asian pop talks food, identity, culture

Congratulations to Jeff Yang, whose second son Skyler Jordan Yang was born two weeks ago. Jeff's latest "Asian Pop" column is another good one, thinking about food, identity and culture: Food is love. He talks with Jennifer 8. Lee about her new book, The Fortune Cookie Chronicles, which I've talked up quite a bit now.

It's one of the better, more in-depth discussions I've read about the book. While most reviews focus on food factoids like the non-Chinese origins of the fortune cookie, and the complete absence of General Tso's Chicken anywhere in China, what I truly loved about the book were its observations on how what we know and love as Chinese food has played a part shaping American identity and culture. The only thing is, reading the book and reading about the book always makes really hungry.

'one way or another' at janm

What is Asian American art? What is the unifying aesthetic or guiding principle that defines the work of Asian American artists? There isn't one... but that doesn't mean there's no Asian American art. Here's an interesting Los Angeles Times review on the Asian American artist exhibition One Way or Another: Asian American Now, which has been making the rounds on a 20-month tour, closing things out at the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo: REVIEW: 'One Way or Another: Asian American Art Now'. The exhibition is running now through May 4.

cpaf presents the vagina monologues

When I receive an email with "The Angry Vaginas" in the subject line, it can mean only one thing... For those of you in Southern California, here's something to check out this weekend, for a very good cause:

The Center for the Pacific Asian Family presents V-Day's Los Angeles Pan-Asian Benefit of The Vagina Monologues, featuring Tamlyn Tomita, Takayo Fischer, Tsuann Kuo, Brenda Vivian, Lynn Chen, Cher Calvin, Janet Choi, Giselle Toni, Alison de la Druz and Shivani Thakkar. This Saturday, March 15 at the Aratani Japan America Theatre in Little Tokyo.

The hope is to raise awareness about the problem of domestic and sexual violence in API communities, where less than 10% of such crimes are ever reported because of shame or cultural stigma. Every penny of the proceeds will go to the Center for the Pacific Asian Family, the only shelter in Southern California offering shelter and hotline services to API women and children survivors of domestic and sexual violence, in honor of their 30 year anniversary this year.

queens couple charged in death of infant

A Queens couple is facing charges in connection with the death of their infant daughter last year: Parents Charged in Death of Queens Infant. Their daughter, 10-month-old Annie Li, died on October 28, two days after she was put on life support and declared brain dead. Her wounds—including a skull fracture, broken legs and brain and eye injuries—were "consistent with the trauma of shaken baby syndrome," according to the district attorney's office.

The child's father Hang Bin Li, is charged with second-degree murder and other infractions, while the mother, Ying Li, is charged with second-degree manslaughter and other infracations. It's just sad. It sounds like they were a young couple who had no idea what they were doing. After injuring their daughter, they apparently called their parents in China to discuss her condition before seeking medical treatment. That's ridiculous. Parenting is hard... but it should never result in a tragedy like this.

that's ms. malubay if you're nasty

The Associated Press has a profile on Ramiele Malubay, the 20-year-old Filipino American singer who has hung in there and made it to the Top 12 of American Idol: Little 'Idol,' big voice: Malubay, baby. So far, she's gotten the most press for a stupid non-controversy involving "racy" photos of her goofing off with friends surfaced on Facebook. Psssh. Whatever. Talk about making a big deal out of nothing.

While Ms. Malubay hasn't gotten a lot of notice as the competition's strongest singer—judge Simon Cowell once pejoratively compared her to a "hotel singer"—she's got an immense online fan following, which no doubt translates into votes. She's definitely super-cute, and has the potential to be a star... though I gotta admit, I thought her performance this week was rather underwhelming. I don't think she's had that "wow" moment yet. She'll have to step it up a few notches to get noticed and keep herself in the competition.

win tickets to sfiaaff!

As you know, the 26th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival kicks off tomorrow night. In honor of this occasion, I've partnered up with the nice folks at SFIAAFF to give away some free tickets you, good readers, to a couple of screenings happening this weekend. Check it.


I've got five pairs of tickets to give away to Royston Tan's 881, playing this Sunday, March 16, 3:15pm at the Castro Theatre. I have not yet seen the film, but I'm told that it's a very fun, campy musical melodrama about two young female singers. Straight outta Singapore. Here's the description from the festival website:

If ABBA could sing in Hokkien, they might have auditioned for Royston Tan's 881, an exuberant re-creation of the campy and uniquely Singaporean musical performance genre of getai. 881 (pronounced ba ba yao in Mandarin) is a pun on the band name adopted by the heroines, the Papaya Girls. Despite their passion for getai, the best friends are frustrated with the lack of "feel" in their singing, and beg their manager (and wardrobe consultant) Aunt Ling to introduce them to her estranged twin sister, the Goddess of Getai. She bestows magic powers on the girls after they agree to abide by five rules, which among other things forbid loving or being loved by a man.

They become an overnight sensation, but soon are assailed by obstacles. Big Papaya is ostracized by her mother, while Little Papaya futilely hides her deteriorating health. However, the sisters’ most dangerous threat comes in the form of rival Durian Sisters, who resort to the ugliest trickery to sabotage their careers. Sexy, bitchy and dressed to kill (literally), they are as prickly and pungent as their name suggests.

881 is not mere self-conscious parody, but Tan’s heartfelt love song to a nostalgic folk culture with roots all over Asia. Each frame is a carnival of untamed colors and textures; watching it is like having to eat all 31 flavors of Baskin-Robbins in one sitting. If you see it in the same mood as watching a Bollywood musical, 881 is a hugely enjoyable experience.

To enter for your chance to win, email me your name, email address and phone number, with "SFIAAFF 881" clearly written in the subject line, by noon on Friday, March 14. I'll throw all the entries into a hat and pick five lucky winners, who will each score a pair of tickets to see 881. Entries that do not follow these directions will be thrown out. Please, only one entry per person. Can you dig it? Winners will be notified by the end of Friday. Get your entries in.


I'm also giving away three pairs of tickets to see Park Chan-wook's I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK, playing this Sunday, March 16, 12:45pm at the Castro Theatre. You might be familiar with Park's previous work, with films like JSA: Joint Security Area, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy and Lady Vengeance. Great movies. Here, he takes another weird turn with a reality-bending tale of a cyborg and a kleptomaniac. Here's the description:

From acclaimed director Park Chan-wook comes I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK, a playful, macabre tale of an existentially insecure cyborg and a kleptomaniac terrified of disappearing into a dot.

Lim Soo-jung (also starring in Happiness) is Young-goon, a troubled girl who, after a traumatic separation from her grandmother, believes herself to be a cyborg. Committed to a mental institution, Young-goon forgoes food, convinced she must recharge through electrical devices. Ultimately, Young-goon is determined to gain enough strength to reunite with her grandmother--and mercilessly kill anyone who stands in her way. Enter Il-soon, played by pop icon Rain, a sensitive but unstable kleptomaniac with a penchant for stealing people's characteristics. Through their budding romance, the two keep each other from literally and metaphorically vanishing into nothing.

Told through alternating realities, the film creates a zany, bouncy world where patients share in overlapping delusions. Despite this exaggeration of perceptions, I'm a Cyborg ultimately plays up the human emotions of its protagonists and stabs at the institutions at fault. Indeed, many of the ward’s patients are impossibly scarred as a result of dysfunctional family life. As in his previous films (Oldboy, SFIAAFF '05; Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance), Park drenches his characters with feelings of guilt and fear. Unlike those more violent works, Park here keeps acts of rage to an imagined realm, finally using violence as a path to personal healing and growth.

To enter for your chance to win, email me your name, email address and phone number, with "SFIAAFF CYBORG" clearly written in the subject line, by noon on Friday, March 14. I'll throw all the entries into a bowl and pick three lucky winners, who will each score a pair of tickets to see I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK. Entries that do not follow these directions will be thrown out. Only one entry per person, please. Winners will be notified by the end of Friday. Send in your entries now! To learn more about the 26th SFIAAFF, go here.

more harold and kumar stuff

Straight from its world premiere at South by Southwest, here's a story on Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay: Harold, Kumar Back With `Guantanamo Bay'. There's some interesting stuff there about the immense cult following of the first film, and some of the creative considerations that went into producing the sequel. This time around, writers Hayden Schlossberg and Jon Hurwitz picked up directing duties as well. I wasn't at there, but I'm told that the SXSW screening was a crazy, raucous goood time. The screening this weekend at SFIAAFF will probably be a similarly crazy, raucous good time.

Here's another article profiling just one-half of the comedic duo, John Cho: John Cho in for Frenzy With `Star Trek'. While he's got quite a cult fan following now through Harold and Kumar, it's nothing compared to the legacy he's picked up being cast as Sulu in J.J. Abrams new Star Trek movie. Of course, the production has been highly secretive, and he hasn't given away any details. I'm okay with that. I eagerly anticipate his take on the U.S.S. Enterprise's helmsman.

the new student body

This is a really interesting Washington Post article on how colleges and universities have been taking steps to address anticipated dramatic changes in the racial and ethnic makeup of the student population. Over the next decade, after years of being overwhelmed with applicants, higher education institutions are expected to recruit from a pool of public high school graduates that will experience:

- A projected national decline of roughly 10 percent or more in non-Hispanic white students, the population that traditionally is most likely to attend four-year colleges.

- A double-digit rise in the proportion of minority students -- especially Hispanics -- who traditionally are less likely to attend college and to obtain loans to fund education.

Despite those obstacles, minority enrollment at undergraduate schools is expected to rise steadily, from 30 percent in 2004 to about 37 percent in 2015, some analysts project.

"The majority will become the minority," said Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, president emeritus and professor of public service at George Washington University. "There will be more Hispanics, more African Americans, more Chinese, Indians, Pakistanis, Koreans. I anticipate that the most common last name in the freshman class will be Kim."

The way see it, this population shift isn't necessarily positive or negative. It just is. However, there are those who view these kinds of projections as sign of some kind massive P.O.C. invasion. Just take a look at the comments sparked by this article. We're here. We're growing. Get over it.

spring training for chan ho park

The news from spring training... Pitcher Chan Ho Park has been making a strong push for the final spot in the Dodgers' rotation, pitching three perfect innings in a 7-4 Grapefruit League win this week over the Baltimore Orioles: No-Hitter Keeps Park Chan-ho's Hopes Alive. Park, attending spring training as a non-roster invitee, now has seven scoreless innings in three spring training outings in which he has given up only two hits and two walks. Not bad. That makes him a fairly strong contender to fill that slot. It would be nice to see Park pitching back where he started. (Thanks, David.)

man falls for girl. literally.

I was flipping channels, and just saw this commercial for G.E. on the tube. I'll admit, I thought it was rather nicely done, and kind of cute. The love story part, I mean. The goat in the waiting room is kind of excessive. Okay, we get it—it's rural China.

disgrasian vs. michelle malkin

Oh, it's on. Last week, the gals over at DISGRASIAN ("You're a disgrace. To the race.") named our favorite right-wing champion of ignorance Michelle Malkin as their esteemed DISGRASIAN OF THE WEAK! And they couldn't have found a more worthy individual. In my opnion, she not only deserves the distinction of DISGRASIAN of the Week, but also of the month, year, decade, and so forth. Anyway, it appears that Malkin has acknowledged her recent "award": Michelle Malkin Expands Her Vocabulasian. Could this be the start of some kind of throwdown? Just for the record, I'm on Team Disgrasian. Boo Malkin.

rob ford is on the phone

According to this article, Toronto Councillor Rob Ford, who got into some heat for his "Orientals are slowly taking over" remarks last week, has making a lot of phone calls these past few days:

'Oriental' comments dog Ford

Councillor Rob Ford says he has apologized to as many as 20 people who objected to his comments about "Oriental people."

Ford, who is considering running for mayor in 2010, sparked controversy at last week's city council meeting when he made comments which included "these Oriental people work like dogs, they sleep beside their machines."

Called on by Mayor David Miller to apologize on the floor of council, Ford chose to say sorry personally to those who were offended.

Ford said yesterday that he has apologized to "15 to 20" people who contacted him.

The guy's office has apparently been getting bombarded with calls and emails from outraged people all over. I'm sure the Councillor did not anticipate the deluge of complaints of he'd get when he compared "Oriental" people to dogs (he claims it was actually a compliment). So he's been on the phone, personally apologizing to "15 or 20" people who contacted him. I've actually heard from a couple of folks who did indeed speak to the Councillor on the phone. He was apparently apologetic, and blamed ignorance for his comments.

Was it really just 15 to 20 people? Or did he just select his personal favorites? And what about all the people who he initially claimed that contacted him in support of what he said? Did he call them too? Ugh. Please keep in mind that this man wants to run for Mayor of Toronto someday. Personally, I don't think he might've just lost the Oriental vote.

lust, caution star banned from chinese media

Actress Tang Wei has apparently been banned in the Chinese media because of the sexual nature of her performance in Ang Lee's World War II espionage drama Lust, Caution: "Lust, Caution" actress banned in China.

If you've seen the film, you know that there is indeed sex, and lots of it, in the movie. Tang and Tony Leung really go at it, getting downright athletic. But it's also an intense, brilliant film, that deserved a lot more critical recognition than it received last fall—perhaps overshadowed by all the attention garnered by the film's unabashed NC-17 rating. I loved it, and Tang is absolutely amazing. But not surprisingly, the sex was deemed too much for China, where seven minutes of graphic sex scenes were cut from the film's theatrical release. This, of course, only had the effect of ensuring that everybody would want to see the uncensored version of the movie.

An internal memo from China's State Administration of Radio Film and Television was reportedly sent to all television stations and print media in China last week, stating that a new Ponds skin care television commercial starring Tang was to cease broadcast immediately. All print ads and feature content using the actress were also to be pulled:

In a statement dated March 7, titled "Reassertion of Censorship Guidelines," SARFT said it had informed all major film and broadcast entities and governing bodies that it was renewing prohibitions on "lewd and pornographic content" and content that "show promiscuous acts, rape, prostitution, sexual intercourse, sexual perversity, masturbation and male/female sexual organs and other private parts." However, the public notice, posted on SARFT's Web site, did not specifically mention "Lust" or Tang.

In addition, all awards shows and events in China were advised to exclude Tang and the producers of Lust, Caution from their guest lists, while discussions about the film and Tang on online forums were deleted. Wow, they really want you to forget about Tang Wei this movie.

Here's my question. If Lust, Caution was so objectionable, why did the government allow it to be released theatrically in China in the first place? And should the graphic scenes in question even be an issue, since no one in China was supposed to have seen them anyway? And what does a skin care commercial have anything to do with Lust, Caution? As far as I'm aware, there wasn't any sex in the ad, right? It's as though the very reminder of Tang Wei's sexuality is too much for the Chinese government.

But most importantly, I have to ask, why are they going to such great lengths to eliminate Tang from media existence? Why is she being singled out? It definitely took two people to act out that sex on screen. Shouldn't Tony Leung be also equally blacklisted from Chinese media? And Ang Lee? I'm not in favor of this in any way. I'm just saying, it's unfair to do this to Tang without similarly scrutinizing everyone else involved in Lust, Caution. Because dammit, I saw Tony Leung's balls. I believe that falls under "male/female sexual organs and other private parts." The banning of Tang Wei from Chinese media reveals rather ridiculous double standard. Thankfully, Ang Lee is speaking out on her behalf: Ang Lee protests over banning of Lust, Caution, filmstar over sex scenes. If the ban holds, I hope Tang learns English quickly—maybe she can make it in Hollywood.

gigantic tuna coming to san pedro

Awesome. Artist Carl Cheng has been commissioned to create a gigantic wire-mesh sculpture of a blue fin tuna in San Pedro, CA: SP sculpture to capture fishing life at waterfront. From the Los Angeles Times blog:

San Pedro's fish tale takes artistic turn

Inglewood has the giant donut. Cabazon can brag about its towering dinosaurs. So, why not a 40-foot fish for San Pedro? Late next year, a wire-mesh sculpture of a blue fin tuna dangling upside down from 50-foot poles will greet visitors to the Port of Los Angeles, according to the Daily Breeze.

The port commissioned the $150,000 artwork, titled "Ghost Fish," by Santa Monica artist Carl Cheng. The sculpture was inspired by the artist's childhood visits to the harbor, which was once home to giant tuna canneries. He plans to fill the fish head with castings of fishing related items, including diving helmets and good luck charms, gathered from residents.

"The fishing nets were used to draw the fish up," Cheng said. "In this case, it's as if I'm picking up the (local industry's) history.

The $150,000 "Ghost Fish," dangling upside down from 50-foot poles, will greet visitors to the Port of Los Angeles. I don't know why, but weird crazy giant sculptures fascinate me. Like I said, awesome. (Thanks, Jay.)

can you win without an asian on your ticket?

Here's an interview with filmmaker Caroline Suh, whose documentary FrontRunners is currently screening at South by Southwest: SXSW '08 INTERVIEW | "FrontRunners" Director Caroline Suh. The film follows four students at New York's elite Stuyvesant High School, all running for coveted office of Student Body President, and each of their experiences on the campaign trail. There's more drama in it than you might think.

It's interesting to note that Stuyvesant has a huge majority Asian American student population. Thus, one of the considerations for these candidates is whether or not to run with an Asian on your ticket. Sounds like a pretty interesting film. Perhaps a nonfiction version of Election? I'd love to see that. Learn more about FrontRunners at the official website here, and the film's MySpace profile here.

this week: 26th sfiaaff

SFIAAFF is coming! The 26th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival kicks off this week. I can't wait. This is one of the finest, most respected Asian American film festivals in the country, and they always put together a really fun, amazing program. I've had a close relationship and affinity for the good people who put this festival on for years. SFIAAFF rules. Over the next week or so, I'll try to spotlight various films and programs that I think are worth checking out. If you're in the Bay Area, come support the festival and take part in the Asian American film community.

In the meantime, I just wanted to get the word out that I'll be taking part in the one of the festival panel talks, Turn on the Box!: Diversity and Television's New Reality, talking about the changing face of television and what it means for Asian Americans. This Sunday, March 16, 3:00pm at the Sundance Kabuki. Fellow panelists include Kathy Lo, Director, Program Development, Independent Film and Plus, PBS; Kay Wilson Stallings, Vice President, Production & Development, Nickelodeon Preschool Television; Janice Tanaka, Manager, Diversity Development, FOX. Come on out, listen in on the discussion, and say hello.

margaret cho returns to television with the cho show

Some great news for Margaret Cho fans. The comedienne-turned- activist/ writer/ blogger is returning to television this summer with a new reality-sitcom on VH1, The Chow Show. I know Margaret is a bit of a controversial figure for many in community, but I think this is awesome. I've always respected her work, and I'm looking forward to seeing this show:

The Cho Show

Thirteen years after her catastrophic foray into television, Margaret Cho is triumphantly returning to television in a new reality-sitcom on VH1 in The Cho Show. This time it's on her own terms.

Margaret burst onto the scene in 1994 with her sitcom All American Girl and her struggles with the network over that show are legendary. After the show was canceled, Margaret channeled all of that negative energy from her network experience into a wealth of comedy material that fueled her rise as one of the hottest comics in the business.

This VH1 series will follow the irrepressible Margaret Cho and her eccentric entourage as she fights to be herself in an industry that in the past wanted her to be something other than herself. The series will touch upon all aspects of Margaret's "anything goes" lifestyle, from the strained and awkward moments provided by her somewhat traditional Korean parents to the more irreverent and outrageous moments shared with her colorful cast of friends and colleagues.

As we all know, back in the '90s, Margaret was the star of the very fist all-Asian American sitcom... which bombed horribly, on almost every level. This new show sounds cool, because this is a chance to do TV on her own terms. Not only has Margaret changed, but the nature of television has changed as well. I think this kind of show will be much more suited to the kind of comedy she has to offer.

jennifer 8. lee on the colbert report

Is Chinese food safer to eat than Chinese toys? Check out author Jennifer 8. Lee on The Colbert Report promoting her book The Fortune Cookie Chronicles. It's brief, but I think she holds her own pretty well across the table from Colbert.

Funny. But again, I have to say, it's a pretty good book, and a fairly fast read. I really recommend checking it out. Read the New York Times review of the book, published over the weekend: Wok On.

launching the philadelphia asian american film festival

This info landed in my mailbox a couple of weeks ago, but I completely lost track of it... This fall in Philadelphia, they'll be launching the 1st annual Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival. They're looking for a few good volunteers to help out with the process. See here:

PAAFF will be a 4 day film festival featuring some of the top movies directed, produced and starring Asian Pacific Americans (APAs) in the premier venues in Philadelphia. PAAFF will be a place to network with filmmakers and actors, learn about moviemaking through Q & A's and workshops, and explore relevant topics pertaining to APAs in film through panel discussions.

As the first and only Asian American Film Festival in Philadelphia, we are a unique entity. Our city and state are home to one of the largest APA populations in the country, but lacks in the diversity of events that cater to APAs. PAAFF will be an event that will allow the voices of APAs to be heard through a wide spectrum of films and programs that will be inclusive to all Philadelphians.

PAAFF films will explore the Asian-American identity and experience. This is a celebration of films that are distinctively independent, mainstream, introspective, hilarious, action packed, spine tingling, romantic and defying categorization and expectations.

Currently we are looking for a Web designer.

We don't have much money, but the volunteers will get all access passes to the film festival and special recognition on our website & programming guide.

They can contact Joe Kim at joe@phillyasianfilmfest.org.

This is a great opportunity to get involved and help shape an important, landmark event in its beginning stages. I'm always happy to see new Asian American film festivals pop up in cities around the country. Philadelphia, you're awesome.

"the father of japanese baseball"

MLB.com has a good story on Kenichi Zenimura, popularly known as "The Father of Japanese Baseball" for his efforts to keep baseball alive and thriving for Japanese Americans in internment camps during World War II: Baseball cast light in shadow of war. He died in 1968, but 2005, the governor of Arizona decreed the observance of Zenimura Day in honor of his achievements. MLB.com also ran a similar story on Zenimura last year: Zenimura a true baseball ambassador.

If you're interested in the story of baseball in the internment camps, I highly recommend checking out the movie American Pastime, which has elements that are loosely based on Zenimura's story. Featuring rising stars Aaron Yoo and Leonardo Nam, it's a sort of Hollywood-ized version (in a good way) of the internment camp baseball story. Very entertainment and heartfelt. I'm a sucker for inspirational sports movies. Throw in the internment camp aspect, and man, you've got me. Heck, I'm sort of getting choked up just thinking about it. Anyway, it's a really great movie.