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Clara Iwasaki

@ciwasaki

Prof @ UAlberta: LA expat, lilikoi enthusiast. You can ask me about Chinese/Sinophone scholarly things, but you can also ask me about my cat and all other cats in my area.

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23.09.2024
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Latest posts by Clara Iwasaki @ciwasaki

Have you seen the newly restored Japanese buildings billed as "visiting Kyoto" built on the site of a Japanese prison in Taipei? Because I found walking around there such a weird feeling.

29.01.2026 16:05 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
The Murder of Mr. Ma by John Shen Yen Nee and SJ Rozan, book cover.

The Murder of Mr. Ma by John Shen Yen Nee and SJ Rozan, book cover.

I am not sure if I was the only modern China lit scholar not aware that apparently there's a book series where Lao She and Dee Ren Jie (who has served in the Chinese Labor Corps?!) team up to solve crimes, but in case you did not know about this, here you go.

23.12.2025 17:42 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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1/ Update: A resident surnamed Ho, 40, said the fire alarm did not go off when Wednesday's deadly blaze broke out at Tai Po's Wang Fuk Court. Ho, who was outside at the time, said he was only told by a friend about the fire and he immediately called his father, who was at home.

26.11.2025 15:21 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Also we are now in a post "lots of high ranking retired military of various countries swear that aliens are real" era.

21.10.2025 02:16 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Little did anyone know, the gashadokuro would eventually be available for purchase at your local Home Depot, not to annihilate one's enemies, but to annoy one's suburban housing association at Halloween.

29.09.2025 13:33 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
A stuffed Pikachu is pushing another stuffed animal out of a second floor window.

A stuffed Pikachu is pushing another stuffed animal out of a second floor window.

Agreed! There's no other academic building where I have witnessed Pikachu commit murder while eating a dosa.

17.09.2025 21:43 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

I have never had to aggressively pass as a pedestrian more than I do in HUB mall. But I also kind of like it.

17.09.2025 19:03 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

I developed my robot class about 6 years ago and have taught it intermittently. This is the first time the class has felt more or less close to the present day. We are reading "Goodbye, Melancholy" this week. clarkesworldmagazine.com/xia_03_17/

16.09.2025 16:00 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
The Salem witch hunt, the Alien and Sedition Acts, and the Palmer raids of 1919 were all defeated. America must return to its senses to play a constructive role in the community of nations. The hope lies in the people, here and on the Mainland. We have deep faith in them to struggle for progress. It is the duty of those who understand the situation, including those who have been silenced, to awaken the conscience of the whole populace.

The Salem witch hunt, the Alien and Sedition Acts, and the Palmer raids of 1919 were all defeated. America must return to its senses to play a constructive role in the community of nations. The hope lies in the people, here and on the Mainland. We have deep faith in them to struggle for progress. It is the duty of those who understand the situation, including those who have been silenced, to awaken the conscience of the whole populace.

Re-reading Koji Ariyoshi (Kona born Hawai'ian JA communist and China expert)'s autobiography this morning. I found the end of his preface striking. It was written when Ariyoshi faced trial and jail time for organizing a communist party in Hawai'i. Words to think about in these times, I think.

15.09.2025 16:40 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

It invariably is in my experience and the one thing is always something that cannot be expressed in under 30 min.

03.09.2025 17:59 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Is the victim was that one person at a faculty meeting who says "Well, I just have one more thing to add..." as everyone is standing up to leave at the end of the meeting?

03.09.2025 17:18 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

I wish to know your thoughts on the novels Yellowface and Disoriented for reasons....completely unrelated....

31.08.2025 19:16 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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The best spots in Koreatown are @metrolosangeles.bsky.social accessible 🫰 K-town organizer John Yi shares his favorite neighborhood gems along Metro’s D Line.

πŸŽ₯: @marinamasako.bsky.social

27.08.2025 21:28 πŸ‘ 127 πŸ” 27 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 0

Your child is both like and not like John Connor from Terminator 2 because like John Connor they are the kind of child who says something sarcastic to their parent. But in their case, their burns are unbelievably savage.

24.08.2025 21:59 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

I was mentally like "Please do not get arrested at my PhD graduation. Please do NOT get arrested at my PhD graduation."

22.08.2025 23:32 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

This unfortunately reminds me that even with a pronunciation guide, the dean who read my name when I got my PhD butchered it so bad I didn't recognize it and afterward my dad was so mad I had to stop him from trying to go fight the dean after the ceremony.

22.08.2025 22:41 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

It was a temporary ban from appearing in Chinese films. I think it's been lifted since. And yes, she was banned for playing a resistance operative who fell in love with a collaborator while Tony Leung who played a collaborator did not receive a ban.

04.08.2025 18:46 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

The other timeless genre is obviously that a ecumenical assembly of monastics yell at you about your life choices which I feel I would have been very anxious about!

19.07.2025 20:56 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Is almost every dream in Hong lou meng not an anxiety dream? Most of them are also erotic dreams, but you know.

18.07.2025 16:27 πŸ‘ 8 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
A photo of a wooden bookshelf full volumes from China. Two books by Wang XX are visible, as well as Mr Men by Anusman and books by Yan Cong and Zuo Ma.

A photo of a wooden bookshelf full volumes from China. Two books by Wang XX are visible, as well as Mr Men by Anusman and books by Yan Cong and Zuo Ma.

SEEKING SUMMER ARCHIVAL INTERN
We are looking for an assistant to archive and document the Paradise Systems Chinese comics library. Must be comfortable reading Chinese comics (simplified and traditional) and writing about them in English. A background in translation is a plus.

13.06.2025 14:49 πŸ‘ 16 πŸ” 18 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Intercept article

"King himself changed his views on violence, especially riots, as the Civil Rights Movement went on and the U.S. government resisted meaningful change. But any serious person knows that civil rights protesters fought the police in the streets in the 1960s, just as anti-ICE kidnapping protesters are willing to do today," he said.
People protesting in Los Angeles responded to an already violent situation, said Ricci Sergienko, an attorney and organizer in Los Angeles.

Intercept article "King himself changed his views on violence, especially riots, as the Civil Rights Movement went on and the U.S. government resisted meaningful change. But any serious person knows that civil rights protesters fought the police in the streets in the 1960s, just as anti-ICE kidnapping protesters are willing to do today," he said. People protesting in Los Angeles responded to an already violent situation, said Ricci Sergienko, an attorney and organizer in Los Angeles.

"Is our current situation 'peace'?
Why would anyone be shocked at this response by the people?"
"Our current situation is a complete provocation by the state - tearing families apart and throwing people into concentration camps is violence," Sergienko said. "They are kidnapping people and locking them in the LA federal detention center basement without food or water. This, on top of the violence already faced against every day Angelenos.
From seven unhoused people dying on the streets every day to rent and evictions to continuous police harassment. How do you expect people to act? Is our current situation 'peace"? Why would anyone be shocked at this response by the people?"
The protests in Los Angeles should come as no surprise given its history of mass action, Sergienko said. Riots broke out in 1992 after police brutally beat Rodney King. In 1965, the Watts Rebellion came in response to widespread racist police abuse.
Protests in 2020 against police brutality and in 2024 against Israel's genocide in Gaza are part of that same thread, he said.
"There is a long history of this kind of action in Los Angeles," he said. "Politicians don't dictate how people in this city are going to respond."

"Is our current situation 'peace'? Why would anyone be shocked at this response by the people?" "Our current situation is a complete provocation by the state - tearing families apart and throwing people into concentration camps is violence," Sergienko said. "They are kidnapping people and locking them in the LA federal detention center basement without food or water. This, on top of the violence already faced against every day Angelenos. From seven unhoused people dying on the streets every day to rent and evictions to continuous police harassment. How do you expect people to act? Is our current situation 'peace"? Why would anyone be shocked at this response by the people?" The protests in Los Angeles should come as no surprise given its history of mass action, Sergienko said. Riots broke out in 1992 after police brutally beat Rodney King. In 1965, the Watts Rebellion came in response to widespread racist police abuse. Protests in 2020 against police brutality and in 2024 against Israel's genocide in Gaza are part of that same thread, he said. "There is a long history of this kind of action in Los Angeles," he said. "Politicians don't dictate how people in this city are going to respond."

"Our current situation is a complete provocation by the state - tearing families apart and throwing people into concentration camps is violence. They are kidnapping people and locking them in the LA federal detention center basement without food or water.” 1/

11.06.2025 17:30 πŸ‘ 20 πŸ” 7 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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We feed you.
They hunt us.

11.06.2025 05:05 πŸ‘ 34924 πŸ” 14914 πŸ’¬ 1203 πŸ“Œ 1246
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Working hard to defend the rights, dignity, and well-being of immigrants, refugees, and the undocumented, they need our help more than ever right now.

You can find this article and all resources to combat ICE on a special link we created. Lataco.com/ice

Please share

11.06.2025 00:25 πŸ‘ 245 πŸ” 161 πŸ’¬ 4 πŸ“Œ 4

I feel a lot of ways about what is happening in my hometown, but one of them is that after today I really never want to have to hear anyone tell me that they don't really like LA and think SF is a lot nicer again.

08.06.2025 23:19 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

ζˆ‘εŸŽ

08.06.2025 23:07 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

When LA *really* pops off, in the way that LA does, neither DHS nor LAPD will be able to contain it.

It's not going to happen tonight, but I suspect it's going to happen before long this summer.

And once LA gets going, there's really no stopping the crowds.

07.06.2025 02:33 πŸ‘ 1542 πŸ” 240 πŸ’¬ 42 πŸ“Œ 23

So.... have I got some lovely HK protest er... art for you

07.06.2025 02:58 πŸ‘ 20 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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DHS Officers near MDC coming out of the parking lot now in LA. At least one detention. Lots of stun grenades, pepper balls, chemical munitions. Rocks, chairs, water bottles in return.

LAPD is blocking traffic to the area.

07.06.2025 02:29 πŸ‘ 445 πŸ” 167 πŸ’¬ 11 πŸ“Œ 12
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Heavily-armed DHS paramilitary forces in military vehicles fired dozens of stun grenades at a crowd of onlookers today in Los Angeles.

07.06.2025 01:28 πŸ‘ 2899 πŸ” 1424 πŸ’¬ 205 πŸ“Œ 340

Thanks to the very capable editorial team at @ricochetmedia.bsky.social for helping to push this through, on the occasion of the 77th anniversary of the Nakba and Asian Heritage Month.

15.05.2025 19:29 πŸ‘ 21 πŸ” 7 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0