apa caucus backs equity for filipino veterans

This week, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus backed legislation to reverse a six-decades-old law and award veterans' benefits to Filipinos who fought with the U.S. forces in World War II: Caucus Wants to Help Filipino Veterans. Originally, 250,000 Filipinos were recruited, mostly in 1941 as the United States built forces to counter any Japanese attacks on U.S. interests. The Philippines was a U.S. commonwealth then, and the recruits were promised they would be treated as U.S. veterans regarding benefits. When the war ended, Congress passed the 1946 Rescission Act, which stopped pension, health and burial benefits for nonservice-connected Filipino veterans. The proposed law would remove the rescission from the 1946 statute and restore the promised equity.

we want kato

Talk of a new Green Hornet movie has been bouncing around for years from studio to studio, with little to show for it. Last I heard, Kevin Smith had his hands on it, but that apparently fell through This time, the film rights have landed at Columbia Pictures, and it's being produced by Neal Moritz: Superhero Green Hornet may fly again in film. As fans know, Bruce Lee played the role of Kato on the old 1960s Green Hornet television show. So the question is, as we've always asked when there's talk of a Green Hornet movie, who will play Kato? Because let's face it—no one gives a crap about the Green Hornet. We care about Kato, and he better kick ass.

bad chinese food is bad for you

According to a new report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Chinese food is bad for you, loaded with sodium and fat and other nasty things: Chinese restaurant food draws criticism. Well, duh. If you're talking about crap like egg rolls and General Tso's chicken, like the report cites, then yes, such items are certainly bad for you. The same could be said of certain food items of other world cuisines. Hell, I bet most of the stuff they examined in this report isn't even "real" Chinese food—imagine how many bad Chinese takeout places are out there. And before you go pointing fingers and giving Chinese food a bad rap, let us consider the worst offender: American food. McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell. Yum. But it's a nutritional wasteland too.

the firing of carol lam

Another story on attorney Carol Lam, who has received national attention as one of eight federal prosecutors fired by the Justice Department: 'Safe' prosecutor pick among those fired. Democrats investigating the firings have questioned whether Lam's dismissal was linked to her office's corruption prosecution of now-jailed former Republican Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham. More on the investigation here: Ousted California Prosecutor Previously Had Disputes on Strategy. Meanwhile, Senator Dianne Feinstein wants answers about the departure of another former U.S. attorney Debra Yang, who resigned last October before the dismissal of the eight: Senator eyes another attorney departure

music will make your mandarin rock

Researchers from Northwestern University have found that people with musical training have an easier time learning Chinese: Skilled Ear for Music May Help Language. According to one of the study's authors, the findings suggested that studying music "actually tunes our sensory system." And Mandarin speakers have been shown to have a more complex encoding of pitch patterns in their brains than English speakers do. Suddenly, all those parents who put their kids in Mandarin classes are rushing to sign them up for music lessons too...

journey from the fall in theaters friday

As I've mentioned here several times before, Ham Tran's feature film Journey From The Fall opens in select cities this Friday, March 23rd from ImaginAsian Pictures. It's the epic story of one family's struggle for freedom and survival in the aftermath of the fall of Saigon in 1975. The film spans the city's burning streets, to imprisonment in Communist re-education camps, to the perilous sea escape from Vietnam, and the family's new life in the United States. It's an incredibly ambitious movie; you aren't supposed to make first features like this. And yet Ham Tran has done it, and he's made one hell of a film, bringing cinematic voice to the hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese Americans whose lives and stories reflect this journey. And it's a true American story.

The movie opens on Friday at theaters in New York, Orange County and San Jose. As with most independent Asian American films, this first weekend is critical for Journey From The Fall's theatrical run. If it does well this weekend, it will likely open in more theaters and cities—and this is the kind of film that everyone should go out and see. Here's a list of opening weekend theaters (and beyond):

March 23:
SAN JOSE, CA: Camera 12
NEW YORK, NY: The ImaginAsian
GARDEN GROVE, CA: Regal Garden Grove Stadium 16
WESTMINSTER, CA: Edwards Westminster 10

March 30:
HOUSTON, TX: Cinemark Tinseltown Westchase
DALLAS (GARLAND), TX: Cinemark Hollywood USA Movies 15
DALLAS (GRAND PRAIRIE), TX: Cinemark Movies 16

April 20:
CHICAGO (EVANSTON), IL: Century 12 Evanston/CineArts 6
SAN FRANCISCO, CA: 4 Star Theatre

As you can see, the roll-out plan is pretty limited right now. But if it does well this weekend in every city, it'll expand to other cities. Maybe even your city. So get the word out! I've talked about this film enough over the last year, festival after festival. Now it's your turn to go see it and get the word out. To learn more about the film, go here. And go here for a video message from the director and producer of Journey From The Fall.

25th sfiaaff: wednesday

More good stuff happening tonight at SFIAAFF, including the indie-pop edition of the festival's annual music showcase, Directions in Sound. With performances from KIIIIIII, Scrabbel, Dreamdate and DJ Pickpocket. Tonight at the Rickshaw Stop in San Francisco.

As for films, there's David Kaplan's pseudo-animated modern Cinderella drama Year of the Fish, fresh from Sundance, as well as Socheata Poeuv's award-winning documentary New Year Baby, both playing at the Opera Plaza.

Over at the Van Ness, you've got films like Doan Hoang's Oh Saigon, a documentary about one Vietnamese refugee family's story. It's paired in the same program with the Hung Nguyen's deeply moving short documentary Going Home. There's also Nick Broomfield's Ghosts, a fictionalized account of a true 2004 tragedy, when twenty-three illegal Chinese workers drowned at England's Morecambe Bay. And on the complete opposite side of the spectrum, you've got Johnnie To's acclaimed Hong Kong crime drama Exiled, his semi-sequel to 1999's The Mission. Lots of intense looks and dudes with guns. Finally, there's Joy Dietrich's long-awaited feature Tie a Yellow a Ribbon, a drama about the complex emotional struggles of Asian American women, and one of the first feature films to address the alarmingly high rates of suicide and depression among Asian American women. That should keep you busy tonight.

michael kang's west 32nd to premiere at tribeca

Should've mentioned this sooner... my man Michael Kang's new feature film West 32nd will make its world premiere next month at the Tribeca Film Festival. Here's the description blurb from Tribeca's press release:

West 32nd, directed by Michael Kang, written by Michael Kang and Edmund Lee. (U.S.A.) – World Premiere. After hustling his way onto a homicide case, an ambitious young lawyer (John Cho) infiltrates the gritty Korean underworld of New York, searching for clues. When he meets his match in the syndicate, they'll both do anything to get to the top. It's a raw and thrilling race. In English and Korean.

I know you've been looking forward to seeing this one. It's gonna be a party. The Tribeca Film Festival runs April 25-May 6. More info to come...

UPDATE:The West 32nd website has been updated with a nifty splash page with a first look at the movie. Not much there yet, but it does include a link to the trailer, so take a look.

random assortment of articles

Still playing catch up from all my traveling... In the interest of time and energy, and a strong, compelling desire to clean out my in-box (it's cathartic), I give you a whole bunch of random articles. The short version:

NPR story (and detailed timeline) on Carol Lam, one of eight U.S. attorneys fired by the Justice Department: How Prosecutor Lam's Case Was Handled

Yet another Nanking Massacre-based movie project, this one by Hong Kong director Yim Ho: Director Yim Ho's Nanjing Massacre Story Approved. I've lost count of how many of these movies are being worked on right now.

Last week, Jonathan Phong Khanh was convicted of killing a 15-year-old prostitute and sexually assaulting three other young girls: Tran guilty in prostitute's death, assaults

The Gersh Agency has signed comedian Henry Cho after his recent performances at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen: Gersh signs comic Cho.

A South Korean soldier may be a U.S. military deserter after he left his U.S. base and joined the South Korean army, apparently to avoid a tour of duty in Iraq: S.Korea haggles with U.S. on soldier who ducked Iraq

Tired of the fakers, Japan recently approved a campaign to certify "real" Japanese food overseas, including sushi: Japan to certify 'real'
sushi

Ratana Veth, a popular Cambodian actress and karaoke singer, is married to a Cambodian grocer and living in the Bronx: New Digs for 'Queen of the Fish'

Another good story on actor Kal Penn, who's having a heck of a year: Still in Touch With His Jersey Roots, an Actor Mines His Talent

Interesting Los Angeles Times story on cultural and generational issues facing Asian American churches: Asian American churches face leadership gap

In Syracuse, NY, a man wounded his wife and fatally shot his son over the son's marriage, then held police at bay for nearly 30 hours before he was found dead inside the home: N.Y. Standoff Ends With Father, Son Dead

A really fascinating (and painful) story on the survivors of foot binding: Painful Memories for China's Footbinding Survivors. What a stupid thing to make someone do.

Another article checking in on the landscape of (surviving) Asian American television networks: Scene Change for Asian TV

the host poster winners

We have some winners... thank you to everyone who participated in The Host poster giveaway (courtesy of Magnolia Pictures). Here are the lucky three:

Nancy W. of Schertz, TX (favorite monster movie: Interview with the Vampire)
Evan O. of San Gabriel, CA (favorite movie monster: "The Ring girl")
Andi B. of Irvine, CA (favorite movie monster: "fucking velociraptors from Jurassic Park")

They've each scored themselves a poster of The Host, autographed by director Bong Joon-Ho. The movie continues to open in theaters all around the country this weekend. For a full list of dates and theaters, go here. John S., an enthusiastic reader who loved The Host was inspired to create these two kickass pieces of art. Very cool. It's just a freaking awesome monster flick, so check out The Host and have a good time at the movies.

yul kwon supports hr 121

Survivor winner Yul Kwon continues to use his fame towards important causes... In this video, he lends his support to House Resolution 121, introduced by Congressman Mike Honda, calling on Japan to unequivocally apologize and take full responsibility for the enslavement of girls at rape centers ("comfort stations") during World War II: Yul Kwon Supports Resolution Calling on Japan to Apologize. The video features the testimonies of two survivors of tell of their ordeals in harrowing detail. It's pretty difficult to listen to. Learn more about this issue at Support121.org. This Thursday, March 22nd is Support 121 Coalition Lobby Day on Capitol Hill. A group of coalition members will go in teams to meet with House Representatives in their office. They'll give them information about HR 121 and ask them to co-sponsor it. To learn more, go here. This has become more important than ever, since the Japanese government repeated again last week that there is no evidence of sex slavery: Japan Stands by Declaration on 'Comfort Women'

beaten for looking "chinese"

This is insane... In New York, a high school student says she was brutally punched, kicked and teased for looking "Chinese" by a pack of kids as she rode a city bus home from school—and claims the bus driver did nothing except tell her to "go to a priest": GIRL'S BLOODY BEATING. Marie Stefanie Martinez, who is from the Philippines, was attacked by a group of ten teenagers for no other reason than but her appearance. Her Asian appearance. That's racist! And what kind of world do we live in where a girl gets beaten by a bus mob and the bus driver doesn't do a damn thing? Somebody needs to get fired.

stuff happening everywhere

Some events this week... for those of you in the Bay Area, Sung H. Kim's documentary Mighty Warriors of Comedy, all about the sketch comedy group 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors, is having a screening and DVD launch event on Wednesday, March 21st in San Francisco. Hosted by Kearny Street Workshop and the Center for Asian American Media. There will be a screening, a Q & A, and performances by Charlie Chin and possibly the Mighty Mountain Warriors themselves... for more information, go here or here. Good times.

For those in Los Angeles, check out the singer/songwriter showcase IndieGo, this Friday, March 23rd at Tangier, featuring the likes of Ginnicide, Scott Tang, Franki Love, Kiyoshi Graves, and a rare West Coast performance by Kevin So. Doors open at 7:00pm. More good times. It should be a lot of fun, so be there.

And this week in New York, the 14th Annual Forum on Asian/Pacific American Youth Culture is happening March 23rd at New York University's Silver Center. This year's forum title is "Breaking Free: The APAYA Revolution." Looks like a great way for enthusiastic young people to get involved with activism and empowerment, with workshops relating family, dating, gender, hate crimes, consumerism, the internet, media, music, and spoken word. For more information, go here.

20th sfiaaff: tuesday

I was hoping to write up some stuff about SFIAAFF over the weekend, but alas, life got in the way. Nevertheless, there are several good, solid days of the festival left, with a great schedule of films... Like tonight, there's the Music Video Asia 2007 shorts program, a blend of cool, wacky, fresh and fun videos from Asian and Asian American bands. There's also Stephane Gauger's feature debut Owl and the Sparrow, a romance set in modern Saigon. And Asian American film fans, old and new, shouldn't pass up the chance to see the 1988 film The Wash, a tribute to the late Mako, who performs alongside the late Nobu McCarthy in a story by acclaimed playwright Philip Kan Gotanda. Newschoolers could learn a thing a two from these folks. Another film I've been really looking forward to seeing is Romeo Candido's Filipino supernatural thriller Ang Pamana: The Inheritance. The online trailer gave me the creeps, and the film's premiere was a hit at the Hawaii International Film Festival late last year. Finally, one of the films I'm most curious about is Juwan Chung's Los Angeles gang drama Baby, which seems to be part of a recent trend of Asian American gangster films. And I like gangster films.

"chinaman" and "slanting eyes"

Last week, Ted Turner apologized for comments he made about China and Chinese people, including using the term "Chinaman," at a Bay Area Council meeting in a talk about global warming: Ted Turner apologizes for remarks on Chinese. When asked about how to win China's cooperation in reducing greenhouse gases, Turner said:

"The Chinese are very smart. Just think: Have you ever met a dumb Chinaman? ...Very seldom do you see Chinese restaurants close. I'm in the restaurant business, and it's very tough. They work very hard."

Community leaders and officials at the council immediately called for an apology, which he issued in statement from his spokesman. He claims that he was unaware the term "Chinaman" was derogatory. You've got to be kidding me. A guy who is supposed to be a well-traveled world business leader? We live in an ignorant world.

Speaking of world leaders making stupid comments, Canadian politician Andre Boisclair was talking about global competition from Asian economies like India and China and the number of young people from these countries coming to study in the U.S., when he said:

"The reality is these countries are not just working to create jobs in sweatshops... When I was in Boston [studying at Harvard]... I was surprised to see that on campus about one-third of the students doing their bachelor's degrees had slanting eyes."

That's racist! Not only is it an offensive racist stereotype, there's also the xenophobic presumption that everyone with "slanted eyes" could only be from a foreign nation like China or India. When called on his comments, Boisclair adamantly refused to apologize: Boisclair won't say he's sorry for "slanting eyes" comment aimed at Asians. More here: Boisclair won't apologize. He claims the comment he made, "les yeux bridés" (slanting eyes) is an acceptable expression in French: Boisclair defends 'slanting eyes' comments. I find that suspect. I don't care what language he used. That's racist!

recovery

Hey everybody. Sorry for the lack of recent updates. I've been doing some heavy traveling the last few days, and it's taking its toll on me... and it might take a few days to get back up to speed. Thank you for your patience.

25th sfiaaff: opening night

All right. This is it. The 25th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival starts today, and runs through March 25th in locations around the Bay Area. Congratulations, SFIAAFF. Twenty-five years. The festivities kick off tonight with the Opening Night Gala presentation of Justin Lin's Finishing the Game at the Castro Theatre. Fresh from Sundance, it's a hilarious 1970s-era mockumentary about Hollywood's attempt to find a replacement for Bruce Lee and finish Game of Death. Should be an exciting, historic evening.

Over the next ten days, I'll try to highlight some of the noteworthy programs and screenings happening during the festival. Tomorrow night, the first two films in SFIAAFF's Hong Sang Soo Retrospective, celebrating the works of the master South Korean director. And on the complete opposite side of the spectrum... a 20th anniversary screening John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China. Hands down, one of the craziest movies ever made, playing at one of the greatest film festivals in the nation.

olivia cheng will play iris chang

According to this story, Canadian actress Olivia Cheng will play the lead role in a feature film about American writer Iris Chang: Alberta actress to portray famed Chinese-American writer. The movie, entitled Iris Chang, started production in China in December and will shoot scenes in Canada, Japan and the U.S. this spring in time for release at the end of the year. I'm not sure if this is same Iris Chang project I mentioned here last month. There are so many Nanking projects in the works these days, it's getting hard to keep them all straight...

director james wan on dead silence

Here's an interview with writer/director James Wan, creator of the highly successful (and gross) Saw franchise: James Wan Breaks His Dead Silence. His new movie Dead Silence opens on Friday. It's another horror film, and it looks pretty bad. All I know is, it involves creepy ventriloquist dolls, and that's just something I don't want to see.

learn mandarin or get left behind

Yet another one of these articles on the growing number of Mandarin-language programs in U.S. schools: As China's power grows, so do Chinese programs in public schools. No joke, China's rapid economic growth is opening up huge opportunities for future business, and it seems that parents do not want their kids to left behind.

more more namesake articles

Another article on Mira Nair and The Namesake: Mira Nair's Parent Trap. Aaaaand another: The Endless Journey Home. The movie expands to more cities this weekend and in coming weeks. There's a list of cities and theaters over at The Namesake Blog

linda park on raines

The NBC crime drama Raines, starring Jeff Goldblum, premieres on Thursday night. It's about a police detective who's having a mental crisis, and hallucinates talking to the victims whose deaths he's investigating. Actress Linda Park, formerly of Star Trek: Enterprise (RIP), is in the starring cast as Officer Something Lance. I say "something" because the NBC website lists her character's name in different places as "Kim Lance" and "Michelle Lance," and TV.com calls her "Sally Lance." So it's something Lance. Anyway, I caught a look at the pilot episode, and she doesn't have a huge role from what I can see, but hopefully there's room to grow... if the series lasts.

all hail the center

Jeff Yang's latest "Asian Pop" column looks back at the celebrated history of the Center for Asian American Media (formerly NAATA) in San Francisco, a hallowed institution in the landscape of Asian American media: Silver Screen. It's a nice look at the past, present and future of the organization. The best really is yet to come. But I'll admit as well, I still have a hard time referring to it as anything other than "NAATA." Full disclosure: I used to work for NAATA in my formative years, and have many, many fond memories of my time there. Big props to the people and their work at the Center.

restaurant owner fights back

Meet Jason Lee, the Philadelphia restaurant owner who fought back... and killed a dude. Last week, he shot and killed a would-be robber and wounded another one when they tried to hold up his restaurant: Diner Owner Tells All After Killing Would-Be Robber. More here: Owner fights back, kills robber. And it turns out this isn't the first time this has happened to him: Deja vu for diner owner who shot 2 during holdup. He was apparently involved in a similar shooting where he killed two guys back in 1993.

national asian american theater festival

This is great news... the very first National Asian American Theater Festival will be held June 11-24 at several locations in New York City: Asian-American Theaters Plan New Festival. The festival is a result of discussions between six prominent Asian American theater companies—Pan Asian Repertory Theater, East West Players, Ma-Yi Theater, the National Asian American Theater Company, Second Generation and Mu Performing Arts. The two-week event will draw more than 25 companies and individuals from around the United States, with backgrounds from Cambodia, China, Japan, Korea, Laos, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam reflected in their work. For more information about the festival, go here.

damn right he's getting his money

Ralph Lee, the oldest surviving subject of Canada's infamous Chinese head tax, got his apology and compensation on Saturday—his 107th birthday: Oldest Surviving Chinese Head Tax Subject Gets Compensation

the sad story of zhang hongqqi

This is the tragic story of Zhang Hongqi, who was stabbed to death on a Flushing street corner in February. Working as a restaurant deliveryman, he called his wife and daughter in China every day for five years. One day, the call never came: The Death of a Family Man

it's lonely up there

The New York Times has a story on the tallest dude in basketball, 7-foot-9 Sun Ming Ming of China: Basketball Skills Come Slowly to a 7-Foot-9 Center From China. It's lonely up there, so he's been hanging with 7-foot-7 former NBA center Gheorghe Muresan. The accompanying photo of the two together looks like it's been distorted or stretched in some way, but it hasn't. Those are just two really really monstrously tall guys.

jackie chan wants you.... to be a cop

Jackie Chan is in a new public service ad promoting the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department to Asian Americans: Chan Promotes L.A. County Sheriff Dept. The ad shows him urging potential recruits to join the force. The department hopes the commercial, which will be shown during recruitment fairs, will help boost the low number of Asian Americans in their ranks.

ransacking asian films

This entry over at Webs of Significance points us to this article on the success of The Departed and what that means for Hollywood's interest in Asian films like Infernal Affairs: Hollywood's Asian affair. I think we're a long way off from Hollywood giving Asian films their due respect. Let's not forget that gaffe at the Oscars, where the announcer mistakenly called The Departed a remake of a Japanese film. The fact of the matter is, Hollywood is going to keep ransacking Asian films for ideas... and that's pretty much it.

don't even bother asking

According to this Gallup poll, Americans claim they will be willing to vote for a woman or a black for president next year, but still raise questions about voting for a well-qualified Mormon, a Hispanic, a homosexual or someone who has been divorced twice: Gallup: Americans Say They Will Vote for a Black or Woman -- But a Mormon? A 72-Year-Old? Man, are you telling me that the possibility of an Asian American president is so unlikely they didn't even bother including it as an option in the survey?

dr. yu fought gout

Dr. Tsai-Fan Yu, a physician and researcher at Mount Sinai Medical Center who helped explain a principal cause of gout and evaluated early drugs to treat the disease that are still in use, died earlier this month in Manhattan. She was 95: Tsai-Fan Yu, 95, Physician, Dies; Helped Alleviate Gout. Gout sucks. But now it sucks less, thanks to the work of Dr. Yu.

win an autographed poster of the host

Just wanted to remind everybody that you still have a chance to win a poster for the awesome South Korean monster movie The Host, signed by director Bong Joon-Ho. To enter the drawing, just answer these three very easy questions: 1) Name one of director Bong Joon-ho's previous films. 2) Name one of actor Song Kang-ho's previous films. 3) Name your favorite movie monster (no wrong answer for this one). Email me your answers, along with your mailing address, with "HOST POSTER" clearly written in the subject line, by the end of Wednesday, March 14th. Duplicate entries, as well as entries that don't follow these simple instructions (some folks haven't included their address), will be thrown out. Three winners will be randomly picked from the correct responses. Good luck. And to learn more about The Host, go here.

UPDATE: The contest is now closed. Thank you for entries. Winners will be announced shortly

kirin desai's inheritance of loss wins book award

Kiran Desai's novel The Inheritance of Loss, "a narrative of global discovery and displacement," received the National Book Critics Circle fiction award last week: Desai's 'Inheritance' Wins Fiction Prize. How soon until the book gets made into a movie?

chinese woman elected in ireland

Last week Anna Lo, a Hong Kong native who has lived in Northern Ireland for 32 years, became the first ethnic minority to be elected to political office in Ireland: Chinese politician wins in N. Ireland. Chinese media reports are also describing her as the first Chinese person to be elected as a lawmaker anywhere in Europe. Lo was one of seven people elected to the 108-member Northern Ireland Assembly from the Alliance Party: Lo takes seat for South Belfast. She says she wanted to give a voice to Chinese people who never felt they had any part to play in Northern Ireland politics. Well, she won. And that is a fine start.

hate crime kid gets jail time

Last week in Queens, Kevin M. Brown was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for beating two Asian men with a car's antitheft steering lock last August. One of the men suffered lacerations and loosened teeth, and the other a possible skull fracture. Brown, the son of a cop, pleaded guilty in State Supreme Court on January 17 to second-degree assault as a hate crime: Queens: Man Sentenced for Bias Attack. And more here: Bias beating lands him in jail. While Brown initially tried to deny it was a hate crime, a witness apparently hear him yelling, "You goook, stay out of our neighborhood." That's a hate crime. More details on the assault here.

nanking documentary coming to a theater near you

The North American distribution rights for the documentary Nanking have been sold to THINKFilm: Leonsis Sells Film Distribution Rights. The film tells the story of the 1937 Japanese invasion of Nanking, China, through the recollections of a small group of Westerners who established a safety zone that provided a haven for more than 200,000 Chinese. More here: "Nanking" documentary lands U.S. distribution. You'll probably have to keep an eye out for it, but it looks like it'll be coming to a theater near you later this year.

evil still prevails

So get this... the good news is, The Daily Chronicle will no longer be running Ann Coulter's columns: Ann Coulter no longer welcome in the Chronicle. The bad news: they're replacing her with Michelle Malkin. Gaaaaaaah. One evil traded for another.

first korean in the billiards hall of fame

The late Lee Sang-chun will be the first Korean to be inducted into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame. The BCA said it will hold a Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Lee, a South Korean expatriate who won numerous championship titles in Korea and America, on May 16 at the Riviera Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas: Korean Billiards Champ Named to U.S. Hall of Fame. Dude, I didn't even know there was a Billiards Hall of Fame.

leave the poetry to the experts

Some more video love for spoken word artist Beau Sia... here's a clip of him performing on Def Poetry Jam: Beau Sia - Def Poetry Jam. The guy is an asskicking wordsmith.

Speaking of poets, Queens is looking for a new poet laureate: What Rhymes With Queens? The amazing Ishle Yi Park became the borough's poet laureate in 2004 (beating out Run-DMC's Reverend Run!), making us all pretty damn proud.

investigation, but no apology for comfort women

After triggering international outrage earlier this month by saying that there was no proof that the Japanese military forced women into sexual slavery during World War II, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said last week that ruling party lawmakers will conduct a fresh investigation into these claims: Japan to probe WWII military brothels. But of course, the official response is as stubborn as ever—Japan will not apologize again for the "comfort stations." More on this story in this article, with perpsectives from the victims: Denial Reopens Wounds of Japan’s Ex-Sex Slaves.

yao's "chopstick finger"

This happened last week, a minor bit of throwaway racism worth nothing... Bill Simmons wrote a running diary of last week's Rockets/Celtics game for his "Page 2" column: Running with the Celtics. At 9:42, he makes this observation:

9:42 -- Coming out of commercial, we see a replay of Yao's finger getting bent back on a rebound and Yao screaming in pain, followed by Gorman reporting that Yao went to the locker room to get it checked out, then Tommy joking, "That was his chopstick finger, too, he may not be able to eat anymore!" and Gorman changing the subject as fast as humanly possible.

(The lesson, as always: It's never dull when anyone older than 70 is allowed near a microphone during a sporting event.)

True, true. It's the old guys that always seem to make the bonehead comments. No, wait. Young guys make the bonehead comments too. Okay, I guess no one is really immune to making bonehead comments. That's racist!

chinese canadian brothers honored... finally

Two Chinese Canadian brothers killed six months apart during the World War II will soon be nominated for national recognition by the Chinese Canadian Military Museum: Asian-Canadian soldiers lauded. Joseph Hong, who died in action on May, 23, 1944, was a navigator in the Royal Canadian Air Force, while his brother George Hong, who died Sept. 8, 1944, was an army private. The two men were among 600 to 800 Canadian-born Chinese who volunteered to serve in the Canadian military during the Second World War.

australian high school brawl

Videos of a mass brawl at a Sydney, Australia high school have been posted on YouTube, along with abusive comments suggesting the fight was racially motivated: School 'race' brawl on film. The video seems to be an all-out fist fight between two groups of men. According to the story, one clip, tagged "Cumberland High Fight - Wogz vs Azns," is posted with a hip-hop soundtrack and the title page "Azns Get Jumped 12 on 12 not 30 on 12 Mudafukaz." I did a YouTube search for these videos and didn't come up with anything, but the article links to a brief clip. I honestly couldn't tell what was going on, except for a lot of shouting.

you don't take away a man's koi

A restaurant owner gets to keep his koi: Restaurant Owner Fights for Koi, and Wins. This guy waged a lengthy and costly court battle against the State of Maine to reclaim the fish, which are illegal in the state without a permit. But he got them back. You take away the man's koi, you take away his good luck and prosperity. And that ain't right.

more on the namesake

Two more stories on The Namesake: Nair's 'The Namesake': A Life Between Two Worlds. And here: 'The Namesake' spoke to their hearts. Really, my friends. Do check out this film.

chinese adoptees enter jewish womanhood

The New York Times has a story on the generation of Chinese girls adopted by Jewish parents who are now coming of age and taking the rite of passage into Jewish womanhood—bat mitzvah: Journey From a Chinese Orphanage to a Jewish Rite of Passage. You'd think the usual narrative would be that kids are growing up all confused, but the article seems to indicate that the kids are pretty well-adjusted and comfortable with their identities.

sfiaaff: castro theatre coupon

The 25th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival is less than a week away. It's gonna be pretty freaking awesome. Have you bought your tickets yet? Shows sell out fast, so make sure you've got yours. And if you're going to a screening at the Castro Theatre, why not get a dollar off? Just print out this coupon and present it at the box office to get a dollar discount to any festival screening at the historic Castro Theatre (excluding Opening Night and Centerpiece Presentation). Personally, I recommend the Flower Drum Song Sing-a-long screening. The festival runs March 15-25 in San Francisco, Berkeley and San Jose.

woody pak and prime are hyped

Indie label Chaos Theory Music just released a new single, "HYPED Urban Remix," a rock-rap crossover collaboration between producer/composer Woody Pak and rapper Prime. It's the first in line amongst Chaos Theory's upcoming series of singles called the "Out of the Box" series, which will showcase songs by Woody Pak featuring various artists and rap artists. The video for "Hyped," as well as a "making-of" documentary is available for viewing here and here. I'm listening to the track right now, it's pretty hot. The single, both in physical and digital form, is available for purchase at the Chaos Theory Music store. Take a listen, 'cause it's good stuff.

npr's "this i believe": yinong young-xu

"I believe that we are brutal because innocence can be corrupted, like mine was as a 6-year-old in a time of revolution." Yinong Young-Xu, who emigrated from Shanghai to the U.S. when he was 16, offers a very interesting perspective for the audio essay series "This I Believe" on NPR's Morning Edition: A Potential for Brutality.

best damn korean monster movie ever

The fantastic South Korean monster movie The Host opens in select U.S. theaters on Friday, and to celebrate this occasion the fine folks at Magnolia Pictures are giving away three posters, signed by acclaimed director Bong Joon-ho, to the good readers of this website. It's this crazy awesome image of a monster tail-thing coming out of the water. Tell me that is not cool.

To enter the drawing, you must answer three very easy questions: 1) Name one of director Bong Joon-ho's previous films. 2) Name one of actor Song Kang-ho's previous films. 3) Name your favorite movie monster (no wrong answer for this one).

Email me your answers, along with your mailing address, with "HOST POSTER" clearly written in the subject line, by Wednesday, March 14th. Duplicate entries, as well as entries that don't follow these simple instructions, will be thrown out. Three winners will be randomly picked from the correct responses. Good luck. To learn more about The Host, go here.

UPDATE: The contest is now closed. Thank you for entries. Winners will be announced shortly.

Here's a good interview with director Bong: Exclusive: The Host's Bong Joon-ho. I highly recommend this film. I had heard it was a huge hit in Korea, and a lot of folks told me it was pretty damn awesome, so my expectations were high. I don't particularly like or dislike monster movies, but given the kind of Hollywood garbage that passes for a creature feature these days, the genre hasn't done much for me in recent years.

The Host isn't perfect, but damn, it's a hell of a fun ride. On the surface, you could say The Host is about a horrifying monster that emerges from the Han River to wreak havoc on the people of Seoul. The gigantic monster eats people. That could sum it up.

But Bong takes it to another level, telling the story of a family trying to get their beloved daughter back. At first thinking she's dead, they realize she has survived the monster attack when they hear her voice over a faint cell phone call. So they set off to get her back. It helps that her uncle was once a crafty student protestor during his college days, and her aunt is a ranking medalist in archery. These skills will, of course, come in handy later.

Outside the standard monster movie plot, the film explores issues of U.S. military occupation, the country's deep class divide, the breakdown of the family unit. And like Bong's previous films, he manages to mix in the frightening and creepy stuff with some wonderfully comic moments. There was a scene where literally laughing and crying at the same time.

It's a shining gem in the genre—I really hope this film gets the audience it deserves in the United States. My only real concern is that much of its appeal is so culturally specific, it'll just be passed off as a substandard monster flick by American audiences. But there's so much more to it!

I can see why this movie was such a box office smash in Korea. Korean audiences got to see this grotesque beast chomping up people on the shore of the Han, right there in their own locale. They must have ate it up. It's also the main reason why the announced Hollywood remake is such a terrible idea. Anyway, go check out The Host, even if you don't like monster movies. It's an enormously entertaining good ride.

mira nair's the namesake

A couple of stories on Kal Penn, who stars in Mira Nair's The Namesake—definitely a bit of a departure from his recent work of late (Harold and Kumar, Van Wilder, Epic Movie), but he's fit for the job: The White-Castle Ceiling. And here: 'Kumar' makes a name for himself. He was apparently trying to buy the rights to produce The Namesake with John Cho when he found out Nair was already directing it. Here's also a Fresh Air interview with Mira Nair: Mira Nair Brings 'The Namesake' to Film. And another good interview here: Exclusive: Filmmaker Mira Nair.

I had the chance to catch a screening of The Namesake a few weeks ago, and really enjoyed myself. It's a well-directed, gorgeously shot portrait of an Indian American family, spanning two cultures and two generations. I never got around to reading Jhumpa Lahiri's novel, but I'm told it's a very faithful adaptation, at least in spirit. The story isn't primarily about Kal Penn's character Gogol, as some of the trailers indicate. And the movie isn't necessarily all about his identity struggle with being Indian American, caught between two worlds and all that (though it's certainly a part of it). It's more to do with that fact that Gogol has a really weird name, and his parents don't get him (and vice versa). I would argue though that the movie is more a story about Gogol's parents, played by Tabu and Irrfan Khan (who are absolutely incredible). Their story is deeply affecting, and as a second generation Asian American kid, I couldn't help but think of my own parents' immigration story. In that sense, the universal way this story hits home—a wholly American family story, regardless of ethnicity—it's an incredibly moving film. I'll admit, a few moments had me reaching for the tissues. Nair ends the film with a dedication "to all the parents," which prompted me to call my mom after the screening. The Namesake opens in select cities tomorrow, March 9th.

eric byler at depaul, student conferences

This is for my pals at DePaul. For those of you in Chicago, here's something for you to do tonight... filmmaker Eric Byler will be speaking at DePaul University, showing clips from Americanese and My Life Disoriented in presentation called, "Asian Pacific Americans in 2006-2008: Art, Media Representation, and Social Responsibility." He'll be joined by other APA activists who will answer some questions from the audience and talk about their experiences during the Virginia Senate campaign. Tonight, March 8th at DePaul University, Schmidtt Academic Center (SAC) 161. For more information, go here.

Speaking of colleges... the Midwest Asian American Student Union's (MAASU) annual spring conference is happening this weekend, March 9-11, at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. This year's conference theme is "Embrace, Empower and Envision." Looks like they've got a pretty solid program (Eric Byler will be speaking here too). For more information, go here.

And since we're talking about student conferences... heads up, the 21st KASCON (Korean American Student Conference) happens later this month, March 29-April 1, at the University of California at San Diego, where it's always sunny and warm. The conference theme is "New Wave." As usual, lots of great workshops, speakers and entertainers, including Sung Kang; Eddie Kim, Founder of Projekt NewSpeak; Judge Tammy Ryu, California's first Korean American woman judge; Dai-Sil Kim Gibson, Producer of Silence Broken: Korean Comfort Women; Lee Ann Kim, anchor and reporter for KGTV in San Diego; Ken Oak Band, Chan, Burning Tree Projekt... and a whole mess of others. For more information about the conference, go here.

kenneth eng is dragon crazy

Wow. This has to be seen to be believed. "Asian Supremacist" and dragon-obsessed Kenneth Eng, who, if you haven't heard, "hates blacks," finally comes out of hiding to say all sorts of crazy things on Fox News. And man, the guy is just straight-up insane, like from the fourth dimension: Kenneth Eng. The guy asks him about his racist column and Eng starts going on about... dragons? Awesome. Gibson must have been thinking, "Where the hell did we dig up this freak?" Something is seriously wrong with Kenneth Eng. But we already knew that. Now we just have it captured on video.

UPDATE: Here's a transcript of the segment, for those you can't watch the video: 'Why I Hate Blacks' Author Defends Column. But honestly, you really have to see the video to get the full effect.

life after the view

Here's an article on journalist Lisa Ling, who's been taking on some serious subjects as a correspondent for National Geographic Channel's Explorer—most recently reporting undercover in North Korea: TV journalist Lisa Ling's new view. Man, I'm bet she's glad she left The View before it turned into a full-fledged joke. She seems to be the only one on the show that had her head on straight. On to bigger and better things...

imaginasian's new theater

I mentioned this when the deal was first struck... Asian American multimedia company ImaginAsian has plans to revitalize the old Linda Lea Theater in downtown Los Angeles, which has been boarded up for the last twenty years, into a new theater specializing in Asian and Asian American cinema: Curtain rises again in Little Tokyo. It'll be downtown Los Angeles' first new theater in more than twenty years. Demolition was completed recently, and they've been uncovering quite a few interesting relics from the theater's past. The new theater, the ImaginAsian Center, is scheduled to open late in the summer.

legislation for filipino veterans

Filipino-born veterans who fought alongside U.S. troops during World War II are hoping that new legislation will allow them to be reunited with their families without further delays in the lengthy immigration process: Hope for Amends to Filipino Immigrants. They're also still pushing for a bill that would grant Filipino veterans military pensions. About 5,000 veterans in the United States would stand to benefit from a change in immigration provisions, and an additional 10,000 in the Philippines could be eligible for pensions.

paul kim needs a job

An update on ejected American Idol contestant Paul Kim: 'American Idol': Paul Kim taking it slow in Saratoga. What's he been up to? Not a whole lot. But it looks like his short stint on the show made him a lot of fans. Now that he's off the show, his MySpace page is back up and running, with sound clips.

first look: kid heroes' the ones and twos

The prolific forces over at Kid Heroes Productions have unveiled their latest project, a short film called The Ones and Twos. Watch it here. Good stuff. That's the five-minute version. An extended cut will be available soon... and possibly even a feature film. It could happen. Meanwhile, they've also just premiered the music video for Native Guns' "Champion." Very cool, nicely done.

david henry hwang's golden child in chicago

This one's for you, Chicago... The midwest premiere of David Henry Hwang's Golden Child is currently playing in Chicago, presented by the Silk Road Theatre Project.

Set in China in the early 1900’s, the Obie Award winning Golden Child tells the story of Eng Tieng-Bin, a wealthy merchant who returns from abroad filled with Western ideas and Christian beliefs and hopes of liberating China from its superstitious past. But in a polygamous marriage riddled with jealousy and suspicion, what will Eng’s religious conversion mean for each of his three wives? Can new ideas and old traditions co-exist or are they destined to collide?

The production runs through April 22 at the Historic Chicago Temple Building. For more tickets and show info, go here.

gwen loves asians... a little too much

Here's one for the Gwenihana blog. MadTV spoofs Gwen Stefani and her four Asian accessories, the Harajuku Girls: "Aren't Asians Great?" Funny, but I think this is the 56th time we've seen
Bobby Lee in drag. And dude, the guy is not getting any prettier.

new sunshine trailer

Cool-looking new trailer for Danny Boyle's sci-fi flick Sunshine, from a UK site. You get a glimpse of Michelle Yeoh somewhere in there. Really looking forward to seeing this movie. Too bad the U.S. release date has been shuffled around again to near the end of the year. Booooo. (Thanks, Ryan)

snow white and the seven shaolin monks

We've heard a few things over the years about plans to retell the Snow White and the Seven Dwarves story as a martial arts movie, directed by the master Yuen Wo-Ping. Snow White and Seven Shaolin Monks. Sounds pretty stupid, but I'll admit, I kind of want to see it. So where's the movie? Jim Hill has quite a few new details about the project, slated for a 2008 release:

Speaking of action-adventure, Walt Disney Pictures is looking to put a martial arts spin on the studio's animated masterpiece, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" with the studio's 2008 release, "Snow and the Seven." This live action feature (Which the studio hopes to shoot on-location in China) is set in the 1880s, when an reluctant English princess suddenly finds herself in need of protection while traveling overseas. And who then comes to her aid? Seven Shaolin monks.

I know, I know. "Snow and the Seven" sounds kind of bizarre. Though -- truth be told -- this production has a pretty amazing pedigree. The film's screenplay has been written by Michael Chabon, the 2001 Pulitzer Prize-winner who also crafted the scripts for "Spider-Man 2" and "Wonder Boys." And for Woo-ping Yuen, the movie's director ... This is the guy who choreographed all of the fight sequences in the "Kill Bill" films as well as the "Matrix" trilogy.

And Yuen ... According to what studio sources have told me, Woo-ping is looking to make "Snow and the Seven" the "Ocean's 11" of martial arts movies. Meaning that Yuen is out to recruit some of the biggest names in martial arts film history to make appearances in this motion picture. Then add to this Chabon's clever concept that each of the Shaolin priests will have at least one trait that will remind viewers of the dwarfs from Disney's 1937 animated version ... And it sounds like "Snow and the Seven" could be one fun flick.

Okay, the premise still sounds pretty dumb. But written by Michael Chabon? Directed by Yuen Wo Ping? Possibly starring the biggest name in martial arts? That sounds like a hell of a movie. (Thanks, Philip)

wasabi spill!

Kind of funny when spilt wasabi is considered newsworthy... but I guess it's a big deal when it happens on the international space station: Astronaut Has 'Wasabi Spill' in Space. Astronaut Sunita Williams was trying to have herself a sushi dinner in space when the wasabi went flying. Zero gravity style. Bet that was hell to clean up.

halle berry as vanita gupta?

Halle Berry is going to star in the movie Tulia, about a lawyer investigating an infamous Texas drug bust. The story centers on the 1999 arrests of 46 black men in the impoverished town of Tulia, Texas—a sting effort where no money, drugs or illegal weapons were found on any of the suspects: Director Franklin stung by "Tulia". Yay, but so what? The woman Berry will portray is real-life lawyer Vanita Gupta, lead attorney for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, which intervened to free the wrongly convicted citizens. Interesting, so is Berry really going to play Gupta? Or will change the ethnicity of the character?

asians playing football

A story from a few weeks back on the Boston Asian Football League, started by some dudes who wanted to get together, play some football, and give back to the community: Touch Down. Here's the league's website: BAFL--The Baddest Asian Football League in this Galaxy!

Speaking of Asians playing football... the NFL is training Gao Wei, Ding Long and Shen Yalei to become the first Chinese to play pro football in America. According to this little news bite, the three are hard at work learning how to kick a football, with the possibility of playing this summer in the NFL's first exhibition game in China. All this, so the NFL can potentially tap the crazy profitable Chinese market. Can these guys make it in the NFL? It's not like baseball, which already has a global presence.

carol lam appears on capitol hill

Former U.S. Attorney Carol Lam appeared on Capitol Hill today, to answer questions about her dismissal, along with other federal prosecutors. Congressional Democrats want to know more about why Lam and seven other U.S Attorneys were abruptly asked to step down by their bosses at the Department of Justice, suspecting political reasons: Dismissed federal prosecutors testify in Congress. Lam was best known for her high-profile prosecutions of politicians and corporate executives. So, was her firing meant to smother corruption investigations? Some concerned lawmakers want to know: A New Mystery to Prosecutors: Their Lost Jobs

good times in boston

I had a great time in Boston this weekend attending the APALSA Conference at Harvard Law School. Thank you to the organizers for inviting me to participate, and thank you to all who attended Saturday morning's panel featuring Eric Hananoki, C.N. Le and myself talking about blogging and APA political activism.

On Saturday afternoon I had the chance to sit down for coffee with Tak Toyoshima, the artist behind the comic strip Secret Asian Man. As I mentioned here a couple of weeks ago, he's signed with United Features Syndicate to publish Secret Asian Man daily, including Sundays. Right now they're in the process of actively selling the strip to papers. That means you could possibly see Secret Asian Man in the funny pages of your local daily paper, right next to Garfield and Marmaduke. If you think you'd like to see that, why not write to your paper's editor requesting Secret Asian Man? Every letter counts. The official launch date is May 7th, just in time for APA Heritage Month. Exciting times for SAM.

crappy t-shirt alert

File under crappy, idiotic t-shirts:


Spotted at a Dillard's. (Thanks, Diana)

the shanghai restoration project: special edition

Dave Liang, the mastermind producer behind The Shanghai Restoration Project, mixing traditional Chinese instruments with modern hip hop and electronic beats, has just released The Shanghai Restoration Project: Special Edition CD, available this week at Amazon.com. For those of you who didn't get your hands on the original releases, this special edition version contains 18 of the top-selling tracks from the first three albums (The Shanghai Restoration Project, Reinterprations and Insrumentals).

naisy dolar: history in the making

In Chicago, it's all about Naisy Dolar, who is now in a run-off for Chicago's 50th ward. Backed by a community grassroots campaign, she's in a heated, close race against the 34-year incumbent and vice-mayor of Chicago Bernard
Stone. If elected, she'll be the first Asian American ever elected to Chicago's city council. They said it couldn't be done—an Asian
American woman forcing the 34-year incumbent into a run-off. But they did it. And they need help for the April 17 election. Learn more about Naisy Dolar's campaign here. It's history in the making.

park chan ho and the new york mets

South Korean pitcher Park Chan Ho is now playing with the New York Mets...that is, if his work visa came through: Mets Hope Park Will Be Pitcher the Fans Will Come Out to See. He's one of nine pitchers competing for three spots in the Mets’ rotation. It looks like he's got quite a bit of work ahead of him.

angelina is on a mission

Ah yes. Angelina Jolie is hoping to add another Asian kid to her clan... She has applied to adopt a 3-4 year old Vietnamese boy from an orphanage in Ho Chi Minh City: Angelina Jolie applies to adopt Vietnamese orphan. She's on a roll! And she will not stop until she's collected every last one of them.

puppies stolen in k-town!

Late last month, five Yorkshire terriers, including four puppies offered for sale, were dognapped at gunpoint from a Korean American family in Los Angeles: Terriers stolen at gunpoint in Koreatown. Poor pooches. The puppies were valued at $2,500 each. The Koreatown home-invasion robbery was captured on video by the family's home security system, and was apparently all over the news in Southern California, then made national news. This weekend, the dogs were returned to their owners after a man turned himself in to police, though one puppy remained missing: Terriers seized in L.A. are returned. A second suspect is still being sought.

no love for the winner

The new Fox sitcom The Winner premieres tonight. It's about a 32-year-old loser dude still living with his parents who finally steps out into the world to experience life. In the first episode, one of these life experiences involves going to a place called "Enchanted Gardens Massage" ... to lose his virginity. (Uh oh.) Surprise, surprise, it's a good ol' fashioned Asian massage parlor with a side order of prostitution. And it's pretty much as bad as it sounds—gaudy Oriental furnishings, an obnoxious madame, and a small parade of Asian ladies. The entire pilot episode can actually be seen online here. The scene in question starts at about 10:58. And it's painful. I will not be watching this show. Oh, that's Susan Chuang as the hooker with a heart of gold. (Thanks, GB)

UPDATE: The episode in question is apparently no longer up on the site. By the way, here's an email from Susan Chuang, who plays the massage parlor worker:

In the original audition material, this "hooker with a heart of gold" was described as a sweet Asian woman who didn't have an accent. "You wouldn’t even know she was a hooker if you saw her at the DMV." I went to the audition and was told later that day to return for a callback in the afternoon. I get to the callback, and I'm told that there's new material. OK. That's not uncommon. But my jaw dropped when I saw the changes they had made. They now had her putting on a fake ching-chong accent that she would later drop, revealing that she spoke perfect English. I believe that gag has been done 80 kabillion times. Do people still find it funny??? Even worse, the material had been rewritten with lines like, "Oh, baby, oh baby, you're so hot, you make me horny... Oh, G.I. Joe, I'm on fire. Take off your pants and love me long time."

I called my agent and told him that I really didn't feel comfortable doing this material and wanted to leave before they started calling people in. We talked to the casting director about it -- she was very understanding and went over to speak to the producer. She came back and said that I could talk it over with the producer in the audition. So he’s open to discussing it. Get over to the stage where the auditions will take place, and they're pre-shooting stuff. Waiting, waiting, waiting. The casting director eventually comes over to me and says, "He doesn't want to keep you waiting any longer. He likes your work and will bring you in for something else that isn't a stereotype."

So I start walking to my car when the casting director runs out and says, "Come back. He's OK with you not doing the accent. Don't leave. It's the network pressuring him to do this, blah, blah, blah." When I go into the audition room, the producer isn't apologetic or anything, but he says, "I haven't got the final tone yet, and I'm feeling like the accent isn't the way to go." THANK F-ING GOD. I still had to work with the "me so horny... love me long time" lines, so I played it as though this hooker was completely over the fantasy role playing and couldn't fake it anymore.

Ended up getting the job. They rewrote the scene three more times before shooting. I can appreciate that you find the scene painful. But trust me -- it started out even more painful.

This is probably typical of what a lot of Asian American actors go through. It sounds like she did everything she could with a crappy situation. Thanks, Susan, for the behind-the-scenes info.

sam needs a bone marrow donor

Another Asian American guy, Sam Cross, diagnosed with leukemia and in dire need of a bone marrow donor: www.helpsamiam.com. Sam is part Korean and part Caucasian, whic makes finding a match particularly difficult. The donor registry needs more donors of all ethnic backgrounds, but minority and mixed-background donors are particularly needed. Sam's family and friends are encouraging you all to join the National Marrow Donor Registry. Learn more here

getting hard to keep count

Here's a story in TIME about the string of upcoming films based on the Nanking massacre, largely due to the interest in generated by Iris Chang's The Rape of Nanking (and sadly, her tragic suicide): Now Playing: China and Japan's Tragic History. No fewer than six movies about the massacre—including one about Chang herself—are in the works.

split decision from the kkk on the namesake

A couple of funny videos related to the upcoming release of Mira Nair's The Namesake... First, a funny "interview" with Kal Penn ("Kalpen Mandi?"), a bit exaggerated but probably based on some real-life ignorance: Nam-a-sake: Kal Penn interview with SNL's Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone. Also, two members of the KKK give their review of The Namesake. Shot on the set of the Harold and Kumar sequel in Louisiana. Some explanation and insight over at Kal Penn's Namesake Blog. The movie opens in select cities this Friday, March 9th.

skits that teach... what?

Rickshaw Rally all over again. A couple of years back, Lifeway, a Christian publishing company, created an Asian-themed Vacation Bible Study curriculum called "Rickshaw Rally," intended to teach children about Jesus using a rollicking adventure through the Far East.

When I say "Asian-themed," I mean presenting the same old tired stereotypes—including rickshaws, chopsticks, fortune cookies, karate dudes, kimonos and takeout boxes—to impressionable young children. It was a condensed Orientalist hodgepodge of Asian culture, supposedly all in the name of Gospel.

The most disurbing thought was that for many of these kids, this would probably be their first exposure to anyone/anything "Asian." Despite organized protests and letters to Lifeway's leaders, the company went on doing business as usual with "Rickshaw Rally," all the while maintaining that there was nothing offensive about the curriculum.

And now, this... Last year, Zondervan, one of the most reknown Christian publishers, published something along similarly offensive lines... Here's an excerpt from Skits That Teach by Eddie James and Tommy Woodward ("The Skit Guys"), a skit book meant to be used by youth groups in churches all over the United States. The skit involves a Chinese delivery man saying:

"Herro, Dis is Wok's Up Restaurant calling to confirm your order. . . . I
think that, yes, you total is 14 dollar 95 cent."

"Herro? This is Wok's Up Restaurant again. We have drive and drive, and we can't find you house. We don't find you house soon, you pu pu get cold. Pu pu good when it hot."

(Hostile) "Okay, we drive for long time looking for you house. I tell you you go outside and I look for you. I am driving a red Rincon (Lincoln) Continental. You pu pu still getting cold. Bye!

"Okay, I drive for long time and I stil not find you house. So I am eating you pu pu! Ruckiry it still warm. I was hungry, so I eat it. Mmmmm . . . this pu pu is good. (Smacks lips a few times) You on my bad rist. You don't call us anymore. Bye!

Skits that teach? Teach what? Racist accents? That's pretty jacked. I've been completely out of the loop with this issue up to now, but Reverend Soong-Chan Rah (who spearheaded the movement against "Rickshaw Rally") has been vigilantly documenting his objections and conversations with Zondervan and The Skit Guys over at his blog. Start with the February 23 entry and read forward.

The dialogue, thankfully, has been open, genuine and constructive, with Zondervan taking significant steps to respond to the situation. On Friday, they posted a public apology, along with an extensive list of concrete, committed action steps.

The reacting is pretty encouraging, considering how dismissive Lifeway was. I think the main issues are where they go from here, and what they're going to do to ensure this doesn't happen again, and most importantly, examining the attitudes that made them believe this was appropriate in the first place.

first look: the trouble with romance

For those of you in San Jose... my man Gene Rhee's debut feature film The Trouble With Romance premieres this weekend at the Cinequest, the San Jose Film Festival. The film is "a provocative and insightful look at the funny and dark sides of relationships told through the eyes of 4 different couples." I haven't seen it, but it sounds like a good time, and stars Emily Liu and Roger Fan, among others. The film has actually been gaining a bit of notoriety around the Bay Area because it stars actress Jennifer Siebel, who happens to be the girlfriend of San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. It'll also be playing in a few weeks at the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival. So whatever the reason—sexy comedy, Emily and Roger, Gavin's girl—it's something to check it out...

it's the "asian thing"

The New York Times has an interesting article on a range of Asian American music artists—the bulk of whom we've mentioned here over the years—trying to break into the mainstream: Trying to Crack the Hot 100. All this talent out there... so why haven't they made it? What's holding them back, keeping them down? Sadly, it's the "Asian thing."

"dry dorms are for asians"

Last week, a substance-free dorm at Princeton University was vandalized with graffiti characterizing its residents as "gay" or "Asian": Graffiti found in Blair Hall. The graffiti, written on a whiteboard and a wall in blue dry-erase marker, read "Dry Dorms = Gay" and "Dry dorms are for Asians." That's racist! And you know why? It equates Asians with inherently being undesirable losers. Because it definitely doesn't intend to mean "Dry dorms are for cool people." And just out of curiosity, since when did being "Asian" equate with avoiding alcohol? From what I've seen, Asians drink. And Asians drink a lot.

bad rap for asian restaurants

Regarding Canal Seafood Restaurant, that Chinese eatery that allegedly had different prices for Chinese and non-Chinese customers, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is urging New Yorkers to boycott the restaurant while it's being investigated for discrimination: Take yer menu & shove it, Mike tells Chinatown joint. More here: No Beef Chow Mein For You! Looks like Bloomberg is condemning the restaurant before the claims have even been proven yet. That's rather irresponsible, don't ya think? But he figures, hey, it's a Chinese restaurant... something shady must be going on.

Speaking of restaurants with alleged unfair practices, a restaurant chain has been accused of instituting an unusual language restriction among its employees. Minado, a Japanese-style seafood buffet, apparently ordered Chinese employees at its Carle Place, NY location to speak English only, even on their breaks, while Korean and Hispanic employees were allowed to speak in their native tongues, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: Restaurant pays to settle discrimination case. They've agreed to pay $130,000 to settle the federal bias lawsuit.

japanese prime minister denies comfort women

I've decided that this is a deep wound that will never be healed, as long as there are stubborn people like this leading nations... yesterday, Japan's nationalist prime minister Shinzo Abe denied that the country's military forced women into sexual slavery during World War II, backtracking on a landmark 1993 government statement acknowledging these crimes: Japan's Abe: No proof of WWII sex slaves. This is ridiculous. I guess we won't be seeing a formal, unequivocal government apology or reparations any time soon, as many have been pushing for. And I'm sure this does magical wonders for relations been Japan and its neighboring Asian countries: Sex slave denial angers S Korea. Abe has essentially said that there is no proof the so-called "comfort women" were forced into prostitution. This isn't just a refusal to own up to past atrocities—this is flat-out denial. More here: WWII sex slavery issue sparks new debate in Japan. It seems that we will never be able to move forward from this...

pak se-ri in the smithsonian

This May, a picture of South Korean pro-golfer Pak Se-ri will go on permanent display at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington: Pak Se-ri to Be Featured at the Smithsonian. It'll be included in an exhibit room dedicated to Korean culture. Besides Pak the exhibit will include the late Cho Chang-ho, a lieutenant who was captured during the Korean War and escaped North Korea 43 years later, Y. David Chung, an artist working in the U.S. and the late Michael Kim, an artist who has worked in Kazakhstan.

gavin newson's stalker

And now, the creepy case of Han Sup Shin, alleged stalker of San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. The guy entered Newsom's apartment building last month, and has been exhibiting bizarre behavior at the mayor's public events. Oh, and he wears purple latex gloves, because he believes "purple is a sign of divinity and royalty." Yeah, the guy has some significant mental issues: Alleged stalker's history of mental problems

regular guy, regular guy problems

A lot of people wrote in telling me about this Salon.com advice column featuring an Asian guy writing in about his newfound hipness and his problems finding the right lady: I'm a singer in a band -- but I'm also a nerdy Asian guy. Sounds to me like he's just normal guy, with normal guy problems. The Asian thing shouldn't be an issue. Chill out, dude. And just be.

what we need is dialogue... and this ain't it

In response to this whole Kenneth Eng thing (anyone tired yet?) Gawker provides us with this frank conversation on race relations between two too-cool-for-you hipster dudes, an Asian guy and a Black guy: Gawker Helps Bring Blacks And Asians Together. It's pretty much the most useless, unconstructive dialogue ever.

code name: the cleaner sucked

Looks like Lucy Liu is returning to television... she's signed on to star in the ABC drama pilot Cashmere Mafia, which revolves around "four female executives in New York": Lucy Liu Joins Mafia. Just a guess, but I bet she's going to play the Asian one. I guess she found doing crap like Code Name: The Cleaner a little unsatisfying. (How many people actually saw that movie?)

off to boston: "the new yellow peril"

Apologies. Postings will be sparse today. I'm hopping on a plane to Boston for the 13th Annual Asian Pacific American Conference on Law and Public Policy: "The New Yellow Peril?". It's happening this weekend, March 2-3, at Harvard Law School. I'll be sitting on a panel Saturday morning on Blogging and APA Political Awareness. If you're attending the conference, or you're in the area, please stop by and say hello.

take the angry asian reader survey

Just a reminder, good readers... if you haven't already, please consider filling out the angry asian reader survey. It'll be a helpful tool in learning a little bit about who you are, where you're coming from, and things you like/don't like about this website. Those who fill out the survey will be entered for a chance ton win some free stuff in the Big Fat Angry Asian Giveaway—an iPod mini, DVDs from Palm and Tartan, subscriptions to Tiger Cinema, t-shirts, and other fine stuff. Please, one survey per person. Duplicate entries will be thrown out. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

UPDATE: The survey and contest are now closed. Thank you for participating. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

your journey, your story

I mentioned this a few weeks ago, but thought I'd remind you again because it's a really great opportunity... inspired by this month's theatrical release of Journey From The Fall, Ham Tran's epic film about the aftermath of the fall of Saigon, ImaginAsian Pictures is inviting Vietnamese Americans, Vietnam veterans, and those interested in the Vietnamese American experience to share the story of their own personal journey from Vietnam to America. Starting today through April 30, submit a video (up to five minutes in length) of you, your friend, or family member narrating a personal story of leaving Vietnam and coming to America. Selected submissions will be included in the special features of the Journey from the Fall DVD. Entrants of selected submissions will also receive free copies of the DVD. To learn more about how to submit your story, go here: My Journey, My Story. Journey From The Fall opens in New York City, Westminster, and San Jose on March 23rd and nationwide on March 30th.

toby dawson meets his birth family

U.S. Olympic medalist Toby Dawson was reunited with his birth father, a Pusan bus driver, at a news conference in South Korea: Olympic star in tearful reunion with Korean dad. At the start of a conference, Dawson gave his biological father a Norwegian skiing sweater that he said signified his upbringing in the sport, which Kim immediately put on. He also has a younger brother. More here: Olympic skier Toby Dawson reunites with Korean family (the story includes video of their reunion).

asianweek fires kenneth eng

AsianWeek has released a more thoughtful apology and statement regarding this whole Kenneth Eng hate column debacle: AsianWeek's Statement and Apology. "We have heard the call and Mr. Eng has been terminated from writing for the paper." That was a no-brainer. Still, this doesn't do much to restore whatever credibility AsianWeek had, pre-Eng. Not that I was much of a reader before all this, but I've pretty much lost all respect for the paper. See ya, AsianWeek.

no "foreign media" allowed

Last week, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign staff excluded reporters for the Bay Area's two largest Chinese-language newspapers, Sing Tao and the World Journal, from a fundraiser at the Sheraton Palace Hotel: Clinton staff's gaffe with local ethnic papers

Reporters from Sing Tao and Chinese-language daily World Journal, as well as the smaller China Press were denied entry to the noon fundraiser.

It turned out that the three papers had not been included in the mailing list for a press advisory sent out two days ahead that instructed media representatives to check in by 11:45 a.m. World Journal reporter Portia Li said she arrived about 10 minutes before noon.

Li, a prominent journalist who has worked for more than two decades in the Bay Area, said she knew such events routinely begin late and that reporters often are allowed in after they start.

But a staffer told her she was too late to get in. When Li argued, the staffer explained that because she was considered "foreign media" -- which were limited to a single pool reporter -- she could not go in.

The thing is, Sing Tao and World Journal are not foreign media. They're as local as the San Francisco Chronicle. Their stories may be printed in Chinese, but they serve the local Chinese-speaking population. But hey, when a Chinese(-looking) reporter shows up at your event, they must be foreign, right? Foreign reporters who can't follow American instructions. More here: Chinese Media Denied Access to Clinton Fundraiser. But after World Journal and other Chinese media ran stories about being excluded, the campaign apologized. I guess they realized it's not a good idea to get on the bad side of Chinese-language media. Clinton's campaign has pledged to improve its press list and promises that Clinton will meet with Chinese-language media and Asian Americans during her next Bay Area visit.

going back to the well

Looks like Departed screenwriter William Monahan is teaming up with Leonardo DiCaprio again for another Hong Kong movie remake. This time, they're looking at the thriller Confessions of Pain, from the team behind Infernal Affairs: William Monahan and Leonardo DiCaprio Reteaming for Confessions of Pain. Oscars now firmly in hand, looks like they want to repeat the success of The Departed.

"insufficiently committed to the organization"

A sorority at Depauw University is being accused of discrimination after officers of the Delta Zeta sorority asked 23 members to leave the group—23 members who also happen to be overweight and/or racial minorities: Sorority Members Say They Were Evicted Because Of Weight, Race. Coincidence? Yeah, right. The national office of the sorority interviewed 35 of its members and found 23 of those members "insufficiently committed to the organization." Translation: not pretty/skinny enough. More here: Sorority Evictions Raise Issue of Looks and Bias

woman tries to set her family on fire

This is tragic... another Korean American family in Southern California with some disturbing problems. Hyang Sun Lee, a 39-year-old woman from Orange, was arrested earlier this week for allegedly trying to set her three children and husband on fire: O.C. Woman Arrested For Trying To Kill Her Family. Lee apparently put the children in bed with her husband, doused them with lighter fluid and started to light it. However, her husband woke up and stopped her before anyone was hurt. What is going here? This kind of thing has occurred too many times in the last year to ignore. It's a disturbing trend that seriously needs to be addressed within the Korean American community.