2.28.2012

a movie night with james kyson, march 3



Hey, San Francisco! Join James Kyson, aka Ando from Heroes, for a mini-film festival this Saturday, March 3 at Sens Restaurant.

On the features list are several shorts by Asian American filmmakers, including a sneak preview of Kyson's upcoming film, At Dawn They Sleep. For a couple extra bucks, you can party with 'em after the screenings.

Consider it a warm-up to the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, which starts the following Thursday. More information:

internship opportunity: cause leadership academy

Hey students! The Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE), based in Southern California, is currently accepting applications for its Leadership Academy, an eight-week intensive paid summer internship that prepares students for careers in the fields of public office, public service and/or community advocacy.

The program takes place June 15 to August 10, 2012. Early consideration applications are due on March 16, with the final call for all applications being on April 27. Here are some more details about the experience and skills you'll develop through the leadership academy:

national film society hosts pbs online film festival



So cool. Our friends Stephen Dypiangco and Patrick Epino of National Film Society have been tapped to host the first ever PBS Online Film Festival, based on the strength of their comical, offbeat NFS videos. Here's Stephen and Patrick with the joyous announcement:

the asian american guy who accidentally ended up on time's latino voter cover story

Heard about this last week but haven't had the chance to mention it...

TIME's latest cover story features a striking collage of portraits of Latino faces, boldly declaring, "Yo Decido. Why Latinos will pick the next President." The only thing is, one of the people isn't Latino: Time Magazine Cover Depicts The 'Faces of the Latino Vote'--With a Non-Latino Face.

Surprise! It looks like an Asian face somehow snuck its way on to the cover.

new music: "live my life" by far east movement feat. justin bieber(!)



What the--?! The guys in Far East Movement just dropped their latest single, "Live My Life," a collaboration with none other than Justin Bieber. You get a good taste of that dirty bass party sound they're bringing to their next album. Here's a video interview of FM explaining how the track came together:

lucy liu to star as watson in cbs sherlock holmes show

This is definitely up there with weird casting news... Lucy Liu has reportedly signed on to play Sherlock Holmes' sidekick in the CBS drama pilot Elementary, an American tweak on London's greatest detective: Lucy Liu To Play Watson In CBS’ Modern Sherlock Holmes Pilot 'Elementary.'

While Arthur Conan Doyle's classic has been recently revisited in the recent movies with Robert Downey Jr. and BBC's Sherlock, this take will be set in modern day New York City, and Liu will play Joan Watson to Jonny Lee Miller's Sherlock Holmes. Well, that's different. Lucy Liu is a pretty huge leap from Jude Law or Martin Freeman, but I suppose that's kind of the point.

wtf: roundeye noodle bar



Just wanted to call your attention to this new restaurant in Philadelphia that's been getting a lot of buzz: Roundeye Noodle Bar. Whaaaat.

It's a "hip noodle spot" created by two self-described "white boys from the suburbs," and the name is indeed a racialized play-on-words referring to themselves. But I have to ask, if we're going there, isn't "roundeye" just a say-it-without-saying-it reference to "slanteye"?

The community organizers at Asian Americans United make a good point: Flap over 'Roundeye Noodle Bar.'

"squintey" column controversy at iowa state university

What the f#$% is a "squintey"? Several people have sent word my way about some slur-or-not-slur controversy that's been going down at Iowa State University.

The uproar surrounds a recent item published in "Just Sayin,'" a regular column in the Iowa State Daily newspaper featuring anonymous reader-submitted observations. Last week, it seems that some racial slurs found their way into the column: Racial slurs in Daily reveal racism at Iowa State.

The February 21 edition featured some unsavory uses of the term "squintey." When you read that word, what do you think it means? Yeah, me too. Some students thought the same thing, and made sure their objections were heard:

2.27.2012

aadp presents laugh for lives, march 2



Good people of San Francisco! Your help is needed. Laugh for a good cause this weekend with AADP as they present the 5th annual Laugh for Lives comedy show. Join the likes of comedians Eliot Chang and Danny Cho on Friday, March 2 at the Palace of Fine Arts. More information:

job opportunity: managing editor, culturestrike

The Asian American Writers' Workshop in New York is currently looking to hire a Managing Editor for its CultureStrike magazine.

CultureStrike is "an artist-led initiative whose mission is to cultivate innovative and urgent collaborations between artists, writers, performers and other cultural workers to shift the national imagination on immigration."

It sounds pretty cool, but it needs someone with capable hands. To see an in-progress version of what they're doing, go here. And here's a blurb with some more details about the position:

all it takes is a q-tip: register to be a bone marrow donor



I've mentioned Janet Liang before. And I've written about other API cancer patients who are in desperate need of a bone marrow match. Simply put, this is a matter of life and death for them. But sadly, our community persistently has some of the lowest rates of bone marrow donor registry.

Part of this has to do with a lack of education, right? A lot of folks just don't understand the process of getting registered and perhaps believe it will involve scary needles and stuff. I get it. But you don't have to be afraid.

To illustrate, here's an entertaining and educational video, directed by John Zhang, that shows how registering to become a bone marrow donor is actually quite easy and painless. Take a look:

cop caught stealing from office refrigerator

Asians behaving badly... food stealing cop edition! Anyone who's ever worked in a setting with a shared, communal fridge might relate to this. Have you ever had to deal with someone stealing your food? Right out of your sack lunch. It happens and it's outrageous, because seriously, who does that?

I'll tell you who. This guy. In the Houston area, a police officer has been suspended after he was caught stealing from the Deer Park police station's refrigerator. The culprit: Officer Kevin Yang, who is accusing of taking lunches, drinks and 60 pounds of deer sausage. Seriously: Cop Charged With Stealing From Office Refrigerator.

music video: "missing piece" by david choi



Hey, I know that guy. Popular singer/songwriter David Choi just released his new official music video for "Missing Piece" from his album Forever and Ever. The video features Ellen Wong, best known for her role as Knives Chau in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, in a very literal take on "missing piece." Take a look:

benson henderson wins ufc lightweight title



Fight fans already know this, but in case you didn't hear... Over the weekend, Benson Henderson won the Ultimate Fighting Championship's lightweight belt in a unanimous decision victory over Frankie Edgar at UFC 144: Benson Henderson takes UFC lightweight title in classic decision.

After five rounds, the judges at Saitama Super Arena awarded Henderson the 155-pound title belt with scores of 49-46, 48-47 and 49-46. According to what I've read, it was a somewhat controversial decision -- Edgar scored more takedowns, but was more bruised and bloodied by fight's end.

But when all was said and done, Henderson was wearing the belt. Some detailed recaps of the fight here and here. And here's a pretty awesome photo of Benson with his dear Korean mom: Benson Henderson celebrates UFC lightweight title with his mom.

burger king customer referred to as "chinito" on receipt



All right. First, I have to note that this from a Korean news source, so I'm not getting the full translated details. But I think the image above makes it pretty clear what this is about. Yet another one of these damn receipts, this time from a Burger King restaurant in Los Angeles.

This was reportedly given to a customer during a recent lunchtime visit to the location at Vermont and Washington. As you can see, someone hand-wrote "chinitos" on the receipt -- presumably an employee referring to 45-year-old customer Steven Sohn, who is Korean American.

from chink to gook, yet another dumbass espn headline



You've got to be kidding me. Just a week after ESPN got into some trouble for posting that dumbass "chink in the armor" headline about Jeremy Lin, we get another racially insensitive headline: ESPN Had Another Headline Issue Today, And This One Included The Word "Gook."

This one looks like it was an ignorant mistake. The "gook" refers to soccer player Lee Dong-Gook of South Korea -- the headline writer stupidly mistook the second half of his given name for his surname. It should read "Lee," but instead we get an inadvertently offensive headline. Deadspin caught it first:

2.26.2012

read these blogs



For Asians And Latinos, Stereotypes Persist In Sitcoms: "Why are we still discussing this? TV producers got this memo years ago about black characters. But Asians like Han Lee - and Latinos - haven't been so lucky."

It Gets Better: How I Overcame Childhood Bullying: Margaret Cho wants you to know that not only does it get better; it gets amazing.

Natalie Nakase continues to dream big, beat odds: At 31 years old, Natalie Nakase is the first female head coach in Japan's top-tier basketball league. She's now set on coaching the NBA -- and no one doubts that she can do it.

Stereotype(face): Origins Of The Chop Suey Font: 8 Asians contributor Lily W explains how a font became a signifier for an entire race, and wonders if we should be okay with that.

Time Inc. Lawyer Writes a Novel: Here's an interview with Helen Wan, a corporate attorney whose debut novel The Firm Outing will be published next year by St. Martin's Press.

Chen case: Asian-American soldiers endure bias: Further proof that Private Danny Chen's suicide is not an isolated case of racial bullying in the military.

Japanese-American soldiers from 442nd finally get medals for World War II valor: Finally is right -- almost 70 years after the end of WWII, Japanese American vets are recognized with a Congressional Gold Medal.

Byron Honda Honored for WWII Service: One of the vets who received the honor of a Congressional Gold Medal is Byron Honda, who served in the military while his wife and children lived in an internment camp. His son, Congressman Mike Honda, represents California's 15th Congressional District.

2.24.2012

read these blogs: jeremy lin edition 8



The Evolution of a Point Guard: "Quite simply, the Jeremy Lin who revived the Knicks, stunned the NBA and charmed the world - the one who is averaging 22.4 points and 8.8 assists as a starter - is not the Jeremy Lin who went undrafted out of Harvard in June 2010. He is not even the same Jeremy Lin who was cut by the Golden State Warriors on Dececember 9."

'A great rags-to-riches story': A fellow Asian-American, Spoelstra enjoying Lin's rise: Lest you forget, the Knicks/Heat game also meant another win for the NBA's first Asian American coach, Miami's Erik Spoelstra, who also happens to be enjoying the Jeremy Lin story.

A Question of Identity: Grantland's Jay Caspian Kang has written one of the best essays I've read thus far in the Jeremy Lin Era (aka the last three weeks).

Dear America: Please Don't Ruin Jeremy Lin's Story: "I'm sending you a plea on behalf of all Asian Americans. I know you're caught up in Linsanity just like we are. It's a beautiful thing to watch you gaze with jaws dropped at the exploits of the first Asian American marquee player in NBA history. But we really need this to continue, so it's very important that you let us help you learn how not to ruin it."

angry reader of the week: jane lui



Hooray! It's the Angry Reader of the Week, spotlighting you, the very special readers of this website. Over the years, I've been able to connect with a lot of cool folks, and this is a way of showing some appreciation and attention to the people who help make this blog what it is. This week's Angry Reader is singer/songwriter Jane Lui.

2.23.2012

more crazy cute photos of sisters kristin and kayla



A couple of years back, I posted some awesome photos by photographer Jason, who took ultra-cute pictures of his daughters Kristin and Kayla in various states of fun and mayhem. I loved these photos, and I'm happy to find out that he's still taking them: Kristin And Kayla: Dad Takes Adorable Photos Of Daughters For Grandmother.

Here are a couple more of my favorites:

assemblywoman grace meng says boston market employees called her "la china"

Oh snap! In New York, Assemblywoman Grace Meng is speaking out about a recent incident at the Boston Market location in Flushing, where she was repeatedly referred to as "la china" by employees: Assemblywoman Grace Meng roasts Boston Market over racial remarks.

Meng was eating at Boston Market last month when she heard employees make the reference directed at her -- the only customer in the restaurant. According to the Assemblywoman, when she confronted the employees about it, they just shrugged. Company officials are now looking into it:

2.22.2012

fund this: 6 legged tees



I get a lot of Kickstarter campaigns sent my way. Sometimes the pitches are cool, and sometimes they're pretty weak. This one's fun and different for the outdoors-y folks: 6 Legged Tees. Keep bugs away in style, yo.

Co-founded by Wenny Ng, they're making t-shirts using Insect Shield®, which provides invisible, odorless and built-in protection against bugs. Built in to the shirt! Whaaaat? Here's a video with some more information:

2.21.2012

matrix theatre company presents all my sons



Arthur Miller's All My Sons is a play about two men who knowingly distributed defective airplane parts during World War II, and how the past comes back to haunt their families. Los Angeles' The Matrix Theatre Company adds race to the mix of messages about corporate greed and social justice by staging a multi-racial production, because, hell yeah these things still matter. Here are some more details about the play:

call for interns and talent: international secret agents



Got this opportunity passed to me from my buddy Dan... Our friends at International Secret Agents (ISA) are on the lookout for some interns and talent to help them take things to the next level as a premier concert production and media arts company.

They've put out a casting call for On-Camera Hosts and Field Correspondents, as well as an open call for internships in graphic design, online media management, video production and concert/event planning. Here's a blurb with some more details:

"626" by fung brothers: an ode to san gabriel valley



Hey, it's the Fung Brothers, featuring Jason Chen, dropping yet another clever tribute to the food, friends and fun of the San Gabriel Valley, aka the "626," to the tune of Wiz Khalifa's "Young, Wild & Free." Guaranteed to give you a serious craving some noodles, chicken or boba. Check it out:

man charged with murder for repeatedly running over girlfriend with his car

What the hell. Some crazy horrific news out of New Jersey, where a man has been charged with murder for repeatedly running over his girlfriend with his car after she tried to break up with him: Fort Lee hit-and-run suspect Charles Ann accused of running down girlfriend.

In Fort Lee, 26-year-old Charles Ann reportedly struck his girlfriend 25-year-old Aena Hong with his car, backed over her, then ran over her again -- approximately three times. Ann is charged with first-degree murder and is being held on $3 million bail:

read these blogs: jeremy lin edition 7



A Run Like No Other: Can you believe it? Linsanity has propelled Jeremy Lin onto the cover of Sports Illustrated for the second consecutive week -- so does mean double the jinx, or do they cancel each other out?

Lin's Journey To Stardom Advertisement: Jeremy Lin sits down with ESPN's Rachel Nichols to get introspective on his crazy, sudden rise to fame.

Knicks' Jeremy Lin holds mirror up to America: As Lin captivates fans with basketball prowess, he also makes people confront their biases and reassess why Asian Americans have been publicly categorized in ways unacceptable for other minorities.

Jeremy Lin puts the ball in Asian Americans' court: Great Los Angeles Times piece by Oliver Wang on how Jeremy Lin is helping reshape the popular imagination around Asian Americans in sports.

Jeff Yang On ESPN's Terrible Headline: Why Not "Hornets To JLin: Oh, Bee-hive!" Gothamist interviews Tao Jones columnist Jeff Yang, who breaks down on the controversy over the ESPN headline, and the new territory the world is wading into with an bona fide Asian American basketball star.

supah ninjas wins wga award



A big congratulations goes to the Nickelodeon kids show Supah Ninjas, which picked up honors over the weekend at the annual Writers Guild Awards: WGA names best original, adapted screenplay winners.

Writer/producers Leo Chu and Eric S. Garcia were awarded with Outstanding Writing in Children's Episodic & Specials for the Supah Ninjas episode "Hero of the Shadows," which happens to be the series' pilot episode.

Supah Ninjas, starring Ryan Potter, Carlos Knight, Gracie Dzienny and sometimes Randall Park, is a fun action-comedy series about a group of young crime-fighting ninjas. The cast also includes George Takei, because every TV show should have a holographic sensei grandfather.

For the full list of winners, go to the WGA website here.

"what about his eyes?"



I mentioned this in passing the other day, but it's worth a devoted post... Amidst all the furor over ESPN's "Chink In The Armor" headline, we almost overlooked this little gem. Check out Greg Kelly of WNYW Fox 5 in New York making a questionable remark while discussing Jeremy Lin -- specifically, a crack about his eyes:

hoekstra campaign removes all traces of "debbie spend-it-now"



Well, well. After feeling some serious fallout, it appears that Michigan Senate candidate Pete Hoekstra and Co. have pulled the plug on that racist bullshit campaign ad. Not only have they pulled the plug on the ad, they've completely eradicated all traces of the crazy racist website that went along with it. And not just the website -- it's everything, everywhere: Hoekstra scrubs Super Bowl ad from sites.

2.20.2012

'round the clock: chinese american artists working in los angeles



For art lovers in Southern California... Monterey Park's Vincent Price Art Museum is currently showcasing the work of five multi-tasking Angelenos in the exhibit Round the Clock: Chinese American Artists Working in Los Angeles, running through May 25.

These artists held down legit professional jobs and created collections of paintings, sketches, and photographs on the side, all while living through all the social changes Chinese Americans faced in the aftermath of World War II. More information:

updated: open city creative nonfiction fellowship

Just wanted to throw out another reminder about the Asian American Writers' Workshop's Call for Creative Nonfiction Fellows, which has been updated to include a larger stipend, an artist retreat, and other benefits.

They're looking for folks to produce editorial content for Open City, a new online magazine that will document the pulse of metropolitan Asian America as it's being lived on the streets of New York right now. Here are some more details:

vote for the "what's your story?" video challenge finalists



Hey everybody, check it out. Your clicks are needed! The White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders has announced the finalists in the "What's Your Story?" video challenge.

From now through the end of the month, you can watch and vote for your favorite videos, which include several friends to this blog. Here's the announcement from White House staffers Eddie Lee and Miya Saika Chen:

read these blogs: jeremy lin edition 6



Jeremy Lin - Knicks vs Mavs FULL HIGHLIGHTS - 28 points, 14 assists, 5 steals [2/19/2012]: In case you thought Friday's loss signaled the end of Linsanity, Jeremy finished with 28 points, a career-high 14 assists, 4 rebounds and 5 steals on Sunday against the Dallas Mavericks.

Jeremy Lin: To The Point: MSG Networks has a great one-on-one interview with Jeremy Lin, who talks about his sudden, unexpected rise to stardom.

In Lin, Knicks Find a Textbook Point Guard: Why is Jeremy Lin such an effective point guard for the Knicks' offense? Here's an illustrative look at three plays from New York's victory last Wednesday over Sacramento.

Linfographic: The Journey of Jeremy Lin: This is a very thorough and educational infographic on the meteoric rise of Mr. Jeremy Lin.

Jeremy Lin Jerseys and T-shirts | NY Knicks Store: Get your official Jeremy Lin gear at the NY Knicks Store. (Full disclosure: I am getting some free swag for posting this link, and I am totally cool with that.)

Is Linsanity Happening Tonight? This is a handy website to inform you whether or not Linsanity is happening tonight. Tonight: yes.

japanese american national museum launches the remembrance project



Over the weekend, the Japanese American National Museum commemorated the 70th anniversary of Executive Order 9066, which authorized the forced relocation of Japanese Americans during World War II, with the official launch of the Remembrance Project, an online museum preserving the stories of the lives forever changed by the internment. Here's a video introduction by George Takei:

little asian honest abes



"Four score and seven years ago..." In honor of President's Day, here's a fun video of kindergarteners -- a mostly-Asian parade of Little Lincolns -- at Fairmont Private Preschool in Anaheim, California reciting the entire Gettysburg Address. It's pretty darn cute: Kids do Honest Abe proud.

not another dumb tweet: "so easy 4 him now to recognize his pg"


Okay, seriously. Are people competing in some kind of contest to come up with the most idiotic Jeremy Lin-related remarks? Former college star and retired NBA player Rex Chapman is responsible for the latest racially-charged tweet: Rex Chapman tweets about Jeremy Lin, says NY Knicks J.R. Smith pickup is good due to fact he 'played in China.'

If you watched Sunday's Knicks game, you know that J.R. Smith made his debut with New York after a stint playing in China. Chapman suggests that, naturally, all that time in China would make Smith fit to connect with point guard Jeremy Lin -- you know, the lone yellow face on the court.

When confronted with concern that his remark might be offensive, Chapman simply responded, "I'll let u know when I begin 2 give a sh-t.' Well, thanks.

Isn't amazing how Twitter has empowered anyone and everyone with an equal opportunity to broadcast their stupidity?

who knew? jenny hyun is a raging racist

All right. Hell of a weekend. Since Saturday, I've been bombarded with emails, messages and tweets regarding an individual named Jenny Hyun, who recently went on a crazy-ass racist Twitter rant in which she, among other things, called for a world with no black people. Yeah. It got pretty ugly.

So... you might be asking: who the hell is Jenny Hyun?

She's a songwriter for the Kpop groups SNSD and Chocolat. I actually know of her as a singer -- and quite a talented one, from what I remember. I wrote a couple of posts about her several years ago when she was trying to break in as a solo artist. I had no idea she was also an out-of-her mind racist.

2.19.2012

espn fires employee for "chink in the armor" headline



Well, that was quick. I'd like to think that it was the collective fury of the internet and beyond that forced ESPN to take swift action and fire the employee responsible for writing that incredibly stupid "Chink In The Armor" headline on Friday night: ESPN fires writer of offensive headline about Jeremy Lin.

Some editor probably thought they were being clever when they it occurred to them to use a freaking racial slur in the headline. And if you're one of those people arguing that "chink in the armor" is a legitimate expression, you can suck it. The writer was invoking race and knew exactly what they were doing.

The headline was only up for 35 minutes, but it was enough to get screen-grabbed, shared and social media-ed like crazy. ESPN issued a short statement of apology the morning after, promising a review of editorial procedures and "appropriate disciplinary action." Not very reassuring, but it was a start.

By this morning, ESPN announed that they had taken action to address both the headline and a previous instance in which anchor Max Bretos used the expression during a broadcast, as well as a similar recent reference uttered on ESPN Radio in New York:

read these blogs: non-jeremy lin edition



Jon Chu On Why 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation' Will Be Nothing Like 'G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra': While the first G.I. Joe movie sucked, based on what I've seen and read, director Jon M. Chu is a true Joe fan, and G.I. Joe: Retaliation might actually be awesome.

Interview With My Bully: When I confronted my bully about racism: Decades after being bullied, author Marie Myung-Ok Lee confronts her childhood bully, who taunted her for being Asian. Turns out, Lee has learned a lot more than the bully did.

Asian Americans: Why Can't We Get Cast In NYC?: NPR's Randy Gener reports on the recent panel discussion "RepresentAsian," in which participants talked about the severe lack of Asian presence on New York theater stages.

Offensive foul sparks memories: ESPN's stupid headline rolls back the clock to an era not known for its sensitivity: The flap over that ESPN headlines has one writer recalling an Illinois high school whose mascot was -- believe it or not -- The Chinks.

2.17.2012

"chink in the armor"? really, espn?



What did I say? What did I say about using the expression "chink in the armor" when talking about Jeremy Lin? It's just best to avoid it. But here it is.

This was the actual headline on ESPN.com earlier this evening. It has since been taken down, but damn, some idiot editor was actually insensitive enough to think this was a clever idea? You lose, ESPN. That's racist! (Thanks, Kirk.)

UPDATE: Here's ESPN's statement regarding the headline:

angry reader of the week: brian yang



Okay folks. It is time to meet the Angry Reader of the Week, spotlighting you, the very special readers of this website. Over the years, I've been able to connect with a lot of cool folks, and this is a way of showing some appreciation and attention to the people who help make this blog what it is. This week's Angry Reader is the ambidextrous Brian Yang.

friday photo feel-up



President Obama was in San Francisco yesterday. At lunchtime, he made surprise stop at the Great Eastern Restaurant in Chinatown, where he shook hands and posed for pictures with excited and unsuspecting patrons... including this woman who got super cozy with the Commander-in-Chief.

Yup, she squeezed Barack Obama's ass. You could make the case that because he's so much taller than her, that's just where her arm naturally rested. But it does look like she's grabbing a handful of presidential booty. Better watch out, Mrs. Obama.

read these blogs: jeremy lin edition 5



Look who made the cover of the TIME's Asian Edition.

Jeremy Lin with Boomer & Carton: In his first New York interview, Jeremy Lin talks about his journey and shares his feelings on all the "Linsanity."

Jeremy Lin: 2/16: ESPN Radio also has a great interview with Jeremy.

Jeremy Lin added to Rising Stars game: Because how could you not? Jeremy Lin has been added to the roster of players who will play in the Rising Stars Challenge at All-Star Weekend on February 24 in Orlando.

The Delivery Guy Who Saw Jeremy Lin Coming: In May 2010, a basketball stat hobbyist named Ed Weiland made the Moneyball-like assessment that Jeremy Lin was a future NBA star to watch. Great for him, but I'll point out our appreciation of JLin pre-dates May 2010.

Fifteen Reasons to Remain Unapologetically Over the Moon About Jeremy Lin: "We deliberately left off "he's an Asian-American" from this list, not because it's not part of his appeal (it obviously is), but because there are so many people who seem to think that's the only factor in his appeal. We think this list makes it plain and clear that that's far from the truth."

2.15.2012

nickel city smiler, a film about resettled burmese refugees



Nickel City Smiler, directed by Scott T. Murchie and Brett M. Williams, is a documentary chronicling a resettled Burmese refugee family's fight for survival and hope in the American Rust Belt. After escaping horrific violence at the hands of the Burmese junta, Smiler Greely and his family find themselves in Buffalo, New York, only to face new life-or-death struggles. Here's the trailer:

fog city nights trailer



Got this passed along to me and I had to share... Check out the trailer for Fog City Nights, a video project by Pat La Rock that documents b-boys and b-girls dancing in the streets of San Francisco, showcasing their skills while highlighting the unique architecture of the city by the bay. Check it out:

art hsu in the fp trailer



Oh man. This trailer for The FP is enormously entertaining. Set in a dystopian future, it's about rival gangs fighting in a vicious turf war, battling for dominance... through the dance-fight video game "Beat-Beat Revolution." Whaaaa?

You heard that right. This movie looks pretty damn hilarious. And of course, I mention it here because there's an Asian guy in it. Check it:

actress lisa chan apologizes for hoekstra ad

An update on Lisa Chan, the 21-year-old actress who appeared in Michigan Senate candidate Pete Hoekstra's godawful racist campaign ad...

When the ad hit the airwaves (and for the rest of us, the internet), after getting over the sheer idiocy of the ad, a lot of people wondered who the actress was and why she'd appear in such an incendiary ad. We found out who. But we were still left wondering why...

Chan just released the following statement on her Facebook page expressing regret and asking for forgiveness for her role in the ad:

read these blogs: jeremy lin edition 4



Lin's amazing story gets a thrilling finish: The Linsanity train shows no signs of slowing down, with Jeremy Lin sinking a thrilling, come-from-behind three-point buzzer beater to put Knicks on top of the Toronto Raptors, 90-87.

Jeremy Lin's Postgame Interview - Knicks@Toronto - 02.14.2012 : Jeremy's post-game interview, which includes a big, happy smooch ("MWA!") from teammate Landry Fields.

The Jeremy Lin Phenomenon: Our friend Jeff Yang of the Wall Street Journal drops some "Linsanity" on PBS Newshour.

Jeremy Lin matters to Kyle: "Like most Americans, my 31/2 - year-old son Kyle had never seen an Asian-American basketball player in the NBA. Pointing at Lin, he shouted, "That's me! He looks like me!"

Will Lin-sanity tame Tiger Moms? "The secret to Lin's success seems to have been a combination of high expectations and unconditional support — a kind of tiger-panda hybrid, if you will."

2.14.2012

japanese american national museum celebrates the launch of the remembrance project



Yo, Los Angeles! A quick heads up. This Saturday, February 18, the Japanese National Museum is celebrating the official launch of its Remembrance Project, a communal website commemorating the Japanese American experience during WWII. The launch comes 70 years after President Franklin D. Roosvelt signed Executive Order 9066 into effect, stripping thousands of Japanese Americans of civil liberties. More information:

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