06.30.05
Spoken word artist Bao Phi recently released a new double CD, Refugeography. It "examines social justice and stories of Vietnamese/Asian Americans through Spoken Word." It features collaborations with Douglas Kearney, Dennis Kim, Emily Chang, Ed Bok Lee, Truth Maze, Seng Chen, Annelize Machado, Sister Mimi and Juliana Pegues, and includes a special bonus CD of live performances from around the country and B-sides. They say Bao's words will kick your ass. I haven't heard it yet, but that sounds pretty freakin' awesome.
06.30.05
This actually happened a little while ago, but the WPT World Championship Season III episodes are airing right now... and as usual, Asians are doing their thing, with two in the top six. And in other poker news: Actress Jennifer Tilly Wins Poker Event
06.30.05
What the hell is up with this case? This is messed up: Criticizing Patriot Act Lands Manlin Chee, Asian American Lawyer, in Jail. Read the article to get the full story.
06.30.05
It looks like ABC has canceled Welcome To The Neighborhood: ABC pulls edgy reality show after groups complain. Edgy? Don't make me laugh.
06.29.05
This kind of talk is scary and insane: U.S. struggles on China-war planning - top officer
06.29.05
No. Stop. Get out of here, right now: William Hung Back With New Album. People really need to stop encouraging this guy. The world will be a better place.
06.29.05
Two differing opinions on teen golfer Michelle Wie. First, Is Wie getting right experience? And the other side: Wie's path to greatness headed in right direction
06.29.05
The Asian American Journalists Association calls out Norman Mailer on his racist remarks towards Michiko Kakutani in Rolling Stone: AAJA to Author Norman Mailer: Shame!
06.29.05
An interview with the infamous Jessica Cutler, ex-blogger, author, The Washingtonienne. Apparently she's just come out with a novel.
06.29.05
Check out Crossing East, a radio series on Asian American history. "Eight one-hour documentaries on the many waves of Asian immigration into this country and the impact this immigration has had on descendants, global ties, and the making of America," broadcast on NPR. Very interesting.
06.29.05
For those of you in Los Angeles, this should be raucous good time: Kollaboration All Stars. Saturday, July 23 at the ICC Scottish Rite Auditorium. Celebrating the first five years of Kollaboration. So basically, this is like a big ol' greatest hits show.
06.28.05
Some controversy brewing over the premise of that ABC reality show, Welcome to the Neighborhood. The show has apparently provoked complaints on civil rights grounds from the National Fair Housing Alliance: Reality Show Spurs Civil Rights Critics
06.28.05
83-year-old Gim Wong wants an apology from the Canadian government for the infamous racist head tax on Chinese immigrants and the later ban on immigration from China: Chinese-Cdn biker wants repayment of head tax
06.28.05
Just thought I'd tell you again about Quang X. Pham's memoir, A Sense of Duty: My Father, My American Journey, now in its second printing. Here's an AP article on the book: Dispelling misconceptions about Vietnam War
06.28.05
Oh please stop. Gwen Stefani takes her minstrel show on the road in the fall, with the Harajuku Lovers 2005 Tour: Gwen Stefani To Launch Tour In October, With Black Eyed Peas In Tow. Booooo.
06.28.05
A federal appeals court upheld civil contempt findings against four journalists whose confidential sources pointed to scientist Wen Ho Lee as a possible spy. Lee, who was exonerated of any espionage-related allegations, has sued over his treatment by the government. His lawyer wants the reporters to reveal their sources to help in Lee's lawsuit. The judge has cited them for contempt of court for refusing and has ordered fines of $500 per day: Contempt Finding Upheld Against Reporters
06.28.05
My favorite brand of Asian American empowerment apparel, Blacklava, is sporting a new website design, along with a bunch of new products. So buy something. Then wear it.
06.28.05
This is a heads-up... next month: 28th Asian American International Film Festival, July 15-31 in New York. With a whole mess of great films and programs, including my man Mike Kang's The Motel, and a tribute to Maggie Cheung. No offense, Mike, but oh man, Maggie Cheung! I want to go. Anyway, more updates in coming weeks, but for now, don't miss The Launch Party this week: Thursday, June 30, 6:30pm at Prey Bar & Lounge. Details here.
06.28.05
This is sort of funny:
(Thanks, Nate)
06.28.05
An update on that sick freak Michael Lohman, accused of sexually target Asian women at Princeton: Lohman enters intervention program. He has entered a pretrial intervention, avoiding a possible criminal conviction. That's it? That's all for this sicko who cut and took locks of hair from nine Asian female students without their knowledge or consent? That's all he gets, for secretly pouring his own bodily fluids—semen and urine—into the drinks of Asian women more than 50 times? He's been charged with two counts of reckless endangerment, two counts of tampering with a food product, one count of harassment and one count of theft. Hey, what about the fact that he went out of his way to solely target Asian women? This is a freakin' hate crime. That's racist! Man, I get sick just thinking about it.
06.28.05
Zhang Ziyi was among the fifteen actors extended an invitation to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: Oscar invites 112 to become members
06.28.05
It appears rumors of Jin's retirement were greatly exaggerated. Or rather, misunderstood. If you recall his "I quit" posting on MySpace, he concluded with the message, "'Jin' has left the building...but the emcee will always be here." Well, it appears that "the emcee" was actually alluding to a new persona: The Emcee. I don't think I ever really believed he was calling it quits anyway...
06.28.05
When it comes to Asian pop culture, it appears that South Korea has emerged as the 'next big thing': Roll Over, Godzilla: Korea Rules
06.27.05
By the way, Alice Wu's Saving Face is now playing in theaters all over the place. Even Idaho. See here for a big long list of theaters.
06.27.05
An opera composed by Tan Dun, with libretto by Ha Jin, directed by Zhang Yimou, and performed by Placido Domingo: Tan Dun's Opera: A Special Delivery From the Spirit World I'm not into opera, but I'd go see this.
06.27.05
Funny, interesting review of a famed Chinese lunch truck that roves the streets of Philadelphia: From a battered truck emerges some very fine Chinese fare
06.27.05
A remarkable story on Dr. Robert S.B. Lee, chief resident in physiatry at Johns Hopkins: Man Turns A Disability Into A Career
06.27.05
I told you, Koreans freaking rule at golf. On Sunday, Birdie Kim holed a 90-foot bunker shot for a birdie on No. 18, lifting her to a two-stroke victory in her first U.S. Women's Open: Kim Blasts Out of a Bunker and Into History
06.27.05
It's like punk, Motown, garage band and J-pop, all rolled into one: Mika Bomb. Here's an article: Mika Bomb wins the 'boro with sexy guitars
06.27.05
The Arthur Chi'en F-word incident gets mentioned here: Media Activists Who Smile and Throw Cheese. A video clip of the on-air gaffe is floating around out there on the internets...
06.27.05
This is for those of you in Atlanta, or if you know anyone in Atlanta... Jae Sang Kim was killed inside of his grocery store, Song's Grocery at 2674 Campbellton Road in Southwest Atlanta, on the night of June 6th, 2005. His family is searching for his killer, and has established a $6000 reward for information leading to the identification of the perpetrator(s). At this point, there are only a few leads, so they're trying to get the word out. Ronin writes, "Someone out there knows who did it, heard something about who did it, or could identify who did it. The right person might not even know that he or she is the most important witness if there is no knowledge that a crime occurred at that location." For background information, here are some links:
Vigil Held for Slain Store Owner
Family of murdered store owner holds vigil
Vigil For Murdered Grocer
Neighborhood mourns death of storekeeper
This has got to be a nightmare for the family. For more information and updates on how you can help, email Ronin Su at ronin_s@hotmail.com.
06.27.05
I despise the famous blonde woman (if I speak her name, her evil becomes more powerful) in this commercial, but there is an Asian guy in it. Due to my lack of German speaking skillz, I have no idea what is actually going on in this ad, except that the Evil Blond Woman is laying around in her underwear. But from what I understand, GoYellow.de is some kind of search engine or directory site. Now, is it a coincidence that it's called GoYellow, and then an Asian guy shows up in the commercial? That sounds racist...
06.27.05
This is a situation I am familiar with: Unclear on American Campus: What the Foreign Teacher Said. With the U.S. seeing a large influx of foreign graduate students in recent years, undergraduates at large research universities often find themselves in classes and labs run taught by teaching assistants with a limited mastery of English. This can often be problematic...
06.27.05
China China China. Everybody's been talking about China lately. Do you get the feeling that U.S. politicians and media people are positioning China as the Next Big Bad Threat to America's Total Global Superior Awesomeness? I do. And maybe it is. Needless to say, the rhetoric of this perceived threat will inevitably have an effect on us Asian Americans—and more than likely, not in a good way. Just wait and see. Anyway, the cover story of last week's TIME was all about China. Or how about this op-ed column: The Chinese Challenge. And this one: Chinese Dragon Awakens. Beware! They're taking over the world!
06.27.05
Check out Misfortune Cookie, a short film entered in Amazon.com's Short Film Competition, in conjunction with the Tribeca Film Festival. It's about five minutes long. I don't know, I'm kind of torn about this one. Chinese stereotypes all over the place—fortune cookies, eastern mysticism, sneaky yellow people, that godawful flute music... At the same time, I can't help laughing when dumbass jerks get what they deserve. Watch it, and you'll see what I mean.
06.27.05
Summer meeans sucky reality TV. Well, most reality television is pretty sucky year-round, but the networks seem to parade around the best crap during the summer. For instance: Welcome to the Neighborhood, in which seven families compete for "a beautiful dream home on a perfect suburban cul-de-sac in Austin, Texas." The point of this post, of course, is to inform you of one of the families on the show, The Lees. According to the ABC website, they're "an Asian family that runs a sushi restaurant." This boring description is rivaled only by The Gonzales: "A Hispanic family with four children." I like how the Korean mom wears her hanbok in the picture. Some producer probably asked her to put it on. It's like saying, hey, in case you didn't figure it out, this family is Asian.
06.25.05
Maggie Q will play a leading role in the next Mission Impossible movie: Maggie Q to Star in 'Mission Impossible'. You remember her as the woman you didn't recognize in the "Least Likely" PSA. I guess pretty soon, everyone will know who she is.
06.25.05
Some disturbing television news, from E! Online:
SADDLING UP: Per Variety, AMC sealing a $15 million deal for Daughters of Joy, a four-hour western miniseries executive produced and starring Robert Duvall about a rancher who takes in five enslaved Chinese women being sent to mining camps to work as prostitutes. Emmy winner Walter Hill directs.
Pardon me, but this sounds like it's going to suck racist ass.
06.25.05
Future film news for Lucy Liu: Lucy Liu Aboard Two New Projects. She'll star in an action comedy, The Cleaner, opposite Cedric the Entertainer. She plays "an FBI agent posing as a waitress to Cedric's amnesiac janitor who thinks he's an undercover agent." She'll also star in and executive produce Devil to Pay, an independent thriller.
06.25.05
Another article on late writers Iris Chang: China to honor writer Iris Chang. The Chinese government has commissioned two statues in her honor.
06.25.05
Yum: Japanese fast food chain launches whale burgers
06.25.05
New York businesswoman Cheng Chui Ping was convicted this week on federal conspiracy charges that included her role as a financier of the Golden Venture tramp steamer, which ran aground off Queens in 1993 with nearly 300 Chinese immigrants aboard—10 of whom died trying to swim to shore. Known in Chinatown as "Sister Ping," she was also found guilty on charges of money laundering and trafficking in ransom proceeds: Businesswoman Known as Sister Ping Is Found Guilty on Federal Conspiracy Charges
Police detectives are still looking for Sau Yung ("Allen") Cheng, alleged suspect of that Chinese restaurant murder I mentioned the other day. Interestingly, the restaurant is owned by none other than Sister Ping: Chinatown murder suspect still on lam
And in other immigrant exploitation news, out of Houston... Chinese restaurant owners accused of smuggling
06.25.05
According to an international poll, the United States' popularity in many countries—including longtime allies in Europe—is lagging behind even communist China: China Image Scores Better Than U.S.. The image of the U.S. slipped sharply in 2003, after its invasion of Iraq. Now really, does this truly come as a surprise?
06.24.05
Great little interview with the MASTER of animation, Hayao Miyazaki: A 'Positive Pessimist'
06.24.05
Edgar Ray Killen was sentenced to 60 years in prison for the killing of three civil rights workers in 1964: Ex-Klansman Gets 60 Years for 1964 Murders . The man is 80 years old. I have no sympathy for him. But what bothers me is that this guy has been able to live out his life to old age, as a free man. And \only now you're going to throw his racist ass in prison?
06.24.05
I missed the release of this movie last month, starring Dean Cain: Lost. Not to be confused with the hit ABC show.
06.24.05
Writer Norman Mailer takes out his racist frustrations on New York Times literary critic Michiko Kakutani: Literary Smackdown: Mailer vs. Kakutani. It's from a profile on Mailer in the latest Rolling Stone:
"Kakutani is a one-woman kamikaze. She disdains white male authors, and I'm her number-one favorite target. One of her cheap tricks is to bring out your review two weeks in advance of publication. She trashes it just to hurt sales and embarrass the author. But the Times editors can't fire her. They're terrified of her. With discrimination rules and such, well, she's a threefer... Asiatic, feminist, and, ah, what's the third? Well... let's just call her a twofer. They get two for one. She is a token. And deep down, she probably knows it."
Tell us how you really feel, Mailer. Had to bring up her Asian-ness, didn't you? That's racist!
06.24.05
A new US law could send immigrant torture victims back to their tormentors—in the name of national security. Here's a good, lengthy article on the impending plight of many Sikhs in America: Opening Old Wounds
06.24.05
More on Eugene Kang's run for Ann Arbor city council: Student launches campaign
06.24.05
A growing number of mom-and-pop operations, outsourcing experts say, are turning to places like Sri Lanka and China to manufacture their products: Outsourced All the Way. Ah, America. Land of freedom, opportunity, and entrepreneurial spirit. But if you want low-wage labor, outsource.
06.23.05
Speaking of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, I completely forgot about this article, mentioned here way back in March 2003: The 'Other' Within. Peggy Orenstein criticized the book for making a crack about Koreans eating dogs. Having never read the book, it didn't occur to me that this was the same title. Hopefully, the movie doesn't go with the same joke. Maybe sticking Leonardo Nam in there is a subtle effort to make up for the book's remarks...?
06.23.05
Words of wisdom... Read Jeff Chang's Commencement Speech for UCLA's Asian American Studies department. It's an amazing, inspiring address that we should all take to heart. Congratulations to all the grads out there.
06.23.05
On the 41st anniversary of the disappearance of three young civil rights workers near Philadelphia, Mississippi, a jury pronounced Edgar Ray Killen, 80, guilty of three counts of manslaughter in their deaths: Mississippi Jury Convicts Ex-Klansman in 1964 Killings. Hooray for justice. Too bad it took so damn long.
06.23.05
Leonardo Nam (of The Perfect Score) is in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. I'm told his role is small, but funny. He plays the best friend/lover role opposite Amber Tamblyn—a part, it should be noted, that was wirtten for a white guy...
06.23.05
I don't really follow tennis... but here's what I know. Kevin Kim, 26, of California, lost to Taylor Dent in the second round at Wimbledon: Dent Wins All-American Clash
06.23.05
A follow-up article on the Black Dragons, once considered one of California's most powerful Asian gangs, but now apparently "rudderless and with a dwindling membership": Court May Have Slain Black Dragon
06.23.05
Here's an interesting NPR story on The Chinese Restaurant in America, an exhibit at New York's Museum of Chinese in the Americas. And also check out this story I missed last month on NYU's "Yellow Peril" exhibit.
06.21.05
ESPN article on Norm Chow, formerly of USC, now offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans: Titans offense moving faster under Chow
06.21.05
Remember Apolo Anton Ohno? America's short track speed skating superstar from the 2002 Winter Olympics: One Olympian Hopes a Return to 'Nothing' Will Bring a Return to Glory. Of course, he was also South Korea's public enemy number one for a while, after nabbing the gold medal in a fateful race when officials disqualified the apparent winner, Kim Dong Sun. Man, talk about mad Koreans. Heck, they're probably still mad at him.
06.21.05
Asian American kids in an article on high schoolers and hip hop: Self-expression vs. school rules: Hip-hop kids challenge "gang" label
06.21.05
Rescue Me, Denis Leary's firefighter drama, returns for its second season tonight on FX. You may remember I gave it a little flack last season for a "Chinaman" remark in the premiere. However, outside of that, I thought it was a pretty good show. Anyway, there's apparently a subplot with one of the characters who meets a Korean millionaire in Ireland and marries her. I'm told we may expect to see some "dragon lady" antics. Oh wonderful.
06.21.05
Hello, to my people in New York. Giant Robot is coming to get you, so get your ass ready. This Saturday, June 25, is the Grand Opening Reception for GRNY. 6-10pm at the new store, located 437 East 9th Street. Featuring the artwork of Eishi Takaoka. I'm telling you, it's world domination.
06.21.05
Pretty sure I spotted Suzy Nakamura alongside Patricia Heaton in one of the latest commercials for Albertson's...
06.21.05
Astute viewers of the hit Fox TV show 24 may have noticed an Asian dude hanging around a few episodes this season in a minor role as a CTU agent. In case you were wondering, that guy is actor Vic Chao. Would you like to see him around again next season? I would. So would Vic: HELP VIC RETURN TO 24 FOR NEXT SEASON!!! This might be difficult, since it appears to me that the show is headed in a new direction (less CTU-centric), but surely they could work him in him somehow...
06.21.05
After a grueling final challenge, the Good Guys won The Inferno II. The team, of course, includes Jamie from Real World San Diego. Hooray for them. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, don't worry. You didn't miss anything.
06.21.05
Meet golf's newest major champion. Over the weekend, New Zealander Michael Campbell won the U.S. Open: Maori braveheart
06.20.05
This Craigslist posting is dead-on hilarious. It's so true. Those visor things that are so popular amongst the Asian ladies (highly concentrated in the Cupertino, CA area) just look plain ridiculous: Afraid of sunlight? Asian Women wearing welder's mask. Are they that afraid of getting a tan? Believe me, it looks even more idiotic driving and walking around with a friggin' plastic welder's mask on. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, consider yourselves fortunate that your community is not populated with such foolishness.
06.20.05
Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi celebrated her 60th birthday this weekend... and she's still under house arrest in Burma: Burmese years
06.20.05
Here's an important press release from APALC, following up on the threatening hate mail they received a few months back:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 17, 2005
PRESS RELEASE
Contact:
Daniel Huang, APALC, (213) 241-0237
Edina Lekovic, MPAC, (213) 383-3443
Civil Rights Groups Respond to Arrest of Hate Mail Perpetrator
LOS ANGELES, June 17, 2005ñ Asian Pacific American and Muslim community
organizations today applauded the arrest of a downtown Los Angeles resident
on Monday for allegedly sending dozens of threatening letters and hypodermic
syringes with needles to members of the Asian, Jewish, and Muslim
communities. On June 13, 2005, Stanley C. Jaroszenski, a 64-year-old
Caucasian male, was taken into custody by law enforcement agents and charged
in a 117-count federal indictment including 56 felony counts of mailing
threatening communications and 61 misdemeanor counts of mailing injurious
articles.
"Someone has been terrorizing innocent communities for years, stated
Stewart Kwoh, executive director and president of the Asian Pacific American
Legal Center. "We are pleased that authorities believe they have made a
breakthrough in this case."
Earlier in the year, Jaroszenski, the accused, who often went by the name
"Stan Jay," allegedly sent mail to numerous Asian and Muslim residents,
businesses and organizations that threatened to "Kill Chinese!" and "Kill
Iranian Terrorists!" The hate mail also contained pages of anti-Chinese,
anti-Korean, and anti-Muslim statements and pictures. After bringing public
attention to the threats, the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, also a
recipient of the hate mail, fielded calls from over fifteen hate mail
recipients, including storeowners, private dental and medical offices,
non-profit organizations, and a university campus in Alhambra. The mail
frightened recipients and prompted the evacuation of a floor at Children's
Hospital Los Angeles. The Muslim Public Affairs Council has conducted
personal interviews of more than a dozen Iranian stores, and collected more
than 50 pieces of hate mail received by one store alone within the span of
three months. One storeowner received a threatening document with the
picture of a neighboring Iranian travel agent, and the words, "Iranian
(Persian) Lawyers bring Muslim Terrorists to L.A. / U.S.A!" MPAC
immediately forwarded the information to local law enforcement and provided
the FBI with the documents.
"In this case, law enforcement's attention to hate mail led directly to the
prosecution of the alleged perpetrator," said Sireen Sawaf, hate crimes
prevention department coordinator of MPAC. "This underscores the importance
of reporting all degrees of hate."
After targeting the Asian and Muslim communities in February, Jaroszenski
allegedly sent similar mail to dozens of Jewish community members, often
accompanied by a hypodermic syringe and needle and the statement, "A good
Jew is a dead Jew." Jaroszenski also allegedly sent hate-filled letters to
Rep. Linda T. Sanchez and LAPD Chief William J. Bratton, and several years
ago he was arrested for sending schools letters with the word "Anthrax"
scrawled on them.
"This case illustrates how when one group is targeted, we are all targeted,"
said Salam Al-Marayati, executive director of the Muslim Public Affairs
Council. "We are encouraged by the fact that so many different groups in
partnership with law enforcement are building a force of solidarity against
hate."
Our hope is that this arrest will encourage hate crime reporting to law
enforcement authorities,î stated Daniel Huang, hate crimes prevention
project coordinator at APALC. "Victims need to know the system will protect
them from criminals who target them because of their race, religion,
national origin, gender, disability or sexual orientation." Hate crimes
continue to present a tremendous cost to both victims and society, with an
average of 1,500-2,000 hate crimes reported each year in California.
Victims of hate mail and other hate crimes can report incidents to the APALC
Hate Crime Prevention Project at (213) 977-7500 ext. 237 or hatecrimes@apalc.org and to MPAC at (213) 383-3443.
# # #
Basically, they caught this racist fool who was sending all this threatening racist crap in the mail. Where do I get in line to kick him the nuts?
06.20.05
An article on MTV's recent targeted efforts to reach specific Asian American demographics: I Want My Hyphenated-Identity MTV
06.19.05
I smell a conspiracy: Is fraud mastermind Anita Koo dead? How does it feel to be known as a "fraud mastermind"? Sounds sinister.
06.19.05
What kind of smack are you smoking, Jackie Chan? He seems to think it's brilliant plan: "We can encourage more foreigners to marry Shanghai ladies so their children will be able to speak Chinese. It will help spread Chinese culture far and wide." Yo, I don't think it really works that way. At least, not that easily: Chan Urges Foreigners to Marry Chinese Women.
06.19.05
Quentin Lee's Ethan Mao started playing New York on Friday. You know, just your average psychological thriller/coming-of-age/family drama/gay love story/black comedy.
06.19.05
Ming Wang, 43, was gunned down in Yung Sun Seafood Restaurant in New York's Chinatown restaurant—moments after he argued with a couple who were waiting to order their dinner. The victim had just sat down with the couple when they immediately started to argue. The couple left the restaurant, but the man returned moments later and opened fire on Wang, killing him: Shot dead at dinner. Here's another article: New Jersey Man Shot to Death in a Restaurant in Chinatown. What in the world was that all about? Here's a follow-up: Killing Came After Dispute Between Two Restaurateurs. Some people just can't solve their problems in a civilized manner. Somebody always gotta bust out a firearm.
06.19.05
This guy Eugene Kang, a student at the University of Michigan, is running for city council in Ann Arbor, MI: University student plans run for council
06.19.05
An article on Dodgers slugger Hee-Seop Choi: Choi Tries Hard in Any Language
06.19.05
Another one of John Woo's many many many many projects: Woo back in China to shoot thriller. So when is the man ever actually going make these proposed films?
06.19.05
A big congratulations to my kid sister, who graduated from Northwestern University over the weekend. With a minor in Asian American Studies, no less. She's all growns up!
06.16.05
In a surprise upset, Jennifer Kim has become the first Asian American to serve on the Austin City Council: Jennifer Kim Wins City Council Runoff Election. Well, good for her.
06.16.05
The 49ers say sorry to the Chinese American community: Mea culpa; Owner of 49ers apologizes at meeting in Chinatown
06.16.05
This is an email from Clarence Moriwaki, Chair of the Bainbridge Island (WA) Japanese American Memorial Committee:
The time for public comments end the day after tomorrow, Wednesday June 15, to the National Parks Service on the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Memorial.
The internment apologists have organized a nation-wide email campaign against us, and the National Parks Service has informed me that they are "bombarded" with emails saying "no tax dollars" with the typical messages, sometimes racist, of justifying the mass exclusion and other vile nonsense.
It is critical to show that our project has widespread support.
All that's needed is a simple email message to anna_tamura@nps.gov before June 15.
1. Please state that you support the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Memorial (Nidoto Nai Yoni - Let it not happen again) and site at least one reason, such as first JA in American history under Civilian Exclusion Order No. 1 to be sent to internment camps; internment was wrong; etc.
2. Urge support for Alternative "C" which would make the memorial a satellite unit of the Minidoka Internment National Monument. After being the first group to arrive at Manzanar, the Bainbridge Island JA community transferred to Minidoka where they remained until the end of the war. By being part of the National Parks Service, the Bainbridge story would tell both the fore and after stories of the internment chapter.
3. List your name and address.
That's it. Also, would you please forward this as far and wide to whomever you see fit to hopefully get as many responses as possible? Thanks in advance.
Clarence Moriwaki
Bainbridge Island
Got this here: Racists try to thwart local Japanese American Memorial
06.15.05
Batman Begins opens in theaters today. Ken Watanabe is in the movie as Ra's Al Ghul... sort of.
06.14.05
Singer Heather Park's debut album, Dream in Pictures, is now available. I don't have it yet, but the sound clips I've heard so far are pretty solid. For more info, visit www.hearthepark.com/ (hear-the-park, get it?)
06.14.05
The Daily Show ran a segment on the 49ers PR video, including the Chinatown segment. Pretty good stuff. View a clip of the show here.
06.13.05
Are you in NYC? Like Asian movies? You've got to check out the schedule for the New York Asian Film Festival 2005. Some frickin' great stuff in there. Enjoy.
06.13.05
An article on actor Michael Wong, brother to Russell: Actor Michael Wong Intrigued by Hollywood. So it appears another Asian man may want a piece of the Hollywood pie. Get in line, buddy.
06.13.05
Los Angeles Dodgers' first baseman Hee Seop Choi pretty much went crazy on the Minnesota Twins yesterday, hitting three home runs in his first three at-bats, and a total of six home runs over the three-game series: Three-Sock Joy for Dodgers
06.13.05
Hailing from Austin, TX, Betty Soo is another one of those up-and-coming singer/songwriter types. According to her website, she just released her debut album, Let Me Love You. Check it out.
06.13.05
The U.S. Senate has acknowledged its own failure to stand against the lynching of thousands of black people, a practice that continued well into the 20th century: Senate Apologizes for Lynching-Ban Delays. I don't know. An apology is nice, but it just seems like too little too late. Same here: Jury Selection Begins in '64 Miss. Deaths
UPDATE: And wouldn't you know it? It appears some Senators did NOT sign the anti-lynching resolution: Who didn't sign lynching bill?. One of the comments also points out that Asian Americans were lynched, too.
06.13.05
The Boy Scouts of Troop 343 met last week for their first reunion in more than 60 years. The boys, now in their 70s and 80s, were among the 120,000 Japanese Americans sent to live in internment camps during World War II: Interned Scouts hold rare reunion
06.13.05
Twenty-one war orphans left yesterday for Vietnam to commemorate the 30th anniversary of "Operation Babylift," in which 3,000 Vietnamese children were airlifted to the United States at the end of the Vietnam War: Vietnam Orphans Mark 'Operation Babylift'
06.13.05
Another proposed Chinatown, this time near Atlanta: Duluth man sets out to build Norcross 'Chinatown'
06.13.05
Ukulele phenom Jake Shimabukuro is on tour with Jimmy Buffet: Buffett sings high praises for uke star joining tour. The guy is on fire. He has the highest debuting instrumental album ever in Japan. His CD, Dragon is scheduled for release here in the States on August 2nd: Hawaiian ukulele star rockets up charts
06.12.05
So, according to Chinese superstition, this is a bad year to get married. A quirk in the Chinese calendar meant that the Year of the Rooster, which began in February, was missing "lichun," the day that traditionally marks the beginning of spring—thus, an unlucky time for a couple to begin a new life. But it appears the young, modern folks are now such casting traditions aside: Chinese Americans shrug off folklore. That's what I'm talking about. Like the woman in the article says, "If you want to get married, you just get married."
06.12.05
An article on the master, Hayao Miyazaki, and his latest film to reach American audiences, Howl's Moving Castle: Where the Wild Things Are: The Miyazaki Menagerie. The movie opened in theaters on Friday.
06.12.05
According to polls, Many in U.S., Canada View China as Threat. This, of course, can often translate into bad things for us Asians in North America. It's xenophobia, ready to bust loose. Never underestimate of the power of dumbass people.
06.12.05
You know I got some love for Canada in me... The Toronoto Reel Asian International Film Festival has extended its call for entries deadline to July 1st. Submit your film, have people see it. Canadian people.
06.12.05
More on that Chinese restaurant raid in Michigan: Police detail restaurant raid allegations
06.12.05
Sreenath Sreenivasan, co-founder and former president of the South Asian Journalists Association, has been named Dean of Students at Columbia Universityís Graduate School of Journalism. His appointment will be effective July 1: Sree Sreenivasan Appointed Dean of Students.
06.12.05
Another article on Hollywood and recent trends in colorblind casting: More Hollywood remakes cast minorities in roles once filled by whites. Some progress, but there's still a long way to go. There's a brief mention of Lucy Liu, but for the most part, Asian Americans are conspicuously left out of the discussion. Same old story.
06.12.05
Runner's World has a long interview with Lisa Ling. All about running.
06.12.05
In Seattle, there's conflict in the Asian community over the naming of the new International District/Chinatown Branch library. It seems that community leaders believe the new library should simply be called the "Chinatown Library." To them, adding "International District" diminishes the historic significance of Chinatown: Name feud clouds opening of library
06.12.05
Spend a day in Portland's Chinatown: The faces of Chinatown
06.12.05
The L.A. Riot Spectacular is a "a satirical look at the events surrounding the 1992 Rodney King beating and poses the question 'Can't we all just get along?'" The film made its premiere this year at the Tribeca Film Festival. Now, I don't know a whole lot about this movie, but I do know that Korean community suffered a great deal during the L.A. riots. Just ooking at the film's cast list, I don't get the feeling that this aspect of the conflict will be handled with much care...
06.10.05
All hear this: today's the last to register for the 2nd Annual 72 Hour Film Shootout. For all you stragglers, if you intend to mail in your registration stuff, make sure it's postmarked no later than June 10. And if you intend to physically hand in your registration stuff, the Asian CineVision office closes at 6:30pm EST. Get your teams together, people. Next week: the Launch Party.
06.10.05
Hispanics accounted for half the 2.9 million U.S. population growth from 2003 to 2004 and now constitute one-seventh of all people in the United States: Hispanics Are Fastest-Growing Minority. The population growth for Asians ran a close second.
06.10.05
Every couple of months, it seems like one of these pops up. Some quotes from the Giant Robot guys, a mention of anime, kung fu, maybe Kill Bill or The Matrix. Yes, yet another one of those "Asian-pop-culture-is-so-in-right-now" articles: Americans can't get enough of this continent of cool
06.10.05
Oh no, he didn't. Russell Crowe is an asshead: Student tells of 'racist' Crowe. And what the hell is beef pie?
06.10.05
Michigan State Police! Fast times, crackin' down and doin' the dirty: Greenville restaurants part of statewide raids. Roundin' up the illegals. It's a dangerous job, but someone's gotta do it.
06.10.05
Citizens on patrol! In Boston's Chinatown, that is: Watch out, Chinatown! Citizens on patrol earn praise for crackdown on crime. Street justice, baby.
06.10.05
Saving Face gets a wider release today, expanding to Chicago, Seattle and Boston. Here's a list of cities and theaters showing the film: Theaters for June 10. Here's another brief Q & A with director Alice Wu.
06.09.05
After being let go by the Reds, pitcher Danny Graves has been signed by the Mets: Graves lured by guarantee. If you recall, he was let go by the Reds after flipping off and cursing at a fan during a game. The fan, of course, instigated the incident when yelled at Graves, "Go back to Vietnam, you slant-eyed [racial slur and swear words]." I don't know—flipping off and cursing at a guy seems like an incredible act of self-restraint. In Graves' place, who wouldn't want to just jump in the stands and start a melee?
06.09.05
Young Zheng, 17, faces deportation back to China unless the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals grants an emergency stay while it decides whether to reopen his case: Chinese Teen in Deportation Battle. His lawyers argue that if he is returned to China, he and his family face death by the smugglers to whom he owes about $50,000. How badly does he not want to go back? The kid smashed his freakin' head into a wall, landing himself in the hospital.
06.09.05
Michelle Yeoh is in Danny Boyle's next project, the sci-fi thriller Sunshine: Trio Of Actors Walking On Sunshine
06.09.05
The latest edition of Asia Pacific Arts has a great, brief interview with one of my favorite movie ladies, Tamlyn Tomita: Dame Derring-Do
06.09.05
An update on the trial of Chai Soua Vang, charged with killing six and wounding two: Key hearing ahead in slain hunters trial
06.09.05
Cheap, fast, and tasty. I love Vietnamese sandwiches: Vietnamese businesses find cooperation a new concept
06.08.05
It's summer, and it seems like the networks are pulling out their second-tier reality shows. Here's a couple on ABC, with a few Asian faces... There's The Scholar, in which ten qualified high school seniors from economically disadvantaged backgrounds compete for the chance at a full scholarship to the college of their choice. Of course, there's an Asian kid—Jeremy, from Westminster, CA.
Also, there's Dancing With The Stars, where celebrities are paired with professional dancers, and face off in a ballroom dancing competition. Yay. Evander Holyfield! Awesome. Anyway, one of the competition's three judges is industry choreographer Carrie Ann Inaba. Unfortunately, among her many professional credits is the role of "Fook Yu" on Austin Powers 3. Ugh. You may also remember her as one of the original Fly Girls on In Living Color.
06.08.05
Jun Choi has won the Democratic mayoral nomination in Edison, NJ. A first-time candidate for office, he defeated three-term Mayor George Spadoro by more than 1,000 votes: Spadoro toppled by Choi. Hell yes. Of course, this only feels that much more sweeter because of what happened with those racist radio assheads, the Jersey Guys.
06.08.05
Not really earth-shattering information, but still good to know: Poll: Minority Groups Favor Ethnic Media. Hmm. Is my website considered "ethnic media"?
06.08.05
Nail polish isn't my thing, but if it were, I wouldn't buy any of the idiotic products here: Japanese Collection by OPI. In various shades, with clever names like "Miso Happy With This Color" and "Holy Pink Pagoda!" Seriously, who the hell comes up with this stuff?
06.08.05
Another opinion on the 49ers training video: Not-So-Shocking Video. Basically, he's saying it was bad, but not that bad. I'm going to firmly disagree. It was that bad. I love how the writer glosses over the "presumed insult to the Asian community," which is somehow justified because "this form of ethnic humor is seen all over the place, and there are tons of movies that play it fast and loose with accents, including Chinese. But some people are offended by it." Yeah, some people are, I guess. That's racist!
06.07.05
I'm speechless. Justin Lin is going to direct Fast and the Furious 3. According to this article, the film will take place in Japan, "in the underground world of Japanese drift racing":
The story focuses on Shaun Boswell, a loner at school, whose only connection to the world is his passion for illegal street racing. To avoid jail time, he is sent to live in Japan with his uncle in the military in a cramped apartment in a low-rent section of Tokyo. There he becomes involved in drift racing and unwittingly takes on DK, the Drift King, who has ties to the Yakuza.
The film will go into production in this fall in Asia and the U.S... I have nothing to say.
06.07.05
Molly Ringwald says she's in discussions to make a sequel to Sixteen Candles: Ringwald Mulls 'Sixteen Candles' Sequel. Of course, the question on everyone's mind: will The Donger be back? Chances are, they've already got Gedde Watanabe on the phone.
06.07.05
I was looking around online for today's new DVD releases, and came across Cake, written and directed by Juwan Chung. It looks like one of those looooow budget, do-it-yourself kinda films.
06.06.05
A little profile on Los Angeles' Chinatown: Two Communities in One. How do Chinatowns start up these days? New York and San Francisco's Chinatowns have long histories rooted in both inclusion and exclusion from the culture at large. But can one just decide and say, 'Hey, let's start a Chinatown'? Here's an article on a proposed Chinatown in an unlikely city: Chinatown in Milwaukee? Just maybe
06.06.05
The results of the 2005 MTV Movie Awards are in, and it looks like Harold and Kumar got shut out: MTV Movie Awards poke fun at format. A shame. John Cho and Kal Penn lost to Mean Girls for Best On-Screen Team (curse you, Lindsay Lohan!) and Napoleon Dynamite for Best Musical Performance (Napoleon's "Vote For Pedro" dance was just too cool). The awards ceremony airs June 9 on MTV.
06.06.05
Could this mean the end for the Black Dragons of San Gabriel Valley? The cops hope so: Black Dragons await sentence
06.06.05
Wong Kar-Wai's 2046 finally hits U.S. theaters on August 6th. Watch the trailer. You don't even have to know what it's about. Gorgeous.
06.06.05
Saturday marked the 16th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre: Thousands in Hong Kong mark Tiananmen incident. Perfect timing for the U.S. government to make disparaging remarks about China: Rumsfeld warns on China military
UPDATE: Here's another good article on what's happened to some of the resistance, sixteen years later: Change in China, Change in L.A.
06.04.05
Who is Grace Lee? There are many answers to this question. Filmmaker Grace Lee's documentary, The Grace Lee Project examines, deconstructs and celebrates the many faces of Grace Lee. The film makes its L.A. premiere on June 19 & 21 at the 2005 Los Angeles Film Festival.
06.04.05
NPR story on Hau Thai-Tang, Ford's director of Advanced Product Creation and Special Vehicle Team, who was in charge of designing the new Mustang: Ford Mustang Designer Revives an American Classic
06.04.05
Here's an article on the newly opened Chinese-American Museum of Chicago: Museum tells story of Chinese immigrants. And here's the museum's official site: www.ccamuseum.org/
06.04.05
A lengthy article looking behind the scenes of a recent PETA campaign, with this guy Patrick Kwan getting to throw a few pro-animal, anti-fur, shame-on-you epithets at J.Lo herself: PETA vs. J.Lo: Behind the scenes of a campaign. Personally, I think PETA sucks. I have nothing against the animals, but PETA as an organization? Crazies. And at times, straight up racist. Yeah, that's right. I'm recalling crap like this. That's part of a campaign from summer 2002. Don't get me started...
06.04.05
An article on John Cho's participation in "Manzanar: An American Story": John Cho's game of chance. And here's a review of last night's Los Angeles premiere at UCLA: The pull of history
06.04.05
Donna Keiko Ozawa has collected 60,000 used disposable chopsticks... to create art: Sculptor makes a point with more than a few pairs of chopsticks -- 60,000 of them, to be precise. Sounds kind of gross. Here's her blog: The Waribashi Project
06.04.05
AsianWeek covers the efforts to stop Starbucks from setting up shop in San Francisco's Japantown: Showdown in Japantown
06.04.05
Controversy and debate continues to swirl around the 49ers training video. In just 15 minutes of film, the San Francisco 49ers managed to offend people from so many backgrounds that by late Wednesday they were banding together to demand an audience with owner John York. Here's the article for those joining us late: Groups unite against Niners' video. Here's the actual video in question: 49ers' personal foul video. Heed the warnings.
There's also, of course, the inevitable you-need-a-sense-of-humor editorial: Touchy subject. Mercury News columnist L.A. Chung goes after George Chung, the Asian guy in the "Chinatown" segment of the video who sports the stereotypical buck teeth, the glasses, and the mixed-up Ls and Rs: 49ers need to change corporate culture. She asks him the same thing I'd like to know: "Bro', what were you thinking?!"
06.04.05
Here's an event I should've posted a while ago, for you politically-minded folks: 2nd Annual California Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus Policy Summit. "Unity In Action." Monday, June 6 at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Sacramento. With a variety of workshops covering a wide range of key policy issues facing the API community. Looks like good stuff, if you're interested.
06.02.05
Appoggiatura. 13-year-old Anurag Kashyap of Poway, California correctly spelled "appoggiatura" to win the 78th National Scripps Spelling Bee: Eighth-Grade Boy Wins U.S. Spelling Bee. Of course, this is not as exciting as that kid who almost passed out on stage at last year's spelling bee. That was drama.
And dude, what is up with Indian American kids dominating the spelling bee, asks Amar Shah of ESPN.com's Page 2.
06.02.05
Animals Asia Foundation (AAF), is an animal-welfare charity based in Hong Kong. They're practicing "animal therapy"—the theory that pet companionship can improve a patient's mental well-being which, in turn, promotes healing: With woofs and wet noses, dogs help heal in China. You see, dogs are friends, not food.
06.02.05
Just saw a commercial for I Want To Be A Hilton, a new reality show in which competitors vie for "the opportunity to live the glamorous lifestyle of high society." Hooray for them. One of the contestants is Ann, of Plant City, FL. In the commercial, she spontaneously busts out in song. It's weird.
UPDATE: Check out Ann's official website. You've got to read the bio. It's funny as hell. Not to knock Ms. Poonkasem—I'm sure she's a talented lady, and believe me, I am eagerly awaiting the release of her debut single, "Invincible." I mean, according to the bio, "once Ann hits the first note of her debut single, "Invincible," many an eyebrow of all races will raise." I can't wait.
06.02.05
An article from the Pasadena Weekly, featuring Celeste Kim of Underwater City People: Playa's picnic
06.02.05
A couple of articles on Saving Face... One from SFGate, on director Alice Wu: Alice in Indieland, by Jeff Yang. And from IndieWire: SPC's "Saving Face" Faces the Specialty Box office
06.02.05
Herman Kam, 47, a bar worker at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, has filed a $10 million lawsuit against his bosses, alleging they called him a "stupid fucking Chinese" and turned him down for advancement because he's Asian: Bias Lawsuit Against Waldorf. That's racist!
06.02.05
June 12th will be the 38th anniversary of the Loving v. Virginia decision, which legalized interracial marriage throughout the US. Here's a good article on the representation of interracial relationships in the media, by Carmen Van Kerckhove of New Demographic: Media Betrays Societyís Ambivalence Toward Interracial Relationships. She covers interracial relationships across the color spectrum, but also touches specifically on some Asian-American issues.
06.02.05
Somewhere along in the process, someone should've pointed out that this project was a really really bad idea. Another article on the 49ers training video: 49ers' PR Director Apologizes for Video
06.02.05
"She says she feels liberated. And when she's with me, she is." Oh my goodness, I'm going to be sick. An advice letter, in Salon.com: I'm a cowboy in East Asia, lassoed by a local girl. Please, someone, save the local girl from this idiot.
06.02.05
Oh look. President George W intends to nominate California Rep. Christopher Cox to head the Securities and Exchange Commission: Bush to Nominate Rep. Cox for SEC Chairman. Oh. The same Christopher Cox who, back during the Wen Ho Lee investigation, suggested that every person of Chinese ancestry in this country was a potential foreign agent? Yay, our country is in good hands.
06.02.05
After years of struggle, Kent Nagano's musical vision to capture the Manzanar internment camp experience finally comes to life in "Manzanar: An American Story": Symphony of strife
06.01.05
A review of BFE, a play by Julia Cho: Asian and Isolated in a Desert of Blondes and Coca-Cola
06.01.05
South Korean scientist Dr. Woo Suk Hwang is at the center of the debate over his controversial human-cell transfer process: Without Apology, Leaping Ahead in Cloning. We should approach this cloning issue with caution, because I am certain the clones will one day turn against us. And with the help of Darth Vader, the evil Emperor will rise to power.
06.01.05
Controversy has hit the fan over an in-house training video for the San Francisco 49ers: 49ers' personal foul. The 15-minute video was intended as a primer on how players should handle the media in diverse San Francisco. And guess where they visit in the opening scene? From the article:
First stop, Chinatown. [Team Public Relations director Kirk] Reynolds says the team reads everything written about the players and the organization. Then, to illustrate the point, a bespectacled, buck-toothed Chinese man in an aloha shirt (played by then-49ers trainer and martial arts expert George Chung) is asked to translate an Asian newspaper story.
Sure -- the man says in theatrical Asian accent. "Tim Latte (Rattay, a Niners quarterback). He feel good now. He feeling good. No plactice with the team, so most of the time he play with himself."
Another show stopper: "49ers love being in community. Very patriotic . . . support president and his George Bush erection."
"Erection?" Reynolds asks.
"Yes," the Chinese man responds. "It say, 'You like Bush -- then you like his erection.'
"My name is Suck Hung,'' the Chinese man says as he's leaving. "My brother's name is Suck Young -- my whole family suck."
Supposed to be a joke? It's a bad one. That's racist! Bums me out—the Niners are my team.