8Asians.com | Archive | November, 2010

Series of Web Pages Convinced Asians are Aliens from Outer Space

By Koji Steven | Monday, November 8, 2010

Aliens Asians compressed Series of Web Pages Convinced Asians are Aliens from Outer Space

While doing some research for a book I was thinking of writing, I came upon a bunch of web pages dedicated to exploring the connection between aliens and people of Asian descent. Not the “aliens ineligible for citizenship” kind, but literally aliens from outer space — It seems that people on the Internet believe that Asians are either aliens themselves or the love child of an intergalactic relationship. Continue Reading »

| Posted in Observations, WTF | 15 Comments

Subscribe to our mailing list

Get the day's stories from 8Asians.com, delivered to your inbox every evening at 6:00pm PST.

Winners from the 8Asians ‘Harry Potter 7, Part 1′ Prize Package Giveaway

By jozjozjoz | Sunday, November 7, 2010

If you haven’t been paying attention to 8Asians on Facebook, then you might have missed the announcement of our 8Asians ‘Harry Potter’ Prize Package Giveaway.

In anticipation of the upcoming Harry Potter film, we’re going to be releasing a new trivia question every few days or so– until we run out of prizes. You can enter every time a new question is posted; check the original post for complete details on the rules and how to enter.

I will not be making a new post on the main 8Asians blog every time the question changes, so keep checking back to the contest page or follow us on Twitter and/or Facebook if you want to see if there’s a new chance to win!

Here are the correct answers to the trivia questions:
Question #1) One of Harry Potter’s love interests, Cho Chang, is presumably from what heritage background? Chinese

Question #2) The Leithifold, a carnivorous beast can be found on what Asian Island? Papua New Guinea

Question #3) Why did Quidditch never catch on within the majority of Asia? Magic carpets are the main source of flying transport.

Question #4) The Occamy, two legged serpentine-bodied creature with wings is native to what South Asian country? India

Congratulations to the Winners:

Paul L. (Correctly answered Question #1)
Evelina (Correctly answered Question #1)
Cherry (Correctly answered Question #1)
Oni (Correctly answered Question #2)
Jacob (Correctly answered Question #2)
Wendy Chunk (Correctly answered Question #2)
Klara Kim (Correctly answered Question #3)
Kao (Correctly answered Question #3)
Simon Tam (Correctly answered Question #3)
Lucy (Correctly answered Question #4)
Lauren K (Correctly answered Question #4)
AppleG (Correctly answered Question #4)

(The giveaway is closed. Updated as of 12/3/2010, 2:30pm Pacific)

| Posted in Promotions | 6 Comments

Shopping With GASP!

Are you on Facebook? Like 8Asians.com!

Comments Off

The 8Asians Talk About: Live Crab Vending Machines

By Ernie | Saturday, November 6, 2010

Our internal e-mail lists have us discussing all kinds of stuff: Asian American identity, representation in the media, the experiences of activism in an academia setting and its progression as we transition to the working, adult world. And sometimes, we talk crabs in vending machines. What? Haters gonna hate?

Ernie: Via Royce: A live crab vending machine in China makes us think there could be better uses for vending machines.
John: There is something that is very The Matrix inspired about this…
Ernie: Really? How? “Choose the red crab or the blue crab?”
John: All those living crabs in a vending machine – sort of like the humans being plugged into the matrix.
Joz: “Do not try and pick the crab. That’s impossible. Instead… only try to realize the truth. What truth? There is no crab. There is no crab? Then you’ll see, that it is not a hairy crab vending machine that you’re choosing from, it is only yourself.”
Moye: Best. Talkabout. Post. Material. Ever.
Ernie: Y’all are fucking ridiculous.

| Posted in DUDE WTF ASIA, Food & Drink, Observations, TalkAbout | 3 Comments

Asian Man Boards Flight Disguised as an Old White Man

No Comments

Congratulations, old people – you have this Chinese man in his early 20s to thank for making your airport screen experience a living hell for the rest of your lives: A young Asian man in Hong Kong boarded a plane to Vancouver disguised as elderly Caucasian man. There’s something very end of Scooby-Doo about this, due to that rubber mask and glasses; he would have gotten away with it if it weren’t for you meddling kids!

Nikki Haley, Nation’s Second Indian-American Governor Elected to South Carolina

2 Comments

“With more than 1 million votes cast on Tuesday, state Rep. Nikki Haley won the state’s highest office to become South Carolina’s first female and the nation’s second Indian-American governor elected.” She’s also a Sarah Palin-backed Tea Party candidate, which is why you don’t see the bloggers here jumping for joy. Also: an Asian American member of the Tea Party? Who knew?

Giveaway: Win a ‘Harry Potter 7, Part 1′ Prize Package– Hat, Shirt & USB Flash Drive

By jozjozjoz | Wednesday, November 3, 2010

UPDATE 12/3/2010: The giveaway is closed. The winners list is published here.

Did you know that there may be hidden Asian symbolism embedded within Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (and previous Harry Potter films)? Whether or not J.K. Rowling intended for this, the Harry Potter franchise is so popular and so textured that people are finding all kinds of connections to existing cultures around the world.

The seventh and final adventure in the Harry Potter film series– Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1– is coming to theaters and IMAX on November 19. This a much-anticipated motion picture event to be told in two full-length parts.

Part 1 begins as Harry, Ron and Hermione set out on their perilous mission to track down and destroy the secret to Voldemort’s immortality and destruction–the Horcruxes. On their own, without the guidance of their professors or the protection of Professor Dumbledore, the three friends must now rely on one another more than ever. But there are Dark Forces in their midst that threaten to tear them apart. Meanwhile, the wizarding world has become a dangerous place for all enemies of the Dark Lord. The long-feared war has begun and Voldemort’s Death Eaters seize control of the Ministry of Magic and even Hogwarts, terrorizing and arresting anyone who might oppose them.

But the one prize they still seek is the one most valuable to Voldemort: Harry Potter. The Chosen One has become the hunted one as the Death Eaters search for Harry with orders to bring him to Voldemort…alive. Harry’s only hope is to find the Horcruxes before Voldemort finds him. But as he searches for clues, he uncovers an old and almost forgotten tale–the legend of the Deathly Hallows. And if the legend turns out to be true, it could give Voldemort the ultimate power he seeks. Little does Harry know that his future has already been decided by his past when, on that fateful day, he became “the Boy Who Lived.” No longer just a boy, Harry Potter is drawing ever closer to the task for which he has been preparing since the day he first stepped into Hogwarts: the ultimate battle with Voldemort.

Director: David Yates
Writers: Steve Kloves, Based on the novel Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
Producers: David Heyman, David Barron, J.K. Rowling
Executive Producer: Lionel Wigram

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Tom Felton, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Brendan Gleeson, Richard Griffiths, John Hurt, Jason Isaacs, Bill Nighy, Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Timothy Spall, Imelda Staunton, David Thewlis, Julie Walters and Bonnie Wright.

This film has been rated PG-13 for some sequences of intense action violence, frightening images and brief sensuality.

Ok, ok, so you just want to know how you can win some free Harry Potter 7 gear? Read on!
Continue Reading »

| Posted in Entertainment, Movies, Promotions | 10 Comments

Do you Vote For a “Bad” Politician Just Because They are Asian American?

By Guest Writer | Wednesday, November 3, 2010

5140915779 ea93790c00 m Do you Vote For a Bad Politician Just Because They are Asian American? by Jason

While voting in California’s election process, I had a unique sense of “who-should-I-vote for?” To me, I was intrigue by the question: since there is a great absence of Asian American in politics, would it be more beneficial to vote for Asian Americans in office regardless of if you agree to their ideologies just so that their presence alone allows for the introduction of a new generation of API leaders in politics? In other words, would allowing “bad” API leaders (“bad” and “good” is entirely up to anyone’s personal opinion) be a stigma to these new leaders, or would their presence outweigh the greater good? Continue Reading »

| Posted in Observations, Politics | 12 Comments

Korean Americans and Gay Marriage

By Mihee | Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Untitled 2 Korean Americans and Gay Marriage So, my parents and I don’t see eye to eye on much. Shocker! For instance, a hot-button issue to generally avoid in our house is homosexuality and gay marriage. I remember being home for a few days – a short visit – and I desperately wanted to watch Ellen because Steve Carrell was the guest. He just makes me laugh. I had it on and my father insisted on turning it off. Of course, I threw a slight tantrum, but let it go. I knew it was simply because Ellen is gay, and there is just no point in arguing with him on this issue because I always end up with a migraine.

Maybe it’s random, but it’s been on my mind because in many churches, particularly in my denomination, the legitimacy of gays and lesbians in leadership and gay marriage are constantly hotly debated at every level. It is generally even more intensely opposed in Korean American churches (I’m mostly familiar with Presbyterian churches). A while back, I received a link about an SF Weekly article on a new poll about Korean Americans and their feelings about gay marriage. It wasn’t surprising to me, at all – sad, yes, but not inconsistent. I can’t tell if there’s more of a Korean cultural basis for the opposition or if it’s because of Western/North American Evangelical Christian roots found in many Asian North American faith communities (which tend to be more socially/politically conservative)…or maybe both.

I found an article on SBS’s new drama called Life is Beautiful in which there was the possibility of a scene with a gay wedding and it commented on the same: more opposition, this time from citizens in the motherland. I’m not much of a Korean drama freak so I’m not sure how it turned actually out. Also, back in the fall a Bay Area pastor had even gone so far as to run (expensive?) ads as a campaign for California’s Prop 8. It occurs both there and here, and perhaps not only for religious reasons.

I’m still hopeful somehow – even if I can’t change my parents’ views on it, I know that I can, and I certainly will raise my own children to be tolerant and open for cultural and religious reasons.

| Posted in LGBT | 3 Comments

Jeremy Lin’s Regular Season NBA Debut at Warriors’ Asian Heritage Night

By John | Wednesday, November 3, 2010

jeremylin Jeremy Lins Regular Season NBA Debut at Warriors Asian Heritage Night Having gone to Duke for business school, I’ve attended my share of college basketball games and have even gone to the Final Four. But I’ve never been to an NBA game, until this past Friday night. That was when I attended the Golden State Warriors’ second regular season 2010 – 2011 game against the L.A. Clippers for their annual Asian Heritage Night game, which also would be when Taiwanese American Jeremy Lin, recent 2010 Harvard graduate and Warriors NBA draftee, would play his first minutes as an NBA player in an official game (he had played in some pre-season games).

The Golden State Warriors had reached out to many Asian American organizations in the Bay Area, including the Taiwanese American Professionals – San Francisco (TAP-SF), which is where I first found out about the event. During the post-game Q&A session with Lin, the Warriors said that this was by far their greatest Asian Heritage Night turnout in Warrior history, with over 2,100 group ticket sales.

For most of the game, Lin was nowhere to be seen except on the bench. At times, the score between the Warriors and the Clippers waxed and waned, but the Warriors seemed to stay ahead from 4 to 12 points or so. If the Warriors were ever behind, it wasn’t by much or for that long, because I really didn’t notice. The first half closed out with the Warriors ahead by something like 4 points.

| Posted in Sports | No Comments

VIRAL LIKE SARS: Manny Pacquiao & Will Ferrell Sing Imagine

By Moye | Tuesday, November 2, 2010

I don’t know much about Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao aside from the fact that I wouldn’t want to face him inside the ring, but he sure can sing a lovely duet with Will Ferrell. He sang this tune during a visit to Jimmy Kimmel Live. Enjoy. And remember to vote today!

| Posted in Viral Like SARS | 2 Comments