Hot news, everyone. I just received word from a reliable source deep within the confines of a progressive liberal hall where people like to spread apart the legs of bound Asians and rape them for fun - the younger the better of course because who doesn't like young sweet Asian meat - that Matt Burns from TechCrunch is an unoriginal dick.
Old. Tired. Stereotypical. And on one of the largest tech blogs out there.
Get a clue you dumb mutherfucker.
TechCrunch, Matt Burns, Chinese Brothels, And Being A Dick
Wednesday, December 30, 2009Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American
More South Philadelphia High News
Wednesday, December 30, 2009Caught this post up down via an alert and wanted to make sure and post it on up because it's good to see that after the fact (even though what happened should never have happened anyway) people are continuing to ask more questions.
A state panel has voted to investigate allegations of racial discrimination against immigrant students at South Philadelphia High, the second such independent probe.Read it in full here.
The Pennsylvania Commission of Human Relations' inquiry could expand to examine bias against immigrants throughout the Philadelphia School District, said Stephen A. Glassman, chair of the commission.
The commission voted to open the probe on Monday night - after a private meeting with district officials and a public session where community members said students still felt targeted at the school. Work began on the case yesterday, commission officials said.
"We wanted to respond with immediacy to what we thought were really urgent pleas from the students and their advocates," Glassman said last night.
Labels: Amazing Race, APA, API, Asian, Asian American, Racism
See Steve Nguyen, See Steve Nguyen In Asia
Wednesday, December 30, 2009To make a long story short I was out on twitter (and how do you people find my twitter page anyway - it's really just a place holder so no one will take it) and I happened to stumble across Steve Nguyen's page and then saw a few of his tweets about him being in Asia and that's he blogging about his travels. Definitely a good read - so check it on out down at TravBuddy.
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American, Blogs
Kearny Street Workshop And The Lost And Found
Tuesday, December 29, 2009KSW and Mina Dresden Gallery are proud to present the lost and found truong tran, the first solo exhibition of this poet-turned-visual artist and longtime KSW community member. Truong Tran is committed to making art accessible through the creative reuse of everyday materials. His process includes merging disparate objects, forcing them to compromise and accommodate one another in their process of becoming something new, something difficult and beautiful. In his work, Tran explores themes of surfaces, containers and the self-portrait. Tran uses wax, thread, light, color and found objects as a way of constructing veils that must be lifted to arrive at the meaning embedded within. He uses boxes to represent the containers that hold society's expectations of identity and self. It is here that he reinterprets and challenges these expectations and the construct of the self-portrait.
http://gnourtnart.com
Fri, Feb 5,2010
@ Mina Dresden!
312 Valencia, Sf 7-9pm
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American
NSFW: You're Asian. Your Sister Just Ratted You Out. You're Grounded. So Now You're Getting Your Revenge By Posting Her Hook Up List On Facebook
Tuesday, December 29, 2009I caught this down at both Geekologie and Degenerasian, and fake or real, right or wrong, funny or sad, or pointing to the double standards of male versus female - all I know is that we really do like to get our drink and our sex on.
Preferably together.
P.S. To Katie
I would have put a star next to the word "Awesome!". Because who doesn't like oral stimulation?
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American
And Here's Your Legaci Cover For The Day
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
h/t channelAPA
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American
CAAM's On The Clock: Episode 1
Tuesday, December 29, 2009Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American, Web Series
Get Counted So You Can Get Funded
Tuesday, December 29, 2009I know we're supposed to be the silent minority and everything but this is crazy - because who doesn't want billions of dollars? Exactly.
So what's an Asian to do when the Census comes a counting?
Get all your closest friends together and have a couple of shots to make it a party (clothes are optional).
And yes - I do realize it's not that easy - but that's why it's great to see all these organizations getting together to make sure that the API community does in fact get counted:
Seven Asian and Pacific Islander organizations across the state have come together to form the API Census Network in an effort to promote the API community’s participation in the 2010 Census.Get in the know.
Over the last decade, California has suffered a $2.1 billion loss in federal funding due to the undercount of API populations during the 2000 Census. An accurate 2010 Census can help correct errors in determining political districts and allocation of federal funds to state and local governments.
''We have to be creative about the strategies we use to outreach to everyone in the Asian and Pacific Islander community,'' said An Lê, the API Census Network statewide network manager. ''We need our communities to understand an accurate census means more federal funding, greater access to governmental services and more resources directed to our communities. Our goal is to have everyone fill out their census questionnaires in April 2010.''
One of the obstacles in conducting an accurate count of API populations is language proficiency. Nearly 36 percent of Asian Americans and 10 percent of Pacific Islanders have limited English proficiency. Further compounding the undercount is the immense cultural and linguistic diversity, making it challenging to educate this population about the importance to participate in the census., according to the Census Network.
As a part of its outreach and media campaign, the API Census Network will redistribute culturally specific materials in all major Asian languages produced by the Census Bureau. Additionally, the API Census Network recognizes specific communities in South East, South Asian and Pacific Islander sub-groups have disproportionately low rates of participation in the census.
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American, Census
Chinese + Taiwanese = Good Pictures And Conversation
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
This is just an interesting article on a lot of fronts and I wanted to make sure and post it on up:
Communication between the Chinese and the Taiwanese is not always easy. But for the past few weeks, the more curious from each side of the strait have been getting to know each other with the use of hand-penned questions, photographed and posted online.Read it in full here.
QQ, China's most popular instant messaging platform (boasting 300+ million users), has launched "Taiwan would like to know", a "contest" which invites QQ users in Taiwan to photograph themselves holding up questions for users in China. "Mainland" users then respond to the questions by posting a photo of themselves and their answer.
At first glance, the contest -- which will run until the end of 2009 -- appears to be a wily way for Tencent, the company that created QQ, to boost its user numbers in Taiwan, where MSN Instant Messenger holds the majority of the market. Yet upon further examination of the photographs and the enthusiasm they have sparked from users in both countries, the supposed contest seems to have done more than promote QQ across the strait.
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American
Tony Leigh: You're The #1 Pick For The 2010 Internet Model
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
And the answer to your question is no. I don't really think there's a difference between Maxim and Egirlsnews.
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American, Models
IIFF 2010 Call For Submissions
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
This might not be strictly an Asian American film festival - but hey - if a movie's going to go big - you should be submitting to every film festival you can - so check out the information below and get your submission on:
IIFF 2010 Submissions Deadlines
Features: Over 60 Minutes
Shorts: Under 60 Minutes
Early Bird Deadline:
January 31, 2010
Feature Submission Fee: $45
Short Submission Fee: $35
Screenplay Submission Fee: $45
Student Film Submissions Must be Accompanied with Valid Student ID
Student Feature Submission Fee: $35
Student Short Submission Fee: $25
Regular Deadline:
April 30, 2010
Feature Submission Fee: $55
Short Submission Fee: $45
Screenplay Submission Fee: $55
Student Film Submissions Must be Accompanied with Valid Student ID
Student Feature Submission Fee: $45
Student Short Submission Fee: $35
Late Deadline:
July 30, 2010
Feature Submission Fee: $65
Short Submission Fee: $55
Screenplay Submission Fee: $65
Student Film Submissions Must be Accompanied with Valid Student ID
Student Feature Submission Fee: $55
Student Short Submission Fee: $45
Without A Box Extended Deadline:
Must Submit Through www.withoutabox.com for this Deadline
August 31, 2010
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American, Film Festivals, IIFF 2010
So This Is How You Try And Close The Achievement Gap? Are You Kidding Me?
Monday, December 28, 2009I've gotten to know enough teachers and educators to know that when you want to cut the achievement gap for students of color - in whatever area it is for whatever group it is - it doesn't mean cutting that area of study - in fact - if you decide to do what Berkely High is thinking about doing - which is cutting their science labs along with five teachers that teach in those labs you're basically giving the finger to those students who aren't excelling in that area.
You're telling them that they don't have the capacity to learn that area of study because of their color - it's just that simple.
You're telling them in no uncertain terms that they (as a group regardless of individual abilities) will never amount to anything in that field - and that's letting the innate racism that many teachers come into the classroom with - whether they know it or not - dangerously grow into an environment where they bypass students who have a right to the best education possible in a place where they shouldn't just be taught - but inspired and pushed and most importantly - instilled with belief.
That's what schools are for - or at least they should be.
Labels: Asian, Asian American, Education, Race, Racism
I Think I Hate You Leland Cheung
Monday, December 28, 2009
Dear Leland:
Can I call you Leland? Actually I don't really care, because I don't like you. In fact I kinda hate you. Why? Maybe it has something to do with how utterly perfect you are. I mean c'mon - can you set the bar just a little bit higher for everyone else?
Who do you think you are?
I'll tell who you are. You're a nobody.
Just because you're only thirty-one and you're pulling degrees from MIT and fucking Harvard doesn't make you the shit - in fact - I'm not even going to acknowledge those degrees (and you didn't finish yet MF) because we all know those schools can't compare to the state school I went too and courses like "May I take your plate ma'am" and "Are those cockroaches in my kitchen?" - so don't even try and compare yourself with me you devilishly handsome piece of screw you.
But you know what really chaps my ass? It's also the fact that you're the first Asian American, and the first student, who was elected to the Cambridge City Council who even has people like Sam Yoon repping for you.
I mean Sam Yoon and you're a first?
If I didn't hate you enough already because of how good you look in a suit, now I really hate you. I'm so enraged I can't even finish this post. So thank you Leland Cheung for making my Holidays a little more crappier.
Not even closely yours,
Slanty
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American, DIY, Government
And What Are Your Top Ten Asian American Tracks Of The Decade?
Monday, December 28, 2009I'm glad no one's ever asked me - even myself - to come up with a top ten of the decade - a completely mind-bloggling task that would take me weeks to figure out - but you can definitly count on the fact that just like the list down at MTV Iggy - there'd be an Utada song.
Or two.
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American, Music
Hiptronica, Far East Movement, And The LA Times
Monday, December 28, 2009
Just in case you missed it - here's a HUGE article on Far East Movement from the LA Times:
The director of "Better Luck Tomorrow," the 2002 independent film that helped redefine racial paradigms of Asian Americans in popular culture, Lin sees the Far East Movement as kindred spirits of sorts. Yet he stressed that their success owes only to their creative abilities.Read it in full down at the LAT.
"Talent and hard work always transcend race," said Lin, who was born in Taipei but grew up in Orange County. "It was and will always be about the music and its connection with the audience." [...]
"They've built their brand from the ground up," Jin said. "From Day One, they've always been about good music that appeals to all walks of life. They're not intentionally setting out to redefine the role of Asians or break stereotypes, they just do it by virtue of being good artists."
The independent release last year of the band's sophomore effort, "Animal," which featured "Girls on the Dance Floor," further elevated Far East Movement's profile. Produced by the Stereotypes, the single, a pulsing house track, augurs a return to hip-hop's disco roots and places it squarely within the contemporary zeitgeist of dance floor-focused rap, a genre that Choi calls "hiptronica." The pop shift positioned the group well for mass appeal. Martin Kierszenbaum, head of A&R at Interscope and the chairman of Cherrytree Records, the Interscope subsidiary that recently signed FM, sees the group as a part of the continuum of his imprint's progressive pop stars, including Lady Gaga, Feist and Flipsyde.
"Pop isn't supposed to be a dirty word; it's a craft and an art form, and FM are pushing the envelope of pop music within the hip-hop tradition," said Kierszenbaum, who plans to release FM's major-label debut next year. "Their 'hiptronica' sound is exciting and new, and they're great songwriters. They represent the future kind of kid, one that's more inclusive, who lives on the Internet. I think they have huge global potential."
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American, Music
Margaret Chin Is In Fact A First
Monday, December 28, 2009
Back in October I posted up on Margaret Chin and how she could be the first Chinese American to sit on the District 1 Council - and who'd a thunk it - it actually happened (although that probably shouldn't be a surprise considering we're on a roll in politics):
Margaret Chin, the first Asian-American elected to represent Chinatown in the City Council, celebrated her swearing in to that office with what almost certainly were other inauguration firsts for a Councilmember: karaoke and indoor fireworks.Read it in full.
With two much more solemn oath-taking ceremonies behind her the day before, Chin did a rerun Wednesday evening, this time in high Chinatown style. She treated some 750 supporters, family members and friends to a 10-course feast at Jing Fong Restaurant on Elizabeth Street. Many of those present were members of her "family association," a group whose grassroots efforts in the Chinese-American community helped propell the candidate to victory in the September Democratic primary.
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American, Politics
Random Asian Thing You Can Do In Dallas
Monday, December 28, 2009From the DN:
The Crow Collection of Asian Art offers three exhibits through Jan. 3. They are "Yeohlee: Design for Now," "Wild Flowering: The Crow Family and Asia," and "Blossoming Stone: Qing Dynasty Jade." Admission is free. The museum is at 2010 Flora St. in Dallas. Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays-Sundays; and closed Mondays. http://www.crowcollection.org/
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American, Events
PSA: Esther Ku, And Tiger Woods
Monday, December 28, 2009
Don't judge me for posting it. I'm just an envoy.
Ping Pong, Being API, The NY Times, And That's Pretty Asian
Sunday, December 27, 2009Listen - I'm not saying that it's a bad thing to be talking about ping pong - it's a kick ass sport that I'll forever suck at on the Wii and while it's great that in some ways the NY Times is highlighting something with Asian faces (and to all the kids playing ping pong, you're the shit) - could they feature anything more stereotypical than ping pong?
Think about their other features with people from the API community - I don't know - say something like music, TV - really hot Asian male models - oh wait - that's right - I don't remember these features.
Maybe I'm taking this the wrong way and I'm just on a useless and badly written rant (even if a little one) - I just find it interesting that they decide to post up on ping pong for some of their "Asian American" news because if you look at their whole body of API coverage - a lot of times (at least from what I've seen) - it falls into what I'll call nothing out of the ordinary as far as breaking out of the typical mindset - to them - of what and who the API community is in real life.
NY Times journalists - dig a little deeper than walking down to your local Chinese takeout.
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American
NEA Fellows, Bryan Thao Worra, And You
Sunday, December 27, 2009For all of you struggling - or at least struggling from writers block - here's some info direct from someone who knows a thing or too about NEA Fellowships and getting your hands on one as well as some info on notable API fellows from this year:
Notable Asian Americans selected this year include: Padma Viswanathan, author of House of Sacred Cows and The Toss of a Lemon, Frances Hwang and Aimee Phan, a Vietnamese American writer and author of We Should Never Meet.Read it in full here.
Congratulations to all 42 writers chosen! Over 25,000 pages were reviewed from 993 eligible applicants. The Fellowship awards $25,000 to support writing and additional projects necessary for the writers' artistic growth.
To apply, writers submit a sample of their best work. Prose writers submit 30 pages of fiction or creative nonfiction. Poets submit 10 pages of poems. These are judged blindly by anonymous manuscript and sent to a panel of distinguished American writers who spend five months evaluating them.
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American, NEA
Are Tattooed, Asian American, And A Woman?
Sunday, December 27, 2009Caught this down at FAN via some alerts and wanted to post it up here too just in case you or someone you know might be interested:
Received an email from Dor Zhang, a senior at Pitzer College who’s putting the call out for some help. For her Gender/Feminist Studies senior project, she wants to interview and photograph tattooed Asian American women. Her goal is to create a tattoo magazine — think Tattoos For Women — with an Asian American focus.
As Dor puts it, “I don’t see a lot of Asian American women being represented in the media, let alone in tattoo magazines and in the tattoo community. In addition, I think it would be so interesting to see how gender and race (amongst other factors) intersect to shape the artistic and expressive choices of Asian American women.”
So… she’s looking for some participants. Are you a tattooed Asian American woman? Dor wants to hear your story. If you’re willing help her out, you can get in touch with Dor at doris.zhang.2010@gmail.com or dzhang@pitzer.edu. Your help is appreciated.
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American, Studies
NAACP Goes South Philadelphia
Sunday, December 27, 2009
This post isn't about what the NAACP does or doesn't do - I'll leave that for other folks - but I am extremely glad to see that they've added in a South Philadelphia Chapter where among the first of its members are students - of all colors and ethnicities:
KYW
There's a new youth chapter of the NAACP at South Philadelphia High School, the scene of racial violence and an Asian student boycott earlier this month. Black and Asian students cheered on Tuesday after taking the oath making them members of a new youth chapter of the NAACP at South Philly High. NAACP board member Wali Smith praised the Asian students who boycotted school for eight days because they didn't feel safe after a December 3rd racial brawl: "I knew it took a lot of courage, because it's not popular standing up. It's really not popular. It's not cool."Philadelphia Public School Notebook
Helen Gym, as a board member of Asian Americans United, gave the following remarks:
It should have ended before you. It should have ended with DuBois, with King, with Malcolm, Rosa Parks, Cesar Chavez, with Yuri Kochiyama. It should have ended with me, as a child of immigrants who’s devoted much of my own life to uplifting our schools.
It should have ended with my generation – but it did not.
The history of struggle, of protest, of standing up for others and ourselves is not just a story out of textbooks. It’s a story lived in your time, in the hallways of South Philadelphia High School. It’s a story in which you yourself play a part whether you realize it or not and whether you choose to or not. What happened at South Philadelphia on Dec. 3rd is neither a beginning nor an ending but another chapter in a story whose end you’ll determine. I want to thank the NAACP for putting us on that path together.
When I look around this room and see and listen to your voices, it’s almost impossible to imagine that what happened two and a half weeks ago at South Philly could have happened here. In this room is community. In this room is good will and honesty. In this room is hope.
But I also know that outside this room, a different story may unfold for different people among us. And though I am encouraged by what I hear in this room, I also know that there is much work to be done even among ourselves.
There are racial and ethnic differences among us – a language and communication gap that takes time and concerted effort to bridge. When a young student gave a shout out in Vietnamese - “Go up!” - he said it with joy and pride. Yet, others met it with confusion and even some suspicion. We don’t naturally understand one another even when we share the same vision.
There are tremendous gaps in our knowledge about the ESOL/bilingual program in this school. There is a history to the second floor ESOL program at South Philly that explains why things look the way they do today. For decades, communities have grappled with different ways to address safety concerns and academic supports for new Americans. Communities fought hard so that sheltered settings like the one you have in South Philadelphia could exist for recent immigrant students. In the same way that deseg and bussing has a complicated narrative and history, other communities too have their complicated stories that we must seek to understand first. So before we make assumptions or hold fast to our own view of things, let us all check ourselves. We have to communicate about the lived experiences of others and add our own stories to this mix before judgments are passed - before, possibly, other mistakes might be made.
And in saying all of this, I hope it underscores the fact that solutions don’t just lie with one group, with adults only or students only. Powerful as you are, you need the presence of guiding adults just as much as we need your voices.
To the School District: there are many debates we can have over what’s best for our children. But one issue which is not debatable is that the safety of our children is paramount and that violence against any one of our young people – no matter the color of our skin or what language we speak – can not and will not be tolerated. We must learn from what happened at South Philly High and we must do better. To our young people, know that we stand with you and by you as adults, your parents, and your community that loves and cherishes you. We are always your strongest advocates.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said: True peace is not the absence of tension but the presence of justice. As we move forward, know that we are committed to the cause of justice not for any one group but for all the students of South Philadelphia High School.
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American, South Philadelphia
Free Music From Dumbfoundead
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Get it down at dumbfoundead.com.
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American, Bodog Music Battle of the Bands, DumbFounDead
Big Phony: Fix Or Providence
Sunday, December 27, 2009Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American, Big Phony, Bodog Music Battle of the Bands
East Coast Asian American Student Union’s Response To The Racial Violence At South Philadelphia High School
Sunday, December 27, 2009Got this sent in my way and wanted to make sure and post up the ECAASU's response to what happened down at South Philadelphia and at the same time just take a moment to thank them again for inviting me to do a workshop at the upcoming conference (albeit I won't actually be doing a workshop - always nice to be asked - and maybe I'll be ready to hit the workshops and conferences in 2011).
Here's the response:
Introduction
Imagine this. It’s six in the morning and, like the other couple thousand kids in the city, you hit the snooze button a couple of times instinctively before finding yourself on the verge of being late to your first class. You get up and get ready for school, groggily nibble a slice of stale toast, and head out the door to your seven o’clock French class. Backpack pressed tightly against your school sweatshirt with lunch bag in hand, you stride quickly down the street, careful not to bump into anyone while overtaking the early-morning dog-walker. You know it will be a long day, but you also know that one day it will all pay off. You know that, if you work hard enough, anything is possible.
On the way to school, you encounter a gang of students—all bigger than you. You think about turning around, and, just as you do, one of the students elbows you in the face until your nose starts to bleed. Another punches you in the eye until it’s so swollen that you can’t see out of it anymore. You feel a knee to your stomach, a hard blow to your back. Soon enough, you are being kicked and stampeded on by a group of students, and all you can think about is why you had to get up that morning, but the thought doesn’t last long. Upon trying to open your eyes, you get a glimpse at the splattered blood, now seeping into the cracked pavement tiles. You try to yell for help, but nobody can hear your cries. All you can do is suffer and wait. All you can do is hope that it will be over so you don’t get a detention for being late to your seven o’clock French class. You mumble to yourself: pourquoi est-ce qui m'arrive?
Sound like the plot to the latest blockbuster movie? Maybe, but you would be wrong. In fact, the story just recounted became the norm for an unfortunate group of students at South Philadelphia High School. Sadly, on December 3, 2009, a gang of students viciously attacked twenty-six of their classmates over the course of a single school day. No arrests were made; only ten students were suspended. No formal charges were filed. The victims were all of Asian descent.
The Outcry
Within the past couple of weeks, the Asian American students at South Philadelphia High School decided that they have had enough, and began to work proactively towards ensuring the safety of themselves and their peers. The students, many of whom having come to the United States in order to seek access to a better education, have had their dream of a improved lifestyle horrendously crushed by students who believe that attacking other students may be the only way to ameliorate their own problems. The students, due to no fault of their own, became the victims of violent, race-based hate crimes. Today, these students refuse to be the victims of an unforgiving circumstance any longer—they have taken their fate into their own hands.
Had it not been for the courage of a group of Asian American students to fight for their right to learn in a safe environment, we would have never known about these brutal attacks. We would never know that these racially charged beatings were not merely a single incident, but rather just one attack out of a string of horrendous hate crimes that have galvanized the community throughout the past year. We would have never known that these attacks did not happen in a single school, but have become a systematic problem throughout the entire school district. And, perhaps, worst of all, we would have never known that these Asian American students, and students to come, would have to fear for their safety each and everyday upon going to school—a right that many of us take for granted much too often. Simply, we would have never known.
But, the fact of the matter is, that we do now know, and, as Asian Americans, we cannot afford to sit idly by as fellow members of the Asian American community suffer and subsist in an environment of racial discrimination and pernicious hatred. As members of the Asian American community, our histories share a common thread, and their future is inexorably intertwined with our own. We cannot regress to a time when race becomes a justification for violence—when we are forced to live a life of fear and dread. Ultimately, each and every one of us has a stake in their success.
Although students have rallied the school administration and the district school board to make the necessary changes to ensure their safety, their demands have been met with disregard, disrespect, and inaction. The vice-principal of the school fell asleep during a city-hall style meeting organized by the students to express their concerns; the school district went so far as to call the attacks “racially unmotivated,” although all of the students attacked “happened” to be Asian American.
Our Stance
The East Coast Asian American Student Union fully and wholeheartedly supports the students in their endeavor to ensure their wellbeing in a safe, learning environment.. We believe in their right to an education, as it is not only the great equalizer, but also the great enabler, allowing students to create for themselves a better and brighter future. When the school setting becomes plagued with violence, students are forced to subsist in a life of fear and anxiety, and cannot live to achieve their full and highest potential. Thus, any attempt to constrain this fundamental right ought to be met with protest and outcry.
Based on these premises, we strongly believe in and advocate for:
1. The expulsion of the students responsible for the attacks, in accordance with the district’s procedures;
2. Charges filed against the individuals who perpetrated the acts of violence; and
3. The suspension and the subsequent review of all school and school district administrators who compromised the integrity of the school system by failing to act to protect students against acts of violence, whether they believe them to be racially motivated or not.
Conclusion
Ultimately, after system-wide student walkouts, the school board has finally agreed to enhance security in the schools, but it will be important to keep pressure on the school system to prevent acts like this from happening in the future. While the latest meeting with the school board was, in some ways, a success, this is only the beginning of a long process to ensure the safety of all students from racially motivated hate crimes.
After the election of President Obama, we have been constantly inundated with notions of a post-racial society and an environment where race is no longer an issue. However, from our founding to this very moment, race has played and continues to play an integral, albeit often overlooked, part of this nation’s social fabric. I urge you to reconsider: what does being apart of one of the greatest nations of the world truly mean to you if students are raised into believing that racial hatred and violence can become the convention? With all the rhetoric of “hope” and “change,” what does a brighter future truly mean?
As former President Bill Clinton once stated in a State of the Union address:
“The divide of race has been America's constant curse. Prejudice and contempt… are no different. They have nearly destroyed us in the past. They plague us still. They fuel the fanaticism of terror. They torment the lives of millions… [they are] obsessions [that] cripple both those who are hated and, of course, those who hate, robbing both of what they might become.”
Fundamentally, it is important to understand that these racially motivated attacks shape and are shaped by our changing “historical moment.” It is impossible to understand the nature of these attacks without first understanding the underlying environment that gave rise to them. Perhaps only by understanding what motivated these attacks can we truly take the first steps towards being able to prevent them from happening in the future. Much work remains to be done.
East Coast Asian American Student Union
ECAASU, Inc.
communications@ecaasu.org
http://www.ecaasu.org
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American
Happy Holidays To All
Thursday, December 24, 2009The Holidays are now upon us and that means that I'm off for the next day or two. Enjoy good food, good drink, hang with the ones you love (even if that's just you and a stack of porn because you should love yourself) and most importantly - kick the shit out of anyone that didn't get what you put down on your list six months ago because say what you will - it's really about opening presents - and lots of them.
Happy Holidays From Your Neighborhood Slanty.
Labels: Holiday Cheer
One Post Wednesday
Wednesday, December 23, 2009And this is it.
Because I'm watching K-Drama.
Labels: Random
Bestest, Coolest, Hottest, Cutest, Perkiest, Winningest, Yummiest, Most Watchable API Reality TV Contestants I Loved (Insert More Superlatives Here)
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Victor And Tammy From The Amazing Race
From Anoop (who got the shaft) on American Idol, to Mark Dacascos dancing his little martial arts heart out, all the way to people like Thia Megia, Jany Lee, Cathy Grosam, Jennifer on ANTM, and the man everyone loved to hate (see Jon Gosselin) - it seems like this year, just like the last, we filled the screen of Reality TV (and that's just the short list).
But out of everyone I got to see, or even just read about - the people I loved the most - the ones who kept me glued to the screen sometimes cursing, sometimes cheering, other times just shaking my fist and screaming "Take That Beeyaaaach!!!" was the brother and sister team out of CA.
Maybe it was the dynamics of the younger sister and older brother relationship that kept me interested (and if you cry in the woods and there's a camera on you, it really did happen), or the fact that people complained about the "unfair" advantage of them actually knowing a second language (to which I did and still do scoff at) fueling me more to see them win - or maybe - I just enjoyed seeing Victor creaming his little lawyer heart out as he plummeted to the ground suspended by a few thin elastic cords.
Whatever the reasons - and it's not just that they won (although that always helps) - they were great to watch. They were good TV. I think if anything can be learned from their stint on The Amazing Race, it's that compelling characters with backdrops that you want to know more about come in all shapes and sizes, colors and languages, and when all is said and done -- everyone looks good with pie on their face.
Labels: 2009 In Review
The University Of California, Restoring Justice, And WW II Japanese American Students
Tuesday, December 22, 2009This is a good read from down at the Chicago Tribune on the recent honorary degrees handed out to WW II Japanese American students that I wanted to make sure and post on up:
Gus Ikemoto received an unusual Christmas gift from the University of California, Davis, recently.
It was a special honorary degree authorized in July by the UC Board of Regents as an apology to all Japanese-American students who were attending the school during World War II and forced to leave when Americans of Japanese ancestry were being placed in internment camps.
On the degree is a Latin inscription meaning: "to restore justice ... to the academy."
What exactly does that mean to the 86-year-old Ikemoto (pronounced EE-kay-moh-toh), who came to Chicago in 1951, fell in love with the White Sox and never left?
"I am truly honored," said Ikemoto, who was the first in a family of immigrant farmers to go to college. "I never thought this day would come."
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American
Business Is Business
Tuesday, December 22, 2009This article is a couple weeks old, but I think for some reason - kind of appropriate:
About a decade ago, Inwook Ben Hur opened a small grocery store in Baltimore after relocating to the area to go to graduate school at Coppin State. Hur, like many native Koreans who immigrated here, founded his business with the idea of making enough money to put his children through college, then turning control over to the kids to maintain for the next generation.Read it in full here.
In the past seven years, though, all three of Hur's children have graduated from school, and none want to have anything to do with running the Eager Street store. Now ready to get out of the business and looking for a buyer, Hur is focusing on the surrounding community, and he - along with Baltimore Circuit Court Clerk Frank M. Conaway Sr. - are part of a group of local leaders en route to Seoul, South Korea, to take part in a 10-day entrepreneurial workshop, a trip they expect will provide tips on the transfer process.
Hur said he wants an African-American to take over his store; Conaway wants to promote black entrepreneurship. They have known each other for decades and share a vision of turning over hundreds of longtime Korean-American small businesses in the city - many owned by people who, like Hur, want out of the daily grind - to ambitious, young African-Americans.
Do Gooding: Michelle Wie
Tuesday, December 22, 2009It's not always about the winning - or the losing - or even the beer pong photos - sometimes it's just about what you do as an individual:
SEOUL, Dec 22 (Yonhap) -- Korean-American LPGA winner Michelle Wie donated 100 million won (US$84,500) Monday for teen breadwinners in her grandfather's hometown.
Wie handed the money to Lee Myeong-heum, the governor of Jangheung County, South Jeolla Province, to be used for teenagers there who financially support their families.
Wie was in South Korea to commemorate an anniversary of her grandfather.
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American, DIY, Golf, Michelle Wie
Tuesday Lang Lang Pictures
Tuesday, December 22, 2009Here's some pics from Lang Lang playing a unison with 100 children in South China's Guangdong Province.
And A Merry Xmas From Jazmin And IBU
Tuesday, December 22, 2009Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American, Music
Random Apolo Anton Ohno Commerical
Monday, December 21, 2009Labels: APA, API, Apolo Anton Ohno, Asian, Asian American, Media, TV
Best New Japanese Rock Band Who Kicked Serious Ass And Also Happened To Sing In A Language You Might Know
Monday, December 21, 2009
The Hiatus
Some might say that since The Hiatus is actually the brain child of Ellegarden's lead singer Takeshi Hosomi that they're not quite new - but split hairs all you want (and then get ready to get kicked down by all the other musicians in the group who would beg to differ) - Trash We'd Love, released earlier this summer, hit #1 on the Oricon charts and gave audiences a reason to get on down and thrash like it was the last concert they'd ever attend.
Intense. Complicated. And some of the most incredible progressions this year had to offer - if they aren't on your top five - I just don't want to know you.
The Flare
Antibiotic
Labels: 2009 In Review
Asian POP Best And Worst Of 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009Got this passed via e-mail and then saw this down at AAM via OriginalSpin and wanted to make sure and post it on up:
Okay, friends, readers and opinionated souls: Really need you on this one. I'm compiling my annual ASIAN POP BEST & WORST OF 2009. So please be generous to me with your wit and wisdom, and the karma will be repaid sevenfold in 2010, I can nearly guarantee it. Tell me, with humor, passion and verve:And you're waiting for?Comment your take on both here or email me at originalspin@gmail.com.
- What Asian/Asian American events, people or phenomena made this year worthwhile?
- What Asian/Asian American events, people or phenomena made you gasp/cringe/scream?
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American, Bloggers
The Post I Couldn't Believe I Agreed With (At Least In Part) From The Worst Asian American On The Face Of The Earth
Monday, December 21, 2009
"The indelible whiteness of MSNBC" By Michelle Malkin
I'm just going to say this one like it can only be said - it's kinda fucked up - I know it's kinda fucked up. In fact I had to fuck myself up a little just to even think about posting this one for the Year In Review.
But if there's anything I can say about myself, it's that I'm going to tell you like I see it and the way I saw it - and fuck me one more time before I say it - people - I actually agreed with a Michelle Malkin post - at least a few parts of it.
I don't read her blog, I just caught it from a Google alert, but goddamn, and fuck me one more time (just because) - it's true.
I love the lefties down at MSNBC, but shit - they're all fucking White People. And I'm not saying White People can't be down - because you know you can, and you know some of you are - but if you're going to rep for People Of Color - why not also - just an idea here - get some real People Of Color to rep for - you know - People Of Color. I'm not saying we never see journalists who aren't White on MSNBC - but the masthead does kind of say "When push comes to shove - we actually don't want anyone as figureheads for our cable network who aren't White People."
Giving Myself A Pass (And You Should Too)
So this is my thought. I think in part the reason I actually put this post up is because deep down there's a burning question inside of me and that question is this:
Maybe there's some hope for her yet?
Labels: 2009 In Review
Best Site To Get Your Korean Drama On While Fantasizing About Otani Ryohei And Lee Soo Kyun
Monday, December 21, 2009
Drama Fever
From Mysouju and Crunchyroll, to Chinky's movie spoiler and the file upload and sharing behemoth that's become Megaupload - when it comes to watching free stuff online (and let's not forget about one of the best sites just by name alone called "luutit") - there's more than enough options out there to keep the MPAA busy.
So what's a K-Drama addict to do if they don't want to stare down a gavel or if they're sick of broken links and grainy pictures from what sometimes can't even be called halfway legit copies?
Just head on down to DramaFever.com.
This year they came out of private beta, went public, put on a kick ass launch party (at least that's what I heard) and they've continued to keep on adding new episodes and shows while still keeping their servers up and running.
A ton of content + great quality and you don't have to worry about your ISP selling you out.
What more could you ask for?
Labels: 2009 In Review
Priscilla Ahn And KoreAm
Monday, December 21, 2009Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American, Music, Priscilla Ahn
Best Progressive Campaign Of The Year
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Drop Dobbs/Basta Dobbs
Guest Post By Cbruhs From Bicostal Bitchin
We’ve all witnessed a lot of heartache and heat in the kitchen this year, politically and policy-wise. We went from flying high as a kite on the Obama victory to the jaw-grinding comedown of dismal political realities and unfulfilled pre-election promises. Bank bail-outs drew criticism from both the left and the right. The health care debate, including the disastrous teabagger-swamped town halls (and the left’s failure organize any comeback), made the fight for reform a discouraging one. Fox News’ host Glenn Beck called Obama a “racist”, with “a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture”, and instead of confronting it head on, the Administration stayed consistent in its practice of evading rather than confronting racial accusations, giving more space and power to pundits’ cockamamie crap.
So amid all these wingneezys, pansy progressives, and administrative waffling, were there any wins for lefties?
Well, if anything would inspire hope for the possibility of progressive change, I would look to the “Drop Dobbs/Basta Dobbs” campaign.
Presente.org, in partnership with civil rights groups and grassroots membership, launched a campaign in September 2009 targeting CNN to drop the right-wing Dobbs (who also promoted racially-charged conspiracy theories about the legitimacy of Obama’s birth certificate and American citizenship).
With the power of social media, Drop Dobbs called CNN out on its hypocrisy of employing Latino reporters and promoting Soledad O’Brien’s Latino in America series while supporting Dobbs and his racist, downright bogus anti-immigrant rhetoric. Even Geraldo Rivera got up in the mix, saying “Lou Dobbs has done more to slander Latin people in this country than other single human being.”
Pressure mounted, and on November 11, Dobbs resigned and aired his last show.
The Basta Dobbs campaign demonstrated the power of the people to take down an enormous talking head and let corporate media know that this horseshit won’t be tolerated. And with immigration reform looming on the horizon, taking out one of the most vocal anti-immigrant hate-mongers – and continuing to combat such racism – will be critical to winning policies that are just and humane for our community.
While the Drop Dobbs campaign mainly targeted the Latino community, the wider backdrop– the immigration system and the need to reform it – hugely affects APIs as well. APIs are one of the fastest growing undocumented groups, with over 1.5 million. Whether we’re being exploited while “illegally” toiling in restaurants and sweatshops, waiting years or even decades to be reunited with family members due to backlogs, or prevented from accessing financial aid and job experience, or in some cases even enrolling in higher education due to immigration status (a recent report by the University of California Office of the President revealed that 40 to 44 percent of undocumented students in the UC system are Asian), the way immigration reform shakes out will impact our lives drastically. The Drop Dobbs campaign serves as a great source of inspiration, and a model to look to for galvanizing our own communities around issues affecting us in 2010.
Yes, you bet your ass we can!
Labels: 2009 In Review
Most Wanted Blogger In Vietnam
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Elly Tran Ha (aka Elly Kim Hong)
I'll just admit right now that some of you may take exception to this title because you may not think that Elly Tran Ha is a blogger - however - some people call me a blogger too but as we all know by now I'm not literary, have a masters, am working towards my Ph.D (did I even spell that right?) and well - I'm just a hack - so I guess in that sense it's all up to how you define yourself.
But whether or not you think she's an actual blogger, or just likes to call herself one, the thing you can't deny is that sexes of all ages have decided that she's the IT Girl of young Vietnamese bloggers right now (age disputes and scandals aside).
I mean she's even getting showered in love from South Korea.
Is it right? Is there a message it sends - good or bad? Should media in Vietnam be chastising her for the suggestive poses? Is she breaking a mold, or just conforming to one that's already existed?
I don't really know. I'm just putting it out there (and everything's not as black and white as we like to think it is).
I will say this though - specifically to someone who commented on her pictures and said "i would fight 1000 nazi zombies for hr to be my wife :3".
Dude - that's a lot a Nazis.
Labels: 2009 In Review
JACL Takes A Strong Stand
Sunday, December 20, 2009I was reading this article on the JACL's response to the mediation at Franklin & Marshall College where three Asian students were subject to verbal and physical assaults last year - because of their race - and I just think it's a powerful statement:
We find it troubling that when an alleged racial incident occurs where individuals are physically injured that the remedial process and consequences are veiled in secrecy. We believe racist behavior must be publicly condemned with consequences fully revealed to serve as a deterrent to future similar behavior.It should be out in the open for everyone to see because it really is a deterrent. I know some people like their racism out in the open, but in a lot of ways, I'd rather have it stay where it belongs. Think anything you want but keep the disillusions to yourself about who I am simply because of my color and my ethnicity because no one wants to hear it - but if you do say it - and it leads to physical outbursts of stupidity and ignorance gleaned from an existence which has had all the power and chances a society can afford one group to which you belong - best bet you should have your ass out on a public forum getting raked over the coals of public opinion because it should be hot. You should be sweating. When you treat another human being with such disdain going out of your way to try and make them feel less than who they are simply because of their language, culture, or color -- it isn't acceptable.
Labels: APA, API, Asian American, Race, Racism
In Pictures: Lucy Liu And MOCA
Sunday, December 20, 2009Bird Eating Bird And An Aquarium
Sunday, December 20, 2009From the Victoria Chang blog:
I'm always on the lookout for Asian American poets. One recent book is called "Bird Eating Bird" by Kristin Naca and another called "An Aquarium" by Jeffrey Yang. I've read Naca's book, but not Yang's yet. Naca's book was a National Poetry Series selection and winner of the MTVU prize, selected by Yusef Komunyakaa.Read it in full here.
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American, Literary
Ken Chen And A Year in Reading
Sunday, December 20, 2009A really good read for anyone interested in some of the highlights from literary fiction this year:
boulevardiers, dialectic, postcolonial, Telemundo, crazy motherfucker, Big ButtDefinitely should at least intrigue you.
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American, Literary
Truth And Fiction: Member Of Japanese Internment Denial Group On Facebook Arrested For The Slaying Of Prominent Asian American Family
Friday, December 18, 2009APA Newswire
12/18/2030
Early this morning, an individual still yet to be identified, was arrested for the brutal murder of an Asian American family including a young infant reported to be as young as six months old.
While pieces of the investigation are still being kept internally by authorities, a source close to the investigation stated that others may have been involved in the planning and execution of the murders.
“Right now we know that they organized online using a Facebook group,” said the person who wished to remain anonymous, “and we know that as their numbers grew, they became more vocal, both online and offline.”
Critics of Facebook continue to argue that allowing denial groups like “Japanese Internment Was A Hoax” are in direct conflict with the actual terms of service.
"These aren't groups that foster intelligent debate," said X. Yamada, a long time critic of Facebook's terms of service, "These are groups who by their very nature, because they deny what happened to Japanese Americans, are breeding grounds for racism, hatred, and in this case, the slaying of an innocent family. By allowing Holocaust denial groups, Facebook opened the door for other individuals who had no previous way to organize on such a massive level to spread their message of hate and xenophobia."
Inquiries to Facebook were not returned.
This Weekend: HOME FOR THE HOLLA'DAYS
Friday, December 18, 2009Kick ass music for an amazing cause. You've already heard me talk about this event before so there's not much more for me to say except to get on down there and do something good for the holidays where you'll also get to see the legendary Denizen Kane, Vudoo Soul, Taiyo Na, Geunjin, The Home: Word House Band (who apparently has some of the most bad ass Asian musicians this side of anywhere), and Magentic North.
HOME FOR THE HOLLA'DAYS
Inspired by the injustice of human trafficking, especially of children, the biggest APIA Hip Hop and R&B stars, activists, and chefs are joining forces to create a night full of music, food, and saving lives. On December 19, we invite you to join us at HOME FOR THE HOLLA'DAYS, a night of music to move your soul and a cause to move your heart.
With ALL proceeds benefiting the Aid for Children Without Parents' "Saving Children in Crisis" Program, the concert features California natives Magnetic North, Vudoo Soul, and Geunjin, along with the rappers Taiyo Na, Denizen Kane, all backed by the Home:word House Band, an amazing group of musicians from all over the country. On this night we honor HOME for hella reasons:
(1) Most of these artists are coming HOME to the Bay for this concert - what up what up!
(2) We are building a HOME for our Asian American community through the arts
(3) Our goal is to raise $10,000 for the HOMELAND
(4) Most importantly, we aim to help ACWP bring these children back home
So bring your family, your friends, and EVERYONE you know. There’s no better way to celebrate the holidays than by rocking out to fresh music, eating delicious traditional Vietnamese food, and building a stronger APIA community committed to justice. ‘Tis the season for giving – come join us!
***PRE-SALE TICKET HOLDERS ARE GIVEN FREE ENTRY INTO THE HOLLA'DAY HAUL-AWAY RAFFLE! Five lucky winners will receive a package of limited edition merchandise from the artists, worth more than $50 each, plus video games, gift cards, and other products donated by our sponsors. Pre-sale tickets at www.homefortheholladays.com***
Logistics:
WHERE: Smithwick Theater, Foothill College
12345 El Monte Road Los Altos Hills, CA 94022
DATE: Saturday, December 19, 2009
TIME: 7 - 10 pm
TICKETS: purchase at www.homefortheholladays.com
$15 general admission
$50 reserved seating
Family/Friend Package - 4 tickets/$50
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American
If I Come To Work And There's A Noose In My Car I'm Taking An Extra Long Lunch
Friday, December 18, 2009I hear good 'ol boy music in the background for some reason.
The Dallas Water Department tolerates racial discrimination, a hostile work environment and retaliation, according to a new federal lawsuit.
The lawsuit was filed Wednesday by 11 African-Americans, one Hispanic and one Asian-American employee. “It’s business as usual. It’s a good old boy syndrome,” said employee Leroy White. Among other things, the lawsuit cites a noose displayed in an employee’s car at the Southside Water Treatment Plant two years ago.
Hapa Happy
Friday, December 18, 2009A quick post on a cool event that's happening tonight - and if you're in the Philadelphia area (and you happened to beat down some Asian kids and were thinking maybe that wasn't such a good idea and want to do something for the community) - you may just want to go.
"Family Style," the Asian Arts Initiative's monthly open-mike night, 7:30 tonight at 1219 Vine St. This month's theme is "Hapa Happy: Celebrating All That Is Mixed and Multi." Anyone who wants to perform can e-mail michelle@yellowrage.com or sign up 30 minutes before showtime. The show also will feature slam poet Thaddeus Rutkowski and a showing of Anomaly, a film by Jessica Chen Drammeh. Admission: $5 to $10. Information: 215- 557-0455, http://asianartsinitiative.org
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American, Events
Grace Kim, Lodestone, And The Final Weekend
Friday, December 18, 2009Just a quick post up that the Lodestone is closing out their final weekend - so get on down and check it out if you haven't gotten a chance.
After 10 years of being one of LA’s edgiest Asian American theatre groups, the Lodestone Theatre Ensemble is about present its final show, before shutting its doors for good. Don’t worry– this was a conscious decision made years ago by the artistic directors, not a victim of the global recession.
In 1995, following the 1992 Los Angeles riots, veteran actor Soon-Tek Oh created the Society of Heritage Performers (SHP), a Korean American theatre ensemble. SHP evolved into Lodestone Theatre Ensemble in 1999, organized by original founders: actors Alexandra Bokyun Chun, Tim Lounibos and Chil Kong, and writer Philip W. Chung. Their new focus was embracing a broader Asian Pacific American identity. Chung and Kong have remained to the end as co-artistic directors.
You can still catch the final weekend of their final production, Grace Kim & The Spiders from Mars, which is a play that was specifically written as a farewell to Lodestone.
Here's a quick vlog from Grace Kim.
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American, Theater
Toby Keith: Friendly And Supportive
Friday, December 18, 2009Gotta love the entourage:
Keith has yet to issue a formal apology, and his reps are dismissing the incident.Uh...okay.
"No one at the concert thought Toby was out of line," his camp said. "Everyone was impressed with his rapping skills and that's it . . . all of the artists liked each other, hung out, and it was a very friendly, genuine, and supportive atmosphere."
Friendly, genuine, and supportive unless you happen to from the API community.
That's A Cool Picture
Friday, December 18, 2009Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American, Photographs
Pet Peeve For The Day
Wednesday, December 16, 2009I'm not saying I always eat a whole box of Triscuits - intentionally - but when I'm close - my thought is that they should put enough cheese in the squeeze cheese container to cover all of the Triscuits because a plain Triscuit just isn't as good as one with squeeze cheese on it and in a way there's almost nothing more pitiful than leftover lonely Triscuits without the companionship of gooey cheese from a can (although not so pitiful that I'll go to the store for more).
That's it.
I'm going to make a Hot Pocket.
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American, Random Thoughts
Three Random Reasons You May Not Be What I Would Call Racially Sensitive
Wednesday, December 16, 2009- You have a license plate that reads "DYNGR" and you really don't see the issue with it.
- Your name's Toby Keith and you make Chinky Eyes.
- The first rule listed on your deed restriction is "The lot hereby conveyed shall be used for residential purposes only and shall be owned and occupied by people of the Caucasian race."
The Illegal Alien Christmas Song: That's Just Not That Good
Wednesday, December 16, 2009Really - who wakes up and creates songs like "The Illegal Alien Christmas Song"?
What drives these people?
Is it a special type of food they eat? Are they masturbating with the wrong hand?
Someone give me another reason besides they're just xenophobic and racist - because in the end - that just kinda gets old.
Fellowships, Artists, East, And West
Wednesday, December 16, 2009Caught this down at EastWest magazine and wanted to post up a snippet of it here, because if there's one thing we all need at times - it's a little inspiration - especially for the struggling artists just trying to make it their own:
USA Fellowships Honor Innovative ArtistsRead it in full here.
The artists chosen include Beth Lo, a ceramist from Montana who merges together traditional Asian techniques like origami and calligraphy with contemporary souvenirs and toys; Sophiline Cheam Shapiro, a choreographer and dancer from California who mixes Cambodian dance with current content; Hokulani Holt-Padilla, a hula master who teaches and promotes the dance form to a younger generation; Renee Tajima-Pena, a documentary filmmaker and writer who explores class, race, and gender; and Danongan Kalanduyan, one of the most prominent kulintang musicians in the country.
Labels: APA, API, Artists, Asian, Asian American
Margaret Cho's "Beautiful" On iTunes
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Just an FIY that Cho's Beautiful - concert and soundtrack - is available on iTunes and Limewire.
Search and you will find.
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American, Margaret Cho
Worst Jay-Z Song And Video Of The Year
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Run This Town
There's nothing wrong with saying that you want to kick it with some hot women.
There's nothing wrong with hitting the club and getting your groove on.
Hell, there's nothing even wrong with saying that instead of kicking it with hot women and getting your groove on that you'd rather just stay home and make some kick ass biscuits (and if this seems out of place I just thought it was an opportune time to give a shout out to homemade biscuits and the goodness that they are when they come out fresh from the oven).
But you know what is wrong?
It's still using the dumbass phrase "No Homo" as we're on the verge of 2010.
It's old, it's tired, and it creates an atmosphere where people get killed simply because of who they are and what turns them on - and to any of you asking the question - the answer is no.
The phrase "No Homo" doesn't make you a real man.
Being a real man means taking care of your business - your work, your studies, the people around you - making sure that you're being responsible day in and day out.
What parts of Anatomy 101 that you happen to love?
No bearing on that status whatsoever.
P.S. To The Jay-Z Klan
If you're going to have people on your tracks throwing out the phrase "No Homo" - maybe you should think about changing your record label's name because if you haven't noticed already - it's called Roc-A-Fella.
Labels: 2009 In Review
Call for Entries: Slant Film Fest
Tuesday, December 15, 2009For all you aspiring film directors, producers, actors - now's your chance to submit to a cool Asian American film festival:
Call For Entries
SLANT FILM FESTIVALAnd you're waiting for?
Bold Asian American Images
10th Annual Shorts Film Festival
Houston, Texas. May 22, 2010.
Deadline: Postmark by January 30, 2010
Slant: Bold Asian American Images, an annual film festival of short films seeks works by Asian American filmmakers. Now in its 10th year, Slant will showcase an eclectic mix of the best in emerging Asian American cinema. All genres are accepted.
Slant is hosted by the Aurora Picture Show, a nonprofit microcinema dedicated to showing non-commercial film, video, and new media. Aurora’s primary interest is curating high quality group programs that give exposure to emerging artists and new works.
Program Content: All genres, including narrative, experimental, film art/video art, documentary and animation.
Eligibility: Filmmakers or film content should be Asian American or Asian Canadian.
Running Time: Each work should run 30 minutes or less.
Guidelines here: www.slantfestival.org
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American, Film Festivals
Peter Pak: Vote For Sexy Asian Men
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Been seeing this around and wanted to post up here too that you can vote for Peter Pak down at the Wilhelmina Hot Body Model Search - and look at that body (I hate you already Peter) - how can you not vote for hot Asian Maleness?
Vote here today and tomorrow.
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American, Hot Asian Maleness
Because You Just Can't Have Enough Nooses And Racist Graffiti At The Workplace
Monday, December 14, 2009I may not know much - and you can stop shaking your head in agreement now because no one likes a know it all - but I do know this - not really the work environment I'd want to be showing up to each and every day.
For black employees at Yellow Transportation's Chicago Ridge terminal, hangman's nooses and racist graffiti were part and parcel of showing up for work each day at the trucking company, a federal lawsuit alleges.Let this be a lesson to all of you running businesses with racist employment practices who think they can just sweep it under the rug.
It's the second complaint filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against Yellow's parent company, YRC Inc., alleging racial harassment of black employees at Southland terminals.
In its complaint filed Thursday, the EEOC said that 14 workers at the Chicago Ridge terminal, 10301 S. Harlem Ave., lodged complaints with the commission about harassment. The commission said employees had made "numerous complaints about discriminatory working conditions" to supervisors, but the company failed to take action. A spokeswoman for YRC did not respond Friday to requests seeking comment.
Aside from nooses, racist remarks and graffiti, black workers were assigned to lower-paying jobs and faced harsher discipline than their white colleagues, the EEOC alleges. The commission said it tried, unsuccessfully, to resolve the complaints with YRC before filing the lawsuit.
Eventually, you will get your ass sued.
When Everything's Not Equal In Business
Monday, December 14, 2009I caught this article up at the Daily Planet and wanted to post it up because a lot of the opinions come from the those in the know - trying to make their "American Dream":
A member of the Vietnamese Minnesota community, Tran is currently a business consultant, and advisor to small business enterprises in Ramsey County. He is also nationally noted supplier diversity expert and advocate for minority owned businesses.When you start a business - credit becomes important - and if bannks aren't lending to Asian businesses - for whatever the reason - then it's usually just not going to work in your favor.
Tran is a past Executive Director of the Minnesota Minority Supplier Development Council, he was appointed a member of the Small Business Procurement Advisory Council by the State of Minnesota from 2000 to 2004. David Zander, a cultural anthropologist, is also the Community and Legislative Liaison at the State Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans.
The three described “major barriers, obstacles and solutions” in their respective testimony. “Asians are missing the boat,” said Zander. “Despite the federal money trickling down, it is not reaching the Asian communities. Banks are not lending to Asian businesses. The larger banks like Wells Fargo are guilty of this.”
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American, Business
Jeremy Lin: The Ball Don't Lie And Neither Does Chad Ford
Sunday, December 13, 2009
When you drop 30 and 9 against UConn - that says something. When you follow that up with another 25 against Boston College - in a win - that tells you a little bit more.
But no matter how much you say or let your game do the talking - when ESPN's Chad Ford says it - somehow it all just seems to sound all the more real.
Lin is a terrific scorer, quick, has good leaping ability and is a nice size for a point guard,” Ford writes. “The fact that he’s an Asian-American guard playing at Harvard has probably kept him off the NBA radar too long. But as scouts are hunting everywhere for point guards, more and more are coming back and acknowledging that Lin is a legit prospect. It doesn’t look like he cracks anyone’s top 30 at the moment. However, if he finishes strong and has great workouts against some of the better prospects in the draft, his stock could soar."
Two things I like about the above quote.
1. It legitimizes - in a very real way - that by simply being Asian American - no matter how good someone is - they probably haven't gotten the recognition they deserve (see Getting Screwed Because Of Your Chinky Eyes And All The Associations People Make Because Of It).2. Even with that realization - or rather the fact that it's been said out loud - the bottom line is that people still are acknowledging Lin's talent and that he is in fact a legitimate contender for an NBA team because when all is said and done - the saying is true - the ball really doesn't lie.
Hear what they're saying about Jeremy Lin.
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American
Stage: News To A Muse
Sunday, December 13, 2009From the Pan Asian Repertory Theatre:
Tuesday December 15 at 7:00pm
NEWS TO A MUSE
By Richard Chang
(followed by Q&A and reception)
"A Farcedy of Terrors" – Five journalists are trapped in a short-staffed newsroom during a freak storm and an epic financial crisis that threatens to destroy the world. A suspected terrorist attack drives the staff to seek safety in the ladies’ restroom where their individual closets are exposed and the truth is bared.
Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American, Stage
2009 Yahoo! Taiwan Asia Buzz Awards Winners
Sunday, December 13, 2009- Best Actress in a Drama: Tammy Chen
- Best Actor in a Drama: Tender Huang
- Television Drama: Ruffian Hero/Black & White
- Best Group: Fahrenheit
- Best Overseas Group: BY2
- Best Band: Mayday
- Most Stylish Male Artiste: Godfrey Gao
- Most Stylish Female Artiste: Maggie Wu
- Most Popular Female Artiste: Zhang Yun Jing
- Most Popular Male Artiste: Aska Yang
- Most Popular Asian Star: Kim Hyun Joong
- Most Popular Host: Zhu Ge Liang
- Most Popular Pretty Girl: Yao Yao
- Most Popular Blog: Wan Wan
- Most Popular Broadcaster: Fiona Lee
- Best Male Singer: Show Luo
- Best Female Singer: Zhang Yun Jing
- Instantaneously Popular Male Singer: Anthony Neely
- Instantaneously Popular Female Singer: Ren (Xia Yu Tong)
- Best Overseas Male Singer: Khalil Fong
- Best Oversea Female Singer: Fish Leong
- Best Mandarin Movie: Yip Man
- Best Actress in a Movie: Shu Qi
- Best Actor in a Movie: Van Fan
- Instantaneously Popular Male Artiste: Nylon Chen
- Instantaneously Popular Female Artiste: Amber Ann
- Best Male Songwriter/Singer: A-Chord
- Best Female Songwriter/Singer: Lala Hsu
- Most Memorable Artist: Michael Jackson
- Best Overseas Male Artiste: Aaron Kwok
- Best Overseas Female Artiste: Goo Hye-Sun
Free Music: Gangsta Santa + Epik High
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Haven't listened to this myself yet - but it's really about the picture.
Pick up the free mp3 here.
Apple Jackin' With The Notorious MSG
Sunday, December 13, 2009Labels: APA, API, Asian, Asian American, Notorious MSG, YouTube