The Justice Department has dropped all criminal charges against Yueqiang "Bill" Chen, who was accused of selling technology made by his Silicon Valley employer to a Chinese cruise missile laboratory: Charges Dropped in Dual-Use Tech Case. He was indicted last year on five felony accounts, accused of lying on export declarations and illegally shipping $1.3 million in vibration technology to China in 2003 and 2005. But it looks like the charges aren't going to stick. The U.S. attorney's office has dropped the case. Once again, ain't no Chinese people selling secrets around here...
Congratulations to Giant Robot! The Asian pop culture magazine/brand/empire has made it all the way to its monumental 50th issue. To celebrate, they're collaborating with the Japanese American National Museum for a special exhibit showcasing ten cutting-edge artists from around the country: Giant Robot Biennale: 50 Issues. November 3 through January 13, featuring works by APAK, Gary Baseman, David Choe, Seonna Hong, Sashie Masakatsu, Saelee Oh, Pryor Praczukowski, Souther Salazar, Eishi Takaoka and Adrian Tomine.
This exhibition is the first in the museum's Salon Pop series that includes collaborative displays focusing on Asian American pop culture. Things kick off this Saturday, November 3rd with an Opening Reception at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles. For more details on the exhibition, go here. Looks like it's going to be a good time.
Spoooky. Want to watch a free horror movie online? To celebrate Hallowen, Imeem has partnered up with Palm Pictures to bring you Oxide and Danny Pang's 2002 supernatural thriller The Eye. It's about a woman who receive corneal transplant surgery that restores her sight... and gives her horrible visions. It's pretty creepy, and really well made. View it the full movie here now through November 4th. Oh, by the way, it has subtitles, so deal with it. And yes, there is a Hollywood remake of this movie starring Jessica Alba due out next year. Do yourself a favor and watch the original online or on DVD.
That's Bobby Lee as Hiro and Randall Park as Ando. I don't know who the guy is playing Mohinder (though I can't say his accent is any more or less convincing than Sendhil Ramamurthy's).
1) Where are you really from? "I really am from Texas, and I don't care where your Asian ex-girlfriend was really from, either."
2) Do you ... speak any other languages? "Nice try. Unless we're having a deep conversation about linguistics while the maitre d' decants our Malbec, stop asking me where I'm really from."
3) Ching chang chong? "I actually do speak a few languages, but I don't understand Bigot. I'd tell you what I usually say to this question, but you can't print it."
4) You know I love Asian women? "Yeah, Buttercup, I could tell you were sexually objectifying me due to my race from the parking lot. You know, your fortune cookie says I will never sleep with you?"
5) What are you? "I have no words to reply, only drinks to throw."
Sadly, I think many of our sisters can relate, having been subject to any or all of these lines at some point or another. Don't even try it.
Just based on the stuff posted on their MySpace page, I'm really digging the music of Monolidic. Haven't heard of them? They're based in Los Angeles, and they only started playing together a little while back—four friends who decided to do the "band thing." If not mistaken, their first show was back in March. They also got a pretty nice write-up in LAist earlier this month: Monolidic @ The Pig n' Whistle 10/6/07. Monolidic is Allen Lau, Eugene K. Song, Duane Koh and David K. Song. Check out some of their music here.
Beginning last weekend, airport screeners can no longer "pat down" people wearing religious head coverings—if the traveler agrees to undero alternative security measures: Feds change security procedure for turban-wearers. It's a compromise between Sikh and Muslim advocacy groups and the Transportation Security Administration, in response to an earlier TSA directive advising screeners to scrutinize anyone waring a head covering (i.e. a turban) or bulky clothes that might be hiding explosives. Sikhs in particular worried that the policy would lead to harrassment, since head coverings are part of men's religious observance, and their removal is considered a sacrilege. This is a decent compromise, though I have a hard time believing this is going to go smoothly. And of course there's the whole supposition that a guy with a "head covering" might be caring explosives. I doubt they were thinking of frat boys with Yankees caps when they came up with this rule...
Last week in Utah, three teenage arsonists were arrested for burning down a house in West Valley City that was to become the site of the Cambodian Christian Reformed Church: Teens arrested for church arson. Pastor Charlie Phim, who bought the property in 2005, lost close to $15,000 in damage and has no insurance on the empty house. He's also dealt with vandalism on the site before, most recently just days before the fire, when all of the windows were shattered. The three teenagers responsible—ages 13, 14, and 15—could be facing formal charges of arson, criminal mischief and burglary. The future of the church, however, is now completely up in the air.
Ah, it's the day we've all been waiting for. Roy L. Pearson, the asshead administrative law judge who lost his $54 million lawsuit against Custom Cleaners and the Chung family, lost his job yesterday and was ordered to vacate office: Judge Who Lost Pant Suit Loses Job. Pearson, who had served as a judge for two years, was up for a 10-year term at the Office of Administrative Hearings, but a judicial committee last week voted against reaapointing him. The panel apparently had a seven-page letter hand-delivered to Pearson at about 3:30pm, directing him to leave his office by 5:00pm. See ya, sucka. It's about friggin' time. Carefully, everyone. Pearson is out of a job, in need of some scrilla, and looking for someone to sue. He could be coming after you! Loser.
I heard several months ago that ABC Family had ordered the pilot for Samurai Girl, a new series based on the book Samurai Girl: The Book of the Sword by Carrie Asai, which tells the tale of a girl named Heaven, who, rescued from a plane crash as an infant, grows up with an adoptive family that hides a "dark secret." And I guess somewhere along the way, as the book's title implies, she learns the way of the samurai. Crazy! It was reported earlier this month that Jamie Chung, formerly of Real World: San Diego, has signed on to star in the series: Jamie Chung Is Samurai Girl. Goodness. Oooh, a show about ancient samurai traditions and blood ancestors and ninjas and all that good stuff! Why do I get the feeling this show is going to be a disaster?
Dustin Nguyen, who made splash twenty years ago as Harry T. Ioki on the TV cop drama 21 Jump Street, is still definitely on the scene, doing some of his best work ever. You've got to hand it to the guy. I know a lot of Asian American actors today who were inspired by seeing Dustin on TV in a real, likeable, three-dimnesional role way-back-when. He's a true pioneer. This year, he's been all over the place in independent films, with roles in Finishing the Game, Saigon Eclipse and The Rebel. Here's a nice profile on him from the Orange County Register: '21 Jump Street' star Dustin Nguyen is back in action
My pal Camille Mana has a big role in the teen comedy College, due out in January from Lionsgate. Based on some of the YouTube clips floating around, it looks like your typical comedy of the beer/sex/bongs variety. Go Camille.
CBS recently announced the lineup of contestants for its latest season of The Amazing Race. Among the eleven teams, meet Ronald & Christina, a father/daughter team. Ronald is a vice president of sales for a paper packaging company. Christina is a policy analyst in Washington DC. Represent!
Oohhhhh snap. It's the trailer for Step Up 2 the Streets, the highly-anticipated (really) sequel to 2006's Step Up. That's right, baby. The streets. The movie is directed by up-and-coming filmmaker Jon Chu. Also, according to IMDb, Harry Shum Jr. has a role in the movie as "Cable." Can't wait.
Actor/writer/director Fay Ann Lee's romantic comedy Falling for Grace has been making the festival rounds: Falling for reality. It's playing this week at the Vancouver Asian Film Festival. Sooner or later, every New York actor lands a spot on Law and Order. And they get that dreaded question: "Can you play the role with a Chinese accent?"
Hey! John Cho was on How I Met Your Mother Last Night, playing an evil corporate lawyer trying to lure Marshall to the dark side: John Cho Recruits for 'HIMYM'. Man, that guy is everhwere these days.
And here's another profile on graphic novelist Adrian Tomine: The Shortcomings of Adrian Tomine. His latest work is the full-length Shortcomings, which has been getting quite a bit of critical attention.
Spotted over at Boing Boing... this old, racistcap gun is being sold on eBay. As I write this, the current bid is $645. It's a mechanical cast iron pistol with "The Chinese Must Go" written on the side. Crazy, right? I'm really curious about the historical context of this thing. Chances are, it has something to do with the widespread anti-Chinese sentiment in the United States during the late nineteenth century. If so, this is a pretty amazing relic—a twisted reminder of America's not-so-long-ago racist past. Even scarier, the thought that this was probably a toy intended for kids. Ah, instilling the values of hate at a young age. This is America.
While we're on this topic, I should recommend a really interesting, worthwhile book, Driven Out: The Forgotten War Against Chinese Americans by Jean Pfaelzer. I've meaning to write about it for months since it was published back in May, but I actually haven't gotten around to finishing it (I'm kind of a slow reader). But it's absolutely fascinating, an examination of the brutal and systematic "ethnic cleansing" of Chinese Americans in California and the Pacific Northwest during the late nineteenth century. People (and politicians) basically rounded up and purged dozens of communities of thousands of Chinese residents. And the Chinese fought. It's largely a forgotten, unknown chapter of American history, chronicled here in vivid detail. I highly recommend reading it. Here's a book review from the San Francisco Chronicle: REIGN OF TERROR AGAINST CHINESE. One from the Washington Post: Not Without a Fight. And one from the New York Times: Witnesses to Persecution
Here's an event for you folks in San Francisco... the Asian Art Museum's first Thursday evening mixer series MATCHA comes to a close with its "season finale," this Thursday, November 1st. The theme for the evening is "Photography, Fashion + Film," with special filmmaker guests, a YouTube challenge featuring interactive screenings, media installation, and live production of short films. Sounds look a good time. They've partnered up with the Center for Asian American Media to bring you a very cool evening. For more information, go here. Spread the word.
Wanna stir up some crap in your local community? Make disparaging remarks about "the Asians." Last week during a mayoral debate in Montville, Connecticut, candidate James Andriote offended some residents when he made comments about the town's Chinese community: Candidate Was Insulting, Says Cultural Group. He specifically singled out Asians in regards to the town's housing problems:
During the debate, candidates used the term "hotbeds" to refer to more than 10 people living in a house, sometimes in violation of health and fire codes. Andriote said that with the expansion of Mohegan Sun, there would be more hotbeds in town. He referred to "the Asians" and said the area where they live and walk to work at the casino, on Route 32, is "a bad situation" and "very dangerous."
"I'm glad that there's only been two fatal accidents" in that area, Andriote said Wednesday.
What an easy way to solve your city's problems! Blame it on the Asians. And their dirty, crowded "hotbeds." Bringing up the topic of possibly building affordable housing, Adriote said, "I'm not in favor of it.... It will probably be bought out by the Asians. They'll be walking back and forth on Route 32." I have to agree with John Wong of Chinese and American Cultural Assistance Association, who said, "Those are his (Andriote's) opinions... I can understand his point, but he's not an educated guy." In other words, you don't know what the hell you're talking about.
So, after hearing quite a bit about this show, I finally got around to catching MTV's A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila, in which a group of contestants vie for Ms. Tequila's affections. But suprise! The big twist is that she is actually bisexual, and both men and women are competing against each other for her love. Kind of like a hootched-up bisexual version of The Bachelorette. It is the worst television program I have ever seen. So it has come to this. This is no doubt the culmination of Ms. Tequila's master plan towards world domination, so far built on a inexplicable career of being famous for absolutely nothing. Indeed, it seems that anyone can become famous.
Oh, you've never heard of Tila Tequila, aka Tila Nguyen? If anything, you've got to admire her hustle. She's a "glam model" who leveraged her assets to become the most popular profile on MySpace. No small feat, sure. She then used that notoriety in an attempt to launch a music career (as well as land on the cover of various men's magazines), which has somehow all led to this reality show... the biggest waste of time you'll ever experience. Seriously, I wish I could take back that lost half hour, and use it instead to play Minesweeper. It's a big-ass train wreck. Anyway here's a New York Times story on her: She's Famous (and So Can You). And another one here, from a few weeks back: A Shot of Tequila.
This is mainly an excuse to post the above photo, because I find it pretty hilarious. I recently heard about the launch of a new t-shirt site called Awesome Creatures, with t-shirt designs featuring funny little animals. Everything on the site, from the designs to the models and the photography, was created by Asian Americans. The shirts are fun (they've only got a handful of designs right now), and the photos are funny. I was particularly amused by the Man-Creature Pics. Anyway, check out the t-shirts here.
R&B singer VudooSoul, who's got one hell of a voice, is currently in the middle of a short east coast tour, with show dates in North Carolina, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York. If you're in the area, check his music out and get a preview of his upcoming album, dut out in winter 2008. To hear some of his smoove sounds, go here.
My man Tak Toyoshima, the creator of the comic strip Secret Asian Man, is going on a short tour of speaking engagements in the South that he is dubbing "The Civil Tour." He'll be visiting the University of Florida, James Madison University and Baylor University, November 6-8. For more information, visit his website at SecretAsianMan.com.
Singer/songwriter Scott Tang is finished with his second album, Radiant, which is now available online at iTunes, eMusic, Rhapsody and Napster. You can sample streaming versions of all the songs at the usual spots, like here, here and here. Also check out his Myspace profile here.
Operation Babylift is a documentary by Tammy Nguyen Lee that tells the story of how over 2,500 orphans came the United States after the Vietnam War, the challenges those adoptees face in America, and where those children are today. Musician Jared Rehberg, who provides music for the film, was one of those children. Watch the trailer for the film here.
Recently heard the music of The Slants, a Portland-based Asian American dance rock band with a sound they hope will melt your faces off called "Chinatown Dance Rock." They recently released an album, Slanted Eyes, Slanted Hearts. Listen to some tracks over on (where else?) their MySpace profile.
Long-time reader Christopher Wong recently opened up restaurant, Curry Up Cafe, in Woodland Hills, CA. The restaurant mixes together cuisines from all over Asia, as well as favorite dishes here in America... to make what they like to call, "Asian American fusion." If you're in the area, and you want to help a fellow reader out, head on over to Curry Up Cafe. Oh, and of course, they've got a MySpace profile. Tell them AAM sent you.
Francis Hsueh and Steven Hahn's new feature film Pretty to Think So is "a story about newfound love and the past which haunts us." From what I can tell, it's a New York love story that has something to do with the era around the dot-com boom. Judging from the trailer, it looks pretty intriguing. And hey, the lead actress Pia Shah is a friend from a while back. It's nice to see her in this. To learn more about the film, go here.
After five years of research and writing, author Irwin Tang recently published his book Asian Texans: Our Histories and Our Lives, which is basically what is sounds like—a comprehensive history of Asian Americans in Texas. Learn more about the book, and purchase it here.
Last month, Chicago Radio Korea launched its first ever English-language radio program, Ill Rated with Ilmoon Jo, an Asian American news/issues/events show described as "the Asian American mainstream experience for your ear hole." The show airs Monday through Friday from 4-6pm CST, and can be heard on 1330 AM radio in Chicago and in its entirety on chicagoradiokorea.com.
This is like, CSI-type craziness... Three human hairs collected and preserved from a bedroom where a Huntington Beach woman was sexually asaulted, beaten and strangled more than twenty years ago led to the arrest of a Canadian man earlier this week: 3 hairs led to arrest in 1984 Huntington killing. The Orange County Sheriff's Crime Lab matched the hair's DNA to Gerald Su Go, 51, which resulted in a warrant accusing him of murdering Elizabeth Mae Hoffschneider on November 14, 1984. He was arrested by police in Toronto on Tuesday. More here: Arrest comes 23 years after Orange County slaying. Gotcha, sucka! Took twenty-three years, but you've been caught.
As you've probably heard by now, Lost star Daniel Dae Kim was arrested this week for drunken driving. Honolulu Police arrested him after an officer spotted him driving erratically early Thursday morning. He apparently had a blood-alcohol level of 0.168, twice the legal limit. You don't know how bummed I was to hear this news. Daniel did, however, issue an apology—which is the best gesture you can hope for, at this point—saying he was deeply ashamed and embarrassed and would fully cooperate with police: 'Lost' Actor Kim Apologizes for Arrest
I am deeply ashamed and embarrassed by my actions of Thursday morning. It saddens me to know that I jeopardized the welfare of the kind people of Hawaii, a community that I love and call my home.
It is my intention to cooperate fully with the police and I am grateful to them for their sensitivity throughout this matter.
To my friends, family, colleagues and fans, thank you for your kind words of support. To those I have disappointed I can only ask that you accept my heartfelt apologies. I am truly, truly sorry.
While I would never condone drunk driving—it's reckless, irresponsible, and downright stupid—you do have to appreciate that his apology is genuine, straightforward, and takes full responsibility. He will have to face the consequences of his actions, and I think he's accepted that. Daniel is set to appear in Oahu District Court on November 23rd.
All right. I've said it many times already, so I'll make this brief. Finishing the Game opens today in Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego. It's also still available nationwide On Demand through your cable/satellite operator. For all the details you need, go here. And here's an article on Justin from OC Weekly: Playing the Game. See you at the theater!
Hey Seattle! Asian American sketch comedy troupe Pork Filled Players present their new show "Lard & Order: Pork Filled Intent," running now through November 3, Fridays and Saturdays, late night at the Theatre Off Jackson. The Players, Seattle's oldest sketch comedy group and the longest surviving Asian American theatre, are coming at you with an all-new barrage on law and order, crime and punishment and Bush and the "T" word. As a special added attraction, the Players are importing two sketch from Canada, Assaulted Fish and Disoriental. For details on the show and the Pork Filled Players, check out their website here, and their MySpace profile here. Go Maggie.
Speaking of sketch comedy... down in southern California, the world-famous 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors present their latest show "LOUDER FASTER FUNNIER!" No one is safe! Nothing is sacred! They take on Spartans. Iwo Jima films by Clint Eastwood. China (1.3 billion people and counting). The show is running now through November 11 for a limited three week run at GTC Burbank. For more information, got to the 18MMW website here. And check out their MySpace profile here.
And since we're talking about comedy, if you're in the Bay Area, don't miss Contemporary Asian Theater Scene's 7th Annual Asian Comedy Night, featuring comics Rex Navarrete and Ali Wong. This Saturday, October 27th at the Le Petit Trianon Theatre in San Jose. Two shows at 6:00pm and 9:00pm. Fun stuff! For more information about the show visit the CATS website here. And get your tickets online here.
The family of Tam Tran, a 24-year-old Vietnamese American college graduate who went to Capitol Hill to testify before Congress to urge changes to U.S. immigration law, was taken into custody earlier this month on suspicion of violating an old deportation order: Immigrant's family detained after daughter speaks out
Back in May, Tran testified before the House immmigration subcommittee on the DREAM Act, which would have allowed undocumented college students who have lived in the U.S. for five years to get legal status. On October 8, she was quoted a USA Today story. Three days later, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents showed up at her family's Garden Grove home and arrested her father, mother and brother, charging them with being fugitives from justice even though the Trans have been reporting to immigration officials annually to obtain work permits.
What's up with that? The timing certainly seems fishy. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, who chairs the House immigration subcommittee, accused federal officials of "witness intimidation" and believes the Trans were targeted because Tam spoke out. But the Agency claims they had no idea Tam had testified before Congress. Coincidence? I doubt it. The Trans actually have a very complicated immigration history, spanning from Vietnam to Germany to the United States, where they've laid down roots. It looks like their odyssey just got a lot more complicated. More on their story here: Immigrant's family detained after daughter speaks out
In Jacksonville, Florida, the home of the Cai family was recently set on fire by vandals, setting off fears that the arson might've been a hate crime: Family Worries House Fire May Be Hate Crime. The incident apparently wasn't the first time their home was vandalized, and this time had them wondering if they were targeted because they're Asian. There have also been several incidents of vandalism in the neighorhood directed at Chinese people. That's racist! On the bright side, it looks like the police might have a suspect, with a teenage boy taken into custody in connection with one of the fires. Gotcha, sucka. Let me guess, kid: you were bored. And you're racist!
I imagine this scenario in my head, and it scares the hell out of me... Anna Tang, a 20-year-old student at Wellesley College was charged this week with breaking into her ex-boyfriend's MIT dorm and stabbing him seven times as he slept: Wellesley student accused of stabbing former boyfriend at MIT. The guy apparently woke up to find Tang on top of him, stabbing repeatedly. He tried to fight her off, but she just kept stabbing. At one point, she lost her grip on the knife and reached for another she brought her—one of three knives she had armed herself with. She really wanted to hurt this dude. The couple had apparently been romantically involved for eight months, but broke up three weeks ago... I guess it was a bad breakup. More here: Woman stabs ex-boyfriend 7 times, says prosecutor
Ohhhhh crap. According to the Honolulu Advertiser, Daniel Dae Kim, star of the hit show Lost, was arrested early this morning on suspicion of drunken driving: 'Lost' actor Daniel Dae Kim accused of DUI. No details on the DUI, but police say he was arrested around 3:00am, booked at the Honolulu Police station downtown, posted bail, and was released at 5:05am.
Oh man. What is going on in Hawaii? This isn't the first time Lost cast members have had run-ins with the law. Former cast members Michelle Rodriguez and Cynthia Watros were arrested on suspicion drunken driving in 2005, and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje was arrested and accused of disobeying a police officer and driving without a license. Oh, by the way, these three actors' characters were all soon killed off on the show. The producers, of course, say it's a wild coincidence. But I'm sure Daniel has now become a strong candidate for those keeping track of the Lost Death Watch. Man, I hope not.
This is unfortunate news, as Daniel not only a talented actor, but also a really nice guy who I've spoken to on several occasions. I'm a fan. But a DUI is not an offense to be taken lightly. You'll probably see this on stuff like Access Hollywood by the end of the day, and it's not going to be pretty. I hope things work out for him.
Concerned that federal agencies are not paying adequate attention to their Asian American employees, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has set up a working group to study how they are treated and promoted across the government: EEOC Turns Attention to Asian American Workers. The group will try to pull together a report by next year that examines allegations of discrimination against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who work in the federal government, how they are treated when it comes to promotions and whether they are reluctant to file discrimination complaints.
So why is this report necessary? What brought this on? According to data collected by the EEOC, of the 2.6 million employees in the federal sector, 5.9 percent are Asian Americans... but relatively few Asian Americans make it into the highest ranks of the government. I say that's worth investigating. They'll probably find that—SHOCK!—there is indeed discrimination and other workplace barriers for Asian Americans working in the government. And that's racist!
All right, my man Paul Kim, aka PK, is in the midst of online battle, and he needs your help. He's a stand-up comedian currently competing in Round 4 (The Final 64) of the AM 570 KLAC On-Air Challenge radio contest. If he wins, he gets $5000 and a chance to co-host a radio show. He's a cool guy who's involved with some great causes, and it would be great to see him win. After exposing an internet voting scandal involving one of his cheating competitors (the guy was using a bot), PK is now in it to win it, and needs as many votes as possible. I ask you, good readers, to help him out, and vote for him here. He's under R4 A #8, Paul Kim. You can vote as many times as you want, so click your asses off. Voting ends Friday midnight. Vote, vote, vote, and then vote some more. PK thanks you.
Robert Ito has a great piece in the current issue of Los Angeles magazine on former pro skateboarding phenom Christian Hosoi, who, after becoming one of the most successful figures in the sport, spiraled into a life of drugs and crime. After going to prison in 2001 for drug possession, he found Jesus, turned his life around... and is now skating for the Lord: Heaven on Wheels
The San Francisco Chronicle recently ran an interesting profile on Carlito Bonjoc Jr, master of the Filipino martial art of escrima: Filipino martial arts, escrima, gets noticed in hands of a master. How badass is this man? Bonjoc was born with spina bifida, a congenital spinal cord defect, but practices escrima from the seat of his wheelchair or with the aid of crutches. And he could probably kick your ass.
Meet Mami Yamaguchi, star of Florida State's soccer team: Tokyo To Tallahassee: Yamaguchi Playing Big Role For Seminoles. Part of the Japanese national team for years, she was recruited to play for the Seminoles and has become one of Florida State's most valuable players, on pace to shatter school records for goals and points in a season. Check out this video of her doing some cool tricks.
Professor Edward Chang is among the small, growing number of Korean American parents who are questioning their community's stifling drive towards education and success, which has recently taken a tragic toll on the young: Rethinking an emphasis on achievement
On Monday, the Dalai Lama was formally installed as a professor at Emory University, complete with faculty ID: Dalai Lama becomes Emory professor. As Presidential Distinguished Professor, the Dalai Lama will provide private teaching sessions with students and faculty during Emory's study-abroad program in Dharamsala, India, and will periodically visit Emory. When are his office hours?
Frank Wu, author of the influential book Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White, recently paid a visit to the University of Utah, speaking about his personal experiences with stereotypes and quest to widen the racial conversation in America. I think a lot of us can relate to his experiences.
Okay, film fans... after a successful opening last weekend (and still playing) in the Bay Area, Finishing the Game expands to Southern California, opening this Friday, October 26th at the Landmark Nuart Theatre in Los Angeles, the Regency South Coast Village in Orange County, and the Landmark Ken Theatre in San Diego. For those of you in LA, you can meet director Justin Lin and the entire cast of Finishing the Game at the Nuart this Friday and Saturday at the 7:30pm and 9:50pm screenings. On Friday night, MySpace.com and The Usual Suspects are throwing an Opening Night party at Club Shag in Hollywood. A movie ticket stub from FTG gets you in free before midnight. For details about the party, go here.
As an added bonus, how about another ticket giveaway? I am giving away 10 tickets for the 7:30 showing of Finishing the Game, this Friday, October 26 at the Nuart Theatre in Los Angeles. Just email me with your name and phone number by noon tomorrow (Thursday). Please include "FTG TICKET" in the subject line of your email. I'll throw all the entries into a hat and randomly pick ten names. If I pick you, you get one ticket, which will hopefully encourage you to bring a paying friend or two along with you to the movie. Winners will notified by tomorrow afternoon (if you don't hear from me, you didn't win). For more info, photos, video, and updates about Finishing the Game, visit the official website here.
UPDATE: The giveaway is now closed. Thank you to everyone who entered. Winners will be notified shortly. If you didn't win, please come out to the movie anyway.
Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen recently traveled to China on a trade mission. In an email he wrote to Tennessee newspapers while traveling in Beijing, he used the term "coolie" to describe China's industrial boom in comparison to the Chinese railroad workers of the 1800s American West:
The scale, the energy, the focus of this place is astonishing. I've thought of China as a giant, poor third world country (remember those Chinese coolies who built the railroads?) now charging onto the industrial stage for the first time.
In some circles, this is actually considered an ethnic slur. My guess is, the Governor has no idea, because he's kind of a fool. This blog at the Tennessean.com raises the question: Uh, governor, did you really mean to write that? And here's a follow-up post, with the Governor's surly retort: Bredesen shares his thoughts on historic Chinese laborers. Yes, Governuh. I do remember the Chinese coolies who built the railroads. They worked their asses off but were excluded from the photo taken at Promontory. What's up with that?
Hey, there's an Asian American contestant on NBC's new "reality" show Phenomenon, which is described as "the search for the next great mentalist." (I think that means they're looking for magicians.) Hosted by famed mentalist Uri Geller and mystifier Criss Angel, each week ten carefully selected mentalists will compete against one another, demonstrating spellbinding illusions. Ooh. One of the contestants is Angela Funovits, a medical student from Ohio, whose great-grandfather was rumored to have been a celebrated magician in China. A quick Google search reveals her Myspace page... in addition to med student and magician, she lists model and beauty pageant queen under her credits. It also appears she is the competition's lone female contestant. Good luck to her. That said, I don't have a whole lot of desire to see the show. I refuse to watch anything hosted by a guy named "Criss." Phenomenon premieres on NBC tonight.
If you've been watching the news at all, you know that there are destructive fires that have been sweeping across Southern California, with hundreds of thousands of people foced to evacuate their homes. I was just in San Diego a few weeks ago, and it's hard to imagine such a beautiful area ravaged by fire... Just wanted help spread some awareness about donations and relief for victims of the San Diego wildfires. North and east county, especially Poway and Rancho Bernardo, have had many homes destroyed, with nearly half a million people displaced from their homes in the largest evacuation in California's history. There are actually significant Asian American communities in the area, specifically Vietnamese and Filipino American populations, that have been highly affected. Check out the information at the San Diego/Imperial Counties American Red Cross website, which has links to over twenty evacuation centers and the donations they need. Anything you can give, from money to blood to bottled water, would be greatly appreciated. (Thanks, Dorothy.)
Oh hell yes. Roy L. Pearson, the crazy idiot who slapped Custom Cleaners with an outrageous $54 million lawsuit for allegedly losing his pants, is about to lose his job as a DC administrative law judge. That's right, baby: Judge Set to Lose Job, Sources Say. A city commission voted yesterday against reappointing Pearson to the bench of the Office of Administrative Hearings, though he apparently tried to hold on to the job.
Brothers and sisters, it's about frickin' time. Yesterday's vote came after months of discussions, including hearings where Pearson defended his two-year record on the bench. I don't care what kind of magical defense he came up with. That dude is a fool. As we've all been saying from the beginning, anyone who would demand $54 million over a pair of pants is not in their right mind, and should not be in any position of authority to administer the law. The commission's discussions are not public, and sources say the panel hasn't drafted a letter formally notifying Pearson of its decision, which would finalize it. Just get it over with! But watch out... because he's probably looking for someone else to sue. And it could be you.
PRI's The World has an interesting story on the increasing problem of gambling addiction in the Asian American community, particularly in California, where the very first Gamblers Anonymous meeting conducted in Chinese now regularly meets: Asian Americans struggle with gambling. There's no doubt, this is a serious problem plaguing our community in an alarming, sobering way. Rates of gambling addiction among Asians in the U.S. are up to ten times higher than the general population. That's downright shocking. And frankly, the gaming industry is loving it, with casinos now going out of their way to specifically attract and cater to Asian customers. It's big money. Too learn more about gambling addiction and the Asian American community, visit this page over at Asian-Nation.
Sad news. Austin writer, journalist and musician Lance Hahn this past Sunday. He had been in a coma since collapsing during dialysis treatment earlier this month. He was 40: Lance Hahn Is Gone. He leaves behind numerous contributions to the punk scene in Austin and beyond, as the creative force behind punk band Cringer and the prolific J Church. He also played guitar for Beck in 1994, owned and operated the independent record label Honey Bear, and was a long-time contributor to Maximumrocknroll, Giant Robot, and his own zine, Some Hope And Some Despair. More on Lance here: R.I.P Lance Hahn. I won't pretend and say I was super-familiar with this work, but it's obvious he leaves behind an enormous legacy and great influence, as well as many friends and fans. Rest in peace.
For those of you in the Los Angeles area, there are a number of Asian and Asian American films playing at the upcoming AFI Fest, running November 1-11 at the ArcLight Hollywood Cinemas. It's a pretty solid list of films. I'm particularly interested in checking out Munyurangabo, Lee Isaac Chung's debut film set in the years after the Rwandan genocide of 1994, made in collaboration with Rwandan youths at a refugee camp where Chung worked and lived. It looks pretty awesome. Here's also a humongous list of Asian films playing at the festival, compiled the good folks at APA First Weekend Film Club:
PLEASE VOTE FOR ME DIR: Weijun Chen China How do you build democracy in the world's largest communist community? Start small ... very small. This charming film follows the intense politicking to become class monitor of a third-grade class in Wahun Province. Thu. Nov 8, 9:45 pm / Sat. Nov 10, 4:30 pm
BLIND MOUNTAIN (MANG SHAN) DIR: Li Yang China CAST: CAST Lu Hunag, Youan Yang, Yuling Zhang, Yunle Ha A demographic time bomb haunts China today, as Deng Xiaoping's One-Child Policy has left too few women available for Chinese men to marry, especially in the less prosperous countryside. The promise of a decent-paying job lures the naive, ingenuous Bai Xuemei (beautifully played by newcomer Huang Lu) to a desolate farming village in northern China. Director Li Yang has created a story that symbolizes an entire society caught in the disorienting crisis of radical change. Sun. Nov 4, 12:00 pm / Mon. Nov 5, 10:00 pm
A THOUSAND YEARS OF GOOD PRAYERS DIR: Wayne Wang USA CAST: CAST Faye Yu, Henry O, Vida Ghahremani, Pasha Lychnikoff Directed by Wayne Wang (SMOKE, CHAN IS MISSING), A THOUSAND YEARS OF GOOD PRAYERS is the story of Mr. Shi, a widower and a retiree from Beijing. When Yilan, his only daughter who lives in the U.S., has a divorce, he decides to visit her in the small town where she works as a librarian. His intention is to stay with her until he helps her recover from the trauma. Sat. Nov 3, 10:45 pm / Mon. Nov 5, 5:30 pm
SECRET SUNSHINE (MILYANG) DIR: Chang Dong Lee South-Korea CAST: CAST Jeon Do-yeon, Song Kang-ho, Seon Jeong-yeob When her husband dies in a car accident, Shin-ae decides to leave Seoul with her son Jun (Seon Jeong-yeob). She relocates to Miryang, a nondescript city with no particular appeal other than its being the hometown of her deceased spouse, in Lee Chang-dong's latest masterpiece, SECRET SUNSHINE. Fri. Nov 2, 6:45 pm / Sun. Nov 4, 3:00 pm
SOLOS DIR: Loo Zihan, Kan Lume Singapore CAST: CAST Lim Yu-Beng, Goh Guat Kian, Loo Zihan Inspired by true events of a teacher-student affair, SOLOS narrates the fading relationship of a couple, and the love of a mother who fears her son will never return to her. The silence that dwells between the characters brings out their loneliness as they struggle with disappointment but are unable to share their true emotions. Sun. Nov 4, 9:45 pm / Tue. Nov 6, 4:30 pm
PRINCESS OF NEBRASKA DIR: Wayne Wang USA CAST: CAST Ling Li, Brian Danforth, Pamelyn Chee, Patrice Binaisa A companion piece to A THOUSAND YEARS OF GOOD PRAYERS, THE PRINCESS OF NEBRASKA shares that film's theme of Chinese citizens finding the United States alienating and bewildering. As kinetic and edgy as its twin is restrained and subtle, THE PRINCESS OF NEBRASKA follows 24 hours in the life of Sasha, a young Chinese woman who is four months pregnant from a fling back in Beijing. Interrupting her first year of college in Omaha, Nebraska, she travels to San Francisco for an abortion and confront her lover's male friend. Sat. Nov 3, 9:00 pm / Mon. Nov 5, 3:30 pm
SAKURAN DIR: Mika Ninagawa Japan CAST: CAST Anna Tsuchiya, Kippei Shiina, Hiroki Narimiya, Yoshino Kimura, Miho Kanno, Masatoshi Nagase, Minami, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Kenichi Endo, Ayame Koike, Megumi Yamaguchi Based on the popular manga of the same name, this film details the education and early career of a popular geisha, or courtesan. Passions and goals collide for girls who seek to become the oiran, the highest-ranking prostitute who only the wealthiest and most powerful could hope to patronize. This lush and opulent vision of a lost world is a one-of-a-kind cinematic export from first-time director Mika Ninagawa. Thu. Nov 8, 10:30 pm / Sat. Nov 10, 12:45 pm
NIGHT TRAIN DIR: Yinan Diao China CAST: CAST Liu Dan, Qi Dao, Xu Wei, Wu Yuxi, Wang Zhenjia, Meng Haiyan Director Diao Yi Nanreturns to AFI FEST with this masterful film about a female bailiff who has to execute prisoners who have committed crimes of passion. During the evenings, she takes a night train to a nearby town to attend matchmaking dances. She mistakes the intentions of a mysterious man who turns up and befriends her. Tue. Nov 6, 8:45 pm / Fri. Nov 9, 12:30 pm
THE FLIGHT OF THE RED BALLOON (LE VOYAGE DU BALLOON ROUGE) DIR: Hou Hsiao-Hsien Taiwan / France CAST: CAST Song Fang, Juliette Binoche, Simon Iteanu, Hippolyte Girardot, Louise Margolin With the classes she teaches, her puppet shows and her two children, Suzanne is a mother overwhelmed by her obligations. To ease the situation, she takes in a young Taiwanese baby sitter, Song Fang, who forms a special bond with her son. Taiwanese master Hou-Hsiao Hsien, working with the great Juliette Binoche, explores hisperennial themes of family and identity in a striking new setting. Fri. Nov 9, 1:15 pm / Sat. Nov 10, 6:45 pm
FUNUKE, SHOW SOME LOVE YOU LOSERS! (FUNUKEDOMO, KANASHIMI NO AI WO MISERO) DIR: Daihachi Yoshida Japan CAST: CAST Eriko Sato, Aimi Satsukawa, Hiromi Nagasaku, Masatoshi Nagase After their parents die in hilariously gory fashion, the three Funuke siblings are reunited to mondo effect, reigniting rivalries that have lain dormant since their childhood. Juxtaposing an innocuous rural setting with manga-fueled mania, director Daihachi Yoshida delivers a debut film that promises a seemingly limitless career. The ensemble cast shines as the utterly unhinged family, especially Hiromi Nagasaku's brilliant portrayal of a fanatically "calm" housewife hellbent on keeping her family together. Mon. Nov 5, 9:00 pm / Wed. Nov 7, 4:30 pm
HOLLYWOOD CHINESE DIR: Arthur Dong USA CAST: FEATURING Joan Chen, Nancy Kwan, Ang Lee, Amy Tan, Christopher Lee, James Hong, B.D. Wong, Wayne Wang Arthur Dong critically re-examines the history of Hollywood's construction of the stereotypic Chinese identity on film. He artfully weaves together seventy five years of film-clips with the commentary of Ang Lee, Joan Chen, James Hong and others who are reshaping the image of Chinese people in the cinema of today. Wed. Nov 7, 6:45 pm
TERRORIZER (KONGBU FENZI) DIR: Ed Yang Taiwan/ Hong Kong CAST: CAST Cora Miao, Li Liqun, Wang An Edward Yang attempts in THE TERRORIZER a virtual dismantling of montage theory. One of Yang's most closely scrutinized films, it ends with a shot of a novelist vomiting -- which would seem to be a none-too-subtle commentary on the process of creating fiction, Yang's included. But it's also just one more enigmatic element in what is Yang's most provocative and structurally challenging work. Sat. Nov 3, 4:00 pm
PRINCE OF THE HIMALAYAS DIR: Sherwood Hu China CAST: Purba Rgyal, Zomskyid, Dobrgyal, Sonamdolgar, Trashi, Lobzangchopel, Dechendolma, Lobden, Ciringdongrub, Oma Something is rotten in Lhasa, a lush adaptation of William Shakespeare's Hamlet is set in the most unlikely of places: the Tibetan mountains. With gorgeous costumes and stirring performances, the film breaths new, unexpected life into one of the world's best known stories. Fri. Nov 9, 7:00 pm / Sat. Nov 10, 10:00 pm
MAD DETECTIVE DIR: Johnnie To Hong Kong / China CAST: CAST Lau Ching-wan, Andy On, Lee Kwon Lun, Lam Ka Tung Back together at the helm of MAD DETECTIVE, Johnnie To and Wai Ka-fai have set the screen ablaze to create a fiery action drama. This film is both a thrilling adventure exposing the dark side of Hong Kong’s police force and a fascinating journey into the meanderings of a contorted mind. Mon. Nov 5, 6:45 pm
That's a lot of films. I also one of the festival's TALK/SHOW programs includes a conversation on movie stereotypes and American popular culture, featuring filmmaker Arthur Dong. For more information on all programs, including ticket info, visit the AFI Fest website.
As we've mentioned here before Jet Li is starring as the villain ("the Dragon Emperor") in the third Mummy film, which takes place in the mysterious land of Asia. This one has something to do with China's famed terra cotta warriors. Ooh. The movie also stars Michelle Yeoh. Call me a skeptic, but I'm not really hoping for the best with this one, as it will likely feature white hero Brendan Fraser busting through China and unlocking all sorts of ancient Chinese secrets and unimaginable supernatural powers and mystical Oriental stuff. And that's just not cool. We need to protect our Ancient Chinese Secrets! Now, everyone will know. Bummer. Anyway, director Rob Cohen (The Fast and the Furious, xXx), has been keeping a blog during production of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Like I said, it doesn't offer much to look forward to next summer.
Ah, the China-banning continues... Saw this over at Consumerist. Caving to xenophobia, food chain Trader Joe's has announced that it will no longer carry foods imported from China, due to concerns over the safety standards of such products. The grocer plans to phase out single-ingredient products from mainland China by January 1: Trader Joe's just says no to China. According to Trader Joe's statement:
"We feel confident that all of our products from China meet the same high quality standards that we set for all of our products," the statement read. "However, our customers have voiced their concerns about products from this region and we have listened.
"We will continue to source products from other regions until our customers feel as confident as we do about the quality and safety of Chinese products."
The change apparently won't affect products containing multiple ingredients, of which some may be from China. Which, if you're truly concerned about health and safety standards, is rather stupid. As Consumerist points out, this move isn't going to do a whole lot to make food consumption safer. It's basically just caving to customer concerns, which seem overwhelmingly informed by the xenophobic hysteria over all things China.
According to Box Office Mojo, Finishing the Game made another $14,473 during its Bay Area theatrical premiere. Not bad, considering it was playing on just two screens and up against a number of high-profile wide releases this weekend. It had the sixth-highest per-screen box office average, over almost every wide release in the overall grossing top ten. Not bad. What's more important, I think, is the impressive show of support. In San Francisco, there was good buzz and a great turnout on opening night, with folks lining up outside to see Finishing the Game and meet the movie's cast and crew. Let's keep it going as it expands to more cities...
For those of you in the Bay Area who didn't see it this weekend, I've got an opportunity to for free tickets to catch it right now, this week, for you loyal readers and quick responders. I'm giving away five pairs of tickets to see Finishing the Game at the Bridge Theatre in San Francisco or Shattuck Cinemas in Berkeley, good for any showing on Tuesday, October 23rd through Thursday, October 25th. Just be one of the first ten people (5 for SF, 5 for Berkeley) to email me right away with your name, email and phone number by tonight, 11:59pm. Please specify whether you'd like the tickets for the Bridge Theatre or Shattuck Cinemas. And be sure to include "FTG TICKETS" in the subject line. I'll let you know tomorrow if you've won. To learn more about Finishing the Game, go here.
UPDATE: Thank you to all who entered. The giveaway is now closed. If you submitted your name, I'll let you know shortly if you won tickets.
My pal Peter, a die-hard Red Sox fan, is celebrating his beloved team making it to the World Series. He urges me to write about last night's Game 7, in which Boston's pair of Japanese pitchers kicked some serious ass. Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched five strong innings, then Hideki Okajima followed with two more... seven critical innings, and there you have it, the Sox beat Cleveland 11-2 and are now in the Series. As Pete puts it, "That's about 105 million bucks worth o' Japanese pitching in Game 7." Matsuzaka redeemed himself after coming off of two weak performances last week against Cleveland, holding off the Indians to two runs and six hits in five innings. Japanese fans (along with Red Sox fans everywhere) are happy: Japan cheers on Red Sox's Matsuzaka. Pete, did I just make your day? No. Daisuke made your day.
I recently set aside some time to watch Ken Burns' made-for-PBS documentary series The War. It's an amazing, powerful piece of work, from the producing team responsible for the celebrated documentaries The Civil War, Baseball and Jazz. It's an epic, sweeping exploration of American involvement the Second World War, told from the perspectives of the ordinary men and women—both abroad and at home—whose lives were caught up in "one of the greatest cataclysms in human history." The War. These are not stories of the politicians and generals making decisions at the top, but stories from "the bottom up." The film focuses on the stories of citizens from four geographically distributed American towns: Waterbury, Connecticut; Mobile, Alabama; Sacramento, California; and Luverne, Minnesota. These communities could represent any town in the U.S. during the war, relaying personal portraits of ordinary people in the trenches, on the lines and on the homefront.
But let's get to why I'm talking about this here. What I really love about this series is its notable inclusion of the Japanese American experience during World War II—not presented as a footnote, or a special side nod, but as an essential, integral part of the American experience during World War II. The "making of" documentary reveals that Ken Burns and Co. agreed early on that the story of the War flat-out couldn't be told without talking about the internment experience, or the lesser-known 110th Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team. We hear the stories of regular folks who lived through the shame and injustice of the internment, and those who fought through some of Europe's most devasting battles on behalf of the United States (including the 442nd's rescue of "The Lost Battalion"). The film doesn't try to glorify the war or make heroes or martyrs out of these people... it just wants you to know that these ordinary men and women lived through it, and their stories shouldn't be forgotten. The result is a vivid, harrowing, sometimes heartbreaking journey through the war.
With the fall TV season in full swing, between the new shows and returning favorites, the thought of watching a 15-hour, seven-part documentary about World War II probably doesn't fit into most people's schedules... but I would urge everyone to make time and seek out The War (it's still playing on several PBS stations). Originally presented in seven episodes over several nights on PBS, the series is much more digestible on DVD, where you can watch at your own pace, as well as view some really insightful special features. It's taken me a long time to get through it (I got the DVD nearly a month ago), but it's been well worth it. I highly recommend checking out The War.
This story from Friday's Los Angeles Times, about Hillary Clinton's extraordinary—and possibly shady—fundraising among residents of New York's Chinatown, has gotten quite a bit of attention over the internets and beyond: An unlikely treasure-trove of donors for Clinton. At this point in the presidential campaign cycle, Clinton has raised more money than any candidate in history. The article raises the question how some of Hillary's Chinatown donors, holding jobs like diswashers and waiters, would be able to donate amounts ranging from $500 to $2300 to her campaign:
The Times examined the cases of more than 150 donors who provided checks to Clinton after fundraising events geared to the Chinese community. One-third of those donors could not be found using property, telephone or business records. Most have not registered to vote, according to public records.
And several dozen were described in financial reports as holding jobs -- including dishwasher, server or chef -- that would normally make it difficult to donate amounts ranging from $500 to the legal maximum of $2,300 per election.
Of 74 residents of New York's Chinatown, Flushing, the Bronx or Brooklyn that The Times called or visited, only 24 could be reached for comment.
Many said they gave to Clinton because they were instructed to do so by local association leaders. Some said they wanted help on immigration concerns. And several spoke of the pride they felt by being associated with a powerful figure such as Clinton.
The article examines Clinton's influence and popularity among folks in the Chinese community, and whether it's possible for an area with a median family income of $21,000 to donate the amount of money Clinton has supposedly received. Basically, there's a question of whether something shady is going down in Chinatown. Because, you know, the Chinese are sneaky like that. Right?
Why is it that every time Chinese people and campaign fundraising are uttered in the same breath, there's this reckless suspicion that something mysterious and underhanded is going on? Why does this LA Times story spend so much time insinuating that something is not quite right, going into hints of organized crime, mystery donors, and whether or not a person can understand English? Why not just come out and say it, instead of hiding behind this biased-ass story? You think something illicit is going on. Hell, maybe something is. But I'm inclined to believe that this community, and this money, wouldn't receive half as much scrutiny—from reporters across the country—if we weren't talking about Chinatown. That's racist! Here is Congressman Mike Honda's reaction to the LA Times article: Honda Statement on L.A. Time Campaign Donor Story.
There's been a lot of John Cho news around here lately... not only was it recently announced that he'd be playing Sulu in next year's movie revamp of Star Trek, he stars in Michael Kang's gangster drama West 32nd, and made an appearance last week on Ugly Betty. He played Kenny, Henry's goofy co-worker. (Yes, I watch the show sometimes.) Now, we get word that the upcoming Harold and Kumar sequel has a new title: Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. You get the idea. Like the first movie, it's a very clear, succinct summation of what happens to our two stoner heroes in the movie. And of course, hilarity ensues... (By the way, co-star Kal Penn ain't doing too bad either, having recently landed a gig as a series regular on Fox's medical drama House.)
Bobby Jindal is the new governor of Louisiana. Yesterday, the Republican congressman easily defeated 11 opponents and became the state's first nonwhite governor since Reconstruction—and the very first Indian American governor in the United States: Indian immigrants' son new La. governor. The son of immigrants from India, he'll also be the nation's youngest governor, at age 36. He had 53 percent with 625,036 votes, which was more than enough to win the election outright and avoid a runoff.
I'm not much of a fan of this guy. While it's good to see some color up in that office... the guy's conservative politics couldn't be more divergent from mine. Still, good luck to him, considering all of the crazy hurdles and challenges that he now faces leading the nation's poorest, most uneducated and most unhealthy state, by a number of important measures. He's got his job cut out for him. More here: Indian-American Elected Louisiana's Governor
This is it, Bay Area. Justin Lin's Finishing the Game opens today at the Shattuck Cinemas in Berkeley, and the Bridge Theatre in San Francisco. For those of you catching the movie at the Bridge Theatre, the Center for Asian American Media will introduce the film and moderate Q&As with Justin Co. There's also an opening night party at Club Six tonight with the cast and crew, featuring a performance by the Far East Movement. Details on the flyer above. Be there! Next week: Los Angeles.
This is today's edition of the comic strip Zits, by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman. Yes, that is indeed a four-eyed, bowl-haircut guy named "Nguyen" lugging that giant backpack, presumably filled with books. Ah, which stereotype shall exploit today? The nerdy, straight-A Asian overachiever will do nicely. And make no mistake, the cartoonists want to clearly distinguish that this character is Asian. Thus, they've named him Nguyen. That's racist! By the way, this comic strip is syndicated in over 1,500 newspapers nationwide. Greaaaaat. If you're not a fan of this particular strip, let them know how you feel by emailing King Features Sydicate at zits@kingfeatures.com.
Well, we are fast approaching Halloween, the only day of the year when regular folks have an excuse to dress up like skanks and prostitutes, then go to work the next day like nothing happened. Seriously, your co-worker who sits in the cubicle next to the copy machine? She was a Sexy Cop last Halloween. Complete with handcuffs. Note: you can add "Sexy" to any profession and instantly have a costume idea. Cop, Nurse, Maid, Plumber. They all work. Anyway.
Halloween is also the time of year where we see all sorts of lame, racist costumes. You, too, can be Asian for Halloween! For instance, the Asian Princess Costume, available at Target. Or how about the China Woman Costume. There's also the Sexy Giesha Glam Costume. And my favorite, the Oriental Delight Costume: "Try out something exotic and erotic with Forplay's Oriental Delight. This sexy, Asian inspired dress features tied-up sides, a V-Neck neckline and authentic Asian accents. Fancy fan also included." Fancy fan? Awesome! Ugh.
I would not characterize what I do as work. I have a dream job. I wake up every morning excited about the things I get to do.
2. What is the greatest issue facing your district?
To greatly expand mass transit. The Second Ave. T train subway line covering 60th to 100th Sts. (in Manhattan) is being built; the 7 train line extension is in the works. We'll also try to extend the express bus service.
3. What legislation do you want to pass in the near future?
To expand yellow-cab service to more people in the city, especially people who don't live in the met. Hopefully it'll reach the Senate in the fall.
4. What issues has the mayor overlooked in your district?
We desperately need a high school in the Flushing area. The existing high schools are extremely overcrowded. The ideal site is next to the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.
5. What does it mean to be the first Asian-American elected city official?
It's not something I think about very often. I'm accustomed to being Asian-American; I've been that my whole life. People have a lot more in common than they have different. That's what I've always tried to emphasize.
6. How did you decide to get into politics?
I have been a community board member and the president of a local civic association. I just got elected into public office somehow.
7. What was the most important part of your education?
Just being in New York City public schools my whole life, from kindergarten through 12th grade. It's really a proud thing to be a product of N.Y.C. public schools.
8. What are your favorite places to eat?
I have breakfast with my 6-year-old son Joey at home before taking him to school. I haven't had lunch for several years, but I enjoy dinner with my wife at Olivo's, a Spanish place in Astoria. They have the best paella.
9. What's your favorite hang-out?
I go to Kissena Park with my son so he can ride his bike and play soccer.
10. What is your main goal in office and what do you hope to leave with?
My goal is increasing the accountability of municipal government to city residents and demanding more accountability from the MTA. When I leave, I want to say I gave my 110%, so the city and my hometown of Flushing are better off.
He's busy man with a plan. Learn more about Councilman Liu here.
While the San Diego Asian Film Festival came to a close tonight, the 27th Hawaii International Film Festival is just starting up. I got to attend last year, and had an absolute blast. Not only is it beautiful there, along with some awesome weather, they've put together a top-notch program of films. The festival has been called the "premiere American showcase for Asian films," though its program isn't limited to Asian cinema. The program includes everything from the new John Cusack movie to the latest from Johnnie To. They've also included films from Asian American artists like Grace Lee's American Zombie, Justin Lin's Finishing the Game, Michael Kang's West 32nd, Gina Kim's Never Forever, and a ton of other great films. If you're going to the festival, you've probably already made your plans... and you're in for some fun. The festival runs now through October 28.
Also... attention, filmmakers. It's time for you to submit your films and videos—short, feature, narrative, documentary, whatever—to VC Filmfest 2008. VC is now accepting entries for the 24th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, happening May 1-8, 2008 at the Directors Guild of America, Aratani/Japan America Theatre, and additional venues in LA. Click here to begin the submission process via Withoutabox.com. Submit your work right now through December 21st. Check back later at the VC website further details about the festival.
And check it out... Asian CineVision is proud to announce the 2007-08 National Festival Tour from the 30th Asian American International Film Festival. It's only touring festival its kind in the United States, showcasing select features, shorts, documentaries and experimental works from the previous year's festival. This year, they're offering rental of more than 50 films from the 2007 AAIFF. How cool is that? It's basically an opportunity to bring Asian American film programming to your organization, community or school that your audience may not be able see elsewhere. Maybe you can't make it to any of the film festivals I talk about here all the time. Some of the available films in the festival including Chris Chan Lee's Undoing, Joy Dietrich's Tie a Yellow Ribbon, and Lisette Marie Flanary's Na Kamalei: The Men of Hula, among others, as well as a variety of short films. For more information about Asian CineVision's 2007-08 National Festival Tour, go here.
Heard about this weird-ass story last week out of New York, where it was apparently all over the news... According to a lawsuit, SAC Capital, one of the world's richest and most secretive hedge funds, is allegedly telling its traders to swallow female hormones to trade better: TRADING PLACES. What the hell? One of the top bosses at SAC, Ping Jiang, criticized traders for being too aggressive, and insisted that they use "a soft feminine touch" to score in their trading pitches. How feminine? A junior trader, Andrew Z. Tong, claims that the boss demanded he take take female hormone pills... which apparently caused him to start wearing dresses, grow distant from his wife, and begin a sexual relationship with Jiang. Oh, the things people will do to climb that ladder.
Jiang is listed by Trader Monthly magazine as one of Wall Street's top 100 traders, with an estimated income of $100 million a year... so maybe his feminine touch is working. But I guess Tong isn't cool with their arrangement anymore. He has filed a sexual harrassment case against his boss, claiming the hormone pills wrecked his life and made him impotent with his wife, who wanted to have a baby. Dude, I don't care how much you're getting paid... this is just too bizarre. But you know what? Something tells me this stopped being about money a long time ago. More on the sexual harrassment case here: Trader's Sex/Hormones Claims Being Investigated
San Diegooooooooo! It's been another great year for the San Diego Asian Film Festival. It's time say goodbye, good job, and see you next year... but not without one last screening. The festival goes out with a bang tonight with the Closing Night screening of my man Michael Kang's Korean American gangster drama West 32nd, starring John Cho, Grace Park, Jun Kim and Jane Kim. Tonight, 7:00pm at the UltraStar Mission Valley Theater. But wait! A second screening at 9:15 has also been added. And yes, star John Cho is confirmed to attend. For more details on the screening, as well as ticket info, go here. View the movie's trailer here. And read an interview with director Michael Kang here.
In Chicago, an Indian American couple whose U.S. franchise agreement with Dunkin' Donuts is being terminated is accusing the company of racial discrimination: Dunkin' Donuts sued for discrimination. Mahendra and Nita Patel's counterclaim against Dunkin' Donuts charges that the company came up with false and baseless reasons to terminate contracts with primarily "brown skin, first generation American" franchises or to force them to sell the franchise back to Dunkin' Donuts or a Caucasian operators for less than the fair market price. That's racist! The company says no way. We shall see.
Oh wow, I almost forgot about this. Check it out... Tad Nakamura's award-winning short documentary Pilgrimage was recently released on DVD. It's an important film that that tells the inspiring community story of how a wartime internment camp has been transformed into a current day symbol of retrospection and solidarity:
Although there are now numerous films on the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, this dark chapter of American history lay virtually forgotten until 1969 when two young Japanese Americans set out to find a place called Manzanar and ended up creating an annual event that has since attracted thousands of people. Calling it a "pilgrimage," it was the first public event in the nation to call attention to the reality of the WWII concentration camp experience that had almost been deleted from public understanding.
With a hip music track, never-before-seen archival footage and a story-telling style that features both old and new pilgrims, Pilgrimage is the first film to show how the WWII camps were reclaimed by the children of its victims and how the Manzanar Pilgrimage now has fresh meaning for diverse generations of people who realize that when the US government herded thousands of innocent Americans into what the government itself called concentration camps, it was failure of democracy that would affect all Americans. As the U.S. is again in tumultuous times, Pilgrimage is a timely and engaging film that brings new and much-needed insight to the lessons of the past for our post 9/11 world.
Mixing archival footage, a hip soundtrack and a fresh visual style, it's a powerful, moving film with a story that needs be seen by as many people as possible. I can't tell you how valuable I think this film is. Special features include never-before-seen archival footage of the 1969 Pilgrimage to Manzanar, the 36th annual Manzanar Pilgrimage, Breaking the Fast: Gathering for Ramadan in Little Tokyo, additional interviews, and a discussion and resource guide. So get your hands on this DVD! Purchase it here. Then spread the word.
This is some crazy news out of Florida... Prosecutors plan to drop hate crime charges against several young men arrested in connection with an alleged beating of a black student at Florida International University during a late-night brawl last month: Hate-crime charges dropped in beating case. The victim told prosecutors he never felt the Asian American teenager who used a supposed racial slur targeted him because he is black. What? The teen, known as "Chino," apparently uttered the "n-word" more in the hip hop way than the Michael Richards way, making it difficult to prove it was a hate crime. It's kind of stunning, and stupid, but I can believe it:
The victim, freshman Stephen Barrett, 18, told prosecutors he never felt the teenager who used a supposed racial slur targeted him because he is black.
That Asian-American teen, whose name was not released, uttered the word "nigga" more as a hip-hop cultural slang than racial insult, prosecutors believe, making it difficult to prove it was a hate crime.
The drama began on Sept. 23 when Barrett and two pals were returning from a keg party on an island off Haulover Park Marina.
On the way back, the boat was too crowded and the operator told some people to get off.
The teenager, known as Chino, yelled out at Barrett "Nigga get off the boat, nigga" and swung at Barrett, who swung back, Barrett told prosecutors.
Words were exchanged. Someone yelled that they should fight one on one.
Barrett and his pals got off the boat and 15 minutes later, the teenagers were at the marina waiting. A series of brawls broke out, but authorities now say no one ever tried to drown Barrett.
Okay, this situation is weird already, with the crowded boat and stuff. But if the victim believes the altercation wasn't racially motivated, what actually happened here? I'm afraid this guy Chino has appropriated the "n-word" into his vernacular in a way that I'd never touch with ten-foot pole. Jesse Jackson's worst nightmare.
Here's an interesting article on Indian director Shekhar Kapur, whose latest film Elizabeth: The Golden Age is now playing in theaters: 'Elizabeth' Director Brings Indian Sensibility to Work. If it isn't obvious, the movie is a sequel to the 1998 film Elizabeth, with Cate Blanchett reprising the role that made her famous. I haven't seen it, but I've heard the Golden Age is a little slow and not all that great... but everything sure looks pretty.
In Atlantic City, a Hilton pit boss and his wife are suing the United Auto Workers for $100 million, claiming the union libeled, slandered and intentionally caused them emotional distress during an organizaing drive at the Atlantic City Hilton Casino Resort last spring: Pit boss, wife sue UAW for slander.
Earlier this year, the casino's management apparently recruited Wayne Chiw, who is Chinese American, to help discourage Chinese and other Asian and Asian American dealers from joining the UAW. According to the lawsuit, after meetings in which he tried to convince people that voting for the union was not in their best interest, pro-union representatives soon falsely accused Chiw of having threatened to take take away dealers' green cards and have them deported if they voted to unionize. The accusation provoked an intense union smear campaign against Chiw, which he claims has hampered his reputation and emotional well-being.
Interesting that there should be so much commotion between union and casino management over Asian and Asian American dealers' votes.... but their sizeable population in the casino industry is increasingly becoming a key force in a union election's outcome. Very interesting.
The National Book Foundation has chosen author Charles Yu as one of its annual 5 Under 35. The distinction highlights the work of the next generation of fiction writers by asking five previous National Book Awards fiction winners and finalists to select one fiction writer under the age of 35 whose work they find particularly promising and exciting. I've previously mentioned Charles' first book Third Class Superhero here on the site. It's a pretty good read, so it's nice to hear he's getting noticed. Very cool. He'll be honored with the rest of the five at a celebration in downtown Manhattan next month. Learn more about the the "5 Under 35" here.
Here's an interesting article from the Boston Globe on politicians in Quincy, Massachussetts reaching out to the city's fast-growing Asian American population: In Quincy, politicians try appeal to Asians. There are now close to 17,000 Asian immigrants in Quincy, and they account for nearly 9 percent of the city's registered voters. Two city council candidates this year are Asian, and although Asian participation in Quincy's local elections has been historically low, the two Chinese American candidates are expected to draw a lot more voters this time around. They want you! And your votes.
All right, Bay Area friends. If you're going to the Finishing the Game event tonight at the Asia Society (details here), here's an opportunity to score yourself some free tickets to see the movie when it opens this Friday. But it's gonna be kind of tricky. Here's the deal. At the event tonight, an AAM representative named Johnny will be standing around with some tickets. The first ten people to approach Johnny and utter the phrase, "You have offended me, and you have offended my family," will win themselves one ticket to see the 9:30pm screening of Finishing the Game this Friday, October 19th at the Bridge Theatre. I'm totally serious.
One ticket per person, please. You get one ticket, so that you'll compelled to bring a paying friend with you to the movie. But how will you know how to find Johnny? What does he look like, you ask? That's the fun part. You might have to say the secret phrase to a few strangers first. Fun, right? But here's a hint. He kind of looks like this (but like twenty years older). So see you at the Asia Society tonight! Find Johhny, say the phrase, win a ticket.
An astute reader (thanks, Koji) sent me these capsule reviews from the Los Angeles Times, which mentions some of the movies that opened in LA last week... There's the intriguing documentary Crossing the Line, about a US army defector who has been living in North Korea since the 1960s. There's also a short review of Richard Wong's great indie film Colma: The Musical, which is currently playing at the Laemmle Sunset 5. But what really caught my eye was the review for The Civilization of Maxwell Bright, which sounds downright awful:
Whose 'Bright' idea was this mess?
You have to wonder what David Beaird, writer-director of the execrable "The Civilization of Maxwell Bright," was thinking when he created his abusive, misogynistic title character (so-named because Maxwell Smart was taken, obviously), then saw fit to foist him on an audience for a criminally long hour and 48 minutes. More astounding is why talented comic actor Patrick Warburton would agree to inhabit such a hateful boor, even if it meant a starring movie role.
Bright, a rich businessman sick of dating selfish crazies, pays a marriage broker (Simon Callow) $100,000 to find him a devoted and subservient Asian bride (hello, what century is this?). Mai Ling (Marie Matiko), a virginal, former Buddhist nun from China, soon lands on Max's doorstep, instantly marries the sadistic jerk, rocks his bedroom and then allows herself to be repeatedly humiliated. Attention Asian Media Watch. Eventually, a boomerang of bad karma forces Max to face his mortality and the picture morphs into a drippy spiritual drama.
An OK supporting turn by Eric Roberts, along with curious cameos by Carol Kane, Nora Dunn, John Glover, Missi Pyle and Jennifer Tilly (as a former Mayo Clinic oncologist, no less), prove everyone just wants to work -- no matter what.
I hadn't heard of this movie... but damn. $100,000 for a devoted and subservient Asian mail-order bride? Sounds like it gets a lot worse from there. Why do we need films like this? Who thought this was a good idea? Why? Why? Why? No thank you.
This is a really interesting story about the secret web of tunnels that run underneath Fresno, California's Chinatown, which date back to the city's days as a western railroad town: Secret tunnels tell tale of gambling, prostitution. The tunnels were apparently once a thriving home to all sorts of illicit activities, like gambling and prostitution. Now, a group of archaelogists is using ground-penetrating radar to find evidence of secret passages branching from the neighbhorhood's long-abandoned basements. The project is headed by Chinatown Revitalization, a group working to preserve Fresno's Chinatown. It's pretty fascinating stuff.
Here's one for you spoken word fans out there... Poets Bao Phi and Giles Li along with former Native Guns emcee Kiwi are hitting the road this fall for The Beats, Rhymes and Rice Tour, coming to perform at a campus or venue near you. They're in the midst of scheduling dates now. For more information, go here. Maybe they can bring some beats, rhymes and rice to your school. Next stop: tomorrow night, Wednesday, October 17 at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. 7:00pm at the Cape Florida Ballroom. Sounds like it's going to be pretty kickass.
Here's an interesting piece by Heather Wood over at The Huffington Post: 10 Mistakes White People Make When Talking About Race. That ought to get you talking. It's not perfect, and some of her points could use a little fine-tuning, but there are a few wise observations in there. Here's the short version:
1. Thinking It's Not OK to Talk About It Race is such a touchy topic because it is often associated with all of the negative history and oppression of minorities in this country. Blacks, Latinos, Asians, and Native Americans share a history of physical and social abuse at the hand of the white majority. Yes, that leads to anger and distrust, feelings so strong that they've survived for centuries. But the only way to bridge the gap and move forward as a more unified society is to talk about it: all of it.
2. Using Culture-Specific Slang to Relate to Other Races K-Fed, you ain't. And you just shouldn't try to be--ever.
3. Assuming Biracial People Identify More with One Side Than the Other The majority race in America today isn't white, black, or even Latino. It's biracial. And this will only increase with each successive generation. We're a society that loves to check off boxes, but the greater challenge is to stop seeing people as shades and start knowing them for who they are.
4. Thinking Race Is Only an Issue for Minorities The tendency is to think of "race" as something that only black/brown/Asian/Hispanic people have - whereas "white" is the default setting ( i.e., we say "American" to mean white, but "Black American," "Asian-American," etc. to identify other Americans of different colors). Everyone has a race. This is a nation of immigrants, from England, Ireland, France, Germany, Poland, Africa, Asia, and beyond.
5. Using Outdated Terms When Describing Different Races Oriental, Colored, and Indian went out of style a long time ago; in fact, they're considered offensive. So, too, is lumping every Spanish-speaking person into a general category like "Mexican" or any Arab-looking person as "Persian" (it's a specific country, people). Feeling the need to identify is a nervous reaction we have when faced with issues of race. Black, white, Asian and Latino/a are generally accepted, but when in doubt, how about you just call someone by their actual name. Who says we have to classify ourselves all the time anyway?
6. Believing Stereotypes Yes, black Americans dominate most sports, more Asians are accepted into MIT than any other race, and Latinos have been known to tear up a dance floor. Though some race-specific stereotypes seem like positive assumptions, imagine yourself on the other end, with high expectations placed on your shoulders simply because of a scrutinized minority. White people don't have the pressure to be the best in math or sports; they just have to be good enough. Everyone else should get the same slack.
7. Thinking Affirmative Action Has Anything to Do With Someone's Success One of the most controversial issues of the past 20 years is affirmative action, a term widely over-used and often misunderstood. It was supposed to explain educational and hiring policies put in place to encourage more diversity on college campuses and in the public sector. The naysayers made it sound like minorities were given hand-outs, which has resulted in an assumption, even years after most of those progressive policies have been killed, that a successful minority must have been given an easy ride. How about you ask Oprah if she was given an easy ride when networks constantly told her she looked and sounded too "ethnic" early in her career? Do you think the late CBS anchor Ed Bradley was given a break when he accidentally became the first African-American White House correspondent, a result of his network sending him to cover what they thought would be a Jimmy Carter loss? And of these two "View" hosts, who do you think earned their coveted role more: Lisa Ling, a trained journalist, or Elizabeth Hasselbeck, a "Survivor" contestant?
8. Assuming One Man's Success = An Entire Race's Progress It's commonplace to celebrate the breakthrough successes of minorities, the firsts, the bests. These people deserve our accolades, certainly, but the success of a few doesn't mean an oppressed minority is triumphant. We still have a long way to go. The day we stop clapping for the minority in a "good for you, kid" condescending manner is the day we've made real progress.
9. Thinking Cultural Exclusion Is Racism White people are in a difficult situation in this struggle to talk about and understand race. On the one hand, they are reprimanded for being the majority that alienates all other races. But are minority races guilty of the same exclusion by keeping to themselves? Or is such elective segregation the only way to preserve community and a strong racial identity?
I don't even like the term 'self-segregate.' Kids group together on common lines of interest and experience. If Hispanic kids want to sit together and speak in their mother tongue, that shouldn't bother anyone, but they should have the same opportunity to meet other kids. My decision to sit with people who I share things in common with is not the same as legalized imposition of segregation.
10. Declaring You Are "Colorblind" There is no such thing as colorblind (in fact, it's a long-running Stephen Colbert gag for just that reason). It is not a racist stance to see color, but a fact of life. Ignoring it promotes ignorance.
Some food for thought, eh? I'm pretty sure there are plenty of folks out there who could learn a few things from this advice. You must learn. Read the full article here.
Yet another story on the "Korean Wave," the growing worldwide impact and influence of Korean pop culture... CNN's Kristie LuStout interviews Luke Kim, Managing Director of MTV Networks Korea, who talks about everything from dramas, movies and the chosen one, Rain: 'Korean Wave'. It's part of CNN's larger 'Eye on South Korea' series. Lots of interesting stuff there. Here's an Interview with Jeon Do-yeon, who won the Best Actress prize at the Cannes Film Festival this year for her performance in Secret Sunshine.
Eric Byler and Annabel Park continue crusading with their special brand of YouTube activism... they recently started posting an ongoing, real-time interactive documentary series about the politicization of the immigration issue in Northern Virginia, reflecting a cultural shift affecting the nation as a whole: www.youtube.com/9500Liberty
The videos got some good coverage last week on Daily Kos: New Video: "Stop Your Racism To Hispanics". And here: Amazing Video of "Help Save Manassas" Anti-"Illegal" Immigrant Group. Check it out, because some of the stuff is pretty stunning. Annabel says, "We've been on the ground in Northern Virginia and it really feels like a battle over America's soul. Our generation's cultural civil war." And I don't think she's being overly dramatic. The hope with these videos is to promote greater understanding and alleviate the hostility around the issue in Northern Virginia. Judging from some of the stuff I'm seeing here, there is a lot of work to do.
According to a major new UCLA report, collectively, more Asian American college and university students are experiencing obstacles to academic success in U.S. higher education than in the past. More Asian American students now come from low-income homes with limited financial capacity to pay for college, and fewer are attending their first-choice institutions than in past years: More Asian Americans meeting obstacles to academic success, survey shows.
"Beyond Myths: The Growth and Diversity of Asian American College Freshmen, 1971-2005," documents trends in the values and characteristics of Asian American college freshmen nationwide and is based on data for 361,271 Asian and Asian American first-time, full-time college students compiled over 35 years. The report represents the largest compilation and analysis of data on Asian American college students ever undertaken. Lots of interesting observations and findings in there... it seems that the perceived widespread academic success of Asian Americans isn't quite what you think. Oh, big props to my pals Oiyan A. Poon and Julie J. Park, who co-authored the study. More on the report, including order information, here.
Some big movie news from last week... It was announced that John Woo's 1989 action classic The Killer is getting the remake treatment, set in the United States, with a Korean star replacing Chow Yun-fat as the movie's iconic hitman: Woo's "Killer" gets a new U.S. contract. Korean American director John H. Lee will move the action from Hong Kong to Los Angeles' Koreatown, Chinatown and South Central. Terence Chang, John Woo's longtime producing partner, will serve as executive producer. The script is currently being worked on, and there are no specific plot details yet, but I imagine it will involve a killer, and lots of guns.
There's been talk of a Killer remake for quite some time now. Not too long ago it came pretty close to happening, with Denzel Washington and Richard Gere rumored to be the leads. That obviously never happened, thanks goodness. But it looks like a remake is indeed going through now. I know a lot of people are up in arms about this. Remakes of Asian films tends to be a touchy subject on the movie message boards. And The Killer is beloved film for a lot of Hong Kong action fans. That said, honestly, I don't think this is such a bad idea. By the time this remake is released, it will have twenty years since the original Killer came out. Have you rewatched this movie lately? While the action is great, and is still pretty damn awesome, a lot of the elements are bit dated and it would be interesting to see how they handle an update. And the fact that there are still Asian elements to the remake is encouraging. But again, as in many cases, we'll have to wait and see.
Ugh. A recent article by Harry Knowles over at popular movie movie website Ain't It Cool News, talking about the recent casting of Simon Pegg as Scotty in the new Star Trek movie, opens with a terrible joke: "Simon Pegg as Scotty is as wonderful as an Asian Girl Sandwich night." I'm not even entirely sure what that means. But it's stupid. And sexist. And a completely unnecessary choice of words. Why? Why bother? It's such a throwaway joke at the expense, yet again, of Asian women perceived as sexual objects. Even worse—food to be consumed. And it has absolutely nothing to do with what geek-ass Harry is talking about. That's racist!
According to polls, Republican Bobby Jindal holds a commanding lead in the Lousiana governor's race heading into the October 20 primary, close to the 50 percent majority needed for an outright win: Jindal leads Louisiana governor's race. It appears that urnout among black voters, who traditionally vote Democratic and make up about 30 percent of the electorate, will determine whether or not the Indian American frontrunner candidate avoids a runoff: Black voters hold key to run-off. Interesting. If you're asking Asian American voters (which I doubt), personally speaking, I wouldn't vote for him.
Okay, you might be sick of me talking about Finising the Game. Deal with it. The movie opens this Friday, October 19th at The Bridge Landmark Theatre in San Francisco, and the Landmark Shattuck in Berkeley, so Justin Lin and Co. are now doing their grassroots thing on the West Coast, telling anybody and everybody about their little indie movie. Here's another article on the movie from the San Francisco Chronicle: DIRECTOR JUSTIN LIN AT TOP OF HIS 'GAME'
In support of the San Francisco/Berkeley opening (Bay Area represent!), there are several events going on this week... Wednesday, October 17, come meet Justin Lin, along with cast members Roger Fan and Sung Kang, and catch a screening of Anson Ho's short documentary Building a Journey: From Better Luck Tomorrow to Finishing the Game. They'll be talking about all the great reasons you should go see their film, and you can have all your burning questions answered too. This Wednesday, 6:00pm at the Asia Society in San Francisco. It's going to be a cool event, sponsored by the Center for Asian American Media. There will be food there too. Yum. All the event details are on the big-ass flyer above.
Justin and the crew are also making a stop at San Francisco State University to speak to the good people there. The College of Ethnic Studies, College of Creative Arts, Cinema Department, and Asian American Student Organizations invite you to come meet and have a conversation with the Finishing the Game guys this Thursday, October 18, 7:00pm at Knuth Hall. Again, they will have some encouraging things to say.
And remember, the movie opens this Friday, October 19th at the Shattuck Cinemas in Berkeley and the Bridge Theatre in San Francisco (it was originally going to play at the Embarcardero, but got moved to a bigger theatre due to popular demand). Online ticket sales should be available soon. And if you're in San Francisco this Friday, head on over to Bruce or Bust, the official Finishing the Game opening night party at Club Six. Admission is eight bucks, but free with a movie ticket stub. Disco skeezewear is encouraged. Make your plans, buy your tickets. Be there!
Tomorrow night, the Asian American Arts Alliance in New York celebrates its 25th anniversary with a special gala, "GALAXXY". That's 25 years of commitment to helping hundreds of local Asian American artists and arts group in the performing and visual arts to access more funding and visibility for their work. In commemorating this milestone, the Alliance will be honoring actor Kal Penn (yes, Kumar); Eric Wong, Chief Marketing Officer of Bad Boy Entertainment and Senior Vice President of Marketing for Atlantic Records; and world-renown costume designer Willa Kim. The gala will include presenters Cassie, Gwin Joh Chin and Margaret Cho, with special performances by Bora Yoon and DJ Rekha. It's all happening tomorrow night, October 16 at the TriBeCa Rooftop. For more information on the event, and how to purchase tickets, go here. Congratulations to the Asian American Arts Alliance on 25 years.
Poet Violet Kazue de Cristoforo died last week at age 90. She was famous for writing and collecting haiku poems that capture life in Japanese internment camps during World War II: Violet de Cristoforo, 90; California haiku poet survived WWII internment camps. Her groundbreaking anthology of internment camp poetry, May Sky: There Is Always Tomorrow, was published in 1999. She was recently honored by the National Endowment for the Arts with a National Heritage Fellowship award for achievement in traditional and folk arts. Here's a good NPR Weekend Edition story on her life and work: Haiku Poet Documented Life in Japanese Camps
You may remember the story about Kwok Wai Ho, the 69-year-old man who was killed last July in a random attack when he was out for a walk. A guy with a group of teens came up behind Ho, put him in a headlock for no reason, then threw his head to the ground. His skull was crushed, and he died soon after. Police subsequently arrested a 17-year-old kid after several witnesses spoke up (and collected a reward): After a killing, finding that money talks. In the wake of this tragedy, Kwok Wai Ho's son, Tom Ho, recently established the Kwok Wai Ho Foundation. Administered by the Citizens Crime Commission, the initiative is meant to "reward those that assist in bringing forth information used to help capture, prosecute, and convict anyone who commits a violent crime against a member of the Asian community in Philadelphia." Here's the Foundation's contact info:
The Kwok Wai-Ho Foundation c/o The Citizens Crime Commission 1518 Walnut Street, Suite 902 Philadelphia , PA 19102 Phone 215-546-6532 Email: santom@crimecommission.org
It's a positive step. People who perpetuate these kinds of crimes cannot be allowed to get away with them. At least something productive can now come out of the senseless, random act that took Kwok Wai Ho's life. (Thanks, Jason.)
In Edison, New Jersey, there have been a series of reported attacks at an apartment complex which seem to be targeting Indian immigrants. Police in Edison report eight incidents such as assaults and vandalism involving Indian victims at the Durham Woods apartment complex since June, although the number might actually be quite higher since some new immigrants are reluctant to contact the police: Indians in Edison worried by attacks.
For instance, two people were enjoying an evening stroll last August when two juveniles ran up, punched them, and then ran away. What the hell is up with that? We keep hearing reports of these weird random attacks, where folks who are minding their own business—whether fishing or walking or whatever—become targeted with instances of violence. This is ridiculous. The attacks have prompted tenants to call for the police and Mayor Jun Choi to investigate the violence. These are hate crimes, and it needs to stop. That's racist! More here: Indians in Edison worried by attacks
I'm back. Whirlwind weekend at the San Diego Asian Film Festival... Good times, good movies and good people at the Hazard Center. Some things I did:
Saw some really great performers in the theater lobby, part of the festival's Blowfish: Unplugged acoustic showcase. Had the pleasure of finally meeting Bobby C., aka Big Phony, who's music I've appreciated online for a while now. He's a bit camera shy, but dammit, he's got some great music. I picked up his full-length CD, as well as a Big Phony t-shirt. Call me a fan.
Also heard a few songs from Terry Matsuoka, who's music I wasn't previously familiar with, but really dug. Great stuff. He's kind of got this Amos Lee/Jack Johnson/G. Love and Special Sauce kind of vibe. I'm a new fan. Check out a few samples of his music here.
Spotted my man Ryan manning the Blacklava table in the theater lobby, selling quality t-shirts for Asian America. He was even selling the highly coveted Nobody Loves an Angry Asian Man shirt. Buy one, and wear it proudly.
Had a chance to duck into the Dishing with the Stars celebrity panel, featuring the likes of James Kyson Lee, Roger Fan, Jelynn Rodriguez, Yul Kwon, Leonardo Nam, Aaron Yoo, Ron Yuan and Joy Bisco. It was a chance for these folks to share their unique perspectives on the ups and downs of being Asian American, representin' and making a living in the media/entertainment industry. If you've been to any kind of panel like this before (I've been to my share), a lot of what they talk about is kind of same, and cycles around from panel to panel. However, what I was really impressed by was the sheer number of panelists up there who are doing their thing and making substantial strides in their respective careers. While there is plenty to complain about, you can't deny things have improved from, say, even five years ago. That's encouraging.
Being at a film festival and all, I figured it was a good idea to actually watch a film, so I caught a screening Charlie Nguyen's amazing action flick The Rebel. This was my second time seeing this movie, and I'll say it again: it's badass. Set in 1920s Vietnam, it's this crazy awesome epic vision of a rebel uprising fighting oppressive French colonial rule. Dustin Nguyen plays the evil turncoat villain, and it's pretty much the best role I've ever seen him in. He is one bad dude. The film was recently acquired by the Weinstein Company, so it should be available widely sometime next year. I highly recommend seeking it out.
On Saturday night, the San Diego Asian Film Foundation honored legendary actor George Takei with a lifetime achievement award at the festival's annual awards gala dinner. Yes, Sulu was in the house. After an amazing fifty year career, the guy's still got it, charming the night's attendees with a rousing, inspiring speech. And afterwards, he got completely by fans and friends wanting autographs and photos. Like I said, he's a legend.
The festival also gave out honors to the best of this year's films, shorts and features alike. It was a solid group, representing some of the best works this year in Asian American cinema, with top honors going to Linda Hattendorf's phenomenal documentary The Cats of Mirikitani. Here's the full list of winners:
Music Video CHAMPION by NATIVE GUNS Patricio Ginelsa, director
Animation CITY PARADISE Gaelle Denis, director
Short Documentary MOOKEY'S STORY Carolyn Goossen & Daffodil Altan, directors
Dramatic Narrative Short MONSOON Shyam Balse, director
Feature Documentary NA KAMALEI: THE MEN OF HULA Lisette Flanary, Director
Dramatic Narrative Feature OWL AND THE SPARROW Stephane Gauger, director
Grand Jury CATS OF MIRIKITANI Linda Hattendorf, director
Funny thing is, at the banquet, I happened to be sitting (way, waaaay in the back) at the table with three of the night's winners—Patricio Ginelsa, Lisette Flanary and Linda Hattendorf. How cool is that? They had no idea they were going to win, and were genuinely moved when their films were announced. I was a proud tablemate.
Well, that's my recap. Another great weekend hanging with the fine folks in San Diego. The festival continues this week through Thursday, closing out with a screening of Michael Kang's West 32nd. Should be a good time. Get your tickets here.
Hey! Comin' at you from the 8th Annual San Diego Asian Film Festival. I've had a full day of screenings and events. I love going to San Diego every year because it's not only a showcase of some of the best films in Asian and Asian American cinema, it's also a celebration of the Asian American filmmaking community and its achievements. They've got a great, fun slate of events, and it's a good opportunity to see old friends and make some new ones...
On Friday night, I finally caught a screening of Gene Rhee's indie feature The Trouble With Romance, a really well-made, interesting look at the dark and comic sides relationships, told through the stories of four different couples at a hotel. I loved it—tight script, good pacing, great performances. And man, what a relief. Gene's a friend, and I don't know what I would've told him if I didn't like the movie... I particularly liked the "Dumped" segment, which featured Roger Fan and Emily Liu. Good stuff.
After the movie, I made my way over to the festival's music and video event Blowfish, just in time to catch the boys of the Far East Movement perform. They were dealing with some spotty microphone problems, which sucked, but still got the crowd going and put on a pretty damn good show.
Oh, and have you seen the Far East Movement's new music video? The song is "Satisfaction," and it's featured in the movie Finishing the Game (thus, the many, many yellow jumpsuits):
Don't quite understand the bit about the vomiting girl. Good times, I guess. More updates from SDAFF coming soon.
So last night, Justin Lin's Finishing the Game kicked off Opening Night of the San Diego Asian Film Festival. But how did it do for its theatrical opening last weekend in New York? Well, according to these numbers, the movie was a whopping 69th at the box office (scroll way down), making $11,903 on one screen. Not phenomenal, but according to indieWIRE, it was the most successful single-screen debut last weekend. What's more encouraging was the show of community support and all the enthusiastic fans who made it out to the theater. Check out some of the crazy opening weekend coverage over at the website. And here's another good indieWIRE interview with Justin Lin (though the spacing is all messed up): "Finishing the Game" Director Justin Lin. And here's an exclusive interview with actors Roger Fan and Sung Kang over at the Columbia University Asian American Alliance blog: A Chat with Roger and Sung
And remember, Finishing the Game is still playing right now at the IFC Center in New York. Catch it this weekend. Next stop: West Coast. On October 19th, the movie opens at the Landmark Embarcadero Center in San Francisco, and the Landmark Shattuck in Berkeley. On October 26th, it opens at the Landmark Nuart Theare in Los Angeles, the Landmark Ken Cinema in San Diego, and the Edwards South Coast Village in Santa Ana... and the Lagoon Cinema in Minneapolis (Midwest, represent).
All right, I'm off to the San Diego Asian Film Festival. Lots of great screenings, panels and performances happening all weekend. Tonight, I'll be checking out a film or two, then heading over the festival's music and video showcase, Blowish: An Intersection of Sights and Sounds—featuring the Far East Movement. I'll try to post some updates from the festival during the weekend. See ya.
OHHHHH SNAP. Okay, you know I'm a big-ass Trekkie. I ain't afraid to admit it. I like Star Trek. So we've been waiting and waiting to hear who's going to play young Sulu in the J.J. Abrams' new Star Trek movie. There have been announcements about Spock (Zachary Quinto), Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Chekhov (Anton Yelchin) and others. But who's Sulu? This just in... believe it or not, it looks like John Cho of Harold and Kumar fame will be stepping into the role of Enterprise helmsman Hikaru Sulu: Cho and Pegg board "Star Trek" feature. Holy smokes. As one of the more up and coming Asian American actors out there with some heat, I guess the choice makes sense. But he definitely wasn't the first guy I thought of to step into George Takei's shoes. Crazy. Here's the official word from StarTrek.com, including a reaction quote from Takei: New Sulu: John Cho Cast in "Star Trek" Movie
Plot details are being kept super secret, other than that the story will involve the early days of the Enterprise crew. Shooting starts next month for a Christmas 2008 release. In the meantime, you can catch John Cho in Michael Kang's Korean American crime drama West 32nd, which apparently wowed audiences recently at the Pusan International Film Festival (and is the Closing Night film at SDAFF), and the upcoming sequel to Harold and Kumar.
All right. This is a call out for help. We need your mouse clicks in a bad, bad way. My pal Paul Kim (aka PK) is a standup comedian competing right now in radio station contest for AM 570 KLAC in Southern California. Basically, if he wins, he gets $5000 and a chance to co-host a radio show. He's a really cool guy involved in some great causes, and it would be a pretty awesome opportunity for his career. The winner will be determined by online vote. The thing is, right now he's getting clobbered in the voting. I'm pretty sure the other guy in his bracket is using some kind of bot to unfairly stuff the virtual ballot box. That's not cool. So... friends, help PK out and vote for him to help give him a shot. Vote for him here, under OC-#10, Paul Kim. You can vote as many times as you possibly can. So click and click and click until you can't click no more. Do this for me, do this for PK. Cool?
Here's something new for ya... Check out Fresh Off the Box, an online talk show featuring interviews with notable Asian Americans in arts, entertainment, community service and other walks of life. Right now, the site isn't super sophisticated, and it's kind of a low-budget operation (the interviews are taped in somebody's garage), but the interviews and personalities are pretty interesting. So far, they've interviewed entertainment guru Carl Choi, actor/comedian/musician Randall Park, singer Natalise, t-shirt activist Ryan Suda, makeup stylist/TV host Jeannie Mai, and zany performance artist Kristina Wong. It's all still getting off the ground, but it's a good start, and they're adding new interviews every week, so check it out: Fresh Off the Box
Dogfight over taken relics: In Boston, two historic "foo dog" statues were apparently removed from their resting spot in Chinatown by a contractor who used them to decorate his suburban home. He just took them. Yeah. What the hell? Hey man, Chinatown wants them back.
Unemployed artist strangles young woman after date: In New York's Chinatown, 29-year-old Michael Chin Lenahan, an unemployed artist, was charged with murder after strangling a woman to death in his grandmother's apartment. The victim was identified as Lorna Santiago.
Federal judge delays Watada trial: Last week, a federal judge in Tacoma granted an emergency stay to delay the court-martial of 1st Lt. Ehren Watada, the army officer who refused to deploy to Iraq on moral objections. Watada's first court-martial earlier this year ended in a mistrial, and his lawyers argue that a second court-martial would amount to trying him twice for the same charges.
Asian comedian from Hawaii wins international contest: Comedian Paul Ogata recently won $25,000 and first place in the San Francisco International Comedy Competition. Not bad, considering that the competition has previously boasted comics like Dane Cook, Robin Williams and Ellen DeGeneres in the finals. Visit his official website here.
Don't Open This Cookie (Disastrous Day Inside): Beware the fortune cookie with an ominous message. Wonton Food in Queens has recently gotten some attention for manufacturing cookies containing some downbeat, less-than-optimistic messages.
Koreans, Hispanics Work for Harmony: The Washington Post reports on Koraen and Latino communities working—and sometimes clashing—at groceries in the DC area. Sounds a lot like the communities in Los Angeles' Koreatown.
Girl who came to U.S. for school busted at illegal sweatshop: Jung Ryu and his wife, Ji Young Ryu were busted last week in New York running a sweatshop manufacturing bootleg clothing, with workers as young as sixteen begin paid less than minimum wage. Caught, suckas.
Billboard campaign targets Vietnam's government: A Vietnamese American organization uneviled a billboard in Little Saigon criticizing the Vietnamese government's treatment of a Roman Catholic priest during his trial. The billboard features a photo of a priest being muzzled in court.
Antonovich Seeks Stamp For Japanese American Soldiers: The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion by Supervisor Michael Anotonovich to send a five-signature letter to the United States Postmaster General in support of a commemoriative stamp honoring the sacrifice and patriotism of Japanese American soldiers during World War II.
The latest on the Desperate Housewives vs. Filipinos controversy... To get you up to speed, basically, on the September 30 episode of the hit ABC show, one of the characters questioned a doctor's credibility, saying "Can I check those diplomas? Because I would like to make sure that they're not from some med school in the Philippines." This sparked all sorts of outrage and madness on the internet and abroad, calling for apologies and boycotts and petitions. The network did apologize. But community members wanted more.
So here's an email I got forwarded to me, a letter from Perry Diaz on a recent conversation between Jon Melegrito, Communications Director of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), and Robert Mendez, ABC's Senior Vice President of Diversity. They've basically agreed to explore a program that mgiht help increase opportunities for Filipinos at ABC:
Breaking News: ABC Agrees to Open Doors to Filipinos
In a letter to Jon Melegrito, Communications Director of NaFFAA, the ABC Senior Vice President of Diversity, Mr. Robert Mendez, agreed to explore a program that might help increase opportunities for Filipinos at ABC. This was in response to my PerryScope article, "Desperate Housewives' Wake Up Call to Filipinos," which Mr. Melegrito forwarded to Mr. Mendez.
In my PerryScope article I proposed a win-win solution to the imbroglio created by the September 30, 2007, episode of "Desperate Housewives" in which a character said, " Okay, before we go any further, can I check those diplomas? Because I would just like to make sure they are not from a med school in the Philippines." Instead of a lawsuit and boycott which have been suggested by many community leaders, I recommended that we should instead be proactive -- not reactive -- and put together an agenda that would give long-term benefits to our community such as jobs, education and other initiatives. I indicated that we should convince ABC to open employment opportunities to Filipino-Americans at all levels -- actors, directors, producers, newscasters, and executives at ABC and its affiliates.
Mr. Mendez's letter said, "You asked about the possibility of exploring a program that might help to increase opportunities for Filipinos at ABC. I am wondering whether you might be interested in helping to organize a meeting in Washington, DC, where my staff and I can meet with Filipinos who are interested in pursuing careers in television and want access to direct information about our many talent development programs. It would be a wonderful opportunity for ABC to deepen the talent pool with candidates from the Filipino community." The complete text of Mr. Mendez's letter can be downloaded below.
Mr. Melegrito sent me an email and said, "ABC listened to the points you raised in your column and here are the results: a) written confirmation that ABC has deleted the ugly scene from the DH Sept. 30 episode, b) a long-term relationship with the FilAm community that will open doors to Filipino Americans and enable them access to positions in ABC as writers, directors, producers, including an internship & training program. We expect implementation of this special outreach program within 3-4 months as a demonstration of ABC's commitment."
The name of the game is "win-win" and that's what have been achieved. Both the Filipino community and ABC would benefit from it. It would give Filipinos a presence in one of the major networks in the United States. And the benefits would be long-lasting and irreversible because once Filipino talents are used in ABC programming the other networks would follow.
All the best, Perry Diaz Editor, BALITA USA
This is encouraging, though at the moment it's all talk. But it's good to see something different and more proactive from the usual cycle of offensive remark... apology... then nothing. Oh yeah, the image above was created by Elson T., who apparently couldn't resist bustin' out the Photoshop (and has a lot of time on his hands). If you couldn't tell, that's Teri Hatcher getting socked by Manny Pacquiao, pride of the Philippines. Don't mess.
This is unbelievably sad news... God, I'm getting choked up as I write this. Elyse Yu, the baby I mentioned here last June who was diagnosed with Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), an extremely rare blood disease, died on October 6. She was just eight months old, the eldest of triplet sisters. Her family was keeping a blog chronicling Elyse's struggle here. KoreAm Journal wrote about her back in July: A Plea For Baby Elyse. And here's her family's donation page. My thoughts and prayers are with Elyse's family, who I don't know personally. But my heart feels heavy for them. The grief must be unimaginable.
I just listened to this interesting NPR piece on a new novel for young readers, Click (not to be confused with that terrible Adam Sandler movie), by ten different authors—including Ruth Ozeki and Linda Su Park—each writing a chapter: 'Click:' One Book, 10 Authors.
Newbery Medal winner Linda Sue Park starts the book with a girl called Maggie, who receives an unusual inheritance from her grandfather, a globe-trotting photojournalist known as Gee.
She receives a wooden box and inside she finds seven seashells, each from a different continent. This unusual gift sets off a story that winds around the world and across generations.
Normally, a novel written by ten different authors would sound like a recipe for bit literary mess. However, here, the result sounds pretty interesting. The link includes an excerpt from the first chapter by Linda Sue Park, and chapter eight by Ruth Ozeki.
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports on the growth of Southeast Asian marijuana trafficking in the local suburbs, which has recently taken a violent turn: Pot industry taking violent turn for worse. Last month, 30-year-old Duc Van Nguyen, who ran a basement marijuana growing operation, was found dead—shot, stabbed and beaten—killed by his former accomplice, Tri Minh Vo, at a house packed with pot plants: Man charged in killing at pot farm. Vo is also accused of beating Nguyen's girlfriend so severely that she fell into a coma. Basically, the pot industry in Western Washington is going crazy, and unfortunately, the police expect the violence to get a lot worse before it gets better...
It's only Tuesday, and I'm already looking forward to the weekend... because it's all going down in San Diego, baby. Celebrate the "infinite power of cinema" at the 8th annual San Diego Asian Film Festival, one of the funnest film festivals in Asian America, and one of my favorite events of the year. Once again, they've put together a solid program of events, screenings and parties celebrating the best and brightest of Asian and Asian American cinema. Here's a cool story on the hard-working supermama festival director, Lee Ann Kim: In Asian film, Kim's the edge of our Pacific Rim. She's a pretty cool lady.
Things kick off this Thursday, October 11 with the Opening Night screening of Justin Lin's Finishing the Game (of course). San Diego, this is your chance to see what the fuss is all about. Come party with the cast and crew... including none other than MC Hammer. No joke. He's a long-time supporter of Justin's career and has a cameo role in the movie. Unfortunately, opening night tickets are all sold out, but you might have a pretty good shot at waiting in the rush line.
I've got more coverage to come, but in the meantime, check out the full schedule of events and screenings over at the festival website. They've got cool articles interviews with filmmakers like Juwan Chung, director of Baby, and Chris Chan Lee, director of Undoing. And for those of you who can't make it out to the festival, the website will feature live coverage of SDAFF events, everything from the Opening Night Red Carpet to the Discussion with George Takei. How cool is that? The festival runs October 11-18. Make your plans now, San Diego.
Check out this really cool community/film project recently launched by the Museum of Chinese in the Americas in New York... The Chinatown Film Project is a three-part series presenting original short films from established and emerging filmmakers featuring New York's Chinatown and Chinatowns all over the globe. It'll be an inaugural exhibition for MoCA's awesome new space, and they're inviting cool people like you to get involved.
In Part I of the project, ten established and emerging NYC filmmakers will create short films about what Manhattan's Chinatown means to them, to be screened during a three-month exhibition beginning next March. Part III will be curated selection of ten internationally established filmmakers creating short films on the world's Chinatowns. But Part II, where you come in, is online. The general public, from all over the world, can upload videos of their own Chinatowns to a satellite MoCA website. Check out the MoCA YouTube channel here. For information and guidelines about submitting to the Chinatown Film Project, go here. And visit the project's blog site here.
Here's a couple of good interviews from a couple of weeks back at the Toronto Interational Film Festival, with Jessica Yu, writer/director of the sports comedy Ping Pong Playa, and the movie's writer/star Jimmy Tsai. The movie sounds like a lot of fun, and I can't wait to eventually check it out. In the meantime, check out the movie's official site here.
Some unfortunate news out of Canada... Jocelyn Dulnuan, a 27-year-old housekeeper from the Philippines, was found dead last week in a Mississauga mansion. Murdered: Slain maid had safety fears. Friends say she was apparently worried about security issues in the mansion, though police are refusing to say how many suspects they're looking for or reveal any details of the crime. Dulnuan didn't have many friends, nor any family in the area. The local Filipino community is now trying to raise $10,000 to send her body back to her family in the Philippines: $10,000 to send maid's body home
James Wong, formerly of The X-Files and the man behind Final Destination and that awful Jet Li movie The One, is rumored to be writing and directing the live action version of the anime series Dragon Ball, which is going into production next month: JAMES WONG HAS DRAGON BALLS. The article also includes a casting breakdown of major characters. Honestly, I'm interested in seeing what a Dragon Ball is going to look like. Not because I'm a fan or anything, though I know it's hugely popular. But very time I've tried to watch the cartoon, I've basically been left scratching my head. I have no idea what is going on in that show. Lots of dudes fighting, looking mean, squinting. There's also a big green guy wearing a turban. Yes, this is going to be a crazy ass movie.
Yi is here! Last week, basketball player Yi Jianlian of China made his heralded arrival in Milwaukee (by way of Chicago O'Hare) to begin his journey with the Bucks: Yi completes crossover move. It's been a rocky road from NBA draft night to this point, with doubts left and right of whether or not Yi would actually end up playing in Milwaukee, a city with a not-so-large Asian American population. But here he is, ready to give it a shot. And receiving a hero's welcome from Milwaukee's Chinese community: Yi basks in welcome. Welcome.
Get a load of this. City council members in Palm Bay, Florida are considering an ordinance proposed by the Mayor that would prohibit the city's purchase of goods manufactured in China: City Considers Banning Items Made In China. When asked for the reasoning behind the proposed ordinance, Mayor John Mazziotti proclaimed, "We are losing jobs left and right to them," as well as the "complete lack of environmental, health and safety standards in product manufacturing in China." The ordinance would prevent the city from buying any items costing more than $50 that are manufactured or assembled in China or that contain more than 50 percent components from China.
First of all, good luck with that. My bet, if this ordinance passes, it's going to be a hell of a time trying to avoid products or parts having anything to do with China. Also, why $50 and up? Why not go all the way and ban everything? If you buy something assembled in China costing 49 bucks, haven't you handed your money over all the same? Seems rather arbitrary, considering the supposed principle behind it. I also have to wonder how many citizens of Palm Bay have actually lost their jobs to "the Chinese," or have been so deeply concerned about China's quality and safety standards... until recently, when the media jumped on this China-bashing craze. Alas, Mayor Mazziotti, it looks like you've given into the hysteria. Blame China! Everybody's doing it.
This is pretty cool... My boys, the Far East Movement, have managed to crack the Top @ 8 over at Power 106 FM in Los Angeles, with their single "You've Got a Friend" featuring Lil Rob and Baby Bash. You can sample the song over at their MySpace. If you'd like to keep them in the Top 8, be sure to text 69106 to vote and request the song as much as you can. You can also vote for the song online here. Everybody else... call your local radio station and request "You've Got a Friend."
Last week in Wisconsin, 29-year-old James Nichols was found guilty in the murder of Hmong American hunter Cha Vang earlier this year: Wis. man guilty in Hmong man's death. The two apparently encountered each other in the woods while hunting for squirrels separately, when an altercation led to Vang's fatal stabbling. An all-white jury found Nichols guilty of second-degree intentional homicide instead of the first degree charge he originally faced, a decision that angered and disappointed Vang's relatives. It seems that this case has rekindled a lot of the racial tensions in the area between the white and Hmong communities, recalling the Chai Soua Vang shootings from three years back. Unfortunately, it seems this verdict probably won't do much to help alleviate the tension on either side...
Well, Chicago, it looks like you made a bit of ruckus... Here's news coverage of the protest at the H&M store this morning on behalf of Frannie Richards: Protestors Rally Against H&M Store. Last month, a H&M employee apparently verbally harrassed Frannie with racial slurs, calling her a "mail order bride" and making fun of her ability to speak English (she was born in the United States and speaks English perfectly). Today, more than 50 concerned citizens gathered outside the store to bring attention to the incident and send the message that this kind of discrimination and harrassment will not be tolerated. The Chicago Tribune also picked up on the protest: Protest at H & M backs claim of harassment. So far H&M hasn't commented on the incident, or any actions it plans to take. Here's an easy first step: fire that employee. Now.
Brothers and sisters, today's the day. If you're in New York, get yourself a ticket to see Justin Lin's Finishing the Game, opening exclusively today at the IFC Center. If you're not in New York, the movie is also available on demand on cable and satellite carriers in homes nationwide. So check it out! It's a comedic mockumentary about the search for a replacement Bruce Lee to finish Game of Death after the martial arts superstar's untimely death in 1973. Starring some of the usual suspects from Justin's previous films, including Sung Kang and Roger Fan, it's pretty good time at the movies. Basically, Justin got all his friends together last summer to make a movie and have some fun. And amidst the laughs, Finishing the Game manages to raise some pretty interesting issues about Asian Americans in Hollywood.
I've already said many things about supporting such films, and sending a message to Hollywood about the kinds of films you want to see—movies by us that reflect our voices, visions and community. Because Hollywood sure as hell isn't doing a good job of that right now. (Just look at the movies from this past summer.) Finishing the Game might not be your kind of movie, but there's no doubt it's not like anything you'll see coming out of a Hollywood studio. It's a true labor of love. Just like with Better Luck Tomorrow five years back, Justin and Co. had a story to tell, and they were going to make sure it happened on their own terms. You have to respect that.
So... the movie opens today at the IFC Center. Buy your tickets here. And bring a friend. The cast and crew will be on hand for Q&As after screenings throughout the weekend. And tomorrow night, October 6th, there will be a Finishing the Game "Meet and Greet" reception, also with the cast and crew. Looks like it's going to be a pretty good time. For more information and to purchase tickets (no admittance at the door), go here.
As for the rest of the country... like I said, the movie is available on demand. You can watch it tonight at home if you want. It'll also be rolling out in other cities in the coming weeks. Here's the schedule so far:
October 5th New York, NY / IFC Center
October 19th San Francisco, CA / Landmark Embarcadero Center Berkeley, CA / Landmark Shattuck
October 26th Los Angeles, CA / Landmark Nuart Theatre San Diego, CA / Landmark Ken Cinema Santa Ana, CA / Edwards South Coast Village Minneapolis, MN / Lagoon Cinema
November 2nd Salt Lake City, UT / Broadway Centre Cinema
November 16th Philadelphia, PA / Landmark Ritz at the Bourse Dallas, TX / Landmark Inwood Houston, TX / Landmark Greenway Austin, TX / Landmark Dobie Seattle, WA / Landmark Varsity Theater
Make your plans. Call your friends. Buy your tickets. Support independent Asian American cinema! For more information about Finishing the Game, go the official site at You Offend Me You Offend My Family. I will see you at the movies.
Chicago! Here is your opportunity to help support Frannie Richards and send a message to H&M that racism and discrimination at their stores will not be tolerated. During a recent visit to the store at Magnificent Mile, Frannie encountered an employee who called her a "mail-order bride," made fun of her ability to understand English, and did the mocking "ching chong" thing to her. I'm sorry, but what the hell is wrong with peple like this?
There will be a protest this Saturday, October 6, 10:00am-11:00am, outside the H&M store on 840 North Michigan Ave. Please gather for a peaceful and informative march. If you'd like to participate, and want more information, contact the point person at charlenehaze@gmail.com. They specifically need folks to help direct movement, work with media, be responsible with signs and chants, distribute flyers and generally give H&M some hell. Be there, and tell them what's up.
This really isn't a surprise... Jackie Chan recently admitted that he isn't a fan of his own Rush Hour movies, even though they were huge box office hits: Jackie Chan No Fan of 'Rush Hour' Series. He made the first one to test the U.S. market, made the second one because he was offered an insane amount of money, and the third one was for the fans. I wish Jackie had just stuck to his gut feelings and refrained from making these godawful movies. Unfortunately, the Rush Hour movies are the ones that people are going to remember, at least in the United States. I found this quote particularly telling: "I spent four months making this film and I still don't fully understand the humor." You and me both, Jackie.
An update on the Desperate Housewivessituation... Oh, here's a video clip of the remark in question, which aired on Sunday night and sparked a wave of outrage across the internet and beyond:
That's right. She said, "Can I check those diplomas? Because I would like to make sure that they're not from some med school in the Philippines." And people got mad. A lot of people, including the executive secretary of the Philipping cabinet, Eduardo Ermita, and the Philippines' ambassador to Washington, Willy Goa. Who knew so many people could get worked up over Desperate Housewives? You better believe it. And this online petition now has over 70,000 signatures (and counting).
Today, ABC and the producers of Desperate Housewives apologized the the remark, noting "There was no intent to disparage the integrity of any aspect of the medical community in the Philippines." Someone probably should've thought about that before they wrote the line into the episode. But hey, the Philippines? That's so... foreign. Funny, right? Idiots. That's racist! ABC says it's now considering editing the episode for future airings and DVDs. But I guess the damage has been done: 'Desperate Housewives' Filipino joke draws ire. More here: 'Desperate Housewives' apology over Philippines slur. And here: ABC Apologizes for 'Housewives' Joke. Recognize! Don't mess with the Filipino medical community, suckas.
The Los Angeles Times has a story on the World Conference on Japanese Military Sexual Slavery, happening right now at UCLA: Activists demand that Japan make reparations to sex slaves. The goal is for Japan to issue an official apology and make reparations to the victims of Japan's wartime crimes. View the conference website here.
Last week at the University of Texas at Austin, three former members of suspended fraternity Lambda Phi Epsilon pleaded no contest to charges of hazing in connection to the death of Phanta "Jack" Phoummarath, who died of alcohol poisoning after a night of binge drinking at a fraternity-sponsored party back in 2005: Former frat members plead no contest
Indian Americans, who now number 2.4 million in the United States, are turning to American Jews as role models and partners in areas like establishing community centers, advocating on civil rights issues and lobbying Congress: In Jews, Indian-Americans See a Role Model in Activism
Here's a story on 15-year-old Cassandra Lee, 5-foot, 1-inch, and 110-pounds... and playing runningback for her high school's JV football team: YOU RUN, GIRL! Holy smokes! That's tackle football! More power to her. (Please be careful.)
Three women in Irvine, CA were arrested this week on suspicion of setting up a prostitution ring via Craigslist: 3 arrests in Irvine prostitution case. Kyung Ah Lee was charged with felony pimping and conspiracy to commit prostitution, and Su Jin Park and Hyun Jung Shin were charged with misdemeanor prostitution and keeping a house of prostitution. Busted!
This is pretty fascinating... For more than 10 years, the United States has used an unlikely freelance connection to communicate with North Korea: Robert Egan, a barbecue-joint owner, former small-time criminal, and erstwhile F.B.I. informant from New Jersey: The Axis of Hackensack: Meet Kim Jong-il's Best Friend in Jersey. More here: Our Man in Pyongyang
Hung wins! Last night's newly named winner of Bravo's Top Chef Season 3 is none other than 29-year-old Hung Huynh, a sous chef from Las Vegas. A bit of an upset, to some. To be honest, I'm a little surprised that he made it all the way. I didn't follow the season very closely, but I caught a few episodes where he didn't do so well in the challenges. And he came off a little too confident, talkin' smack about his competitors. Cocky, some would say. But the guy obviously knew what he was doing to make it this far, impress the judges and beat out all the other talented contestants. Very cool, Hung. Another Asian American joins the pantheon of reality show winners...
What the--!? Amidst all the talk about indie comedy Finishing the Game, I forgot that director Justin Lin has a legitimate big Hollywood studio career to balance too. I woke up this morning to read the news that Justin will be returning to direct the fourth installment of Universal's Fast and the Furious franchise: Diesel, Walker reteam for new "Fast and Furious". No details on the story (something tells me it will involve fast cars), but stars Vin Diesel and Paul Walker are apparently in negotiations to return to the series. Yay.
As mindless and popcorn as this movie series is, I think this is actually great news. With Justin involved, I'm sure we can expect one or two Asian American characters popping up into the mix. Hell, maybe we can hope for the return of Sung Kang as Han. Okay, I know [SPOILER] his character got killed in a fiery crash in Tokyo Drift... but he was easily the coolest guy in that movie. Would it be possible to revisit the character, perhaps for a prequel? It wouldn't be out of the question. One can hope. Shooting is expected to begin next spring in Los Angeles, Mexico and the Dominican Republic.
Meanwhile, here's a good interview with Justin over at ComingSoon.net: Justin Lin Tries Finishing the Game. Finishing the Game opens this Friday, October 5th exclusively at the IFC Center in New York. For more information about the film, go here.
A Filipino American woman is suing clothing chain H&M on allegations of anti-Asian and sexual harrassment, claiming that on a recent trip to the Magnificent Mile store, employees called her a "mail-order bride" and made fun of her ability to understand English: Woman Says She Was Harassed For Ethnicity At H&M. The sian American Institute has filed a discrimination complaint with the City of Chicago Commission on Human Relations, seeking redress for Frannie Richards, who says that in addition to the "mail order bride" comments and ridicule of her English, an H&M employee made mocking "ching chong" noises at her. That's racist! And when she complained to management, they refused to do anything about it. What the hell?
Now, this kind of mocking and harrassment is nothing new—we've all had to deal with this crap on some level. It sucks. But this ain't the schoolyard. This is a freakin' clothing store. People should be able to shop in peace without feeling insulted and humiliated like this. It's ridiculous. Here's the Asian American Institute's press release on the incident: Asian American Institute Represents Filipino American Nurse Harassed by H&M Employee. And here's a Filipino American news report on it up on YouTube: H&M Racist.
I've heard rumors of a protest being planned for this Saturday outside the Magnificent Mile store. If anyone out there has further details about the gathering, let me know.
UPDATE: There is indeed a protest happening this Saturday, October 6th, at 10:00am in front H&M on 840 N. Michigan Avenue in Chicago. It's being organized by family and friends of Frannie Richards. For more information, and to see how you can help out, contact a.charlenehaze@gmail.com. They need folks to help direct movement, work with media, be responsible for signs and chants, and distribute flyers... and just generally give H&M hell. Be there!
The legendary George Takei, best known for playing Sulu on Star Trek, is now the namesake of an asteroid. No joke. The asteroid formerly known as the 1994 GT9, located between Mars and Jupiter, has been renamed 7307 Takei by astronomers in honor of the actor: Group renames asteroid for George Takei. The name was recently approved by the International Astronomical Union's Committee on Small Body Nomenclature That is crazy. But awesome. A massive celestial rock hurtling through space, named after you. What an honor! You know Shatner is jealous.
Speaking of honors... this month, the San Diego Asian Film Festival will present a lifetime achievement award to George Takei at their annual Gala Awards Dinner. He'll also be speaking to festivalgoers about his life, career and legacy at a special conversation moderated by Lee Ann Kim: The Trek of George Takei: An Intimate Discussion . Sunday, October 14 at 1:00pm. Should be pretty cool. Come meet Sulu in person. For more information about all the festival's awesome screenings and events, running October 11-18, visit the website here.
I think I received like 73 emails about this today (the same email, actually, forwarded over and over again), about a racist remark made on the latest episode of Desperate Housewives... Basically, in a scene at the doctor's office, Susan (played by Teri Hatcher) freaks out when the doctor tells her that she might be hitting menopause. Shocked, she stops him and demands, "Can I check those diplomas? Because I would like to make sure that they're not from some med school in the Philippines." View a clip of the scene here.
Oh, hell nooooo. She did not just say that. But she did. They just had to go there, insulting an entire nation with a ridiculous, offensive throwaway line. It's particularly stupid considering the large number of Filipino and Filipino Americans working in health care sector right here in the United States—doctors, nurses and medical technicians who were professionally trained in the Philippines. In fact, the Philippines apparently produces more nurses working in the U.S. than any other country in the world. Hell, there's a good chance your health care professional's diploma is from some school in the Philippines. That's messed up, Susan. Here's the letter that's being passed around that called everyone to action:
I heard through the grapevine about a remark made on an episode of "Desperate Housewives" last night. The scene entailed Teri Hatcher's character (Susan) at a hospital, being told by her gynecologist that she might be hitting menopause. Susan replied, "Can I just check those diplomas because I just want to make sure that they are not from some med school in the Philippines." If you go to abc.com, you watch the full episode and witness the scene at about 18:50 minutes into the episode.
This type of derogatory remark is not only unnecessary and hurtful, but is also unfounded, considering the presence of Filipinos and Filipino Americans in the health care industry. Filipinos are the second largest immigrant population in the United States, with many entering the U.S. and passing their U.S. licensing boards as doctors, nurses, and medical technicians. In fact, the Philippines produces more U.S. nurses than any other country in the world. So, to belittle the education, experience, or value of Filipino Americans in health care is disrespectful and plain and simply ignorant.
As Filipino Americans, we need to band together to ensure that this type of hateful message is not allowed to continue on our television and radio airwaves. Given the recent amounts of media attention that has been given to Michael Richards (against African Americans), Isaiah Washington (against gays), and Rosie O'Donnell (against Asian/ Chinese Americans), it is ridiculous that this type of hateful speech made it through various screenwriters, the show's producers, the show's actors, and ABC itself. Yet, this isn't the first time that negative remarks have been made about the Philippines or Filipinos in the past. In recent years, we've heard one too many "dogeater" comments by "comedian" Joan Rivers on the red carpet or in her standup act, and I believe that it is about time that we stand up for ourselves, so that this type of hateful speech never happens again.
Please join me in expressing your concern, disappointment, and/or disgust to the producers of ABC.com. You can sign the petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/FilABC/ or you can reach them directly at abc7@abc.com.
And please feel free to forward this widely to other Filipinos/ Filipino Americans/ Asian Americans/ and other allies.
Sincerely,
Kevin Nadal, Filipino Performance Artist/ Activist
If this pisses you off, and you feel like speaking out, read and sign the petition to ABC: Filipino Americans demand for apology from ABC and Desperate Housewives. I'm pretty sure the writers weren't anticipating this kind of reaction when they wrote such a stupid throwaway line. But here you go. Chances are, they aren't going to do a damn thing... but they should sure as hell know how you feel. That's racist!
Here's a New York magazine interview with Adrian Tomine, whose latest graphic novel Shortcomings is out on shelves today. It's his first longer work, the first to really tackle the issue of Asian American identity, and it's pretty damn interesting. And a little depressing. There's also more from the interview here, as well as an exclusive excerpt from the book. Learn more about Shortcomings at the official site here.
Jefferson Parrish Sheriff Harry Lee, the "Chinese Cowboy" whose controversial policies made him one of Louisiana's best known politicians, died yesterday of leukemia. He was 75: Colorful Louisiana sheriff Harry Lee dies at 75. Born to Chinese immigrants in 1932, Lee had been sheriff of the New Orleans suburb since 1980 and was running for re-election this month. He was an interesting, controversial character who was often accused of being racist and enacting policies that unfairly targetd blacks. More here: Harry Lee, Outspoken Louisiana Sheriff, Dies at 75. RIP, Sheriff.
This is a really interesting TIME story on the tiny town of Locke, California (population: 80)—America's last rural Chinatown: Saving a Countryside Chinatown. In 1915, after a fire wiped out a nearby Chinatown, 600 Chinese workers got permission from a local orchard owner to build and inhabit a new settlement, which eventually became the tight-knit Chinese community of Locke. The town is a true national landmark, a fascinating, little-known nugget of Asian American history... that's pretty awesome. Unfortunately, today the town's legacy is in danger of becoming faded memory. Only 12 of the 80 residents are Chinese, with whites and Latinos gradually replacing the founding population. However, this month the town is erecting an eight-foot-tall bronze monument dedicated to Locke's Chinese pioneers. Hopefully, there will be continued, active effort to the keep the important history of this town alive.
Speaking of ethnic enclaves... Los Angeles' Little Tokyo needs your help! I've been getting a bunch of emails about some distressing stuff that's been going on in the community. Long story short: some private developers who aren't so concerned with the history and future of Little Tokyo have bought big chunks of land. Who knows what could happen now? Concerned folks are calling for an inclusionary community planning process, and are circulating a petition to gather public support. Here's a letter that's been circulating from J-Town Voice:
Friends -
It's happened again!
As you may already be aware, several recent property transactions have put the future of Los Angeles' Little Tokyo in jeopardy. Japanese Village Plaza was sold to American Commercial Equities in late July, and on August 17, the New Otani Hotel and Weller Court Shopping Mall were bought by 3D Investments—the SAME company that bought the large chunk of San Francisco J-Town from Kintetsu Enterprises last year. While neither of these companies are inherently bad, it is also clear that neither company has a strong tie to Little Tokyo. With only three Japantowns remaining, there exists a critical need to maintain Little Tokyo as an important historic cultural neighborhood. When a company decides to purchase a main commercial and gathering area of Little Tokyo, they should also take the initiative to develop the properties in a responsible manner with community input.
Little Tokyo community members have a history of being actively involved with the changes in Little Tokyo, and we are proud of our community's achievements. It's time again to make our voices clear - Little Tokyo is our home. Little Tokyo is our history. Little Tokyo is our future. And the people who share that home should have a say in what happens to it.
If you feel similarly, we would urge you to take the following action:
1) Sign the following petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/jtv1/petition.html. Doing so will send a message to 3D Investments and American Commercial Equities that they can not buy and develop land in our neighborhood without taking into consideration the wants and needs of the existing community. Further, it will also ensure that the Kajima Corporation is held responsible for their secretive sale to 3D Investments. Although their transaction may be completed, they have not heard the end of this from the Little Tokyo community. Third, it will reinforce to Jan Perry (Little Tokyo's City Councilwoman)that there is broad support to maintain active community involvement in determining the future of Little Tokyo. Finally, it will put current property owners and potential buyers on notice that our community is organized and not afraid to take action to ensure that they act responsibly and remain sensitive to the historic and cultural importance of Little Tokyo.
2) Attend the Little Tokyo Community Council's public meeting at 6:30 PM on Thursday, October 4, 2007, and the Japanese American National Museum. This meeting will be an important opportunity for Little Tokyo's stakeholders (that's you!) to make their voices heard and demand what is due to them.
Please don't miss out on this opportunity to demand respect and justice for our community!
Sincerely, Your friends at J-Town Voice
PS. To find out more about the petition, the Little Tokyo Community Council meeting, or how you can make your voice heard during our community's planning process, contact jtownvoice@yahoo.com.
If you feel strongly about this, then lend your name to the petition here: Preserve LA's Little Tokyo! And if you're in the Los Angeles area, go to the Little Tokyo Community Council's public meeting this Thursday, October 4, 6:30pm at the Japanese American National Museum. Make your voices heard, and ensure the future of Little Tokyo.
Over the weekend, veteran director Wayne Wang's latest film A Thousand Years of Good Prayers won the award for best film at the San Sebastian International Film Festival. And its star, Henry O, took honors for best actor: Wang's film wins top San Sebastian award. The film's screenplay is based on Chinese writer's Yiyun Li's short stories about the lives of Chinese in China and in the United States. Big props to Wayne Wang... but what's really cool is an older guy like Henry O getting recognized. If you look at his credits, he's made an okay career out of playing a lot of the usual older guy Asian roles. Monk #1, Kung Fu Master, Old Chinese Dude. Nothing to be excited about, and nothing you'd probably remember... but it wasn't for lack of talent. Give the guy a chance to show what he can do... and he gives you an award-winning performance. Here's Henry O's official site.
Some bad news out of Tennessee... In Bordeaux last week, a gunman shot and killed Shop-N-Save store owner Gene Kim while he sat at the cash register: Bordeaux store owner shot dead. The gunman fled the scene in a red Pontiac Grand Am. Police are saying that robbery was not the motive, and are investigating a possible altercation between Kim and two people in the store earlier in the evening. There's a good chance the shooter is one of those people, described as a black man in his 20s, 6 feet tall, with short hair, a tattoo on his right arm and weighing about 190 pounds. More on the shooting here: Slain store owner was devoted parent, church member, friend says
The New York Times as a brief but good piece on ("A Night Out with") director Justin Lin, who's been on a grassroots journey for the better part of the last year trying to get the word out about Finishing the Game: A Recipe for Success. I'm looking at that photo of Justin, Julie and Roger that accompanies the article, and all I can think is, damn, Korean food sounds pretty good right now.
So you should already know by now that Finishing the Game opens at the IFC Center in New York this Friday, October 5th (tickets are on sale now). The movie will also be available on demand in households nationwide, through every cable and satellite distributor. That's pretty cool, especially if movies like this don't usually make it out to your city. Need more convincing? Here's an appeal, in Justin Lin's own words:
Dear Friends, Colleagues and Supporters:
FINISHING THE GAME, our new independent film, has been an opportunity to revisit our indie roots and reunite with many in the BETTER LUCK TOMMOROW family. The challenges of making a no-budget film are harsh and demanding, but at the same time, it is filmmaking in its purest form. Clearly, passion on the part of the cast and crew made this film possible. Now we are hoping to share FINISHING THE GAME with you as it comes out in theaters and into your homes.
When BETTER LUCK TOMORROW was released, we showed Hollywood that we are a viable audience. In an industry governed by box office receipts, there is strength in numbers. The turnout for the film sent a clear message that we demand to see ourselves on screen as multi-dimensional characters. Five years later, we are asking for your support again. At this point, we need to demonstrate that BETTER LUCK TOMORROW was not a fluke; we are a vital consumer community that will no longer be ignored. However, out of respect for your time, energy and taste, we don¹t want you to come see the film simply because it's an "Asian American" project. Rather, we want you to connect to the work itself and let the film stand on its own. We welcome you to take a look at the FINISHING THE GAME trailer on our website:
Among other things, it features a behind-the-scenes look at our journey from BLT to FTG that was made by film student Anson Ho.
We are happy to announce that IFC Films, our supportive partner, will be distributing FINISHING THE GAME. However, this "platform release is merely an opportunity and, in certain ways, an uphill battle. The lifespan of a truly independent film is determined on a week-by-week basis. Every weekend could be its last.
Through making studio films, I have learned that "word of mouth" is the most important aspect of any film's release. A big budget movie could buy up every billboard and flood TV with commercials in order to generate audiences. An indie film does not have the budget or the platform to do that. But, the great equalizer is the viewer. Good or bad, every film is ultimately subject to "word of mouth." It¹s simple: if you like the film, tell your friends. And if they like it, they should do the same.
FINISHING THE GAME will open in New York on October 5th at the IFC Center; October 19th in San Francisco and Berkeley; and October 26th in Los Angeles, San Diego, Costa Mesa and Minneapolis.
We are also excited to announce that on October 5th, aside from its traditional theatrical release, the film will simultaneously be available ON DEMAND in 42 million homes in the United States through every cable and satellite TV distributor. This is something we are extremely excited about because it could potentially bring more of us together and build a distribution model for future Asian American films.
By supporting projects with representation and elements that you want to see, you are sending a clear message to the decision makers in Hollywood. If we can get enough people to do the same, then we will truly have a voice. So please share this with your friends and family. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely, Justin Lin
There you have it. I think that last paragraph pretty much boils it down. At the very least, visit the website and check out the trailer. If it looks like something you want to see, take a chance and check it out. And spread the word.
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