERATION, IF YOU WILL,
CAN SPAN EVERYTHING FROM TODAY'S TEENAGERS UP THROUGH PEOPLE PROBABLY MY GENERATION.
I'M IN MY EARLY 40S NOW. IT COVERS A GOOD 20 YEARS OR SO."
*** SAYS IN THE LAST 20 TO 30 YEARS, WHAT IT MEANS TO BE ASIAN IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
HAS CHANGED. HE SAYS WHEN HE WAS GROWING UP, ASIAN AMERICANS FELT INVISIBLE.
"WE PERFORMED WELL ACADEMICALLY BUT WE WEREN'T NECESSARILY AT THE TOP OF THE INTERNAL CULTURAL
HIERARCHY THAT EXISTED WITHIN SCHOOLS OR WITHIN A COMMUNITY, AND I THINK THAT'S BEEN A HUGE
SHIFT IN THIS AREA IN THE LAST 20 OR 30 YEARS. "
NOW IT'S VERY DIFFERENT. THEY ARE SEEING MORE ASIAN AMERICANS IN THE MEDIA WHETHER IT'S
NEWS REPORTERS OR PEOPLE IN THE MOVIES AND TV SHOWS. THEY ARE ALSO SEEING BECAUSE OF
SATELLITES
CHINESE AND KOREAN SOAP OPERAS AND TELEVISION SHOWS. SO THEY ARE SEEING HOW OTHER ASIAN
AMERICANS PORTRAY THEMSELVES AND YOUTUBE BEING ANOTHER MEDIA OUTLET. AND SO THEY FEEL EMPOWERED.
THERE IS A SENSE OF ASIAN PRIDE OR A "COOL" FACTOR TO BE ASIAN HERE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
THAT WASN'T AROUND 20 OR 30 YEARS AGO. AND THIS PRIDE THAT THEY ARE FEELING AS IF
THEY AREN'T A MINORITY, IF YOU WILL, IS THIS SOMETHING YOU REALLY ONLY KIND OF SEE IN CERTAIN
CITIES IN THE COUNTRY. IT'S NOT REALLY A LABEL YOU
WOULD PIN ON ASIAN AMERICANS ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY. IS THAT RIGHT?
THAT'S CORRECT BECAUSE FIRST OF ALL, THERE ARE MORE ASIAN AMERICANS IN THESE LARGER CITIES
THAN IN SOME OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY AND OF COURSE IN CALIFORNIA THERE ARE MORE ASIAN
AMERICANS
HERE SO THE EXPERIENCE HERE IS UNIQUE IN MANY WAYS BUT IT'S SLOWLY SPREADING BECAUSE ASIANS
ARE THE FASTEST GROWING IMMIGRANT GROUP HERE IN THE U.S. SO IT IS SLOWLY SPREADING. BUT
IN
CERTAIN PARTS OF THE COUNTRY WHERE THERE IS STILL A SMALL MINORITY OF ASIANS IT'S STILL
GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME BEFORE THEY EXPERIENCE WHAT THE ASIAN AMERICANS ARE EXPERIENCING
HERE IN
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. WELL SPEAKING OF DIFFERENT CULTURES, ACROSS
THE U.S., IN NEW YORK CITY ...HOME TO MORE THAN 8 MILLION PEOPLE...YOU CAN FIND NEARLY
EVERY KIND OF FOOD, MUSIC, ART AND ETHNICITY. AND ALL
KINDS OF LANGUAGES. AND EXPERTS ACTUALLY SAY THE BIG APPLE MAY
BE THE MOST LINGUISTICALLY DIVERSE CITY IN THE WORLD, WITH AS MANY AS 800 SPOKEN LANGUAGES.
VOA'S RAMON TAYLOR TOOK TO THE STREETS TO
INVESTIGATE. TAKE A LOOK. WITH HUNDREDS OF LANGUAGES AND DIALECTS SPOKEN
FROM AROUND THE WORLD, FEW CITIES ARE AS DIVERSE AS NEW YORK.
"NEW YORK IS THE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, WHERE WE LIVE TOGETHER IN PEACE."
ERNESTO ARIAS, FROM BOLIVIA, SAYS THIS IS ALL POSSIBLE WITHOUT LOSS OF TRADITION OR
THE MOTHER LANGUAGE. HE SPEAKS IN HIS NATIVE SPANISH.
"THERE ARE PEOPLE FROM EVERY BACKGROUND, SO YOU'LL HEAR A VARIETY OF LANGUAGES AND DIALECTS.
FOR EXAMPLE, IN MY COUNTRY, THEY SPEAK AYMARA AND QUECHUA. OF COURSE, HERE WE'RE STARTING
TO
LOSE THAT. BUT WE ARE MAKING AN EFFORT TO MAINTAIN OUR COMMUNITY IN SOME FORM SO THAT
WE DON'T LOSE IT." ACCORDING TO THE 2010 CENSUS, 51 PERCENT OF
NEW YORKERS SPEAK ONLY ENGLISH. THE REMAINING 49 PERCENT, ACCORDING TO EXPERTS, SPEAK HUNDREDS
OF OTHER LANGUAGES. FOR MANY LOCAL RESIDENTS, IT PROBABLY COMES
AS NO SURPRISE THAT THE SECOND-MOST SPOKEN LANGUAGE IN NEW YORK IS SPANISH, REPRESENTING
25 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION. "IT'S A VERY COSMOPOLITAN CITY WHERE YOU SEE
PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE WORLD AND LISTEN TO EVERY LANGUAGE POSSIBLE IN THE ELEVATORS,
ON THE STREET, DOING BUSINESS. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT 800
LANGUAGES, BUT THEY ALL SOUND VERY DIFFERENT." HISTORICALLY, THE BIG APPLE HAS BEEN KNOWN
FOR WELCOMING IMMIGRANTS, EARNING IT THE UNOFFICIAL TITLE OF "CAPITAL OF THE WORLD."
"EVERY PLACE IS REPRESENTED HERE, AT LEAST FROM LATIN AMERICA, THERE ARE SO MANY."
AS WE SAY IN ENGLISH... "YOU'RE WATCHING THE VOICE OF AMERICA"
IN HUNGARIAN, RUSSIAN,
FRENCH, HINDI,
ARABIC, VIETNAMESE,
AND SPANISH, I'M RAMON TAYLOR FOR VOA NEWS.
WELL AT THE VOICE OF AMERICAM WE ALSO WE'VE BEEN KNOWN TO SPEAK A FEW... ACTUALLY MORE
THAN 40 LANGUAGES AND THAT INCLUDES SPANISH, WHICH IS, IMRAN, MY FATHER'S NATIVE TONGUE...
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL LANGUAGE, MY FIRST LANGUAGE IS URDU. BUT HOW DO YOU SAY "THANK YOU FOR
WATCHING AND WE'LL CATCH YOU NEXT TIME IN SPANISH?
IN SPANISH THAT WOULD BE..."GRACIAS POR VER NUESTRO PROGRAMA "ON ASSIGNMENT." NOS VEMOS
LA PROXIMA VEZ." WHAT ABOUT IN URDU? IN URDU, IT IS:
NICE... I LIKE THE SOUND OF THAT. NOW.... ES HORA DE QUE IMRAN TOME UNA SIESTA, POR
HABER TRABAJADO TANTO, TANTO, TANTO HOY. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU JUST SAID, BUT I DID
HEAR MY NAME AND I THINK YOU ARE SAYING I'M REALLY A COOL GUY
YES...YES... ESSENTIALLY IN A NUTSHELL... ...AND YOU ARE SAYING WE ARE GOING TO CATCH
YOU AGAIN NEXT TIME... ...ABSOLUTELY...AND THAT WE WILL. SO DON'T
FORGET TO CHECK US IN THE MEANTIME ON FACEBOOK ON VOA ON ASSIGNMENT AND LIKE OUR PAGE. WE'LL
SE YOU NEXT TIME.