03.29.02
A very funny billboard, spotted on 101-S, in San Mateo, CA. Paid for Maad Abu-Ghazalah for Congress.
03.29.02
"Unfortunately, our mascot failed us," said Simon Little Owl of the Fightin' Whites. Here's an update of our favorite mascot: Despite 56-33 loss, 'Whites' score points
03.27.02
Some word on Jackie Chan's upcoming movie, The Tuxedo.
03.25.02
03.24.02
Gah! Another faceless night for Asians at the Oscars. Crouching Tiger was all the rage last year...but not this time around. The only Asian American entry, Sing! by Frieda Lee Mock and Jessica Sanders in the Short Doc category, walked away empty handed. And you know, I was REALLY hoping for the possiblity that they might include the late actor Victor Wong in the annual "In Memoriam" montage, but not a chance. They included Aaliyah but not Victor Wong. That's how it goes. However, it was indeed a good night for African Americans. Denzel Washington, Best Actor. Halle Berry, Best Actress. Sidney Poitier, Lifetime Achievement. All certainly well-deserved. But at the same time, it made me a bit sad --and angry. It took 74 years for the Academy to give African American talent this kind of recognization. Very short strides. How much longer do you think it will be until we see Asian Americans up there accepting such awards? Did the thought even cross your mind? During the tribute to Sidney Poitier, they had all these African American actors/filmmakers sharing about his influence and legacy. Wouldn't it be neat if someday, someday some prolific Asian American actor was up there accepting that honorary lifetime achievement award? And all of the "big name" Asian American actors of the day were sharing the same such sentiments? It's a long way off, isn't it? But man, that's what I was thinking about. And it would be so dope. Stay angry, my friends.
03.24.02
Jin is an Asian MC who's been on BET's 106 & Park as a contestant in their Freestyle Friday lyrical battles. He has been the Champion for five weeks, and if he wins two more freestyle battles, he'll be inducted into the Freestyle Friday Hall Of Fame. He could do it--he's got mad skills. His opponents have been spitting lines making fun of his Asian heritage, but Jin's just responded back and embarassed those racist suckas...
03.23.02
03.22.02
You can get sunglasses just like the ones worn by our man Ichiro Suzuki.
03.22.02
Ricardo informs me of this tee shirt design, on sale at Digital Gravel. What's up with that? Associating Chinatown with guns. That's racist! Sucks, because I dig most of the cool stuff they sell on the site.
03.21.02
I really don't know what to make of this site. Talk about self hate: http://geocities.com/hatebeingasian/
03.21.02
The Ahn Trio are currently featured on the Gap website. I also just saw the picture in the store window display at the mall.
03.18.02
Seen the video for "Pass the Courvoisier" by Busta Rhymes feat. P. Diddy? In addition to a lot of booty shakin' and Mr. T, the entire second half of the video is set in an Asian massage parlor, complete with Asian skanks, Sumo thugs and triad types. Oh, and there's a gong in the background, for good measure. Then Busta and Diddy throw down with some kung fu action. I'm tired of this. That's racist!
03.17.02
"This is the most extreme example of mean-spirited, oppressive racism in an educational setting that I have ever encountered in my professional practice as an attorney."
Glenda hooks us up with this one: N.D. high court reverses ex-UND lecturer's conviction
03.15.02
Oh yeah. Last night was Closing Night of the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, featuring Timothy Linh Bui's Green Dragon. Be sure to check out the festival this weekend in San Jose
03.15.02
Found it. Buy your tee shirt here.
03.15.02
Where can I get one of these Fightin' Whities tee shirts?
03.14.02
Here's that Better Luck Tomorrow cast photo from Premiere Magazine. Thanks to Victor, for sending it in...
03.14.02
Here's a cool article from Destroy All Monsters: 10 people you didn't know were Asian-American (and 10 you did, but aren't...)
03.13.02
Now this is GREAT:
GREELEY, Colo. (AP) _ Unable to persuade a school district to drop a
mascot name that offends them, some American Indian students at the
University of Northern Colorado have named their intramural basketball
team "The Fighting Whities."
Led by Solomon Little Owl, director of Native American Student Services
at UNC, the team chose a white man as its mascot to raise awareness and
understanding of stereotypes that some cultures endure.
"The message is, lets do something that will let people see the other
side of what its like to be a mascot," Little Owl said. "I am really
offended by this mascot issue, and I hope the people that support the
Eaton mascot will get offended by this."
The team is made up of American Indians, Hispanics and Anglos. They
wear jerseys that say "Every thangs going to be all white."
"Its not meant to be vicious, it is meant to be humorous," said Ray
White, a Mohawk American Indian on the team. "It puts people in our
shoes, and then we can say, 'Now you know how it is, and now you can make a
judgement.'"
White said many people don't understand how it feels to be victims of a
stereotype. They are upset with Eaton High School for using an American
Indian caricature on the team logo. The team is called the Reds.
Eaton School District superintendent John Nuspl said the logo is not
derogatory and called the group's criticism insulting. "Their
interpretations are an insult to our patrons and blatantly inaccurate,"
he said. "There's no mockery of Native Americans with this."
Charles Cuny, an Ogalala Lakota and member of the team, said he went to
an American Indian Catholic high school with a mascot called the Red
Cloud Crusaders, after a famous chief of the Lakota Indians.
Having a white mascot is a way to make people more aware of American
Indian issues, he said.
"We live in a politically correct society, and sometimes Indians get
overlooked," he said. "There are so few Indians who have clout that
there are a lot of things that go unsettled."
I love this. Do they sell team paraphernalia? Go Fighting Whiteys!
03.13.02
TV News: Looks like Ming Na is leaving ER. Yeah, I know. They better put another Asian on that show, and I'm not just talking about Gedde Watanabe or Lily Mariye as nurses. It seems that ABC has signed her on for an as yet untitled sitcom concerning an interracial couple. This BETTER be good, not racist. . . Have you caught Malcolm in the Middle lately? Emily Colidago has been on for the past few weeks as Francis' new wife. From what I'm told, her character is dominating and manipulative... Interesting. I'll have to check it out.
03.12.02
N.E.R.D aka The Neptunes released their new disc, In Search Of... today. It's getting decent reviews.
03.11.02
So yeah, I met the guys from Better Luck Tomorrow, and found out they're fans of Angry Asian Man. Yikes. That was rather cool, especially since they're pretty nice guys... Funny, Parry Shen told me he was worried that his role in the upcoming movie The New Guy would register under the That's racist! radar, because in the film he apparently plays this really really nerdy guy. BUT, he pleaded and assured emphatically, his character becomes a COOL guy by movie's end. Ha ha. I suppose I'll give Parry the benefit of the doubt. He wrote in with another heads up:
Here's some stuff you might be able to use:† The cast is in this month's Premiere Magazine with Angelina Jolie on the cover.† And on my site is a link to that movie, The New Guy, that I was profusely explaining my self to you about. :)† Take care.
I guess I'll have to go check it out.
03.11.02
A recent commercial for Geico Insurance has a line about the "Ancient Art of the Wu-shu", and features several white insurance agents floating about, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon-style, while so-called "Chinese" music plays in the background. Ugh... that dreaded frickin' "Chinese" music. That's what always gets me. That's racist!
03.11.02
There's an Asian dude on WB's new reality show No Boundaries. Allen Chen, age 25, from Clovis, CA.††He got his undergrad at Harvard, Masters at UCLA, and now he's going to med school at NYU. After the first week, he's in the lead of the race. Go Allen!
03.11.02
Here's the scoop on a Magazine going under: Click2Asia and aMagazine Shutting Down
03.10.02
Today is SFIAAFF, Day Four. Feels like Day Eleven. Lots of stuff to talk about... more later.
03.08.02
Hooray for Asian American film! Opening night of the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival was a success! Better Luck Tomorrow rocks. Now on to day two. Tonight I'm watching Helen Lee's The Art of Woo, a romantic comedy.
03.07.02
It just won't die -- the infamous Mandarin Juicer. Another "undercover" mall mission to Chiasso revealed that the Mandarin Juicer was PUT BACK ON THE SHELF! However, it was on sale for 50% off and there was no signage to explain this "exotic" product (unlike the rest of the products on the shelf). So maybe they just wanted to get it out of the store. What's up with that? Trying to get rid of it, eh? And you know why? That's racist!
03.07.02
Now this is interesting. From the Associated Press:
Kwan to be New Disney Spokeswoman
Figure skater Michelle Kwan has signed a three-year deal to serve as a spokeswoman for The Walt Disney Co.
The Olympic bronze medalist has starred in several specials on Disney-owned ABC Television and the Disney Channel and contributed to several skating books published by Disney.
Kwan, 21, will be featured in marketing campaigns for Disney`s theme parks, restaurants, cruise line, motion pictures and other company properties. Kwan will also make public service announcements for the company and appear as a presenter at various awards programs.
Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
"Michelle has a huge worldwide appeal and is a role model for children and adults," said Michael Mendenhall, president of Walt Disney Studios Marketing.
Disney struck a similar deal last June with golfer Tiger Woods, who agreed to play in prime-time golf specials and the annual Skins game for the next five years.
This is a pretty huge endorsement deal, with Disney, no less... Interesting, considering some of the stuff I ranted about a couple of weeks ago. We all know Disney is evil. But going with an Asian American as spokesperson is an interesting move. A positive step? We'll see.
03.07.02
So I guess it's official: a Magazine is now defunct. Yup. Kaput. Gone. Man. And I just renewed my subscription too.
03.07.02
I hear Zhang Ziyi is on the cover of this month's GQ. I need to go out and get it. Now.
03.07.02
The San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival begins today! I recommend Wonsuk Chin's e-dreams.
03.06.02
Here's an interesting apology from the Seattle Times on the whole American Michelle Kwan thing.
03.06.02
The San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival is just one day away. I recommend Flower Drum Song. It's fun.
03.05.02
Asian girl on tonight's episode of Undeclared. Youki Kudoh plays Kikuki, the Japanese foreign exchange student who falls for Marshall. Yay, another foreigner.
03.05.02
The San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival is just two days away. I recommend Justin Lin's Better Luck Tomorrow.
03.04.02
Lots and lots of Asians. Here's an article from today's L.A. Times:
Asian Americans Show Large Population Growth;
Census: Nationwide the group has increased 72% in a decade and now numbers 11.9 million
by Peter Y. Hong, Times Staff Writer
The nation's Asian American population grew at about five times the national
rate from 1990 to 2000, with California remaining home to more Asian
Americans than any state, according to a census report released today.
Asian Americans now comprise 4.2% of the U.S. population, according to the
2000 census, up from 2.8% in 1990. The Asian American population grew 72%,
to 11.9 million, while the total population grew 13%, to 281 million. New
York and Los Angeles, the nation's two largest cities, had the most Asian
Americans. The highest proportions of Asian Americans in places with
populations more than 100,000, however, were in Honolulu and nine California
cities.
Honolulu's Asian American population stood at 68% of the total. Daly City,
with a 54% Asian American population, was second, followed by Fremont (40%)
and Sunnyvale (34%); all three cities are in the Bay Area and ranked ahead
of San Francisco (32.6%). Irvine, in sixth place, had the highest proportion
of Asian Americans among Southern California cities, with 32.3%.
Garden Grove (32.2%) and Torrance (31%) were the other Southern California
cities among the 10 communities with the highest percentage of Asian
Americans. Also on the list were Santa Clara (31.4%) and San Jose (28.8%).
The 1990 and 2000 national Asian American population figures are not
strictly comparable, the Census Bureau cautioned. In the 2000 census,
respondents could identify themselves by more than one race, whereas in 1990
only one race could be chosen.
While growing dramatically, many characteristics of the Asian American
population were consistent with trends identified in 1990. Asian Americans
continued to be concentrated in the West and in cities and suburbs, for
instance.
As in 1990, Chinese was the largest Asian American ethnic group identified
in the census, followed by Filipino.
Asian Indian was the third-ranking ethnicity. Japanese, which had been the
third-largest Asian ethnicity in 1990, was sixth in 2000. Korean rose from
fifth in 1990 to fourth in 2000, and Vietnamese was the fifth-largest
ethnicity in 2000, rising from sixth in 1990.
UCLA demographer Paul Ong said the slower growth rate for Japanese Americans
is due to low birth and immigration rates, combined with high out-marriage
rates.
More than half the Asian American population in 2000 lived in just three
states. California had by far the largest Asian population (4.2 million),
followed by New York (1.2 million) and Hawaii (700,000).
Three-fourths of Asian Americans live in 10 states: California, New York,
Hawaii, Texas, New Jersey, Illinois, Washington, Florida, Virginia and
Massachusetts. Those states also had the largest Asian populations in 1990.
Wow. I live in the city with the fourth largest percentage of Asians in the United States.
03.04.02
The San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival is just three days away. I recommend Lin Cheng-sheng's Betelnut Beauty.
03.02.02
Asian dude as Matt's co-worker on 40 Days and 40 Nights. Also, Shannyn Sossamon, the love interest, (who is whooo pretty) is part Pacific Islander (among many other things)...
03.02.02
Okay, thanks to the fifty-two people who wrote in and brought this to my attention. More bad rep for Koreans. Last week on the Tonight Show, Jay Leno joked that skater Kim Dong-sung "was so mad he went home and kicked the dog, and then ate him, " fueling more fire to the resentment Korea seems to have towards America these days (and vice versa). Talk about pouring salt in the wounds. If you think Korea has calmed down about the short track incident, you don't know nothing. So NBC has been trying to quell the controversy... and doing a pretty sad job, if you ask me. No apologies, just defending Leno's "irreverent" brand of comedy. Now that's the freakin' joke. What angers me most about the situation is NBC and Leno's lack of acknowledgement that making fun of Asians is indeed offensive. In this respect, it's no different from the Sarah Silverman thing from a few months back. It just seems like Asians are considered fair game when it comes to jokes like this... Leno would NOT have even considered making a joke like that about blacks or Africa. In the end, it comes down to a lack of respect. And that's racist!
03.01.02
Asian guy on a UPS commercial. Just a regular guy talkin' 'bout his bidness.