Random Vienna Teng

From MySpace To Me And Now On To You:

MAY & JUNE TOUR DATES

Despite the mighty Eyjafjallajokull, the VT Trio did make it to two-thirds of our Europe gigs—with sold-out shows in most cities, including places we were visiting for the first time! Deutschland, Vielen Dank. You never cease to amaze. We'll be back in August, including a rescheduled date of the cancelled show in Köln.

http://viennateng.com/tour/

Next week Alex & I headline some of our favorite spots on the West Coast, supported by Sara Watkins and Paul Freeman. Then in June, we're thrilled to be opening for the one & only BRANDI CARLILE! (If you have not seen this woman with her band, you must. And not just because I get to play Elton John's piano part on one of her tunes.)

***** VIENNA TENG & ALEX WONG *****

5/10 PORTLAND, OR - Mississippi Studios s/Sara Watkins
5/11 SEATTLE, WA - Triple Door (2 shows) s/Sara Watkins
5/14 WINTERS, CA - Palms Playhouse s/Paul Freeman
5/15 SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Yoshi's (2 shows) s/Paul Freeman
5/16 SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Yoshi's (2 shows) s/Paul Freeman
5/17 SANTA CRUZ, CA - Kuumbwa Jazz Center s/Paul Freeman
5/18 SANTA BARBARA, CA - SOhO s/Sara Watkins
5/20 SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA* - Coach House s/Sara Watkins
5/21 SANTA MONICA, CA - McCabe's s/Sara Watkins
5/22 SAN DIEGO, CA - Anthology s/Sara Watkins

* special deal: $5 off advance tickets! call 949.496.8930 and mention "Vanishing Moment"

***** OPENING FOR BRANDI CARLILE (VT&AW) *****
http://www.brandicarlile.com/

6/3 ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - House of Blues
6/4 CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - Jefferson Theater
6/5 NORFOLK, VA - The NorVa
6/6 RICHMOND, VA - The National
6/8 JACKSONVILLE, FL - Florida Theater
6/9 CHARLESTON, SC - The Music Farm
6/11 GREENVILLE, SC - The Handlebar
6/13 MEMPHIS, TN - Minglewood Hall

Detailed tour calendar is always here:

http://viennateng.com/tour/

-------------------------
LIVE ALBUM AVAILABLE FOR ORDER

It's here, ladies and gents! THE MOMENT ALWAYS VANISHING is fresh off the presses and just about ready to make its way to you.

Here's what we've made:

A CD of 14 songs with intros, in a sleeve with artwork designed by Diana Ho ($10)
http://www.viennateng.portmerch.com/stores/product.php?productid=17392

A beautiful HARDBOUND BOOK of Tim Wong's photos from Joe's Pub, short essays, and select fan artwork; includes CD ($30)
http://www.viennateng.portmerch.com/stores/product.php?productid=17393

A custom, eco-friendly USB FLASH DRIVE with all the audio from the CD (full-quality and MP3), plus an "encore set" of songs & intros, video from the Joe's Pub show by Ehud Lazin, and other goodies ($20)
http://viennateng.portmerch.com/stores/product.php?productid=17394

For now, it's all available exclusively at the viennateng.com store, shipping May 17, and at live shows starting May 10. (Look for a digital release at iTunes, Amazon, etc. over the summer.)

Buy the live album here:
http://viennateng.portmerch.com

Errors And Cartoon Boobs

Jon M. Chu's My YouTube Story

White People Intervention: Obama And That Sanford And Son Picture

It's time for another White People Intervention - 'cause these people from the Smithtown Messenger really need it. But don't take my word for it:

Hazel N. Dukes, president of the state NAACP conference, said in a statement Wednesday that the county should immediately pull advertising from any publication that ran the photo [...]

"It is simply shocking and outrageous that such a blatantly racist ad would run in any paper, much less an official paper of Suffolk County," Dukes said. "New Yorkers of all races and ethnicity are disgusted by it and reject it." [...]

Tracey Edwards, the NAACP's Long Island regional director, described the portrayal of the Obamas as "despicable and disrespectful. If this was intended as satire, it misses the mark."

Yup.

I'll even drive.

Monday Morning いきものがかり

Retro Jennii Lê

It Opened This Weekend: Tom Huang's "Why Am I Doing This?"

From AsianAmericanFilm.com via Tom Huang:

The film is a drama-comedy about two buddies, one Asian-American, one African-American, trying to make it in Hollywood but failing, as well as dealing with relationships, crazy family and paying rent. We've had a strong audience response at film festivals across the country, and have been fortunate enough win a few awards, including two Best Feature Film awards from the Philadelphia Asia-Am Film Festival and the Houston Comedy Film Festival as well as a Director's New Vision Award from the Cinequest Film Fest.

Cool.

In Pictures: Gordon Tsai

Link + Article

EMT With Clara Chung

WTF Is Wrong With You Arizona? P.S. I Love You Michael Yaki

I was reading this article down at the SF Gate and well - I think the post title says it all - because really - WTF is wrong with you Arizona? How incredibly effed up do you have to be to follow the mother of all racist laws with another mother of all racist laws?

I think we should all silently ponder that answer as you read an excerpt on the matter from someone better than me:

The statute bans courses that "promote resentment toward a race or class of people . . . are designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group . . and advocate ethnic solidarity." The statute then goes onto exempt courses on the Holocaust because, of course, without that exemption, every class that shows Schindler's List where at the conclusion you resent the Nazis (a class of people) and wanting to save the Jews (promoting solidarity), you would have violated Horne's law [...]

Horne's dilemma is that enforcement will be so arbitrary, so capricious, relying, most likely, on Horne's particular biases and whims that the statute is begging for a First Amendment challenge. How do you quantify or measure "resentment." "Ethnic solidarity?" If two Latino students, hearing about the plight of migrant workers in the lettuce fields of California, feel that they should send a donation to the United Farm Workers to help them combat the agrigrower owners, has that crossed a line? [...]

And let's not forget Arizona's participation in one of the most shameful acts of racism in American history: the incarceration of over 100,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. The Arizona desert was a lovely place for west coast Americans to spend their time simply because of their ethnic heritage.

I'm going with option #1 which I think is the only option there which is "pretty MF effed up" - and I do realize that it's a little redundant - but in this case - I think it's warranted.

This Is A Quote That Makes Me Think, And Are Asians The New White?

From this AP article:

"Without diminishing the seriousness of what happened to the Asian seniors — this has been happening to African-American seniors for a long time," Brown said. "If you move into a community where there is violence, you will be a victim."

Part of where I grew up was in Milwaukee - which according to early Census reports was the most segregated city in the U.S. when it came to the White/Black demographic - and you could feel it too when I was there.

I was privy to hearing some of the most racist conversations out in the open - White People coming up with every imaginable racial epithet you could think of (because they had no issue talking in front of someone who was Asian) - and the quote above made me think for a moment about how hard these situations are that we're hearing about between the Black and Asian communities in some areas.

I remember once telling a friend probably around five years back after reading an article where communities of Black and Hispanic descent were becoming resentful of Asian Americans moving into the same areas that I thought it was interesting because out of everyone, I thought shouldn't these communities be more open to new faces and ethnicities simply because of what they've went through (at the same time understanding what we as Asian Americans have gone through as well)?

You know what my friend said to me (and I call her my Oracle In Training). She said "Yeah, but when you work so hard to get at least something - even just a little - you don't want to give that up - to anyone."

And I couldn't help but think about the above quote in relation to this - and how if this was different - where more media attention was being placed on the matter because it was Asian on Black crime and the above quote was from someone who was Asian American instead, wouldn't I kind of be like "Yeah - but this shit has been happening for a while in the API community and no one's given a damn about it until it started happening to Black People."?

Yeah - I think there's some truth to that.

I think there's a lot of truth to that.

And I wonder about this current situation and the perceptions of it.

Will it - on a whole I'm speaking - make us more divided as communities of color?

Does it add to the perception as I've heard one individual say that "Asians Are The New White." - wrong as that perception may be?

If you look at it from the quote above - as much as I possibly can not being African American - what does it say in terms of racial identity when there is more news focused on an event when the victims are of a specific race and ethnicity where previously there wasn't as much focus?

In a way - right or wrong - does it say that the specific race and ethnicity garners more attention - that in some ways - they are more worthy of news - more worthy of justice - because there's only so much you can print or allow resources too?

I don't know - but I can't help that the question comes to mind.

If anyone thinks though that Asian Americans are in fact the "New White" it only serves to marginalize and effectively wipe out what we as a whole in terms of communities and laws have had to go through - because we don't all have it easy. All of us don't have access to health care. Some of us are in fact one paycheck away from being out on the street.

It's just a matter of fact - but only if you look at the whole community - not what you think the community is made up of.

But at the same time the simple fact is that the following statements do have some validity:

That perception can be reality. That it's easier to know less and think you know more than actually admitting you don't know as much as you thought and actually working to find out what you don't. That you don't care about what's going on in your community until it affects you - and sometimes by then - it becomes too late to do anything about it.

In that way - on all sides - I think we still have a lot of learning to do.

At least that's what I'm going with tonight.

Vietnamese Voices Of The Gulf Coast

VAYLA
http://www.vayla-no.org/

Boat People SOS
http://www.bpsos.org/

More On South. Phila. High

Will this ever end?

Brown quit Thursday after The Inquirer raised questions about her lack of an active Pennsylvania principal's certificate, and just ahead of a no-confidence vote by teachers and staff.

She left a school that made national headlines Dec. 3, when groups of mostly African American students carried out a daylong series of assaults on about 30 Asians. Seven Asian students went to hospitals, and about 50 boycotted classes for a week.

The violence triggered inquiries by the Philadelphia School District, the state Human Relations Commission, and the Justice Department. Even now, despite administrators' statements to the contrary, Asian students say they remain targets of taunts, petty abuses, and outright violence.

"It's still happening," said Duong Nghe Ly, a junior from Vietnam. "It's still happening every single day at school."

Ever?

Only In Japan The I-Fairy Rules

A humanoid robot conducted a wedding ceremony in Tokyo on Sunday - a world first, according to the manufacturer of the "I-Fairy," a four-foot (1.2 metre) tall seated robot with flashing eyes and plastic pigtails.

Sweet Sweet I-Fairy.

Random Randall Park

Just a random note while I was watching the Celtics take home court advantage away from the Magic I happened to catch Randall Park in a new commercial - I think it was a beer commercial (although I can't seem to find it on YouTube right now).

At the same time here's an interview with channelAPA.com

Wonder Girls: 2 Different Tears (And Yes, That's A Cameo By Bobby Lee)

Korean Version



English Version

AK Connection, Adoption And Ambiguous Loss, And Jae Ran Kim

Got this sent in to my inbox and wanted to post it on up because if there's one thing I've learned from meeting a ton of kick ass Korean Americans who are transracial - and Asian Americans - the transracial voice sometimes doesn't get enough voice - so if you're in the area - which is home to the largest transracial KA community in the nation (there's a joke that there are more transracial KA's than lakes in this state) - check it on out.

"Adoption and Ambiguous Loss:" A Presentation by Jae Ran Kim

Date: Thursday, May 27, 2010
Time: 6:30pm - 9:00pm
Location: Carlson School of Management, Room 1-142, University of Minnesota
Street: 321 19th Avenue S
City/Town: Minneapolis, MN

Description

AK Connection is proud to host "Adoption and Ambiguous Loss:" A Presentation by Korean adoptee Jae Ran Kim, MSW, LGSW, and Doctoral Student at the University of Minnesota School of Social Work.

For many adopted persons, the lingering effects of ambiguous loss follow us through to other relationships in our lives. Recognizing ambiguous loss is not about pathologizing adoptees - in fact, most people have experienced some form of ambiguous loss in their lives. What is ambiguous loss and how does this phenomenon affect adoptees, adoptive parents and birth familes? Jae Ran's presentation will attempt to define ambiguous loss and to present ways for those of us who have experienced adoption to learn to live with the ambiguity and to feel validated with regard to the full range of our feelings.

The presentation will start at 6:30 p.m. and will be followed by time for Q & A. Light refreshments will be provided.

This event is free and open to the public. Please feel free to extend an invitation to your friends and family. Attendees wishing to support AK Connection's programming are encouraged to become paying members of AK Connection before or at the event. Membership applications are available at http://www.akconnection.com/.

AK Connection would also like to thank the Consortium for the Study of the Asias at the University of Minnesota for their support of this event.

Yeah - it may not be that light and fluffy - but hey - I guess not everything is all the time right?

Sarah Palin, Jan Brewer, And I'm Starting To Think The Show Glee Is Anti-Asian

First, let me just say that it's been a busy week - and the weather's finally nice - because it was cloudy and overcast - and when you have 6 months of winter - joking - albeit it does snow in April sometimes - some days I just want to get on out and enjoy some of it - but not all of it because I'm a vampire who gets no sun - but yet I'm still darker than some of you White People (unless you go tanning and then I just look more natural than you).

But so I was catching up on my Glee and you know what?

WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO THE ASIAN CHARACTERS?

In an episode where everyone had to sing a solo - guess who the hell didn't get to sing - or even dance.

You guessed it.

That would be any character of Asian descent.

I'm not saying they have to be the stars - but when everyone else of color on the show gets to sing a solo - sometimes twice - you know what that tells me?

That tells me that they only care about saying they have some Asian Americans on the show - not that those Asian Americans do anything on the show - basically relegating them to "You can't testify against White People" status and I really don't give two Jan Brewers and a Sarah Palin what you might have to say to the contrary - because for a much as I've been liking the show - it's begining to look pretty MF'ing Anti-Asian in every single way and I'm just waiting for the episode where M. Night Shyamalan directs and decides that Jenna Ushkowitz and Harry Shum Jr. can be played by one lone White Kid.

Get it the fuck together Glee.

Dumbfoundead + Dok2 + MYK + Kero One

Atlanta - Center Stage Theater - Friday, May 28, 2010
Ticketmaster - http://bit.ly/dfdatl

San Francisco - SOMArts Center - Saturday, May 29, 2010
Tickets - http://bit.ly/9eT15L

Seattle - Showbox at the Market - Sunday, May 30, 2010
Ticketmaster - http://bit.ly/9RhStJ

HBO, Ep. 2, And Ktown Cowboys

Is it just me or does this get better and better?

And shouldn't I be watching this on HBO?

Yes.

Yes I should.