Posts by Efren
Efren is a 30-something queer Filipino American guy living in San Francisco. In the past, he was a wanna-be academic even teaching in Asian American studies at San Francisco State, a wanna-be queer rights and HIV activist, and he used to "blog" when that meant spewing one's college student angst using a text editor on a terminal screen to write in a BBS or usenet back in the early 90s. For all his railing against the model minority myth, he's realized he's done something only a few people can claim--getting into UCSF twice, once for a PhD program in medical sociology which he left; and then for pharmacy school, where he'll be a member of the class of '13. He apologizes profusely for setting the bar unintentionally high for his cousins. blog twitter
Manny Pacquiao, Filipino Homophobia And Masculinity
In the matter of two days, Manny Pacquiao has managed to alienate himself from significant parts of his fan base by stating some rather eyebrow-raising opinions about queer men and same-sex marriage. Firstly, he criticized President Obama’s beliefs about same-sex marriage. Next, it’s now been reported by the LA Weekly that he believes queer men should be put to death.
Anti-Alcoholism Drug Works Better on (East) Asian Americans
Here at 8Asians, we always love having an excuse to put up the picture of Drunk Ernie, especially since a picture of a drunk me isn’t quite as hilarious, even if I am also a fat gay Asian guy who’s also known for blogging. Imagine my delight here when a colleague showed us this article about Asians, alcoholism and drug treatment with a rather long and admittedly unexciting title. “Pharmacogenetics of Naltrexone in Asian Americans: [...] Continue »
Eyewear Envy: Glasses for Us
A few weeks ago, I was alerted to an online store, Eyewear Envy, an online eyeglass store that specializes in frames that fit Asian faces. The shop is run by Katherine Manalo, OD, an optometrist who graduated from UC Berkeley’s optometry school, and is now based in Texas. She’s also a fellow Filipino healthcare professional, so of course I had to talk to her. Also, being your stereotypical nearsighted Asian American geek who also happens [...] Continue »
Is New York Ready For Balut? (Maybe.)
From the Atlantic Wire comes a report that a new Filipino restaurant in New York City, Maharlika, is offering the infamous delicacy balut, the boiled slightly developed duck egg. To his credit, Adam Martin, the author of the piece sums it up precisely: “[it's] the embryonic egg dish popular in the Philippines and elsewhere in Southeast Asia but reviled pretty much everywhere else.” Curiously, he also states that it’s impossible to find in the US, [...] Continue »
No Look Pass Doc Takes A Look At Basketball & Coming Out
In No Look Pass, Emily Tay is an extraordinary young woman born to Burmese immigrants, raised in Los Angeles Chinatown, Harvard educated, starter for their women’s basketball team, and now a professional basketball player in Germany living with her female partner. But she faces a dilemma: coming out to her parents, and she is afraid of being rejected and disowned by them.
San Francisco Bachelor Auction Featuring Grant Imahara
For those of you eligible straight ladies who are in the Bay on June 23, the Guardsmen are having their annual Bachelor Auction to help support their programs for at-risk youth in the San Francisco Bay Area. Among the many fine–and God, do I mean fine–men who are available for bidding is one Mythbuster by the name of Grant Imahara, as well as Larry Chiang, a former male model turned businessman and bestselling business writer. Mr. [...] Continue »
Mother’s Day with 8Asians: My Mother, the Human Being
8Asians is celebrating Mother’s Day all week (Pssst…Don’t forget, it’s May 8th!) by doing what we do best: writing about the women who raised us, nurtured us, taught us, spoiled us, protected us and occasionally for some, drove us up the wall. We love our moms and wanted to share personal stories as a tribute to their hard work. About 8 1/2 years ago, my mother suddenly passed away from complications due to open heart [...] Continue »
Filipino Blogger Uproar Over Hoax Study That Claims Filipinos are Gullible
So in the past few days, there’s been an uproar within the Filipino blogosphere about a study that claims Filipinos are gullible. In this study purported to be done by Harvard, they have ranked first in gullibility. And of course, the Filipino bloggers have fallen for it, hook, line and sinker. The study was done by Harvard Institute of Socio-Political Progression, with the dubious acronym HIS-PP. The instrument used to measure this was called the [...] Continue »
Looting Does Exist in Japan
After reading the various articles about looting and the so-called “exemplary” behavior of the Japanese who were directly affected by the recent earthquakes and tsunami (as discussed by my fellow colleague, Mike), I immediately thought, “Bullshit.” I was convinced that looting and other types of lawless behavior were being played down by both the Japanese and Americans.
Asian Americans & Smoking: A Silent Epidemic
As I go through pharmacy school and learn about all the different diseases that people go through, I’ve been particularly interested in seeing how these diseases affect Asian Americans, including how smoking tobacco has affected us. Personally, it’s affected me as many of my older relatives have died from lung cancer or other cancers that were made worse because of their tobacco addiction. Both of my ex-partner’s parents died from lung cancer and had chronic [...] Continue »
San Francisco Assured of First Asian American Mayor
In breaking news reported by SFGate, San Francisco’s current board of supervisors just voted Ed Lee to be its first Asian American mayor. Although there will be a new board of supervisors once current mayor Gavin Newsom takes on his new position as lieutenant governor, he has already secured enough votes among the remaining supervisors that he is virtually guaranteed this new position. Given that just recently Oakland, its neighbor across the Bay, just inaugurated its [...] Continue »
Politeness Pays: Filipino American Wins Largest Lottery Prize in the Philippines
Now here’s another reason why you should have good manners: According to the BBC, a 60-something Filipino American visiting the Philippines won the largest lottery prize ever there: 750 million pesos or about $17 million. According to the winner, a woman pushed him out of the way to buy her lottery tickets and he let her go ahead. Given that lottery tickets in the Philippines are sold consecutively, if she had waited her turn, she [...] Continue »
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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
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