oh hell no, possible new oakland hotspot: "geisha"

In Oakland, there's currently a permit to open a bar/restaurant/lounge at 316 14th Street under consideration by the Planning Commission that's getting some negative attention from concerned community members. The bar's name: "Geisha." I heard about it from Diana Wu, who breaks it all down in her extensive, detailed letter to the Oakland Planning Commission:

Dear Planning Commissioners,

I am a resident in downtown Oakland and a professor of Ethnic Studies at UC Berkeley. Prior to that work, I also worked as the Director of Community Planning at Asian Neighborhood Design in San Francisco and have worked as a researcher on community development, environmental and housing issues for both Urban Strategies Council and Pacific Institute. I have been up here before multiple times, on issues as diverse as community benefits, affordable housing, Oakland arts and cultural funding and youth programs. I am committed to the well-being of all Oaklanders and that is why i will be standing before you tonight.

I am writing with respect to the Permit regarding Case Number CM09-163 (APN 008-0625-047-00) that will be coming before you tonight (Wednesday, 10/7/09), a permit to open a bar at 316 14th Street.

We in the neighborhood have dubbed it the "unfortunately named" bar on 14th St.

Through extended discussion, we agree that the proposed name for the proposed establishment, "Geisha," plays upon and reinforces racist and sexist stereotypes about Asian women and will significantly impact the quality of civic life in the neighborhood should it remain thus unfortunately named.

Intentionally or not, the use of the word is culturally related to a set of stereotypes of Asian women that is a well-documented social fact that is well-documented in the social sciences, Asian American Studies, ethnic studies and even by popular authors such as Sheridan Prasso.

History of a stereotype

The impression that all Asian women were prostitutes, born at that time (the late 1800s and early 1900s), colored the public perception of, attitude toward, and action against all Chinese women for almost a century," writes historian Sucheng Chan (cf. Shah 1997).

As Asian American scholar Gary Okihiro notes, Western stereotypes of Asian women are related to the West's geopolitical relationship with Asia - in particular a desire of the West to take possession, work over, and penetrate of Asia (Shah 1997).

Whether intentional or not, the image and stereotype of the geisha, like that of lotus blossom, china doll, and the dragon lady, are a product of, and reinforce those cultural meanings that pervade our society. Staci Ford of the University of Hong Kong concluded that stereotypical depictions of women in general created by sexist white men continue to haunt movies - and culture - though they now have a disguised form.

The prevalence and reality of the geisha stereotype

A recent study conducted by Derald Wing Sue et al (2007) from the Teachers College at Columbia university identified 8 major types of microaggressions commonly experienced by Asian Americans. Of the 8, 2 are relevant to the issue at hand today.

First is the exotification of Asian women, where Asian and Asian American women are perceived as being available for sexual favors for men. As Jessica Tan and Jen-Mei Wu's testimonials also concur, these incidents are not isolated to academic books and journals and radical social justice circles, but a salient feature of Asian American women's lives in Oakland, in downtown, in the United States every day. I would hope and expect that the Oakland in which I live, work, love and play would absolutely reject any role in allowing this stereotype to live or become in any way a feature of the physical or psychological landscape of this city.

Second was the widespread denial of Asian Americans racial realities. This included messages being conveyed were that Asians are not an ethnic minority group, experience little or no discrimination, and that their racial concerns are unimportant. In this case, the group's prior attempted exchanges with Perry were met with absolute denial that our concerns about the name of the bar-restaurant-lounge could possibly be reinforcing a racist and sexist stereotype, nor even that geisha itself was a racist and sexist stereotype in the US and Western context.

According to Wing Sue et al, microaggressions are brief, everyday exchanges that send denigrating messages to people of color because they belong to a racial - and this case, racial and sex-based - minority group. These exchanges are so pervasive and automatic in daily interactions that they are often dismissed and glossed over as being innocuous.

The study also "provides strong support that microaggressions are not minimally harmful and possess detrimental consequences for the recipients."

Impacts of the stereotype

The impacts of this stereotype, as documented in the academic and medical literature, include:

* sexual harassment. every day racialized sexual harassment of Asian and Asian American women
* mental illness. Other studies have documented for all racial groups that the prevalence of every day racial aggression is related to mental illness, physical and psychological well-being and contributes to stress, anger and depression in its victims (Chakraborty and McKenzie 2002; Kim 2002).
* Discriminatory economic; rise in nonconsensual sex trade and pornography. Similarly, Professor of Asian American Studies Elaine Kim has argued that the stereotype of Asian women as submissive sex objects has impeded Asian women's economic mobility and has fostered increased demand in mail-order brides and ethnic pornography.

I sincerely hope that the Oakland City Council understands the impacts of this stereotype and will not deny its existence in today's society. To do so would be to conduct an aggression against the reality that Asian Americans face.

I hope you will recognize the clear and well-documented psychological violence that the name of this bar would contribute to and perpetuate against Asian and Asian American, and all women, people of good conscience, people committed to peace and justice, in the City of Oakland. Please do not allow this bar-restaurant-lounge to go forward with its current name.

Respectfully submitted,
Diana Pei Wu, PhD

Faculty Lecturer, Comparative Ethnic Studies, University of California, Berkeley
(Visiting Faculty Fellow in Global Sustainability, Amherst College, 2009-2010)

Selected Bibliography

Chakraborty, A., & McKenzie, K. (2002). Does racial discrimination cause mental illness? British Journal of Psychiatry, 180, 475- 477.

Ford, Staci. "Portrayal of Genders and Generation, East and West: Suzie Wong in the Noble House" (http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/hkjo/view/35/3500494.pdf. Retrieved 2006-06-25)

Guillaumin, Colette. 1995. Racism, sexism, power, and ideology. London ; New York : Routledge.

Kim, Elaine (1984). "Asian American writers: A bibliographical review". American Studies International 22 (2): 41-78..

Kim, J. G. S. (2002). Racial perceptions and psychological well being in Asian and Hispanic Americans. Dissertation Abstracts International, 63(2-B), 1033B.

Makhijani, Pooja (Ed.). 2004. Under Her Skin: How Girls Experience Race in America. Seal Press.

Na, Vickie (Ed.). 2000. Yell-Oh Girls!: Emerging Voices Explore Culture, Identity, and Growing Up Asian American. New York: Quill Press.

Prasso, Sheridan. 2005. The Asian Mystique: Dragon ladies, Geisha Girls and Our Fantasies of the Exotic Orient. New York: PublicAffairs.

Shah, Sonia. 1997. "Women and Gender Issues" Asian-Nation: The Landscape of Asian America. (October 7, 2009).

Shimizu, Celine. 2007. The Hypersexuality of Race: Performing Asian/American Women on Screen and Scene. Duke University Press.

Tajima, R. (1989). Lotus blossoms don't bleed: Images of Asian women., Asian Women United of California's Making waves: An anthology of writings by and about Asian American women, (pp 308-317), Beacon Press

Toyama, Nikki A., Tracey Gee, Kathy Khang, Christie Heller de Leon, and Asifa Dean (Eds.). 2005. More Than Serving Tea: Asian American Women on Expectations, Relationships, Leadership and Faith. IVP Books.

Wing Sue, Derald, Jennifer Bucceri, Annie I. Lin, Kevin L. Nadal, and Gina C. Torino. 2007. "Racial Microaggressions and the Asian American Experience." Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology 13 (1), 72- 81.

"Geisha" has planted itself in the wrong neighborhood, and has crossed the wrong UC Berkeley Ethnic Studies professor. And she -- no, we -- will defeat the "unfortunately named" bar with some good old fashioned academic asskicking. With a bibliography.

But wait. According to Asian Pacific Americans for Progress, the Planning Commission voted on the permit last night. Here's how the final vote shook down: 4 votes in favor; 1 vote against; 1 abstain; 1 commissioner absent. Here are the members who vote 'yes' (with contact information, just in case you want to do something with it):

Michael Colbruno
Clear Channel Outdoor
555 12th Street, Suite 950
Oakland, CA 94607
835-5900
Fax: 663-4662
Email: michaelcolbruno@clearchannel.com

C. Blake Huntsman
SEIU, Local 1021
155 Myrtle Street
Oakland, CA 94607
452-2366, ext. 522
Fax: 452-2436
Email: Blake.Huntsman@seiu1021.org

Douglas Boxer
Boxer & Associates, Inc.
300 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Suite 500
Oakland, CA 94612
286-2937
Fax: 835-0415
Email: dboxer@gmail.com

Vince Gibbs
City of Oakland
250 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza Ste. 3315
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 903-9516
Email: VinceGibbs.opc@gmail.com

More here. On a related note, in the UK, a print advertisement showing an Asian woman bound with rope and exposing her thigh has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority: 'Violent' geisha advert banned. What the hell a tied-up geisha has to do with some friggin' floor tiles, I have no idea.

come together home, a documentary by ivy lin

Come Together Home, a new documentary by Ivy Lin, retraces the final journey of disinterred remains of early Chinese immigrants from Portland to Hong Kong. The world premiere screening is this Sunday, October 11 at the Someday Lounge in Portland's Old Town/Chinatown. Here are some details:

Come Together Home
A documentary by Ivy Lin
Watch the trailer here.

Synopsis
The first wave of Chinese immigrants started to arrive in Portland in 1850. Most of the Chinese immigrants worked as railroad workers, loggers, and cannery workers, and helped to build the city of Portland and the state of Oregon.

Block 14 in Lone Fir Cemetery, the first Chinese burial ground in Portland -- and site of as many as 1,500 burials -- now stands as a fenced off void of gravel after most of the remains were exhumed and shipped back to China in 1928 & 1949.

Sixty years later, Director Ivy Lin follows the footsteps of the missing 1949 shipment in an extraordinary journey from Portland to Hong Kong.

World Premiere
October 11th, Sunday, 7pm
Someday Lounge, 125 NW 5th Ave., Portland, OR 97209

*Q&A with the director following the screening
**Free admission, donations welcomed for "Block 14 Memorials Fund," raised by Friends of Lone Fir Cemetery.**

Due the Chinese Exclusion Act, for many early Chinese immigrants, getting one's remains exhumed and shipped was apparently the only way for them to return home. Here's an article on director Ivy Lin and the story behind the film: Portland filmmaker traces remains of Portland railroad workers back to China. You can watch the trailer for Come Together Home here.

first annual asian american jazz festival (in los angeles)

Like jazz? Mark your calendars for the very first Asian American Jazz Festival, happening October 30 - November 1 in Los Angeles. Asian jazz artists from around the world will appear together for the first time to celebrate their unique contributions to the international jazz scene. Here's the press release:

FIRST ANNUAL ASIAN AMERICAN JAZZ FESTIVAL
LAUNCHES OCTOBER 30 TO NOVEMBER 1, 2009
HIROMI, CHARMAINE CLAMOR, PRELUDE, AND MON DAVID SET TO HEADLINE

Asian jazz artists from around the world will appear together for the first time at the Asian American Jazz Festival (AAJF) in Los Angeles, celebrating their unique contributions to the international jazz scene. Headliners include Japanese piano genius Hiromi, Filipina "jazzipino" sensation Charmaine Clamor, Korea’s #1 jazz quintet Prelude, and the champion of the 2006 London International Vocal Jazz Competition, Filipino Mon David. These superstars will be joined by an eclectic lineup of Asian-American virtuosos in a 3-day, multi-cultural celebration.

From its African-American roots, jazz has always been an immigrant art form, welcoming contributions by various cultures. Asian and Asian-American jazz artists have established their own compelling, musically powerful voice in the contemporary jazz discussion, representing the fastest growing immigrant group in the United States. The AAJF will showcase their innovative artistic visions with three full days of music -- October 30th, 31st, and November 1st -- culminating with a gala concert at the Japanese American National Museum in downtown Los Angeles.

In addition to the renowned recording artists Hiromi, Charmaine Clamor, Prelude, and Mon David, 10 other Asian-American jazz artists representing Los Angeles, Honolulu, and New York City will share their sounds. The Festival launches at Café Metropol, one of LA's premier jazz venues, for two full days of music on Friday and Saturday, and concludes with all four headliners performing at the Democracy Forum at the Japanese American National Museum, on Sunday, November 1st, 2009.

That's twelve Asian and Asian American artists performing over three days. Headline concerts will be held at the Japanese American National Museum and Cafe Metropol in downtown Los Angeles. For further details, including schedule and artist info, and to purchase your tickets, go to the Asian American Jazz Festival website here.

music video: "words that define" by big phony

Here's the music video for "Words That Define" by Big Phony, directed by Chris Chan Lee. Shot back in December 2008, it's had a good run on the film festival circuits, and is finally available for viewing online.

Nicely shot, featuring Lanny Joon Kim, Harry Yoon, Sunn Wee, our friend Peachies, and of course, Bobby Choy. The song is from Big Phony's forthcoming album Kicking Punching Bags. For more from Big Phony, visit his website here, and his MySpace here.

screenwriters: battle of the pitches

Screenwriters! Time to get your pitch on... Mark your calendars for the Battle of the Pitches on Thursday, October 22 as part of BREAKING THE BOW, The 1st Annual Independent Asian Pacific Islander Performing Artists and Writers Festival at the Miles Memorial Playhouse in Santa Monica.

Competing in front of an audience and a panel of esteemed judges, screenwriters will battle each other with their one-minute pitches for the opportunity to have a pitch meeting with executives at FOX 2000 and FOX Searchlight as well as have lunch with a FOX executive.

Screenwriters will be judged on performance and persuasive techniques, quality and originality of writing, and presentation. The Battle of the Pitches judges are:

API film icon Kelvin Han Yee
Writer, actress, and comedienne Amy Hill
Academy Award winner Chris Tashima

Any writer can enter Battle of the Pitches which has a focus on promoting and discovering Asian Pacific Islander writers and on scripts that have prominent, non-stereotypical, and strong Asian Pacific Islander characters and themes.

Battle of the Pitches contestants can enter for $5 plus the $10 ticket admission. Contestant reservations and audience reservations are strongly suggested. For more information and reservations, contact ken@mapid.us.

jon and kate this ain't

Whatever, Jon and Kate. Eight kids? That's nothing. This is a crazy story out of the U.K. about Rachael Savory and Jay Wong, who, after having 10 children in just 12 years, finally got married -- fourteen years after they became engaged. I guess they were busy: 'I (finally) do': Couple squeeze in a wedding at long last - after having TEN children in 12 years.

Naturally, their six daughters and four sons -- aged from 22 months to 14 years -- were bridesmaids and page boys at the ceremony.

Like the Gosselins, the Wong family started off with twin girls, Olivia and Jasmine. A whole bunch of kids soon followed: Robyn, Molly, Tyler, Kai, Cody, Logan, Izabella and Riley. With one kid after another, you can see why they might have found it difficult to squeeze in a wedding.

Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Wong. Whatever you do, do not put your family on a reality television show. If TLC comes calling, just hang up the phone. Everyone will be better off.

case delayed in alleged laos overthrow plot

In the latest developments in the case of a group of men plotting the violent overthrow of the communist government in Laos... or rather, the lack of developments. Turns out, because two new defendants have just been charged, there will be little or not public movement for at least six months: Sacramento case delayed in alleged Laos overthrow plot.

In a new indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Sacramento on September 17, brothers Jerry Yang and Thomas Yang of Stockton were named as conspirators along with ten men indicted over two years ago. All twelve defendants have pleaded not guilty.

The federal indictment accuses the group of conspiring to mobilize an insurgent force with the aim of transforming Laos into an American-style democracy. The prosecution contends the men were planning to arm Hmong people in Laos for a revolt against the country's communist rulers.

Attorneys for Jerry Yang and Thomas Yang told U.S. District Judge Frank C. Damrell Jr. that they need at least six months to digest 85,000 documents and hundreds of hours of audio and video recordings of secretly taped conversations and events already turned over by prosecutors to the defense.

The lead prosecutor asked the judge to set another court date three months out, but the judge set a status conference for March 15, saying he hoped that would give defense lawyers time to complete their review.

Meanwhile, Hmong American community members rallied at the courthouse building in support of the accused: Hmong rally for accused conspirators.

justin chon stars in student film turbo

I just watched Turbo, a USC graduate thesis film by Jarrett Conaway shot for under $100,000 on one of those new-fangled Red One cameras: Watch Turbo (That Video Game Movie Shot on a Red One) Now.

The plot is fairly cheesy -- it's sort of a futuristic video game/fighting movie, and the villain is as ridiculously evil as it gets (think Johnny from The Karate Kid) -- but the film gets away with some amazing visual effects and fight choreography for a 20-minute student film. It's pretty impressive.

Turbo stars Justin Chon (the Asian kid from Twilight) and Ilram Choi (who also served as fight coordinator) as the guys you're rooting for. Here's a behind-the-scenes video on the production -- two years in the making, apparently. This ought to get somebody a job, right? For more about the film, go to the Turbo website here.

daniel dae kim cast in the adjustment bureau

Lost star Daniel Dae Kim has been cast in Universal Pictures' feature film The Adjustment Bureau, written and directed by George Nolfi, and adapted from a Philip K. Dick short story: Three actors join 'Bureau'.

The movie's story centers on a congressman (Matt Damon), on the rise in politics, who meets a beautiful ballet dancer (Emily Blunt) only to discover that a strange organization is keeping them apart.

DDK will play "a mysterious staffer at the Bureau of Adjustments." I do not know what that means, but it's definitely mysterious. The movie is scheduled to shoot this fall in New York.

As The Hollywood Reporter story notes, this marks a rare foray into features for Daniel, who has made appearances in such films as Crash and Spider-Man 2, but has mainly been seen in TV because of Lost's tight shooting schedule in Hawaii. It'll be cool to see him in a feature film again.

full ong bak 2 trailer

By the way, have you seen the full-length theatrical trailer for Ong Bak 2: The Beginning? It's pretty freaking sweet. I caught the movie earlier this year at South By Southwest, and I can attest that the movie is an epic, all-out festival of ass kicking, courtesy of director/star Tony Jaa. That's all you need to know.

The movie is currently available on VOD (watch it now!) and in select theaters on October 23 from Magnet Releasing. If you're a martial arts action fan, I highly recommend seeking it out. To learn more about the movie, go to the Ong Bak 2 website here.

community members demand justice for daniel pham

Yesterday in San Jose, concerned community members held a press conference/rally and vigil to renew their efforts to secure "Justice for Daniel Pham," who was shot and killed by police officers in his backyard on May 10: Vietnamese-Americans seek open grand jury in death of S.J. man shot by cops.

Pham was shot on Mother's Day after his brother called 911. Just what was said is unclear, but the family has said they told arriving officers that Pham was mentally ill. He had suddenly sliced his brother's neck and was still holding the large knife when police arrived.

Loved ones just want to know why Daniel Pham had to die. All summer, Pham's family and supporters have tried to persuade District Attorney Dolores Carr to open the grand jury hearing into Pham's death, and asked police to release copies of the 911 calls made on the day he was killed.

The requests were denied, but the family and community groups remain adamant about the need to make the tapes public and open the grand jury proceedings.

San Jose police have said they do not release 911 tapes when investigations are still ongoing. And the District Attorney apparently has a long-standing belief that grand jury hearings on police-involved killings should be closed. More here: Protests Over Man Shot By San Jose Officers.

There's an online petition requesting that city release any and all findings that it has made regarding the shooting, along with the tape of the 911 call, the autopsy report, and the records of the officers involved in the shooting. View and sign it here: Police shooting of Daniel Son Pham on May 10, 2009.

2009 apex career symposium

Something cool for the career-minded folks... The APEX Career Symposium is happening this Saturday, October 10 at the Wilshire Grand Hotel in Los Angeles. The Symposium is the largest career development conference dedicated to Asian Pacific American professionals in the Los Angeles area.

The goal of this event is to provide opportunities for qualified students and professionals at various levels to network with senior executives and recruiters from major corporations. The day includes an industry leaders roundtable luncheon, keynote speakers, professional development workshops, career fair, and community networking mixer. The basics:

APEX Career Symposium 2009
"Reinvent. Redefine. Rediscover."

Saturday, October 10, 2009
11:00AM - 6:00PM

Wilshire Grand Hotel
930 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90017

The highly anticipated 2009 APEX Career Symposium will be held on Saturday October 10th, at the Wilshire Grand Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles.

The APEX Career Symposium is the largest career development conference dedicated to the Asian Pacific American professionals in the L.A. area. The goal of this event is to provide opportunities for qualified students and professionals at various levels to network with senior executives and recruiters from major corporations.

Confirmed companies include:
Baxter, BP, Booz Allen Hamilton, CIA, Farmers Insurance, FDIC, LA18, MTV, New York Life, Prudential, Southern California Edison, State Farm, Target, Walt Disney Company, Warner Brothers, Union Bank, and more to come!

The conference keynote speaker is none other than Victor Jih, last season's winner of The Amazing Race! I'm particularly interested in the "Wildly Successful without My Parents' Permission" panel, which features Daisy Lin, Producer at NBC; actress Lynn Chen; Kevin Yu, Community Manager at Blizzard Entertainment; and Roy Choi and Mark Manguera, Founders of Kogi BBQ -- the Kogi truck!

By the way, if you use the community discount code ("COMMUNITY2009"), you can attend the entire event for only $20. And students can attend the career fair and mixer for only $10. For more information, and to register for the APEX Career Symposium, go to the website here.

obama nominates judge denny chin to u.s. court of appeals

As expected, today President Obama nominated Judge Denny Chin for a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Judge Chin currently serves as a U.S. District Court Judge for the Southern District of New York. Here's the White House press release:

President Obama Nominates Judge Denny Chin for United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Judge O. Rogeriee Thompson for United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, President Obama nominated Judge Denny Chin for a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Judge O. Rogeriee Thompson for a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Judge Chin currently serves as a U.S. District Court Judge for the Southern District of New York. Judge Thompson currently serves as an Associate Justice on the Rhode Island Superior Court.

"Judges Chin and Thompson have displayed exceptional dedication to public service throughout their careers," President Obama said. "They have served on the bench with distinction in New York and Rhode Island, and I am honored to nominate them today to serve the American people on the United States Court of Appeals. I am confident that they will be judicious and esteemed additions to the First and Second Circuits."

Judge Denny Chin: Nominee for United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

Judge Denny Chin was born in Kowloon, Hong Kong. His family moved to the United States when he was 2 years old. Judge Chin was raised in New York City, attending Stuyvesant High School, a New York public school specializing in math and science, before attending Princeton University. He graduated from Princeton magna cum laude in 1975 and from Fordham Law School in 1978 where he was the managing editor of the Fordham Law Review.

After graduation, Judge Chin clerked on the Southern District of New York for Judge Henry F. Werker. He then spent two years at the law firm of Davis Polk & Wardwell before becoming an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York in 1982. When he left the U.S. Attorney's office in 1986, Judge Chin started a law firm with two colleagues: Campbell, Patrick & Chin. Four years later, he joined the law firm of Vladeck, Waldman, Elias & Engelhard, P.C., where he specialized in labor and employment law.

In 1994, Judge Chin was nominated and confirmed to the U.S District Court for the Southern District of New York, where he currently serves. He was the first Asian-American appointed as a U.S. District Court Judge outside of the Ninth Circuit.

Judge Chin has served as an Adjunct Professor at Fordham University School of Law teaching legal research and writing since 1986. He is currently the Treasurer for the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association Judicial Council, and he has served as the President of the Federal Bar Council Inn of Court and the President of the Asian American Bar Association of New York. He also currently serves on the Boards of Directors for the Fordham Law School Alumni Association and the Fordham Law School Law Review Association and as the Co-Chair for the Fordham Law School Minority Mentorship Program. Judge Chin is a member of the Federal Bar Council Public Service Committee, the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, and the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund.

Judge Chin is being nominated to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

If confirmed by the Senate, Judge Chin would become the sole Asian American to fill an active judgeship on a United States Circuit Court of Appeals. (Judge A. Wallace Tashima of the Ninth Circuit has taken senior status, a sort of semi-retirement.)

The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit is known widely for its rulings in financial and white-collar cases, among others. It's also the court where Justice Sonia Sotomayor served before she was named to the Supreme Court.

music video: "down" by jay sean

It seems like this song "Down" is playing every time I turn on the radio. It's a bonafide hit. But I just found out the other day that the artist who sings it is British pop/R&B star Jay Sean... aka Kamaljit Singh Jhooti.

"Down," which is currently number two on the Billboard Hot 100, is the first single off of his forthcoming debut U.S. album All or Nothing from Cash Money Records. Very cool. Anyway, that's the music video above. Enjoy.

annie le murder suspect appears in court

Raymond Clark III, the former Yale University lab technician charged with strangling graduate student Annie Le and stuffing her body behind a laboratory wall, appeared in New Haven Superior Court today but did not enter a plea to murder: Former Yale lab tech appears in court; hearing set.

The judge scheduled a probable cause hearing for October 20, in which sides will have the right to introduce evidence and call witnesses. Under Connecticut law, defendants accused of murder have the right to the hearing within 60 days of their arrest to decide if the case will go forward.

Under state law, defendants charged with crimes punishable by death or life in prison do not enter a plea before a judge determines there is probable cause to believe they committed the crime. Defendants may waive their right to a probable cause hearing.

Clark's lawyers say he eventually will plead not guilty after they decide whether to waive his right to a probably cause hearing. The judge said he will also consider at that hearing whether to extend a sealing order on the police arrest affidavit in the case.

Police still haven't talked about a motive in the killing, largely because Clark hasn't talked to authorities. Investigators and Yale officials have called Le's death a case of "workplace violence," but haven't elaborated.

Multiple sources have said that Clark, whose duties included cleaning mouse cages and the floors of the laboratory, was extremely controlling over the lab and its mice. Which I guess makes him sound more like a crazy killer...

But am I the only one who still thinks there's more to this murder than just an unstable guy and his lab mice?

west 32nd on dvd october 13

All right. It's finally here. After a solid film festival run, and then languishing a bit in distribution limbo, Michael Kang's Korean American gangster drama West 32nd, starring John Cho, Jun Kim and Grace Park, finally gets a DVD release next week from Pathfinder Pictures. Here's what it's about:

When John Kim, an ambitious young lawyer, takes on a pro bono case to exonerate a fourteen-year-old boy from a first degree murder charge, he finds a world he never knew existed in the underbelly of Manhattan - the Korean underworld. Infiltrating the knotty and complex realm of Korean organized crime to search for clues, he meets his match, Mike Juhn, a rising soldier in the syndicate. Recognizing John's determination and daring, Mike brings John into his confidence, furtively drawing him into his scheme to re-shuffle the Korean underworld. Though they become fast friends, they just as quickly end up trying to outfox each other as they discover they'll both do anything to win.

And if you like extras, here's a breakdown of the DVD's bonus features:

• 16:9 Anamorphic Aspect Ratio
  
• Audio Commentary with Director Michael Kang and Actors John Cho and Jun Kim
  
• Deleted Scenes
  
• Production Gag Reel
  
• Music Video for Heather Park's "Leave Me To Dream"
  
• Interview with writers Michael Kang and Edmund Lee
  
• Official Trailer

The movie stars John Cho, who you know from the Harold and Kumar movies, was last seen in the hit summer blockbuster Star Trek, and is now starring in the new ABC drama FlashForward. Here's his note regarding the release of West 32nd:

A NOTE FROM JOHN CHO

When I came to Los Angeles to pursue acting 10 years ago, it felt like I was one of very few Korean American guys in town. In the years since, the situation has changed dramatically – I would never have guessed then that there would be so many prominent Korean American actors working today. And it’s been so exciting to see that growth paralleled by the growth of Korean cinema in the global market.

I began to wonder what it would be like if resources and talent flowed both ways, from the United States to Korea and back? One of the first answers to that question is a Michael Kang movie I acted in called West 32nd. It’s set in New York’s Koreatown; it’s often bi-lingual; it stars Korean American and Korean actors; and it was financed by CJ Entertainment, a Korean company that took a chance on this uniquely entertaining thriller.

On a personal note, the experience of making this film is among the most gratifying of my life. My character’s discovery of his own culture mirrored my own experience with a largely Korean American cast and crew. It was a special time for me.

But the opportunity to give birth to a new category of film – the Korean/American co-production – is also special. In success, I hope this film is a catalyst for stories, talent, and resources to be shared between Koreans and Korean Americans. It would be a shame for us to drop the ball on this now.

West 32nd is available on DVD October 13. We ask that you please alert those you know. This is the way it happens – people emailing friends and family. Thank you very much for reading.

-John Cho
Actor West 32nd

And if you need further motivation to check out West 32nd on DVD, here's a note from star Grace Park, who you also know from Battlestar Galactica and The Cleaner:

A NOTE FROM GRACE PARK

The making of West 32nd, with its story, characters and cast, was an absolute gem of an experience. From the moment I read the opening sequence I was enthralled with the tapestry of visual stories that spun around you, seducing you into the underground world that lives and breathes on Manhattan's West 32nd.

Upon meeting the cast at our table read the first day, it was apparent that we were in the presence of casting magic, which became transformed into charismatic, compelling, inviting and dark performances and characters. It is hard to take your eyes off of these people as they live on screen.

Being a part of this film was really important to me. It represents discovery. Discovery of my Korean heritage, peers, working in the Korean language, and the Korean film market. As well for the audience, there's an unveiling, learning and exploration of this unique covert subculture. And finally I had a personal revelation of myself involving self-image, perception and awareness because of my experience of and interactions from playing "Lila".

This film comes at an exciting time with Hollywood and Korea reaching out to each other, broadening and deepening their horizons. This film is a rich symbol of that consummation. Support and watch West 32nd and be a part of history.

Thanks
Grace Park
Actress West 32nd

This is not a Chinatown bootleg! West 32nd will be released on DVD on October 13 at Amazon or wherever you rent/buy DVDs. And spread the word! You will make my friend Michael Kang very happy. For more information on the movie, visit the West 32nd website here.

charles k. kao wins nobel prize in physics

Three scientists have won the Nobel Prize in physics for two breakthroughs that led to two major underpinnings of the digital age -- fiber optics and digital photography: 3 win Nobel in physics for digital devices.

Half of the $1.4 million prize went to Charles K. Kao, a British and U.S. citizen, who won for "groundbreaking achievements concerning the transmission of light in fibers for optical communication.

According to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, in 1966, Kao "made a discovery that led to a breakthrough in fiber optics. He carefully calculated how to transmit light over long distances via optical glass fibers."

Today, "optical fibers make up the circulatory system that nourishes our communication society" and "facilitate broadband communication such as the Internet." The awards ceremony will be held in Stockholm on December 10. More here: Nobel Awarded for Advances in Harnessing Light.

what I'm listening to: green tea's places and spaces

As the weather cools down and chills out, I've been enjoying Places and Spaces, the debut album from Filipino American Bay Area-based producer Green Tea, recently out from Plug Music Label.

It's a cool album with heavy synths, electro, 80s boogie, disco and acid jazz influences. It should appeal to fans of artists like Mark Farina to Masters at Work to Thievery Corporation. My favorite track is the disco hip hop-inflected "Future Classic" featuring Kero One. Hot song.

Places and Spaces is full of great grooves, and just a fun record to chill out to. You can pick it up at the usual online spots like Amazon and iTunes. For more information about Green Tea, go to the Plug Label website here.

miss asian oregon and anti-pageant programming

This is rather fascinating... The Miss Asian Oregon takes place this Saturday, October 10. The pageant is "a community-based organization which aims to identify and cultivate young Asian American women leaders and to provide them with a platform for visibility and growth."

It's all going down this Saturday at the Marco Polo Global Restaurant in Salem, with three contestants representing three different platforms: sustainable living, building communities across cultures, and inspiring Asian American achievement. Whoopeeeee.

To be honest, I could care less about an Asian beauty pageant, but here's the interesting part. The next day following the pageant, there will be anti-pageant movie screenings of The Year of the Ox: 1973 Chinatown Livestock Show and Making Up and a discussion with filmmaker Curtis Choy:

PAGEANT DEBRIEFING AND FREE FILM SCREENING WITH FILMMAKER CURTIS CHOY

October 11, 2009, 2:00 P.M.
Asian Family Center
4424 NE Glisan St. | Portland, Oregon | 97213o

Do you think pageants are sexist and degrading towards women? Or beneath the surface, do these events actually promote and provide opportunities for women?

Filmmaker Curtis Choy and The Miss Asian Oregon Pageant will sponsor free screenings of The Year of The Ox: The 1973 Chinatown Livestock Show (18 min.), a critique of beauty pageants, and Making Up (3 min.), a rarely-seen short satire based on Max Factor's written instructions on how Asian women can be made to look...western- eyezed.

Discussion of the movies and the previous day's pageant will follow. Filmmaker Curtis Choy will be present.

You can go to the pageant, I guess. But then be sure to get a balanced diet of anti-pageant. No food at the event, but it's sure to be a pretty interesting and lively discussion. For more information about the Miss Asian Oregon pageant, go here. And to learn more about the two anti-pageant films, visit Curtis Choy's website here.

photographer captures unofficial chinatown justice squad

I don't know what to make of this crazy photo essay in the Chicago Tribune, which apparently captured a handful of concerned citizens apprehending an alleged thief at 19th and Wentworth in Chicago: Bystanders capture and hold alleged thief. This guy allegedly ran away with a woman's purse, and these other guys caught him... but not without a serious struggle before the cops came.

The accompanying audio track features the photographer explaining what's going on in the photos, because honestly, without the narration, you could have told me a multiethnic/multigenerational gang decided to attack a shirtless guy, and I might have believed you. That's just Chinatown justice, I guess.

kelly hu will star in bertha bay-sa pan's almost perfect

This news dropped in my mailbox last week, informing us that Kelly Hu will star in writer/director Bertha Bay-Sa Pan's romantic comedy Almost Perfect. Production is set for this month in New York City. Here's the press release:

KELLY HU TO STAR IN "ALMOST PERFECT" FOR SLEW PICTURES

NEW YORK, NY, October 1, 2009 - Slew Pictures announced today that Kelly Hu ("The Scorpion King," "X-Men 2") will star in writer/director Bertha Bay-Sa Pan's romantic comedy "Almost Perfect." Pan will produce with Derrick Tseng ("Life During Wartime," "Choke," "The Ten," "Snow Angels") and Riva Marker ("The Winning Season," "Grace is Gone," "Trucker"). Production is set for October 2009 in New York City.

"Almost Perfect" is the story of Vanessa, a 30-something New York career woman. After too many years of being everybody's go-to girl, she finally gets a chance at love when she meets a man who's almost perfect for her. But, just as she starts to consider the possibility of romance, her family suddenly comes undone. As she juggles a high-maintenance "fashionista" sister on the brink, a surf-bum brother hiding out, an overly-intellectual mother who knows it all, a retired father on a quest for meaning -- and the nearly perfect boyfriend who gets fed up with it all -- Vanessa discovers that the person she really needs to save is herself.

Pan said, "I am so excited to work with Kelly, who not only kicks butt as an action hero, but is also an incredibly thoughtful and nuanced actor, with a killer sense of humor. I can't wait to watch her experience this emotional journey on screen. It's going to be a lot of fun."

Other featured cast members include Ivan Shaw, Roger Rees, Tina Chen, Edison Chen, and Christina Chang.

Founded by award-winning filmmaker Bertha Bay-Sa Pan, Slew Pictures is a New York based production company that develops and produces universal stories that entertain and inspire. Current projects include Annette Apitz's "Fighting Fish," starring Val Emmich and Halley Feiffer.

Hmm. Is the Edison Chen that's mentioned in the cast the same Edison Chen that made his name as a Hong Kong star before being scandalized by the very public discovery of his private sex photo collection? Just curious.

Anyway, add another Asian American indie film to Kelly Hu's long, varied list of movie credits. Can't say I was a huge fan of Bertha Bay-Sa Pan's previous film Face, but hey, maybe this one will kick ass. One can hope.

"second battle" screening in los angeles

Free screening happening in Los Angeles tomorrow night... "Second Battle" is the tragic story of two military spouses fighting to stay in the United States, the country for which their husbands bravely served. It features Army Specialist Jack Barrios, who returned home from Iraq to discover his wife, who entered this country undocumented as a young child, facing deportation.

It also highlights the struggles of Hota Ferschke, a Japanese woman fighting to remain in the U.S. after her husband was killed while serving with the Marines in Iraq. Due to an outdated provision, immigration law refuses to recognize Hota's proxy marriage to an American citizen. Here are the screening details:

"Second Battle"
Presented by Maria Elena Durazo,
Secretary-Treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor

Sgt. Michael Ferschke, Jr. served honorably in the Marines and lost his life in Iraq. His widow, Hota, now faces a new battle to live in the U.S. even though she is trying to honor Michael's wish to raise their son in his hometown. Unfortunately, Hota's story is not unique. Army Spc. Jack Barrios returned home still coping with battlefield trauma from Iraq to discover that his wife, Francis, is facing deportation. "Second Battle" is the tragic story of two spouses fighting to stay in the U.S. and how their husbands' honorable military service has no impact on our nation's inflexible immigration laws.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009
at
National Center for the Preservation of Democracy
111 N. Central Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Free street parking after 6pm; $5 at Japanese Village Plaza; $3 at 402 E. 1st Street

7PM - Reception
8PM - Screening

Refreshments will be served
Q&A session to immediately follow screening
This exclusive event is FREE and open to the public

RSVPs are required to guarantee seating. Please register here.

The screening is co-sponsored by the UCLA MSW API Caucus, Brave New Foundation, CHIRLA, Veterans Committee at the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, Reform Immigration for America, American Friends Service Committee, LA Voice, Little Tokyo Service Center, A3PCON, APALC, NAKASEC, and Korean Resource Center.

"Second Battle" is the fifth episode of In Their Boots documentary series, which tells the stories of how the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan are impacting Americans at home through nonpartisan lenses. To learn more about the screening, and to RSVP, go here.

call for entries: korean american film festival new york

The Korean American Film Festival New York is accepting submission for its fourth annual festival. It's happening February 27, 2019 at The Times Center, and this time, they're presenting two cash prizes ($500 each for Jury and Audience). Nice! Here are some details:

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

We are now accepting short film submissions from filmmakers of Korean descent and of any nationality.

Narrative Shorts Competition:
Narrative films, completed January 1st, 2008 or later.
Filmmakers of Korean descent and any nationality.
Films shorter than 30 minutes preferred.
Jury Award – Cash Prize $500
Audience Award – Cash Prize $500

Shorts Program:
All genres, completed any date.
Filmmakers of any descent and any nationality.
Films shorter than 30 minutes preferred.

Feature Presentation:
Narrative or Documentary films, completed January 1st, 2008 or later.
Filmmakers of Korean descent and any nationality.
Films longer than 60 minutes preferred.

Web Screenings:
All genres, completed any date.
Films will be screened on a rolling basis throughout the year at www.kaffny.com

They're looking for films of all genres and lengths from a variety of Korean and American perspectives. The deadline in November 30. For the full rundown of submission guidelines, visit the KAFFNY website here.

journey performs on oprah

Lots of folks wrote in to tell me that Journey, including lead singer Arnel Pineda, rocked the stage on The Oprah Winfrey Show today, performing their perennial anthem "Don't Stop Believing." Thought you might like to see it.

They go into Arnel's dramatic story, from the streets of Manila to playing in cover bands, then getting plucked out of YouTube obscurity into instant stardom as the heart and soul of Journey. More here: Don't Stop Believing in Journey.

As I've said before, Arnel Pineda's amazing, inspirational story is the kind of true tale that deserves to be made into a movie. (One where they don't turn the lead actor into a white guy.)

shin-soo choo is the first asian big-leaguer to reach 20-20

Another baseball milestone... On Saturday night, Cleveland Indians outfielder Shin-Soo Choo hit a home run in the seventh inning against the Red Sox, becoming the first Asian in Major League history to hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases in a single season: Cleveland Indians' Shin-Soo Choo first Asian big-leaguer to achieve 20-20.

At the All-Star break he had 13 homers, so he says he thought about getting to 20. Then the slugger fell into a bit of a slump for about a month and a half, hitting only one homer in August. But then he hit five in September. And number 20 on Saturday.

Choo is the 12th player in the big leagues to do 20-20 this year. He's the eighth Indian to do it in franchise history. He ended the season hitting .300 (175-for-583) with 20 homers and 86 RBI -- team highs -- as well as 38 doubles and six triples.

But Choo thinks he can do better next season. Grady Sizemore and Joe Carter are the only Indians to do 30-30, but Choo says his goal is to get there. 30-30. I look forward to seeing that.

class reunion

The first photo, was taken at the San Francisco International Asian American back in 1997. The other photo was taken on Saturday night at the ID Film Festival's roundtable discussion with (l-r) Chris Chan Lee, Justin Lin, Rea Tajiri, Eric Nakamura, Michael Aki and Quentin Lee. Somebody had the bright idea of re-staging "The Class of 1997" photo. Glad to see everyone looks healthy and wiser.

nupd officer alleges discrimination

At Northwestern University, an Asian American police officer has filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleging that other NUPD officers directed racially discriminatory remarks at him: NUPD officer accuses his own of racial discrimination.

Officer Frederick Lee, who is Chinese Ameircan and has worked at NUPD since September 2005, says the first alleged incident of discrimination directed against him happened in 2006:

In 2006, Lee alleges that at multiple shift-change roll-calls, his supervisor would ask how he got his hair to stand up straight, or tell Lee that he reminded the supervisor of another Asian-American officer. (The other officer, Lee says, is Korean-American, and "looks nothing like me." The other officer no longer works at NUPD.)

While on duty in a patrol car with another officer, the fellow officer remarked that an Asian-American driver was "driving while Asian." The fellow officer then turned to Lee and said "you can take that to [Human Resources] if you want."

Lee said that after he first filed a complaint with Northwestern University's human resources office in April 2008, the six officers he named in the complaint stopped speaking to him. He was basically ostracized, but the discrimination apparently still didn't stop.

The EEOC will notify NU and NUPD that a claim has been filed and they will have 90 days to mediate the dispute. Mediation would involve meetings between Lee, his lawyer, and representatives of NU and NUPD. An actual investigation typically follows if mediation is unsuccessful.

According to Lee's lawyer, his allegations are one part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of racial discrimination allegedly committed by members of Northwestern University Police Department.

limited edition t-shirt from epic proportions!

They're here! I recently teamed up with awesome artist Jerry Ma, who came up with this sweet-ass t-shirt design -- yes, that's Quick Kick, the unofficial don't-tell-Hasbro mascot of this blog -- for the limited edition Angry Asian Man t-shirt, available now from Epic Proportions.

Pretty cool, right? I think Jerry did a fantastic job, and I'm really happy with the way it turned out. It's also available in women's sizes. We only printed a limited run of shirts, so we'll only have them until we don't have them anymore. Learn more about the design on Jerry's blog here.

By the way, if you purchase the shirt online, and type in "angryasianman" in the special instructions while checking out, Jerry will throw in some cool Bruce Lee buttons as a little bonus.

Finally, I know thirty bucks is a little steep for a shirt. But after some consideration, I've decided that proceeds I receive from the sales of this limited edition shirt will go to charity (more on that later). So head over to
Epic Proportions and get your shirt. They won't last long.

woman sues martha stewart over firing

In Manhattan, Pei Hsieh, a former art director for Martha Stewart's magazine Martha Stewart Living, has a filed a $3 million federal lawsuit claiming she was fired for complaining about an Asian stereotype set to appear in print in the magazine: Martha sued over firing.

Hsieh, who is Chinese American, says she flagged the phrase in an email to a supervisor after seeing it in a description of a lampshade that resembled "the Southeast Asian conical-shaped hats traditionally worn by laborers for sun protection." Yeah, we're know what you're talking about.

In the email to her boss, written in August 2007, Hsieh wrote, "It is fraught with derogatory connotations, and its usage perpetuates negative stereotypes of Asians." Her objections apparently got her fired.

So what was phrase in question? Could it have been "coolie lampshade"? And did it ever eventually see print? No other details on the lawsuit, but I'm glad this woman was there to stand up and speak her mind. Let's hope she gets somewhere with this lawsuit.

mike honda defends the public option... and garlic

Ah, the health care debate takes a poetic turn... Last week, Republican Minority Leader John Boehner compared the public option's popularity to a garlic milkshake, claiming that he has yet to meet an American who is in favor of the public option that is not a member of Congress or the administration.

Oh, no he didn't! After hearing Boehner's comments, Congressman Mike Honda felt compelled to act. A recent New York Times/CBS poll found broad support, over 65%, for the public option across the nation. But wait, did Boehner just talk some smack about garlic?

Congressman Honda represents California's 15th District, which he says is rich not only in its support for the public option, but also rich in its garlic production. Gilroy, the garlic capital of the world, is home to the world-famous Gilroy Garlic Festival.

To inform Mr. Boehner of his mistake, Congressman Honda hand-delivered him a basket of California garlic, and a limerick illustrating America's desperate need for health care, and the public option:

Two things make for a strong healthy heart. Gilroy garlic, for one, a good start. Public option? Also high, In the American eye, 65 percent n'er want it to part.

Okay, so it's pretty bad poetry. Believe it or not, that's actually one of five limericks the Honda apparently had under consideration. But you've got to admit, the Congressman's got some clever moves. Garlic. Ha. Read all about it here: Much Like The Public Option, Garlic, Is A Healthy Solution.

cheng ho leads harvard to victory

Big game over the weekend for Harvard running back Cheng Ho, who ran for 132 yards on 21 carries and scored two touchdowns in the Crimson's 28-14 win over Lehigh on Saturday: Ho Churns Out 132 Yards; Defense Drubs Lehigh, 28-14.

In his first start of the year, Ho scored touchdowns in each half, with 13 carries for 90 yards in the opening half alone. More here: Winters, Ho lead Harvard over Lehigh 28-14. And here's some background on Cheng Ho, who was born in Taiwan: Harvard RB Ho is living a dream.

sercaal 2009 at university of florida, october 9-10

This weekend, SERCAAL 2009, the Southeast Regional Conference of Asian American Leaders, returns to the University of Florida to shed light on issues concerning Asian Pacific American students in the southeastern region of the United States and to encourage and stimulate dialogue.

It's happening October 9-10 at University of Florida's Reitz Union, with the theme of "Collaborate, Challenge, Change." Some of the conference's speakers include Lina Hoshino, Calvin Sun, Jim Toy, Corky Lee and many others, with entertainment from comedian Kate Rigg.

The conference will be a great opportunity for APA student leaders to engage in issues facing the southeast region, and for folks to meet and learn from established APA activists and leaders show share common interests. To learn more, and to register, go to the SERCAAL website here.

lazy link roundup

WWII all-Chinese American unit reminisces: The San Francisco Chronicle has a great story on the surviving members of the Flying Tigers, the all-Chinese American unit that supported the 14th Air Force defending China against Japanese forces during World War II.

Three UCLA students arrested after fight last month at fraternity party: Uh oh. Some (mostly Asian) UCLA students got into a fight with some (mostly Asian) non-students at an off-campus -- wait for it -- frat party on Friday night. One guy even got stabbed in the stomach.

Food fight waged over refrigeration of Asian noodles: More on the fight against a California law prohibiting Asian noodles from being kept at room temperature (for some silly non-delicious health reasons).

Radio program eases transition for Vietnamese parents in Garden Grove: Youth and Education is a weekly radio show that aims to bridge a cultural divide, providing educational information for Vietnamese parents with students in the Garden Grove Unified School District.

The Rise of John Liu: Here's a New York magazine story on City Councilman John Liu, who, after beating David Yassky in the primary runoff for city comptroller, is on his way to be the first Asian American ever elected to citywide post.

Environment Is Maya Lin's Muse: Another story on Maya Lin, famed designer of the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington D.C., who also designed the newly expanded, recently opened Museum of Chinese in America in New York's Chinatown.

Little Rooms, Big Profits: No one has built more hotels in New York City than Sam Chang, who has created 37 and has 22 more in the works -- and has bounced back from bankruptcy twice.

DIASPORA BY THE BAY: SFIAAF--Interview With Festival Director Chi-hui Yang: Here's a great interview with my friend Chi-hui Yang, Festival Director of the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, who talks about the mission of the continuing mission of the festival and its presenting organization, the Center for Asian American Media.

Toyz Story: More Than a Stance has an interview with internationally renowned b-boy Geoffrey Chang, known as Toyz aRe U, or simply "Toyz."

Ang Lee says he's baffled by 'Woodstock' results: Ang Lee says he's baffled by the poor box office results of Taking Woodstock, which is apparently his worst-performing English-language movie in the U.S. in 10 years.

three rivers premieres tonight

Ah, yes. It's here. The prime time television debut of Daniel Henney. Tonight's the premiere of the CBS drama Three Rivers, or as one lady I know prefers to call it, The Daniel Henney Hotness Hour (and Some Miscellaneous Medical Drama Nonsense). If you're a fan, you probably already set your DVR a long time ago.

Henney stars as Dr. David Lee, one of the surgeons working in the top transplant hospital in the U.S. He's described as "a womanizing surgical resident who's broken as many hearts as he's replaced." Interesting. Anyway, it's on tonight. America, it's time to meet the Henney.

this week's angriest posts

Not really the angriest, just the most viewed.

• gratuitous photo of the president and his cute asian niece


• freaking love this target commercial


• mixed race chinese idol contestant causes a stir


• the difference


• flash mob gets a feeling, surprises oprah


• poster parody sparks controversy at tufts


• asian kid makes the moves on mom


• the worst movie of the decade


• america's best dance crew season four: finale


• now it's just kate plus 8 minus jon

If you're anywhere near St. Paul, Minnesota tonight, I suggest checking out Up In Arms: A Night of Hip Hop and Spoken Word to Honor Fong Lee and End Police Brutality. Have a great weekend.

b here: make your mark on hepatitis b

B HERE is a new campaign designed to raise awareness of hepatitis B, a life-threatening liver disease that affects up to 2 million in the United States -- many of whom are Asian Americans. They call it the "silent killer."

The official launch kicks things off this Monday, October 5 at UC Irvine, featuring an art exhibit and live performances from the likes of HappySlip, David Choi, AJ Rafael, Kaba Modern, KevJumba and more. Some details:

October 5 Launch of "B HERE" campaign - featuring Art Exhibit, Live Performances

Students and public health experts have joined forces with cutting-edge artists for the launch of B HERE, a new campaign designed to raise awareness of hepatitis B, a life-threatening liver disease that affects up to 2 million people in the United States - many of whom are Asian Americans.

Chronic hepatitis B is called a "silent killer" because it often causes no symptoms while it damages the liver. The disease can be diagnosed with a simple blood test and treated with new medicines - yet as many as two-thirds of Asian Americans with chronic hepatitis B do not know they are infected, putting their health and that of their loved ones at risk.

The B HERE campaign launches Monday, October 5 on the UC Irvine campus with two educational and entertaining events:
- An Exhibit featuring up-and-coming young artists who use a variety of mediums to explore the many facets of hepatitis B
- An evening of Live Performances featuring some of the nation’s most entertaining young Asian-American music, dance and comedy acts, including emcee and YouTube sensation KevJumba and KABA Modern, an award-winning Hip Hop dance act that originated at UC Irvine and rose to national fame on MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Art Exhibit
Open 10 AM to 5 PM
Student Center - Pacific Ballroom, UC Irvine.
At Pereira Drive (at West Peltason Drive)

Live Performances
6 PM to 9 PM; Barclay Theatre, UC Irvine.
At 4242 Campus Drive (between Stanford Ave. and W. Peltason Drive)

Parking for both events: Student Center Parking Structure (PS4).

For more information, go to the B HERE campaign website here, and the Facebook page here. The Exhibits and Live Performance are sponsored by Gilead Sciences, a leading maker of medicines for chronic hepatitis B, with support from campus partners Alpha Phi Omega and the Chinese Association of UCI.

UPDATE: By the way, the B Here tour stops next at the University of Houston (October 13) and UC Davis (October 27 & 28). If you're in the area, be sure to check it out.

superman/batman: public enemies on dvd

Comic book/animation geeks might appreciate this week's release of Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, the latest DC Universe animated direct-to-DVD feature. When Lex Luthor is elected president, with the Justice League in the service of the government, Batman and Superman must stand against the new regime -- and find themselves marked as disloyal outcasts. I'm looking forward to checking this out.

I mention it here because the feature is directed by award-winning animation director/storyboard artist Sam Liu. With over ten years in animation, he won an Emmy for his work on WB's The Batman, and is co-director on the upcoming Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths animated feature. Check out his blog here.

beats from the east

Beats From The East is a recently launched Montral-based podcast/radio show, hosted by DJ Mister Vee (aka Mike Vo), playing urban music (soul, rnb, funk, hip hop, acid jazz, electro) from "Far-East Asian communities worldwide." Mainly Asian Amerian and Asian Canadian artists, which is cool.

You can hear it every Friday night, 11:00pm-12:00am on CJLO 1690AM in Montreal. If you're not anywhere near Montreal, you can still listen to the podcast version here. For more information, go to the CJLO website here and DJ Mister Vee's Myspace page here.

shopping for fangs reunion screening/discussion

If you're in Los Angeles, and you're a fan/supporter of Asian American cinema, I just wanted to make sure you heard about this awesome screening event happening this weekend as part of the ID Film Festival at the Japanese American National Museum. On Saturday, they'll be showing several key films from the "Class of 1997": Rea Tajiri's Strawberry Fields, Chris Chan Lee's Yellow, and Quentin Lee & Justin Lin's Shopping for Fangs. (Michael Aki and Eric Nakamura's Sunsets screened on Thursday night.)

I can't believe it's been twelve years since since Fangs first premiered. Immediately following the screening, they'll have a reunion roundtable discussion with the Class of 1997 filmmakers: Michael Aki, Chris Chan Lee, Quentin Lee, Justin Lin, Eric Nakamura and Rea Tajiri. Should be really cool. Here are some details:

Shopping For Fangs Reunion Screening & After Party

ID Film Fest
Saturday, October 3, 2009
8:00pm - 11:00pm

JANM National Center for the Preservation of Democracy
111 N. Central Avenue
Los Angeles, CA

Please join us for the 13th year FREE reunion screening of SHOPPING FOR FANGS, the first feature directed by Quentin Lee and Justin Lin. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and the San Francisco Asian American Film Festival in 1997.

"Katherine (Jeanne Chin) is an unhappy young wife who is suffering from blackouts. During one episode she lost her phone and then began receiving suggestive calls from a lesbian who works at a cafe where a gay photographer (John Cho) hangs out. Katherine's husband Jim (Clint Jung) works with Phil (Radmar Jao) who believes that he may be a werewolf. Both Phil and Katherine are on a collision course with revelations about their true natures."

At 9:30PM, right after the screening, we'll have a reunion round table discussion with the Class of 1997 filmmakers: Michael Aki, Chris Chan Lee, Quentin Lee, Justin Lin, Eric Nakamura, and Rea Tajiri.

An after party will follow where we will drink sake and be merry in honor of the Class of 1997 Asian American New Wave.

The movie's free, and the party is free!

For more information about the screening, go to the ID Film Festival website here. If you can't make the screening, but you're still interested in checking out Shopping for Fangs (starring a very young John Cho), Pathfinder Pictures is re-releasing the film on DVD, available next week. Also, check out this excellent post by Justin Lin over at You Offend Me You Offend My Family, looking back at that fateful year of 1997: Class of '97.

behind-the-scenes: king of fighters movie

Earlier this year, I wrote about the King of Fighters movie that's currently in the works. Based on the popular video game, and directed by Gordon Chan, it stars the likes of Will Yun Lee, Maggie Q, Bernice Liu, Francoise Yip... and a white dude named Sean Faris as Kyo Kusanagi. Yeeaaaaah.

As I expressed before, it sounds pretty bad. And after seeing this behind-the-scenes video, I'm still fairly certain it's going to be terrible. Nothing against the people involved, but this movie is based on a video game, and a Caucasian actor is playing an a guy named Kyo Kusanagi. That's really all I need to know.

two rescued under rubble after indonesian quake

In Padang, rescuers pulled two women alive from a collapsed college, nearly two days after a powerful earthquake devastated western Indonesia, as cries for help from a flattened hotel spurred the frantic search for more survivors Friday: 2 rescued days after Indonesia quake kills 715.

Ratna Kurniasari Virgo, 19, an English major sophomore, and a teacher, Susi Revika Wulan Sari, were found alive under the rubble of their college in Padang, the Foreign Language School of Prayoga.

The government said nearly 3,000 may still be trapped under the rubble after Wednesday's 7.6-magnitude quake toppled thousands of buildings on Sumatra Island. At least 715 people are already confirmed dead.

lt. dan choi on the moth

Just heard this great story told by Lt. Dan Choi on The Moth podcast, where he talks coming out to his family, the military, and to the world -- all for love: Dan Choi: Don't Tell, Martha!

The Moth is a not-for-profit organization that conducts live storytelling events. Founded in New York in 1997 by poet and novelist George Dawes Green, people basically get up in front of a live audience and tell their story. It's one of my favorite podcasts.

Dan Choi is a United States Army combat veteran of the Iraq War who made headlines when he publicly came out of the closet on The Rachel Maddow Show protesting the military's 'Don't Ask Don't Tell' policy. He has since become an outspoken LGBT rights activist.

the difference

This was posted number one on reddit.com come last night. I do not know what it is, or where it comes from, or if this was even a real conversation. But it made me laugh. And you know what's funny? I've had this conversation before, minus the Titanic part. (Thanks, Paul.)

By the way, anytime you correct someone regarding ethnicity (i.e. Japanese, not Chinese) and that person responds with something to the effect of "Whatever, same thing," that person is automatically an idiot.

so far, I'm digging flashforward

Have you been watching FlashForward? So far so good. We're only two episodes in now, and the mystery's got me pretty damn intrigued. Who is D. Gibbons? Who's is Suspect Zero in Detroit? And why did they have to have a scene in a creepy abandoned doll factory?

I've talked about it a lot already, but if you haven't heard, it's the new ABC drama about what happens when the everyone in the world blacks out for 2 minutes and 17 seconds, and gets a glimpse of his or her life six months in the future. John Cho is in the starring cast as FBI Agent Demetri Noh.

And man, so far, he's pretty damn good as the guy who didn't see anything during his blackout. At the moment, he's easily the most compelling character in the ensemble. Of course, the interesting bit of information revealed at the end of last night's episode about his fate on March 15, 2010. What the-!?

I'm just hoping they can keep the intensity up and keeping it going through the whole season (and beyond). Anyway, here's a brief interview with John Cho on TV.com, talking about last night's episode: TV.com Q&A: FlashForward's John Cho.

stir friday night presents "rock out with your wok out"

Chicagooooo! Here's something funny for you. This weekend, check out "Rock Out With Your Wok Out," the brand new fall show from Asian American sketch comedy troupe Stir Friday Night, official starting this Saturday, October 3 at Donny Skybox at Second City Chicago:

Stir-Friday Night! Present Rock Out With Your Wok Out!

Saturday, October 3
7:30pm

Saturday, October 10
7:30pmSaturday, October 3

Saturday, October 17
7:30pm

Saturday, October 24
7:30pm

Saturday, October 31
7:30pm

Tickets are $12-General, $10-Students, $6-TC Students

September 26 - November 7

Rock Out with Your Wok Out! explores the past of our parents to help define who we are today. We also examine what is essential in being Asian American and bring to light the struggles of living in two cultures all the while making light of what "divides" us. This show will satisfy your white guilt.

The show runs every Saturday night through November 7. Reservations are recommended. For more information, visit the Stir Friday Night website here or their Facebook page here. And purchase your tickets here.

got $800? buy yourself some yo-yo ma.

Last month brought the release of box sets of the original Beatles albums, remastered and available in both stereo and mono for around $200 each. Both sets sold like hotcakes. But that's nothing. It's about to get serious. The real superstar of music is coming: Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, Yo-Yo Ma.

Step aside, Beatles. This month, the music industry will bow down before one name. Yo-Yo Ma: 30 Years Outside the Box is a whopping 90-disc deluxe box set of famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma's recorded legacy, celebrating thirty years on the Sony Music Label. That's a lot of Yo-Yo Ma. It'll set you back $789.

I don't care how cool you think Yo-Yo Ma is (and I think he's pretty damn cool). Who's got eight hundred bucks to blow on a 90-disc box set? You've got to worship Yo-Yo Ma for that kind of dedication. But I suppose someone out there is going to buy it. It'll be available on October 27.

2009 dc apa film festival winners

The DC APA Film Festival kicks off tonight, and if you're attending the Opening Night festivities, you're probably already there right now. But if you're headed to check out some films over the course of the next week, here are the 2009 Festival Award Winners -- works that are definitely worth taking a look at:

Best Feature Documentary Whatever It Takes, winner of two Audience Choice Awards, has been selling out screenings in NY, LA, and SF. The documentary chronicles the struggles and triumphs of the very first year of the Bronx Center for Science & Mathematics, an innovative public high school set in NYC’s South Bronx.

Best Feature Narrative Honokaa Boy, shot in a small town on the north shore of the big island of Hawaii, tells the coming-of-age story of Leo, a Japanese college student, who, while on vacation with his girlfriend, falls in love with the sleepy Hawaii town of Honokaa. Leo befriends the quirky elderly Japanese residents, including porn-loving Koichi and the elderly confectioner and home gourmand Bee.

Best Short Documentary A Song for Ourselves is an intimate journey into the life and music of Asian American Movement troubadour Chris Iijima. He later becomes a law professor and writes about discrimination against Asian Americans.

Best Short Narrative Crocodile hails from Australia and revolves around Aussie Filipino children. The short is an atmospheric reflection on nature and family.

The George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award goes to Tze Chun, Director of Closing Night Film Children of Invention. The award recognizes the director for his talent and exemplary commitment to filmmaking within the Asian and Asian American media & arts genre.

If you attend any of these programs, you'll probably see something rewarding, and definitely worth the price of your ticket. For more information, ticket info and the full film schedule, visit the D.C. APA Film Festival website here.

joe wong, hari kondabolu and edwin li at the punch line

Comedian Hari Kondabolu, a very funny guy, informs me about a standup show he's a part in San Francisco next week, featuring some other funny Asian dudes, headliner Joe Wong and Bay Area local Edwin Li. You might remember Joe Wong from his appearance on the The Late Show with David Letterman. Some details:

WHAT: Joe Wong, Hari Kondabolu and Edwin Li at the SF Punchline!

WHEN: Tuesday October 6th and Wednesday October 7th

WHERE: SF Punchline (444 Battery St, San Francisco, CA 94111)

COST: $15 (18+)

TICKETS: http://www.livenation.com/artist/joe-wong-tickets and
http://www.goldstar.com/events/san-francisco-ca/comedian-joe-wong.html

For more information about the show, and to purchase tickets, go here. Hari will also be opening for the legendary March Maron for five shows at the Punchline, October 8-10. For details/tickets, go here. To learn more about Hari Kondabolu, visit his website here. And here's some video (.wmv) of one of his sets. Hilarious.

timothy delaghetto wins hp video contest

This fun little video by Timothy DeLaGhetto (the guy behind the "First Asian Boy" video from a while back), recently won the Community Award in HP's You on You Project. He apparently had the video with the most votes from viewers. I think he won a computer or something. Maybe some cash? Anyway, I thought he did a pretty nice job. Good work.

empire state building's tribute to china draws protest

As a Mao statue draws protests at the Nixon Library, across the country, the Empire State Building is drawing protest for its tribute to communist China's 60th anniversary: Empire State Building lit for China, drawing ire.

The iconic building is routinely lit with different colors to mark holidays and big events, and on Wednesday it was lit with the red and yellow lights of China's flag. Critics called it "blatant approval" of totalitarianism, particularly in light of China's poor human rights record.

About 20 supporters of Tibet protested outside the building during a ceremonial lighting of a scale model inside the lobby, holding signs chanting "No to China's empire; free Tibet now." More here: A Red and Yellow Glow for Celebration, and for Protest.

the first lady (and crystal chiu) on sesame street

Sesame Street will celebrate its 40th season with a guest appearance by First Lady Michelle Obama, who will talk up the benefits of gardening and healthy eating. In the season's first episode, which will be broadcast on November 10, Mrs. Obama talks to young children as she prepares to plant tomato, cucumber and lettuce seeds: The First Lady Debuts on Sesame Street.

I only mention it here because of the cute Asian girl (between Elmo and Big Bird) who joined the First Lady's little garden party. That's Crystal Chiu! She plays Tina in Tze Chun's independent film Children of Invention, and she's pretty fantastic. If you get the chance to watch the movie, do check it out.

mao statue sparks protest at nixon library

Trouble brewing at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, California... If you've visited the museum (and let's face it, no trip to Orange County is complete without a trip to the Nixon Library) You've see the permanent Hall of World Leaders exhibit featuring life-size statues of history's influential heads of state, like Winston Churchill, Charles deGaulle and Mao Tse-Tung.

It's that last one that's stirring up some controversy. The statues have been there since 1990, but have recently drawn the ire of Los Angeles-based Chinese American activist Kai Chen, who is organizing a demonstration and distributing a petition demanding the Mao statue be removed: Chinese-American Protesters Seeing Red at Nixon Library.

Chen can blame Nixon. After all, he's the guy who personally selected Mao for the library's tribute to the influential world leaders he worked with during his presidency. And there was that historic visit to the People's Republic of China in 1972. Nevertheless, Chen is not cool with Mao, and wants the statue out. More here: The past haunts Richard Nixon's library.

You know, of all things you could complain about regarding Richard Nixon's legacy, this guy is complaining about a statue in the presidential library?

asian kid makes the moves on mom

This commercial for Halls Refresh is both funny and a little creepy. An awkward, sensuous moment. Asian college kid makes the moves on his roommate's mom! All it takes is a juicy, mouth-watering dose of Halls Refresh.

Weird kid, but he cracks me up. And if I'm not mistaken, he's playing with a toy dragon at his desk at the start of the commercial. He's a nerd and good with the ladies -- you can have it both ways!

virgin america is now serving banh mi

Ooooh yes. Virgin America is apparently now serving banh mi -- Vietnamese sandwiches -- on its in-flight menu: Banh Mi Added to Virgin America's Menu. Yes, banh mi has officially hit the big time. Trendy.

You can enjoy a flat iron steak sandwich with cucumber, lettuce, cilantro, and a daikon-carrot slaw, plus "Asian ginger dressing" -- from the discomfort of your airplane seat at 32,000 feet. Makes me want to fly Virgin more often.

Sure, airplane food is still airplane food -- how good could it really be? But I'd take a Vietnamese sandwich over plain old ham and cheese any day. More here: Vietnamese Mile High Club.