Watch The Andi Mack First Episode On YouTube (Disney Channel's First Asian American Show)

The series is set to premiere a month from now.

P.S. I Love Lauren Tom.

Just In Case: Asian Mom + Nanny + Well No

By now many people have heard about this but jut in case you didn't - yeah - the interruption is spectacular, but no - she is not the nanny.

By a long shot.

And yes - we all know what's going on behind the scenes on that one.

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-bbc-professor-video-asian-wife-nanny-stereotypes-20170310-story.html

29 Hours To Go: Fiction & Other Realities + Backed + Be A Backer

Quick note that the Kickstarter project: FICTION & OTHER REALITIES - A Big Phony Music Feature Film got backed all the way so for sure there will be a movie and if you want to get in on the action there's 29 hours left to pledge to be a backer. They do not have a digital download or DVD reward as they aren't sure of the distribution, but for anyone pledging $20+ if it does become available, you'll get it (crossing the fingers) - but at the end of the day, it's about backing some great Asian American projects and film.

Kick it @ https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bigphony/fiction-and-other-realities-a-big-phony-music-feat

Binge Watch + OJ + Dancing Itos + At Least We Were There?

Like a lot of folks I had to binge watch "The People v O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story" on Netflix and I actually just ate that up - and I forgot how damn crazy everything was during that time.

I was happy to see Kenneth Choi as Lance Ito though - who played him great - and glad to see that Ito wasn't just a bit part in all of this and sure you might ask "Well - why wouldn't he?" but as we all know - it's happened before.

Also glad for the shout out to Connie Chung.

'Cause you know - Connie Chung = badass.

Giant Robot + Interviewing Roy Choi

A lot of meat on this interview.

With all the fixin's and some banchan?

When I think about Roy Choi, it’s not his food or restaurants, (which includes Kogi, Chego, Pot, and A frame), it’s his cadence and candor. He could easily have a celebrity chef persona but remains far from it. Perhaps it’s his analogies or word choices. When he speaks, you can’t help but listen as you take in his infectious smile. It turns out we’re about the same age, yet I still look towards Roy as a sempai who transcends time. He’s perpetually cool and that’s unfakeable.

Read it up @ GR @ http://beta.giantrobot.media/roychoi/

Tweet That: Hawaii VS Trump

Judge Watson, Hawaii Federal District Court, has issued briefing schedule order in Hawaii v Trump. Hearing on TRO scheduled March 15 9:30am. pic.twitter.com/xES45ozx0P

— Hawaii AG (@AtghIgov) March 8, 2017

Cambodian Deportation Halted But 5 Of The Minnesota 8 Still Looking To Be Deported

Great work by all the community members who've been working with the Minnesota 8 to help Ched Nin to stay in this country with his children and wife.

From AAPress:

Following months of sustained community advocacy, long-time Minnesota resident Ched Nin was released to his wife and their five children in late February after being held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for over six months [...] Quyen Dinh, executive director of the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC), said, “Jenny and the Release Minnesota 8 campaign demonstrate the power of grassroots organizing and embody the fierce resilience of our refugee communities. Ched was finally released through legal channels, but it took months of community mobilization by Cambodian Americans and advocates to come this far.”

Read it in full here.

At the same time, as AApress reports - 5 are still looking to be deported.

Another link if you so desire @ http://www.searac.org/new/breaking-cambodian-deportation-halted-due-groundswell-community-support

At an immigration hearing on February 24th, 2017, Ched was represented by University of Minnesota law professor Linus Chan and his students John Hoag and Shane Fitzmaurice through the James Bringer Center for New Americans. He was released after an immigration judge granted him a 212(h) waiver and regained his green card on the grounds that his family would suffer extreme hardship in the event of his deportation.

Julie Mao, an attorney with the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild, explained, "We are grateful that the Court recognized the extreme hardship that Ched's deportation would have on his family and community by granting him this rare form of relief. We celebrate Ched's release and the organizing that brought us to this victory, while recognizing the thousands of families impacted by deportations that are unable to access such relief due to our unjust immigration laws. We will continue to support grassroots community in exposing and organizing against our harsh incarceration and deportation systems."

"The courageous organizing in the Release Minnesota 8 campaign shows that even if our people have convictions, we will fight and we can win. In Ched's case, I believe that the broad movement support is what made the difference," said Jacinta Gonzalez, Field Director of Mijente. "This is a win for organized communities that lays out a road map for how to continue fighting against criminalization and deportations under a much more aggressive administration."

CAAMFEST35 Starts Tonight With The Tiger Hunter

I wish I could be there this time around, but just because I can't doesn't mean you shouldn't.

Get tix.

Fund a community.

Dream in film.

Andy Dinh: Your On The 2017 Forbes 30 Under 30 List. Nice

Andy Dinh, 24
Founder, Team SoloMid

In the world of competitive video gaming, Dinh may be the next Michael Jordan or Nolan Ryan–a professional player turned team owner and sports icon. His Team SoloMid is North America’s top squad in the Tencent-owned game League of Legends, a hugely popular eSport which attracts 100 million players monthly and sells out arenas like Madison Square Garden for live competitions.”As I just competed more and more, eSports was taken a lot more seriously,” Dinh said. “[Now], you’re seeing billionaires buy teams in eSports.”After failing to persuade existing eSports organizations to pick up his team, Dinh formed TSM in 2009. He ran the organization while still serving as captain of the five-man team before stepping down in 2013 to focus solely on management. TSM’s YouTube channel has half-a-million subscribers, and their star player, Søren “Bjergsen” Bjerg boasts 1.2 million followers on Twitch. Dinh has been aggressive about monetizing the business, bringing in sponsors like Geico, HTC, Red Bull and Axe.

View the full list @ Forbes.

My Random Notes To White Guys

For some odd reason just a general thought in the sense that I get it - you have some of the same problems that we do. And it's not like you technically had to worry about some of the same things we have (at least right away). You were just trying to get by, make a life - do those things. I get it. You're just trying to live your life.

Same here.

And it's not like I don't like White People.

Or that I don't like White actors in movies for example - I mean when you can just focus on your craft that's a beautiful thing.

Not everyone can though. When there have, and are, attitudes and laws against POC - it's just different.

And yeah - I want to have fun. Do cool shit. Just fuck around sometimes. Who doesn't? But sometimes the weight of what's happening to people around me and in my communities makes me pause and makes me have to say something. Do something. Not sit idly by. And I know - time, struggles - we have to do what we have to do - and sure it's great when everyone can stand together, but if not, as long as no one's telling me what I should or shouldn't be fighting - it'll be cool.

One last thing - if you're in a room and someone is talking about dumbass White Guys, most likely they aren't talking about you - no need to step in for a team that you don't need to belong too.

Late Night Smooth Vibes

Oscars + Asian Names + Huh?

So while apparently I didn't get as many blog posts out last week that I wanted too - because apparently I just didn't (but I did get two new posts up at yomyomf.com on the crap ass Power Rangers and This Is Us) - I wanted to make sure and not let more time go w/o saying what an unfunny ass-hat joke that was that JK made about nice Oscar contestant Yulree's name - and sure - you have to expect something when you get something for free - but does it have to be in the form of an asshat joke about your name versus the "American" name?

Let's go with no on this one...

Some Metrics, Budgets, And Thoughts On My Micro Campaign Against The Immigration And Refugee Ban, Executive Order #13769

Throughout life I've found myself in more autonomous groups and roles. It's one of the reasons why I started blogging. It was a way for me to take some action and do something, but also on my own terms, on my own schedule. I love the people and groups I've gotten to know, some of the shared experiences, and I have so much respect for people that can organize on the ground level, and there are just so many ways to lend a voice, to take action, to add to the discourse.

With the immigrant and travel ban order, in addition to blogging about it I wanted to do something else, and I decided on a two-pronged approach - an informational site where some of the news and highlights of what was going on could be centralized for people searching or wanting to know about it, and displaying opposition to the order to online eyes via a campaign - in some ways (not quite though) like me waving my sign and marching in protest, and in other ways, like a targeted political add, which ended up being a Facebook campaign.

For the site, it was fairly easy, I put it up myself (Microsoft Cloud) - and I'm not a design wizard so there are some imperfections - but with so many free hosting services, or publishing services - getting a site out is fairly inexpensive. At first I was thinking about having people share their stories, do a tracker type piece, but decided to keep it informational because I didn't want to take on too much (from a moderation standpoint which would have to happen), as well thought there were better places people could perform that function. I built a quick news service to grab data and put it into a data store on keywords so it would be easier to update and less manual, and may put some other tools into it later. But for now I'm satisfied with the outcome - it's another added resource in opposition that can be managed now without too much effort.

For the FB campaign, when I think about - online campaigns (no matter where they are) are like being able to buy ads on TV in some ways - but at a price far less than even traditional print and really do help to level the playing field from an access standpoint. For this campaign I decided on around a $30 budget to place ads and tags for wearenotorder13769.org for a little over two days. My goal wasn't in engagement or click thrus but simply about putting a small message of opposition in front of the eyes of people and reaching as many as I could with my budget. Over the course of the campaign around 12,000 people were reached (multiple times) with what I'd call medium filtering on the audience being targeted (I didn't go too general, but wasn't extremely targeted either).

For a newspaper ad - maybe I pay around $300-$400 for a 1/8 black and white ad for 15,000 eyeballs. For color - maybe double. And maybe I shouldn't compare the two - but I will anyway. For that price where I can target a specific audience, get a color add, some copy, and be able to track impressions, reach, click-throughs, etc. - it's a win.

I didn't care about engagement at the outset from a goal standpoint - but my CTR was .26% which is decent with around 31 click-throughs on the ad. It doesn't sound like a lot and compared to a number like 12,000 it isn't - but what's the value of those clicks, someone finding something more out about the ban, or passing that information on to a friend, or just planting another seed of resistance into their mind? It's different from commerce conversion and closing rates, but if each customer was worth $50 it would at least be profitable even if only one person would end up purchasing. But the others would still know the brand and maybe think about going there.

There's no brand and no customers in this case, but there is a message and I think at least from my vantage point, I'm satisfied with the way it's been delivered. I think on a micro/mini level we can create these campaigns, or forces of opposition, and when combined, I think they do speak to the power that we all have as individuals within a much larger collective.

Small ripples.

Get Those Lebron Sneaks + Richie Le

If you wanted to know - just check in with the Viets.

Good Messeges: A Little Drive, A Little CLARA

I think this is just a good message and a good video.

Remembering Executive Order 9066

Some links to some good articles - albeit unfortunate that they have to exist just like Allegiance which I saw on Sunday - but nonetheless - we have to remember.

OC Register

Warnings were not given and explanations were not offered. But when that first wave of arrests came, word spread quickly. Everybody knew. So two months later, on Feb. 19, 1942, the Japanese American community in Southern California – the nation’s largest at about 35,000 – was less shocked than it was horrified by what occurred: Executive Order 9066.

SGV Tribune

In the weeks after 9066 was signed, families throughout Southern California -- home to the biggest Japanese American population in the country -- sold their belongings, packed what they could carry and reported to ominously named “assembly centers,” where they stayed until the internment camps were ready for occupation.

LA Times

He’s 94 years old and still clearly remembers. Tokuji Yoshihashi remembers Japan’s 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor and wondering what would happen to Americans like him who looked like the enemy. He soon found out.

Hoodline

Attendance at this weekend's Bay Area Day of Remembrance was at an all-time high. “We have Trump to thank for that,” says Peter Yamamoto, volunteer at the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS). “Now people want to know the history.” Speakers at the event drew parallels between Executive Order 9066 and President Trump’s immigration policies, noting that both used fear and the disguise of “military necessity” to target American citizens based on their race or religion.

Hmmm: American Girl Is Making Korean And Hawaiian Dolls

Well - I guess this is good news.

This week, the iconic doll makers also announced plans to release Native Hawaiian and Korean American characters in 2017.

One is a Korean American filmmaker named Z Yang (second doll from the left in the picture below), and the other is a Native Hawaiian girl named Nanea Mitchell who grew up during the start of World War II (third doll from the right).

Even if it should have happened earlier.

Again...You Voted For Him White People

The Guardian:

Minutes after Donald Trump insisted he was “the least racist person” at a press conference on Thursday, the president asked a black reporter to arrange a meeting for him with the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC).

The American Urban Radio Networks reporter April Ryan asked the president if he was going to include the CBC in conversations he will have about his “inner city” policies.

Trump responded by repeatedly asking Ryan if she could set up a meeting with the caucus, members of which the president suggested could be “friends” of hers.
Trump uses press conference to declare administration 'fine-tuned machine'
Read more

“Are they friends of yours? No, go ahead,” Trump said. “Set up the meeting.”

Japanese American Cultural & Community Center + Artists at Play

Peep this.

(Los Angeles, CA) Chay Yew’s frank drama, Question 27, Question 28 will be presented by Artists at Play and the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center in conjunction with the 75th anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066. The reading is directed by Alison De La Cruz and will perform on Sunday, February 26 at 3 pm at the Black Box in the Aratani Theatre. Ticket reservations are available at http://bit.ly/2k4KJku.

In 1942, ten weeks after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Executive Order 9066 was signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The order authorized the removal and unjust internment of 120,000 Japanese and Japanese Americans during World War II. Yew’s play traces this moment in history serving not only as a reminder of the past, but as a cautionary tale for the present.

"During this time of increased racial and religious tension, Artists at Play felt it was necessary to join the many voices speaking out against discrimination towards the Muslim community,” said Producing Artistic Leader Stefanie Lau. “Question 27, Question 28 provides another avenue to show that xenophobia and the scapegoating of an entire group of people is wrong, dehumanizing and not representative of the American values we hold dear."

Based on transcripts, documents, personal testimonies, Question 27, Question 28 weaves stories of the struggles, resilience and courage of female Japanese American detainees held in the American internment camps and the painful aftermath.

The cast includes Shannon Holt, Dian Kobayashi, Marilyn Tokuda and Tamlyn Tomita. The stage manager is Cailin Luneburg. The reading is pay what you can to attend.

Tasty Politics: Notorious MSG, Wonton Violence, How Did I Not Catch This Yet?

I blame it on my poor lack of detail albeit it is fun listening to it now. Download it @ The Notorious MSG Bandcamp page: https://notoriousmsg.bandcamp.com