I wish Toby the best as he starts this emotional new relaitonship.

When I pass other Asian-Americans on the street, I feel myself doing the Guessing Game, and I often assume I am right in my guesses. But I am chagrined to say that I have taken the face test TWICE over at AllLookSame, and both times I have failed miserably. (7 out of 18 correct is my average)

Take the test. Can YOU tell the difference?

Then there’s an Asian-American author who says:

“I’m an Asian American novelist who’s written a chick lit novel, but my book is not an ‘Asian American chick lit novel,’” says Julie Dam, a senior editor at People magazine whose foray into the genre, “Some Like It Haute,” was first published in hardcover a year ago February. “My character doesn’t have an ethnicity attached, and that’s a conscious decision: I wanted to think that on some level, we’ve moved beyond skin color, that we can tell universal stories.”

I had to think about it. What does that mean: “doesn’t have ethnicity attached.” That means WHITE. We’ve “moved beyond skin color?” Excuse me while I pass out into a puddle of my own vomit.

When I first started writing fiction, about ten thousand years ago, I also tended to “mask” my characters and present them “without ethnicity attached.” I was worried that nobody would be able to relate to them if they were too overtly ethnic. Well, after about a year of that I saw the internalized racism in THAT.

I was also dismayed to read that author Mia King is not really named Mia King. Her name is Darien Hsu Gee. It really bummed me out to discover this, because I had recently been reading “Mia King’s” blog and was liking it, happy for her that she was publishing her novel. Her explanation for choosing a much less “ethnic” name?

My real name is Darien Hsu Gee. I chose to write under a pen name because my husband, Darrin Gee, had a nonfiction golf book, “The Seven Principles of Golf: Mastering The Mental Game On and Off the Golf Course,” being released a month after “Good Things” (how’s that for coincidence?!). I thought writing under a pen name would eliminate any confusion.

She thought golfers would confuse her with her husband? Uh, okayyyy. Nice explanation. The whole thing reeks of “I’m not really Asian! I’m just like everybody else!” and frankly, it makes me sad.

Young Asian-American authors talk about wanting to move “beyond” the Joy Luck Club, but if this is progress, I’ll eat my computer mouse.

Sam is 21 years old. He was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia over the winter break; a good match for a bone marrow donor could greatly increase his chances for survival. He is a hard bone marrow match because he is biracial (Korean/western European). Potential donors (18-60 years old) with similar Asian and/or European backgrounds are his best chance.

There are currently only 10 potential matches for Sam in the bone marrow database throughout the world — and they may or may not ultimately match or be available.

More info on how to register as a bone marrow donor andif you specifically want to be tested to help Sam Cross.

There is also a national Asian American donor registry, and the test doesn’t hurt a bit. I checked it out and there are several Asian-American patients who are waiting for bone marrow matches. Their stories are so compelling and moving. If you are Filipino, Filipino-Caucasian, Chinese, Thai, Chinese-Caucasian, people (mostly young people and little kids) are waiting.
How can you say no to someone like this?

Who is Ehren Watada?

He enlisted in the Army as an officer candidate and was stationed in Korea from late 2004 to early 2005, where his superior officers evaluated and described him as “Exemplary,” with “Unlimited Potential” and “Likes challenges and moves toward the fight.” In early 2005, Lt. Watada was re-assigned from Korea to Ft. Lewis, Washington. Knowing that he would be expected to lead his soldiers into Iraq, he undertook to learn all that he could about the war and what he and those he commanded would likely face. Lt. Watada read widely and researched how and why the Iraq War began and the evidence that was presented to convince the U.S. Congress to approve the war. After a year of study and reflection, Lt. Watada came to the courageous decision to refuse deployment to Iraq.

Watada carries out the legacy of the World War II “No-No Boys,” Japanese Americans who, while interned behind barbed wire, refused to sign a loyalty oath to the U.S.

He will go on trial this February 5th.