8Asians is a collaborative online publication that features original, diverse commentary by Asians from around the world on issues that affect our community. Established 2006.
This is a great opportunity for us to focus on the well-being of the men and women who focus on keeping us safe.
BIBIBOP Asian Grill, founded by Charley Shin, is an Korean food inspired restaurant chain with 43 locations across the country. A military ID will get active duty military and veterans a free bowl.
“… becoming the first Korean American woman elected to the US Congress in its 230-year history. … Strickland added that she is proud to be the first African American elected to Congress from the Pacific Northwest, which includes Washington, Idaho and Oregon, as well as the first Korean American woman to serve in the US Congress.
Strickland, whose Korean name is Sun-ja, was born in Seoul in 1962 to an African American father, a World War II and Korean War veteran, and a Korean mother. The two met while her father was stationed in Korea after the war. Strickland and her family moved to Tacoma in 1967 after her father was dispatched to Fort Lewis. She graduated University of Washington and earned an MBA from Clark Atlanta University. “
Congratulations to Representative Elect Strickland!
Republican Young Kim is in a tight race with Democrat Gil Cisneros in Southern California’s 39th district. As of Monday November 9, she was leading with 50.5% with 97% of the votes counted (according to AP). The Orange County Registrar of Voters says it could be weeks before results are final. Will share when I know more information.
“Rookie Democrat Rep. Andy Kim defeated former business executive David Richter to win a second term in Congress in the 3rd congressional district.
The Associated Press called the race for Kim at about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday
Kim was one of four Democrats who won Republican held congressional districts in New Jersey during 2018′s blue wave, barely ousting Republican Rep. Tom MacArthur.”
“Yet what also distinguished her was her personal biography: The daughter of a Jamaican father and Indian mother, she was steeped in racial justice issues from her early years in Oakland and Berkeley, Calif., and wrote in her memoir of memories of the chants, shouts and “sea of legs moving about” at protests.
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Allies say Ms. Harris is acutely aware of her place in history. She views her work as connected to both the civil rights leaders who came before her — the “ancestors,” as she calls them — and the generations she hopes to empower.
Representative Pramila Jayapal, Democrat of Washington, a rising figure in the party’s left wing, said Ms. Harris’s ascent was a deep source of pride among South Asians, expanding the imaginations of how high they can climb in American public life. Ms. Jayapal has spoken proudly of her own connection to the new vice president, writing an op-ed article in The Los Angeles Times in August describing their intertwined family history in South India.”
I was at Trader Joe’s recently and came across this new frozen offering, Trader Joe’s ‘Beef Pho Soup.’ While I’m a big fan of pho and I hope it becomes as popular as ramen, it’s not something I can easily cook at home like instant ramen. I was pleasantly surprised to see this at Trader Joe’s, so I had to buy and try this.
After poking some holes in the plastic film covering and microwaving, I got this well heated beef pho soup dish:
My impression was that it was better than I had expected it to be, but not exactly beef pho soup. I did like it, but I think I would have to eat two or three of these to fill full. I forgot how much I paid for this, but I’m guessing around $5. So was it worth it? Not sure… It’s tasty enough, but don’t expect the pho you would get at your local Vietnamese restaurant.
While the short Si was a finalist for the 2020 HBO Visionaries contest, I had some skepticism about it. What about microaggressions could make a substantial film? Director Thomas Kim, in the interview above (some *spoilers* in it – I suggest you watch Si first before watching the above clip), mentions how teasing starts innocently but eventually becomes a really dark. Despite my skepticism, I connected with the movie and felt the pain and conflicts of the main character.
Ki Hong Lee (you might know him from Maze Runner Movies or the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) does a great job as Si. He has to portray someone trying to get along with his white teammates while slowly showing distress at the implications of those accommodations. I wondered if he can portray a high school student given that he is actually in his 30s, but he convinced me. I didn’t watch the clip from Thomas Kim before I saw the movie, it took me some time to figure out that “Si” is the name of the lead character. It was also beneficial that I didn’t see the clip at the end, when revelations about his family make this film much more meaningful.
If had to complain about anything, it would be the title. I initially thought of the Spanish word for yes, and as I mentioned, I initially missed that Si is the name of Ki Hong Lee’s character. Despite that, I really recommend this short and could definitely see why it was a finalist. Si is available for streaming on HBOMax.
“The paid media campaign will kick off with a 0:60 television ad titled “Stand Together,” featuring an AAPI narrator underscoring the importance of returning to American values of kindness, compassion, empathy, community, tolerance, generosity, integrity and hope. The ad focuses on how Joe Biden and Kamala Harris can lead the country back to these values and build back better for the AAPI community. The paid campaign follows the historic Vice Presidential Debate, where Senator Kamala Harris, daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants, became the first Asian American to compete on a general election debate stage.
The television spot will be followed by digital, radio and print ads targeting specific AAPI constituencies in-language in key battleground states. These targeted ads will highlight issues of importance to AAPI communities and describe Joe Biden’s commitment to ensure that every member of the AAPI community is treated with dignity—no matter their race or ethnicity—and has a fair shot at the American Dream.
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The ads will air nationally on radio, digital and print platforms, as well as platforms in Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin. The campaign’s paid media program is active in a total of 16 states — including the above states in addition to Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Nebraska, New Hampshire, and Ohio.”
What’s been interesting to see is that Biden for President has had at least two AAPI focused television ads , like the one above and more recently, the one below, with Democratic VP candidate (half-Jamaican, half-Indian American) Kamala Harris narrating:
“A group called RUN, which gives voice to Asian American Pacific Islanders, the fastest-growing racial group in the U.S., today unveiled a gorgeously designed campaign that’s designed to motivate the AAPI community to vote in the 2020 election—and is also the first step in a larger rebranding effort for the AAPI experience.
The campaign is called #TheNew, an appellation that refers to the new generation of Asian American Pacific Islanders. It is this generation, RUN’s organizers believe, who will be able to harness the political and cultural power of a group that remains arguably the most underrepresented—in both media and politics—in America.”
I think it’s great the Biden and others are trying to get Asian Americans more civically engaged and increase voter participation (as Asian Americans have historically been the worst demographic at voting). I’d also love to see if there are any Trump focused political ads focused on the Asian American community.
It’s hard not to agree with with Simu Liu’s assessment on monolids, but that isn’t the only problem.
“Skin tone: Clean, white, and pinky.”
Definitely proves Dino Ray’s point. I also thought the following was odd:
Must no have allergies/food restrictions.
Can’t be a vegan or have Celiac’s disease? No peanut allergies? I can see some of this as valid. The casting was done for Kinder Joy, which makes chocolate candy which could have nuts or dairy products, and the role could be involved with eating it, but it seems that it would be easy to work around this. This casting call also made me glad that I work in Tech. I am used to being in situations where specific talent is uncommon and companies sometimes must work hard to recruit and retain that talent, as opposed to the acting business where talent is common and companies can afford to be picky and to put in odd restrictions like this.
As she says in the interview above, Tiffany So, the director of the Fine China short that was a finalist for the 2020 HBO Visionaries contest, loves musicals. I do too, and so Fine China was a pleasant surprise. I first found some of the “traditional Asian” style music annoying and almost stereotypical (you can hear some in the video above), but as the story went along I realized that was deliberate musical choice.
So says she modeled her work after Chinese families, but the issues that confront this family are common with many families, not just Chinese or Asian ones. As a parent, I am really glad that she didn’t descend into the “hates their parents” trope. The way So shows the passage of time and its eventual healing touch is something to look forward to.
Overall, I recommend Fine China, especially if you like musicals. You can see more about the other 2020 winners on the HBO Visionary web site. Fine China is available to stream on HBO Max.
After reading about HBO’s 2020 APA Visionaries contest winners, I was reminded of another annual Asian American media event, Nielsen’s annual report on Asian American consumers, 2020 edition. Nielsen claims that Asian American content from performers who are also content makers such as as Ken Jeong, Ali Wong, and Awkwafina, has led to increased Asian American viewership, a potential $1.2 trillion market. I like the idea that including Asian Americans into mainstream media roles and decision making is not just about diversity but good business sense also.
I didn’t see the report mention this, but what we really encourages me is that Asian American content like Always be my Maybe, The Half of It, and Awkwafina is Nora from Queens seems to be popular with not just an Asian Americans but with a wider audience. That’s a positive sign for the long term inclusion of Asian Americans in entertainment.
You need access to HBO Max to see these. I am looking forward to watching the other two shorts, and will probably post reviews of all three in the coming weeks.
These days, seeing Asian Americans on commercials is not that unusual, but two things struck me about this commercial from Dave and Busters. First, the goofy fun from actress Donna Park really made me laugh. Second, it’s interesting how a commercial that was so clearly made before the COVID-19 pandemic can be adapted for use. I was surprised that they would air an ad like this.
I have many fond memories of parties and other events at Dave and Busters, so it saw that ad with somewhat mixed feelings. I am happy that they are still in business, but I am not sure sure I would go inside to one of their arcades. Most of the California branches are closed, but some are still open (tagged with a blue location marker).
Japayal’s district includes Seattle, which with its large technology workforce, has a large number of South Asians. As I have pointed out before, technology work can be hazardous to Asian American health. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal is first South Asian woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
With the presidential election around the corner, Americans 
