Main Abstracts

New Perspectives on the Studies of Asian American Folklore

WrittenbyZHANGJuwen,TranslatedbySANGJun,WANGJichao2

This article surveys the history of Asian American folklore studies in the United States, presents the challenges, defines the concepts of Asian American folklore, folkloric identity, and proposes a paradigm shift in studies diasporic folklore as well as folklore in general. It also serves as an introduction to this special issue of the Journal of American Folklore on Asian American folklore.

From Rebounds to Three-Pointers: Linsanity, Racial Insults, and Stereotypes in Flux

WrittenbyMargaretMagat,TranslatedbyZHANGHailan19

In February 2012, a Taiwanese American point guard player for the New York Knicks, Jeremy Lin, bounded into the imagination of the nation and was embraced by basketball fans who have long rooted for the underdog. His presence in the National Basketball Association has sparked an invaluable discussion involving insider/outsider folklore, cultural politics, and stereotypes. Using Lin’s “Linderella” story and accompanying deluge of Lin- generated folk speech and behavior, this paper investigates how “Linsanity” is a pivotal event from which one can examine the continuing prevalence of racist folklore about Asian Americans while exploring the cultural shifts that are occurring.

The Dars: South Asian Muslim American Women Negotiate Identity

WrittenbyFarihaKhan,TranslatedbyZHANGLi28

The predominant discourse surrounding Islam on the national landscape conceals the diversity of experiences for Muslim Americans. A close examination of the local landscape of a women’s dars, or Quranic study group, contradicts gendered stereotypes. The dars gathering is a space of shared narratives, agency, and socialization. The nuanced reading of the discourse reveals a negotiation of religious and ethnic identity. Within their local communities, these groups of immigrant women are actively shaping their lives as distinctly South Asian Muslim American.

Innovation in the Mechanisms of Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Based on the Supply-side Structural Reform

SONGJunhua57

Sustainable development is a core issue of intangible cultural heritage protection. Supply-side structural reform is an important way to solve the difficulties from the supply source. The conservative and rigid supply of the traditional intangible cultural heritage and its mismatch with requirement, cause a weak and obstructed production and supply, which is hard to meet the cultural needs, and also led to the diminishing marginal utility to the intangible cultural heritage protection policy. Therefore, in order to ensure the sustainable development of intangible cultural heritage, we should intensify the supply-side structural reform; optimize the structure, content and mechanism of the supply of intangible cultural heritage; put the protection of intangible cultural heritage into a cultural supply system containing community culture, social cultural services, and cultural industries, etc.; innovate the mechanism of intangible cultural heritage protection, stimulate the vitality of intangible cultural heritage production, and keep the supply close to the requirement.

Conflict and Coordination：The Reflection on Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage List System from Anthropological Perspective

TANHong65

An intangible cultural heritage list system of the levels of county, city province and nation has been built in China in the practice of intangible cultural heritage protection. The establishment of the list plays an important role in the protection and transmission of the various contents and patterns of intangible cultural heritage of all ethnic groups in China. A series of problems and challenges are raised during the ten years system practice. Good solution and coordination of these problems and challenges will make better demonstration and representation of the value, diversity and sustainable development of culture in the process of intangible cultural heritage protection and will contribute to the protection and transmission of intangible cultural heritage.

The Contribution to the Performing System of Chinese Classical Operas of Mr. Huang Wendi’s Work on Sorting out “Ke” “Jie”

WANGKui87

Mr. Huang Wendi was a representative artist on performing Puxian Opera. He had started the work to sort out the motion techniques of Puxian Opera called “Ke”“Jie” since 1950s, as results of which 3 editions came out. From these results, we can tell the artists in old generation including Mr. Huang Wendi treasured Puxian Opera very much as a tradition and they did some pioneering theoretical work to explore how to record “Ke”“Jie”. Distinguished with the performing systems of Kunqu Opera and other types of operas born in recent times, Puxian Opera shows its uniqueness that it keeps some typical performing patterns of classical operas in their primary period. Through pictures and literal description in the editions edited by Mr. Huang Wendi, these patterns and the uniqueness of Puxian Opera can be seen clearly.