THE TRUTH: Yi Jianlian - Next Asian NBA Star?

There’s been a lot of talk about Yi Jianlian - the best prospect to come out of China since Yao - getting taken #3 in the draft. He’s been training in the U.S. and already conducts his interviews in English and drives around by himself in L.A. - all saying that he’s getting acclimated to the U.S. quicker than Yao did before him and it should do him well.

But remember - just because he’s Chinese and a baller doesn’t mean he’s anything like Yao. He’s shorter - only a mere seven feet. He’s not a center. But part of the new breed of seven footers that can handle the ball and step back for the mid-range shot.

He’s 19 and listens to Hip Hop. He wears Sean Jean and plays video games. He already has a base of screaming teenage girl fans waiting on his next move.

And he’s aggressive. Off the dribble, taking it strong to the hoop. Dunking with passion (something Yao didn’t do for the first couple of years and some would say still doesn’t). Yi Jianlin’s game is more like Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady or Richard Jefferson.

All of which begs the question: Yi Jianlian - Next Asian NBA Star?

Chow Yun-Fat wants the lead roles in U.S. films

The Washington Post has a great article on Chow Yun-Fat talking about Hollywood’s glass ceiling for Asian male actors and the roles that are available to them.

I hope a lot more people take stock of what an actor of Chow Yun-Fat’s status is talking about as he’s seen it both ways working in both the U.S. and Asia.

Edgar award for Naomi Hirahara and Mas Arai

Reading Good.

Naomi Hirahara gets an Edgar award from the Mystery Writers Of America for her paperback Snakeskin Shamesin where her heroine Mas Arai follows a trail of blood and deception from L.A. to Okinawa….spooky!

Justin Lin gets back to his roots with “Finishing the Game”

After directing big budget flicks like Annapolis and Fast and Furious 3 after his breakthrough film Better Luck Tomorrow, Justin Lin is back to the indie circuit with a new film called Finishing the Game, a comedy about the search for the next Bruce Lee and the stereotypes of Asian-American males in Hollywood.

The film has James Franco, Dustin Nguyen, Roger Fan, Sung Kang, Meredith Scott Lynn and MC Hammer (what up!).

Lin says he wanted to take a risk and "make a movie that's outside the norm to studios" and has called it his "passion project", and now word is that IFC wants to distribute it and collaborate with him on future projects.

Here's to a long career to this innovative and groundbreaking Asian-American filmmaker.

Read more at the OC Register.

Apolo Anton Ohno wins Dancing With The Stars

I may not watch it (o.k. - maybe once or twice but - shhhhhh) - but a whole slew of other people do - and you know what they saw? Japanese-American Apolo Anton Ohno becoming the next Dancing With The Stars winner. Along with his 18 year old partner Julianne Hough, the young, and flexible duo danced their way into millions of people’s….err…hearts.

Dare I say the words “sex symbol”? Asian-American sex symbol?

Highest rate of suicide among Asian-American women

I’ll be posting more on this later, but there’s been a lot of information lately about the suicide rate of Asian-American women. Read more at CNN, along with a very poignant article down at reappropriate.com.

Roundup - Grace Park, NY, & Being Asian-American

A few stories/links from the last couple of days:

• NY1 News has been doing a series of profiles for APA Month.Check ‘em out.


• CNN asked readers to e-mail them about being Asian-American in a piece called Defining the Asian-American experience.


• The NY Post has a good article on Grace Park.

The Slant Film Festival

If you can make it this weekend down to Houston, there’s The Slant Film Festival. Here’s some of the press release info:

The 7th annual Slant Film Festival
Asian American Short Films
May 19-20, Aurora Picture Show, HoustonThe Aurora Picture Show is proud to present Slant: Bold Asian American Images , an annual film festival screening an eclectic mix of the best in Asian American cinema. You can always count on a few mainstays at Slant: the smashing of stereotypes, off-beat comedies, and family stories.

Program 1: Children, Young & Grown
Saturday, May 19, at 8pm

Children try to find safety from a harsh world, whether it’s the little boy practicing his karate moves in Siu Ta’s Kata Practice, or the children in Tze Chun’s Windowbreaker, who build traps to protect their home. Vivid imaginations take hold during the summer in Suzi Yoonessi’s whimsical Dear Lemon Lima and in Kimi Takesue’s The Summer of the Serpent.

Two films also explore the relationships between parents and their grown children. A mother and son take a final journey together in Jae-Ho Chang’s The Last Vacation while a movie director confronts his father in Lead Role: Father by PJ Raval.

Program 2: Best of Slant & More!
Sunday May 20, at 3pm

Get ready for some of Slant’s greatest hits! In celebration of a Best of Slant DVD compilation to be released later this summer, this program inc! ludes a few audience favorites from past years of the festival. Wes Kim’s Profiles in Science takes a quirky look at one man’s unwavering pursuit of scientific knowledge. A pie maker tries to explain himself in Nobu Ailman’s faux documentary I Pie (A Love Story) . Maritess V.S. the Superfriends, an animation by Dino Ignacio, tells the plight of the Superfriends’ Filipina maid. And Doan La’s comedy Dragon of Love chronicles one man’s dating disaster when he meets the woman of his dreams.

But wait, there’s more! Sunday’s program will also feature the Texas premieres of three films: Josh Kim’s The Police Box, a charming story of romantic crushes; Frank Yeean Chan’s cycling adventure Russian Hill Roulette; and Ling Liu’s Officer Tsukamoto, a documentary about the unsolved 1970 murder of a police officer.

Tickets & A Sneak Peak at San Francisco Dates
General Admission is $6 or Free with All Access Pass.

Purchase tickets online at Aurora Picture Show
Screenings take place at: 800 Aurora Street, Houston, TX 77009
713.868.2101, aurora@aurorapictureshow.org

For the first time, the festival will also travel to San Francisco later this summer, playing at the 4 Star Theater on Saturday, July 21st. Kearny Street Workshop will co-host a DVD release party for the Best of Slant DVD on July 19th. Stay tuned for more details! Slant is co-sponsored by Hyphen magazine.

House passes Hate Crimes Prevention Act

From the Asian Journal Online:

“The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, with a bipartisan vote of 237-180. The Act enables the Department of Justice to assist federal, state and local law enforcement efforts in investigating and prosecuting hate crimes based on race, ethnic background and religion, and expands the definition of hate crimes to protect gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.”

Read more here.

John Cho & James Kyson Lee go ALTRA

From the press release:

“Altra Magazine, a brand new, upscale lifestyle print magazine for Asian Americans, launches its spring issue in May with lifestyle and celebrity events, in celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month…..In April, Altra Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Nancy Moran and the Young Korean American Professionals Network co-hosted a private pre-launch party at the Cellar Bar in Bryant Park Hotel, with Asian American celebrities James Kyson Lee of Heroes and John Cho of Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle and West 32nd…..Articles featured in the upcoming issue will include a cover story on James Kyson Lee of NBC’s show Heroes, interviews with Asian American cancer survivors, personality profiles of fashion designer Jason Wu, the man behind AngryAsianMan.com, and an insider’s look at Asian Americans’ efforts to fight racism in the media….Friday, May 18th, at 7:00 pm, Altra Magazine will co-host a charity screening of Fay Ann Lee’s new film Falling for Grace at the NYU Cantor Film Center to benefit the Asian programs of the American Cancer Society. Falling for Grace stars Fay Ann Lee, Margaret Cho, and Gayle Harold. “

Check it out at: http://www.altrazine.com/

CNN’s Asian-American Journey

Even though they’re still using those old ‘04 stats (c’mon CNN) - you still gotta love ‘em and their dedication to the news and putting out great reference material like Uncovering American: The Asian-American Journey.

Check your state…

THE TRUTH: GQ Editor & Asian Whores? Not how it sounds?

This news blurb is running in the the NY post about GQ editor Jim Nelson, who is talking about the DVD “The Secret”, and says: ….”visualize what you want (an Alfa Romeo? Leather pants? An Asian whore?), think positively, and ‘the universe will . . . make it happen for you.’”.

When asked by PageSix about it - he basically says that it was satire - he was making a point about obnoxious and noxious attitudes of westerners - that they - or should I say we - believe we can pretty much have anything we want - including pimping whores. Asian whores.

I haven’t read the article (in the May issue of GQ) - so I can’t quite say who is right and who is wrong on this because I’ll have to read it in context. But I will say this:

If it is indeed satire, if it is done to provoke rather than condone - because let’s face it - there are enough men and women in this world that think “Asian woman” is equal to “whore” - than the Asian American Journalists Association needs to tread lightly.

I’m not saying the AAJA shouldn’t be saying anything, because men’s magazines like GQ should have some understanding of history, the significance of words, and the understanding that some of their readers might not get the point (if there was one). But there’s a difference between racism and xenophobia, and trying to make a point against it using incendiary language.

THE TRUTH: Poverty & Uninsured Among Asian Americans Rising

As long as it’s APA Heritage Month, I thought I’d drop some stats from the US Census Press Releases:

• 14.4 Million Asian people live in the US. That’s about 5% of the total population. And if it seems like it’s not a lot of people percentage-wise, well it is. Consider that African Americans make up about 12.8% of the population and the Latino & Hispanic population make up about 14% of the population - Asian Americans are about 1/2 of each (if you round….). My point is simply this - 14.4. million people should be recognized and should be represented.
• 11% of Asian Americans live in poverty - and that number is up from 9.8% in 2004. That translates into over 1.5 million people who don’t have enough to live.
• 18% of Asian Americans live without health care. Translation? Over 2.5 million people living without a safety net.

So what is it all saying??

It’s just reiterating that the Model Minority Myth is just that - a MYTH. That while some, or maybe A LOT of people think that ALL Asian-Americans have no problems, that?ALL Asian-Americans are the “good minority” and overachieve - that this?isn’t the case.

There are serious needs in the APA community that need to be addressed not just by our “own”, but by everyone.

THE TRUTH: CBS Fires DJ’s Over Racist Asian Slurs

IT’S ABOUT DAMN TIME PEOPLE.

Listen - I abhor censorship - true censorship - but you know what I have to say about the two DJ’s getting fired from CBS radio because of their racist Asian “comedy”?

Finally. Good riddance. This isn’t about free speech or the First Amendment. It’s about a company who has the right to flex their muscles and make the decision as to what type of programing is actually acceptable on the air waves that they’ve paid for from the FCC.

The Asian American community is finally getting some justice and it’s about time. For too long, people have decided - because it is a decision when you don’t speak up - that it’s O.K. to make cracks about Asian Americans because somehow we’re less than everyone else. Because we don’t matter. Because somehow we’re still the foreigners that you - the rest of America - can’t trust. See what I’m saying?

Is America finally getting a clue?

Magnetic North & Meg and Dia

In case you’ve missed ‘em…spreading the word on a couple of Asian American bands…

Magnetic North: So they met at Berkley, discovered their love of Hip Hop, and three years later in late 06/07 they’ve pumped out a slick slick album. Magnetic North’s official site

Meg and Dia:I caught these Korean American rockers from Utah on MTV a few months back and I wondered how come they weren’t getting more press. Check ‘em out - they just got done playing down at The House Of Blues. Meg and Dia’s official site

THE TRUTH: Gangsters and Gardners - More on the Cinco de Mayo Racism From UD

Don’t get me wrong - that’s great that someone is apologizing and that their name is in print - but again how can you not realize the offense?

Dressing up as gangsters and gardeners with name tags like “Pedro”, “Jose”, and “Full of Tequila” - please - they knew - they just didn’t give a damn.

And Phi Sigma Pi is an honors fraternity?

We just don’t have enough money for good teachers it seems…..

And where is the formal apology by the University?

More Asian-Americans struggle with race after VT

Here’s another good article on how at the University of Maryland Asian Americans are struggling with how to fit in after the VT shooter…

http://www.nbc4.com/news/13289485/detail.html

The Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival

Kick it to Pittsburgh from May 12 - 20, and check out some sweet sweet film from the festival now in its second year.

http://www.silkscreenfestival.org/

You can also check out an article on the festival and its founder Harish Saluja on the Pittsburgh Tribune Review.

Cisco accused of race discrimination

According to the EEOC, Cisco hasn’t been hiring qualified candidates based on their race, color, and nationality.

So this the world’s network huh?

VT Tech Thoughts From Yang and Jenn

Starting the dialogue by getting the word out:
http://hiphapa.blogspot.com/2007/05/from-sissies-to-psychos.html

The Asian Pop words from Jeff Yang:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2007/05/08/apop.DTL

Reappropriate:
http://www.reappropriate.com/?p=674#comment-23959

Cinco de Mayo Racism *Gasp* From Phi Sigma Pi

So the fraternity Phi Sigma Pi says they didn’t realize that they were being racist or offending anyone by dressing up as gardeners wearing work shirts with “Pedro” and “Jose” name tags on Cinco de Mayo.

Again - when will you people get a clue?

The Campus Alliance de La Raza wants those students expelled.

Damn straight.

THE TRUTH: White people: You aren’t entitled to everything

Listen - this really isn’t anything except a simple rant and feeling I just need to get out in the blogosphere - white people - and you know which ones you are….but then again you may not, so listen anyway:

You don’t own everything. You don’t need to be the first in line. You aren’t entitled to speak first all the time (and that’s double for you white males).

You aren’t entitled to the same privileges that you use to have even as early as the 1950’s and 1960’s.

Are you with me yet?

Original Pub Date: 5/9/2007
Tags: Race,The Truth

THE TRUTH: That’s a lot of Junior Whoppers

According to a recent article on DiversityBusiness.com the Asian American market has an estimated $454 billion in purchasing power. So the question for me is:

When are people going to start using that buying clout to start getting political?

Racist Ad? Buy from somewhere else and let them know why. Racist comments from a DJ or VJ or T.V. host? Call in to advertisers - let them know you won’t be purchasing from a company that advertises on shows where the hosts don’t understand that Asian Americans aren’t going anywhere and that we’re as American as the next person.

Harvard Recognizes Asian Americans/The Bamboo Ceiling

An awards banquet at Harvard for Asian Americans. Pretty cool.

When I was reading the article one of the phrases that stuck out at me was “the bamboo ceiling” (said by Paul U. Niwa a professor of journalism from Emerson).

I like that - let’s start cutting the bamboo ceiling for all Asians.

Events and Hapi Hour

Some quick events and news out in the 2.0 infosphere:

• Asian American Filmakers discussion May 11 with a screening at Portland State University. Read more here.
• HAPIHOUR.ORG
• Asian Pacific or Asia American? Oberlin students ask that question.

THE TRUTH: CBS should let racist comments on Barack Obama stand

There’s been a story circulating around that CBS has turned off comments on articles about Barack Obama because of racist posts - like someone calling Barack a “porch monkey”. CBS has reported that they won’t tolerate it, and that comments like those don’t serve the discussion in any way.

I disagree.

Censoring plays into the hands of those who are making the comments. They hide the true feelings that many people still have in the United States and don’t allow for any dialogue on the topic. In a country where we allow groups like the KKK to stand on state capitols and let them shout their diatribes of hatred and xenophobia - what will censoring comments about Barack do that we don’t already know about this next race for the presidency?

We already know that Barack has to have a Secret Service detail - because he’s black.

We already know he may not win because he’s black.

Like it or not, Obama’s race plays a big part in the election and the dialogue surrounding it. We have to face it and deal with it head on, versus trying to cover it up like it’s not there.

Chinaman = BAD

How much simpler can people make it to you? And we’ve been saying it for sometime now.

Eggrolls Etc., a restaurant in Arizona still doesn’t get it and is asked to drop ads with racial slurs in it.

Where’s the Brotherly Love?

There’s an article in New America Media about Andy Toy who is running to be Philadelphia’s first Asian American councilman - ivy league smart, two kids, supportive wife.

Elections are on May 15.

Asian Pacific Heritage Month

May is APA Heritage month. Go do something.

Original Pub Date: 5/5/2007
Tags: Asian,Asian American

THE TRUTH: I don’t know Chinese. Don’t ask me to read it.

I know this is foreign to some of you - but:

I DON’T SPEAK CHINESE.
I CAN’T TRANSLATE THE TATTOO YOU GOT WHEN YOU WERE DRUNK.
THERE IS NO GENERAL “ASIAN” LANGUAGE.

Please don’t keep asking me like I’m part of the collective.

There is no collective and no one is out to get you.

Well - sometimes I am.

But I’m not a part of the collective.