George Takei On 2018...

Monday, December 31, 2018


Well...2018 Was All About Being Okay With Some Things...12 Years?

Monday, December 31, 2018


I kind of knew I wouldn't make 300 posts this year - but - I am making a small run and that's good enough for me (^_^).

You do what you can in and for your communities - and yourself.

Next year I'll bring more words...hopefully xD.

At the same time if my thought was that I should have had at least 1 per day on average - or close +/- 30/40 - if I average it all up in total - it's still there.

Now that I think about it too - damn - this blog has spanned 12 years.

I never actually did think about that when I started it - where I would take it, how long would it last, and what would it mean to me, no matter what else I was doing.

Hmmm....2019...I think you'll be a good year for everyone.

From Senator Mazie Hirono Before The New Year

Monday, December 31, 2018


Representative Judy Chu On #Tornillo

Monday, December 31, 2018


Retro MISIA - 逢いたくていま 23rd Single + 2018 What The Karaoke

Monday, December 31, 2018



And then hear the slaying of the karaoke version.



WTK indeed.

And yes - I feel like there are some wet sandbags there but let them be wet sandbags and let the rejoicing begin.

Retro Hyuna. Lip & Hip (AKA Game Recognize Game Mode)

Monday, December 31, 2018



Not everything's a hit.

But not everything will be.

And you still have to recognize artistry and a POV.

Someone who takes chances.

Honestly There's Just Too Much. But I Can't Help It

Monday, December 31, 2018



This was one of my favorite medleys this year...I can't not post on it.

It's not his fault there's just soooo much.

2018 In Review: Because It Just Must Be. Classic Karaoke Songs Medley ft. Jessica Sanchez, Ylona Garcia, & AJ Rafael

Monday, December 31, 2018



It's just a time to listen.

I'm Still Feeling Christmassy: Ultimate LIVE Christmas Medley with Tori Kelly | AJ Rafael

Monday, December 31, 2018

[MV] SUNMI(선미) _ Siren(사이렌)

Monday, December 31, 2018

Historical: Rock Springs Massacre

Monday, December 31, 2018


The Rock Springs massacre, also known as the Rock Springs Riot, occurred on September 2, 1885, in the present-day United States city of Rock Springs in Sweetwater County, Wyoming. The riot, and resulting massacre of immigrant Chinese miners by white immigrant miners, was the result of racial prejudice toward the Chinese miners, who were perceived to be taking jobs from the white miners. The Union Pacific Coal Department found it economically beneficial to give preference in hiring to Chinese miners, who were willing to work for lower wages than their white counterparts, angering the white miners. When the rioting ended, at least 28 Chinese miners were dead and 15 were injured. Rioters burned 78 Chinese homes, resulting in approximately US$150,000 in property damage[1][2][3] ($4.09 million in present-day terms[4]).

Tension between whites and Chinese immigrants in the late 19th century American West was particularly high, especially in the decade preceding the violence. The massacre in Rock Springs was one among several instances of violence culminating from years of anti-Chinese sentiment in the United States. The 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act suspended Chinese immigration for ten years, but not before thousands of immigrants came to the American West. Most Chinese immigrants to Wyoming Territory took jobs with the railroad at first, but many ended up employed in coal mines owned by the Union Pacific Railroad. As Chinese immigration increased, so did anti-Chinese sentiment on the part of whites. The Knights of Labor, one of the foremost voices against Chinese immigrant labor, formed a chapter in Rock Springs in 1883, and most rioters were members of that organization. However, no direct connection was ever established linking the riot to the national Knights of Labor organization.[1]

In the immediate aftermath of the riot, federal troops were deployed in Rock Springs. They escorted the surviving Chinese miners, most of whom had fled to Evanston, Wyoming, back to Rock Springs a week after the riot. Reaction came swiftly from the era's publications. In Rock Springs, the local newspaper endorsed the outcome of the riot, while in other Wyoming newspapers, support for the riot was limited to sympathy for the causes of the white miners.[2] The massacre in Rock Springs touched off a wave of anti-Chinese violence, especially in the Puget Sound area of Washington Territory.

WIKIPEDIA

2018 In Review: William Yu

Monday, December 31, 2018



Of course, Asian August didn’t come out of nowhere. Asians and Asian Americans across the country and globe have been working tirelessly for years to ensure greater representation on screen. One such individual is William Yu, the Korean-American digital strategist and mastermind behind the internet phenomena known as #StarringJohnCho and #SeeAsAmStar.

Yu followed his viral campaign up this past May with #SeeAsAmStar, a collection of video clips that use controversial Deepfake technology to feature Asian-American actors John Cho, Constance Wu (star of Crazy Rich Asians), Arden Cho and Steven Yeun in popular Hollywood movies, from Captain America to Hunger Games, to deconstruct the definition of a Hollywood movie star and once again show that Asian Americans can play these roles.

FOLLOW-->.

B419 Ketchup #18: Julie J. Park, And "Test prep is a rite of passage for many Asian-Americans"

Monday, December 31, 2018

As a researcher who specializes in the study of Asian-Americans and higher education, I see three factors that help explain this trend around test scores.

1. Many Asian-American students are socialized into test prep

As I document in my book, "Race on Campus," many Asian-American students get frequent messages from an early age about the importance of doing well on tests. Test prep businesses may post an "honor roll" that features local youth and their elite college destinations. Relatives may stress that good test scores matter.

These messages are powerful, as explained in the book "The Asian American Achievement Paradox." They set up high expectations for Asian-American students. Test prep becomes a way of meeting those expectations.

In many ways, these messages reflect the influence of East Asia, where college admission is decided on a single high-stakes test – such as China's gaokao or South Korea's suneung – and where intense test prep is a regular feature of teenage life. For that reason, many Asian immigrant parents see the SAT or ACT as the equivalent of Asia's admissions tests. As a result, many conclude that test prep is a worthy investment.

https://phys.org/news/2018-11-prep-rite-passage-asian-americans.html

B419 Ketchup #17: The Atlantic + 'Stereotypes of “worker bees” and “dragon ladies” are holding Asian Americans back in STEM careers'

Monday, December 31, 2018

Everyone knows it.

Well - some of us xD.

Asian Americans also face bias stemming from assumptions not just about how they do act, but about how they should act. At work, white men generally have more leeway in their behavior: They can shout and scream when they’re angry; they can brag when they’ve accomplished something. For women and people of color, a narrower range of behavior is often accepted. Just as white women are, Asian Americans of all genders who behave in dominant ways tend to be disliked, according to a study by Jennifer Berdahl and Ji-A Min. As The Atlantic’s Olga Khazan writes:

The most notorious double standard is that women can’t break into important jobs unless they advocate for themselves and command respect. But they’re also reviled unless they act like chipper and self-deprecating team players, forever passing the credit along to others. Laurie Rudman, a social psychologist at Rutgers University, said the “poster woman” for this predicament is Hillary Clinton, who, according to surveys, was more popular when in office than when she was vying for office.

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/01/asian-americans-science-math-bias/551903/

B419 Ketchup #16: Be Educated. Courses In ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES + UNIVERSITY of WISCONSIN–MADISON

Monday, December 31, 2018

http://guide.wisc.edu/courses/asian_am/


ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES (ASIAN AM)
ASIAN AM 101 — INTRODUCTION TO ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES

3 credits.

Introduction to the historical, sociological, anthropological, political, and cultural study of Americans of Asian ancestry. Enroll Info: None
View details
ASIAN AM/​AFROAMER/​AMER IND/​CHICLA/​FOLKLORE 102 — INTRODUCTION TO COMPARATIVE US ETHNIC AND AMERICAN INDIAN STUDIES

3 credits.

Introduction to comparative ethnic studies, examining race, ethnicity, and indigeneity within the United States. Includes perspectives from African American, American Indian, Asian American, and Chican@ and Latin@ studies. Enroll Info: None
View details
ASIAN AM/​DANCE 121 — ASIAN AMERICAN MOVEMENT

3 credits.

Techniques of exercises and movement forms derived from several Asian cultures as taught in the United States. Studied in the context of the construction and expression of ethnic and cultural identity. Enroll Info: None
View details
ASIAN AM/​ENGL 150 — LITERATURE & CULTURE OF ASIAN AMERICA

3 credits.

Since the 19th century, "America" has often been defined by its relationship with "Asia," through cultural influence, immigration, imperialism, and war. Traces the role of Asia and Asians in American literature and culture, from the Chinese and Japanese cultural influences that helped shape literary modernism to the rise of a distinctive culture produced by Asian immigrants to America and their descendants. Enroll Info: None
View details
ASIAN AM 152 — ASIAN AMERICAN LITERARY AND POPULAR CULTURE: RACE, FANTASY, FUTURES

3 credits.

Explores fantasy as a conduit of political meaning in Asian American fiction, graphic novels, anime, and art. Analyzes race as it circulates in visual mediums and literary texts. Engages issues such as stereotyping, caricature, and microaggressions; whitewashing, yellowface, and passing; race fetishism; cultural appropriation; multiracialism; kawaii or cute style; techno- orientalism and virtual Asians. Foregrounding fantasies of bodilessness, the course examines race as it is grafted onto nonhuman forms-objects, digital avatars, robots-at the borders of science and fiction. Examines how projections of the future reflect cultural anxieties about race, immigration, and Asian Americans. Enroll Info: None
View details
ASIAN AM/​HISTORY 160 — ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORY: MOVEMENT AND DISLOCATION

3-4 credits.

Examines the impact of colonialism, war, and capitalism on the movement of Asians to the U.S. Considers how racial, gendered, class, sexual, and national formations within the U.S. structured Asian immigration to North America. Enroll Info: None
View details
ASIAN AM/​HISTORY 161 — ASIAN AMERICAN HISTORY: SETTLEMENT AND NATIONAL BELONGING

3-4 credits.

Examines the social, cultural, and political citizenship of Asians in the U.S. with particular emphasis on diaspora, transnationality, and place. Enroll Info: None
View details
ASIAN AM 170 — HMONG AMERICAN EXPERIENCES IN THE UNITED STATES

3 credits.

Explores how Hmong's participation in the Secret War that the U.S. waged in Laos shaped their experiences in the U.S., heightening the importance of Hmong Americans' social, cultural, and political self-definition and in making known their contributions to the advancement of U.S. society. Enroll Info: None
View details
ASIAN AM/​SOC 220 — ETHNIC MOVEMENTS IN THE UNITED STATES

3-4 credits.

Sociological analysis of historical and recent ethnic/racial conflict and movements in the U.S., including the relations between European Americans, African Americans, Mexican Americans, Native Americans, and Asian Americans, with additional material on other groups and relations. Enroll Info: None
View details
ASIAN AM 240 — TOPICS IN ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES

3 credits.

An examination of specific themes in Asian American life and culture. Topics may include comparative analyses of Asian American communities, Asian American experience and history, and the specific concerns and histories of Asian groups in the U.S., such as Korean, Hmong, South Asian, Southeast Asian, Chinese, and Japanese. Enroll Info: None
View details
ASIAN AM/​HISTORY/​LCA 246 — SOUTHEAST ASIAN REFUGEES OF THE "COLD" WAR

4 credits.

In-depth study of the peoples, conflicts, and wars in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, with emphasis on the Cold War ear (1945-1990) and on the resulting migration and resettlement of over one million Hmong, Khmer, Lao, and Vietnamese in the United States. Enroll Info: None
View details
ASIAN AM/​ENGL 270 — A SURVEY OF ASIAN AMERICAN LITERATURE

3 credits.

Survey of Asian American literature from 1880 to present. Enroll Info: None
View details
ASIAN AM/​E A STDS/​HISTORY 276 — CHINESE MIGRATIONS SINCE 1500

3-4 credits.

Introduces the comparative history of Chinese migrations to the U.S. and world. Examines patterns of movement; imagined communities through cultural identity, citizenship, queerness, heritage tourism, studying abroad, and transnational adoption; as well as sites of cultural production such as food, literature, architecture, and cinema. Enroll Info: Sophomore standing or consent of instructor
View details
ASIAN AM/​COM ARTS 420 — ASIAN AMERICANS AND MEDIA

3 credits.

Examines representations of Asian American in American media using historical, analytical, and critical approaches. Issues of cultural production, identity, race, politics, and gender are linked to examinations of specific media forms. Enroll Info: COM ARTS/​CHICLA 347 or So st
View details
ASIAN AM 440 — SPECIAL TOPICS IN THE ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES PROGRAM

3 credits.

Topics vary for this course. Please see Asian American website for description for the semester you are taking the course. Topics will have some content about Asian Americans of different ethnic groups (e.g, Hmong, Southeast Asian, East Asian Americans -Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indian, etc.). THIS COURSE DOES NOT PROVIDE ETHNIC STUDIES CREDIT. THIS COURSE MAY INCLUDE SERVICE LEARNING OR COMMUNITY BASED FIELD STUDIES ACTIVITIES. Enroll Info: None
View details
ASIAN AM/​AFROAMER 443 — MUTUAL PERCEPTIONS OF RACIAL MINORITIES

3 credits.

Survey course on the mutual perceptions of primarily people of African and Asian ancestry. It focuses on how these groups evaluate perceive and interact with one another and others such as Native Americans, whites and Hispanics. Social psychological perspectives are highlighted as is an international overview. Enroll Info: Afro-Amer 151 or 673
View details
ASIAN AM/​ENGL 462 — TOPIC IN ASIAN AMERICAN LITERATURE

3 credits.

Topics will vary. All topics will emphasize the following learning outcomes: awareness of history's impact on the present, ability to recognize and question assumptions, development of critical thinking skills, awareness of relations between self and others, and effective participation in a multicultural society. Enroll Info: None
View details
ASIAN AM/​ENGL/​GEN&WS 463 — RACE AND SEXUALITY IN AMERICAN LITERATURE

3 credits.

Explores the intersection between race and sexuality in American literature with an emphasis on sex/gender difference, feminism, transgenderism, and nationalism. Focuses on the nature of literature as advocacy, with an emphasis on Asian-American issues. Enroll Info: None
View details
ASIAN AM/​ENGL/​GEN&WS 464 — ASIAN AMERICAN WOMEN WRITERS

3 credits.

Major texts by Asian American women writers. Enroll Info: None
View details
ASIAN AM/​ENGL 465 — ASIAN AMERICAN POETRY

3 credits.

Throughout the history of Asian America, poetry has been a vehicle for the creation and exploration of an Asian American voice; in poetry we can see the continuing struggle over what form Asian American expression will take. Will it follow Asian or European models? Will it employ traditional forms, or experiment in search of new styles? Will it be individual or collective, introspective or political? We will explore these questions through a study of a wide range of Asian American poets from a variety of historical periods and ethnicities, including Janice Mirikitani, Lawson Fusao Inada, Li-Young Lee, John Yau, Myung Mi Kim, and Linh Dinh. Enroll Info: None
View details
ASIAN AM 540 — SPECIAL TOPICS

3 credits.

Themes in Asian American Studies. Topics may include activism, public policy, history, poverty, family, law, immigration, diaspora, refugeeism, gender, sexuality. Enroll Info: None
View details
ASIAN AM 560 — HUMANITIES TOPICS

3 credits.

Topics in the arts and humanities that illuminate the Asian American experience. Enroll Info: None
View details
ASIAN AM/​JOURN 662 — MASS MEDIA AND MINORITIES

4 credits.

Representations of minority groups in U.S. news and entertainment mass media. Historical, social, political, economic, and other factors influencing the mass mediated depictions of minorities. Enroll Info: None
View details
ASIAN AM 699 — INDEPENDENT STUDY: DIRECTED READINGS IN ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES

1-4 credits.

An independent studies course to allow students at an advanced level to pursue individual projects/subjects. Enroll Info: 9 cr in Asian American studies

B419 Ketchup #15: BuzzFeed Eating A 3-Course Meal At 7-Eleven

Monday, December 31, 2018

B419 Ketchup #14: More. 빅 포니 Big Phony - "All Bets Are Off (OST Version)"

Monday, December 31, 2018

B419 Ketchup #13: 빅 포니 Big Phony - "Ready Or Not (FYKE Remix)"'

Monday, December 31, 2018



One of my favorite tracks off the album.

2018 In Review: Always Be My Maybe (AKA Looking Forward?)

Monday, December 31, 2018



You might be thinking that this should be in a 2019 (Year) In Review post, but that would be impossible because that hasn't happened yet, and even if it weren't impossible, it still wouldn't be the right answer.

Because it was filmed in 2018...

Teased in 2018...



Without 2018 - there would be no Ali Wong and Randall Park or DDK and Keanu to look forward to in 2019.

And I'm absolutely looking forward to this.

B419 Ketchup #12: More Representative Mark Takano

Monday, December 31, 2018


B419 Ketchup #11: Retro Arianna Quan

Monday, December 31, 2018

B419 Ketchup #10: Representative Mark Takano On The Deaths Of Children In Immigration Detention Centers

Monday, December 31, 2018


B419 Ketchup #9: diaCRITICS Review Of Vietgone

Sunday, December 30, 2018

I went to Denver in late August for Vietgone, a play by Qui Nguyen, at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, invited by my niece Valérie Thérèse Bart, the show’s costume designer and only Vietnamese in the production team. I went with Valérie’s mother, my sister Marie. What I gained from the experience was more than I had expected I would.

To ensure that her mother and aunt could follow the play’s storyline, Valerie made us watch the show twice: one preview (dress rehearsal) and again on opening night. She was concerned the story’s fast pace might confuse us, and also wanted us to get answers to any questions we might have beforehand.

Vietgone had its world premiere in late 2015 at the South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, Calif., and has since been produced by various groups around the country, receiving much praise. The Denver-based Vietgone production touched me deeply, despite the unfamiliar-to-my-ears rap music (with several words escaping my slowly aging hearing), and the equally unfamiliar profanity (to an elderly Vietnamese of moderate background) peppered throughout the play’s dialogue.

--http://diacritics.org/2018/12/vietgone-a-review/

2018 In Review: The Asian Bachelorette 2

Sunday, December 30, 2018



I just feel like this should be a yearly occurrence because it brings joy to everyone and I feel like the cameos can just get better and better every year.

Love.This.Series.

B419 Ketchup #8: Spoiler Killing Eve Mashup Music Video One Way Or Another

Sunday, December 30, 2018

B419 Ketchup #7: Sandra Oh On Shooting Killing Eve From An Actor POV

Sunday, December 30, 2018



It's a little weird as the interviewer isn't spectacular - but definitely worth the watch.

2018 In Review: #MeToo + Julie Chen

Sunday, December 30, 2018



I'm not saying the above screen capture has anything to do with anything - but I think about it. It doesn't mean I can't have compassion - or that I don't. It just means when you think about #MeToo in 2018, you think about Julie Chen standing behind Leslie Moonves. How she has to leave shows she's on, because she's standing in solidarity with her husband - a White Man who's been accused of 12-14 infractions of sexual misconduct - abusing his power as a White Male.

Shows btw, that she worked hard to get to.

That she got eye surgery for - and you can take the attitude that it's just a little surgery no big deal everyone does it --- or the complete opposite.

Is she someone who should be applauded because she did what she needed to do to get APIA representation on TV (regardless of her own perspective on it)?

Or is it internalized racism?

Maybe a mix?



Fair or not - it can be seen as an Asian American woman who got eye surgery to look more Western, who erased some of her Asian features, standing behind her White Man, who abused his power as a White Male.

Some might argue the image alone contributes to inequities.

True or not.

Real or perceived.

No matter what though, when you think of #MeToo in 2018 you have to think of Julie Chen, and maybe in some dynamics - on both sides.

B419 Ketchup #6: The ROCK + TITAN GAMES

Sunday, December 30, 2018

B419 Ketchup #5: Random Gina Darling "PC Build. I’m Streaming Video Games Now!"

Sunday, December 30, 2018



B419 Ketchup #4: Random Lucy Liu Tweet

Sunday, December 30, 2018


B419 Ketchup #3: Better Now (Post Malone) - Sam Tsui & Macy Kate Cover

Sunday, December 30, 2018

B419 Ketchup #2: Sam Tsui + "Shine" Acoustic Performance Surprise

Sunday, December 30, 2018

B419 Ketchup #1: Kina Grannis - For Now (Reimagined) - Official Lyric Video

Sunday, December 30, 2018

2018 In Review: "Searching" + John Cho Should Get A Best Actor Nod

Sunday, December 30, 2018



The first post looking back at 2018, as well as the start of hopefully a run of posts up until the end of the year - this one just feels right.

I absolutely loved "Searching" with John Cho, Debra Messing, Joseph Lee, Sara Sohn, Alex Jayne Go, and Michelle La - and although I did think the weakest link while watching the movie was Debra Messing - it kind of made sense at the end of the film and maybe that was exactly the way she needed to be - although with the strong performance of John Cho, who anchored and made that film believable (along with a really strong performance by Joseph Lee) - her performance didn't need to be great - just believable.

Written by Aneesh Chaganty and Sev Ohanian, and directed by Aneesh Chaganty - it did keep you on the edge of your seat and I thought the vehicles they used to show the main parts of the film - like using the YouTube channel of a news agency - were incredibly innovative and kept you guessing not just about the plot, but how the story was going to be unfolded from a completely operational view.

Generating around $75 million at the box office (off a reported $1 million budget) not counting revenue from On-Demand or other services - and having 90%+ ratings on a number of different review platforms - it's just more proof that an Asian American Lead can anchor an innovative film that people want to watch, and that's hugely profitable as well.

I DO THINK THOUGH...

I'll be honest though too in that I think Cho's performance will be overlooked and that if he was a non-Asian actor - and a White actor - he'd probably get more accolades for the film. His acting when you compare it to other films this year, it was undeniably a great performance that deserves recognition.

Bryan Thao Worra Is The Inaugural Lao Minnesotan Poet Laureate

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

And in other Lao news from a few weeks back:

St. Paul, Minn. (Oct. 24, 2018) — The Lao Assistance Center of Minnesota has announced that Bryan Thao Worra is the inaugural Lao Minnesotan Poet Laureate as the Lao community prepares for the 45th anniversary of their diaspora in the United States. This honorary literary designation recognized his 20 years of service to the Lao community in Minnesota as an artist, educator and community builder.

The Lao Assistance Center is the first and oldest non-profit organization established in Minnesota to assist the Lao refugee community reconstruction in the aftermath of the war for Laos that ended in 1975. Over the decades, among their numerous projects have been art and cultural programming, including their work bringing the Lao American Writers Summit and the Legacies of War: Refugee Nation Twin Cities exhibition to Minneapolis, as well as convening the Lao American Storytellers Festival and the Before We Remember We Dream exhibit. They’ve regularly convened the Lao New Year’s Festival and supported traditional music and dance education with several programs throughout the years. Thao Worra has collaborated with them regularly in various roles since 2008.

During his tenure as the Lao Minnesotan Poet Laureate, his duties will include giving public readings in urban and rural locations across Minnesota and the US, educating civic and state leaders about the value of Lao American poetry and creative expression, and undertaking a significant cultural project, with one of its goals being to bring Lao American poetry to those who might otherwise have little opportunity to be exposed.

http://aapress.com/arts/lao-minnesotan-poet-laureate-announced/

Don't Hate Me Because I Married A Strong, Beautiful, And Smart Asian American Woman

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

I've always said it - love is love, get it on with whoever you want too.

Absolutely.

Don't let anyone ever tell you who you can and can't be with, indulge in, or choose to live your life with.

At the same time - and these two aren't mutually exclusive but I'm writing this in some ways as they are - sometimes I feel like I can't always talk about choosing and wanting to be with, specifically, someone who was Asian American.

I'm not saying I don't, because sometimes it can go without saying, or doesn't need too - but sometimes, for some people, it can feel like you might be making a statement on their relationships because of how you look at yours.

Like someone who talks about their new Jaguar they get every year, and you're keeping your Prius until it dies, it might make you think about what you don't have.

But maybe you like your Prius too. You think that Prius is a Jaguar.

In that way it's really the perception of the Jaguar owner, so that's on them.

But what if, secretly, the person who had the Prius, really wanted the Jaguar.

And then their friend keeps on talking about how much they love their Jaguar.

And maybe the person who has the Prius can afford the Jaguar, but they still have a lease, maybe don't want to go through the trouble to upgrade (and I don't mean any offense by that, but this might offend some other people, so maybe it doesn't matter, but I'm just talking figuratively in regard to real world costs) - that's on them.

I chose to make a baby with someone who was Asian American. While I dated a lot of different types of people, in the end, I didn't want to be with someone who wasn't Asian for the rest of my life.

And I think it can be different for a couple who is Asian and Black or LatinX, or Indigenous - because of shared experiences specific to p.o.c. and immigrant descents -

-- versus what has been the dominant culture and pairing.

And in those cases, or where there's been learning and education from a progressive standpoint, maybe where someone jokes like "Yeah, I wish I was with someone who was Asian, but somehow I got stuck with this lumpy White Guy" - there's a difference.

Love who you love, be with who you want too, but it's also okay to say Asian on Asian love is okay.

I get it, from an overall perspective, but at the same time, because of power dynamics, it's not always the same.

And it's true - it does work itself out. Whatever is comfortable will be comfortable, and same with other people around you as well.

Should you question someone else's allegiance to the APIA community because they aren't married to someone who is Asian?

No, absolutely not.

But has anyone put a "but" there in different situations and scenarios, right or wrong, even if never said out loud?

Maybe.

At the same time, I still married a Korean American woman.

Did I betray my Southeast Asian Vietnamese American side?

Was I a traitor?

Do Viet people everywhere get to roll their eyes if I say Viet women are the best and most amazing women in the world, because if that's true, than why didn't I marry Viet?

Maybe.

...

But do I say that?

Not like that.

Is what works for one person different than another?

Absolutely.

...

That's Cool: Kaysone Syonesa Day In Minnesota

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Apparently this happened a couple months ago while I was sleeping.

MINNEAPOLIS (Oct. 28, 2018) — The office of the Mayor of the city of Minneapolis recently presented a proclamation recognizing October 10, 2018 as Kaysone Syonesa Day in recognition of the 40th birthday of the Lao Minnesotan artist who has long-standing roots in North Minneapolis since her family resettled in the United States after the Laotian Civil War, including the 5th Ward.

The request was made by the members of the Southeast Asian Literature Interdisciplinary Theater Arts Center, (SEALIT) which recently received funding from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council to convene the 20-year retrospective exhibition and workshop series Laomagination in North Minneapolis. Community members cited Syonesa as “a positive mentor and friend of students and families of diverse backgrounds and helped them pursue their dreams; and someone who “has encouraged good character, lifelong pursuit of art, education and civic engagement through personal and professional example...Minnesota has the third largest Lao refugee population in the US, with an estimated 13,000 community members in the state, many in Minneapolis and the greater Twin Cities metropolitan area.”

Sweet.

http://aapress.com/arts/city-of-minneapolis-recognizes-lao-minnesotan-artist-kaysone-syonesa/

Michigan Professor Tsu-Yin Wu Gets $3 Million Grant To Improve Health Of Underserved Asian Americans

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Nice work if you can get it.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has awarded nearly $3 million to an Eastern Michigan University educator to lead an effort to improve the health of underserved Asian-American populations in Wayne and Kent counties.

Professor Tsu-Yin Wu will serve as principal investigator on a cooperative agreement with the CDC, the university said. Wu teaches nursing in Eastern Michigan's College of Health and Human Services.

The team will develop, implement and evaluate interventions to address risk behaviors such as tobacco use, poor nutrition and physical inactivity among Asian-Americans with heightened risks for diabetes and other chronic conditions.

The grant is for more than $590,000 per year for five years. The CDC has committed funds for the first year. Subsequent funding will be based on the team's progress.

Especially since it helps our people.

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/education/emu-professor-awarded-3-million-grant-improve-health-asian-americans

@thegretalee

Tuesday, December 11, 2018


Lit: Isako Isako

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

We Knew That: Asians Stream YouTube

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

https://www.rapidtvnews.com/2018121154449/asian-americans-leading-changing-tv-viewing-habits.html#axzz5ZNPXM4Ee

3 year-old's stream their shows.

About Andy Ngo (?) + The Stranger

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

I don't really know that much about Andy Ngo.

Here's some of the interview (?)

https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2018/12/07/36874512/anti-racist-protesters-harass-gay-asian-american-journalist

KH: Are you a fascist?
AN: No. Just because I'm not on-board with the socialist or leftist political agenda does not then mean that I support the extreme right. This is reductive and reactionary thinking.

Are you a racist?
No. I am critical of the so-called racial justice movement and its various offshoots because I generally find them divisive, authoritarian, and hypocritical.

Are you a Nazi?
I wish I could find this offensive but unfortunately this term has been appropriated from its historical context to become a meaningless slur.

So are you a Nazi?
No.

Are you conservative?
I am described this way by others but my political identity is a bit more complicated. I certainly don't identify with any party.

Are you a Trump supporter?
I am neither a Trump hater or supporter. As an American citizen, I believe it is my duty to respect the office of the presidency and the electoral process.

Why do you cover the left behaving badly?
The problems with the right and far-right are well-known and documented extensively in mainstream media. However, the opposite cannot be said. Living in Portland, I witness what happens when the excesses of the far-left go unchallenged. It leads to people mobbing their neighbors and feeling righteous for doing it. I want accountability to happen on both sides. If the local media won't do it, I will.

Asian American Projects 2018 A.CRA (AKA Pre Crazy Rich Asians)

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/crazy-rich-asians-writer-films-influence-asian-american-scribes-1165859

An Asian-American screenwriter I recently met mentioned she'd sold a screenplay whose lead characters are Asian, and the storyline was inspired by a holiday in Taiwan. She'd finished it earlier in the year, but her manager advised her not to take it out to the studios until after the premiere of Crazy Rich Asians in August. If the movie did well, studios would be way more interested. If the movie tanked, no one would want her script anyway, and they'd have to wait (presumably until the fumes of Crazy Rich Asians' failure faded) before taking it out.

CRA did gangbusters at the box office, and she sold her screenplay that month to a major studio.

I've since heard from network development executives and writers that multiple Asian-centric TV and film projects have been bought or are being developed in the wake of CRA's success, from Jessica Gao's Lazy Rich Asians at ABC to Lillian Yu's feature script Singles Day at New Line. All because CRA did what the industry long thought was impossible: get mainstream audiences to show up (and pay good money) for a movie about ... Asians.

Asian Santa In Pics (Well...One...Pic)

Tuesday, December 11, 2018



http://nwasianweekly.com/2018/12/wing-luke-museum-got-a-visit-from-asian-american-santa/

Shoplifters, Killing Eve, The Globes

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-column/2018/12/10/asian-american-actors-make-strides-snagging-golden-globe-nominations

Other nominations went to Mirai (best animated film) and Shoplifters (best foreign language film), both from Japan; Darren Criss (best performance by an actor in a limited series or film made for television) for The Assassination of Gianni Versace: An American Crime Story; and Sandra Oh (best performance by an actress in a television drama series) for Killing Eve.

Yes And True: OAAB

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

https://www.yomyomf.com/the-good-place-renewed-for-season-4/

I've been slowly getting into this more.

RUBY IBARRA X2

Tuesday, December 11, 2018




To The Asian Guy In Michael Jackson's "Bad" Video

Tuesday, December 11, 2018



Couldn't find your name in the credits....you look familiar?

Forgot you were in that video.

But thank you.