Posts by Koji Steven Sakai
Koji Steven Sakai is a graduate from the University of Southern California’s Masters of Professional Writing program. He has held several prestigious fellowships from The Writers Boot Camp, The Producer’s Guild, Film Independent, Visual Communication, and the Screenwriting Expo. Koji’s first film, Haunted Highway, was directed by Junichi Suzuki and distributed by Lions Gate DVD. Most recently, he wrote and produced, The People I've Slept With, a feature romantic comedy directed by Quentin Lee. The People I Slept With has screened at prestigious festivals around the world, enjoyed a short theatrical run and is currently on DVD and television. In addition to his work in film, Koji is a regular contributor to Discover Nikkei and 8Asians. He is also the Manager of Public Programs at the Japanese American National Museum. He is in charge of the concerts, lectures, workshops, family days, screenings, and other public events.
Koji’s Top 10 Favorite 8Asians Comments
I love it when sitcoms break the “fourth wall” and look back at their favorite moments. I also love year in review news stories and articles. I think it’s the looking back and reflecting that I like the most. This article is my chance to look back at my last three years as an 8Asians writer. But instead of looking back at my favorite articles, I’m going to look back at my favorite comments. One [...] Continue »
8Questions with Jessi Malay, Hapa Artist
I openly admit I am a gangsta rap fan. So I have to constantly remind myself that there is more music out there than 2Pac, Dr. Dre, and/or Snoop Doggy Dog. One talented hapa artist I’ve been following (that isn’t a gangsta rapper) is Jessi Malay. I have been lucky enough to have gotten to know her in the last couple of years and have found her to be more than just a “pop” singer. [...] Continue »
Top 5 Japanese Americans You Don’t Want to Mess With
One Asian American stereotype is that we’re all meek and quiet. I’ve never been that guy. I’m loud and not afraid to say what’s on my mind. And I’m not the only one. There have been loud and proud Asian Americans since we got here. Here are my Top 5 Japanese Americans who will once and for all put the whole timid Asian stereotype to death. In fact, they will blow it out of the [...] Continue »
The Chinese Bootlegged “The People I’ve Slept With,” The Movie I Wrote
It started when a friend who was visiting China emailed me and told me that he saw an illegal bootlegged copy of my last film, The People I’ve Slept With. I told him to take a picture of it but when he went back it was already gone. I admit, I didn’t believe him. I mean, who in the world would want to pirate a copy of my indie Asian American movie? And then recently [...] Continue »
Did Bruce Lee Have An Undescended Testicle?
Before I begin, I want to make it clear that I LOVE Bruce Lee. When I was a kid he made me feel like Asian American boys could be more than the awkward guy lusting after the girl (which was pretty much the only representation of Asian American men on television/film at the time). For once, the badass kinda looked like me. But when one of the 8Asians editors brought to my attention that Bruce [...] Continue »
Top 10 Iconic Japanese American Photos
Walt Disney once said, “Of all of our inventions for mass communication, pictures still speak the most universally understood language.” Pictures tell a story that even the best writer’s words could never fully describe. That’s saying a lot coming from a writer. I wanted to “tell” the story of Japanese Americans. Here are my top 10 iconic pictures that tell my story.
What You Do Reflects Badly On All of Us
I admit that I cringe whenever I see or hear of an Asian Pacific Islander (API) doing something stupid, embarrassing, or downright immoral and unlawful. I always feel as though it reflects badly on myself. Like when that kid shot up his college in Virginia. Or that guy that was involved in the Barry Bonds homerun baseball lawsuit (too obscure?). Or even something smaller, the bad driver or the tourist taking photos of everything. Or [...] Continue »
Why Jeremy Lin Isn’t Really Asian
The first time I heard about Jeremy Lin was when he was playing for Harvard a few years ago. There was a lot of buzz about him (especially on Asian American blogs) because people assumed he was Asian. I didn’t say anything back then but I had my doubts that he really WAS Asian. Now that he’s an international phenomenon, the starting point guard for the New York Knicks, and the spokesperson for Volkswagen I [...] Continue »
8Questions With Make Believe Review
People often think that the Internet has destroyed literature. But Kai Wu doesn’t think that’s necessarily the case. That’s why she started, Make Believe Review, a website dedicated to showcasing short stories from various writers. Full disclosure, Kai is a friend of mine and she did showcase one of my short stories. But the reason I’m writing about her new website is because I believe in the importance of telling good stories. I believe fiction [...] Continue »
Who Is The Asian Woman Sitting Courtside At Lakers Home Games?
If you’ve watched as many Lakers games as I have, you’ve probably noticed that three seats to the right of Jack Nicholson for the past 20+ years sits an older Asian woman. She’s become somewhat of an Internet “celebrity.” She has her own Facebook page and even our friends over at Disgrasian mentioned her. If you’ve never been to a Lakers home game, you might not know that being at the Staples Center during a [...] Continue »
Why East Of Eden’s Lee Is My Favorite Asian American Character in Literature
My favorite pre-Asian American studies, pre-Asian American power, pre-civil rights fictional Asian American character is Lee from East of Eden (1952) by John Steinbeck. East of Eden is a long epic novel. So it’s difficult to try to encapsulate the entire story in a few short sentences. The best I could find was from the Oprah Book Club: “Three generations, two love triangles, one timeless story. East of Eden is an epic novel full of good [...] Continue »
Asian Pubic Hair Questions
While doing research on Asians and body hair (Click here to read that article) I was fascinated to find that people on the Internet had a lot of interesting (mis)conceptions about Asian people’s pubic hair. Rather than trying to fit it all onto one hair related article, I decided to write a second article only about the hair no one really likes (or is it wants?) to talk about. But as an Asian American “journalist,” [...] Continue »
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- Rolling Stone Releases List Of 10 Kpop Groups Most Likely To Break In The US
- Watch Yul Kwon’s “America Revealed” PBS Series Online
- LA County Supervisor To Announce Repeal Of 1942 Resolution On Japanese American Internment
- Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg Gets A New Asian Wife!
- Koji’s Top 10 Favorite 8Asians Comments
- Nguyen Girls’ Yearbook Prank: No, We’re Not Related
- Long Delayed K-Town Reality Show To Be Released On YouTube In July
Recent Comments
- : ahaha this post is hilarious - my dad is white as a swan but he does the long pinkie nail thing too! He's a musician... – Asian Guys and that One Long Pinky Fingernail
- : I think it's weird that you posted Asian wife rather than "wife" these labels segregate sometimes... – Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg Gets A New Asian Wife!
- : You realize I was kidding, right? – Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg Gets A New Asian Wife!
- : is it the model minority site i just hate and is amused by that website at the same time – Koji's Top 10 Favorite 8Asians Comments
- : I don't think she qualifies as a trophy wife. Considering her education and status, she doesn't really need anyone. I think giving her that description is... – Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg Gets A New Asian Wife!
APA Events
Oct 14: (Seattle, WA) From Fields to Family: Asian Pacific Americans and Food
Mar 1: (Atlanta, GA) The Art of Gaman: Arts and Crafts from the Japanese American Internment Camps, 1942-1946
Apr 26: (New York, NY) June 4, 1989: Media and Mobilization Beyond Tiananmen Square
Apr 26: (New York, NY) America through a Chinese Lens
Apr 27: (Seattle, WA) SEX IN SEATTLE 20: HAPPILY EVER AFTER. . . (the series finale!)
May 24: (San Jose, CA) Sake San Jose
May 24: (New York, NY) A Conversation with artists Arthur Ou, Hai Zhang, and Julie Quon in Conjunction with America through a Chinese Lens
May 24: (San Francisco, CA) Literasians 2012: Writers Converge on the APIA Literary Continuum
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