There have been evidence of people completely changing their accents after migraines and strokes, including a German-born Briton speaking like a Chinese man. I’m trying to imagine my dad sound like Foghorn Leghorn after a stroke, and it’s pretty much blowing my mind. (Not that I would ever wish for my father to have a stroke, of course.)
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This commercial for Panda Cheese has nothing at all to do with the API community, identity, diaspora, pop culture or whatever. But we here at 8Asians have this unhealthy obsession over all things panda so….Yeah. Enjoy.
Shopping With GASP!
This past week, I was able to travel to LA’s Little Tokyo to see the premiere of the East West Player’s all-Asian American ensemble of Mysterious Skin, a screenplay based of a 1996 novel by Scott Heim about the lives of two boys sexually abused by their baseball coach: one boy represses the sexual encounter and is convinced he was abducted by aliens, the other cherishes it, becoming a hustler later in life. Continue Reading »
The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) is a reality show where one person wins a six figure contract with the leading mixed martial arts (MMA) organization, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The contract hopefuls live together in a house in Las Vegas, their lives captured on camera for our entertainment. During this season’s premiere episode of TUF 12, I noticed a nerdy looking Asian guy with glasses and wondered, “who is that guy?” That guy was Nam Phan, a professional MMA fighter.
In a brief voice over describing his background, he explained how he was proud of being an Asian-American and how martial arts were a family tradition. He says in this interview:
I’ve been fighting for 10 years now, and every time I walk out to the cage, I think, ‘I should have listened to my dad and become a businessman. What the heck am I doing here? This is freaking stupid. This guy is about to beat the crap out of me.’
Despite being a veteran 16-7 fighter, having fought all over the world against notable fighters such as former WEC lightweight champion Rob “Razor” McCullough, he seems to have listened to his dad and is a businessman, owning and running his own martial arts school.
To get into the house, he had to face another fighter who was also contending for a contract. I was impressed by how Phan took out WEC veteran Mike Budnik with a liver punch. This technique is a blow to the liver that incapacitates the recipient. He may look nerdy but delivers a nasty punch!
Ironically he won’t be the first Asian-American on TUF. Phan’s friend Andy Wang was the first, and became infamous for not following his coach BJ Penn’s instructions and getting kicked off his team. Philippe Nover was another Asian-American on TUF. He did well in the show but lost in the finals. I am not sure how well Nam Phan will do in the competition . He looked a lot smaller than many of the other lightweight (155 lbs) fighters, and I was not surprised to read that he also had fought at featherweight (145 lbs). I’ll definitely be watching to see how he does. The Ultimate Fighter airs on Wednesday nights on the Spike TV channel.
On Monday night, I came back from New York because I was doing some Fashion Week work. Designer Tom Ford had his super, super, super, super secret fashion soiree on Sunday.
I wasn’t invited.
Actually, a lot of people weren’t invited to his first women’s wear show in six years. His guest list only had about 100 people (that’s pretty small for a fashion show) and the hyper-sexual Terry Richardson was the only photographer allowed into the event (that is if you don’t count the camera phone photos by New York Times’s Cathy Horyn). The exclusivity is definitely the result of Mr. Ford’s attempt to fly under the radar when it comes to exposure.
The guest list included A-list fashion editors as well as celebs-turned-models (and vice versa) like Beyonce, Lauren Hutton, Julianne Moore, and Daphne Guinness. Even though I wasn’t invited, maybe I should have followed the example of a trio of Harajuku girls who attempted to crash the stealth bash.
A J-pop group that calls themselves the A Girls, sauntered into the event after one of the gals claimed she was Vogue Japan editor Mitsuko Watanabe. Apparently they were dressed like Gwen Stefani’s minions and then immediately got escorted out as soon as security realized that Mitsuko was already inside.
Perhaps these “A Girls” should have planned this out a little better. Even so, this is probably the most brilliant idea ever. Why didn’t I think of it first?
P.S. The girl pictured isn’t an “A Girl” but I am sure the look isn’t too far off.
8Questions is a bi-monthly interview of Asian Pacific Islander Americans (APIA) community leaders. It is a spotlight on individuals who have dedicated their careers to issues surrounding the APIA community with the goal of bringing much deserved recognition to their work and cause(s).
Athena Mari Asklipiadis, who is of Japanese, Greek, Armenian, Italian, and Egyptian descent, was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She is a graduate of Pepperdine University with a bachelor’s degree in broadcasting. In 2002, Athena first stepped onto the multiracial/multiethnic scene by writing for Eurasian Nation and in 2004 she was an intern for the podcast and website, Addicted to Race. After college, Athena worked in radio production and promotions for CBS and Clear Channel in Los Angeles.
She simultaneously worked as a freelance voice-over actor and as a site leader for WeAreHapa.com where she is now Community Manager. In 2008, Athena recognized the need for multiethnic donors in the national bone marrow registry and began as a volunteer with A3M, Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches. In 2009, she started Mixed Marrow as an outreach through A3M and Be The Match, the national registry. Athena currently operates Mixed Marrow and works as Assistant Sales Manager in Los Angeles for Imperial Hotel Tokyo. She is also a member of MASC, Multiracial Americans of Southern California, and JAO, Japanese American Optimists.
Mixed Marrow is dedicated to finding bone marrow and blood cell donors to patients of multiethnic descent. Our outreach concentrates on this minority due to the desperate need for registered donors as well as the lack of public knowledge regarding this topic.
What is the mission statement of your life?
I try to enjoy every single day and live each to the fullest. I think about a life with no regrets of what you coulda, shoulda, or woulda done. I also think living a life helping others is one that brings more happiness than anything else and I strive to work harder at that every day.
The first “Asian American, Pacific Islander Rock the Vote” is happening this Friday, September 17 at the Ford Amphitheater in Hollywood, CA — a nonpartisan event/concert to launch political awareness, show unity and numerical strength of the APA community, as well as to register new voters.
There will be performances by Quest Crew, Satellite, Dawen and Esna Yoon. Special guests in attendance will be Kelly Hu, Beau Sia, Lisa Ling, Archie Kao, James Kyson Lee, Justin Chon and more!
Here’s a personal plea from Lisa Ling to explain why she’s involved and why you should come out, after the jump. Continue Reading »
An follow-up on that guy from Grindr who declared that all Asians “reave him arone:” a reader who read that blog post recently sent us his updated Grindr profile photo; looks like he took down the Asian comments, commenting that “3 out of 5 bloggers think he’s a jerk” and that his ire is now directed towards hipsters instead. Well, 8Hipsters.com isn’t going to like this one bit.
With rising incomes, media-savvy youth, and a huge population, India seems to the NBA to be it’s next big thing. One problem – Indians don’t seem to like basketball that much. “Genetically, we’re not inclined that way,” says an Indian sportswriter in an article in the LA Times on this subject. Sports are also seen as a distraction from studying. There is lack of sports facilities in most schools, let along basketball courts. Poor students with only one change of clothes are reluctant to get sweaty at school. Then again, poverty hasn’t stopped Filipinos from being basketball fanatics.
To boost basketball’s popularity in India, the NBA has looked for an Indian player who could have an impact in the country much like Yao Ming’s impact in China. One possibility is Satnam Singh Bhamara. This 14 year old is 7 feet tall and weighs 250 pounds. After shining at a local basketball academy in India, he will soon go to a basketball academy in the U.S. Indian basketball players may seem unusual, but as I have seen tall, excellent ones while watching my sons play. We have also written about the 7 foot Bhullar Brothers who are college prospects. Does Satnam have the skills to make the impact that the NBA dreams about? As described in this article from SportsKeeda, Troy Justice, the NBA’s Director of Basketball Operations in India, thinks so: “If I could, I would work with this kid every day,” he says. “He can be the chosen one for basketball in India.”
Mattel, let’s be clear on this. Every year, devoted doll collectors eagerly anticipate the annual Dolls of the World collection that celebrates different cultures and countries all over the globe. Sometimes, these Barbie dolls feature traditional outfits or whimsical interpretations of cultural styles, but the 2011 edition is going in a totally new direction. Your Dolls of the Worlds are moving forward as flashy and edgy fashionistas! We’re talking about top of the line, jaw-dropping and eye catching designs that embrace both contemporary looks and cultural deference. This is all about collector’s edition. This is haute couture for dolls. This is why the 2011 Japan Barbie looks like Elvira meets “It’s A Small World,” but who cares, because the spotlight is on Ken this time around!
Yes, meet the very first Asian Ken doll, fulfilling the dreams of young Asian American girls everywhere who always wished their Barbies had a male counterpart that looked a little more like them. Wait, I’m sorry. Did I imply as if these girls (and some boys) wanted a normal looking doll of Asian descent who looked like he was ready to take on normal tasks with his long-term girlfriend, like going to the grocery store, spending a day at work or playing house? No, you must have been mistaken. I meant those young Asian American girls and doll collectors who always wanted a flamboyant techno warrior wielding a samurai inspired sword, complete with steel band Goth boots, a flowing satin cape and a sexy hint of a goatee (because he’s still working on his Fu Manchu beard). I really enjoy the look, because it doesn’t scream “Asian masculinity” or “Japanese salaryman” but “We can’t get enough of Final Fantasy!” and “This is what fashion forward in Asia means, right?” And also because collecting Barbie dolls isn’t eye-rolling enough. I’ll take three.
[Via Disgrasian]
That’s right: at least two of the 8Asians including our editor-in-chief Ernie will be at the ConvergeSouth, a tech users conference in Greensboro, North Carolina on October 1st and 2nd. [EDITORS DISCLAIMER: Ben is co-founder of the conference, Ernie will be speaking on a panel involving new technology.] If you happen to be in the vicinity — even if the vicinity means “the South” — we’d love see ya’ll come out. Registration for the conference is $99 for both days that includes breakfast and lunch for both days, or $75 for the full thang without the Saturday luncheon. Also included is a community BBQ Saturday night.
ConvergeSouth was also nice enough to provide us ten promotional codes for 10% off, that will be on a first come, first serve basis. Code: CS8A2010 . And even if you’re in the area and can’t come out, let us know anyway – we would love to meet you!
By Ken
During my time as a solo performance artist, I became all too familiar with grants. In fact, I found that I spent more time writing grant applications than I did writing material for performance. While I don’t bemoan the process of writing business proposals—I believe all artists should think of themselves as a business entity and get in the habit of concisely promoting their work and themselves—the act of applying for grants is very much like entering a contest. I’d much rather fill out a 3×5 index card and drop it in the mail than manipulate and re-work biographies, summaries, resumes, work samples, project proposals, and goal and artistic statements that will fit into the confines of any given grant competition. They’re all different with almost idiosyncratic advisos about where to put your paper clip and what weight and shade of white paper stock you should use.
In the past few years, a new genre of grants came onto the philanthropic scene: the Vote-A-Thon Grant competition. Chase and Pepsi have utilized these methods with varying levels of success and criticism. The major criticism for this platform is that the best organization or idea may not win; the major factor for success is the ability to galvanize networks and prod people into voting. The culling of anonymous voting opens the door to fraudulent identity voting as well as fraudulent proxy voting.
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APA Events
Feb 9: (Los Angeles, CA) East West Players presents THREE YEAR SWIM CLUB
Feb 9: (Los Angeles, CA) OR (Orphan Relief): China Care Bruin’s 4th Annual Awareness Night
Feb 10: (Los Angeles, CA) CAUSE: Women in Power Annual Luncheon
Feb 15: (Seattle, WA) Pork Filled Players Enter The Year of the Dragon Spam*O*Rama
Feb 16: Adam WarRock and Kirby Krackle: West Cost Tour Dates!!!
Feb 16: (New York, NY) Amar Chitra Katha: Monica Ferrell, Chitra Ganesh, Keshni Kashyap, and Himanshu “Heems” Suri of Das Racist
Feb 17: (Los Angeles, CA) All My Sons- Feb 18: (San Francisco, CA) NAAAP-SF Lunar New Year Gala 2012
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