From the Honolulu Star Advertiser: This past weekend witnessed Hawaii’s first intergenerational Hanafuda card game tournament. For the first time, children were allowed to participate, because as the organizer said, “This is a cultural treasure…. A gift from the issei to us. It’s our duty to pass it on to the next generation.” Hanafuda was originally brought by the Japanese plantation workers to Hawaii, where it has “evolved…becoming a pastime for families during get-togethers.”
APA Spotlight is a weekly interview of Asian Pacific Islander Americans (APIA) community leaders. It is a spotlight on individuals who have dedicated their careers to issues surrounding the APIA community with the goal of bringing much deserved recognition to their work and cause(s).
Don Nose is the president of the Go For Broke National Educational Center. Most recently, Nose was Director of Major Gifts, Planned Giving and Gifts in-Kind for the Union Rescue Mission in Los Angeles. He has also led and built sustainable high-growth organizations, spearheaded global business development, operated his own business and directed marketing for leading brands.
Nose created a successful nonprofit and public-sector practice group for The Staubach Company in Los Angeles and was a Director of Business Development in the global corporate service group for CB Richard Ellis, both leading international commercial real estate companies. He came to California as Director of Marketing for Starbuck’s Coffee Company where he was responsible for a multi-state region that is that corporation’s largest market-development zone.
For all you up-and-coming Asian Pacific American filmmakers: as posted before on this site, Visual Communications is accepting applications for its prestigious Armed With a Camera fellowship. Lucky for you, the DEADLINE’S BEEN EXTENDED by one week to August 5th. As part of the program, ten fellows receive training, mentoring, resources and $500 to each create a five-minute video over a five month period; completed works get shown at the LA Asian Pacific Film Festival. If you are a filmmaker of Asian Pacific descent under 30, don’t miss this opportunity.
You may have heard Priscilla Ahn’s songs featured on Grey’s Anatomy or Dancing with the Stars, but the youthful singer-songwriter is back with a new album, When You Grow Up. We caught up with Priscilla to learn more about how the album came together, being a female musician in today’s over the top pop culture style and her Asian comfort food.
“When You Grow Up” marks your second album; is there anything that sets this apart from your other albums that fans can look forward?
I think I’ve grown as an artist a little bit over the years. My singing has changed a little, and some of the songs I write have a different feel to them. It’s not a drastic change, but there’s definitely some growth in there. Half the songs on the album are co-writes with my friends. So that was definitely different for me! I’m so used to writing on my own. But I wanted to branch out a little, experiment with different writing styles. And I discovered that everyone writes so differently! It was a great learning experience for me.
Hey everyone – you have just 24 hours left to enter our Giveaway to win a Snow Flower and the Secret Fan Book or Autographed Poster, provided by 8Asians and Fox Searchlight pictures! Read this post for more information, and enter today!
Back this May, former Governor of Washington and former Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke went through Senate confirmation hearings for his nomination for Ambassador to China. In the midst the of increasing the debt limit, the Senate unanimously confirmed Locke, making him the first Chinese-American to be U.S. ambassador to China. (All the more amazing that the Senate can agree on anything these days.) Congratulations to Locke on this historic event, and let’s hope he can convince the people of China — the largest foreign creditor of US debt — that our country isn’t going to default on our debt obligation.
I caught the latest DirectTV’s commercial starring Dat Phan. I think Phan’s character is inspired by Ken Jeong’s character Mr. Chow from The Hangover and I can’t say that I’m a fan of the commercial. There’s even a giant panda in the commercial for even more ridiculousness. At least the panda is not talking…
From Fashionista: “Asian American teens spend an average $140.97 per month on fashion, the most of any ethnic group, while white teenagers spend the least amount ($111.58). Latinos spend the most per trip–$98.20–while again, whites spend the least ($81.41). That’s according to a new survey released by online market research Y Pulse, which taps its community of around 80,000 13 to 30 year olds…The results of this particular report were drawn from 1,300 interviews with teenagers and college students conducted online between May 20 and May 30, 2011.” I’m not sure if this is meant to be a surprise, but my experience with Asian American youth has seen that they generally seemed to care about the total package, or in other words, as much about clothes as they do academics, sports, and their overall resumes. And why can’t Asian Americans care about fashion – is it too much out of the proverbial, stereotypical box?
You know the rule: if a major news story like Congressman David Wu resigning has the search terms Taiwan, Congressman, Sexual Assault and Tiger suit, you sure as hell know that Taiwan’s Next Media Animation will have it covered in all its CGI glory with its zany sound effects. (SPROOIING! ZOINK! Womp wommmp.)
As for the video itself: I’m not quite understanding why a naked guy with a hot dog covering his genitals and a shirtless guy holding a Craigslist briefcase are yelling at a photobooth labelled “Career Killer,” however — might just be something lost in translation. I’m just bummed NMA didn’t include a shot of the Representative dancing with a human sized oxycodone pill with arms and legs.
If you haven’t been following this fast moving story, here are the facts to get you up-to-speed:
“The well-being of my children must come before anything else,” he wrote in his statement. “With great sadness, I therefore intend to resign effective upon the resolution of the debt ceiling crisis. This is the right decision for my family, the institution of the House, and my colleagues.”
When I hear someone even mumble the words “Street Fighter,” my heart rate sky rockets and my eyes light up. I imagine pushing buttons, throwing projectiles and super combos upon some poor newbie.
Capcom is very well known for collaborating with other well known companies, with games like Marvel vs Capcom, Street Fighter vs X-Men, Street Fighter x Tekken, and so forth. I love it these crossovers because it shows us, the gamers, for their artistry, their creativity and respect for competition.
Now, Capcom has announced an odd collaboration with Sanrio’s famous feline, Hello Kitty. Yes, that’s right, the red bow-tied, clad in overalls cat will have a say in the beloved Street Fighter franchise.
This has to be a joke right? Wrong.
An article from the Pew Research Center finds that – in percentage terms – the bursting of the housing market bubble in 2006 and the recession that followed from late 2007 to mid-2009 took a far greater toll on the wealth of minorities than whites, and Asians and Asian-Americans took the hardest hit:
“In 2005 median Asian household wealth had been greater than the median for white households, but by 2009 Asians lost their place at the top of the wealth hierarchy. Their net worth fell from $168,103 in 2005 to $78,066 in 2009, a drop of 54%. Like Hispanics, they are geographically concentrated in places such as California that were hit hard by the housing market meltdown. The arrival of new Asian immigrants since 2004 also contributed significantly to the estimated decline in the overall wealth of this racial group. Absent the immigrants who arrived during this period, the median wealth of Asian households is estimated to have dropped 31% from 2005 to 2009.”
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