San Francisco already has an Asian-American mayor in Ed Lee, who was appointed in January. But the Nov. 8 election is being seen as an historic moment in a city that has the largest percentage of Asian-Americans in the continental United States and boasts the nation's oldest Chinatown.
While the candidates are from diverse Asian backgrounds and differ on policy, all agree that the community's time has come.
And it's not just in San Francisco. The race "is just a glimmer of what's to come for Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities across the country," said Gloria Chan, president of the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies in Washington, D.C.
If an Asian-American candidate wins, San Francisco will be the largest U.S. city with an elected Asian-American mayor. There are 35 Asian-American mayors nationwide, including Lee, according to APAICS.
It's not like someone watching over your back is bad thing all the time and while most of the time you should be cringing when you hear the words "monitor" and "Asian Americans" in the same sentence - in this case - I'm thinking it's a good thing.
The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund said it will send attorneys, law students, and community volunteers to document any voting barriers faced by Asian American voters in Tuesday's municipal elections.
The group wants make sure Asian language ballots, interpreters, and voting materials are available. The group also wants to monitor voter identification requirements and whether provisional ballots are offered to individuals whose names don't appear on voter lists.
Clothing giant Forever 21, owned by the Chang family (who BTW are devout Christians…check the John 3:16 printed on the bottom of each bag), is no stranger to controversy. They’ve been boycotted by factory workers for poor working conditions and back payroll, featured in the sweatshop documentary Made in L.A., and even sued by Gwen Stefani for ripping off her Harajuku Lovers designs (O, the irony!).
Forever 21 committed another “Allergic to Algebra”-type gaffe this week when fashion bloggers discovered the Korean American-owned company was selling an “Oriental Girl” necklace.
Thanks for all the great questions posed to the stars of A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas. Here are the answers to the questions John Cho selected in our exclusive 8Asians Reader Q&A!
1. How did your family respond when you told them you were interested in pursuing acting as a career? – AnnPantaleon
JC: They weren’t super enthusiastic, but they were understanding. No one ever forbade me. They were just worried that I wouldn’t be able to pay the rent!
The city of Las Vegas announced today that November 25, 2011 will be declared “K-Pop Masters Day” in honor of the inaugural Billboard K-Pop Masters events, taking place on November 25 & 26 at the legendary MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. These star-studded live music events, produced by KPMA, LLC., will bring fans together to celebrate and spotlight one of world’s fastest growing genres of music.
The 2011 Billboard K-Pop Masters will feature performances by some of today’s biggest Korean pop stars including 4Minute, BEAST, Sistar, G.NA, Brown Eyed Girls, MBLAQ, SHINee and TVXQ. Kicking off with a red carpet event on November 25, these concerts will be state-of-the-art productions and exciting music experiences for fans that are riding the “K-Pop wave.”
“Las Vegas is known as the entertainment capital of the world, so it is only fitting that Billboard has chosen our fabulous city to showcase the top Korean pop stars,” said Mayor Carolyn G. Goodman who has presented the events with a proclamation marking November 25, 2011, as “K-Pop Masters Day” in the city of Las Vegas. “We have long been proud of the Korean entertainers who have performed in our city over the years. I welcome the events to Las Vegas, and I know they will be a great success.”
The 2011 Billboard K-Pop Masters events will also help expand Billboard’s and Billboard Korea’s coverage of this popular music genre, as they are being held shortly after the launch of the Billboard K-Pop 100 chart, which ranks the country’s top songs according to digital sales via leading websites in addition to downloads from mobile service sites. The chart has been well received by both the industry and K-Pop fans, and currently appears on Billboard Korea’s website, billboard.co.kr, in the international chart section of Billboard.com and Billboard.biz, and in Billboard Magazine.
You know you want to see it. You've been waiting to see it more than the Lion King in 3D (which you already saw because you have daddy issues).
Wait no longer.
WHAT: BUSAN WEST ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL
WHO: Bong Joon-ho – Writer/ Director (Mother, The Host, Memories of Murder) Bob Bassett – Dodge College of Film and Media Arts’ Dean Carolyn V. Cavecche – Mayor of Orange Sukhee Kang – Mayor of Irvine *More names are scheduled to be announced
WHERE: Marion Knott Studios, Chapman University 326 W. Palm St., Orange, CA, 92866
WHEN: Friday, November 11, 2011 6:00 PM
Red Carpet Arrivals Busan West Asian Film Festival, hosted by Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, in continued partnership with Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), Asia’s largest film festival, presents an exciting and unique filmmaker showcase that brings Asian films and filmmakers from BIFF to the U.S. to create a new platform for heightened recognition outside of Asia.
Bong Joon-ho will receive the Busan West Icon Award and present his hit film “The Host 3D,” which will make its U.S. premiere, to open Busan West on Friday, November 11th, following the Icon award ceremony. Busan West 2011 will feature eleven feature films from five countries: China, Korea, Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Three of those films will make their North American premiere at Busan West including Bong Joon-ho’s “The Host 3D,” the Korean animation feature “Leafie, A Hen Into the Wild” directed by Oh Seong-yun and Filipino drama “Niño” directed by Loy Arcenas, winner of the New Currents Award from BIFF 2011.
Come celebrate the latest version of CAAM’s game about race and the media – play the free app and challenge your friends while enjoying happy hour drinks and eats! WHEN: Thursday, November 10WHERE: Mercury Lounge (1582 Folsom Street, SF CA)6:30pm to 8:30pmFREE with RSVP! We hope that you will be able to join us. Our event is co-hosted by our friends at the Mercury Lounge as part of Mercury Matters where 10% of all food and drink sales will be generously donated to CAAM. Feel free to RSVP by responding to this email directly or emailingmalegre@caamedia.org; and please forward this email to any of your constituents who you think may want to join us!
Just in case you were wondering - that portion of the title wasn't me.
On December 3rd, the Korean American community will once again be gathering at the legendary Wilshire Park Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles for the 11th Annual ‘Unforgettable’ Gala.
A “Night of Entertainment and Awards,” Unforgettable Gala is a black-tie, red carpet, soju-filled event that celebrates Korean and Korean American celebrities and their strong presence and influence in mainstream Hollywood.As Presenting and beverage sponsors for 6 consecutive years for the biggest Gala of the year, Hite Beer and Jinro Soju will be hosting the hottest After Party to end the year in good spirits. To kick of ‘Unforgettable,’ Hite and Jinro are sponsoring a video commercial contest with KoreAm Journal, starring Hite Beer, Jinro Soju, and you!
This is a huge opportunity to showcase your talents, or even just to have fun and tap into your wild and creative side. Meaning, you don’t have to be a professional videographer to enter and make your very own commercial! And the best part? The prizes include: $1,000 cold hard cash, 2 entrance tickets to “Unforgettable” ($500 value each), a public viewing of your video at ‘Unforgettable,’ and/or a private party for the winner with Hite Beer and Jinro Soju products and materials provided and hosted by Hite and Jinro.Grab your video cameras, your cast and crew (or your friends) and start rolling the film! Submissions accepted until November 26th 11:59 PM!For guidelines and rules on how to enter the contest, check out “Soju wanna make a video” at:
SAIGON ELECTRIC just won the BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE AWARD at the Philadelphia Asian Film Festival! Writer-director Stephane Gauger was in attendance for the screening and accepted the award, which was announced on Friday, November 4th.
Ending it’s first run in theaters, the film is set for a theatrical tour in the coming months across the country, and a VOD launch in December, so check back here for the full announcement!
Be still when you have nothing to say; when genuine passion moves you, say what you’ve got to say, and say it hot. – D. H. Lawrence
Sex. You think about it, dream about it, watch it, do it, wish you were doing it, wish you weren’t, but you’d rather not write it, because it’s not respectable. Because you’re concerned it won’t be taken seriously. Because even when you do try to write about it, you find yourself holding back, out of modesty, or shame, or fear. Because you worry about how your parents or even your friends will react when they read it. Because you think you have nothing to say.
We believe you have something to say, and we want to hear it.
This call for submissions is for the second anthology of South Asian literary erotica to be published by India’s Tranquebar press. Tranquebar’s first erotica anthology, Electric Feather, was a best seller and helped erotica gain recognition in the subcontinent as an important and influential literary genre. With this second anthology, we hope to continue the success of the first one while including a greater diversity of voices and sexual experience.
What we’re looking for: Stories that are thoughtfully written, visceral and honest, involving South Asian characters, settings, and/or themes. Stories can be titillating, dark, shocking, humorous, experimental, subversive; they can involve sex with others, sex with yourself, imagined sex, sexual fetishes—it’s entirely up to you. We’re also interested in translations of erotica written in regional languages.
Writers should be from South Asia or the South Asian diaspora
Accepting fiction and narrative non-fiction
2,500 – 7,000 words
Contributors will receive a one-time payment
Please attach your submission as a Word document and include a brief bio in the body of the email
Email submissions to erotica.southasia@gmail.com by January 15, 2012.
From the PR department to my inbox and now on to you ('cause you know I'm semi-lazy and this is just the best I can do).
NAPABA Applauds the Nomination of General Coral Wong Pietsch to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
WASHINGTON - The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) applauds President Obama for nominating Brigadier General Coral Wong Pietsch, USA (Ret) to the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. If confirmed, General Pietsch would be the first Asian Pacific American to sit on that court. General Pietsch delivered the 2003 NAPABA convention keynote address in Hawaii.
"We are proud to see another first in Asian Pacific American history with the nomination of General Pietsch," said Paul O. Hirose, President of NAPABA. "She has been a trailblazer in every step of her career, and we are confident that she will continue to distinguish herself as the first Asian Pacific American to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims."
General Pietsch was born in Waterloo, Iowa, to a Chinese immigrant father from Canton, China who had come to the United States to start a Chinese restaurant. She currently serves as the Senior Civilian Attorney and Special Assistant in the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate for the U.S. Army Pacific. She is a retired Brigadier General in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps, where she was an active duty member of the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General Corps from 1974 to 1980. While a member of the U.S. Army Reserve, she was promoted to Brigadier General and became the first female General officer in the Judge Advocate General's Corps as well as the first female Asian American General officer in the U.S. Army. She holds a B.A. from the College of St. Teresa, an M.A. from Marquette University, and a J.D. from the Catholic University of America.
Established under Article I of the Constitution, the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims has exclusive national jurisdiction to provide independent, federal, judicial oversight and review of final decisions of the Board of Veterans' Appeals. Judges are confirmed by the U.S. Senate and serve for a 15-year term. NAPABA congratulates General Pietsch on her historic nomination and thanks President Obama for nominating her.
Because you know you want to see some great film South Asian style.
Now in its 8th year, the South Asian International Film Festival (SAIFF) will present the premieres of 19 exciting new films from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh, all created by emerging talents and made outside the Indian studio system that often dominates production in the region. North Americaʼs premiere showcase for the best in new cinema from India and throughout South Asia, SAIFF will take place from November 9-15 at the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT), Auditorium on Broadway, located at 1871 Broadway at 62nd Street.
This year’s bold line-up explores cultural taboos such as sexuality and corruption, as well as examinations of society in South Asia from diverse points of view. Featured as the opening night film is India’s selection for this year’s Academy Awards®, Abu, Son of Adam (Adaminte Makan Abu), the directorial debut by Salim Ahamed. The festival will also feature a Conversation Series with Shekhar Kapur (Bandit Queen, Elizabeth and The Four Feathers) on Saturday, November 12th at 2.30pm, during which he will discuss the evolution of his esteemed career from Bollywood actor to Hollywood director.
The jury for the Dramatic and Short Film competition sections consists of Richard Lorber, President & CEO of Kino Lorber, David Kwok, Director of Programming of the Tribeca Film Festival, Paul Rachman, Co-Founder and East Coast Director of the Slamdance Film Festival, Cindi Rowel, DVD Producer of New Yorker Films, Grady Hendrix, Co-Founder & Programmer of the New York Asian Film Festival and Mark DeFrancis, Head of Acquisitions of Indiepix Films. For full program information, schedules, tickets and press downloads, visit www.saiff.org
You know this is going to be a great event - so there's not really much more to say except get your tickets and check out all the action at capeusa.org.
THE COALITION OF ASIAN PACIFICS IN ENTERTAINMENT (CAPE) Hosts Their 20th Anniversary Gala Honoring the Cast of CBS’ Hawaii Five-0, Maggie Q, The Creators of Nickelodeon’s Supah Ninjas and Youtube’s Ryan Higa
CAPE (The Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) will be hosting their 20th Anniversary Gala held at Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles. A full course seated dinner will be catered by Beverly Hill’s Crustacean restaurant. LXD (The League of Extraordinary Dancers) including Harry Shum Jr (“Glee”), and YTF Global (the most popular celebrity entertainers from YouTube) are confirmed to perform.
WHEN:
Saturday, November 12th 5:00 p.m. Media check-in 6:00-7:00 p.m. Red Carpet and VIP Reception 7:30 p.m. Dinner Begins 7:45 p.m. Awards Show Begins 9:00 p.m. Show Ends 11:00p.m. After Party at J-Lounge
WHERE:
Union Station 800 N. Alameda St Los Angeles, CA 90012
WHO:
Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE or CAPEUSA.org) advances diversity and cross-cultural awareness by educating and promoting Asian Pacific Islanders for key artistic and leadership roles in entertainment and media. CAPE is one of the largest Asian-American professional entertainment industry organizations in Hollywood. Its members include studio and network executives, agents and managers, production executives, actors, writers, producers and directors. For additional details on The Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE USA) please visit, http://capeusa.org/
CELEBS EXPECTED:
Maggie Q (“Nikita,” LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD), Daniel Dae Kim (“Hawaii 5-0,” “Lost”), Brian Yang (“Hawaii 5-0”), Jamie Chung (THE HANGOVER PART II, SUCKER PUNCH), George Takei (“Star Trek,” “Supah Ninjas”), Alec Mapa (“Ugly Betty”), Harry Shum Jr. (“Glee,” “The LXD: League of Extraordinary Dancers”), Leonardo Nam (HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU, THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT), C.S. Lee (“Dexter”), Masi Oka (“Hawaii 5-0,” “Heroes”), Kenneth Choi (CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER, “Sons of Anarchy”), Randall Park (“Supah Ninjas”),Tamlyn Tomita (“Glee,” “Law & Order: LA), Archie Kao (“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”), Kelly Hu (“The Vampire Diaries,” “Hawaii 5-0”),Leo Chu (Creator of Nickelodeon’s “Supah Ninjas”), Kelsey Chow (“Pair of Kings”), Carlos Knight (“Supah Ninjas”), Gracie Dzienny (“Supah Ninjas”), James Kyson Lee (“Heroes”), Eric Garcia (Creator of Nickelodeon’s “Supah Ninjas”), Ryan Higa (YouTube Sensation), Jusak Yang Bernhard (“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”), Nina Tassler (CBS President), Keiko Agena (“Gilmore Girls”), Peter Lenkov (Executive Producer of “Hawaii 5-0”), Bob Orci (Executive Producer of “Hawaii 5-0”)
You can also follow on Twitter @CAPEusa or fb.com/CAPEusa.
I got sent in some e-mail from William Tong's campaign manager and while Hiram Fong was the first Chinese American Senator, if elected, William Tong would be the first Chinese American Senator in the continental United States -- that means stateside.
Cool.
Here's a little more on Tong from his campaign site.
This is a campaign that began with just 57 cents. That is all William Tong’s father had when he immigrated to Connecticut. Like many Americans, William’s parents believed in the opportunities that this country affords and the principle of giving everyone a fair shot. These beliefs are at the core of William’s campaign for the U.S. Senate today.
William’s parents made every sacrifice for William and his sisters. Their drive and sacrifice enabled William to go to Phillips Academy (Andover) and Brown University. He later completed his law degree at the University of Chicago, where he studied Constitutional Law under Barack Obama.
As an adult, William never forgot the long hours he spent as a child working side-by-side with his parents in their family restaurant. He spent nights and weekends washing dishes, cooking and waiting tables – learning first-hand what it is to struggle, to run a small business, and to confront the challenges that working families face every day.
And he learned to fight and compete.
It was that fight, and that competitive spirit, that drove William in his historic campaign for State Representative in 2006. He soundly beat an entrenched Republican incumbent to make history as the first Democrat ever to represent the 147th District in the General Assembly, and the first Asian Pacific American elected at the state level in Connecticut’s history. In 2008, he was the first elected official in Connecticut to endorse then Senator, Barack Obama for President.
Representative William Tong has been called one of the most exciting and fastest rising stars in the Democratic Party. In Connecticut Magazine, William was voted by his peers from the Connecticut General Assembly as the legislator with the “Best Promise for the Future” and was referred to in the Hartford Courant as the “Asian Obama”.
After the financial crisis of 2008 and 2009, William was appointed Chairman of the committee that oversees and regulates the banking and financial services industries. William has used that leadership position to significantly expand Connecticut’s Foreclosure Mediation program (Public Act No. 11-201), a national model for foreclosure relief that has helped to keep 65% of participating families stay in their homes.
In his first six months of service, William spearheaded the Lost and Stolen Firearms Bill (Public Act No. 07-163), a landmark bill aimed to stop the spread of illegal guns in our cities. He also passed Public Act 10-176, legislation that gives Connecticut’s Attorney General the power to investigate big oil companies and unfair gasoline prices.
Though his service in the state legislature has demanded many sacrifices from his family, William is proud of his work and grateful for the support of his wife, Elizabeth, also an attorney. William and Elizabeth have a growing family that includes two little daughters, Eleanor and Penelope, and a newly born son, Alexander “Sasha” Tong. It is their future and the future of all Connecticut’s families that he’s fighting for.
This December, acclaimed Hmong hip-hop MC, spoken word artist, and community organizer Tou SaiKo Lee returns to Thailand with documentary filmmaker Justin Schell for the final installment of We Rock Long Distance. This will be Lee's second trip to Thailand since his birth there in 1979 on the Nongkhai Hmong refugee camp, and his first since 2008. That trip is chronicled in Schell and Lee's documentary Travel in Spirals, which recently screened at the Twin Cities Film Fest.
While in Thailand, Lee will reconnect with family members still in the Hmong villages around Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, learn about the traditional poetry of kwv txhiaj and paj huam, collaborate and record with singers and poets, conduct workshops, and explore the connections between Hmong hip-hop in Thailand and Hmong hip-hop in America as he explores the global movement of hip-hop amongst the dispersed Hmong people.
To help with production expenses, we're holding a fundraiser for the trip on Friday, November 11 (11/11/11) at CoCo, featuring traditional and contemporary music and poetry from Hmong and non-Hmong performers, including the b-boy crew Looney Tunes, traditional Hmong violin and poetry from Yaj Ceeb, and a set by Fresh Traditions, the collaboration between Tou SaiK and his grandmother, Youa Chang.
What: We Rock Long Distance in Thailand Fundraiser Where: Coco – 213 E. 4th St., St. Paul, MN 55101 | Map When: November 11, 2001 - 6:00pm – 9:00pm Cost: $10 Adults | $5 Youth 16 and Under | Free admission for Elders 60 and above
Please come out, tell your friends, and thank you for your support! You can RSVP on Facebook.
If you can't make it, you can also support the trip by purchasing a DVD of Travel in Spirals or a hand-made "WRLD" kente bracelet from Ghana, or by making a tax-deductible donation to the project through IFP Minnesota.
From someone doing PR to my inbox and now on to you.
The ‘Fast Five’ director teams-up with top YouTubers Ryan Higa, KevJumba and others on new online channel
(Los Angeles, CA)—Film director Justin Lin (Fast Five) is overseeing the creation of the YOMYOMF Network, scheduled to debut in early 2012 as a launch partner of YouTube’s groundbreaking original channels initiative, announced on October 28. The new channel springs from YouOffendMeYouOffendMyFamily.com (YOMYOMF), an Asian American pop culture blog founded in 2009 by Lin, whose other directing credits include MTV’s Better Luck Tomorrow, Universal’s Fast & Furious and episodes of the NBC comedy Community.
“YOMYOMF was started so creative and interesting individuals could come together to share their point-of-views in an honest and entertaining way,” says Lin. “Our new channel is the natural evolution of that philosophy and I look forward to working with new and old friends who share that sensibility.”
The YOMYOMF Network is founded by entertainment, technology and web video veterans including Lin, Ryan Higa, Kevin Wu, Abdul Khan, Philip W. Chung, Cash Warren, NBA star Baron Davis and Chester See.
Asian Americans continue to be one of YouTube’s largest demographic. Many of the top YouTube stars are Asian Americans like Kevin Wu (KevJumba) and Ryan Higa (currently the 2nd most subscribed personality on YouTube). Meanwhile, Asian Americans continue to make inroads in Hollywood with films like A Very Harold and Kumar 3-D Christmas and Lin’s own Fast Five, which broke box office records globally and had the biggest opening in Universal Pictures' history. The new channel will bring these two worlds together and tap into the ever-growing audience—both Asian and non-Asian—embracing this new generation of talent.
“The YOMYOMF Network will be about empowering those unique voices that are driven by passion,” explains Lin. “We want to support both established and emerging artists who are not only talented, but have that passion. The young YouTubers like Ryan and Kevin started with nothing, but went out there and created a name and following for their work. It reminds me of what we did on Better Luck Tomorrow and that’s the energy and sensibility that will serve as the foundation to build our online family.”
Lin is overseeing the slate of shows being developed for the channel, which will include both scripted and reality series, and cover a wide range of genres from comedy to animation to music to lifestyle programs.
“I’ve been on YouTube since 2006 and this is one of the most exciting projects I’ve been honored to be a part of,” says Ryan Higa. “To be able to create the type of network that I’ve always wanted to see, to help redefine what an Asian American channel can be in the 21st Century and to showcase the amazing talent out there—this is an unprecedented opportunity.”
The YOMYOMF Network has already attracted a diverse roster of well-known talent including Jessica Alba (Machete), Far East Movement (hip hop quartet, “Like a G6” #1 on the Billboard charts), David Henry Hwang (Tony Award-winning writer, M. Butterfly), Sung Kang (Fast Five), Danny Pudi (Community), Joe & Anthony Russo (Emmy Award-winning directors, Arrested Development), Harry Shum Jr. (Glee) and Iris Yamashita (Academy Award-nominated writer, Letters from Iwo Jima).
Lin will serve as the channel’s Creative Head while the day-to-day operations will be managed by Philip W. Chung (who will oversee the creative content) and Abdul Khan (who will oversee the business affairs). Other members of the management team include producers Cash Warren, Sal Gatdula and the Hawaii International Film Festival’s Anderson Le.
"I've always been a fan of content which springs from a desire to do really interesting and creative work,” says Baron Davis. “So I'm excited that I get to collaborate with artists like Justin Lin, Kevin Wu and Ryan Higa who have that desire and also care about the Asian American community. The YOMYOMF Network will be a place for everyone who shares that collective sensibility whether you're Asian or not--all are welcome."
The slantyapolis/seftre blog has served millions of views trying to help in its own way, to give voice to the Asian and Asian American community, as well as document it, over the last 18 years. Sometimes op-ed, sometimes straight news, sometimes off the beaten path--the continued impetus remains that there's power in sharing voices and in sharing your own voice and reflecting that back into the communities you belong to.
If you're looking for the 2008 In Review Posts, the link list has been moved out, but you can still get to them all by following this link which pulls them up by label (they'll be in reverse so go to the oldest post to read them in order).
2007 In Review Posts
If you're looking for the 2007 In Review Posts, the link list has been moved out, but you can still get to them all by following this link which pulls them up by label (they'll be in reverse so go to the oldest post to read them in order).
