More On Avatar

Just skimmed on through this and it looks like Jeff Yang has a new column out at Asian Pop on Avatar and some other films. I'll read it in-depth myself a little later, but wanted to post it on up:

When is an Asian cartoon not an Asian cartoon? The answer to this Zen dilemma is at the heart of the latest high-octane kerfluffle currently clogging the Net -- one that's pulled into its vortex two of the most celebrated Asian American creators in comics: Gene Yang, National Book Award finalist for his graphic novel "American Born Chinese," and Derek Kirk Kim, whose work has won comics' most prestigious laurels -- the Xeric, Ignatz, Eisner and Harvey awards.

That's because the two happen to be passionate devotees of Nickelodeon's animated TV series "Avatar: The Last Airbender." The show completed its third and final season last year, only to have the cable network green light a live-action, big-screen adaptation, a proclamation greeted with both anticipation and anxiety by the show's burgeoning fan base.

Last month, with the unveiling of the film's principal cast, their worst fears came true, prompting self-proclaimed "Avatards" -- chief among them 'toon titans Yang and Kim -- to launch a protest that's generated torrents of both support and criticism.

Read it in full here.

Greater Chinatown Community Association Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

A little last moment, but caught this down at Asians in America and wanted to post this up here as well:

Something exciting has been happening at Greater Chinatown Community Association (GCCA)! A group of volunteers have chosen GCCA to be the recipient of a 10 day legacy project. Their Chinese New Year gift to GCCA: A new cosmetic makeover (paint job) as well as a resource library for our clients. Their goal was to raise 100% of the funds and materials for this project through fundraising. In addition, they only have 10 days to start and complete the project.

The community is invited to attend a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Wednesday, Jan 28, 2009: 3pm – 5pm at GCCA to celebrate the completion of this project.

Nice.

The Agent, KAFFNY, And Drafting For God

A couple of quick items.

1. KAFFNY is scheduled for February 28th, 2009 with the First Program from 5:00 - 7:00 PM and the Second Program from 8:00 - 10:00 PM. While tickets aren't available now online, they will be available soon, so keep on checking their site.

2. At the KAFFNY site they have an online screening area where you can watch the short film "The Agent" directed by filmmaker David Kim which is just laugh out loud funny, so if you haven't seen it before make sure to check it out by following the link here (the above is just a screenshot).

Cool.

And Australia Day Seems To Suck

I guess you won't be catching me down in Australia for this event:

‘Australia Day’ has become a very dangerous day to be non-European. Many Asian-Australians are fearful of even stepping out of their homes as flag wearing, slogan shouting racist mobs rule the street in a manner reminiscent of the Brown shirt gangs circa Germany 1930’s.

'I was abused last Australia day-this year my door is locked and its all day in front of the television’ comments Kim Wang, 28, an immigrant from Hong-Kong.
On beaches from Surfers Paradise down to Manly and Coogee in Sydney mobs of young Anglo-Australians motivated by racism rioted again this year smashing windows of shops owned by non-Europeans, spray-painting racist slogans on them and violently assaulting any non-white Australians unlucky enough to stray into their path. In a bizarre repetition of history one shop in Manly was reported to have been vandalised with the words in spray paint: ‘Aussies: Don’t buy from Muslims’ (derogatory term for foreigners)’.

Over a hundred young men and women wearing neither shirts nor shoes were involved in such a riot in Manly, a beachside suburb in Sydney popular with tourists: Takeaway food outlets owned by people of Asian and Middle-Eastern appearance had their windows smashed and non-Europeans were assaulted. One Asian-Australian lady aged 18 was showered with glass as hoodlums smashed her car windows: with her in the car. One Sikh taxi driver had his turban pulled off and his beard pulled in front of a jeering mob. Some of the rioting racists carried signs saying ‘Australia is full’ others chanted the sports slogan ‘Aussie Aussie Aussie oi oi oi’.

Miriam Gould had travelled to Manly from Bondi, a suburb with a large population of Jewish holocaust survivors. Miriam was five when the Nazis came to power and living in Berlin. 'The last time I saw such scenes I was a little girl. It really was Kristallnacht on the beach: the same faces, the same hateful expressions. I never thought I would experience this again but I just did, on the other side of the world.’ Commented Miriam. ‘The Australian flag was used like the Swastika’ she concluded.

Get a clue people.

Read it in full here.

Dat Phan And Bringing Home The White Girl

Update: For some reason this wasn't playing in IE. Seems to be working fine now.

I got passed this via e-mail and thought I would post it on up. I actually haven't had a chance to take a full look through it yet, but I'm sure it's funny (and if it isn't, well - I've already put up my disclaimer).

Rin On The Rox, Ellen Degeneres, And More Asian Singers In The Bathroom

1.5 million channel views, mostly singing, a little comedy, always entertaining - and now - they get a shout out from Ellen Degeneres on her show.

It's the power of YouTube.

Check it out.



If you want to learn more about Rin on the Rox, view their YouTube channel here, and you can also check out two videos below.

Brandy "Right Here (Departed)"



Neyo's "Miss Independent"

SFIAAFF: Call For Volunteers

Some of the 2008 SFIAAFF Volunteers

Saw this down at the Center For Asian American Media (CAAM) and wanted to post it on up as it's a great opportunity to get involved, do some good, have some fun, get a free t-shirt, and see some films (or at least work off a parking ticket).

Be a part of the nation’s largest showcase for new Asian American and Asian films! Every March, over 300 volunteers from around the Bay Area log almost 2,500 hours to make the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival (SFIAAFF) a success! SFIAAFF volunteers serve in a variety of capacities across the festival, from the box office to galas and receptions, from ticket taking to driving festival guests.

Volunteer benefits include:

1. Vouchers for festival screenings
   
2. Meeting film industry professionals and fellow film enthusiasts
   
3. Official Festival T-shirt
   
4. Volunteer Appreciation Party
   
5. Working off parking or traffic tickets incurred at Bay Area cities through Project 20

We ask all volunteers to commit to a minimum of three shifts over the course of the festival (approx. 12 hours). New Volunteers need to attend one Volunteer Orientation (Dates and Times TBA).

To sign up, please register online: www.shiftboard.com/caam

For more information, contact LeRoid David, Volunteer Coordinator at ldavid [at] asianamericanmedia [dot] org or by phone at 415-863-0814 ext. 214.

Word to the Sessue and the Hayakawa.

ABDC Season 3 Week 2

Quest Crew



Team Millenia

Hear The Women Scream

And your linkage to SS501.

The Economic Model As Said By You Le Vo Phuong Mai

I say if you got $300,000 for post-doctoral research and you can't find a job in Nam as a researcher - I think it's time to move on:

After earning her doctoral degree, Mai received a scholarship worth GBP200,000 or more than $300,000 for post-doctoral research on macro-economic models and monetary policies. This is a prestigious scholarship granted by the UK Ministry of Education to up to 15 candidates who research economic topics.

Mai used algorithms and data to analyse various macro economic models. She focused on developed European and American economies where the banking systems, monetary policies and financial experts have strong influences on the economy. Prof. Patrick Minford, who worked as an economic advisor to former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, helped the Vietnamese student a lot during her research.

In her work, Mai criticised some theoretical principles of European and American economic models. In her opinion, these economies could not develop fast because they used those models from World War II till 2004. She developed a new economic model for the world, based on the current New Keynesian Model and the old New Classical. Here research pointed out that the two models combined together would give better data [...]

She wants to return to live in Hanoi in the near future to contribute her knowledge to the country’s development. However, she is worried about being unemployed in Vietnam because it is difficult for a researcher like Mai to find a suitable job.

It is what it aint?

And You're A Winner

I wanted to post up the e-mail from Sally who'll be kicking down to Kollaboration 9 with some free tickets:

Why I want to kick it to Kollaboration 9 & who I wanna seee:

I really want to go to this show because it's gotten so popular and I've heard great things about it, like how Far*East Movement came from there! I think what the organization does as a nonprofit is pretty awesome, too, in promoting the presence of Asian Americans in the media! I especially want to go see Jane Lui perform! She's sooo awesome live and has such a soulful voice! I also want to watch Jazmin's performance because I caught them when I watched the first episode of MTV's pop-group reality show.

Cool.

Hope you have a great time!

Still got a couple more tickets to give away so e-mail me on down and get on in.

Happy Lunar New Year!

What more is there to say except that I hope you got (and will) get your groove on in some way, however you do it. And because it's the Year Of The Ox here's some quick picks from the Wiki:

Ox (Yin, 2nd Trine, Fixed Element Water): Dependable, calm, methodical, patient, hardworking, ambitious, conventional, steady, modest, logical, resolute, tenacious. Can be stubborn, narrow-minded, materialistic, rigid, demanding.

The Ox is the sign of prosperity through fortitude and hard work. This powerful sign is a born leader, being quite dependable and possessing an innate ability to achieve great things. As one might guess, such people are dependable, calm, and modest. Like their animal namesake, the Ox is unswervingly patient, tireless in their work, and capable of enduring any amount of hardship without complaint.

Ox people need peace and quiet to work through their ideas, and when they have set their mind on something it is hard for them to be convinced otherwise. An Ox person has a very logical mind and is extremely systematic in whatever they do, though they have a tremendous imagination and an unparalleled appreciation for beauty. These people speak little but are extremely intelligent. When necessary, they are articulate and eloquent.

People born under the influence of the Ox are kind, caring souls, logical, positive, filled with common sense and with their feet firmly planted on the ground. Security is their main preoccupation in life, and they are prepared to toil long and hard in order to provide a warm, comfortable and stable nest for themselves and their families. Strong-minded, stubborn, individualistic, the majority are highly intelligent individuals who don't take kindly to being told what to do.

The Ox works hard, patiently, and methodically, with original intelligence and reflective thought. These people enjoy helping others. Behind this tenacious, laboring, and self-sacrificing exterior lies an active mind.

The Ox is not extravagant, and the thought of living off credit cards or being in debt makes them nervous. The possibility of taking a serious risk could cause the Ox sleepless nights.

Ox people are truthful and sincere, and the idea of wheeling and dealing in a competitive world is distasteful to them. They are rarely driven by the prospect of financial gain. These people are always welcome because of their honesty and patience. They are reputed to be the most beautiful of face in the zodiac. They have many friends, who appreciate the fact that the Ox people are wary of new trends, although every now and then they can be encouraged to try something new. People born in the year of the Ox make wonderful parents and teachers of children.

It is important to remember that the Ox people are sociable and relaxed when they feel secure, but occasionally a dark cloud looms over such people and they engage all the trials of the whole world and seek solutions for them.

Random Housecleaning And Jasmine Trias

Yes, the year is already gone, but we're still in January, so that still leaves me some time to finish up The Best Of for 2008.

I blame it on the inauguration.

And just because I can, here's Jasmine Trias singing All I want For Christmas Is You - because I'm still in the holiday mood.

Q & A With The New AAJA...ED That Is

For anyone that's interested (and I know some of you are), here's a little bit of the Q & A with the new AAJA's Executive Director Ellen Endo:

Q: What are some of the other challenges you think AAJA will face?

A: Fundraising. Just like every other non-profit organization in America, we rely on contributions from private and corporate sources and we want to make sure that our mission really aligns with people who are in a position to donate to us and we want to be thought of as an organization that actually fulfills its promises and is really cognizant of the mission in a practical as well as a philosophical way.

Q: On the press release, the AAJA National President talks about your “fundraising expertise.” Could you tell us about some of your previous experiences?

A: I actually worked with several organizations including the Go For Broke National Education Center. I worked with them in raising funds. I’ve also received training from Indiana University School of Fundraising and I worked with the USC Asian-American Alumni Association and their fundraising efforts and I guess a number of organizations as a consultant, including the Heart Mountain, Wyoming Foundation. Heart Mountain was the site of one of the Japanese internment sites. I’m working as an advisor to their fundraising effort. A lot of that is volunteer, but I’ve also been a consultant specifically to raise money. [I] identify funding sources and create the materials.

Q: I know AAJA recently issued a statement on the importance of diversity in the newsroom. How does AAJA hope to maintain and even further the progress made in recent years?

A: I think, number one, we have to be constantly vigilant. We want to make sure that we speak for those, not just for those who are affected, but for those who might be affected. I think one way is to make certain that the decision makers are aware that AAJA exists, that it is going to be very assertive in its efforts to maintain diversity in the newsroom and in the diversity of news coverage. I think, two, we want quality not just quantity. We want people in writing in the ranks, we want diversity in the decision-making levels as well.

Finish it up at the AAJA's Website.

And On That English-Only Thing

I had heard about this on NPR a little bit ago and just caught this post down at RaceWire talking about how the initiative was shot down - and that's some great news to hear:

An initiative to establish English as the official language in Nashville was defeated yesterday, bucking a nationwide conservative push for “official English” in response to perceptions about immigrant populations. The city’s “English first” initiative would have basically mandated that all government business be conducted in English—in sharp contrast to immigrant-rich cities like New York, where government agencies are supposed to offer multi-lingual documents and access to translation services.

Nashville Mayor Karl Dean hailed the vote as proof of “Nashville’s identity as a welcoming and friendly city, and our ability to come together as a community.” Of course, proponents of the referendum, led by City Councilman Eric Crafton, used similar rhetoric, arguing that “a community is more united, more efficient under one common language.” Crafton even pointed to Latinos who supported the initiative as a means toward assimilation.

It still amazes me that people keep on trying to get these laws passed.

But then again...

Read the article in full down here.

Newsbytes

Word from around the way:

Protest At The Avatar Extras Casting In Philadelphia

Uh oh. We know about the whack-ass white people casting for the upcoming live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender movie, an animated series heavily influenced by anime and Asian culture, and yet somehow completely devoid of any Asian stars in the Hollywood movie version. And we know fans are not happy about it. Bloggers and online fans, Asian American and otherwise, have been speaking out about Hollywood's latest act of whitewashing.

A Militant Review Of Gran Torino

So what about this movie? I was a big fan of Clint Eastwood and actually went through the trouble of seeing this because I was curious about the relationship or interest he had with the Hmong people. As I suspected, Gran Torino is rice-packed with racial epithets and stereotypes about Asians in a platform that lends no balance or convincing story to the contrary. I know having an artistic license has its perks, but just because Eastwood put his holier-than-thou name in a movie doesn't mean it gets a pass in my book.

Hot K-pop: After School

A lot of blogs out there seem to be following K-pop jailbait: the Wonder Girls and Big Bang Seungri’s abs have been written about by Perez Hilton, and SNSD — also known as Girls’ Generation — has been covered by Marc Ecko’s Complex Blog as well as FourFour. I’d like to scoop everyone and introduce the latest addition of the decidedly non-jailbait variety to the K-pop scene: After School.

“Slumdog Millionaire” opens in India, nominated for 10 Oscars

On the eve of its release today in India, the British independent film “Slumdog Millionaire” was nominated for 10 Academy Awards. It’s already won four Golden Globes: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Score. The movie’s up for all of those categories at the Oscars, and may well win some if not all of them, and then some. We saw the film just last weekend and I was stunned by its power and eloquence, and for me, its sheer entertainment value in spite of the grimness of the life it portrays. It deserves its kudos.

No need to fear, the end is not near...

With the swearing in of Barack Obama as our 44th president this week, the world is aflutter with questions about where we, the United States, are in terms of race and race relations. "What does it mean to have a Black president?" "How far have we come?" "Have we finally pushed past the color line?" I like that the The Atlantic and writer Hua Hsu got down to brass tacks and simply blurted out, "Is this The End of White America?" I encourage you to read the article, mainly because I loathe paraphrasing but also because it's an interesting read. Here is my favorite snippet...

New Tv Show: Azn Lifestyles Tv

Azn Lifestyles TV is an independently produced, weekly 30-minute program about Asian pop culture. It features interviews with notable personalities, popular topics like food and car shows, and sketch comedy segments.

My NEA Poems

The poems that were part of my NEA Fellowship in Literature Application this year were a number of well-known pieces of mine, as well as some lesser known examples of my writing: Burning Eden One Branch At A Time appears in my first book, On the Other Side of the Eye and elsewhere, and it was the opening poem in my sample set. For me, this is one that's always raised a particular number of controversies as a visual poem and as an Asian American poem among many other reasons.

Reflecting on “Asian American” Digital Identity Politics on MLK Day

Is “Asian American” coming to stand in for a keyword, tag (in the speak of blogosphere), or a hip buzzword in our current media environment as digitally informed and constructed? Is there “real content” beyond the textual reference of “Asian” and “American”? If so, how do we assess this content considering the methods of information retrieval, i.e. Google Alerts, and the context of presentation, i.e. hypertextual state of Internet media?

Get Your Filmmaker On: SLANT Film Festival Call For Entries

Reprinting out from the aurorapictureshow site.

SLANT FILM FESTIVAL: Bold Asian American Images

CALL FOR ENTRIES

* What: 9th annual Slant: Bold Asian American Images
* When: May 30 – 31, 2009
* Where: The Aurora Picture Show, Houston, TX
* Deadline: Postmark by February 23, 2009

SLANT, an annual film festival of short films, seeks works by Asian American filmmakers. For the ninth year, Slant will showcase an eclectic mix of the best in emerging Asian American cinema. All genres are accepted.

--- details, details, details ---

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.

Formats: Selected works may be presented on DVD, Mini DV or Quicktime. Please note we do not have Beta.

Formats for submission: DVD, or provide a link to the work online

Send To:
Aurora Picture Show - Slant
1524 Sul Ross
Houston, TX 77006

Postmark Deadline: February 23, 2009. Please include a SASE if you want your submission returned.

Entry Fee: $10 for up to three shorts. Send a check or money order made payable to Aurora Picture Show. DO NOT send cash. You can also make a payment through PayPal by using the PayPal button at the bottom of this webpage. Please include a printout of your Paypal payment in your submission.

Payment to Filmmakers: Makers are paid $4/minute of film/video with a $40 minimum. Aurora also pays return shipping on films included in screening and insurance on tapes and films. We pay distributors their published rate for rentals, but are happy to receive discounts as we are a nonprofit organization

Include:

* Your name
* Contact info (including address, phone numbers, and email)
* Year the work was made
* Original format of the work
* Total running time
* A brief filmmaker bio
* A two-line description of your film

This list is not optional. Please include all information requested.

Contact:

Curator Melissa Hung: slantfestival (at) gmail (dot) com
Aurora Picture Show: 713.868.2101

Being Randomly Bookish - Field of Mirrors: An Anthology of Philippine American Writers

Just thought I'd make a short and random book post on Field of Mirrors: An Anthology of Philippine American Writers which came out last year but that some of you may be interested in if you haven't checked it out. Here's some info from Filipina Soul:

The book, “Field of Mirrors: An Anthology of Philippine American Writers“, was edited by Edwin A. Lozada. It covers a variety of topics, eras and settings, written by the following authors:

Ceres S.C. Alabado, Patricia Isabel Amoroto, Jennifer Almiron, Rick Barot, James M. Constantino Bautista, Evangeline Canonizado Buell, Luis Cabalquinto, Nick Carbó, JP Catenza, Maria Teresa Mendiola Crescini, Janice De Jesus, Rey E. de la Cruz, Shirley B. Dimapilis, Helen Dizon, Ernesto V. Epistola, Rey Escobar, Robert Francis Flor, Penélope V. Flores, Luis H. Francia, Allen Gaborro, Eric Gamalinda, Sarah Gambito, Victor P. Gendrano, Almira Astudillo Gilles, Bienvenido C. Gonzalez, Remé A. Grefalda, Michele Gutierrez, Luisa A. Igloria, Jaime Jacinto, Paolo Javier, Antonio K. Joaquin, Korina M. Jocson, Vanessa Verdadero Kenyon, Susan T. Layug, Lewanda Lim, Karen Llagas, Edwin A. Lozada, Jennifer Mangantulao Macagba, Enriqueta Cartagena Mayuga, Melanie Medalle, Lora Mendoza, Cora Monce, J. Mark Muñoz, Alex G. Paman, Oscar Peñaranda, Rhodora V. Peñaranda, H. Francisco V. Peñones, Benjamin Pimentel, Jon Pineda, Elmer Omar Pizo, Edgar Poma, Cristina Querrer, Charity Ramilo, Barbara Jane Reyes, Maureen Roble, Al Robles, Tony Robles, Gayle Romasanta, Marie I. Romero, Patrick Rosal, Anthem Salgado, Juliana Seneriches, Janet C. Mendoza Stickmon, Luis Malay Syquia, Leny Mendoza Strobel, Eileen R. Tabios, Annabelle A. Udo, Alberto Vajrabukka, Elsa Valmidiano, Jean Vengua, Marianne Villanueva.

PAWA is a non-pofit nation-wide organization of writers and artists established in 1998. Its primary mission is to disseminate the works of outstanding Filipino writers who include Philippine/Philippine American culture in their works.

Asian American Society And VA

Caught this down at the Richmond Times-Dispatch and wanted to post it on up as it's always nice to heard about local groups giving out some awards:

The Asian American Society of Central Virginia recognized four area leaders during its second annual awards gala at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. About 250 people attended. Rumy Mohta, the organization's chairman, said the awards recognize the efforts of individuals and companies that make a difference in the entire community, not just the Asian-American community [...]

The Community Volunteer of the Year award was presented to Vicki Mirandah, a member of the Asian American Society of Central Virginia's board of trustees representing the Malaysian community. In addition to serving as chairwoman of the Virginia Asian Advisory Board, she has volunteered with the Susan G. Komen Richmond Race for the Cure, Run for Read, Richmond Folk Festival, Junior Achievement and Habitat for Humanity. She also teaches English as a second language to refugees and immigrants.

Founded in 1998, the nonprofit organization has members representing 16 Asian communities, said Malik Khan, its community-relations director. Khan said the society promotes cultural, civic, business and educational programs.

Read it in full here.

And Yao Should Be Fine

Well maybe not fine "fine" - he'll miss a few games - but at least it's not looking like he'll be out for the season, so we can all exhale - at least for now.

Don't rush back too soon big guy.