Monthly Archives: January 2013

3 Famous Japanese American World War II Court Cases Everyone Should Know About

In California, January 30 is Fred Korematsu Day to remember the landmark 1944 Koreamatsu v. United States case in which the Supreme Court ruled that the incarceration of Japanese Americans solely because of their race/ethnicity was not necessarily unconstitutional. Writing … Continue reading

Posted in History | 1 Comment

Chinese Air Pollution Reaches US West Coast

While smog is yet one of the many problems afflicting Los Angeles, this blog entry points out that some of LA’s famous air pollution comes all the way from China.   According to this report, some days have a third of … Continue reading

Posted in Environment | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Cambodia’s Hun Sen is Vitrolic and Volatile

Last year, 2.06 million foreigners visited Cambodia’s Angkor Wat, the global Mecca of backpackers, with the cost of entry at $20 USD per day and $60 for one week, which turned the ancient Khmer temple remains into an El Dorado. … Continue reading

Posted in Current Events, Observations, Politics | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Michelle Kwan Marries Clay Pell

This past September, I blogged about Michelle Kwan getting engaged. Well, that was quick – she just got married this past Saturday, according to an exclusive by People Magazine: “On Saturday, Jan. 19, signaling a new beginning, she incorporated that … Continue reading

Posted in Current Events, Politics, Sports | 2 Comments

8Questions with Jason Tobin, Actor

As a teen in the early 90s growing up in LA and OC Asian American communities, everyone knew about the murder of Stuart Tay by other high achieving teens. Rumors flew about the computer theft planned, about drama over a … Continue reading

Posted in 8Questions, Entertainment, Movies, The Working APA Actor | 4 Comments

White House Video: Hinna Zeejah Reads Letter to Obama on Gun Violence

After 8-year-old Hinna Zeejah of Oceanside, NY watched television coverage of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings, she had one question, “Why do we have guns?” Hinna’s dad Farhan encouraged her to write a letter to President Barack Obama and … Continue reading

Posted in Current Events, Lifestyles, Politics | 5 Comments

On the Chinese Traditional Practice of Postpartum Care, “Zuo yuezi”

I am surprised that the Chinese traditional practice “Zuo yuezi” (坐月子), sitting the month, referring to a specific diet and lifestyle of women after childbirth for one month, is considered a news story by a mainstream media. The Los Angeles … Continue reading

Posted in Family, Health, Lifestyles, Observations | 5 Comments

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

I love Studio Ghibli films, Pokemon, and the Japanese role-playing game series “The Tales”. So when I heard about the Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, I was thrilled. Not only does it integrate the best game play … Continue reading

Posted in Entertainment, Video Games | Leave a comment

Strange Serendipities in Ceylon (Part 1)

[In 2009, the decades-long civil war in Sri Lanka between the terrorist LTTE or Tamil Tigers and Sri Lankan Government finally ended, but left behind a legacy of war that endures, further complicated by global climate change. In 2012, Johnny … Continue reading

Posted in Current Events, Observations | 7 Comments

Michelle Obama Wears Another Jason Wu Dress for Inauguration Ball

Four years ago, Michelle Obama’s decision to wear a Jason Wu gown for the President Obama’s 2009 inaugural ball brought Taiwanese American designer Jason Wu into the world’s spotlight. On the occasion of her husband’s second inauguration, the First Lady … Continue reading

Posted in Apparel, Current Events, Fashion, Politics | Leave a comment

‘Make Me Asian’ App Removed From Google Play Store

I had blogged a few weeks ago about the ‘Make Me Asian’ app available in Google Play. Well, that app has now been removed: “Google has not responded to requests for comment, and it is unclear why the apps were … Continue reading

Posted in Current Events, Tech | 1 Comment

Xin Wuku and Johnny Yang in ‘Super Mario Bros. Sibling Rivalry’

EMC Monkeys Xin Wuku (playing Mario) and Johnny Yang (playing Luigi) show us how Luigi gets his Final Smash in Smash Bros. Playing up a sibling rivalry between Mario and Luigi, they show us what happens when Luigi wants a … Continue reading

Posted in Comedy, Entertainment, Video Games | 1 Comment