Best New Asian/Asian American Blogs

I just couldn't decide on one Asian or Asian American blog this year that I liked above all others.

Chalk it up to my indecision or simply because there are just more and more great voices being put out there on all sides (and that's a great thing to see) - here they are in no special order.

ChannelAPA

Chock full of Asian faces and leaning towards blog posts of Asian Americans in the media, channelAPA continues to put out some great quality content since they arrived on the scene in April of '08.

The Minority Militant

Whatever you think about his blog posts - like 'em or hate 'em - you just have to respect someone who's willing to put it out there and tell it like they see it from their own perspective - and from my own POV - I can't help but not read TMM's posts if only because I know I'll be reading something new and interesting without any unnecessary additives.

Degenerasian

Starting slow but picking up a lot of steam over the last few months I can always go to degenerasian to get a little bit of music, some pop, and even learn about some Hello Kitty Sexy Mineral Water (because if that alone doesn't enamor me to the site, I'm not sure what will).

The Antisocial Ladder

While not a plethora of posts - it's not always quantity that rules blogosphere - but when the posts do come - they always provide a different POV along with some great writing and insight - and even though one day the site may mock me (along with society, media, and you) - I'll still be reading it.

Asian Rap Worldwide

Representing for Asian faces in the rap world, if you haven't checked out Asian Rap Worldwide (which is gaining in momentum according to their stats) get on down and give them a read because I'm sure you'll find something you probably haven't heard before.

Favorite Reality TV Star Of 2008

Kristi Yamaguchi



Last year seemed to have even more Asian Americans in reality TV shows than in the past with SickStep, Angie Swindell, Esther Ku, Dale Talde, Ron and Christina, Ramiele Malubay, Brandi Milloy, Kaba Modern and JabbaWockeeZ, Jerry Tam, and Wisit (just to name a few) who graced the screen and showed us a reflection of ourselves (and also making me wonder if the world would end if there were two Asian American Top Chef winners in a row).

But out of all of them I couldn't help from following Kristi Yamaguchi and rooting for her more than anyone else even if in part because I wondered who was rooting against her, because even though her Asian face and moves dominated the board like no one before her on national TV, you still didn't know if she'd actually win.

Good for us she did.

BoA At Kollaboration 9

Well folks - if you didn't win tickets (or didn't even try to win tickets) - while you can still buy them for Kollaboration 9 - just wanted to let you know - BoA is going to be performing her single "Eat You Up" down at the event.

So if that doesn't make you get some tix (in addition to all the other great talent) - I'm not sure what will.

Secret Identities: The Exclusive NYCC Trailer

From the Secret Identities blog here's the trailer that debuted at the NY Comic Con panel yesterday.

Yoon Goes For Mayor

I caught this down at Boston.com and it's about time - good luck to City Councilor Sam Yoon on his bid to be Mayor:

Yoon, a two-term at-large city councilor from Dorchester, called Mayor Thomas M. Menino and City Councilor Michael Flaherty, who also is running, to tell them of his plans this afternoon.

"This weekend, my wife, Tina, and I spent some time talking about what a mayoral race would mean for our family," Yoon said in a telephone interview with the Globe today. "We reached a decision. We prayed about it, and I am going to be entering the race for mayor."

Yoon, who was the city's first Asian-American councilor and would be Boston's first non-white chief executive, said he would begin a formal roll-out of his campaign in the next few weeks.

Cool.

And On The Grammys...

Like you (or maybe not) I have the Grammys on in the background and I'm just wondering how many Asian faces I'll see this time around, and I have to be honest in that I'm really hoping that someone runs up on stage and completely disrupts the Miley Cyrus performance.

Tokyo Gore Police: So Much Blood Splatter You'll Need An Umbrella

With Eihi Shiina (probably best known from Takashi Miike's Audition) as Ruka battling the Engineers in the now privatized Tokyo police force - if you like chainsaws, people rocketing from the ground, incredible amounts of blood spraying out of every orifice, and seeing bodies get cut in half - and that's all before your even shown the title of the movie - you'll love Tokyo Gore Police.

Just remember to bring something to cover yourself with.

Chris Yen And The Sinister Asian Shirley Temple

I thought I'd post up a few clips of Chris Yen (who grew up in Boston) and who'll be in the upcoming film Give 'em Hell, Malone - as Mauler the assassin - and is also in the indie flick A Good Day To Be Black & Sexy (here's a link to an interview from a few days ago where she describes her character in the new film as well as some of the other projects she's working on).

First, the Chris Yen Action Reel.



And here's the Malone teaser/trailer (not a lot of yen, but a few quick clips).



For more info on Chris Yen check out her site here (where you can also see her interview from a few years back on the Today Show).

On The Internet Archive: Renee Tajima Reads Asian Images in American Film

Yes - I'm taking you on a trip way back to Public Access simply because I came across it down at the Internet Archive (the video does stream but takes a moment to start).

NY Comic Con: The Multicultural Mask

And if you're looking for something to do you may want to check out the panel this Sunday down at the NY Comic Con called "The Multicultural Mask":

Sunday, February 8th, 11:15 - 12:15: "The Multicultural Mask," room 1A17. Panel with Perry Moore (HERO), Greg Pak (PLANET HULK), DC editor Jann Jones, and moderator Jeff Yang, columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle and editor of SECRET IDENTITIES: THE ASIAN AMERICAN SUPERHERO ANTHOLOGY. Here's the description:

"Over the past decade, publishers and creators have made an aggressive push to diversify the pages of the comic books -- eliminating antiquated, stereotypical representations of race and sexuality, while adding characters whose backgrounds and identities are a truer and certainly richer reflection of our social reality. In the process, some fan-favorite heroes have met with untimely ends and come back with new, different, and multicultural identities and others have become suddenly open about their sexual orientations. These changes have been met with both loud applause and scathing criticism -- but is radical integration of the comics really necessary? And if so, what's the best way to make comics look like America (and the world) while preserving cherished characters and already overstretched continuities? This panel will bring together creators who stand out as pioneers of the new inclusiveness in comics to talk about what works, what doesn't, and why it matters -- from both a cultural and economic perspective."

Cool.

Looking For Asian American Actors

Caught this down at Asians in America and wanted to post it up here as well:

1 Audition, 5 Directors

Both the Asian American Theater Company and One4All Theater are looking for new actors for their 2009 Season. Actors can choose to audition using our Workshop Audition and/or Monologue Audition formats.

- AATC seeks actors for its mainstage shows, staged reading series, and NewWorks Incubator program.

- One4All Theater seeks actors for its improv troupe, Hobofish; its sketch comedy troupe, Kamikaze Theory; and its Performance Workshop. Strong improvisers encouraged.

There are many roles available and 5 directors will be on hand–you only have to audition once.

We are looking specifically for Asian Americans, but both AATC and One4All will have many non-Asian roles available during the 2009 Season.

Audition Date: Sunday, February 8, 2009

Workshop Audition: 2:00 - 4:30pm

Monologue Audition: 5:00 - 6:30pm

- The Workshop Audition involves improv exercises, group work, short sketches, and no scripts.

- The Monologue Audition is a traditional audition format and involves a prepared monologue (comedic or dramatic) and cold-read scenes.

To schedule an audition time slot, please email Elaine Chu at lainechu @ gmail.com

(1) Please specify Workshop Audition, Monologue Audition, or both.
(2) Please include an electronic copy of your resume and headshot (if available).

A confirmation notice will be sent to you with location and further details.

For more information, visit the Asian American Theater Company.

More Aishwarya, More Rai

You heard me talk about this back in '07, and if you're wondering it's opening this weekend.

Here's Aishwarya Rai promoting Pink Panther 2:

MV: And That's A Classic

Just felt like kicking out some '01 tunage from Chemistry.

Miley Cyrus, Meet Carol Carter

Check the story from the Miami New Times and Tampabay.com

Carol Carter, a Republican state committeewoman from Hillsborough County, recently sent out this email to a group of eight or so:

From: Carol Carter
Sent: Friday, January 30, 2009 9:30 AM
Subject: FW: Amazing!

I'm confused

How can 2,000,000 blacks get into Washington, DC in 1 day in sub zero temps when 200,000 couldn't get out of New Orleans in 85 degree temps with four days notice?

Carol Carter

She sent out a second e-mail afterwards:

From: Carol Carter
Sent: Friday, January 30, 2009 5:54 PM
Subject: Earlier email

I have been asked to send this apology for my earlier email. I am sorry that it was received in a negative manner. I do hope that we are going to be allowed to keep our sense of humor.

As you can now see, it went to very few people. I did add Todd Marks in this apology, as he is in the mix now. I am also sorry to learn that some of these persons are not real team players. There really was no reason for this to go beyond those that I emailed (8 people). This was not an email blast as I do not have that capability.
Carol

If you're hoping Carol got her ass handed to her - don't worry - she was threatened to get the boot, and like the little racist coward she was, ended up resigning without much of a fight.

I don't know about you, but I'm thinking Miley's future holds something similar.

Utada's “Come Back to Me” Official U.S Press Kit Video

Sweet.

A Quick Letter To Spirit

Dear Little Mars Spirit Rover,

Even though you're only five, in Rover years you should probably be dead, so I just wanted to let you know that you shouldn't be embarrassed about having a little amnesia and waking up not knowing where you were or even where the sun was, because it really does happen to the best of us.

At the same time, now that you have your memory back, I was thinking that maybe on occasion, you could send us down some space porn. I don't really know what space porn would consist of - but I just thought it might be a little more interesting than rocks (and can you imagine the look on everyone's faces as they view the latest downloads?).

Just a thought.

Slanty

So Yong Kim And Treeless Mountain

The 32nd Portland International Film Festival starts up today and one of the films from the U.S. is Treeless Mountain by So Young Kim which I heard was pretty good, so if you're down there for the fest check it out:

TREELESS MOUNTAIN

United States
Director: So Yong Kim
Thu Feb 12 9:15PM B2
Sat Feb 14 8:30PM B2

TREELESS MOUNTAIN Inspired by childhood events, Treeless Mountain has been described by So Yong Kim as a letter to her mother. The film tells a poignant, emotional story of growing up in the Korean countryside and the joys, worries, and hurts of early childhood. Sent by their impoverished mother in Seoul to live with an aunt in a small village, six-year-old Jin and her younger sister Bin find themselves at the mercy of their selfish, alcoholic “Big Aunt.” Reduced to selling fried grasshoppers to earn money, their misery is compounded when their mother writes to say she cannot take them back and they must move to their grandparents’ farm. But there, the two neglected innocents finally find a measure of security and love. “Treeless Mountain is made of the same substance as cinema-vérité, but it is woven with a dreamlike quality, making it seem like a horrific fairy tale that is at the same time painfully realistic.”—Toronto Film Festival. (89 mins.)

BUY TICKETS

Here's also director So Yong Kim talking about her film:

All The Artists From Re-Vamp'D

Here's the six parts of the hour long Kristine Sa Show featuring all of the artists from Re-Vamp'D Live if you weren't able to catch it (Kristine Sa, Frequency 5, Vu (Vudoo Soul), Mavien Bliss, Cast Of Kings, Vy, Thomas' Apartment, Seriously) - and don't worry - like always - it's in both Vietnamese and English so you can catch the vibe no matter what language you speak:

Part 1



Part 2



Part 3



Part 4



Part 5



Part 6

Help The SAG Research On The APA Market

So I got an e-mail sent my way from someone who is working for the SAG and definitely wanted to get this posted on out as it could have an impact on the status of the AAPI community in Hollywood:

Hello,

My name is Darlene Rabena. I am currently an independent contractor for the Screen Actors Guild, America's labor union for film and television performers. I have been assigned to craft a report regarding the Asian-Pacific American market's ability to influence Hollywood's entertainment industry, and whether this market segment has the ability to impact the quantity and quality of Asian-Pacific American roles in film and television. This report will be published and distributed within the industry, among networks, studios and advertisers.

I came across your blog while researching the Asian-Pacific Market and was wondering if you would be interested in helping me distribute a survey that I have crafted to help define the Asian-Pacific American market's influence in Hollywood.

Here's the link: The Asian-Pacific American Market's Influence in Hollywood

Your participation strengthens the Asian-Pacific American voice in Hollywood. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Best Regards,

Darlene Rabena
Independent Contractor
Affirmative Action & Diversity Department
Screen Actors Guild

I took the survey myself (and there're links to it from other places here and here) and it's pretty quick and easy, so I definitely recommend checking it out and making your voice heard - because we're getting asked what we think.

At the same time, while I know it's definitely important to get on out and ask Asian Americans what we think - in the end - it's also going to take others around us to help get not just the AAPI community reflected more in mainstream media - but all POC.

So even if you're not Asian American - I say get on up and fill out that MF too.

For The VA in NJ

Came across this article on the New Jersey Vietnamese American Community Association and just felt like posting it on up:

NJVACA provide programs and activities for families and children that promote education, dance, arts, and crafts. The summer picnic event was a success with 300 attendees. Activities included tennis, volley ball, badminton, traditional Vietnamese chess/checkers, water balloon toss, blindfolded-captured the flag, and a watermelon eating contest.

New Jersey Vietnamese-American Community Association is a good organization for the community which is serving all Vietnamese in Central New Jersey. Asian American Federation of New York Census Information Center collected data from the 1990 and 2000 U.S. censuses. The evaluation showed 107% growth of Vietnamese population in New Jersey (from 7,330 to 15,180).

"Last year, we helped collected toys for children in the United States by participating with the Marine Toys for Tots program. We are helping a family in need with financial assistance in this tough economic time. Also, we provide transportation for a cancer patient to the hospital to get treatments. We are doing whatever we can to assist other organizations and helped families. When resources and manpower become available, we will to extend our help to other organizations such as The Community Food Bank of New Jersey, The Soup Kitchen, etc.", explained Mr. Le.