Kylie Minogue is one of those artists that can do no wrong. She’s lovable as a personality and can turn on the sizzle when she needs to. She is one of the few Western artists that can don a kimono and geisha wig and make it work in the most artful and classy way possible – even in a bikini – in a bathtub.
“You will like my sense of style.” – Indeed. And honestly, who doesn’t love Kylie Minogue?
After parting ways with OMGKpop, I took the time off and revisited some old non-Asian music I used to listen to. At the same time I got an email from a listener who found it ‘different’ that I mixed all Jpop, Kpop and Western music into one show. And while I wouldn’t call it fusion, I would say the medley is what makes POP 88 rather unique conceptually. Continue Reading »
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A new study published in the American Sociological Review reveals that Asian American men are discriminated against in the job market, resulting in lower pay for Asian American men compared to similarly qualified white men. The discrepancy in pay varies based on the generation level of the individual. A U.S. born Asian American for example, has on average 8% lower pay in same job function, while a first generation Asian American (one who completed their education overseas) earned 29% less than a comparable white male.
The study also looked at 1.25 and 1.5 generation Asian American males, two terms that were new to me. A 1.25 generation Asian American male is one that earned their highest degree at a U.S. institution but completed their earlier education in their country of origin. A 1.5 generation Asian American male is an individual that came to the U.S. as a child and speaks perfect English. In 1.25 generation Asian American men there was a 14% cut in pay compared to equivalent white males. Strangely enough, only the 1.5 generation Asian American male had earnings parity with white males.
More on income disparity after the jump.
Continue Reading »
Shopping With GASP!
APA Spotlight 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).
Ken Tanabe is the founder and president of Loving Day. Loving Day is an educational community project that fights racial prejudice through education and builds multicultural community. Loving Day Celebrations commemorate the legalization of interracial couples in America. In 2009, there were Loving Day Celebrations in 31 cities in 3 countries. The celebrations and the LovingDay.org website have been featured in Time, the Washington Post, NPR, BBC World, and many other major national/international media outlets. Ken Tanabe has been an active member of the multiethnic community since the launch of Loving Day in 2004. He served on the 2008 board of directors of the Association of MultiEthnic Americans (AMEA).
In addition, Ken Tanabe is an art director, designer, and animator, that works in motion, identity, print, experience design, and interactive media. He earned a master’s degree from the Design and Technology program at Parsons the New School for Design. His professional experience includes freelancing as an art director for Imaginary Forces, as well as staff positions as a Senior Designer/Animator at Freestyle Collective and as an Interactive Designer at AKQA. Ken Tanabe has done work for Lincoln Center, Thomson Reuters, Comedy Central, BET, Polo Ralph Lauren, Ford, and many others. He has also written several tutorials for the Pro section of Apple’s website. Currently, Ken Tanabe divides his time between freelance work and independent design contracts in New York City.
What is the mission statement of your life?
An artist named Matt Jones did a version of the classic British “Keep Calm and Carry On” poster that has been altered to read “Get Excited and Make Things” That feels pretty close to the mark. Also, I do spend a lot of time working on Loving Day. One could argue that I have internalized its mission statement, which is to fight racial prejudice through education and to build multicultural community.
I saw this Target commercial with Asian Americans which was recently posted on Angry Asian Man. Target’s done a great job of being inclusive and highlighting Asian Americans, including Shannon the awesome mom, the over-protective mom, and exasperated mom. Now we’ve got a new commercial with a Single Asian Female. Angry Asian Man comments “But dude, are you telling me that this girl in the ‘Create Your Christmas’ commercial didn’t invite any Asian friends to her Christmas party? Not cool.”
My thoughts were that I really didn’t have any Asian friends outside of work, especially when I lived back in Western Massachusetts after my first job out of college. It’s not like in many parts of the country, you will find a lot of Asians – and when you do, you might experience culture shock. But in replaying the commercial, I noticed that by the subway sign, this woman happens to be in New York City and appears to have a lot of friends at her party – so not cool indeed that she doesn’t have any Asian friends. Or maybe they are still at work working or at home studying.
Welcome to China, where people do things like host the Summer Olympics, invent new peace prizes and drive on the wrong side of the freeway. Actress Kelly Hu from Hawaii Five-0 learned for herself when she took a taxi in Shanghai and the driver became lost. Instead of taking the next exit–which any sane person would do–he decided to backtrack. For reals. On a highway. (I’d have to say, my favorite part is the calming music in the background.)
So I watch The Biggest Loser. Admittedly, I watch The Biggest Loser while usually having a double slice combo pizza and a couple of candy bars, usually with a diet coke so I don’t feel as guilty. The past couple of seasons have been relatively repetitive: fat people cry, fat people vomit while crying, skinny trainers yell at them for good television, skinny shadows of fat people flex on-air, only for them to gain half the weight back after their show is off the air.
This season gives us Ada Wong, a Chinese American from the Bay Area who has given us some of the most awkward moments of reality television watching if you’re an Asian American. Not because Ada started the show as an obese Asian girl and has lost large amounts of weight, but because she did something even more culturally taboo: reveal her family problems on national television.
Chinese people, you see, believe in “public face,” the belief that issues that are embarrassing or uncomfortable should explicit be kept private and shameful. (I should know: when my parents learned I had a popular personal weblog that detailed my family situation, I was ostracized from my immediate family for a year.) Ada has admitted on national television that her parents blame her for the accidental drowning of her brother; whether that’s true or not, it doesn’t matter. Their private issues has been made public, they’ve lost face, and the repercussions were immediately felt, refusing to come to the ranch — the only family to do so — and alienating their daughter even more. All of this causing her to self-sabotage her weight loss in a recent episode, and a set of captions that say “It’s Daddy’s turn to talk. I love you very much. After you left, I thought about you all day long” by her father, surely the result of goading by the producers of the television show suggesting the whole family sit down in front of television cameras. Shame on the producers of The Biggest Loser for taking advantage of cultural differences for the sake of ratings. Or bravo, depending on who you ask.
But maybe I’m taking things overboard – what do you think? And has anyone who has been keeping up with season shifted uncomfortably in their seat when watching Ada?
It took me a while, but I am so glad that I decided to jump on the Community bandwagon. Despite the first couple of episodes that failed to catch my interest, I eventually hopped on board when I saw the chicken strip mafia-themed episode. I was defenseless could against a TV show that combines deep-fried delicacies and mobster movie storytelling. More than that, the show stars Danny Pudi and Ken Jeong — and they play two of the funniest homeboys on the show.
This week’s episodes gives a tongue-in-cheek nudge to those classic episodes of claymation with a show entirely sculpted out of stop-motion charm. Pudi’s character, Abed tries to find the meaning of Christmas and encounters Señor Chang (Jeong –who also has an MD) in the form of a disgruntled snowman. Check it out!
Nothing says “God bless us one and all” like an Asian Snowman who wants to be groped.
Life is hard enough as an Asian. Not all of us can get perfect SAT scores, graduate from medical school or trick out a Honda Civic. The pressure to embrace our culture remains but sometimes, we just don’t want to. How To Be A Bad Asian is an ongoing series of personal essays by the 8Asians writers about what sets us apart from the API community, how we deal with the stereotypes that we put upon ourselves and why we all can’t be that perfect Asian. It’s time to be bad.
As a screenwriter, I probably shouldn’t admit this but I LOVE the 1980s film Red Dawn starring Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, Lea Thomason, Jennifer Grey, and C. Thomas Howell. It’s my favorite movie of all time. That’s not just hyperbole; it’s the truth! I try to watch it at least once a month, if not more! And any time anyone stays at my house, I make them watch it (that’s the price they pay for staying at my place instead of a hotel). On 9/11, I viewed it a couple times to help me get ready for World War III. Even though we weren’t invaded, I felt more prepared than most people. Wolverines! (If you don’t get that reference it means you haven’t seen the movie. I feel sorry for you.)
So when I heard that MGM was remaking Red Dawn I was super-duper excited. My favorite movie being remade with modern special effects and a big budget. I felt like my whole life was finally coming together. Continue Reading »
So, let’s say you’re China, and you’re receiving worldwide criticism because this year’s peace prize recipient is Liu Xiaobo, one of your jailed dissidents. What to do? Besides calling them “clowns,” you create your own Peace Prize called the Confucious Peace Prize, that’s what. And then you give it to the former Taiwan vice president Lien Chan, “for promoting peace between Taiwan and mainland China.” Being in a political party that supports eventual re-unification with Mainland China helps. What? A peace award that fits into its own propaganda-like purposes? You don’t say!
“Isn’t that the Far East Movement’s Rocketeer?” I asked after the song on the radio ended.
“Yes,” replied Number One Son, “but I like Nigahiga’s version.”
Nigahiga’s version? They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and there is massive flattery of “Rocketeer”, as it’s been covered and covered and covered… See some of my favorites after jump.
“California Filipino students are likely to graduate from high school but only 30 percent go on to a four-year university, a new report revealed Thursday … The report reveals that with many Asian American and Pacific Islander subgroups like the Hmong, Laotian, and Cambodians, education problems are often masked because they are lumped into ‘general Asian’ or ‘other category’ when it comes to data collecting.”
The Working APA Actor is a bi-monthly interview of Asian Pacific Islander American actors in the entertainment world, whether it be theater, film, television, or commercials. It is an inside look at these actors exploring their passion in their craft and how they balance their personal lives with their work. But more importantly, this column is dedicated to knowing these busy actors a little better as individuals.
Before we start, first, you must watch this video.
As you watch, you might have noticed a very intense looking woman who is the highlight of this hilarious video. That woman is none other than Lynn Chen, who has played significant roles in Saving Face, The People I’ve Slept With, and White on Rice (all films that you must watch, by the way). If there’s one thing you can immediately tell with Lynn, it’s that she has a very fresh and quirky sense of humor that makes her truly one of a kind. With that being said, let’s take an inside look at Lynn’s life and how she became the fabulous actress she is today. After the jump. Continue Reading »
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