Margaret Cho + PopMatters + Cho Dependent

A little snippet from the PopMatters interview with Margaret Cho and her first musical comdey CD Cho Dependent.

What are the pros and cons to being a really outspoken, opinionated woman of color in the public eye today? How do you think your acting career has been affected by your activism?

Well, its interesting, I think people always assume that I’m mad. I’m not. (laughing) I’m, like, cool with everything and people always assume I’m an angry person. Still, I am critical of certain things. I’m critical of certain stances. Now living in the South—I live in Atlanta where we film Drop Dead Diva—I’m very aware of the divides of race and divides of culture and homophobia and sexism. Its a reality and I have to comment on it, I need to talk about it. I don’t know how its affected my work as an actor, just because I’m mostly in the realm of stand up comedy, where opinion is valued and it’s fine. You can talk about things and you can have a career and still be very progressive.

Dotbusters, Absurdity, And Bashing Vietnamese People Doesn't Really Solve Anything With Immigration

This is just funny to me - albeit in the absurd way when I'm watching something that makes me cringe but I can't help but keep looking (even if it's an out of body experience where I'm watching myself make a complete ass out of, well, me):

In the past three weeks in Hoboken, anti-Semitic graffiti was written on a building, and a Vietnamese tourist was allegedly attacked by a Latino man from Bayonne who allegedly first yelled an anti-Asian slur at him from his car. In Old Bridge, police are investigating whether the June assault and murder of an Indian American professor by a group of teens was racially motivated.

Shall we just chalk it up to the Summer Heat?

And btw - how the hell can people still not call the murder of Divyendu Sinha a hate crime? Did they need to spray paint "Dotbusters" by his body?

Patel = Apple Pie And Now I'm A Little Hungry (Did Someone Say Cool Whip?)

Three things that entered my mind as I was reading this article:

1. Glad to see people associating the name Patel with American. And just for the record, apparently the last name Patel is the 172nd most frequent surname in the U.S.
   
2. I did happen to balk a little at the "almost". But I give them kudos for trying.
   
3. Strawberries sounds tasty too.
   

Sweet List: Asian Americans Running For Office

If you want to catch up on some of the people running for office check out the great list that the Northwest Asian Weekly has up at their site.

Nico Minoru, Runaways, A Little More Japanese American Internment, And Getting Your WhiteWash On?

I don't really follow the comic, but I do know this - Nico Minoru is Japanese American and if the casting call is simply for a "uniquely beautiful, nuturing and guarded" 16 - 18 year old female." there's definitely a problem.

Here's to hoping Hollywood doesn't fuck this one up too.

Roy Recio + The Manilatown Heritage Foundation

Housing. Basic needs. Sometimes you just gotta remember what some of the struggle is all about.

TREFNY: We're talking with Roy Recio. He's the board president of the Manilatown Heritage Foundation. So with a lot of different parts of town that have single room occupancy hotels, that have people living on top of themselves - in Chinatown, for example - what do you, as an affordable housing advocate, what are some of your target areas where you're actually seeing differences made or you think that more attention needs to be paid specifically?

RECIO: Well, that's a struggle. I think that what's happening is that people are moving out of San Francisco. You can see that really in the census, which will be coming out soon. You know as far as the Latino, the African American community, the Filipino community moving out.

Ironically, the Chinese community is growing. And we're just seeing in housing advocacy that when we have a housing unit that's coming up online - for example, we have one right now on 7th Street and it's going to be above the South of Market new health care center there. We have 40 units, roughly, for family housing, and we're going to have well over 5,000 applicants for those 40 units, to give you an idea of the breadth of what we need to do to accomplish fortified housing for those in the working class communities.

TREFNY: As an affordable housing advocate, when you're looking at places like the I-Hotel, which is primarily Filipino Americans, if you're in Chinatown and you're looking at a lot of Chinese Americans or recent immigrants, what role does cultural preservation play in your fight to retain affordable housing?

RECIO: Oh, it's a big struggle. One thing we're fighting for in the South of Market is to try and designate SOMA as SOMA Filipinas, which is really a launching point for Filipino immigrants to come to. They feel like there's a plaza there, if you will, because there's the Filipino education center, there's a veterans' equity center. There's united players, and there's also other service agencies like the South of Market Health Care Center to really address the culturally and linguistically appropriate needs of the community. So there's an infrastructure there we're trying to get recognized. We can do it socially, but when we talk about trying to preserve it physically, it's really challenging.

Get it in full here.

Random Word I'm Getting Tired Of: Full-Blooded

I'm obviously out for people and news that reps the API community but as I was reading the following paragraph something struck me.

The first full-blooded Chinese-American NFL lineman recently reported to the Buffalo Bill’s training camp. Ed Wang, an offensive tackle, was drafted by Buffalo in the 2010 NFL draft, reports Asianweek.com.

I'm getting tired as a MF of hearing people qualify someone's Asian American status as FULL-BLOODED.

So if someone's 3/4 Chinese and a 1/4 Swedish, but the way they identify is as an Asian American - are they somehow less of an Asian American or a person of color?

Do we really have to qualify someone as being FULL-BLOODED?

Think about it this way. If you weren't born here, but lived most of your life here - which I know some of you are - or even if you've lived half your life here - or really - however long - and you're a citizen of the U.S. wouldn't you find it demeaning for everyone that was born here to be qualified as a REAL AMERICAN, but everyone who wasn't born in this country as not a REAL AMERICAN even though it was never said outright but implied because of the words REAL AMERICAN?

Don't get me wrong - I know there's a fine line in how we identify and what we call ourselves - but in the end - I just think it's old and tired to keep on referring to people as FULL-BLOODED.

Your 2010 Korean BQQ Cook-off Winners

Because you really did want to know.

Judges: Jonathan Gold, Ludo Lefebvre, Sandra Oh, Consul General Jaesoo Kim, Councilmember Herb Wesson, Jr.

Judge's Selection: Park's BBQ
Best Beef: Hansong
Best Pork: Olympic Restaurant
Best Fusion: Choonchun Dakgalbi
Chef Ludo's Pick: Park's BBQ
Jonathan Gold's Pick: Ham Ji Park

Soju Mix-off winner: Joel Black. Cocktail name: "K-town cobbler"

Graduating: The Sulu Series

There's probably a contingent of you that have already received this, but in case you haven't, or even if you have - always good to remnind yourself of the organizations out there that have been helping to spread the word about API artists and the changes they go through.

Dear Sulu Series Artists & Supporters,

I'm writing to let you know about what the committee of folks who run the Sulu Series have recently decided about its future. Sulu Series as a monthly series at Bowery Poetry Club will end this upcoming September and then transition into a bi-annual or annual event after that. Our official last monthly date is Sunday, September 19 with special feature Bao Phi from Minnesota and many more friends. This last monthly show is also our 5th year anniversary and will be a benefit for the APIA Spoken Word & Poetry Summit in 2011 in Minnesota.

This August 15, we will have our second to last monthly Sulu Series featuring Marco Mercado, Crystal Leigh, Intalek, Jay Legaspi and Kilusan Bautista with host Koba (http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=140219849343317&ref=ts)

Some of us are saddened, but most of us understand that it's time for a change. Since Sulu started in '05, there's a lot more going on right now for young Asian Americans in the arts in New York City than ever before, making Sulu in New York (not DC or elsewhere) less relevant and urgent, and in a good way. Over the years I've seen each artistic discipline - especially poetry, comedy and music - grow tremendously, with each discipline further carving out their unique communities to foster their intimate growth. From Ken Chen revitalizing the Asian American Writers' Workshop in really inventive and beautiful ways, to the monthly Mouth to Mouth open mic Jen Kwok & Ed Lin host there, to Kollaboration NY being such a success, to Kundiman's reading series and retreats pressing on and expanding, to the various youth-centered events at Project Reach fostering another generation of shakers, I really can stand back and say that this Asian American arts community in New York City is progressing.

I want to express how grateful we are for your support of Sulu through the years, whether near or far. Much thanks must go to the Bowery Poetry Club for hosting us all these years. Together as a community we have showcased hundreds of Asian American poets, comedians, musicians, theater artists and filmmakers. We've held benefits and raised awareness for and alongside dozens of organizations and causes. Our shows have served thousands of audience members, and we've helped to cultivate a canon of Asian American culture that is priceless in its worth and impact.

What all of us Sulu folks would really like to do now is to filter as much of our audience and network into the various mentioned events going on throughout New York City, as well as other events and groups across the country that deserve much attention. Please see the list below.

It's been a great honor and pleasure to serve this community with you through Sulu. As mentor and Program Director of Project Reach Fay Chiang has told me, Sulu Series in New York City is "graduating."

Keep keepin' on.

Sincerely,

Taiyo Na
Artistic Director, Sulu Series

LIST OF EVENTS & GROUPS ALLIED WITH THE SULU SERIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY

NEW YORK:

Asian American Writers' Workshop (AAWW)
http://www.aaww.org/aaww_events.html

Ed Lin & Jen Kwok's Mouth to Mouth Monthly Open Mic @ AAWW
http://jenkwok.net/blog/
http://www.aaww.org/aaww_events.html

Kollaboration NY
http://kollabny.blogspot.com/

Kundiman Retreat & Reading Series
http://www.kundiman.org/

Project Reach NYC
http://projectreachnyc.org/

PHILLY:

Family Style Monthly Open Mic Series @ Asian Arts Initiative
http://www.asianartsinitiative.org/programs/performances.php

BOSTON:

Boston Progress Arts Collective (BPAC)
http://bostonprogress.org/


DC/MD/VA Area:

SULU DC
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=155388419558

Kollaboration DC
http://kollaborationdc.org/


BAY AREA:

RAMA
http://www.gostudiorama.com/


SEATTLE:
isangmahal arts kollective
http://www.isangmahal.org/

LA:

Tuesday Night Cafe
http://www.tuesdaynightproject.org/

Because You Wanted Some Tour Dates From The Slants

8/12: Portland, OR - The Woods (21+), benefit for Camp Odyssey
8/28: Forest Grove, OR - SakeOne Pacific Rim Festival (all ages)
8/28: Portland, OR - Ash Street Saloon (21+)
9/10: Portland, OR - MusicFest NW at the Ash St Saloon (21+)
9/24: Richland, WA - Ray's Golden Lion (all ages)
9/19: Seattle, WA - Chop Suey (21+) w/Gnosis (Japan)
10/8-10/10: Layton, UT - Anime Banzai (all ages)
10/25: Portland, OR - Berbati's Pan (all ages) w/Peelander Z
10/30: Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom (21+)

That's it.

Released: Koua Fong Lee

Koua and his wife after the trial via the Star Tribune

If you haven't heard - this Thursday - Koua Fong Lee was released, and while I've wondered in the past how one person could get that much time from an accident where there was no drinking or substances involved, coming to my own conclusions about the overhaul that's needed not just in our justice systems but in the courts of public opinion - it's finally over.

Koua Fong Lee always said he was innocent, even as he sat in a Lino Lakes prison cell. And Thursday, after an extraordinary day in Ramsey County District Court, his four-year ordeal in the justice system ended abruptly, and he emerged a free man.

Lee grabbed his attorney Bob Hilliard in a tight hug as District Judge Joanne Smith ruled he was entitled to a new trial and could be freed. His jaw dropped and he sobbed when Hilliard and fellow attorney Brent Schafer told him, "It's over," just moments after he walked out of jail. Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner had announced that her office would not seek a retrial.

And what's great to see too - as the new evidence was presented in court - was how the families who once couldn't believe Lee's story, are now hoping to keep in touch with him - and I have to wonder how this story - for some encompassing their lives on a day to day basis, and others, watching from the sides - how this might help change perceptions - those first few thoughts that come into some people's minds as they look at Asian Americans in the justice system.

Step Up 3-D And Jon M. Chu

Opening this weekend at a theater near you - about 2,435 to be exact.

I Vote For Wyclef

Do I really need to say anything else about this?

I think not.

Singer Wyclef Jean officially announced his bid to be president of Haiti to a roaring crowd of supporters on Thursday, thrusting himself into a contentious race to lead an impoverished country reeling from a devastating earthquake.

At one point the hip hop artist-turned-politician bodysurfed on the hands of bandana-waving backers in Haiti's capital and stepped onto a speaker truck to address the crowd of hundreds. Jean had submitted his candidacy papers 10 minutes before the provisional electoral office closed.

The NY Times, Hiroshima, And The Art of Outrage

I caught this article down at the NY Times by Kenzaburo Oe and wanted to post a little bit of it up here.

The Futenma Marine Corps Air Station on Okinawa, one of the largest United States military bases in East Asia, is in the center of a crowded city. The American and Japanese governments acknowledge the dangers of this situation, and they agreed nearly 15 years ago that the base should be moved; however, no move has yet been made.

In 2009 a new prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama, tantalized Okinawans with the prospect of moving the despised base off the island, but he was recently forced to resign, in part because of his failure to keep that promise. Mr. Hatoyama’s successor, Naoto Kan, has made it clear that he intends to respect the United States-Japan security treaty — a position that, while not directly related to the issue of dialing down the United States military presence in Japan, may indicate which way the wind is blowing.

Read it in full.

SU2C: Olivia Munn + Vanessa Hudgens + Aaron Yoo

Don't blink though if you want to see Aaron Yoo - and make sure to look in the background (or watch it twice).

SE7EN: Better Together

International Secret Agents LA And NY

Do I even need to say anything about the talent that's going to be here?

Didn't think so.

Check the lineup, save the dates, and get your tix.

The wait is over.

The International Secret Agents Concerts (ISA), presented by JCPenney, are back again; and 2010 aims to be ISA's biggest year yet. Hip Hop sensation Far*East Movement (CherryTree / Interscope Records) and Wong Fu Productions, along with MTV Iggy and 4C The power, to dominate Los Angeles and New York with a stellar line up of industry buzzing accomplished talent.

In addition to the concerts, JCPenney and ISA are giving fans a unique chance again to become an overnight star through the JCPenney Back to School Breakout Performer contest. The winners, chosen by popular vote by the public and then judged by ISA judges, will have a chance to perform their talent live at the Los Angeles and New York ISA concerts. Visit www.jcpvote.com to see who is in the running to be the next JCPenney Back to School Breakout Performer.

BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW! : http://isa.highwire.com/

The ISA line up is as follows:

ISA - New York
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Webster Hall
125 East 11th Street, _
New York City, NY 10003

* David Choi - Singer / Songwriter / 450k YouTube Subscribers_-

http://www.youtube.com/davidchoimusic
http://davidchoimusic.com/

* David Garibaldi - Performance Painter, Toured with The Blue Man Group_-

http://www.garibaldiarts.com

* Far East Movement - Cherrytree / Interscope Recording Artist, Single "Like A G6" / MTV Iggy 25 Best New Artists in The World -

http://www.fareastmovement.com

* Jennifer Chung - 120,000 YouTube Subscribers / MTV Iggy 25 Best New Artists in The World

http://www.youtube.com/user/jenniferjchung

* Kevin Wu aka KevJumba (Host) - 1 Million Subscribers on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/user/kevjumba

* Lydia Paek - Singer / Quest Crew / Boxchuttaz_-

http://www.youtube.com/user/JUUKKES

* Quest Crew - MTV America's Best Dance Crew Season 3 Champions_-

http://www.questcrew.com/

* Ryan Higa aka NigaHiga (Host) - All time most subscribed person on YouTube (2.5 Million Subscribers)

http://www.youtube.com/user/nigahiga

* Wong Fu Productions (film) - Film Makers / 350k YouTube Subscribers / Cannes Film Festival

http://www.youtube.com/user/WongFuProductions
http://www.wongfuproductions.com


ISA - Los Angeles
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts
12700 Center Court Drive South_
Cerritos, CA 90703

* AJ Rafael + Friends - Singer / Songwriter / 200k Subscribers on YouTube_-

http://www.youtube.com/user/ilajil

* Alyssa Bernal - Star Trak / Interscope Recording Artist / 300k + subscribers on YouTube

http://startrakmusic.com/artists/alyssa-bernal/

* Far East Movement - Cherrytree / Interscope Recording Artist, Single "Like A G6" / MTV Iggy 25 Best New Artists in The World

http://www.fareastmovement.com

* Jay Park ft AOM - Singer / Dance Crew / #1 Song in Korea "Count On Me (Nothing On You)"

http://www.allkpop.com/2010/07/jay-park-to-release-nothin-on-you-ep
http://www.youtube.com/user/jayparkaom

* Kevin Wu aka KevJumba (Host) - 1 Million Subscribers on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/user/kevjumbA

* Lydia Paek (Host) - Singer / Quest Crew / Boxchuttaz_-

http://www.youtube.com/user/JUUKKEs

* Poreotics - America's Best Dance Crew Season 5 Champions

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poreotics

* Ryan Higa aka NigaHiga (Host) - All time most subscribed person on YouTube (2.5 Million Subscribers)

http://www.youtube.com/user/nigahiga

* Wong Fu Productions (film) - Film Makers / 350k YouTube Subscribers / Cannes Film Festival

http://www.youtube.com/user/WongFuProductions
http://www.wongfuproductions.com

For more information on the upcoming ISA concerts, please visit www.internationalsecretagents.com

Tickets are available for both concerts now by logging on to http://isa.highwire.com/

Her Blueprint: Art & Ideas For Women Everywhere

I got this sent to my inbox from the International Museum of Women and wanted to make sure and post this on up:

We are very excited to announce that we have revamped and relaunched the official IMOW blog with a new look and a new title: Her Blueprint: Art & Ideas for Women Everywhere.Visit Her Blueprint to hear the latest news on what's happening at the museum and get daily updates on some of the causes and issues that our staff and blog contributors care most about. Go behind the scenes of our exhibitions and programs, read exclusive interviews with our favorite thinkers, artists, and supporters, and learn more about issues close to our hearts as activists for women's human rights. Thank you for your support!

Call for Entries: 5th KAFFNY 2011

For all the filmmakers out there.

5th KAFFNY 2011 Call for Entries

THE FESTIVAL

5th KAFFNY 2011 is scheduled for February 2011. KAFFNY is a New York film festival screening works of interest to the local Korean American and broader community. Our festival features films of all subject matter, genres and lengths from a variety of perspectives.

CALL FOR ENTRIES

We are now accepting entries for 5th KAFFNY 2011.

Features:

Narrative or Documentary films, completed January 1st, 2009 or later.
Films longer than 60 minutes.

Shorts Competition:

All genres, completed January 1st, 2009 or later.
Films shorter than 30 minutes preferred.
Jury Award – Cash Prize TBD
Audience Award – Cash Prize TBD

Shorts:

All genres, completed any date.
Films shorter than 30 minutes preferred.

Internet:

All genres, completed any date.
Films will be screened on a rolling basis throughout the year at www.kaffny.com.
There is no deadline for Internet entries.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Entry Forms
Fill out online entry form at: www.kaffny.com/2011entryform
Accepted exhibition formats are: 35mm, HDCam, Digibeta, or Betacam.

2. DVD Screeners
Send DVD preview screeners (NTSC, Region 0 or 1) to:

KAFFNY
c/o Barrel
104 W 27th Street, 11A
New York, NY 10001

*There is no entry fee!
**Do not send DVDs in fiber filled envelopes! The fibers can ruin both your screeners and our equipment.

REGULATIONS

Deadline: Entry Forms and DVD screeners must be received in our offices no later than November 30th, 2010. Submitting early gives you more time for consideration, and helps you avoid the risk of missing the deadline. You may send more than one entry at a time. Press Kits are not required until after selection.

Premiere Status: There is no premiere requirement with KAFFNY, although making at least your NY premiere with us is favorable.

Preview Format: All preview screeners must be submitted on DVD (NTSC, Region 0 or 1) and be in English or have English subtitles.

Exhibition Format: Accepted formats for exhibition are: 35mm, HDCam, Digital Beta NTSC, or Betacam NTSC. Film prints must be traditional “married” release prints with sound.

Festival Notification: Final program determinations will be made by January 15th, 2011. You will be notified in writing on or before that date, whether your film has been selected.

Loss and Damage: Every precaution will be taken to safeguard all materials submitted while in our possession. However, we cannot accept or assume responsibility in the event of loss or damage.

For an immediate acknowledgement of our receipt of your submission, include a self-addressed stamped postcard, which we will send back to you. If you’d like your preview copy returned, include a self-addressed, stamped mailing package. Screeners will otherwise not be returned.

Please direct your inquires to info@kaffny.com. Also, visit our website at www.kaffny.com.

South Korea Gets The iPhone 4

Just in case you were wondering, were thinking about moving to Seoul, or just had random iPhone cravings:

South Korean officials approved Apple’s iPhone 4 for sale in the country on Tuesday, checking off one more country where the company’s combination iPod and smartphone will soon be available. Apple’s cell service partner in the country, KT, plans to begin selling the iPhone 4 some time in September, according to the Wall Street Journal.

I predict a world filled with people never actually looking at each other even though they're sitting right next to the people they're talking too.