5.31.2013
Angry Reader of the Week: Sean Miura
What's up, my people? Gather 'round 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 Sean Miura.
Who are you?
I am Sean Paul Takeo Miura and I have been an Angry Reader since I was 13.
What are you?
I am a fourth-generation Japanese American Canadian. I am a volunteer administrator for Tuesday Night Project and co-curator for our flagship free public art series, Tuesday Night Café. I am a member of the dance crew Ninjas for Social Justice (NSJ) with Alli Nakamura and Naoya Ogura. I am a blogger at my new home for writing, Down Like JTown. I am a shamisen player, a sometimes-writer, a wannabe-filmmaker, and an excellent Starfox 64 pilot. I am also Mr. Hyphen 2013.
Where are you?
I am in the middle of a crazy year full of dancing, teaching, organizing, and hunting for sleep time -- all on top of my day job.
I am for the moment taking a break at Café Dulce in JTown. I am sitting at the far corner stool against the window. The corner near the table of flyers, not near the barista. This side has more outlets.
Where are you from?
I am from Seattle, Vancouver (Canada), Maryland, Vancouver again, New Jersey, and Los Angeles. I am the son of a math professor who teaches and researches at different universities, a fact that explains my irrational roots. I am from the after-school cartoons of the ‘90s, the online communities of the ‘00s, and the bowed-head Instagrammer clan of the 10's (@seanmiura, by the way).
What do you do?
I organize (i.e., do community work), building with groups like Tuesday Night Project and Little Tokyo Roots. I tackle the never-ending stream of event planning and conference organizing that Los Angeles consistently generates. I teach, whether it be introducing high school students to spoken word poetry or constructing dance + activism workshops for eight-year-olds. I force myself to ask questions. I have so much to learn that I can't afford to get stuck in my head, as attractive as that can seem. I live in the South Bay. I work in advertising. I take my grandpa to the Gardena Bowl coffee shop on weekends. I dance in empty elevators and sing/rap in the car.
What are you all about?
I am all about my summer slate (working on an out-of-my-comfort-zone dance project with NSJ, developing an art + activism workshop, and curating some awesomely challenging Tuesday Night Cafes). I am all about gratitude and forgiveness, though we can always be better at these (myself included). I am all about art and community building. I am all about free parking. I am all about carne asada fries. I am all about meeting new people and listening to what they're all about. I am all about finding the perfect song for the moment.
What makes you angry?
I get angry when my asada fries get soggy on the way home. When I think it's Thursday and then it's actually Wednesday. When the 405 Santa Monica onramp is closed.
I get angry when people don't cite their sources. When people are not clear or genuine with their intentions. When people do not come to a conversation with an open mind.
I get angry when event organizers take advantage of artists, photographers/videographers, designers, or stage/sound technicians. I get especially angry when for-profit organizations don't pay any of the above.
I get angry that Asian Americans are not taught the bulk of our histories in public school. That we often forget the roots of the term “Asian American" as a unifying, empowering symbol. That our community does not, on the whole, instinctively practice solidarity across all dimensions (ethnic, gender, sexual preference, geographic, etc).
I get angry that I have been guilty of all these things (except for the 405 on ramp closure, which has never been my fault). But hey. Gratitude and forgiveness.
Photo Credit: Jimmy Sianipar
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