Watch the Oscar-nominated short doc 'In the Absence'

Things to Know From Angry Asian America



In the Absence
The documentary short In the Absence, directed by Yi Seung-Jun and Gary Byung-Seok Kam, documents the sinking of the South Korean passenger ferry MV Sewol in 2014. As a result of the ineptitude of the first response to the emerging situation, over three hundred people lost their lives -- most of them schoolchildren. Years later, the victims' families and survivors are still demanding justice from national authorities. The 29-minute film has nominated for Best Documentary Short Subject. Watch it here.

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Brooklyn school board member suspended for referring to Asian students as "yellow children"
In Brooklyn, a school board member is set to face suspension over racially insensitive remarks directed at Asians in a group email exchange. Community Education Council 22 Jackie Cody has been under fire for referring to Asian parents and students as "yellow folks" and "yellow children" in an online forum for school leaders in September. Last week, the school board approved a resolution to ask the schools chancellor to suspend Cody for two months.

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Fried For The Night
Los Angeles producer/DJ TOKiMONSTA, just dropped her latest song "Fried For The Night," featuring Atlanta duo EarthGang, from her upcoming album Oasis Nocturno. "Everyone has a moment where they feel fried and burnt, but what about those moments you feel fried and turnt?" TOKiMONSTA says. "EarthGang brought their special magic to the studio and we made something other worldly. This song is dedicated to those psychedelic moments where our reality opens up a new point of view."

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Jessica Henwick on 'Underwater' and Her 6-Month 'Star Wars' Audition
Perhaps everybody's a little tired of Star Wars takes by now, but am I the only one a little blown away by the revelation that Jessica Henwick had been in the running to play Rey in The Force Awakens? In this interview with Variety, she reveals that the Star Wars audition lasted "fucking six months." She obviously didn't get the role, but was ultimately cast as X-Wing pilot Jess Pava in Episode VII. But damn, it makes you wonder.

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APAICS Congressional Fellowship and Internship
The Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies is seeking young AAPI professionals and students who are looking to increase their experience in public policy and service. Apply to the APAICS Congressional Fellowship (deadline: January 24) for young professionals and the APAICS Congressional Internship (deadline: February 27) for undergraduate aged students -- paid programs providing opportunities to build leadership skills, encourages political engagement, and fosters interest in public service careers.

Apply to CAPAL's Scholarship and Internship Program

Summer opportunities with the Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership



Hey, student leaders! The Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership (CAPAL) is now accepting applications for its 2017 Public Service Scholarship and Internship Programs.

CAPAL's Scholarship and Internship programs are great opportunities for students to gain exposure and real-world experience in government and public service and to receive funding for their internships. The programs also include weekly leadership seminars, networking opportunities, and individual mentorship.

Here are some more details about the programs:

CAAM seeks Festival, Media Fund and Memories to Light Interns

Intern with the Center for Asian American Media this summer.



The Center for Asian American Media in San Francisco is seeking skilled, enthusiastic individuals who are interested in interning with their Festival, Media Fund and Memories to Light teams in Summer/Fall 2016.

These are part-time and unpaid positions that provide hands-on training and professional development for individuals seeking to develop a career in programming, marketing, fundraising, event planning, media arts and the non-profit sector. Interns also have the opportunity to meet and network with film and media makers, industry professionals and community organizations.

Here are some more details about the internships:

Intern with the White House Initiative on AAPIs

Apply by March 8 for Summer 2016


Hey students! Are you interested in making a difference in the AAPI community? Want to sharpen your research, communications, and event planning skills? The White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders is accepting applications for the Summer 2016 internship class.

Interns at the Initiative are responsible for assisting staff on a wide range of AAPI issues and priorities, including capacity-building, civil rights, data disaggregation, economic development, education, health, immigration, language access, and workforce diversity.

Apply to be a 2016 Summer Intern with APIAVote

Seeking student leaders for the APIAVote Internship Program.



Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) is looking for energetic and motivated interns who are passionate about civic engagement to join their team in Washington, DC this summer.

APIAVote encourages and promotes civic participation of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in electoral and political participation at the national, state and local levels. APIAVote envisions a society in which all AANHPIs fully participate in and have access to the democratic process.

The APIAVote Internship Program strives to encourage and cultivate young student leaders to explore a career in the public sector or the political arena. The program will provide hands on experience and training on how to organize and implement voter activities to increase the participation of AAPIs in the electoral process.

For the summer of 2016, APIAVote is offering both paid and unpaid internships:

2016 Summer Internship Opportunities at AALDEF

Apply for Legal and Undergraduate Internships at the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund.



The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), which protects and promotes the civil rights of Asian Americans through litigation, legal advocacy, and community education, is currently accepting applicants for legal and undergraduate internships in New York City for the summer of 2016.

Here are details about AALDEF's summer legal internship program:

Apply to TACL's 2015 Political Internship Program

Eight-week summer program in Washington DC for Taiwanese American student leaders.



Calling all Taiwanese American young leaders! Taiwanese American Citizens League invites you to apply for its 2015 Political Internship Program in Washington DC. Since 1992, the eight-week summer program has placed college students in the offices of elected officials to give them a hands-on experience in the political process. In addition, interns advocate for issues that impact the Taiwanese American and AAPI communities.

Here are some more details:

Apply to the APAPA Bay Area 2014 Summer Internship

Internship opportunity for college students interested in public service or community leadership

Hey, Bay Area college students! Are you interested in pursuing a career in public service or community leadership? The Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association is currently searching for API college students for the APAPA Bay Area 2014 College Summer Internship Program.

The program provides an opportunity for students to work as staff interns in the offices of elected officials and policy orgs across the Bay Area, and developing skills and experience in leadership, public policy and civic engagement. Previous offices have included San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, Assemblymember Phil Ting, and Congressman Mike Honda.

Here are some more details about the internship:

Internships at the Japanese American National Museum

Apply for a paid summer internship position with JANM in Los Angeles

Hey students! Internship opportunities! If you're going to be in Los Angeles this summer, and you would like to work in a world-class museum, the Japanese American National Museum is looking for qualified individuals to fill a number of paid internship vacancies.

Take particular note of the Exhibitions Internship. You'll get to work directly on JANM's upcoming major exhibition "Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty." Yes, they're putting together an exhibit dedicated to Hello Kitty, and you'd get to help!

Here are some more details about the positions:

Apply to CAPAL's Scholarship and Internship Program

Summer opportunities with the Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership

The Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership (CAPAL) is now accepting applications for its 2014 Federal Internship Program and Public Service Scholarship Program in Washington, DC. This year, in honor of its 25th anniversary, CAPAL is aiming to fund 25 summer interns and scholars.

CAPAL's internship and scholarship programs are great opportunities for students to gain exposure and real-world experience in government and public service and to receive funding for their internships. The programs also include weekly leadership seminars, networking opportunities, and individual mentorship.

Here are some more details about the programs:

Apply to be an intern with NPR's Code Switch

Join the public radio team exploring issues of race, ethnicity and culture.

Are you a public radio nerd? A critical thinker about race, ethnicity and culture? Know more than a thing or two about broadcasting, blogs and social media? Then here is an awesome internship opportunity for you.

The folks at National Public Radio's Code Switch, who are concerned with the "frontiers of race, culture and ethnicity," are hiring an intern for winter/spring 2014, from January to April. Interns will receive a $5,500 stipend and will work out of the NPR headquarters in Washington DC.

They're looking to work with a budding journalist who is social media savvy, a strong writer and passionate about covering race, ethnicity and culture.

Think you're up for the job? Here's some more information:

Unpaid interns are not protected from sexual harassment

Intern alleges harassment but can't file a claim because she wasn't a paid employee.

Let's be real -- it sucks to be an unpaid intern. We can argue the merits of gaining experience versus the toil of unpaid grunt work, but nobody enjoys not getting paid. And on top of that, it apparently means not being able to bring a sexual harassment claim against your employer.

Last week, a New York federal district court ruled that Lihuan Wang, a former intern at Phoenix Satellite Television, could not bring a sexual harassment claim under New York human rights laws because she was not compensated, and therefore not considered an employee: Unpaid interns not protected from sexual harassment.

According to the lawsuit, Wang was interning at the Chinese-language media company's New York office when her supervisor and bureau chief, Zhengzhu Liu, sexually harassed her after luring her to his hotel room with the bullshit excuse of wanting to talk about her job performance and the possibility of hiring her full time:

Spring Internships at the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

Apply by October 15

Hey, students! Looking for an internship? How about interning for the White House? The White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Washington DC offers part-time and full-time internships during spring and fall semesters and full-time internships during the summer. So heads up, the deadline to apply for the upcoming spring session (January through May) is coming up on October 15.

Interns at the Initiative are responsible for assisting the staff in researching a wide range of AAPI issues, including education, health, sustainable neighborhoods, economic development, civil rights, and labor and employment. In addition, interns will help write policy memos and proposals, coordinate events, and conduct outreach to national and local AAPI organizations, elected officials, and ethnic media outlets.

To apply for the internship, you must be at least 18 years old, enrolled in a degree-seeking program at an accredited academic institution and authorized to work in the United States. Here are some more details about eligibility and application requirements:

Internship Opportunity: AALDEF Communications Internship Summer 2013

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund is a national organization that protects and promotes the civil rights of Asian Americans. Central to AALDEF's initiatives is educating Asian Americans, policymakers, and the general public about the legal rights of Asian Americans, litigating cases that have a major impact, providing legal resources to community-based organizations, and facilitating grassroots community organizing efforts.

AALDEF is currently accepting applicants for their Communications Internship for summer 2013. Undergraduate and graduate students will have the opportunity to develop skills in social media, writing, media outreach, public policy education, research, web site maintenance and design, public relations, event planning, and databasing. Here are some more details:

Internship Opportunity: Fall Openings at MinKwon Center for Community Action

Internships, yo. The MinKwon Center for Community Action works to meet the needs and concerns of the Korean American community of New York City and Asian American community of Flushing, Queens through various grassroots organizing, education, and advocacy initiatives.

The organization places a special emphasis on meeting the needs of marginalized community members who have less access to resources, including the youth, the elderly, recent immigrants, low-income residents, and limited English proficient residents.

The MinKwon Center has announced five fall internship openings in the following areas:

Internships with the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

Check it. The White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Washington, D.C., offers part-time and full-time internships during spring and fall semesters and full-time internships during the summer.

Interns at the Initiative are responsible for assisting the staff in researching a wide range of AAPI issues, including education, health, sustainable neighborhoods, economic development, civil rights, and labor and employment. In addition, interns will help write policy memos and proposals, coordinate events, and conduct outreach to national and local AAPI organizations, elected officials, and ethnic media outlets.

The application period for summer interns has passed, but you might be able to get in under the deadline (May 15) for the fall session. Here are some more details on how to apply:

Internship: be a part of the Linsanity street team

The team behind Linsanity, the feature documentary about Jeremy Lin's amazing breakout rise to NBA stardom, is looking for interns to help them develop and carry out their marketing strategy.

The film has been tearing it up on the film festival circuit, including a celebrated premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, and is now gearing up for a theatrical release this fall. Linsanity's theatrical run will depend heavily on word-of-mouth buzz, and they're looking for a street team to help make that happen. Here are some more details:

APAPA Bay Area College Summer Internship Program

Here's an summer internship opportunity for college students in the San Francisco Bay Area who are interested in gaining firsthand knowledge and experience in governmental and public affairs, as well as the API community.

The Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association invites you to apply to the APAPA Bay Area College Summer Internship Program. Internships this year will include opportunities to work with San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, and Congressman Mike Honda. Here are some more details:

Summer Internship: Getty Foundation 2013 Multicultural Undergraduate Internships at Visual Communications

Hey students! Are you in the Los Angeles area and looking for a summer internship? If you're interested in working with an awesome organization in the realm of digital media, community and history, read on...

Visual Communications, the nation's premier Asian Pacific media arts center, is looking for qualified undergraduate students to fill full-time internship positions this summer (June 10 - August 16) in the following categories:

Call for Interns: AAIFF'13

If you're in New York City, interested in independent Asian American cinema, and want to get involved with a super cool film festival, check this out this internship.

Asian CineVision is currently looking for dedicated people to help organize the 36th Annual Asian American International Film Festival. Started in 1978, AAIFF is the first and longest running Asian American film festival in the United States, dedicated to showcasing some of the best independent art-house cinema.

This summer, they're seeking enthusiastic cinephiles to join their progressive community of organizers, artists, and filmmakers. Here's some more information about the kind of help they're looking for: