Linked Up: Mental Health + Asian Americans + GMA

You may have already seen this, but if you haven't - definitely make sure and view the video and read the article.



https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Wellness/generation-asian-american-women-fighting-normalize-mental-health/story?id=57651825

Represent.

Since Designated Survivor Got Picked Up By Netflix And It Has Kal Penn And Maggie Q In It I Feel Like I Should Watch It....

That's it.

3X Hayley Kiyoko: All Access w/ Hayley Kiyoko, "What I Need" (feat. Kehlani) + VMA Performance

Asian Americans We Need A 401K Plan

While I have a little bit of an issue with the title - I feel what he's throwing down (and know he's trying to help out and shed some light on some shit):

The growth in the income disparity is partially due to decades of stagnation in income levels for Asian-Americans in the bottom income brackets. The incomes of Asian-Americans at the 10th percentile grew by only 11% from 1970 to 2016, which is equal to an annual increase of less than 0.3%. These gains are less than for any other racial, ethnic and income group. This slow growth of incomes at the bottom of the income scale results from more immigration and fewer opportunities to get ahead for people with limited resources in the forms of education, savings and networks. Many new immigrants, especially from countries such as Myanmar and Bhutan end up working in low paying jobs with no benefits for long periods of time.

The lack of good labor market opportunities means that many Asian-Americans have fewer retirement benefits than is the case for whites. Looking only at families in the bottom of the income distribution, only 10.4% of Asian-Americans had a defined benefit (DB) pension from 2010 to 2016, compared to 34.9% of whites.

This massive gap in pension coverage is not offset by more savings in 401(k)s or IRAs for Asian-Americans. On the contrary, lower-income Asian-Americans were slightly less likely to have a retirement account from 2010 to 2016 – 32.5% compared to 33.1% for whites -- and had smaller balances -- $15,349 compared to $19,976 for whites . The likelihood of financial insecurity in old age will thus continue to be greater for Asian-Americans than for whites.

Fuck me.

I mean did you read those numbers?

0.3%.

Can I even get a newly made McDonalds burger for that?

Mostly?

10 Years Of bigWOWO

Just wanted to post up a link to the post down at bigWOWO celebrating 10 years.

Congratulations for ten years!

P.S. Shin Lim Is Sexy As A MF

I had to do some catch up - but I watched all his performances on AGT as well as P & T Fool Us - where he fooled them not once, but twice - and I just think he's just another great hot Asian male, who only serves to provide the sexy that we need.

I feel like everyone else is feeling him too.

I don't know if he's gonna stay with his fiance, but you know - look at Lebron.

It happens.

On Asian Brah's/Mr. Asians/WTF Asians

Let's just make sure to go on record and say Asian "Brah's" like this, while I'm sure serve some purpose in the world (even if just to walk over), still make me question their purpose in the world...

I'd say more - but it's already been said - no need.

White People: You Still Can't Use "Chink In The Armor"

Again...I'm not sure if time just makes people forget (or I've been under a rock for too long so I didn't realize how bad it still is) but - just go to someplace that has at least 5-10 Asian Americans in it, and keep on using that phrase in a sentence.

#hastag #you #will #get #filmed #and #may #lose #your #job

I'm Gonna Blog The Fall And Winter Away (Maybe On A Chromebook?)

Sure, sometimes it's a thankless, loveless, albeit I still have pants somehow, endeavor at times, but you know what?

Tell me what's new.

I'm just saying that 'cause I'm salty.

But only for a second.

Well probably a minute....

But I know the score.

That's why this place is still alive.

And by "place" I mean digital bits that could leave at any time (if Google would decide so).

Hmmmmm.....

On Soon-Yi Previn - That's What Happens When You Get Groomed Along With A Stern White Lady For A Mom MF's

If you read all the things she's coming out with, I won't deny she didn't have some hard things growing up, etc. but c'mon people....it's classic deflection - and nothing she says (well you know) - or rather should I say anything that she went through - it doesn't invalidate anything Woody Allen did - like you know marry his Asian step-daughter - or you know - molest his kids (allegedly.....).

It's all the same shit wrapped up in a clusterfuck of White Colonialism with a does of Stockholm.

Sierra Measelle's Apology Falls Short (AKA When White Women Get Caught)

I was reading the article down at AsAm News and let's just dissect some of apology:

1. "I am sorry for the ignorant, hateful comments".

I look at something like this where either you knew they were hateful comments or you didn't because there's a difference between ignorant comments and hateful ones because you know the hateful ones are filled with...well - hate...you have to pick or choose. When you attach "ignorant" to that part of the apology you're trying to give yourself an out (and hope others let you) - because you're connotating
via word proximity.

2. "I plan to transform this negative situation into a positive learning opportunity [...] as I have learned that these words and actions cause others much pain".

And by others, she really means her friends, family, and place of employment, because she knew what she was doing when she did it.

That's where - I get it - to be viewed as somewhat salvageable (in the White community) - you have to do this, but wouldn't it be nice if just one time we could get a real statement where it's more like

"I got caught saying some racist things on video, and I knew they were hateful racist things to say but I thought I still had the upper hand - because I'm a White Woman - but now that people have seen this - my friends, family, and place of employment - well - they aren't liking me right now because I broke the rule of saying racist things outside of 'The Family' and now they all look bad. Honestly, I still like to make fun of chinky people, but I'm not going to say anything in public anymore...so I hope I can put this behind me, until everyone forgets about it, and forgets about me."

Just be real.

And just for the record - whenever you make a job switch - someone will Google you - and those news stories will all come up.

Sure - you may get a job because someone who coincidentally is White leans over and tells you "Don't worry. I don't like those chinky bastards either and it's tough to tell the wet backs from the dog-eaters anyway and in the end they're all the same."

But hopefully - you actually won't be forgotten because *that's* what will really make a difference.

Public shaming and shitty apologies.

Puerto Rico + Our President Sucks Ass. And Not In A Good Sexually Stimulating Way, But In A Creepy Pervy I Don't Want You To Lick It Sort Of Way

Even this feels too low...for anyone.

I mean how do you even do this?

How do you GASLIGHT the deaths of 3000 BROWN PEOPLE?

3000 people did not die in the two hurricanes that hit Puerto Rico. When I left the Island, AFTER the storm had hit, they had anywhere from 6 to 18 deaths. As time went by it did not go up by much. Then, a long time later, they started to report really large numbers, like 3000...

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 13, 2018

What's next the Holocaust didn't exist?

.....This was done by the Democrats in order to make me look as bad as possible when I was successfully raising Billions of Dollars to help rebuild Puerto Rico. If a person died for any reason, like old age, just add them onto the list. Bad politics. I love Puerto Rico!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 13, 2018

Yeah...they just put any person who died in that number...nothing to do with a hurricane....that wasn't dealt with great...because our President of the U.S. talks about Puerto Rico like this:



I know, I know, I'm just a sensitive chinky brown man drawing conclusions....

I know...don't make anything out of the paper towels either...



He was just having fun and trying to uplift spirits...like being at the carnival....

Except in a catastrophe....

And it's not like he slammed Puerto Rico itself, for trying to take care of itself after hurricanes...it was more like tough love right?



Don't take handouts.

Pull yourself up by yourself.

The government can't give it all to you...they already give so many "entitlements"...

Hmmm.....brown people, immigrants, different languages, hmmmm....seems to sound familiar...

Loving The New Season Of Insecure, Be As Black As You Wanna Be, And Asian Man Temptation

I've been getting into the new season of Insecure and just really enjoying the show. One of the things, at least I noticed, is that they're concentrating more on the core group - and I like where they are taking Issa's character - and I think it's important in part simply because it's a Black show about Black women (not Black men either, but they obviously play a part). In that way, I feel like it's more authentic, versus some of the other characters - White, Latino, Asian - they were backdrops and not always ones I always liked (or felt they could do more with).

And that's where I'm like "Be As Black As You Want To Be". Show Black people everywhere. Make no excuses, and flesh out the characters that matter.

In that sense, just like with shows that are predominantly White - I'm fine in some ways if they don't have Asian characters because they just might be stereotypes (and obviously there's another side to that argument). And in that way, while not the same (and I liked some of the Asian characters from the show before) - sometimes it felt like it was being inclusive for the sake of being inclusive - in a way, like other POC can get on the train.

But it didn't feel quite authentic in some ways either - or maybe it was problematic too--which isn't a bad thing per necessarily, but Insecure feels like it should be, overall, fun - even with introspection and tackling real world issues.

That's what I like about this season more so - no matter who the characters are - if they are there - there's a focus, or the characters are a means to an end (and I won't give away any spoilers).

And that also doesn't mean they can't have an Asian character who might also be a temptation...



Like in this season's Episode 5 "High-Like" where who knows...maybe Molly and Alexander Hodge (II)...maybe there's some Temptation...

Whatever does or doesn't happen (because I think Molly will hook up with someone from her law firm long term, or at least for a good/bad/good/no good time) - it doesn't mean there can't at least be some Asian man candy for an episode or two (and I'd rather have candy than something that might look to be fresh and crunchy only to lose its flavor in a couple days).

And still be authentic.

Black.

Telling Black stories.

P.S.

Kelli @ Coachella = Gold.

Pure MF Gold.

MIN X 3: Em Mới Là Người Yêu Anh

Because it's almost Thursday - you deserve all three renditions of Min's Em Mới Là Người Yêu Anh - regular, acoustic, and English version (complete with arty-eyes-only video).

Kickstart It: Lynn Chen + Goh Nakamura + Tamlyn Tomita + I Will Make You Mine: Surrogate Valentine 3

You know Lynn Chen. You know Goh Nakamura. You know Tamlyn Tomita.

And you know, or at least you should, that you'd love to see this movie be made.

So - well - just do it already.

Seriously.

And if you can't donate - help spread the word, because again - you know you want to see this film made.

From the Kickstarter:

I Will Make You Mine: Surrogate Valentine 3
Lynn Chen offers a female perspective in the final "Surrogate Valentine" movie, finishing the trilogy started by filmmaker Dave Boyle.

Hello, I'm Lynn Chen. I've been performing since I was five - from the Metropolitan Opera stage, to films (Saving Face), TV (Silicon Valley), video games (Call of Duty: Black Ops III), and food videos (BuzzFeed) that have seen over 30 million views. I also narrated the Crazy Rich Asians audiobook.

The above is a scary headline to write. I've been trained my whole life to keep quiet about how old (or young) I am. Well, even with the invention of Botox, I know first-hand how difficult it is to be a working actor in Hollywood - let alone a female one, an aging one, and an Asian-American one.

I never set out to become a writer, director, or producer. But somehow this film, about growing older and re-examining our past relationships, called out to me. And I could not have told this particular story at any other time in my life.

[...]

LET'S FINISH THIS TOGETHER!

I've learned a lot already in the first half of filming I Will Make You Mine and have fallen deeply in love with storytelling and filmmaking.

Asian-American women are only now appearing on screen as fully-formed characters - but there's usually just one part for us. This movie puts several front and center, each unique and complex, without apology or excuse for their race or gender or why they belong in the limelight. Watching them breathe and live on screen, each telling their own love story, is something I believe we can all relate to. It's my mission to cast my fellow Asian-American actors - and not one of us has to compete over being the "token Asian."

Even more uncommon is for Asian-American women to be behind the camera, a position I am so grateful to be in. As we gear up for our November shoot and post-production, I hope that you will help us complete this movie, and to finish the story. To give this trilogy the proper ending it has been asking for, and to make sure I Will Make You Mine reaches a wide audience.

Collectively, we can amplify the voice Asian-American women hold in cinema.

CAAM Documentary Fund Open Call Opens on September 1st!!!!

"Starting tomorrow, September 1st, CAAM will begin accepting submissions for documentary projects through our Documentary Fund. Submit your project for consideration on our SlideRoom page between September 1st and October 1, 2018.

Help us get the word out! Share this information with your filmmaker friends, networks, and contacts on Facebook and Twitter.

Submit Your Film

With support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, CAAM provides production funding to independent producers for national public television. Documentaries are eligible for production or post-production funding and must be intended for public television broadcast. Awards typically range between $15,000 and $50,000. For more information on eligibility, visit our Frequently Asked Questions and list of CAAM-funded projects. If you have questions, please contact our Media Fund team at mediafund@caamedia.org. For 38 years, the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) has supported independent filmmakers who are producing stories by or about Asian Americans intended for public broadcast and public media. To date, CAAM has awarded $5 million to over 300 projects that illuminate Asian and Asian American experiences."

Crazy Rich Asians: Sellout!

Deadline is reporting the sneak preview Wednesday pretty much sold out.

Warner Bros. held sneak previews last night for Jon M. Chu’s Crazy Rich Asians literally a week before opening and sold out most of its 354 locations. What’s important to note here is that the previews were paid, not free, thus underscoring moviegoers’ want-to-see for the movie based on Kevin Kwan’s bestselling book[...]

In addition, Crazy Rich Asians on tracking is looking to play beyond its core demo to all female audiences with a 5-day opening between $18M-$21M. The pic opens next Wednesday.

Nice.

Crazy Rich Asians: The Reviews Are In, Go See It (Tonight If You Can) Or When It Officially Opens Next Week

At your own risk start reading the reviews (which probably don't have spoilers, but I can't say for sure either because I don't read in that far right now):

Crazy Rich Asians isn’t about money, it’s about entitlement—and that’s a good thing
The emotional experience of watching Crazy Rich Asians.
By Stephanie Foo

When I texted my Singaporean aunt that I’d seen the movie Crazy Rich Asians, she immediately wrote back: “Terrible portrayal of Singaporeans. Was given the book — couldn’t finish. So materialistic.”

She has a point. The film, set mostly in Singapore and Malaysia, is about Rachel Chu (played by Constance Wu), a young Asian-American woman who discovers that her hot boyfriend, Nick Young (played by Henry Golding), is secretly a billionaire when he takes her home to meet his Singaporean parents.

I’m Malaysian, and nobody in my family is a billionaire. We do okay, but the only designer item I’ve gotten from my family is a knockoff Chloé handbag from Petaling Street. Which is why, if Crazy Rich Asians is all about money, it was a little surprising for me to burst into tears 10 minutes into the movie.

Again - read at your own risk...

Just See It

I don't think much more needs to be said for that, and sure we can split some differences on what it's about, etc. - but shit. If White People get to have Pretty Woman - why the hell can't we have this?

Exactly.

So - let's do us all a favor--SEE THE MF MOVIE.

P.S. I Still Love You Mika Nakashima (AKA Kiss Of Death)

Legend.

Jeff Bezos Funded Amazon With White Family Money. That's Okay. Get Yours. Make Brown People Rich.

It's not just a White thing. It's a class and family inheritance thing.

But it is also a White thing.

When you look at all the advantages that White People have had--to compound that interest--you can see why White People own a lot of shit.

That's why we need to keep on making money, pushing and advancing.

So that we can pass that on--some mom invests in the next Bezos.

But she's brown.

And now other brown kids have someone to look up too--and I'm not saying there aren't great brown and black business leaders--but you know what I mean.

Compound that interest and fund the next Bezos.