Issue #62 | Nov 11, 2018

Money, Money, Money

We all participate in a capitalist system that places the majority of wealth and decision making in the hands of very few.
Whether we want to or not, we all participate in a capitalist system that places the majority of wealth and decision making in the hands of very few. The world’s richest 1 percent own more wealth than the rest of the global population combined, while those in poorer countries see their natural resources exploited.
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Cover illustration by Ellen P. Lea

Ellen P. Lea is a Floridian artist who specializes in conceptual illustrations based on society, portraits, cover designs, and viz-dev. She loves food, dogs, and her two beautiful younger siblings. Although her days are busy, she enjoys contributing to great causes with her illustrations when life needs them. She finds Inheritance magazine an inspirational part of her life due to her once being a lost, questioning soul herself, who now has found her true self. You can find her at: ellencreative.com.

How Capitalism Echoes the Bible
By Gale A. Yee

As a Chinese American female and the oldest of 12 children who lived in one of the poorest sections in Chicago, I did not grow up having the latest clothes or toys that were flung at us in television commercials.

Yick Wo and the Good Samaritan
By Sandhya Jha

We owe a lot to Yick Wo. By we, I mean Asians living in the United States, whether we’re citizens or not. And by Yick Wo, I mean the man who went to jail for running a laundromat in a wooden building.

Erasing Margins
Malaysia’s Legacy of Colonialism and its Profit-Making Roots
By Kai Lin Ngu

I once asked my mom, “Why is it that so many of the models in Malaysian advertisements are white or Eurasian?” “It’s the colonial mindset,” she replied.

From Nepal with Love
By Shanti Esther Parajuli

I received a call from my Kaki (aunt in Nepalese) in Nepal the other day. It seems she is feeling unwell again, and I am worried her body is becoming weaker day by day.

One Pot of Rice
By Sarah D. Park

After graduating from college, I bought a one-way ticket to South Korea. A professor had invited me and two close friends to join a radical progressive group of activists in Incheon, where they were looking for English teachers.

Leaving the Road
Leading from a Different Lens
By Nikki Toyama-Szeto

I always feel like I am translating the latest leadership advice to make it useful. I rarely identify with the opportunities or challenges that these leaders discuss at length.

I Am the One Percent
Leveraging Privilege for Social Change
By Matthew Lee

My grandparents, the first generation in my family to immigrate to the U.S. from Hong Kong, ran multiple restaurants and were considered middle-class. Although they were not rich, they were able to save enough money to invest in real estate where they used most of that money for their current retirement.

Imagining Beyond the Bottom Line
By Charmaine Runes

I was too close to the edge of my seat not to fall out, and when I finally did, my partner next to me returned my grin. The film we were watching had my support long before I walked through the movie theater doors, but seeing someone who looked just a little bit like me drew me deeper into the story.

Gut Check
Twenty-Nine Questions to Consider on Capitalism
By Diane Ujiiye

When I was about 7 years old, I remember feeling very distraught as I questioned why houses in the hills were much nicer than the houses on the boulevard. Our home overlooked Echo Park and downtown Los Angeles, and we could hear the roar of a Dodgers game and see fireworks from the stadium on certain occasions.

Capitalism’s Murky Compass
By Lisa Asedillo Pratt

I’m currently being trained as a Christian social ethicist in a doctoral program. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned so far is that although Christians often assume we “already know” how to discern right from wrong making ethical choices is more complicated than we think.

Do No Harm in a Broken System?
How a Business Model Hurts the Health Care System and the Well-being of Patients and Communities
By Grace Lim

Our health care system is broken. Few, if any, would disagree, though some might argue the extent of its brokenness.

Moving from Guilt to Responsibility
By Chinhsin Esther Kao

I recently moved to New York for my first job. For the first time in my life, I am somewhat financially comfortable. Yesterday, a direct deposit into my savings account made me feel independent and safe from having extra money sitting around.

Faith in Action
Dismantling Plantation Capitalism Through Collective Worker Organizing
By Betty Hung

Over 20 years ago, as a freshly minted lawyer at what was then known as the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, I was fortunate to work on a landmark case under the mentorship of Julie Su, representing 80 Thai workers who had been enslaved behind barbed wire in an El Monte sweatshop and forced to sew garments for some of the nation’s leading manufacturers and retailers.

Embracing Inconvenience
By Jonathan Eng

“You know you’ve made it into the Mann family when you start washing Ziploc bags to save some plastic.” I laughed at my brother-in-law as we both stared at the dripping Ziploc bags hanging from the kitchen sink handle.

Minimalist Teaching
By Maika Llaneza

Facebook recently showed a picture of me as a special education teacher in my very first classroom almost a decade back. When I looked at this image, all I could focus on was all the stuff.

Dumplings and Benjamin Franklin
By Jason Chu

Russell Jeung says Chinese people can speak two love languages fluently: food and sacrifice.

An Ode to My Melancholy Militants
By Joseph Ligason LeDuc

I have vivid memories of Victory Outreach Church while growing up in northeast Spokane, Washington. Although I was not a congregant, the building that Victory Outreach was housed in was unforgettable, primarily because of the murals it featured on the exterior of the building.

The Big Picture

How Capitalism Echoes the Bible
By Gale A. Yee

As a Chinese American female and the oldest of 12 children who lived in one of the poorest sections in Chicago, I did not grow up having the latest clothes or toys that were flung at us in television commercials.

Yick Wo and the Good Samaritan
By Sandhya Jha

We owe a lot to Yick Wo. By we, I mean Asians living in the United States, whether we’re citizens or not. And by Yick Wo, I mean the man who went to jail for running a laundromat in a wooden building.

Erasing Margins
Malaysia’s Legacy of Colonialism and its Profit-Making Roots
By Kai Lin Ngu

I once asked my mom, “Why is it that so many of the models in Malaysian advertisements are white or Eurasian?” “It’s the colonial mindset,” she replied.

From Nepal with Love
By Shanti Esther Parajuli

I received a call from my Kaki (aunt in Nepalese) in Nepal the other day. It seems she is feeling unwell again, and I am worried her body is becoming weaker day by day.

One Pot of Rice
By Sarah D. Park

After graduating from college, I bought a one-way ticket to South Korea. A professor had invited me and two close friends to join a radical progressive group of activists in Incheon, where they were looking for English teachers.

In Real Time

Leaving the Road
Leading from a Different Lens
By Nikki Toyama-Szeto

I always feel like I am translating the latest leadership advice to make it useful. I rarely identify with the opportunities or challenges that these leaders discuss at length.

I Am the One Percent
Leveraging Privilege for Social Change
By Matthew Lee

My grandparents, the first generation in my family to immigrate to the U.S. from Hong Kong, ran multiple restaurants and were considered middle-class. Although they were not rich, they were able to save enough money to invest in real estate where they used most of that money for their current retirement.

Imagining Beyond the Bottom Line
By Charmaine Runes

I was too close to the edge of my seat not to fall out, and when I finally did, my partner next to me returned my grin. The film we were watching had my support long before I walked through the movie theater doors, but seeing someone who looked just a little bit like me drew me deeper into the story.

Gut Check
Twenty-Nine Questions to Consider on Capitalism
By Diane Ujiiye

When I was about 7 years old, I remember feeling very distraught as I questioned why houses in the hills were much nicer than the houses on the boulevard. Our home overlooked Echo Park and downtown Los Angeles, and we could hear the roar of a Dodgers game and see fireworks from the stadium on certain occasions.

Capitalism’s Murky Compass
By Lisa Asedillo Pratt

I’m currently being trained as a Christian social ethicist in a doctoral program. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned so far is that although Christians often assume we “already know” how to discern right from wrong making ethical choices is more complicated than we think.

Do No Harm in a Broken System?
How a Business Model Hurts the Health Care System and the Well-being of Patients and Communities
By Grace Lim

Our health care system is broken. Few, if any, would disagree, though some might argue the extent of its brokenness.

Dismantling Capitalism

Moving from Guilt to Responsibility
By Chinhsin Esther Kao

I recently moved to New York for my first job. For the first time in my life, I am somewhat financially comfortable. Yesterday, a direct deposit into my savings account made me feel independent and safe from having extra money sitting around.

Faith in Action
Dismantling Plantation Capitalism Through Collective Worker Organizing
By Betty Hung

Over 20 years ago, as a freshly minted lawyer at what was then known as the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, I was fortunate to work on a landmark case under the mentorship of Julie Su, representing 80 Thai workers who had been enslaved behind barbed wire in an El Monte sweatshop and forced to sew garments for some of the nation’s leading manufacturers and retailers.

Embracing Inconvenience
By Jonathan Eng

“You know you’ve made it into the Mann family when you start washing Ziploc bags to save some plastic.” I laughed at my brother-in-law as we both stared at the dripping Ziploc bags hanging from the kitchen sink handle.

Minimalist Teaching
By Maika Llaneza

Facebook recently showed a picture of me as a special education teacher in my very first classroom almost a decade back. When I looked at this image, all I could focus on was all the stuff.

Dumplings and Benjamin Franklin
By Jason Chu

Russell Jeung says Chinese people can speak two love languages fluently: food and sacrifice.

An Ode to My Melancholy Militants
By Joseph Ligason LeDuc

I have vivid memories of Victory Outreach Church while growing up in northeast Spokane, Washington. Although I was not a congregant, the building that Victory Outreach was housed in was unforgettable, primarily because of the murals it featured on the exterior of the building.