Alison St John (Guest Host): Maybe you've heard how, on Chinese New Year, parents give their children coins in red envelopes, red being the color of good luck. Good luck is an important idea in Asian culture. In fact, having good luck and winning is seen as evidence that you are blessed by the ancestors.
This may help explain why so many Asian Americans frequent San Diego's Indian gaming casinos. At Pechanga Casino for example, 50 percent of the patrons are Asian. Casinos all over the country are now marketing aggressively to the Asian American community. When you walk into any of the newer casinos it's amazing how many red dragons and gold pagodas are part of the décor!
But along with winning also comes losing, and the Asian American community has woken up to the fact that their cultural affection for gambling is becoming a major problem.
Guests
- Dr. Tim Fong, co-director and founder of the UCLA Gambling Studies Program .
- Sheryl Sebastian, public relations manager for Harrah's Rincon Casino and Resort.
