Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches is organizing a mass bone marrow donor drive this weekend, December 12-13, and next weekend, December 20-21, at several Southern California Walmart locations, 10:30am-4:30pm. Your participation is greatly appreciated (and sorely needed). Here are marrow drive locations:
Baldwin Hills
4101 S. Crenshaw Blvd.
Los Angeles, Ca. 90008
Torrance
19503 South Normandie Ave
Torrance, Ca. 90501
Rosemead
1827 Walnut Grove Blvd.
Rosemead, Ca. 91770
Panorama City
8333 Van Nuys Blvd.
Panorama City, Ca. 91402
Cerritos
12701 Towne Center Dr.
Cerritos, Ca. 90703
Long Beach
7250 Carson Blvd.
Long Beach, Ca. 90808
Westminster
13331 Beach Blvd.
Westminster, Ca. 92683
For more information about the drives, and to learn how to become a bone marrow donor, visit the Asians For Miracle Marrow Matches website here. I know this is a busy time of year, but taking the time out register could mean saving a life.
12.12.2008
majority of cupertino's population is now asian
Some news about the Bay Area's rapidly growing Asian American populations... According to new census data released this week, Cupertino has joined Milpitas as the second city in the South Bay where a majority of residents is now Asian. Wow, Cupertino. I knew you could do it: Census shows Cupertino, Milpitas have Asian-majority populations.
While everyone is aware that Cupertino's Chinese American population is huge, its rapidly growing Indian American community has pushed its overall Asian population to 56 percent of residents—making it one of just 18 cities of 20,000 or more people in the country where Asians are more than half of all residents. All of those cities are in California or Hawaii.
As someone who is familiar with Cupertino and its surrounding communities, this is really interesting news, though not particularly surprising. I've seen many of the changes this article talks about firsthand. How many Asians live in your town? If you live in California, you can actually enter your city into this database to see the proportion of the population that is Asian. It's crazy!
While everyone is aware that Cupertino's Chinese American population is huge, its rapidly growing Indian American community has pushed its overall Asian population to 56 percent of residents—making it one of just 18 cities of 20,000 or more people in the country where Asians are more than half of all residents. All of those cities are in California or Hawaii.
As someone who is familiar with Cupertino and its surrounding communities, this is really interesting news, though not particularly surprising. I've seen many of the changes this article talks about firsthand. How many Asians live in your town? If you live in California, you can actually enter your city into this database to see the proportion of the population that is Asian. It's crazy!
12.11.2008
baby opening in san francisco
If you're in the Bay Area, and you're looking for something different this weekend at the movies, check out the theatrical premiere of Juwan Chung's indie gangster drama Baby. The movie was a surprise festival hit a little while back, scoring multiple awards and getting a lot of great attention.
The movie is the nihilistic tale of an Asian American teen trapped in the world of East Los Angeles gang life. To be completely honest, I had pretty low expectations going into this movie, and it turned out to be pretty awesome. The movie stars David Huynh, who's fantastic, along with Tzi Ma, Feodor Chin, Ron Yuan and Kenneth Choi.
It's opening this Friday, December 12 for a one-week run at the Lee's 4-Star Theatre in San Francisco (daily showings at 2:00pm and 7:00pm). The director, producer and actors will be present for a Q&A after the 7:00pm show on Saturday night. For more information, go to the Baby website here, the MySpace page, and the Facebook event page.
And if you're not in San Francisco, and can't make the movie, it looks like Baby will out on DVD
later this month, so you can catch it from the comfort of your own couch.
take out opening in san diego
Film fans in San Diego, check it out... Sean Baker and Shih-Ching Tsou's indie film Take Out, recent nominee for Film Independent's John Cassavetes Award, is opening this Friday, September 12 at Reading Cinemas Gaslamp Stadium.
The film tells the story of Ming Ding, an undocumented Chinese food deliveryman who has one day to earn the money he owes to the smugglers who brought him the U.S. I've written about it a few times this year, so I won't spend too much time talking about it. But it's an impressive little independent film that goes a long way with very little.
If you're in San Diego area, I recommend checking it out. Buy a ticket, bring a friend, spread the word. Their week-to-week box office draw is a crucial element in keeping the film going. And indie films like this need all the help they can get. To learn more about Take Out, and read some reviews about the film, go here
The film tells the story of Ming Ding, an undocumented Chinese food deliveryman who has one day to earn the money he owes to the smugglers who brought him the U.S. I've written about it a few times this year, so I won't spend too much time talking about it. But it's an impressive little independent film that goes a long way with very little.
If you're in San Diego area, I recommend checking it out. Buy a ticket, bring a friend, spread the word. Their week-to-week box office draw is a crucial element in keeping the film going. And indie films like this need all the help they can get. To learn more about Take Out, and read some reviews about the film, go here
anh cao's unlikely rise to congress
Here's another New York Times story on Anh Cao, who beat the odds and defeated incumbent Rep. William J. Jefferson last weekend in New Orleans (the election had been delayed because of Hurricane Gustav) to become the first Vietnamese American elected to Congress: History and Amazement in House Race Outcome.
All things considered, his path to this moment is pretty incredible—a refugee from Vietnam at age 8, a former Jesuit seminarian, a philosophy student, an unknown activist lawyer for one of the least visible immigrant communities in New Orleans, and a Republican in a heavily Democratic district... and now a Congressman.
Still, the road for Anh Cao from here on out will not be easy. Here's an interesting analysis over at Daily Kos on Cao's poltical future: The future of Cao.
UPDATE: Another perspective on Anh Cao, and what his stunning upset victory means for the GOP: Future of GOP is Cao. Mainly, he gives Republicans a rare minority face in Congress. Not only is Cao the first Vietnamese American elected to Congress, as many have noted, he'll be the only Asian American Republican in the 111th Congress and the only non-Hispanic minority in the House GOP.
All things considered, his path to this moment is pretty incredible—a refugee from Vietnam at age 8, a former Jesuit seminarian, a philosophy student, an unknown activist lawyer for one of the least visible immigrant communities in New Orleans, and a Republican in a heavily Democratic district... and now a Congressman.
Still, the road for Anh Cao from here on out will not be easy. Here's an interesting analysis over at Daily Kos on Cao's poltical future: The future of Cao.
UPDATE: Another perspective on Anh Cao, and what his stunning upset victory means for the GOP: Future of GOP is Cao. Mainly, he gives Republicans a rare minority face in Congress. Not only is Cao the first Vietnamese American elected to Congress, as many have noted, he'll be the only Asian American Republican in the 111th Congress and the only non-Hispanic minority in the House GOP.
do it yourself music video night
Calling all musicians and filmmakers! San Francisco's Kearny Street Workshop presents an opportunity for Asian Pacific American musicians and filmmakers to team up to create music videos to be presented at the second annual LOCUS at Kearny Street Workshop Do It Yourself Music Video Night.
Last year's competition was sponsored by the Center for Asian American
Media and the videos competed for a spot in the 2008 San Francisco
Asian American Film Festival. The videos from the 2008 DIY event can be
viewed here under Locus Arts Do
It Yourself Music Video Contest.
No prior experience with music videos is necessary. Locus arts will even team you up with a band or filmmaker. But the deadline to let us know that you are interested in participating is December 14, so you have to act fast. For more information, and details on how to enter, go here.
Last year's competition was sponsored by the Center for Asian American
Media and the videos competed for a spot in the 2008 San Francisco
Asian American Film Festival. The videos from the 2008 DIY event can be
viewed here under Locus Arts Do
It Yourself Music Video Contest.
No prior experience with music videos is necessary. Locus arts will even team you up with a band or filmmaker. But the deadline to let us know that you are interested in participating is December 14, so you have to act fast. For more information, and details on how to enter, go here.
why the media loves michelle rhee
The Washington Post recently ran another article on D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee, who has been getting a lot of press lately for her drastic measures to overhaul the District's failing school system. She made both fans and enemies, but for better or for worse, she's become the face of urban school reform.
When you're on the cover of TIME, you've hit the big time. You have to admit, Rhee's story is irresistible to journalists and pundits who follow education. And big time politicians have tried to latch on and associate themselves with Rhee's big ideas.
But what does it all actually mean for the schools and the students? This story attempts to cut through all the A-list hoopla, and look at what all the media attention has meant for the actual work that needs to be in DC's schools: Up Close, Rhee's Image Less Clear.
When you're on the cover of TIME, you've hit the big time. You have to admit, Rhee's story is irresistible to journalists and pundits who follow education. And big time politicians have tried to latch on and associate themselves with Rhee's big ideas.
But what does it all actually mean for the schools and the students? This story attempts to cut through all the A-list hoopla, and look at what all the media attention has meant for the actual work that needs to be in DC's schools: Up Close, Rhee's Image Less Clear.
the white cast of avatar: the last airbender
More white people as cartoons! We heard a few years back that director M. Night Shymalan was working on a live-action version of the hit Nickelodeon animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender. Now, we get word that the principal roles have been cast... and surprise, suprise! All the actors are white: First Look: The Cast of The Last Airbender.
Newcomer Noah Ringer will star as Aang, Jackson Rathbone as Sokka, Nicola Peltz as Katara... and Jesse McCartney as the evil prince Zuko! Suprise! All these characters, who everyone just kind of assumed were Asian, are actually Caucasian. That's Hollywood, baby. The movie is set to open in summer 2010.
The show is set in an Asian-influenced world of martial arts and elemental manipulation, following the adventures of the hero Aang and his friends, who must save the world by defeating the Fire Lord and ending the destructive war with the Fire Nation.
Okay, so you can't definitively argue that anyone on Avatar's anime-inspired fantasy realm is actually "Asian." But all signs certainly point there. I never really watched show, but I always assumed those were Asian kids doing the martial arts. I'm willing to bet if you showed the cartoon to anyone, it's likely they'd come to the same conclusion.
I suppose we shouldn't really be surprised. It's just another example of the way Hollywood squashes race out of everything it does, including Asians only when it's convenient. Why bother casting Asians for Airbender when you've got so many good-looking white kids to put on the poster?
Besides, it's not like Asians are lacking opportunities in Hollywood. It's not like we want those leading roles, right? There will always be work playing Chinese delivery boys, liquor store clerks, nail salon workers and Asian gangster thugs number 1 through 6. Thanks again, Hollywood!
UPDATE: No one should really be surprised that there are a significant number of Avatar fans out there, and they are not happy about this casting news. They've started a letter-writing campaign directed at Paramount and the powers that be to protest these decisions. It probably won't amount to much, but who knows? At the very least, it will send the message that there are a lot of people who aren't cool with business as usual. Details here: Saving the World With Postage.
12.10.2008
new dragonball trailer
We've been talking about the upcoming live-action Hollywood adaptation of Dragonball for what seems like a couple years now. Fans have been pretty upset about some of the casting in the movie—particularly white actor Justin Chatwin as Goku—as most folks were generally under the assumption that the characters they knew and loved, based on the now-classic manga and anime series, were Asian.
So, Dragonball fans, to irritate you some more... a new Japanese theatrical trailer has hit the web. The movie is now apparently titled Dragonball Evolution... and it looks awful, like a bad Sci Fi Channel movie-of-the-week, circa 1998. Seriously, the stunts and special effects make this movie look like it was produced ten years ago. James Wong, what have you done?
In the trailer, you'll see that Chatwin bloke along with real Asians Chow Yun Fat, Jamie Chung, Eriko Tamura and Randall Duk Kim. You know, for a while, I was actually curious. But after seeing this trailer, I can honestly say I have zero interest in seeing this movie. It opens in theaters on April 8, 2009.
obama chooses physicist steven chu as energy secretary
Another Asian American makes it into Obama's cabinet. Today, the news emerged that President-elect Barack Obama will nominate Steven Chu, director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, as his energy secretary: Officials say Obama chooses energy, EPA posts.
Chu was one of three scientists who shared the Nobel Prize for physics in 1997 for work in cooling and trapping atoms with laser light. That's right, baby. Nobel laureate. But that's only the start of what makes him awesome.
He's a professor of physics and molecular and cell biology at the University of California, Berkeley, and has been the director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory since 2004, where he has pushed for research into alternative and renewable energy as a way to combat global warming.
That experience will be useful as the next energy secretary, as Obama has said that he wants to spend billions of dollars to promote alternative energy sources and create millions of green energy jobs. More on Chu here: Obama chooses Steven Chu for Energy Secretary: report. And here: Steven Chu, next Energy Secretary.
Chu was one of three scientists who shared the Nobel Prize for physics in 1997 for work in cooling and trapping atoms with laser light. That's right, baby. Nobel laureate. But that's only the start of what makes him awesome.
He's a professor of physics and molecular and cell biology at the University of California, Berkeley, and has been the director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory since 2004, where he has pushed for research into alternative and renewable energy as a way to combat global warming.
That experience will be useful as the next energy secretary, as Obama has said that he wants to spend billions of dollars to promote alternative energy sources and create millions of green energy jobs. More on Chu here: Obama chooses Steven Chu for Energy Secretary: report. And here: Steven Chu, next Energy Secretary.
research questionnaire on attitudes toward disabilities
I receive a lot of requests from grad students who need help getting subjects for their research. Here's another one... My Kim Nguyen is a grad student in psychology at the University of South Alabama, and needs some Asian American participants to fill out a survey on ethnic identity, acculturation, and attitudes toward disabilities. To fill out the survey and learn more about the study, go here.
koream benefit show
As I mentioned before, the monthly Korean American magazine KoreAm Journal has recently been facing some tough times. Like many publications of its kind, KoreAm has been feeling the pinch of economic reality.
To help in the fight to keep the magazine afloat, my man PK of Kollaboration fame has organized a benefit show for KoreAm Journal. If you're in Southern California, come out to Long Beach tomorrow night and show your support. All proceeds from the show will go to KoreAm Journal.
The show will be hosted by Heroes star James Kyson Lee, with music by DJ Shy (of KIIS FM), featuring comedians Kevin Shea, Eliot Chang, Randall Park, Walter Hong, Andy Hur and PK, and musical performers Dumfoundead, Caroline Kang and Sam Geunjin Kang.
VIP tickets are $100. Tickets at the door are $30 and if you're on the guestlist, they're only $20—and that includes a one year subscription to Koream (regularly $28). So you get a free show, a one year subscription at $8 off, and you're supporting an important community publication. I say that's a fair deal.
It's all going down tomorrow night, Thursday, December 11, 9:45pm at the newly opened Laugh Factory in Long Beach. Get on the guest list by emailing pkguestlist@gmail.com. For more information about the event, go here.
car dealership radio ad spreads the hate
So get this. In Savannah, Georgia, O.C. Welch, a Ford dealer who is angry over the proposed bailout of U.S. automakers, took out a radio ad criticizing buyers of Japanese cars, calling the vehicles "rice ready... not road ready." Say what? Say hello anti-Asian sentiment on the airwaves: Angry Ford dealer in SC blasts imports in ads.
Welch owns a dealership near Savannah in Hardeeville, South Carolina. He began airing the minute-long ad, which sounds more like a talk-radio tirade than a sales pitch, on a dozen stations in the area over the weekend:
UPDATE: With all this rhetoric about "buying American," and people making idiotic radio commercials to that effect, this CNN article asks a very relevant question for our times: What makes a car American?.
Welch owns a dealership near Savannah in Hardeeville, South Carolina. He began airing the minute-long ad, which sounds more like a talk-radio tirade than a sales pitch, on a dozen stations in the area over the weekend:
All you people that buy all your Toyotas and send that money to Japan, you know, when you don't have a job to make your Toyota car payment, don't come crying to me," Welch says in the ad. "All those cars are rice ready. They're not road ready."What the hell does "rice ready" mean anyway? Welch apparently believes he is doing his part to help the sagging American economy. What he's really doing is spreading ignorance, hate and xenophobia in the form of an economic scapegoat. Funny, we've heard this before. It's rhetoric like this that can lead to an Asian American guy getting his head bashed in with a baseball bat...
UPDATE: With all this rhetoric about "buying American," and people making idiotic radio commercials to that effect, this CNN article asks a very relevant question for our times: What makes a car American?.
sun yue makes his nba debut
This week, Sun Yue of China played his first NBA regular-season game with the Lakers, scoring four points in a little over five minutes of action during the fourth quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks: Lakers' Sun rises to the occasion. Finally, the guy gets some game time.
Sun filled open roster spot when Luke Walton got sick with the flu. The 6'9" guard was acquired by the Lakers with a second-round pick in 2007 (40th overall), but he didn't sign until August of this year, and he's been on the bench ever since. Until Sunday night. That's one game under his belt.
Sun filled open roster spot when Luke Walton got sick with the flu. The 6'9" guard was acquired by the Lakers with a second-round pick in 2007 (40th overall), but he didn't sign until August of this year, and he's been on the bench ever since. Until Sunday night. That's one game under his belt.
12.09.2008
family killed in military jet crash
This absolutely is heart-wrenching. By now, you've probably heard about the Marine fighter jet that crashed in a neighborhood near San Diego, killing four members of the Yoon family in their home. Two children, their mother, and their grandmother died when a disabled F/A-18D Hornet crashed into their house in a fiery explosion. At first, the authorities could only locate three of the bodies: 3 killed as fighter jet crashes in San Diego.
The victims were identified as 2-month-old Rachel Yoon, her mother Young Yoon, and her grandmother Suk Im Kim, who had been visiting from Korea.
The second child, 15-month-old Grace Yoon, remained missing and was presumed dead when the search was called off due to darkness on Monday night. The search resumed this morning: Search resumes for girl missing from home hit by fighter jet. She was found this afternoon among the remains of the house: Fourth body found in home at site of military jet crash.
The father and husband, Dong Yun Yoon, was working at the family's wholesale company when a neighbor called him with the devastating news. In an instant, his entire family was gone in a freak accident. It's almost unbelievable, and I can't imagine what he must be going through.
The pilot of the fighter jet apparently ejected to safety just before the aircraft slammed into the ground. Two houses were destroyed, and three others were damaged. What went wrong? The military has set up a website to answer questions from University city residents about health issues or property damage related to the crash.
It would be understandable if Mr. Yoon was angry at the Marine Corps or the pilot himself, but at a press conference today, he expressed an astonishing amount of grace: Man who lost family when jet hit house: I don't blame pilot. He asked others to pray on the pilot's behalf. There's video here. It's pretty tough to watch. My heart goes out to him during this terrible time.
robberies targeting asians americans in philadelphia area
In Pennsylvania, state and local authorities suspect that they've uncovered a "shadowy organization" that has been terrorizing Asian Americans around Philadelphia and Delaware County with a series of gunpoint robberies and home invasions over the past two years: Cops warn Asian-Americans.
Last week, two men were charged with mugging a couple after they tailed their Mercedes-Benz from the mall back to their home. But there were three other similar cases in the same week involving Asian business owners, which prompted the District Attorney to put everyone on alert.
And this week, there were five more arrests, bringing the total number of arrests to seven: 5 More Arrests In Robberies Targeting Asian-Americans. The Philadelphia Police Department's Southwest Detectives, Pennsylvania State Police, the FBI and Delaware County were all involved in investigating the robberies.
The suspects can all apparently be linked to a larger crew responsible for dozens of armed robberies in the area, all targeting Asians. That's racist! My question is, according to the article, this "shadowy organization" has been targeting Asian Americans over the past two years. How is it that it took this long for authorities to figure out what was going on?
Last week, two men were charged with mugging a couple after they tailed their Mercedes-Benz from the mall back to their home. But there were three other similar cases in the same week involving Asian business owners, which prompted the District Attorney to put everyone on alert.
And this week, there were five more arrests, bringing the total number of arrests to seven: 5 More Arrests In Robberies Targeting Asian-Americans. The Philadelphia Police Department's Southwest Detectives, Pennsylvania State Police, the FBI and Delaware County were all involved in investigating the robberies.
The suspects can all apparently be linked to a larger crew responsible for dozens of armed robberies in the area, all targeting Asians. That's racist! My question is, according to the article, this "shadowy organization" has been targeting Asian Americans over the past two years. How is it that it took this long for authorities to figure out what was going on?
glitter glasses whatsisface responds to sean hannity
Over on Daily Kos, they post a letter Deepak Chopra wrote to Fox News' Sean Hannity basically calling him on his bullshit: Deepak Chopra let Hannity Have it!.
Chopra recently appeared Hannity's show to talk about the Mumbai terrorist attacks. Hannity later took Chopra's comments out of context and essentially boiled them down to somehow blaming America for the attacks.
I guess Elizabeth Hasselbeck gets her talking points from Sean Hannity. It certainly makes you wish Mr. "Glitter Glasses Whatshisface" would write Hasselbeck a letter too. Perhaps telling her to shut the hell up. Just a thought.
Chopra recently appeared Hannity's show to talk about the Mumbai terrorist attacks. Hannity later took Chopra's comments out of context and essentially boiled them down to somehow blaming America for the attacks.
I guess Elizabeth Hasselbeck gets her talking points from Sean Hannity. It certainly makes you wish Mr. "Glitter Glasses Whatshisface" would write Hasselbeck a letter too. Perhaps telling her to shut the hell up. Just a thought.
vietnamese american political power in orange county
Just sixteen years ago, Tony Lam, a 56-year-old refugee from Vietnam became the first Vietnamese American elected to public office in the United States. At the time, Lam was the lone Vietnamese face in the world of American politics, a distinction he held for nearly a decade.
Now, his fellow Vietnamese Americans are transforming the Orange County. Here's an interesting Los Angeles Times on the growing influence of Vietnamese Americans in Orange County politics: Orange County's Vietnamese American political scene comes of age.
It's pretty incredible. There are now ten Vietnamese Americans from Orange County who have been elected to school boards, city councils, the county Board of Supervisors and the state Assembly. And last week, Westminster because the first city in the nation with a majority Vietnamese American city council. That's political muscle, and it's only growing.
Now, his fellow Vietnamese Americans are transforming the Orange County. Here's an interesting Los Angeles Times on the growing influence of Vietnamese Americans in Orange County politics: Orange County's Vietnamese American political scene comes of age.
It's pretty incredible. There are now ten Vietnamese Americans from Orange County who have been elected to school boards, city councils, the county Board of Supervisors and the state Assembly. And last week, Westminster because the first city in the nation with a majority Vietnamese American city council. That's political muscle, and it's only growing.
woman swept out to sea during marriage proposal
This is one of the saddest things I've ever heard... a woman in Newskowin, Oregon went missing when she was swept out to sea during a marriage proposal: Would-Be Bride Swept to Sea During Proposal on Oregon Coast.
22-year-old Leafil Alforque was at Proposal Rock with her boyfriend when a 3-foot-high wave suddenly came in and caught her in the receding waters. The wave moved so quickly, her boyfriend Scott Napper was unable to help her. More here: Woman swept to sea during proposal on Oregon coast.
Police don't suspect any kind of foul play in Alforque's disappearance. Thick fog and dangerous water conditions off Neskowin Beach hampered the rescue efforts, and the search was called off Monday.
Napper and Alforque had been dating since they met on the internet in 2005. She arrived in Oregon on a visa from the Philippines just three days before the fateful trip to the coast. Say whatever you want about the way the two met... I'll admit, it comes off pretty weird. But nobody deserves to come all the way to the United States, only to die like this.
22-year-old Leafil Alforque was at Proposal Rock with her boyfriend when a 3-foot-high wave suddenly came in and caught her in the receding waters. The wave moved so quickly, her boyfriend Scott Napper was unable to help her. More here: Woman swept to sea during proposal on Oregon coast.
Police don't suspect any kind of foul play in Alforque's disappearance. Thick fog and dangerous water conditions off Neskowin Beach hampered the rescue efforts, and the search was called off Monday.
Napper and Alforque had been dating since they met on the internet in 2005. She arrived in Oregon on a visa from the Philippines just three days before the fateful trip to the coast. Say whatever you want about the way the two met... I'll admit, it comes off pretty weird. But nobody deserves to come all the way to the United States, only to die like this.
12.08.2008
carlos tevez does the slant eye
Oh look. Yet another athlete making the international gesture for "chink." That's Manchester United star Carlos Tevez of Argentina, rocking the slant-eye as he celebrates a goal last week against Blackburn: Oh Tevez, What Are You Doing, Son?. More here: Is Carlos Tevez Awakening Old Spanish Ghosts? Has this guy been hanging out with the Spanish basketball team? Why? Why are stupid people compelled to make this gesture?
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