Tom Phuong Le
@profTLe
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Associate Professor of Politics @pomonacollege . Author of Japan's Aging Peace: Pacifism and Militarism in the 21st Century @USJLP @MansfieldFDN @InGlobalAffairs
Joined March 2017
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Students often ask me about graduate school, a career in academia, and how long they should be in the market before pursuing alternative career paths. The answer I give them is that it really depends on your life circumstances. /1
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Even Abe opponents have to realize that no good can come of this. This kind of violence leaves a stain on everything. It brings out our worst fears, mistrust, and defensive behavior. It makes everything harder. I feel sick at what will be lost.
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Looks like Japan is going to force me to update this slide every semester again. sigh...always giving me the most work Japan!
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I find it strangely difficult to close the 177 tabs of articles I will never read.
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Happy to announce that I have been promoted to associate professor with tenure. /1
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While everyone is focusing on power projection and missiles, China has cut off Taiwan's economic, political, and health connections with the rest of the world. Taiwan needs more than weapons, folks. It needs your actual support in all levels of international relations.
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@gregmartinphd
Younger people have tiny hands. Perfect for reaching into machines. Leverage their comparative advantages - lack of rights and dependence on adults to do the right thing.
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Teaching my new course titled "Studio Ghibli and Foundations of Political Science" tomorrow. Never done more prep for a course. A book and film a week with half a dozen writing assignments and a few presentations. This class will either be amazing or fail spectacularly. Let's go.
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Recently my family became the faculty-in-residence at Pomona College. It's a big deal not just because of the opportunity to get to know students at a deeper level, but also because it marks the end of a significant phase of my life. We lived in our previous place for 5 years. /1
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Why do Americans insist on wearing shoes inside, but go shoeless outside?
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Typical
#firstgen
things - especially if you're the oldest and before the Internet
1. Instead of your parents helping you with college apps (especially essays; you know what it is), you're filling out and translating your parents tax forms and other government documents for them
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Hot off the presses. Makes a great anniversary gift for unexciting couples
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@koryodynasty
Yet, TikTok can be right on the nose and ahead of mainstream media sometimes. It’s fine to call out bad ideas, but the platform is legit important.
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I have some annoyingly good news. My book, Japan's Aging Peace: Pacifism and Militarism in the Twenty-First Century was given Honorable Mention for the International Security Studies Section (ISSS) Best Book Award. I never imagined my work would be in contention for awards. /1
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@michaelharriot
How do I see the results? I don't want to mess with the poll by taking it as a non-black person. I am just incredibly interested in this important study.
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I really hope the Japan experts don’t provide fodder for bad faith actors. This attack on Abe is an appalling use of violence in a well functioning democracy that RARELY sees violence. This is a tragedy through and through. /1
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My book, Japan's Aging Peace, is officially up! I can't express how good this feels to see a release date, June 2021. Once it's all done, and I am past a certain bar, I'll be sharing what this journey has been like as a first-gen college grad. Now boba.
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Just received a copy of my book! Really can’t believe it. Really grateful to everyone who helped make this possible. Thanks
@ColumbiaUP
@caelyncobb
for taking a flyer on me. But of course, the spark that lit fire has always been my wife, Erika.
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All you folks who have financially literate parents have no idea how lucky you are.
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@juwonreports
Even without the kids, looks like there are hella things that still need to be addressed for folks to have happy and healthy lives in Korea. This was a depressing read.
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I took my daughter for her 3 week checkup at the doctor not too long ago and got an interesting reaction from the nurses. They asked, "is your wife ok? Is there a reason why she couldn't come?" I just said, "she's tired, so she's resting at home." They were surprised. /1
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Thirty years from now, Americans will celebrate Afghan and Afghan-American research and novels about their trauma that stems from this day without any reflection or reckoning over their role in it. We have a knack for turning tragedy into a feel-good story. I hate it.
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Kishida lasted pretty long for a Japanese prime minister. He has nothing on Kim Il Song, though. The GOAT of East Asia longevity.
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Apologies for all pumping, but today is the official release date of my book, Japan’s Aging Peace: Pacifism and Militarism in the Twenty-First Century. Please allow me this indulgence. /1
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Been going over regimes in my IR of East Asia course and will be wrapping up my Korea lectures in 2 weeks. Haven't updated this slide in awhile, but Suga forced me to edit. Will Japan go back to musical PM chairs? Also, 2 women out of 79 heads of state since 1945? Pathetic.
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@kingrob619
@Wario64
I shoulda ordered 20 PS5s assuming it'll cancel and then have 4k in Kohl's cash.
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I’ve taught at the college level for 5 years and had 6 instances where students said to me, “do you know who my parents are?” I’ve answered, “no, I don’t. Tell me more about their accomplishments.”
Is this a lot? Or below average for other teachers? /1
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I have a new article out about my experiences as a
#firstgen
in the academy. It was a much harder piece to write than I imagined when I accepted the request. Thanks
@khansahar1
for the opportunity to get this out. I hope it resonates with others.
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Seven years ago. Since then, Kishida became Prime Minister and I saved 15% on my car insurance by switching to Geico.
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We need to increase resources and quotas on refugees. The least the US can do. And it can't be a system where whoever survives a perilous journey has "earned" their way to the US. Just thinking about all the dead bodies in the Pacific Ocean fills me with dread on what comes next.
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For those interested, here are my initial thoughts on the Japan-South Korea forced laborers deal that might be coming. Since we don't really have good details, nor have insight on the internal negotiations, I am reluctant to write a full piece on it. Some things to consider. /1
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My kid will grow up feeling college is his backyard instead of a far-off dream.
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Updated graphic to go back to 1945. See other post for some analysis.
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@joshshepperd
@KevinWagnerPhD
You’re assuming that after the presidents say “yes” that it would be the end of it. Would have kept going until they got the soundbite.
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It made me think if we ever ask dad's about their mental state after a baby is born. I proofread my sister-in-law's nursing thesis, and it was an interesting study on postpartum depression and how we sometimes can miss regular depression. It was a great thesis. /4
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When I started grad school, I was criticized by students and faculty for saying I’ll be doing area studies - so I switched to IR with a focus on Japan. Now, you have to be able to do all of East Asia to land an IR job. What.
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@jeongminnkim
@Robert_E_Kelly
Agree. But Twitter isn't the place to find deliberate attention to details and getting facts straight. Rumor has it, Kim has been cloned.
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I know the timing of this post is suspicious, but I am happy to announce that I just signed a contract with Columbia University Press to publish my first book, Japan's Aging Peace: Subtitle Pending. Now for some spit shine to get this baby out the door!
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Woo. Hit 1,000 followers. Time to monetize. Pepsi. Taste the difference.
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3. You have never asked your parents if they have any friends who have opportunities for you - they don't have those kinds of friends. You take whatever opportunity you can get yourself, esp. jobs.
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8 years ago today. I got a job at Pomona College after and he became Prime Minister of Japan, the 3rd biggest economy in the world. I think it’s pretty clear one of us is underachieving. But not everyone gets to be a Sagehen.
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I too look forward to reading the readings on my syllabus for the first time like my students.
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6) I don't think our values match our rhetoric. People don't speak freely out of fear of criticism. We say we promote equity and inclusion, but I see the same structural dynamics that favor inherited power in academia as any other industry, many times worse. /15
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@ThatSaraGoodman
@sysilviakim
@UCIrvine
What are the chances that I’ll be doing a 400 class overload this Fall. So much material to cover in person, so little time.
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Getting tired of non-Americans say that race debates are an American thing and not to force them onto others. The UK colonized half the planet. Japan/ROK still think their countries are racially homogenous. China has “officially recognized” ethnic groups. Y’all got race problems.
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It’s academic job acceptance season. Congrats everyone who landed one. And for those still in the game, hang in there. Something will come. If it’s not academia, that’s ok too. Get paid.
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The US is a place where luxuries are cheap and necessities are expensive.
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We will make the most of the next 2-3 years and will do our best to make new memories in this new home with our students. Hopefully what follows is my first permanent home (assuming I don't get canned, haha). /13
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Tenure dossier just submitted. Let's go!
Wait, I gotta wait half a year. Well, that seems unpleasant.
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It's worth a shot if you get into a good school with good financial support. Be comfortable leaving after 2 years with an MA if needed. But time isn't free. Opportunity costs are real. Whatever you do, own it. Advice is just advice. You need to figure it out for yourself. /18
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We’ve been blocked from going to Japan for two years, but we try to make do in SoCal. Happy New Year everyone!
Am I being too hopeful that we can celebrate the Lunar New Year COVID-free?
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7. You're incredibly reliant on the public school system and the mentorship of teachers. It's a crapshoot. You might get lucky, or totally ignored.
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Happy to announce that I was recently awarded a Graves Awards in Humanities for my project that examines why the consequences of slavery in the US and colonialism in East Asia continue after legislation/treaties have been passed to address the original sin.
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7) As first-gen Vietnamese, a professor is considered an acceptable job in the community and by my parents. It does matter to me that I am representing my community and family well.
8) I get to travel a lot. /10
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Academia is incredibly unfair. I am not sure how my colleagues can have a dream house, two cars, a son who owns a factory, fancy clothes, and lobsters for dinner while I live in a single room above a bowling alley and below another bowling alley. I do have a beautiful wife though
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Traffic is murder. Housing is unaffordable. Heat is unbearable. But where else can you get legit Viet food, fresh sashimi, and quality boba in one tiny strip mall? 626!!!
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Side note: although we often crammed 5 people in a single room home, my mom often let recent Vietnamese immigrants live with us rent-free, sometimes for over a year. Add monthly remittances to Vietnam for over 30 years (still going); her generosity is amazing. /4
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@Quasilocal
@KevinMKruse
@dandrezner
You salute the title, not the person. Titles don’t have to mean some have more value than others. It can just mean roles. I call my dentist “doctor” not because I think she is more valuable than me; I’m acknowledging her expertise and also I am terrible with names.
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7) Scholars can be an arrogant and jealous lot who are sensitive to criticism and the success of others. There's a lot of jerks in the industry who go out of their way to gatekeep. Or just be assholes. Some folks just can't chill and think they are owed success. No thanks. /16
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We all have different risks tolerances, life goals, and resources; there is no one-size-fits-all rule and if you're going to spend 5-7 years of your life in grad school, you need to be an adult and figure this out for yourself. /2
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Someone once told me that they understand Japan because they’ve read Murakami. I have not read Murakami. Is this true?
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6. Parents have no idea what you're doing. You have a ton of freedom. But it also means they have never shown up to any of your academic and life events (except marriage).
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When my wife and I moved from our apartments in Japan and Irvine, she did something I have come to greatly admire. We cleaned out the house, and she took a moment to verbally express thanks to our homes for protecting us and for providing us a place to live. /11
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I take a year agonizing over spending $1000 for a new laptop, which I use for hours a day for pleasure and work. But I need to decide within a day for a house that can go for a m m m million dollars? This bubble needs to crash yesterday.
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Some will try to obscure truths to make bad faith arguments to push their agenda and sow division. We need the quality analysis from experts to digest this critical juncture. Don’t let others hijack your guidance. /2
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If you want evidence of soft power, look at the abuse students of Japan have to take just for the chance to study in Japan and promote Japanese Studies. Absolutely brutal. Feel really bad for these students.
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What I have them do is map out several career paths and timelines. Then they have to slot in life goals such as desired income, where they want to live, when they want to get married, if they want to have children, etc. We are working on multiple timelines at once. 3/
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@David_Leheny
@astanley711
Now now. If it wasn't for bushido, how would you explain Japan's disciplined warrior approach towards COVID? Without bushido, how would the trains run on time? That's what I thought. Bushido. The only reason why people deny bushido is because of bushido, which is humble in nature
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As a
#firstgen
Vietnamese family without wealth, we moved a lot - often due to rising rents. Other factors played a role, but some things are too painful to share as many
#firstgens
know. I moved to Claremont when I was 30. Before then, I had lived in 21 different places. /2
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So much speculation about the impact of Abe’s assassination on the election, and everything proceeded as it likely would have if he did not die. No surge in voters. No problem interviews/polls of voters that showed a shift in their voting plans, nothing that fit the twitter drama
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Ugh, now our Asian parents will add Oscars to things we need to win.
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Are we ready for Asian American movies not about family and honor?
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But it's not a perfect life. There are many downsides
CONS
1) I am never "off." I don't clock out at the end of the day and summers are not free. I am always checking email, thinking about research, writing letters, and helping students whenever there is an emergency. /11
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@ProfesoraLMO
Those peeps formed learning pops quick when they were unhappy with public school. People get tribal right fast when it comes to their kids.
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Submitted my revisions to the manuscript! Writing in a pandemic while raising at 3 year old kid has been insane. Now to start a grant application that is due in three hours..
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I keep hearing that academia is all powerful. I don’t feel so powerful when I am sending a third email reminder about an event reimbursement that I hosted 2 months ago. Or for a research stipend disbursement thats 7 months late.
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It's about time Asian Americans stood up to Disney.
Scarlett Johansson is suing Disney over
#BlackWidow
’s streaming release, alleging a breach of contract.
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I was in a laundry mat in Kyoto when news broke of Abe being shot. Was talking with my wife about going to Nara the day before and would have gone if I knew Abe was stumping. I was in disbelief. I've written a lot on Abe's politics and none of that came to mind at the moment. /1
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Every time I prep
@minseon_ku
's piece "The Role of Identity in South Korea's policies towards Japan" for my IR of East Asia course, I leave so impressed. This article makes a real contribution to the constructivist theory (EA IR theory is weak) and its so empirically grounded.
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3) There is a lot of rejection and it can be hard to keep morale up. It takes forever to get my research out and I am not sure it has the impact I want.
4) It can be a lonely job. We work next to people, but not with others. I don't think any colleague has seen my teach. /13
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Remember when the Georgia Tech shooter committed murder the nation of Korea apologized. There was no need, but there was a collective decision to take some blame and self-reflect. In the US, all we get is “this is un-American” and the shootings continue. No guilt, no empathy.
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@TheKpopProf
Yah, disagree. People in Korea attack the rising sun flag by making the comparison to the swastika. It’s the most common rhetorical argument against it. So if they know of one issue, its hard to imagine they’ve never seen the nazi symbol or hitler.
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@RichardHaass
@SecPompeo
It's fair to differentiate a party (authoritarian one no less) with everyone else in the country. The US can attack the CCP and not the people. The Uyghurs, Tibetans, millions of Han who are against the CCP are China as well. The CCP is the party who seeks to take their space.
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