(Photo credit: 
- Weekend Blogging Workshop – This weekend intensive blogging workshop will take you from beginner basics to blog bragging rights. Sign up for one day or both, and get into the blogosphere. Hosted by Hyphen Magazine blog’s Claire Light and Glenda “kick-em-in-the-teef” Bautista. (7/18-19, San Francisco: More info here.)
- APAture Comics Kickoff – Interested in participating in APAture 2009′s Comics and Craft Expo? Come and join our kickoff meetup on Saturday, July 18. We’re inviting the members of BAAU (Bay Area Artists Unite), who publish the annual co-op comics and art anthology “BAAU Down”. (7/18, San Francisco: More info here.)
- Asian Pacific Community Fund 3rd Annual Giving For All Seasons Fundraising Gala – (7/23, Los Angeles: More info here.)
Asian American International Film Festival – The Asian American International Film Festival is the first and longest running festival in the country devoted to showcasing films created by media artists of Asian descent and about the Asian community. This year, AAIFF will present a showcase of original feature films, short films, documentaries, and other works by artists from throughout the world. (7/23-7/26, New York: More info here.)
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It seems like Los Angeles has a charity event or fund raising party every other weekend and all of them seem pretty interesting, but it gets pretty difficult to head out to all of them after awhile and they get washed into the background… So, really quickly, a shout out to two events.
The first is a fund raiser gala for the Asian Pacific Community Fund, which will honor California State Assemblyman Mike Eng and also the Edison Chinese Connection. Interestingly enough, Assemblyman Eng is the husband of recently elected congresswoman Judy Chu, which John just posted about . The event will be held on July 23rd at the Grammy Museum Terrace at L.A. Live at 6:30pm. APCF is an organization that is “focused on enhancing the lives of Asian Pacific Islanders throughout Los Angeles County.” It is a great cause to support, so head on out! Visit their website for more information.
The second event is “The Party” hosted by the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC) and TN KAT, an event celebrating Asian American art and music. There will be multiple performances by a bunch of guests, but just to name a couple.. Jane Lui, Kiwi, and Shin Kawasaki will be performing. It’s on Saturday, July 18th from 5:00 Pm to 11:00PM at the JACCC Plaza in Little Tokyo (244 S. San Pedro). I will (hopefully, if time allows) be heading out, so drop a comment if you’re interested as well. I’d be happy to listen to any criticisms or comments about my posts, discuss anything you think I might be interested in, or just meet new people and say hi. Click here to purchase tickets.
A quick video about what TN KAT is about:
Shopping With GASP!
Back in May, Dr. Judy Chu lead the congested field of candidates in a special election for the recently vacated California 32nd District Congressional seat, setting up a run-off election amongst the leading Democratic, Republican and Libertarian candidates. On election night, Dr. Judy Chu overwhelmingly defeated her opponent (as expected in the heavily Democratic district):
“With 173 of 209 precincts reporting Tuesday night, Chu had 14,115 votes, or 62 percent. She was trailed by her cousin by marriage, Republican Betty Chu, with 7,355 votes, or 32 percent. “I’m really proud and honored and humbled to have such an overwhelming vote,” Chu told The Associated Press from her victory party in Covina.”
Judy Chu also makes history by becoming the first Chinese American woman elected to Congress, according to the Office of the House Historian and the Congressional Research Service and will be the second Chinese American currently serving in Congress, along with Congressman David Wu (Oregon-D). Congratualtions to Judy!
“Do I have to play basketball this summer?” asked Number One Son. He really didn’t want to do sports this summer, and apparently he is not alone. This article mentions that Asian-American boys have the lowest sports participation rate (39%) for 10th grade males of any American ethnic group. Asian-American girls have the second lowest participation rate (34%) for 10th graders. The statistics are from this report on Asian American childhood obesity created by the Asian Pacific Fund. While there are some reports that childhood obesity is leveling off, the rate of Asian American children at risk for obesity is rising faster than any other ethnic group. Nearly 11% of obese California children are Asian American or Pacific Islander; no mainstream reporting covers these facts.
The report mentions cultural factors that contribute to the Asian American childhood obesity trend: there are Asian cultures associate being overweight with prosperity or even health. Some Filipinos use malusog, a word meaning healthy, as a euphemism for being chubby. The narrow academic focus of some Asian-American families can be another problem. As someone who does youth sports coaching of mostly Asian American youth, I have seen kids pulled out by sports participation by parents who want them to “focus on academics” — one who got pulled out, a nice kid and decent athlete, had almost straight A’s. While I have seen an increase in Asian-American families putting their kids into sports programs (some with an eye toward high school or college admissions by adding sports as an extracurricular activity), that increase is apparently not enough. Asian American adolescents are putting in too much time in front of a screen time, 164 minutes a day for Asian kids compared to 114 for Caucasians, according to a California Public Health study.
Eating habits are another problem. I know some Asian immigrants who can now afford meats that they previously couldn’t and end up eating a lot of meat and belittling cheaper and healthier dishes of fish and vegetables. Many people take assimilation as a positive, but Asian American teenagers are assimilating far too much junk food: 43 percent of Asian-American teens eat junk food at least once a day compared to 35% of white teens. One thing I like about the report is that it suggests appropriate foods to eat within specific Asian ethnic groups: instead of lechon, for example, try fresh lumpia. Eat more tandori chicken and avoid ghee.
As for Number One Son, I made him play this summer. He really wanted to spend the summer chatting on-line with girls, but I wasn’t about to let him spend his whole summer doing that. Once Number One Son started playing basketball again, his competitive juices got flowing and he didn’t want to miss any games. It helped that Number Two Son was playing also and they tend to compete with each other. The Daughter doesn’t like organized sports so much (a mild frustration for me having coached her and her teams for many years), but she likes to hike and we have been taking day hikes together this summer.
What the heck is “Karaoke Idol?”
Well, aside from being a fundraiser to support Lodestone’s 10th (and final!) season and the production of “Closer Than Ever,” it’s a chance to sing and compete for cool prizes. (Of course, there are free appetizers, raffle prizes, drink specials and cool peeps to hang with if you don’t want to sing.)
Karaoke Idol would be incomplete without judges, and so Lodestone has lined up celebrity judges Michelle Krusiec from the film Saving Face; Michael Orland, assistant music director and vocal coach from American Idol; and Ryan O’Connor from the The Ryan O’Connor Show on YouTube. I’m guessing Michelle is Paula, but I’m not sure who gets to be Simon and Randy…
And the night wouldn’t be complete without a special sneak peek performance from the cast of “Closer Than Ever.” (Yes, that’s the good-looking cast in this photo!)
“Closer Than Ever” runs August 8th – 30th, 2009 — you’ll hear more about this production as the date gets closer — but if it’s anywhere as fun as Lodestone After Dark or Ten to Life, then you’re in for a treat!
Karaoke Idol will be held this Sunday night, July 19th, 2009 from 6:00pm – midnight and there is even a cheap pre-sale price if your ticket order is received by the 17th. Details after the jump!
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Internet, meet French-born Vietnamese singer Aurélie Nguyen, otherwise known to her mostly French public under the moniker “Little.” Forwarded to me by a co-worker in New Zealand, I’ve had a chance to download sample her album before making an informed decision to purchase, and let me say that her entire album is really solid, if you like the whole edgy pop thing. Je Veux Des Violons is her lead single off her self-titled album, and her vocals kinda remind me of that girl from Sixpence None the Richer, except darker and, you know, en français.
And lest we say that it’s fucking weird to see an Asian girl singing in French, let me remind you about that whole France/Vietnam colonization/war thing for the past two hundred or so years. Not to mention that somewhere, there’s probably a bulletin-board somewhere in eastern Europe saying that it’s weird that a blog exists of Asian people talking actually talking in English. I know, right?
Throughout the last five or so years, there have only been two shows that have really piqued the interests of almost everyone I know, the first being ABC’s mega-hit Lost (which I’ve only begun watching). The second one is HBO’s comedy Entourage, which never seems to lose any fans and always seems to be adding more by the minute. I remember watching it for the first time right after the second season had ended, and finishing both seasons over a period of less than 24 hours; its an entertainment phenomenon that fulfills our need to laugh, but also our obsession with life in Hollywood. Still as seasons progressed and I grew with the show, I couldn’t help but realize that Entourage was the “same ol’ same ol’”, in that Ari Gold was still clinging on to the same antics he had four seasons ago, and the boys were still the characters they were when we first saw them debuting Head On. Compared to other comedies, such as How I Met Your Mother or The Office, there never seemed to be any character depth, and the entire series was driven entirely by the plot. Not that I’m complaining because its a wonderful plot-line, but besides Eric and Ari, all the other characters seem as superficial as… well Hollywood.
But this year seems different, because you can already see the growth of each of the five main characters, who have their own personal problems that extend beyond crashing a Ferrari or losing a movie role. Instead they seem to be trialed against independence and loyalties, destroying or salvaging relationships that inhibit each individual’s career goals.
Most interesting is Lloyd, the openly homosexual Asian assistant to Hollywood super agent Ari Gold, played by Rex Lee. While the relationship between Lloyd and Ari has always been a highlight of the show, there was never a true challenge to their bond. Lloyd is Ari’s perfect assistant: independent enough to challenge Ari when necessary, thick skinned to withstand Ari’s trademark homophobic and racist slurs, and so loyal that he is perhaps Ari’s only true friend and ally. Yet all good things have to come to an end, as Lloyd’s own ambitions and parental pressures pit him against Ari’s need for a good assistant — you can only put up with being a lowly assistant for so long. This conflict puts the character into a rare position for adequate Asian American and homosexual representation in television. Lloyd’s character is stereotypical in the way Entourage plays stereotypes; it doesn’t so much offend as much as draw attention… and it flirts with that tight line perfectly. Despite that, Lloyd’s character growth (at least the potential for it) is something unique in television because the character can openly fight down those stereotypes that are presented right on the screen. Rex Lee’s subservient, ambitious, and kind character (think of John Cho’s Harold, especially the opening scene) evolves into an independent, strong, and determined agent… something we don’t see much of on television. Of course, the writers could make it so that the two are co-dependent of each other and write it otherwise, but after watching the first episode, I doubt it.
I don’t think that this “opportunity” has ever presented itself so openly in popular media (save for Harold and Kumar). Sure we see Jin-Soo Kwon and Sun-Hwa Kwon.. or Hiro and Ando and their trials and tribulations to knock down Asian American sterotypes in popular entertainment, but they’re distinctly Asian, and not Asian-American; not to mention that their characters still hold onto hard line stereotypes. Plus, those cultural conflicts aren’t important to their perspective plots as it will be for Entourage’s. Other notables, such as Grace Park, fill a racial quota on shows like Battlestar Galactica or The Cleaner, in that they’re Asian, but if you read the script you wouldn’t be able to tell they are. Rex Lee is in a unique position, and as much as my focus on Entourage will still be on Vincent Chase and his escapades, I’m now really excited to see if Lloyd lives to his potential, both on and off the screen.
Hello Kitty is an oft-blogged about topic at 8Asians because HK is emblazoned on all things imaginable. We’ve already covered Hello Kitty Mac cosmetics, Hello Kitty as a model for Christian Dior, and Hello Kitty as an MMORPG.
Let me introduce you to Hello Kitty Hell, a blog dedicated to chronicling one man’s life in cute overload. I’d actually seen this site a couple of years ago, but with years of content built up now, you can spend a lot of time surfing the insanity of Hello Kitty crapola.
As mentioned, Hello Kitty Tasers, Hello Kitty Hondas, and Hello Kitty Condom Keepers are just a taste of what you can find on this site.
But beware, Hello Kitty fans! If you’re actually looking to purchase or find items that you see on this site, this is not the place to go! Not only is this guy not willing to help you find what you’re looking for, he’s even got a snarky message for those “whiners” who are mad at him for not helping in their HK searches!
I say that If you are a true Hello Kitty fan, you’ll be able to find this stuff without his help! Bonus points if you are wearing Hello Kitty underwear and eating Hello Kitty Canned Ramen!
(The words “Hello Kitty” were used 14 times above, not counting abbreviations of “HK”! A record, I think!)
h/t: MJ
The death of Michael Jackson has unleashed a lot of craziness here in Los Angeles, as it has been the location of his death and memorial service, as well as “home base” for the Jackson Family (via their Encino compound).
But all over the world, the outpouring of emotion over Michael Jackson’s passing has been its own kinds of crazy. Fans all over the world have been following the ongoing saga, but how have Asian fans been reacting? See this CNN video which includes an interesting comment by a Japanese woman: “I am surprised by his death but I understand why he had a short life: he didn’t seem like a happy person.”
What about in other parts of Asia? For those of us in North America, MJ’s death broke during the middle of the day, but in Asia, early risers were the first to hear the news. OneIndia reported the following:
Indian fans resorted to the internet, news websites, blogs and foreign channels. Social Networking sites like Facebook, Orkut and Twitter soon became the destination for sharing and grieving.
According to media reports, the SMS networks in India registered a significant rise in traffic after 4:30 am on Friday, Jun 26.
Many Chinese were affected deeply as MJ’s passing signified the demise of the icon that exposed the China to the outside world. Many people in the U.S. don’t realize that the release of “Thriller” in the 1980s was one of the first times Western (American) pop music to make it into China. Maybe that’s why there are already investors in Shanghai who are already talking about building a small scale version of Neverland in China.
Elsewhere, the Filipino prisoners, who became famous via their version of Thriller on YouTube, completed a tribute to Michael Jackson complete with a giant banner of Michael Jackson on June 27, 2009… that is “10 hours after receiving word that the King of Pop passed away.”
Speaking of quick turnarounds, “two Chinese writers locked themselves up with coffee and cigarettes, no cellphones and no sleep for 48 hours — and emerged with a finished Michael Jackson biography. “Moonwalk in Paradise” hit shelves this weekend, fewer than 10 days after the pop star’s death.”
The newspaper China Daily reported:
The 130,000-word book, titled “Moonwalk in Paradise — the Michael Jackson biography,” written by Jiang Xiaoyu and Xing Han, and published by Chinese publishing house Xiandai was available for pre-order sales online on Friday and on bookshelves Saturday. …
A report in China Youth Daily said the writers never met or interviewed Jackson and simply wrote the story from their “accumulated knowledge about the king of pop.”…
[co-author Jiang Xiaoyu said] “I am not only a music critic but also a fan of the King of Pop, so I understand what fans really need…. fans cannot wait for months.”
I, for one, have no idea how long it would take me to come up with 130,000 words, so props to these guys for cranking it all out. Of course, there’s no saying how accurate or well-written this book is, but in today’s world of “instant information,” authors do have to move fast. “Instant Michael Jackson books” have already been released in the U.S., too.
As for my personal memories of Michael Jackson music from my childhood? My parents were pretty strict about what kind of music we listened to (mostly classical music), but “Thriller” was so pervasive, even I managed to persuade an uncle into getting me a copy of the album. I think I can safely say this now, but my copy of “Thriller” was on cassette tape, obviously some sort of bootleg tape from Taiwan with the lyrics of the album poorly “translated” into Engrish inserted. I’m not certain, but I think this may partly explain why I never know the words to any songs. Shamone!
You know, the US auto industry and manufacturing base isn’t doing so hot these days. So when West Point, Georgia, a town about 80 miles Southwest of Atlanta heard that the Korean auto manufacturer Kia had decided to build their new auto plant there, the town was ecstatic. The town of 3,500 was becoming a ghost town with the decline of the textile industry in the area, but will manufacture Kia’s Sorento sport utility vehicle and has already hired 500 workers. By the time the factory opens, Kia hopes to hire 2,000 more – and longer term, Kia suppliers may eventually employ 7,500 additional workers. That isn’t the only thing that will change ‘Kia-ville’:
“On Main Street, residents are sampling new flavors that have come to West Point since the announcement. Asian restaurants and businesses are popping up. The old Pizza Hut has transformed into a Korean Bar-B-Que, and the southern staple KFC is now a popular Korean eatery called Young’s Garden. Resident Christy Magbee said West Point is starting to feel like a melting pot. “You got the culture coming in. You don’t have to travel to Atlanta anymore. It’s starting to come here,” she said.”
This all reminds me of the 1986 movie Gung Ho staring Michael Keaton and Gedde Watanabe about a fictitious Japanese auto manufacturer — Assan Motors Corporation — taking over a beaten down American auto plant and manufacturing town and introducing cultural mayhem. The movie was prescient in describing the experiences of Japanaese auto manufacturer “transplants” entering the United States. Although the Japanese stereotypes and xenophobic jokes are played up for laughs — it is the mid eighties, after all — the movie is more a sad statement on past US auto management practices, brilliantly documented a few years later in Michael Moore’s 1989 movie, Roger & Me.
Now that Honda, Toyota and Nissan have a large established presence in the United States and Korean auto manufacturer Hyundai establishing a beachhead in Alabama, I hope the best for West Point, Georgia with Kia; but as an American, I hope that Ford will be able to survive and thrive, as the “Big 3” auto manufacturers in the United States are now the “Big 1.”
I am a member of Generation Y, also known as the Millennials (those born between 1980 and 1995, or thereabouts). By all estimates, Social Security funds will run out by 2037, a few years before I retire. Dire news, and you can bet I’m not the only one socking away the money.
According to a new study, Asian Americans are saving a bigger portion of their salary for retirement than any other group in the country. Asians put away 9.4% of their income in 2007, compared to 7.9% by whites, 6.3% by Hispanics and 6% by blacks. About three-quarters of Asians participate in their company’s 401(k) plans, same as whites, while just two-thirds of black and Hispanics take part.
When I was growing up, and even to this day, my parents urged my sister and me to save our money. My mom opened a savings account for me at a young age — when I didn’t even know the difference between savings and checking accounts. My parents, who are typical of many Chinese immigrants in that they worked at a Chinese restaurant (dad) and clothing sweatshop (mom), somehow scrimped together enough to buy a house, pay it off, and never make my sister and I feel like we lacked for anything. They set an amazing example for us.
I recently read a book, Rich Like Them by Ryan D’Agostino, in which people share their advice on how they became wealthy. One person said to start saving as early as possible. Simple, but isn’t it the truth?
We get links to Asian American-owned clothing companies all the time — no, seriously, all the time — but it’s this splash page from San Diego based PNOY Apparel that won me over. Man, why can’t we get awesome jackets? If my dad ever gets me anything when he returns from Taiwan, it’s sportswear with the year “2003″ on it.
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