what's up with kosuke fukudome?

For fans of the Chicago Cubs, it's looking good. 2008 National League Central champions. That's gotta have a nice ring to it for the Chicago faithful. And with a 9-5 win this evening over the New York Mets, the North Siders clinched home-field advantage in the N.L. playoffs. It's been a long, hard hundred years since they've won a World Series. Could this be the year it finally happens?

Meanwhile, things haven't been looking so great for Kosuke Fukudome, who started out the season as a slugger with huge hype and promise, but has since seemed to have disintegrated offensively. He's barely been a factor in the Cubs' clinch: Fukudome's Hitting Is Downside on the North Side. What happened?

u.s. wins ryder cup

Over the weekend in Kentucky, the United States won golf's Ryder Cup, beating Europe for the first time in nine years, thanks in large part to 23-year-old rookie Anthony Kim: U.S. Receives Jolt From Energetic Ryder Rookies.

house to vote on separate filipino veterans bills

Last week, the House Veterans' Affairs Committee introduced a new bill that would authorize a one-time payment to Filipino veterans who served a critical role on behalf of the United States during World War II. H.R. 6897 provides payment to Filipino service members who served between 1941 and 1946 - $9,000 for non-U.S. citizens and $15,000 for U.S. citizens.

These servicemen, who risked their lives for the United States, were supposed to receive their benefits half a century ago. But in 1946, Congress passed the Rescission Act which stripped them of their veteran status and denied them the right to any benefits. This bill will provide a small measure of recognition for their service... but is it enough?

Here's the press release from the National Alliance for Filipino Veterans Equity, which does express some concern over this one lump sum proposal:

stephen chow will star as kato in the green hornet

Oh man. My dreams have come true. Last week, Sony Pictures announced that Stephen Chow will not only star as Kato alongside Seth Rogen in the upcoming Green Hornet movie, he's signed on to direct the movie as well: Chow to Direct and Star in Green Hornet!

obama benefit performance of wong flew over the cuckoo's nest

Just wanted to remind all my friends in Los Angeles that my pal Kristina Wong is currently performing her critically acclaimed one-woman extravaganza Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo's Next through October 5 at the Miles Memorial Playhouse in Santa Monica. The show is described as "a swear-to-god-not-autobiographical, serio-comic portrayal of the high incidence of mental illness among Asian American women."

I particularly wanted to highlight Kristina's show this Sunday, a special benefit performance with proceeds going to the Obama/Biden campaign. Sunday, September 21, 3:00pm. Tickets are $20. To purchase tickets, go here or call 310-998-8765 . For more information about the show, visit the TeAda Productions website here.

"go back to india!"

Did anyone else see the report on ABC's World News with Charles Gibson last night, about the post-Hurricane Ike situation in Texas? The segment featured a cop in a heated argument with a South Asian driver over a roadblock on the way back to Galveston. As the motorist drives away, the officer tells him to "Go back to India!" Straight up.

Tell me what you really feel, officer. There's brief video of the moment here. And there are currently over 2000 comments on the segment at the ABC News site here. When pushed past frustration, the cop's true colors suddenly become apparent. That's racist! (Thanks, Marlow.)

take out opening in southern california

After a successful theatrical run in New York earlier this summer, Sean Baker and Shih-Ching Tsou's indie feature Take Out opens today in Southern California. Here's an article on the movie from the OC Register: Film shows plight of Chinese illegal immigrant.

18 mighty mountain warriors' 21: the movie

If you're one of those folks who weren't happy with the movie 21, and its ridiculous Hollywood casting that magically transformed real-life Asian characters into beautiful white actors, you might get a kick out of this brief clip of sketch comedy troupe 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors. It's from their Just Like White People show. Can't wait for their version of Genghis Khan movie. (Thanks, Eric.)

george allen to speak at gop minority outreach rally

This is rather astonishing... but somehow, it appears to be true. Northern Virgnia Republicans, realizing that it might be a good idea to improve their appeal among ethnic minorities in the region, are planning a "unity" rally this weekend that they claim will draw 1,000 people. Suddenly, the ethnic voting bloc looks pretty damn important: GOP Rally Reaches Out To Minorities.

But here's the real kicker. One of the featured speakers at this Totally Awesome Minority GOP Outreach event is none other than former Senator George Allen, now infamous for his campaign-defining "macaca" moment. What. The. Hell.

reminder: cinema under the stars

A reminder for all my Bay Area friends about the Center for Asian American Media's free outdoor screening of Mamoru Hosoda's The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. Tomorrow night, Friday, September 19 at Peace Plaza in San Francisco Japantown. Here are some details about the event:

trailer park

Hey! Asians in the movies. Or at least, spotted in a handful of recent trailers. Looks like my man Raymond J. Lee has a bit role in Ghost Town as a Greenpeace guy trying to get Ricky Gervais to help stop global warming. The movie opens in theaters tomorrow.

ichiro's eighth straight 200-hit season

Ichiro Suzuki rules. Last night, the Seattle Mariners center fielder tied Willie Keeler's major league record of eight consecutive 200-hit seasons: Ichiro ties Keeler's record with 8th straight 200-hit season.

12-year-old invents nanotube solar cell thing

Talk about a bright kid! William Yuan, a 12-year-old seventh-grader from Portland, Oregon, has developed a three-dimensional solar cell that absorbs UV as well as visible light. I barely understand what even means, but apparently the combination of the two might greatly improve cell efficiency: 12-year-old Revolutionizes the Solar Cell.

the worst club recruiting video ever

Got word about this from Jennifer, who attends the University of British Columbia... A student social club at her school is facing possible sanctions, and even disbandment, after creating and post a series of online "recruitment" videos that many Asian students are calling culturally offensive: UBC social club video 'culturally offensive'.

Last week, dozens of complaints poured into the Alma Mater Society, the campus body that regulates student clubs, labeling the videos as offensive:

dc apa film festival kickoff events

DC! This is for you. The actual "film" portion of the 9th Annual DC APA Film Festival doesn't actually start until next week, but things kick off this week with a couple of special events. I guess they just couldn't wait to get the party started.

east west players presents be like water

This is awesome. East West Players, the nation's premier Asian American theatre organization, launches its 43rd anniversary season with the world premiere Be Like Water by Dan Kwong, directed by Chris Tashima, with martial arts choreography by Diana Lee Inosanto and Ron Balicki, and dance choreography by Blythe Matsui.

Set in the 1970s a few years after Bruce Lee's death, Be Like Water tells the story of 14-year-old Tracy Fong, who is trying to deal with school bullies and famly expectations. As a huge fan of Bruce Lee, she trains in martial arts to deal with her rivals. However when she bypasses the philosophies of Jeet Kune Do, the Ghost of Bruce Lee appears to guide her.

It's kind of like the Asian American theater version of No Retreat, No Surrender. Awesome. The show opens tonight at the David Henry Hwang Theatre in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo, and runs through October 12. Here are some details:

kqed's forum on the model minority myth

Last week, KQED's call-in talk radio program Forum in San Francisco did an interesting show on Asian Americans students, the model minority stereotype, and whether the societal assumption of academic success is a burden or an advantage: Model Minority Myths.

racist shirts from david and goliath

More idiotic, racist t-shirt designs from David and Goliath. Available here and here. Spotted recently at the David and Goliath store at the Venetian in Las Vegas. (Thanks, Matt.)

the sound of young america interviews adrian tomine

The Sound of Young America, which is an awesome podcast, recently recorded an interview with acclaimed graphic novel artist Adrian Tomine, creator of Optic Nerve and author of Shortcomings. It's brief, but pretty cool to hear from the artist about his (sometimes misunderstood) work. Listen to the show (or download it) here. And check out Adrian Tomine's website here.

michelle still needs a donor

Michelle is still in search of a bone marrow donor, and time is running out to save her life. 26-year-old Michelle Maykin is a Vietnamese/Chinese American from San Francisco who was unexpectedly diagnosed with Leukemia, and has been bravely fighting for her life for over a year. I've mentioned her before, but you can find out more about her condition at the Project Michelle website here.

sulu got married

Over the weekend, actor/activist George Takei married his longtime partner Brad Altman in Los Angeles: George Takei marries longtime partner Brad Altman. The two were among the first couples to receive a marriage license in West Hollywood when California began granting licenses to gay couples in June.

meet ken of survivor: gabon

Oh boy. The new season of Survivor premieres next week.

This time, among the castaways, we have Ken Hoang, a 22-year-old professional gamer from Westminster, California. Yes, as in video games. According to his bio, he is the current international champion of Nintendo's Super Smash Brothers Melee game, and apparently known to the gaming community as "the King of Smash."

3rd annual los angeles community leadership conference

For those of you in Southern California, mark your calendars for a valuable opportunity happening next month... LEAP (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Inc) is putting on a one-day leadership conference offering six innovative personal, leadership, and community development workshops.

Designed by and for Asian and Pacific Islanders, these workshops aim to teach participants to leverage their leadership skills and lead community action in the API community and beyond. Workshops will include Networking, DISC: Personal Profiling, Strategic Planning and Thinking, Speak to Persuade, and Entrepreneurial Leadership. Maybe this is something you need.

The conference also provides an important opportunity for the API ethnic communities to meet and discuss common issues and challenges, fostering coalition building among community advocates. Here's some registration information:

wayne wang returns to his roots... again

The New York Times has a good article on veteran director Wayne Wang and his 25-year career since 1982's Chan Is Missing, deftly straddling the line between indie cinema and Hollywood studio movies: Bridging Generations and Hemispheres.

in pursuit of tiger

Here's an interesting profile on golfer Anthony Kim, who won his first PGA tour event earlier this year at the prestigious Wachovia Championship with the lowest score in the tournament's history: Kim inspired by Woods in quest to be the best. Seriously, does the subheadline really have to describe him as a "scrappy little American"?

This week, he's going after the Ryder Cup. The 23-year-old Kim is often compared to Tiger Woods—his professed boyhood hero. Some have gone as far as saying Anthony Kim is The Next Tiger Woods. To which he replies, "Me? The next Tiger Woods? Hasn't there been about 150 next Tiger Woods?"

kearny street workshop's 10th annual apature

This week in San Francisco, the Kearny Street Workshop, the nation's oldest Asian Pacific American multidisciplinary arts organization, presents its 10th annual festival of emerging Asian Pacific American artists, APAture, September 18-27 at venues throughout the city, including Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Intersection for the Arts, and the Manilatown Heritage Foundation..

That's ten days of events spotlighting over 90 artists, filmmakers, musicians, spoken word poets, writers, comedians and performers. Featured artists include Weston Takeshi Teruya (visual art), The Invisible Cities (music), Richard Wong, H.P. Mendoza (film), Samantha Chanse (performance), Pireeni Sundaralingam (literature), and Hellen Jo (comics and zines). Here are their bios:

crash tv series trailer

I recently came across this trailer for the Crash TV series, based on the Academy Award-winning movie. Can't say I'm too impressed by this trailer. It just makes me kind of tired. I'll admit, I'm a little curious. We know that Brian Tee is in the starring cast, and we could always use another interesting, three-dimensional Asian American character on television. Here's a description of his character, Eddie Choi:

making chicago a better place

The Chicago Sun-Times has been running an ongoing series naming the "50 People Who Make Chicago A Better Place." While Kanye West is nowhere to be seen, the paper did recently recognize Dr. Kap Joon No, #33, whose medical practice many consider a vital part of Chicago's Korean American community: Doctor is heart of Korean community.

daniel dae kim pleads no contest to dui charges

Last week in Honolulu, Lost star Daniel Dae Kim pleaded no contest to drunken driving charges and was ordered to pay a $500 fine, $212 in court fees and perform 72 hours of community service for his DUI arrest last October: 'Lost' star Kim pleads no contest to DUI charges. He also had his driver's license revoked for six months and was subjected to a drug-and-alcohol assessment.

ping pong playa giveaway winners

Thank you to all who entered the Ping Pong Playa giveaway. The response was overwhelming. Apparently, a lot of you out there like free stuff. And really, who doesn't? We have our two winners, drawn at random:

wat misaka, basketball pioneer

I've mentioned Wataru "Wat" Misaka a few times over the years. The 5-foot-7 point guard was the first non-white players in the what is now the NBA. Yes, the first Asian American pro basketball player. The first player of color, period. Here's a recent story on Misaka from the Salt Lake Tribune: Utahn broke ethnic wall in NBA.

bobby lee as john mccain

I really don't know what to make of this. It's crazy... but I like it! In a weird twist of racial casting, comedian Bobby Lee will play Senator John McCain on the season premiere of MADtv this Saturday night: Bobby Lee to Play McCain on MADtv.

the lawsuit that won't die

Roy Pearson, the loser behind the infamous $54 million lawsuit against a D.C. dry cleaner over a missing pair of pants, refuses to let it go and his heading back to court. A three-judge appellate court panel has agreed to hear an appeal of this idiotic, frivolous case next month: $54 Million 'Pants' Lawsuit Headed Back to Court.

free korean music concert in los angeles' macarthur park

Live and direct from Korea. My friends over at Chaos Theory Music inform me that the critically acclaimed South Korean ensemble Gongmyoung, known for their signature fusion of the unconventional with traditional Korean music, will be performing a free concert this Friday, September 12 at MacArthur Park in Los Angeles. The concert is co-hosted by NetKAL, Network of Korean American Leaders and the Levitt Pavilion, and also supported by Arts Council Korea. For more information about the concert (including video links), go here.

adoptee returns to china for beijing paralympics

21-year-old SuGui Kriss was born in Kunming, China, but was came to the United States at age 8 when she was adopted by an American couple. Last week, she returned to China for the Beijing Paralympics, representing the United States as a member of its sitting volleyball team: Adoptee Returns to China and Helps U.S. Team Win.

writing workshops at the japanese american national museum

For those of you in Los Angeles, here's a cool opportunity... This fall, Asian American Poetry and Writing is partnering up with the Japanese American National Museum to offer community-based creative writing workshops for aspiring and emerging writers. Their goal is to provide affordable and culturally-sensitive classes that allow writers the space to explore craft and theme in their work, in a variety of genres.

The classes run once a week, October 4 through November 8 at the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo. They range from fiction, to poetry, memoir/personal writing, and screenwriting. For more information and to enroll online, go to Asian American Poetry and Writing's website here.

reminder: ping pong playa giveaway

Just wanted to throw out a reminder about the Ping Pong Playa Giveaway. The response has been good so far, but your chances are still pretty good. You have until the end of today to enter for your chance to win a PPP prize pack that includes your very own Ping Pong Playa logo-emblazoned ping pong paddle and balls. Yes, it can be yours. Use it to vanquish your table tennis enemies.

To enter, email me with your name and mailing address, and "PPP GIVEAWAY" clearly written in the subject line, by the end of today (Thursday, September 11). Entries that do not follow these simple instructions will be thrown out. Duplicate entries will also be thrown out. From all the entries, two will be picked at random. And then we'll have two winners.

jazmin on mtv's top pop group

With America's Best Dance Crew over for the season, what will host Mario Lopez do now? Have no fear, he is back the network's newest show MTV's Top Pop Group. Goodness. I'm glad to see that A.C. Slater has found his calling. Yes, this season, nine groups will vie for the coveted top pop title. Wait, hasn't this been done before?

join the ohana obama family

Founded by a group of passionate volunteers from San Francisco, Ohana Obama is a movement dedicated to empowering young voters to convince their family and loved ones to vote for Barack Obama. By speaking to your family and friends about supporting Barack Obama, you can actually multiply your vote this November.

audition for kollaboration 9

Seeking talented Asian Americans performers of all shapes and sizes.... Kollaboration, the nation's premiere Asian American talent show, is holding auditions for Kollaboration 9, its biggest and baddest show yet.

new rules to combat bias bullying in new york schools

Last week in New York, Michael R. Bloomberg announced new regulations meant to combat bullying based on bias in city schools. The policy is intended to deter intimidation and harassment based on ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation or disability: New School Rules on Bias Bullying.

phil fung, winner of manifest hope gallery contest

Forgot to mention this one last week... Phil Fung, a Miami-based visual artist, had his portrait of Barack Obama chosen as a finalist for for MoveOn.org's Manfest Hope Gallery Contest. As one of the winners, he had his painting on display at the Manifest Hope Gallery during the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Very cool: Guerrilla artists voting with street signs.

the double eyelid dilemma

Ah yes, another article on double eyelid surgery, this time in the OC Register: Asian eyelid surgery still sparks controversy. About every year or so, we get an article updating us on the double eyelid situation. It's out there, and lots people are getting it done. Some people are cool with it, and some people aren't.

If you haven't noticed, many of us Asians do not possess that very special fold in our eyelids, giving the distinct appearance of smaller eyes. However, blepharoplasty—eyelid surgery—can magically change all that. With a few snips, the procedure creates an upper eyelid crease for Asians folks' eyes to appear wider. Because, you know, bigger eyes are more beautiful. Or so they say.

free outdoor screening of the girl who leapt through time

San Francisco friends, mark your calendars. Here's a cool cinema event for the family. The Center for Asian American Media and the Japantown Merchants Association present Cinema Under the Stars, a free outdoor screening of Mamoru Hosoda's The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. Friday, September 19 at Japantown's Peace Plaza. Here are some details:

asians got it on in the year of the pig

Last year was the Year of the Golden Pig, my friends. And that means Asian people were getting busy. According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the city had a surge in local births during 2007—half of which could be attributed to a sharp increase in births to Asian women: An Asian Baby Boom, in the Year of the Pig.

more on d.c. schools chief michelle rhee

From CNN, here's another profile on Michelle Rhee, the controversial chancellor of the District of Columbia's public schools, and her crazy plan to shake it all up: '100 mph' school chief seeks 'radical changes'.

wong flew over the cuckoo's nest in los angeles

My pal Kristina Wong, performance artist extraordinaire, tells me that her nationally acclaimed show, Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo's Next, is coming through Los Angeles one last time. ("No extensions! No more plans to come back through Los Angeles! Wong is leaving the building!") It runs September 19 through October 5 at the Miles Memorial Playhouse in Santa Monica. Tickets are on sale now. Here are some details:

chef arrested for throwing hot oil on customers

Last week in Brooklyn, a Chinese resaturant chef was arrested for dousing two women with scalding cooking oil after they complained about bad take-out food: B'KLYN CHEF BURNED THE DINERS: COPS.

vote in the dc apa film festival trailer contest

Check out the three finalists in the 2008 DC APA Film Festival Trailer Contest. This contest offered the opportunity to all filmmakers and film-interested people to come up with their own thirty second trailer to help promote the upcoming festival.

thao nguyen's tiny desk concert

Singer Thao Nguyen recently performed a Tiny Desk Concert for the people at NPR, literally at their office. They've got the video here: Thao Nguyen's Tiny Desk Concert.

religious asian american adolescents more depressed?

A new study looking at the effects of religious participation on the mental health of minorities suggests that for some of them, religion may actually be contributing to adolescent depression: Participating In Religion May Make Adolescents From Certain Races More Depressed.

아줌마 for obama shirt

This is for my Korean friends (or those of you who can read Korean)... thought some of you might get a kick out of this this t-shirt. You see, everybody can get in on the Obama support. Buy one for your momma. There's more stuff where that came from here, from New York-based artist Jee Yun Lee.

Suspect sought in cricket tournament shooting

Investigators are still looking for Amandeep Singh Dhami.

Last week in Sacramento, sheriff's deputies arrested 24-year-old Gurpreet Singh Gosal in connection with a shooting outside a Sikh temple complex that left one man dead and another wounded.

Man Arrested, Another Sought in Fatal Sikh Temple Shooting.

new asian americans for obama site/nevada roap trip

Well, there's just about two months left before the big election. The final stretch. It's time for the APA community to step up and make our voices heard in electing Barack Obama as the next President of the United States. That means putting up numbers that will make people take notice, and spreading the word.

Asian Americans for Obama is kicking off a major grassroots campaign to get the word out, with a newly re-designed website launch, including new social networking tools, a page of featured endorsements from prominent AAPI political and community leaders, RSS feed to alert users of new content, and a blogroll of Democratic and AAPI-related blogs, among other things. View it all here.

Also be sure to joing Asian Americans for Obama group on Facebook and the My.BarackObama.com network. And of course, you can make a donation here.

Meanwhile, my pal Oiyan is helping to organize a road trip from California to help swing Nevada for Obama-Biden. They need volunteers. Here's some info:

passing on ethnic heritage to your children

This is a really interesting aritcle in the New York Times about second generation Asian American parents (well, one in particular) and some of the challenges they face in trying to pass on their ethnic heritage to their children: In Any Language, a Full Plate.

risd's new president

This week, on September 12, graphic designer/computer scientist/author John Maeda will be inaugurated as the 16th president of the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design, founded in 1877 as one of the country's first colleges to offer a combined education in arts and design: Rhode Island School of Design Selects John Maeda as President.

lpga backs down on english requirement

The LPGA Tour appears to have gotten the message. Feeling the pressure from lawmakers, sponsors and community groups since making this ridiculous announcement last month, the LPGA Tour backed off plans requiring all players to learn English, under threat of suspension: LPGA backs down on English requirement.

The policy planned to suspend players who cannot speak English well enough to be understood at pro-ams, in interviews or in making acceptance speeches at tournaments in the United States. It just so happens that the LPGA has a significant number of golfers from South Korea.

LPGA Tour commissioner Carolyn Bivens said she would have a revised plan by the end of the year that would not include suspensions, although fining non-English speakers remains an option. Here is Bivens' statement rescinding penalties:

international secret agents concert this weekend

For those of you in Southern California, just wanted to remind you about the big International Secret Agents concert going down this weekend in San Gabriel.

Featuring Far East Movement, Wong Fu Productions, Magnetic North, Jennifer Chung, Tatum Jones, Quest Dance Crew, Paul Dateh and more.... it's going to be huge. Sunday, September 7 at the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse. Go here for details. There's also some ticket sales info above. Peace!

samurai girl premieres tonight

Samurai Girl, which we've been anticipating for the better part of a year, finally premieres tonight on ABC Family, and runs through the weekend as a three-night "original event." The network has been hyping the hell out of this thing, with nonstop commercials, a panel at last month's Comic-Con, and all sorts of crazy stuff on the show's website ("samurai-ize your desktop"). If the premiere goes well, it's likely that Samurai Girl will be picked up as a full series.

ping pong playa giveaway

This is a call out to all you Ping Pong Playas. To celebrate the release of the Ping Pong Playa in select theaters today, I'm giving away two very special PPP prize packs containing a ping pong paddle and two balls, pictured above. You like that? It can be yours.

racist mother goose and grimm cartoon

Kimchi Mamas first blogged about this a couple of weeks ago...

What kind of messed up nonsense is this? This Mother Goose and Grimm comic strip is a couple of weeks old, but dude, what the hell? Come on! Really? They really had to go there with the idiotic Korean dog-eating joke? And then take it one step fruther with the Kim Jong Il caricature?

I'm no fan of Kim Jong Il, and honestly, I welcome any kind of intelligent lampooning of his evil dictator craziness. Because the man is nuts. But this is a one-note jab, a cheap laugh that squarely aims for Kim Jong Il's ethnicity. And then seen by millions of Americans, in newspapers nationwide. That's racist! (Thanks, Toni.)

a resource for autistic asian americans

Just read this interesting San Jose Mercury News story on the Friends of Children with Special Needs Dream Center, which runs an all-day camp providing a fun, cultural and helpful experience for predominantly autistic kids and their parents of Chinese heritage: Autistic Asians get a window of opportunity.

the satire behind "korean parents"

A lot of folks were a bit confounded by Randy Newman's "Korean Parents" song that hit the news a fews back. I'll admit, I was kind of scratching my head too. Thankfully, Jeff Chang has a very astute and insightful analysis of the song and its context, as well as some of Newman's other often controversial, satirical work, over at Slate: Korean Parents for Sale. It's a good piece, so check it out.

yellowface puppet on youtube

What the hell is this?

Seriously, what is this? This video, and more like it, can be found on this YouTube channel which is apparently part of CBS's Mobile programming. And there are twelve more videos in this idiotic "Farnfucious" series. I know it's just a puppet, but damn.

I cannot believe someone would deem this appropriate material to post as part of a major broadcast network's online content. I actually originally found them on CBS' main YouTube channel, but they were taken down pretty quickly.

Does it still count as yellowface when you dress up a white puppet character like an old Asian man? That's got to be a first. It's ridiculous. Once again, someone thinks racial caricatures mocking Asians are funny. That's racist! (Thanks, Andrew.)

bay area asian storeowners/restaurants targeted by robbers

Last week, a Chinese restaurant in El Cerrito, California became the latest target in a rash of takeover robberies in the East Bay: Robbers hold up El Cerrito restaurant.

Two men, one armed with a gun and the other wearing a mask, stormed the Yuet Foo Seafood Restaurant and robbed customers and employees. There have recently been similar restaurant robberies in Oakland and other cities, including Castro Valley, Hayward and Daly City, although it's unclear whether this latest one is linked.

Sheena on America's Next Top Model, Cycle Eleven

Meet the latest Asian American contestant on Tyra Banks' model competition.



The 11th season of America's Next Top Model premieres tonight on the CW. While there are very few redeeming qualities about this program, I mention it here because one of this season's contestants is Asian American (we seem to get one every three seasons or so).

danny lee becomes youngest u.s. amateur champion ever

Last week in North Carolina, 18-year-old golfer Danny Lee of New Zealand became the youngest U.S. Amateur Champion ever, supplanting Tiger Woods and beating Drew Kittleson in style 5 and 4: Lee supplants Tiger as youngest US Amateur champ.

p.i.c. shows in los angeles this weekend

My man Steve from the New York-based swingin' hip hop jazz band P.I.C. informs me that they'll be in Los Angeles this weekend for two rare West Coast shows. See them live with labelmates The Jack Lords at Fais Do-do in L.A. and the 17th Annual Festival of Philippine Arts & Culture in San Pedro:

help for a rape victim and her family

Earlier this year, on April 24, an 18-year-old high school student in Tampa, Florida was brutally beaten and raped while returning books to a public library. The attack left her blinded, brain-damaged, and unable to talk, swallow or walk: 'My soul is broken,' mother of beaten teen says. More here: Prayers abound for Hillsborough rape victim and family.

ping pong playa in theaters this friday

All right, moviegoing friends. Ping Pong Playa opens in theaters this Friday, September 5, in San Francisco, San Jose, Berkeley, Los Angeles, Glendale, Alhambra, Irvine and New York, then on September 12 in Seattle and Houston.

Starring Jimmy Tsai (who also co-wrote the script), Roger Fan, Smith Cho, Jim Lau and Elizabeth Sung, the movie is a fun, crowd-pleasing indie sports comedy that seves up some solid laughs and good times. It deserves to be seen by any people as possible. And hey, it's fun for the whole family.

profile on fanny pak's cara horibe

Since I started writing (obsessively, I know) about America's Best Dance Crew, this season, there's been one individual who folks have been consistently inquiring about. Fanny Pak's Cara Horibe. What ethnicity is she? Where's she from? Does she have a boyfriend/girlfriend. Seriously. Like I know.

watch online: a village called versailles

I recently heard about A Village Called Versailles, S. Leo Chiang's documentary-in-progress about the inspiring rebuilding of the Vietnamese American community in post-Katrina New Orleans East. PBS' Frontline/WORLD has posted a 15-minute online version of the film here. Check it out.

the colbert report: asian guy with obama

Check out this great clip of Konrad Ng, Barack Obama's brother-in-law, getting some attention on The Colbert Report. Colbert's stark analysis of Obama's moment at the DNC was foiled:

it's gonna happen: pacquiao vs. de la hoya

Last week, it was announced that boxer Manny Pacquiao, pride of the Philippines, will face off against Oscar De La Hoya at MGM Grand in Las Vegas on December 6, for what will undoubtedly be the biggest fight of 2008: Pacquiao to move up two weight classes to fight De La Hoya.

matcha: tea & spice, september 4

Bay Area friends, once again, it's time for MATCHA, the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco's monthly art/music mixer series. This month's edition, Tea & Spice, will be all about getting your tea on. Sample and sip teas from all over the world, or check out the museum's exhibit, Power and Glory: Court Arts of China's Ming Dynasty, before it closes next month. Here are some details:

letters to the lpga

This is the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association's statement on the LPGA's idiotic English-only rule, which requires all of its member golfers to learn and speak English, or else face suspension, beginning in 2009:

who is the iphone girl?

A Chinese factory worker has become an internet sensation after a photo posing for an iPhone camera shot was left on the device. The iPhone eventually ended up in the hands of a British customer who posted the photo up on an Apple message board. Since then, the photo has gone around the world, with legions of curious people trying to identifying the mystery worker: Mystery 'iPhone Girl' generates Internet intrigue.

The photo features a young Asian woman working on what appears to be an iPhone assembly line. Dressed in a pink striped outfit and hat and wearing white gloves with yellow fingertips, the "iPhone Girl" is shown smiling and flashing the peace sign. (It's genetic. The two fingers automatically fly up whenever an Asian person is in the presence of a camera.)

An internet superstar is born! Taiwan-based Foxconn, which makes the iPhone for Apple, has confirmed that the girl in the photo has been identified, but says her job is not at risk and has called the incident a "beautiful mistake"—whatever that means. So, reportedly, she's not fired (I'm a little skeptical about this): iPhone Factory Worker Girl Still Has Her Job.

Meanwhile, the unnamed employee is apparently a bit disturbed and freaked out by all the media attention: 'iPhone Girl' Finds Fame And Fear On The Production Line. Accept it, young lady. Embrace it. You are the iPhone Girl.

fund established for brutally beaten restaurant owner

In High Point, North Carolina, the community is coming together to help the family of a restaurant owner who was severly beaten last month while making a late-night food delivery, putting him in a coma. Police and residents canvassed neighborhoods and eventually arrested the two men responsible: 2 charged in beating of restaurant employee.

Thankfully, Xing awoke from the coma, but he remains in serious condition. Now, with Xing's restaurnt closed since the attack, his wife and three young daughters need help handling the medical expenses: Money raised for brutally beaten restaurant owner.

The Lend-a-Hand for Wang Xing Fund, established by the High Point Chamber of Commerce, is seeking donations to help Xing's family to get back on its feet. Donations can be made by cash or check. Checks should be made payable to the Lend-a-Hand for Wang Xing Fund, c/o Southern Community Bank, 2451 Eastchester Drive, High Point, NC 27265.

more stupidity on the today show

What the hell? What is up with this ridiculous clip from the Today show, as pointed this week by The Soup. The segment involves Al Roker and Hoda Kotb visiting a Beijing shop to apparently buy a gift for Kathie Lee Gifford. Hilarity ensues. The two hosts manage to achieve a gold medal in Joel McHale calls "The Condescending American" event. Just watch.

same old summer movies

Here's another great piece by John Ridley for NPR, on the pathetic state of minority representation in Hollywood, particularly in this summer's big movies: Minorities Get Little Respect On The Big Screen. He brings up the small role Asians had in the voices of Kung Fu Panda, Mike Meyers doing the Hindu/Indian stereotype thing, and Jennifer Hudson fetching Carrie's coffee on Sex and the City. And of course, there's this great part about The Incredible Hulk:

Yes, there was Will Smith as a superhero. An alcoholic, abusive, foul-mouthed superhero. And, yes, there was redemption at the end of Hancock, but the path was so coarse as to be unsuitable for my kids to watch. So, the only hero of color they saw this summer was The Incredible Hulk. Which, by the way, why does a movie with nary a minority in it have to end with the Hulk destroying Harlem?

Honestly, this summer's offerings couldn't have been any more offensive if they released the director's cut of Birth of a Nation. On Blu-ray.

Out of 36 films put into wide release between May 2 and Aug. 22, only four had any minorities in leading roles.

Four minorities in leading roles. Okay, this isn't telling us anything new. We're lucky if we see four wide releases with Asians in leading roles in the course of an entire year. Even then, it's usually some combination of Jackie Chan, Jet Li and/or Chow Yun Fat. But it's a good commentary, so check it out.

follow-up on the death of hiu lui ng

More on the case of 34-year-old Hiu Lui Ng, the computer engineer who died in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement earlier this month, of complications of cancer and a fractured spine: Aftermath of an Immigrant’s Death in Detention. He was repeatedly denied medical attention, despite his complaints of extreme back pain and a progressive inability to walk. That's absolutely outrageous.

Ng's relatives have established a temporary fund for donations for his widow and children. Donors could make checks payable to the Ng Family Fund, Account No. 825-31181, and mail them to:

Hiu Lui Ng Family Fund
c/o Litao Mai
Merrill Lynch
100 Campus Drive, Third Floor
Florham Park, N.J. 07932

For other inquiries, including information about wiring money, the family can be reached by e-mail: hiuluingfamily@gmail.com.

wayne wang films getting theatrical and online release

This is an interesting article detailing the upcoming release strategy for Wayne Wang's latest two features, The Princess of Nebraska and A Thousand Years of Good Prayers: Magnolia, Landmark, and Cinetic Planning Parallel Theatrical & Digital Releases for Upcoming Wayne Wang Films.

The veteran filmmaker made the two films sort of as companion films, then sold both of the films to Magnolia Pictures shortly after their premiere last year at the Telluride and Toronto film festivals. Due to the close thematic relationship between the films (both are based on short stories by Yiyun Li), Wang was initially adamant about releasing the two films together.

Now, Wang has decided to make Princess available online, for free, shortly after A Thousand Years hits theaters next month. The details are still being worked out, but it should be a pretty interesting viewing experience. Watch the trailer for A Thousand Years of Good Prayers here. It opens in limited release on September 19. I'm guessing you'll be able to catch Princess of Nebraska online soon after.

profile on queens assemblywoman ellen young

The New York Times City Room blog has a profile on first term Assemblywoman Ellen Young, who is in the only contested Democratic primary for an Assembly seat in Queens. She sustained a number of injuries as a result of being hit by a taxi while riding a bicycle last month: Accident Won't Deter Queens Assemblywoman.

In ways, the race represents a coming of age of Asian American politics in New York City. With Young facing off against fellow Asian American canddiate Grace Meng, daughter of former assemblyman Jimmy K. Meng, the race should be a very interesting one to watch.

america's best dance crew: battle for the vmas

Determined to milk the America's Best Dance Crew phenomenon for all it's worth, MTV aired a post-season special today, Battle For The VMAs. I actually got to attend the show taping earlier this week. Without any "real" stakes on the line, it wasn't quite as exciting as a regular season show. But it was fun.

The show opened with a performance by the two season champions, JabbaWockeeZ and Super Cr3w, joining forces for a badass performance. Then, five crews from the past two seasons—Kaba Modern, Fanny Pak, SoReal Cru, BreakSk8 and Status Quo—competed for a chance to appear live on the MTV Video Music Awards.

Can I just say, it was awesome to see Kaba Modern in action again? They were easily my favorite crew from season one, and they've still got it.

In the end, three crews were chosen as finalists: Kaba Modern, SoReal Cru and Fanny Pak. Which is great, because I seriously can't stand Status Quo and BreakSk8. See ya, suckas.

From the remaining crews, the top two, determined by online vote will battle it out on the VMA red carpet pre-show. The winning crew will get to present at the VMA, with $25,000 going to their favorite charity. You can watch video clips and vote here.

UPDATE: I forgot to mention that the Philippine All Stars, fresh from their win at the 2008 World Hip-Hop Championship earlier this month in Las Vegas, were in the house as special guests at the taping. After all was said and done, they were invited up onto the stage to perform live for the crowd. They were pretty awesome. View some shaky video footage of their performance here.

vigilante ninjas arrested

I found this news rather amusing. Someone has been watching too many Sho Kosugi movies. Last week in Clifton, New Jersey, police busted a couple of "ninja warriors" hell bent on delivering justice to evildoers... ninja style: N.J. Cops Collar 'Shinobi Warrior' Drug Vigilantes.

Looks like 19-year-old Jesse Trojaniak and and buddy 20-year-old Tadeusz Tertkiewicz have had a bit of an unhealthy fascination ninjas. Police said they found the two in a car dressed in "black ninja garb and SWAT-type vests, armed with an assortment of knives, swords, nunchuks... and a cross bow."

They were apparently on their way to delivering warning letters to drug dealers and drug users urging them to stop their "impure" activities. Those who persisted would be stopped with "justified yet, merciful force" at the hands of two modern day "Shinobi warriors."

The cops, however, are not cool with the ninja vigilante action. Both men now face possession of weapons charges, and possibly 18 months in jail. No doubt, Clifton's drug dealing community is breathing a little easier. More here: Ninjas Arrested In New Jersey.

angry asians at the democratic national convention, day 4

It's been a long week in Denver, and yesterday was apparently particularly crazy for our bloggers JL and Spamfriedrice, holding it down at the Democratic National Convention. Here's their wrap-up of the convention's historic final day:


Last night, we felt completely privileged to be at Invesco Field at Mile High to witness history! Shout out to Jaclyn Zimmerman, who is part of the ethnic media outreach team of the DNC, for helping us make sure everything went smoothly for us. We both had goosebumps throughout the night as the stadium celebrated the official nomination of Barack Obama for President and the continuing progress of the Civil Rights movement. It was, after all, the 45th anniversary of the "I Have a Dream" speech by Martin Luther King, Jr., and we cannot deny that AAPIs have significantly benefited from the Civil Rights movement.


We were also really excited about the presence of Asian Americans during the event. There was a video shown before Bill Richardson's speech with appearances by Jin the rapper and Hayne Yoon, an Obama volunteer in Los Angeles.


Mike Honda was also part of a group of Vice-Chairs that presented resolutions. Represent!


Did you see those Asian people sitting prominently behind the Obama ladies during Barack's speech? That's Obama's sister Maya Soetoro-Ng and brother-in-law Konrad Ng. Yes, if Obama become president there will be Asians in the extended first family. As Maya asked the AAPI Caucus the other day, "Can you imagine the family picture on the White House lawn?" Yes I can.

Here's some contact info on getting involved with AAPI outreach for the Obama-Biden campaign in swing states, from Asian American and Pacific Islander Grassroots Strategy Session on Tuesday:

Iowa: Theresa (tmah@uchicago.edu)
Nevada: Preeti (preetik6@gmail.com)
Texas: Ramey (ramey.ko@gmail.com)
Virginia: Joe (joe@vademocrats.org)
Washington: Mika (mika@wa-democrats.org)

After this week, we're even more excited about the possibilities, and looking forward to November 4th, 2008. With that... we're out! Peace!

year of the fish in theaters today

Opening in limited release today from Gigantic Pictures, David Kaplan's rotoscope-animated fairy tale Year of the Fish. It's been floating around on the festival circuit since its world premiere at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, though I only recently had the chance to check it out.

Basically, the film is a modern-day take on the Cinderella fairy tale (based on an old Chinese version of the story) set in New York City's Chinatown. An Nguyen plays Ye Xian, a girl who travels to New York to try to make some money for ailing father back home in China. Upon her arrival, she realizes that she's being forced to work in a seedy massage parlor, run by the wicked Mrs. Su (Tsai Chin) to pay off her debt.

But Ye Xian refuses to do the requisite sex work for the clients, so she is made into a menial servant and has to do all the laundry, cleaning, shopping and cooking—a Cinderella. She finds solace in a magical fish (who actually narrates the story) given to her by the strange neighborhood hunchback Auntie Yaga (Randall Duk Kim). Rounding out the cast is Ken Leung as lovelorn local jazz musician.

The most distinct aspect of Year of the Fish is its unique visual style. The entire film is rotoscope animated, like Waking Life and A Scanner Darkly, where live actors are "traced" by animators in post-production. For the most part, it works, and makes for a very interesting visual experience. At times, it's totally mesmerizing and enhances the fairy tale, dreamlike quality of the story. However, in other moments, it gets kind of distracting, and takes you out of the movie.

Outside of the animation, to be honest, the movie had this "so what" quality to me. I wasn't all that thrilled by the massage parlor aspect of the story, as educational as it was. At some point, I started to wonder how much I'd have to watch of people being awful to this poor girl, before everyone finally got what they deserved. There were also a lot of actors with really annoying, inauthentic fake Chinese accents—a big movie pet peeve of mine.

Overall, I really wanted to like this movie, but I just found it kind of underwhelming. But it is visually interesting, and has a handful of charming moments. And Ken Leung, in the small role that he has here, is great. Like everything else I've seen him in lately. Anyway, the movie opens in theaters today in New York, San Francisco and Berkeley. For more information, visit the website here.

hate crime killer will face death

Yesterday, the California Supreme Court affirmed the conviction and death penalty sentence for hate crime killer Gunner Jay Lindberg, who viciously murdered Thien Minh Ly in 1996: OC Hate Crime Killer Headed For Lethal Injection.

In a 69-page ruling, the justices reviewed and dismissed each of Lindberg's numerous claims that the two special-circumstance findings that put him on death row were false. Instead, the justices agreed with the original Orange County jury's determination that Lindberg had indeed attempted to rob Thien Minh Ly before killing him and that the crime had been racially motivated.

The autopsy report showed Ly had been repeatedly punched, kicked in the face and stomped in the head, as well as stabbed 22 times, mostly in the heart. Later, Lindberg wrote a letter to his cousin detailing how he "killed a Jap." Honestly, I don't understand how the hate crime motivation was ever under question. That's racist!

more on lpga's english-only rule

Some follow-up on the LPGA's plans to require all of its member golfers to learn and speak English, or else face suspension, beginning in 2009. This editorial in the New York Times argues that the rule will redefine women's professional golf and re-authorize discrimination in a sport that is still struggling to do away with it: A Bad Idea From the L.P.G.A..

Just wonder what American sports would look like if all the major sports associations—say, the NBA or Major League Baseball—required athletes to prove that they are English-proficient. Yes, they would suck.

This kickass Yahoo! Sports editorial doesn't call the English-only rule a bad idea... it's the Dumbest Rule Ever. Indeed. Consider this: There are apparently 121 players from 26 nations currently playing on the tour. But, reportedly, the rule was specifically explained to one particular group of players—South Koreans, who represent 45 of the foreign-born players. Eh?

Calling the policy national origin discrimination, the Asian American Justice Center is urging LPGA sponsors to withdraw support of the Tour until the English proficiency policy is retracted: LPGA English Policy Is Discriminatory; AAJC Urges Sponsors To Withdraw Support. More here: LPGA could be bringing on a discrimination lawsuit. No, this is not the end of this.

angry asians at the democratic national convention, part 2

Here's the latest word from our trusted correspondents, JL and Spamfriedrice, blogging about what's been going down at the Democratic National Convention in Denver:

tuesday-wednesday roundup: the view from the nosebleed seats

We are writing this entry in our nosebleed seats in the Pepsi Center on Wednesday. We have a great view of Hillary and Chelsea sitting below us and the CNN newscasters. Check out this scene from yesterday.


Yesterday, we got to chat with Yul Kwon, all-around good guy and another Asian American badass, who shared his views on his hopes for young Asian Americans in politics.

"To me this presidential race has been so amazingly exciting because we're seeing such amazing diversity among candidates. It's a watershed moment in American history: We had a strong female candidate, a strong African American candidate and a strong Latino candidate. What I'd love to see one day is a strong Asian American candidate. I think Barack Obama getting elected is a symbolic moment that I think will forever change the way people look at their possibilities, especially for Asian American youth. What I'd love to see is more young people getting involved in politics.

Our parents were first generation immigrants for the most part and came here just to assimilate, just to survive. But now many of us have opportunities that our parents never did. We should capitalize on these opportunities — and I would argue, responsibility — for us to try to become leaders in our own right... and not just think about our own individual careers but think about broadly serving our own community and helping other people. The hope is that one of the people reading this might be the first Asian American president of the United States."

Preach it, Yul.


Asian Pacific Americans for Progress, Asian Americans for Obama and South Asians for Obama held an Asian American and Pacific Islander Grassroots Strategy Session on Tuesday and Maya Soetoro-Ng and Konrad Ng, Barack Obama's half-sister and brother-in-law stopped by to encourage AAPI to get involved. She talked about Obama's connection to the Asian American community.


Also stopping by at the grassroots strategy session was none other than Daniel Dae Kim, who plays Jin on Lost. A white woman walked up to him and asked, "Where's Naveen?" (The actor who plays Sayid.) Uh, yeah lady, DDK walks around with his buddy in his pocket. Oh yeah, here's an AAM exclusive: Jin will be back next season! We don't know in what capacity but he'll be back. We told DDK we will be tuning in.

Anyway, Daniel had some cool words for us when we asked him why we should vote and get active in this election:

"You know, so many young Asian Americans are media saavy and within that demographic everyone talks about representation. This — getting involved in the political process — is representation at its most basic and literal level. And I think that when we try and serve the cause of Asian Americans we really need to get involved in this process, whether it's you yourself getting out to vote or being an advocate on behalf of a candidate to your family or your friends. I think it's just important to know what's going on in the country at a grassroots level and at a national level. And I think it's better to be the advocate for change than the beneficiary of change."

Wow, very cool.


We also got to see Norman Mineta, former Secretary of Tranportation. Another OG Asian American in politics. Go Norm!


Tuesday night we got to hit up the floor and we ran into two Asian Americans who were New York Delegates — James Wu and Grace Yu. When we introduced ourselves, James said that he's an AAM reader. You rock James!


We also ran into Jeff Chang, author Can't Stop, Won't Stop, interviewing a Hillary fan for Vibe magazine. Wow! He's the guy who did the interview with Barack Obama for Vibe.

Did you catch California State Controller John Chiang or Congressman Mike Honda's DNC speeches on TV Tuesday night? They were one of the 60 or so speakers last night but were not on during prime time. Is that racist? We're not sure.

On Wednesday, Tammy Duckworth, Director for Veterans Affairs in Illinois, spoke at the DNCC and totally represented as a strong Asian American woman! We unintentionally ended up sitting near a bunch of young AAPIs and we all cheered loudly for Tammy when she repped as an AAPI.


We also caught sight of an Asian dude, Baldwin Yen, prominently featured in a video about U.S. war veterans.

We've heard that there have been some sightings of Kelly Hu, Kal Penn, Margaret Cho and Tamilyn Tomita.

We gotta go. Bill Clinton is about to speak.

former muslim army chaplain now a delegate

Here's a profile in the Seattle Times on James Yee, the former Army chaplain who was wrongly accused by the U.S. government of being a spy, and placed in solitary confinement for 76 days: Denver latest stop on Yee's unlikely journey.

This week, he was in Denver serving as a delegate at the Democratic National Convention. Good reader Maimounah recently conducted an interview with James Yee, talking about his role as a national delegate, and trying to be an example for other Asian Americans and Muslim Americans to get involved in the political process.. Read the interview here.

naascon2008, october 17-19 at emory university

This is for all my student friends out there. Summer is winding down, which means it's time to head back to school and hit the books again. So here's some knowledge for you. NAASCon2008, the third biennial National Asian American Student Conference, is happening October 17-19 at Emory University in Atlanta.

This year's conference theme is "From Visions to Actions: Let's Get Our Movements Going." Looks like the schedule and roster of speakers are still coming together, but I'm sure it's going to be a worthwhile weekend for creating thoughtful dialogue, engaging the community and inspiring action.

I've attended the last two conferences as a workshop facilitator, and had a really great time. For more information about the upcoming NAASCon, visit the website here. And watch the little promo video above. Early registration is $30, and is open until September 20.

more videos from the dnc

Lots of action at the Democratic National Convention. From what I've heard, our intrepid correspondents have had a busy couple of days, but they've experienced some very cool stuff, and met some very cool people. We should have an update very soon. In the meantime, here are some noteworthy videos from the DNCC Video Experience website.

Remarks - Tammy Duckworth: Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs; Helicopter pilot and wounded Iraq war veteran. When she self-identifies as an Asian American, you can hear some members of the crowd give a whoo! Represent.

Veterans Video: Steven Spielberg's short film dedication to U.S. armed forces veterans, narrated by Tom Hanks. One of veterans prominently profiled in the video is Iraq War veteran Baldwin Yen, who served the U.S. Army, 1998-2006. It's rather powerful.

John Chiang: The Honorable John Chiang, State Controller, California. This is the guy who's been battling Arnold Schwarzenegger over funding the state budget. Yes, John Chiang stood up to the Terminator.

Mike Honda: The Honorable Mike Honda, Member of the US House of Representatives, California and DNC Vice Chair. I posted the transcript of this speech earlier today. Silicon Valley, represent!

Benediction - Revs. Jin Ho Kang, Youngsook Kang: Methodist pastors Jin Ho Kang and Youngsook Kang from Aurora, Colorado, giving the benediction to close Tuesday's convention proceedings. I actually thought this was particularly cool.

"there's a piece of paper inside!"

This is pretty amusing. Having read Jennifer 8. Lee's The Fortune Cookie Chronicles, we all know that fortune cookies do not actually originate from China. And yet over the years they've somehow become a staple of the Chinese food dining experience in Ameri

In fact, if you go to China and give a person a fortune cookie, it's likely they won't have any idea what it is or what to do with it. No joke. Behold, this video. These folks don't have a clue. Be sure you don't eat your fortune! Silly Americans. They come up with the weirdest stuff. (Thanks, Bamboo Nation.)

man sentenced to prison for sending threatening letters

Asians Behaving Badly... threatening letter-writing edition! This week in Cleveland, crazy weirdo David Tuason, who wrote hundreds of threatening letters over 20 years to black and mixed-race men, was sentenced to three years and ten months in prison: Ohio man sentenced for writing racial hate letters.

Tuason, who is of Filipino descent, pleaded guilty in May to six counts of mailing threatening communications and two counts of threatening interstate communications. He said he sent the threatening letters because a black man "stole" the girlfriend he planned to marry. Well, that's fantastic.

According to prosecutors, Tuason sent more than 200 hateful letters or e-mails, many to black or mixed-race men—including Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter. He also sent threatening communications to high school, college and professional athletes, coaches, celebrities, musicians, news anchors, hospitals, police departments and lawyers.

Let me get this straight. If this guy's been sending threatening letters for twenty years... does that mean that some dude "stole" his girlfriend twenty years ago, and he's still mad about that? And thus blaming guys like Derek Jeter? Goodness. Get over it, man.

transcript of mike honda's dnc speech

The following is a transcript of a speech, as prepared for delivery, by The Honorable Mike Honda yesterday at the Democratic National Convention:

My name is Mike Honda. I am a proud Sansei Democrat and a Silicon Valley Congressman. But above all, I'm a teacher.

One of my proudest moments was when I received keys to my first classroom. It was high quality public education that allowed this son of strawberry sharecroppers, raised in the Japanese American internment camps of World War II, to grow up to become a Peace Corps volunteer, a Vice Chair of the DNC, and Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

Education is the gateway to the American dream. Barack knows first-hand that immigrant families – Asian, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, African and others – can attain the American dream through a quality, equitable education, and hard work. Barack's story of promise and opportunity proves that education can be the great equalizer. Sadly, over the past eight years, the misguided Bush/McCain priorities have bled our schools' resources dry, shutting down that gateway to success, and hijacking our children's capacity to achieve the American dream.

We are now at a crossroads. We can either continue on a path of failed policies with John McCain, or, for the change we need, we can elect Barack Obama president. America is in dire need of leadership. Barack knows that education leads to innovation, a critical engine of our economy. His ability and his vision will help ensure that everyone has the opportunity to obtain a quality education. Barack will fight for our children's future.

Rather than burning through billions of dollars on failed foreign policies and an open-ended war, Barack knows that the real war to be fought is for the education of our children, the future of America's economic health. He is committed to developing the teachers of tomorrow from among the brightest in our classrooms today and preparing, retaining and rewarding every teacher in America for their service.

In 1965, President Kennedy's call to service led me to build schools in El Salvador. Now, though my hair is gray, I am inspired again. With Barack Obama and Joe Biden as our ticket - yes, there is hope for the change we need!

Thank you, Senator Obama, for unlocking the imagination and idealism of all generations of Americans, including our Asian and Pacific Islander communities. Thank you for inspiring us to be a critical part of your journey to victory this November. And thank you for your commitment to education, for knowing the strength of America's tomorrow lies in the classrooms of today.

The call him "The Godfather." Here's also video (fuzzy audio) of the Congressman speaking at the DNC AAPI Caucus. More convention coverage to come...

vote out florida's racist "alien land law"

In November, Florida voters will see an amendment on the ballot that would eliminate an obscure provision of the Constitution that can stop people ineligible for U.S. citizenship from owning property in the state. When Florida voters first adopted the discriminatory land law in 1926, it targeted Asian immigrants, who were barred from becoming naturalized citizens purely because of their race: Land Law Amendment Targets 'Vestiges Of Racism'.

Florida is one of two states where an "alien land law" remains on the books. Proposals to ask Florida voters to eliminate the restriction failed in the Legislature for three years before it finally made through in 2007.

Supporters of the proposal want voters to close what they see as a dark chapter of history by wiping out the discriminatory language. Doing so would be "purely symbolic," because neither Asians nor any other ethnic group are barred from citizenship based on their race.

However, the proposal still has its share of opponents. There are those who argue that in the age of terrorism, the alien land provision could be needed to restrict property holdings of people who are ineligible for citizenship because they pose a threat to national security. Then of course, there are those folks who are just plain racist, if the article's comments indicate anything.

Florida readers, this is a racist, antiquated law, and needs to be voted out of the Constitution. Something to keep in mind when you head to the polls this November, as most folks will be preoccupied with voting for the next President of the United States. (Thanks, Andrew.)

napawf's "warrior prose" interviews

Priscilla over at the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum informs me that they just launched an interview series on their blog, Warrior Prose, featuring some true API women rock stars, like Grace Lee Boggs; activist/journalist/writer Helen Zia; activist Cindy Domingo; Lora Jo Foo, author of Asian American Women: Issues, Concerns, and Responsive Human and Civil Rights Advocacy; and Mallika Dutt, Founder and Executive Director of international human rights organization Breakthrough. Check it out, because these are interviews with some really amazing women.

the convention, via youtube

Here's video of Barack Obama's sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, speaking yesterday at the Democratic National Convention. Keeping it real for her big brother.


Survivor winner Yul Kwon, introducing his panel at the APIA Democratic Caucus. This is a man who knows how to win votes.


Actress/activist Tamlyn Tomita at the DNC with APIA Vote, telling us all why it's important for Asian Americans vote this November.


Part two with Tamlyn.


And finally, here's the newest star-filled pro-Obama music video, "American Prayer" by Dave Stewart. Watch a for an appearance by Obama supporter Margaret Cho. Learn more about the video here.

michelle rhee's risky d.c. school fix

This is a really interesting Newsweek profile on Michelle A. Rhee, who took over as head of the Washington, D.C. public schools a year ago. Her mission: to save D.C.'s crumbling schools. Since she took on the job, her unconventional approach has attracted quite a bit attention... and controversy: An Unlikely Gambler.

Last week, Rhee announced plans to boost dismal achievement at half the city's middle schools by offering students cash as a motivator. That's right. Cash money. Instead of detention, suspension and all that to turn around poorly behaved, underachieving middle school students, they plan to pay students up to $100 per month for displaying good behavior. I'm not kidding. This is a real, actual program: D.C. Tries Cash as a Motivator In School.

Beginning in October, 3,000 students at 14 middle schools will be eligible to earn up to 50 points per month and be paid $2 per point for attending class regularly and on time, turning in homework, displaying manners and earning high marks. A maximum of $2.7 million has been set aside for the program, and the money students earn will be deposited every two weeks into bank accounts the system plans to open for them.

Dude. Where was this program when I was in middle school? Granted, my school probably never got this bad. But I wish someone had paid me a hundred bucks a month for grades and behavior back in junior high. I don't know where Rhee dreamed up this crazy program, but if it works, it's going to be huge. More here: New chief seeks DC schools fix where others failed.