guest post: who's allowed to be angry?

I'm on vacation! Taking a much-needed break. But don't worry. While I'm away, I've enlisted some great guest bloggers to keep things going around here. Here's Brian Hu on being angry and Asian. Or not.

With Angry Asian Man on vacation, we should use this opportunity to talk about what he stubbornly refuses to discuss. That's right. Himself. And what it means to be angry, Asian, and male. Sure, he throws in the usual autobiographical asides, but I'm more interested in the cracks in psyches, the windows unto furnaces of rage. (Especially because Angry Asian Man appears so lovable in person!)

Last week, we got a peek. In a somewhat throwaway post, we sense a frustration that some might associate with a loss of composure. It was the day after James J. Lee took hostages at the Discovery Communications building, and Angry Asian Man decided to share a racist email he received in the aftermath of the incident, the sort of knee-jerk bigotry he typically chooses not to dignify with a reaction.

I feel weird giving the email sender (name: "Dirty Hippie") any more credence by analyzing him/her, but I can't escape one line in particular: "learn to control your anger." The "you" is directed to the email recipient (Angry Asian Man), to possible future killers and hostage-takers of Asian descent, and to the Asian American community more generally.

guest post: kindness over genius

I'm on vacation! Taking a much-needed break. But don't worry. While I'm away, I've enlisted some great guest bloggers to keep things going around here. Here's spoken word artist Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai with exclusive video of her poem, "Kindness Over Genius."

angry reader of the week: yul kwon

Gather 'round, because it is time to meet another Angry Reader of the Week, spotlighting you, the very special readers of this website. Over the years, I've been able to connect with a lot of cool folks, and this is a way of showing some appreciation and attention to the people who help make this blog what it is. This week's Angry Reader is Yul Kwon, who you might recognize from Survivor: Cook Islands. (He won.)

guest post: a new school year begins at south philly high

I'm on vacation! Taking a much-needed break. But don't worry. While I'm away, I've enlisted some great guest bloggers to keep things going around here. Here's Helen Gym of Asian American United talking about what's going on at South Philadelphia High.

Last week, I got my children ready for their first days of school - buying uniforms and supplies, planning lunch meals, and rushing through the waning days of summer. I also helped get another set of students ready for school but in a far different way.

SASA (South Phila. High Asian Student Advocates) - which includes the core organizations and individuals who have been actively working with students and families at the school around anti-Asian/anti-immigrant harassment - conducted a three-hour training for nearly 40 incoming students to South Philadelphia High School. (Read more about it here.)

It was a deeply moving event, with students and adults sharing their experiences of harassment, intimidation and even violence. It was a safe place, where students could express their fears and frustrations and ask questions. And it was an empowering space - co-led by current and former students who had challenged the District to fulfill its responsibility to stop the abuse of Asian immigrant youth.

It was a sobering event. We reviewed a list of racial slurs so new immigrant students would recognize them if they heard them; students witnessed a role play in the school cafeteria about harassment acted out by student organizers - observers were then asked how they would respond if they were the victims or bystanders; we went through steps about what to do if they were harassed or hurt at school. They went home with translated safety pamphlets.

And we went home with our prayers for a better school year.

angry asian vacation

All right, everybody. I'm long overdue for a much-needed vacation, so that's starting... now. I'm off to partake in some food, fun and adventures in Hong Kong and Seoul for a couple of weeks. But do not worry! I'm not leaving you lost and lonely. The blog goes on!

Don't go anywhere, because I've enlisted a bunch of cool guest bloggers to share some unique wisdom and insight here while I'm away. Lots of great stuff coming from a bunch of different, interesting folks. A big thank you in advance to all great friends and colleagues who graciously agreed to share.

So here I go. Barring any spectacular emergencies, I respectfully ask that everyone please refrain from emailing me stuff for the next few weeks. I won't be checking email regularly, and my in-box tends to get clogged up pretty quickly. So if it's not a pressing matter, hold off. Thanks! See ya on the flip side.

plate by plate san francisco/bay area, september 18

Mark your calendars, hungry people. Next week, Project By Project San Francisco will host its 1st annual tasting benefit, Plate by Plate San Francisco/Bay Area benefiting APA Family Support Services.

It's a huge-ass tasting event featuring food stations for the top restaurants and chefs from all over the Bay Area. It's happening Saturday, September 18 at Terra. Here are some more details:

ali wong headlining comix comedy club, september 10

If you're in New York, funny gal Ali Wong is headlining Comix Comedy Club this Friday, September 10. She'll be performing two shows, along with some special guests. Here's some more information:

clara c & sam ock collaborate: "little light"

Loving this. In honor of another round of awesome and successful International Secret Agents concerts, last year's ISA/JCPenney winner Clara C teamed up with this year's winner Sam Ock, for an original collaboration: "Little Light." It's a really nice track. Check out this video of Clara and Sam doing their thing:

where is the outcry over floyd mayweather's racist remarks?

Here's a good ESPN commentary examining the controversy over Floyd Mayweather's racist, homophobic tirade against Manny Pacquiao last week. And by controversy, I mean the complete lack thereof: Where's Floyd Mayweather Jr. outcry? Here's my favorite part:

in theaters this friday: fool for love (de mai tinh)

This weekend, you do not want to see Resident Evil: Afterlife. Forget that. Instead, go see the Vietnamese romantic comedy -- Vietnam's number one hit of the year -- Fool For Love (De Mai Tinh), directed by Charlie Nguyen and starring Dustin Nguyen and Kathy Uyen. It opens in select cities this Friday, September 10 from Wave Releasing. Here's the trailer:

it's team jumba!

In this video, KevJumba confirms that yes, he and his dad are indeed competing on The Amazing Race. Thus, they must prepare for the challenge. Team Wu! No... Team Jumba! Since that's what everyone on the internet is already calling them. Season 17 of The Amazing Race premieres on Sunday, September 26. Mark your calendars.

apply for the caam fellowship program

Here's a really awesome opportunity for young filmmakers... The Center for Asian American Media introduces the CAAM Fellowship Program, connecting young, talented individuals with leading media professionals in the field.

Selected fellows will get a mentor of their choosing, professional guidance, a two-day retreat, and participation in a producer's workshop. Here's some more information:

9500 liberty to air on mtv networks

This is great news... Today, MTV Networks announced that it will be airing Eric Byler and Annabel Park's critically acclaimed documentary 9500 Liberty on several of its cable channels later this month.

new music: "lumiere" by blue scholars

Another fresh cut from Blue Scholars. The track is "Lumiere," flipping an instrumental from The Xx. Great stuff. Download the song for free here.

Here's a little bit of background on how the song came into being: NEW MUSIC: Lumière (by Blue Scholars AKA us). This explains nothing while explaining everything. For more from Blue Scholars, go to their website here.

homefront video game: this is what the north korean occupation will look like

Got this from a reader who happens to be an actor... He received an audition for an internet ad campaign for the video game Homefront, which imagines an oppressive North Korean occupation of the United States. These are actual sides for the audition:

the greatest action sequence in the history of modern cinema

Saw this kickass video here... I've watched it like six times now. It's got everything -- a helicopter, a jeep, a beautiful woman, a bearded man, and a machete. If my research is correct, it's a scene from the 2009 movie Magadheera. And it is quite possibly the greatest action sequence in the history of modern cinema.

house race gets ugly: who's really playing "the race card"?

Things getting ugly in the House race for Pennsylvania's Sixth Congressional District... Last week, a spokesman for the Republican incumbent, Representative Jim Gerlach, accused the Democratic challenger, Manan Trivedi, who is Indian Ameircan, of playing "the race cared" by "going to Indian American groups to raise money": In Pennsylvania, a 'Race Card' Accusation.

east west players presents mysterious skin

Starting this week, East West Players' presents the Los Angeles premiere of Mysterious Skin by Prince Gomolvilas, directed by Tim Dang, and adapted from the novel by Scott Heim. You might also be aware of the 2004 film adaptation by Gregg Araki. The play runs September 9 through October 10 at the David Henry Hwang Theater in Little Tokyo. Here's some more information:

stupid restaurant name: me soo hungry

This is an actual Chinese restaurant that will opening soon in Long Beach, California. Really? This was best name you could come up with? If I'm rolling through Belmont Shore, and I see this sign, I'm not going anywhere near this place. (Thanks, Marlon.)

pakistani officials leave in protest after airport interrogation

Just caught up on this news... Last week, a delegation of senior Pakistani military officials visiting the United States for a major defense conference headed home in protest after they said they were interrogated and rudely treated by security officials at Dulles International Airport: Pakistani officials leaving in protest.

The trouble started when one of the delegates, after a long, weary day of traveling, made a comment something to the effect of "I hope this is my last flight." This apparently spooked a flight attendant, who got the delegation pulled off the plane: