California! Heads up..."Actually, Records" has announced their first label showcase on the West Coast with 'A Minotaur Mini-Tour.' Featuring four critically acclaimed acts from the label roster -- Kite Operations, XYZR_KX, The Gold Medalists and Jack Tung, this mini-tour promises to present the best in left-field Asian American indie-rock, electro-pop and post-noise.
The tour begins on Friday, March 26 in San Francisco with an in-store performance at Giant Robot and a show at Retox. The tour also stops in Los Angeles, with a show at Silver Factory Studios in March 27. And that's it. Hey, it's a mini-tour.
"Actually, Records" is a Chicago-based independent record label specializing in releasing innovative and exceptional records regardless of commercial restraints; blurring the lines between the electronic/acoustic, linear/entropic and tonal/atonal. Their words, not mine.
'A Minotaur Mini-Tour' is sponsored by Giant Robot, Hyphen Magazine, Koream Journal, Audrey, and yours truly. So if you're in SF or LA, make plans to rock out. For more information about the tour, including ticket sales and artist info, as well as some free music downloads, visit "Actually, Records" website here.
This week in La Crescenta, California, the Asian Pacific American Legal Center filed a lawsuit on behalf of 28 people who say they fell victim to a costly home loan scam targeting Korean immigrants: Lawsuit alleges firm targeted Korean immigrants.
The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleges that lawyer Timothy D. Thurman and Trinity Law Associates falsely advertised that homeowners could prevent foreclosure and reduce mortgage debt by hiring Trinity for "loan litigation" services.
Trinity apparently targeted Korean immigrant homeowners at risk of foreclosure and charged thousands of dollars for services and benefits that Trinity never provided. As a result of Defendants' fraud, the homeowners either lost their homes to foreclosure or faced increasing risk of losing their homes to foreclosure.
Here an excerpt from APALC's press release:
The suit states that from February 2009 to October 2009, Trinity used a wide network of Korean-speaking agents and employees in order to advertise and market "loan litigation" services to the Korean immigrant community. Trinity and its agents made false representations to consumers, promising that homeowners who filed lawsuits against their lenders would obtain significant reductions in their mortgage debt and avoid foreclosure. Trinity and its agents advised clients to stop making mortgage payments and charged fees ranging from $4,000 to $16,500. However, Trinity failed to properly perform legal services or prevent foreclosures. In October 2009, after collecting over $240,000 from plaintiffs, Trinity abruptly closed its doors, leaving homeowners without any assistance. The complaint includes claims for fraud, statutory violations, and breach of contract.
"Not only did Trinity fail to prevent foreclosures, but their conduct expedited the foreclosure process for many clients and caused families to lose their homes," said Yungsuhn Park, staff attorney at the Asian Pacific American Legal Center. "Trinity advised homeowners to stop making their mortgage loan payments and instead charged clients thousands of dollars in fees."
Trinity's fraudulent scheme is a prime example of the flood of loan modification-related fraud that has followed the rise in foreclosures resulting from the economic recession. The rise in scams targeting distressed homeowners has garnered the attention of the State Bar of California, the California Office of the Attorney General, the Federal Trade Commission, and local law enforcement agencies. These agencies are all actively investigating and prosecuting attorneys and businesses that have engaged in real estate scams. Consumers who have complaints against attorneys due to loan modification or lender litigation fraud should contact the State Bar of California to file a complaint (www.calbar.ca.gov).
"Trinity targeted its false advertising to the Korean immigrant community and used Korean-speaking agents to gain the trust of Korean American homeowners dealing with financial hardship. Trinity violated several laws that were intended to protect the rights of immigrant consumers. These attorneys must be held accountable for violating their professional duties as attorneys and ignoring the law," said Julie A. Su, Litigation Director at the Asian Pacific American Legal Center.
There are some new and existing laws that protect immigrant homeowners from these types of schemes. Since October 2009, a new state law prohibits attorneys from collecting advance fees, including a fee retainer, for services in which the attorney attempts to negotiate with the mortgage lenders or offers to perform a mortgage loan modification for homeowners. Loan modification consultants must also provide a notice that explains that these services are available for free from non-profit organizations. Furthermore, if loan modification or other mortgage loan forbearance services are offered or negotiated in Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, or Korean, existing law requires that a translated copy of the required notice be provided to the borrower in that second language.
"For many immigrants, owning a home is part of the American Dream. Trinity preyed on our community, and it's unfortunate that these homeowners never had a real chance to save their homes. Homeowners need to know that no one, including attorneys, can charge an upfront fee to help you negotiate with the bank to modify your mortgage loan and that various nonprofit organizations provide these services for free," said Esther Ro, Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Recovery Fellow at APALC.
Some basic tips for homeowners in this situation: avoid any person who offers guarantees to stop a foreclosure; don't pay up-front fees -- they're illegal; and seek help from a non-profit first. You don't need an attorney for loan modifications. More on this case here: Center accuses law firm of defrauding Korean immigrants.
Check out the music video for "Short Intermission" by Big Phony, from his album Kicking Punching Bags. Love this song. The video's narrative revolves around the progression of a relationship, with "glimpses of each pivotal moment between Chris and Ella, from the time they meet to the time they break." Another nice production from The Mighty Fifty. For more from Big Phony, check out his website here.
We recently received the sad passing of pioneering filmmaker, teacher and media activist Loni Ding. Last night at the opening of SFIAAFF, CAAM director Stephen Gong dedicated the festival to her memory. Here's the recent obituary that ran in the San Francisco Chronicle: Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Loni Ding dies.
Here's some information about funeral services for Ms. Ding, happening this weekend in San Francisco:
Ms. Ding is survived by her husband; her children, May Ying Welsh of Doha, Qatar, and Elias Welsh of Oakland; and two sisters, Pearl Ding Dobson of San Francisco and Gracina Fong of Salinas.
A visitation will take place at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Green Street Mortuary, 649 Green St., San Francisco. A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, followed by a procession led by a brass marching band.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Center for Educational Telecommunications, 1940 Hearst Ave., Berkeley, CA 94709. Donations can also be earmarked for the Loni Ding Award in Social Issue Documentary and sent to the Center for Asian American Media, 145 Ninth St., San Francisco, CA 94103.
The Center for Asian American Media has just established the Loni Ding Award in Social Issue Documentary, to be awarded to films that bring new voices to audiences or that illuminate underrepresented communities. More here: Loni Ding: An Appreciation.
Children of Invention opens today in New York and Los Angeles. You know I've been a cheerleader for this little indie film for over a year, so if you're in these cities, do me a favor and check it out. In New York, it's playing a weeklong run at the newly-renovated Big Cinemas Manhattan, and in Los Angeles, it's at the Downtown Independent. Here are the basics:
CHILDREN OF INVENTION New York and LA theatrical run 3/12-3/18!
NEW YORK CITY The newly-renovated Big Cinemas Manhattan 239 E 59th St (bt 2nd/3rd Aves) Subway: 4, 5, 6, N, R, W to 59th St/Lexington Ave Q&A w/Tze & Mynette on Fri, 3/12, 8:15p screening + Mynette on Sat, 3/13 and Sun 3/14 8:15p screenings Buy tix: http://bit.ly/boBMIU One Week Engagement 3/12-3/18
Our NY release is a DIWO effort with Dave Boyle's WHITE ON RICE. To get a double-feature discount go to: http://childrenofinvention.com/coi-wor.htm
LOS ANGELES Downtown Independent - 251 S. Main St (bt E 2nd/E 3rd Sts), L.A. Q&A w/Tze, Trevor & Sheila at all Sat 3/13 screenings and Sun 4:30pm screening http://www.downtownindependent.com/ Buy tix: http://bit.ly/b314K0 One Week Engagement 3/12-3/17
And check out some of the great reviews Children of Invention has been getting:
New York Times "Restraint proves a virtue of - and a shrewd if necessary choice for - Children of Invention, a modestly scaled, quietly effective independent movie about a struggling single mother and her two children. Directed and written by Tze Chun, making a fine feature debut, the movie offers both a familiar tale of immigrant striving and a topical look at what it means to be working and poor in America while hanging onto a badly frayed thread. Yet while the politics are there, you might be too busy choking back tears to notice." - Manohla Dargis Full review: Full review
Village Voice/LA Weekly "A rueful homage to American dreams both wonderful and warped." - Ella Taylor Full review: Full review
Variety "Urgent, Artful, and even austerely poetic..." Full review
New York Post "One way to judge a filmmaker is by the way he or she directs children. Take Tze Chun and his impressive first feature, "Children of Invention." Full review: Full review
And of course, if you're in New York, you also have the chance to see Dave Boyle's quirky comedy White on Rice, which is doing a "DIWO" joint theatrical release with Children of Invention. Hiroshi Watanabe stars as a weirdo middle-aged loser trying to get his life back together after a divorce. It's a funny movie with a great cast that also includes Lynn Chen, James Kyson Lee and Justin Kwong. For more information about the movie, as well as this weekend's screenings, go here.
Also in limited release today, Bong Joon-ho's thriller Mother from Magnolia Pictures. This is an awesome, riveting film, with a brilliant lead performance by Kim Hye-Ja. Writer/director Bong shows why he's one of the most crafty, out-of-the-box filmmakers working in South Korea today. For more information about the film, including the theatrical schedule, visit the Motherwebsite here.
Authorities arrested Ngoc Bui, Quyhn Bui, Tuan Dang, Minh Bui, Nhung Thack, and Thu Nguyen for their part in a high-tech, multimillion-dollar network of homes used to grow more than $10 million worth of cannabis under artificial lights.
The investigation started accidentally last month when a Monroe Township Police Officer smelled marijuana coming from the chimney of one of the homes. When he knocked, Thu N. Nguyen opened the door, and the officer smelled unusable pot plants being burned in the fireplace.
Not smart! Memo to dumbass pot growers: do not dispose of marijuana by burning it up... in your fireplace. Nguyen was arrested and police found 1,064 pot plants growing in the basement and master bedroom.
The bust led to search warrants for five more rented houses in four other towns: Millstone, Old Bridge, Manalapan and Manahawkin. Five of the homes were being used to grow marijuana. One of the suspects lived in a sixth home where police seized $60,000 cash and vacuum bags used to package the pot.
From the sound (and smell) of it, this was an extremely elaborate operation. Six people have been charged with running marijuana cultivation facilities. They were also charged with theft of services for bypassing utility meters. Three remain at large and are believed to have fled the country. More here: Smell of pot from chimney leads to record bust.
Yes. It is time for another Angry Reader of the Week, spotlighting you, the very special readers of this website. Over the years, I've been able to connect with a lot of cool folks, and this is a way of showing some appreciation and attention to the people who help make this blog what it is. In honor of SFIAAFF, this week's Angry Reader is Festival Director Chi-hui Yang.
Who are you? Chi-hui Yang. There have been many names over the years that I've tried on for a little while just to see -- Jean-Baptiste, Reggie -- none of them got the ring of Chi-hui though.
What are you? A film programmer, arts administrator. Chinese American, somewhere in between Taiwan and China.
Where are you? 18th and Guerrero, Mission District, San Francisco. A good intersection, my favorite restaurant (Delfina), market (Bi-rite) and knife sharpener (Jivano's -- though he is sadly moving) all conveniently right here. One could easily not leave, except now to sharpen up the knives from chopping too many things very small, which is how I roll.
Where are you from? Well, my parents ended up in the US via circuitous routes that went through China, Taiwan, Panama and Japan. I was born in the great Pacific Northwest and grew up in Bellingham, WA, a small college town between Seattle and Vancouver. We used to be able to drive through the Canadian border without stopping. Not anymore. The family restaurants we grew up in: first the Home Plate Cafe (we had our own baseball team and did serious chop suey) and then the Cathay House.
What do you do? I look for rhythms and patterns and then find ways to for others to see them too. I'm the director of the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, which is the largest showcase for Asian and Asian American films in the US. It is presented by a great organization, CAAM, and starts this week! We got a whole lot of good films and parties going on throughout the Bay Area; I suggest the films from Thailand and Iran, perhaps the outdoor screening of Enter the Dragon, or maybe hanging out with Aasif Mandvi, Freida Lee Mock and KevJumba.
Running a film festival involves a lot of watching and listening, and then figuring out how to make things happen. I make lists and then improvise. After twelve years though, I'm hanging up my hat after this round, and venturing into more uncharted territory where I'll be working on some more broadly based writing and curatorial projects.
What are you all about? I am all about good things happening to people who deserve them, and how I can help make this happen. There are a lot of amazing artists out there, and the question is how to support them and get them recognized.
I think a lot about the sea, maps, shipping containers, networks and routes; all of the infrastructure which allows or compels people to move from one place to another. Migration and mobility - the forces which underlie so much of how the world operates and shapes how we understand race, culture, time.
I am also all about my brother and sister; my sis is an English professor and does all this amazing writing on race, imposters, porcelain dogs and commodity fetish, and my brother is an experimental theatre director who stages elaborate multimedia performances as part of the group Cloud Eye Control (go see them!).
What makes you angry? I am a pretty forgiving person. But if you gotta name them; when things are assumed, when folks don't listen, and when reaction is used more than proaction.
Bonus Chi-hui Here's another interview Chi-hui recently did with New American Media, talking about the state of Asian American cinema: What's Next for Asian Film? Also, did you know that yesterday was officially declared Chi-hui Yang Day by the city of San Francisco? Thanks, Chi-hui, for everything.
I had a really fun time at Opening Night of SFIAAFF. A little too much fun time, probably. So updates are going to be a little sluggish today. But if you're in the Bay Area, I do want to highlight this really awesome mentoring workshop for aspiring Asian American film professionals, happening tomorrow, March 13: Up Close And Personal with the Asian American Film Industry.
Up Close And Personal with the Asian American Film Industry
Special Live Events (90 mins)
This workshop presents a rare opportunity to interface directly with leading Asian American filmmakers and industry professionals. Led by producer Karin Chien (THE MOTEL, UNDOING, ROBOT STORIES) and featuring acclaimed editor and documentary filmmaker Ruby Yang (BLOOD OF YINGZHOU DISTRICT), and celebrated actress Tamlyn Tomita (THE JOY LUCK CLUB) this intimate session will create an interactive mentoring environment where the focus will be on guiding participants through individual and project specific challenges. Mentors will reveal how they started out in the business and talk honestly about the daily realities of working in the industry. Participants will be encouraged to ask questions about their own projects, whether they are related to financing, distribution, production, or even problems in the edit. Both narrative and documentary projects will be discussed. Filmmakers, professionals of all levels and the general public are welcome to attend and participate in this insider’s view of how independent films are made. This workshop is part of a new mentoring initiative designed to grow the Asian American industry from within and is funded in part by the Academy Foundation. Filmmakers interested in having their projects workshopped and discussed at this session should send:
1. One-sentence bi of themselves 2. One-paragraph description of their project 3. Up to three questions related to their project 4. Email and phone contact information to: mentorworkshop@asianamericanmedia.org.
With Karin Chien, Ruby Yang and Tamlyn Tomita, you'll be in the room three awesome industry veterans who know what the hell they're talking about. I'm told the goal is to make it fun and informal, and most of all, helpful. For more information about the workshop, go to the festival website here.
The Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF) invites you to take part in their biggest fundraiser of the year: Asian American Idol 3. Got some vocal skillz? It's time to take the stage, wow the crowd, and do it all for a great cause. Here are some details:
Can you smell the spring in the air? Mark your calendars for an incredibly fun & terrific fundraiser for CACF - Asian American Idol 3!!! As one of the biggest annual events that the Action Council hosts, this popular karaoke event is not to be missed! We have been working hard to make sure APRIL 1 will be exhilarating and entertaining, no (April fools) joke!
For those of you who are blessed with vocal ability (and guts) and want to perform, you MUST REGISTER by THIS FRIDAY, March 12!! You'll have an opportunity to stun the crowd and win fabulous prizes!
Pre-sale tickets are only $20!! Go to www.cacf.org to register and/or purchase tickets!
Stay tuned for Celebrity Judges Update!
Get your karaoke on for the cause. It's happening April 1 in New York. If you want to participate, you have to act fast -- contestant registration ends March 12! For more information about Asian American Idol 3, visit the CACF website here. Good luck.
Speaking of Koreatown nightlife... Check out the trailer for Ktown Cowboys, an upcoming webseries produced by a bunch of funny guys I know. Here's the fictionalized version of a typical evening out in K-Town.
In this trailer "thingy" you might see glimpses of Danny Cho, Lanny Joon, Bobby "Big Phony" Choy, Bobby Lee, Justin Chon and more -- a bunch of dudes having a crazy night out partying, dancing, laughing, fighting and of course, drinking, in Los Angeles' Koreatown. Coming soon! For more information, go here.
Came across this Craiglist posting... it's a casting call for "interesting, attractive, colorful Asian-Americans," ages 18 to 30, to star in a reality show, apparently in vein of Jersey Shore, The Hills, Real World, etc., following people living and experiencing "the Koreatown life." Do you have telegenic train wreck potential? Apply now! You could be the Asian Snooki:
Casting Asian Americans for reality show (Los Angeles/Hollywood)
Date: 2010-03-09, 1:45PM PST Reply to: asianrealityshow@yahoo.com
Looking for interesting, attractive, colorful Asian-Americans to cast in a reality show similar to JERSEY SHORE, REAL WORLD, THE HILLS, etc.. We need attractive Asian-Americans with lively, strong, and unique personalities between the ages of 18 to 30 with equally interesting life stories and perspectives to share, especially individuals who know about and/or experienced the Koreatown life. If you are not Asian but are obsessed with Asian culture or people in some way, email us and please explain.
Please email us headshots/photos and a cover letter briefly describing yourself and why you should be included in this show. Be sure to include basic contact info such as name, age, phone #, email, and any other bits of interesting information that will make you stand out. Please feel free to include information and pictures on any of your friends that you think will also be a good candidate for this reality show.
We will begin casting and filming on-camera interviews in LOS ANGELES or HOLLYWOOD, CA next week so please send in your info ASAP!
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't intrigued by the premise of this show. You know "the K-Town life" is totally ripe for the reality show treatment. Hell, I'm surprised this hasn't already been tried before. I'm already imagining the can't-stop-watching train wreck this show has the potential to be.
All right, Bay Area... The 28th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival is here! SFIAAFF is the nation's largest showcase for new Asian American and Asian films, annually presenting approximately 120 works in San Francisco, Berkeley and San Jose. I'll admit it -- I'm a film festival junkie, and SFIAFF is that gourmet smack. I look forward to it every year.
Things kick off this evening with the Opening Night presentation of Today's Special, written by and starring Aasif Mandvi, at the Castro Theatre. The screening is sold out, but if you get there early, you can probably find some decent luck in the rush line. I'll be there tonight to help CAAM celebrate. Here are a few of the other programs I'm hoping to check out...
Fog, is the feature debut of writer/director Kit Hui, whose award-winning 2007 short Missing really impressed me. Set in Hong Kong, Fog follows a young man attempting to move past his amnesia. Unfortunately, I didn't secure tickets for this weekend's screening, so you'll probably see me bumming in the rush line in front of the Kabuki. Anybody wanna hook me up?
Directions in Sound is SFIAAFF's annual live music show -- "a genre-bending showcase featuring the best future-forward sounds that are blowing up around the globe." This year's lineup at Mighty includes DJ Shortkut, Hot Tub, Kero One, Nako, Navdeep and Green Tea. Should be another fun show.
3rd i South Asian International Shorts, another annual favorite, is a program stacked with award-winning South Asian films from India and the United States. I'm looking forward to seeing our buddy Sung Kang in Tanuj Chopra's Clap Clap, as well as the Academy Award-nominated short Kavi.
A Village Called Versailles is a documentary portrait of New Orleans' Vietnamese community, a marginalized group that found its voice in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. This is one of those films I keep missing at previous festivals, so I'm hoping to catch this weekend. (Or maybe just wait until it airs on PBS this May.)
Changing Da Game: YouTube Legends and the Future of Online Media, a gathering of some of YouTube's biggest names: Kevin Wu aka KevJumba, Ryan Higa aka Nigahiga, Timothy Chantarangsu aka Timothy DeLaGhetto and Wong Fu Productions. Moderated by Lisa Lee, publisher of Hyphen. You've seen them on the screen of your laptop, now seem them in person.
God is D_ad is the latest indie feature from Abraham Lincoln Lim. Set in 1987 -- long before "geek" was hip -- it's described as "a playful road trip caper that follows a group of awkward misfits as they try to navigate the road to adulthood." Expect a heavy dose of Dungeons & Dragons references.
The Message, directed by Chen Kuo-fu and Gao Qunshu, is a historical drama set in 1942 Nanjing, and loosely based on a 2007 novel about WWII-era Chinese code-breakers. I don't know much about this film, but I'm in the mood for something fast-paced and thrilling, and this looks pretty fun.
The People I've Slept With, the festival's Centerpiece Presentation. Directed by festival veteran Quentin Lee, and starring Karin Anna Cheung, this is "a game-changing new comedy about sex in the city, Asian American style." Smart, funny and sexy, this one's sure to get people talking.
Okay, and that's just a sample of the stuff happening throughout the festival. Film lovers! If you're around, take advantage of all the great programming SFIAAFF has to offer. The festival runs March 11-21 in San Francisco, Berkeley and San Jose. For more information, including the full film schedule and ticketing details, visit the SFIAAFF website here. See you there!
Kim shocked the audience of a campus talent show ("Dartmouth Idol") last week when he showed in the middle of a spirited "Thriller" performance -- dressed complete with a fedora and a single white glove -- to deliver Vincent Price's famed spoken interlude. And then he got down. Watch the video here (the Prez shows up at the 2:00 mark).
A follow-up on Haison Jiang, the Rutgers University graduate student who wreaked havoc on Newark Liberty International Airport in early January when he breached security to steal one last goodbye with his long-distance girlfriend, causing a massive shutdown: Consequences of an Airport Kiss.
Needless to say, Jiang made a lot of people angry that day, and he was eventually tracked down and arrested on January 8. This week, he pleaded guilty in Newark Municipal Court to the charge of defiant trespass. His punishment: 100 hours of community service, a $500 fine and $158 in costs and fees.
In his first interview since causing the six-hour shutdown, Jiang said he was completely oblivious that he had done anything wrong: "At that moment, I'm very excited with my girlfriend, and I didn't think too much." I've said it before -- he's kind of an idiot. But he's a lovestruck idiot, and obviously didn't mean any harm.
It was the kiss that shut down an airport. As for his girlfriend, Jiang says they are very much still together. They still talk about 2,000 minutes a month, and he plans on moving to California to be with her and work in a laboratory after completing his degree in May or June. I hope she realizes what he just went through for her...
Perhaps aware of that everyone loved that commercial with the awesome Asian American mom, Target has made another commercial featuring an awesome, all-up-in-your-business Asian American mom, with daughter and boyfriend. No tetherball or beatboxing in this one, but still pretty cute. (Thanks, Charmaine.)
In fact, demographers say this year could be the "tipping point" when the number of babies born to minorities outnumbers that of babies born to whites. According to the latest census estmates available, minorities made up 48 percent of U.S. children born in 2008, compared to 37 percent in 1990.
The numbers are growing because immigration to the U.S. has boosted the number of Hispanic women in their prime childbearing years. More white women are waiting until they are older to have children, but it's unknown whether that will have a noticeable effect on the current trend of increasing minority newborns.
Broken down by race, about 52 percent of babies born in 2008 were white. That's compared to about 25 percent who were Hispanic, 15 percent black and 4 percent Asian. Another 4 percent were identified by their parents as multiracial.
This has strong implications for the 2010 Census, which begins next week, when more than 120 million U.S. households receive their census forms in the mail. The population figures are used to distribute federal aid and redraw legislative boundaries with racial and ethnic balance, as required by federal law.
Whites currently make up two-thirds of the total U.S. population, and recent census estimates suggest the number of minorities may not overtake the number of whites until 2050. Behold! The future! But when minorities are no longer the minority, will we still be called "minorities"? I guess we'll find out in 2050.
If you're in Berkeley this weekend, come out with your fists raised... Southeast Asian Mentorship and the Southeast Asian Student Coalition present FIGHTING! With Our Fists in the Air!, an annual benefit concert to raise awareness about the social, economic and cultural issues facing the Southeast Asian community. Featured artists include:
DUB COLLECTIVE PROTO-J APRIL CHASE PLUCKY MINH DANG MAURICE SEATY SEAYL PHIYER BERZERKELEY
All proceeds and donations will help fund our programs that cater to fostering leadership among youth, college students, and community members about youth violence. It's this Saturday, March 13 at MCC/MLK Student Union. For more information, see the flyer above, or go to the Facebook event page here.
Asians behaving badly... phone scam edition! The Washington Post recently ran a story on a resurgent wave of "crammers" -- scammers who sneak small, unauthorized fees onto your phone bill: Misdials help 'crammers' ring up millions in phone bill scam.
How much money can make from these annoying little fees? Two such crammers, Roy and John Lin, allegedly took in $19 million over five years from their operation:
The San Francisco brothers hired overseas telemarketers to offer directory assistance and other services to small businesses and ordinary Americans, according to a major case to be unveiled this week by the Federal Trade Commission. But their real goal was to sneak small, unauthorized fees onto thousands of monthly bills and hope the charges would go unnoticed, court documents state.
The scheme, known as "cramming," proved to be a boon, the documents show. The Lins' alleged take: $19 million over five years.
$19 million?! That's crafty. Here's how they did it:
Using a series of company names including Inc21, GlobalYP and Gofaxer.com, the Lins purported to sell Web site hosting, Internet yellow pages listings, search engine advertising and other services to small businesses and consumers. The telemarketers greeted potential customers by stating that they sought to "verify and update business information," without making it clear that they were seeking to add charges to their phone bills, the documents said. In many cases, Inc21 doctored tapes of the calls to make it seem like the customers had agreed to be billed.
Fortunately, they didn't get away with it. The FTC persuaded a U.S. district judge in California to force the Lins as well as Pacific Bell, the telephone company that received proceeds from the scam, to return the money to nearly 11,000 customers. My friends, be careful where you dial, and be aware of who's charging what on your phone bill.
The Oak Park Story is a new short documentary by Valerie Soe that recounts the struggles of a community of Cambodian and Latino immigrants who joined forces to sue their landlord when their Oakland apartment complex fell into disrepair. It tells the story of three very different families:
Khlot Ry arrived first from Cambodia, where she and her granddaughters had fled forced labor camps and invading Vietnamese soldiers. A few years later, Felix and Hortensia Jimenez brought their family across the Mexican-U.S. border without documents, where Felix struggled to earn a living as a day laborer. At the same time, Dan Schmitz left the comforts of his white, middle class upbringing in the suburbs and moved into the apartment directly across from the Jimenez family.
Together, these three households encountered daily life in America's underclass. Parents raised their children amidst drug dealing, gang violence and prostitution right in their parking lot. Yet their worst problem was their Stanford-educated landlord, who raised rents even when El Nino rains flooded their units. Interviews, home video footage, and photographs from the tenants depict their daily lived experiences in the 1980s and 1990s.
Facing unsanitary housing conditions that led to the hospitalization of several children, 44 households of Oak Park banded together to sue and eventually won a landmark settlement, against their landlord. Despite the victory, this too brought about some surprising, unintended consequences.
The Oak Park Story concludes nearly ten years after winning the lawsuit. What have the children at Oak Park learned from their parents' organizing? How did the lawsuit impact the lives of the undocumented workers, the refugee families, and the other working poor living there? What ongoing social conditions do they continue to face?
Big deal, right? It is a big deal. The Donkey Kong high score is actually one of the most coveted, revered records in the classic video game community. Chien's feat was confirmed by Twin Galaxies, the official score keeper of electronic games:
Chien set the world record during a 21/2-hour game he started late Feb. 26 and ended in the wee hours of Feb. 27 on his personal Donkey Kong machine at an East Side apartment he shares with his brother.
"That was the day of a huge snowstorm in the city," Chien said. "I actually took the day off from work and slept most of the day; so I was completely caught up on sleep."
In keeping with Twin Galaxies' stringent regulations, Chien videotaped the machine inside and out before and after the game, and completed a 39-point check list.
Twin Galaxies' board of referees reviewed his entry and let him know Friday that he had officially topped Donkey Kong champion Billy Mitchell's world record.
The crazy part is, Chien has apparently only been playing Donkey Kong since last September, when he was inspired by the documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. If you've seen this film, which is awesome, then you understand Chien's quest. Take that, Billy Mitchell! Congratulations, Hank. You are the new king of Kong. That should definitely help you score with ladies.
Joining the large stack of books I need to read, Long for This World, the debut novel from Sonya Chung, now out from Scribner. The book tells the story of a family divided between contemporary America and a small Korean town. It's about loss and renewal and what it means to go home. Here's the description from the book jacket:
IN 1953, on a remote island in South Korea, a young boy stows away on the ferry that is carrying his older brother and sister-in-law to the mainland. Fifty-two years later, Han Hyun-kyu is on a plane back to Korea, leaving behind his wife and grown children in America. It is his daughter, Jane -- a war photographer recently injured in a bombing in Baghdad and forced to return to New York -- who journeys to find him in the South Korean town where his brothers have settled. Here, father and daughter take refuge from their demons, unearth passions, and, in the wake of tragedy, each discover something deeper and more enduring than they'd imagined passible.
Long for This World is a pointillist triumph -- depicting whole worlds through the details of a carefully prepared meal or a dark childhood memory. But Chung is also working on a massive scale, effortlessly moving between domestic intimacies and the global stage -- Iraq, Paris, Darfur, Syria -- to illuminate the relationship between troubled world affairs and person devastation. The result is a profound portrayal of the human experience -- both large and small. Long for This World establishes Sonya Chung as a thrilling new voice in fiction.
It sounds like a really awesome book -- I'm going to have to move it to the top of the stack. For more information about Long for This World, go to Sonya Chung's website here. You can read an excerpt from the book here. Sonya is also going on a book tour. See the schedule here. Oh, and you can buy the book here.
Finally, check out this great essay Sonya wrote last year for The Millions on navigating the complicated book jacket design process, specifically when it comes to evoking "Asian American imagery": "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Designing a Book Jacket..."
Late last year, I posted a casting call for a narrative short film about the Japanese American internment, A Crossroad Called Manzanar, written and directed by Cindy Fang, and co-written by Alice Kim. The film, shot back in December, is currently in post-production. You can watch the trailer here.
So far, it's looking like a really nicely produced film. According to the film's website, they are currently trying to raise funds to meet the rest of their post-production and leftover production costs. A Crossroad Called Manzanar is a nonprofit Independent Feature Project, and they will gladly accept your tax-deductible donations.
More Census fun for the whole family! APICount.com is sponsoring a 2010 Census PSA Contest, calling on folks to create 30-60 second video about how the Census is safe, easy and important for Asian and Pacific Islander communities. Here's some contest info:
Our Communities Need to be Counted in Census 2010!
Asian and Pacific Islander Communities are underrepresented by Census numbers, but you can help change that! Help get the word out by making a 30 – 60 second video about how the Census is safe, easy and important. Your video could screen at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific American Film Fest 2010, be seen nationally, and win you the grand prize of $3000! Fill out an entry form at www.apicount.com and get started now!!! Deadline for entries is March 26th, 2010.
Top Four Prize Categories
$500 for Best Asian Language Census Message (must have English subtitles)
$500 for Best Pacific Islander Language Census Message (must have English subtitles)
$500 for Best English Language Census Message for Asian Audience
$500 for Best English Language Census Message for Pacific Islander Audience
Your video could screen at the 2010 Los Angeles Asian Pacific American Film Fest, be seen nationally, and take home the grand prize of $3000! For more information, including contest rules and the entry form, go to the API Count website here. And watch this handy PSA for the PSA contest.
Unfortunately, Charlie Chan never seems to die. Most recently, Hollywood's fictional Chinese detective -- traditionally played by white actors, and a sore spot for many Asian Americans -- popped up last month at a New York screening of The Great Charlie Chan, a long lost-but-found 1968 documentary on the character. I wish it had stayed lost: A Charlie Chan Film Stirs an Old Controversy.
The documentary, "The Great Charlie Chan," made in 1968, was all but forgotten. But Harvey Chertok, who was vice president for advertising, promotion and publicity at Warner Brothers-Seven Arts when it was created, said he discovered it recently while cleaning out old files. The New York Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the group that organizes the New York Emmy Awards, held a screening in February and another is scheduled at the National Arts Club in Manhattan on March 16.
A book, "Quotations From Charlie Chan," was published as a companion to the documentary. It contains many of the kitschy sayings the character used when talking to his "No. 1 Son."
Defenders of Charlie Chan, don't give me that nonsense that he's a positive character. Fans always like to point out that he's the hero -- the smartest guy in the room. I'm sorry, but that's ridiculous. This character, and his countless movies, are built on a sad history of Hollywood racism.
Charlie Chan is one big stereotypical Chinaman caricature -- and always played by a white man in yellowface, to kick us while we're down. With a fake ching chong accent on top. Ask anyone who's been on the receiving end of an idiotic "Ah, Confucius say..." joke.
According to the article, the Charlie Chan documentary is schedule to screen next again next week at the National Arts Club in Manhattan. With some proper context provided, I hope. I'm not in favor of censoring or suppressing Charlie Chan movies -- they're an important part of explaining the legacy of Hollywood racism. But for goodness sake, let's not celebrate these damn movies.
Awww yeah. So check this out. Our musician friend Dawen will be playing live with Macy Gray this Thursday, March 11 at 7pm/PST. They'll be streaming the session live on u-Stream, so you can watch it all happen live through the blessed power of technology. It'll be like you're right there!
Macy Gray LIVE with Dawen
Thursday, March 11, 2010 7:00pm - 8:30pm PT
Chat live with Macy Gray and R&B/Soul singer-songwriter Dawen this Thursday 7PM PST!
Dawen will be performing a live set for you, including a few covers of hits from Macy! Stay tuned!
Totally random pairing, but I like it. According to Dawen, he'll be singing some songs for Macy then asking her all sorts of cool questions. They'll also be doing some CD giveaways. And everyone will have some fun.
Got a question for Macy or Dawen? Got a song request? Tune in via u-Stream on Thursday night and submit them in the chat room during the stream. For more details, visit Dawen's website: I'm playing LIVE with MACY GRAY!!!
Just for the hell of it... Writer/director/actor Randall Park is back with another edition of his webseries Dumb Professor. It's like The Food, with tenure.
Episode two features drive-by shootings, knife-fights, and really bad beards -- everything you'd expect from a story about academia. Oh, and Randall's dad also makes an appearance. It's all very silly and awesome.
What kind of crazy mind comes up with this stuff? For more on Randall and his shenanigans, visit his website here. And to catch up and watch episode 1 of Dumb Professor, go here.
Thank you to everyone who entered last week's 28th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival ticket giveaway. Everybody likes free stuff... but only five could win. So the lucky winners, picked at random, are:
Darren K. Bowen L. Michael C. Katherine L. Tin M.
They each win a pair of tickets to see the documentary Lt. Watada, directed by Freida Lee Mock, this Sunday, March 14 at the Landmark Clay Theatre. The rest of you will just have to buy your own tickets. For more information about the festival, visit the SFIAAFF website here. See you there!
Here's a great Chicago Tribune story on Joseph Lee, a Northwestern University graduate who was on a traditional track to go to med school, but switched gears and ended up becoming a teacher in inner-city Chicago: Pre-med student switches gears to teach in Chicago school.
He had even taken the MCAT and everything, but his heart just wasn't in it to apply to med school. Instead, he chose teaching "where students had little to nothing: abysmal test scores, scant support at home, few people who still believed in them" -- basically, where he knew it wasn't going to be easy:
Since the beginning of the school year, Lee has been teaching at Parkside Community Academy, an elementary school in the South Shore neighborhood. Hired a week before school started, he was told that he'd have to teach science but warned there were no textbooks. He had to teach social studies, for which there were books but little time. He also had to teach reading, and recently math was added to the list.
When Lee arrived in Room 312, the walls were barren and dusty. Old cabinets littered the corners. So he set out to patch over some of the inequities. He added motivational posters, including one listing his expectations, and he built a wall of fame for students' achievements.
Soon his 30 students — a group of seventh- and eighth-graders — arrived.
"It was so hard in the beginning," he said. "Many of my students had no supplies. They didn't do homework, and they were often suspended for either fighting or bringing drugs to school. Emotionally I was a wreck and on the verge of tears every day. I wasn't getting any sleep, and I was wondering: Can I do this?"
According to the article, it hasn't been easy, but seven months into his new job, Joseph has seen some progress. He has a two-year commitment with Teach for America, and he's sticking with it. Did I mention that Joseph also happens to be a longtime reader of this blog? Mad props.
Hey, Asian American writers! It is time for your work to be shared and discovered. Hyphen and the Asian American Writers' Workshop are very excited to present the 2010 Asian American Short Story Contest -- the only national, pan-Asian American writing competition of its kind.
The Grand Prize: $1,000, publication in Hyphen magazine and the honor of Short Story of the Year -- in other words, supreme writers' bragging rights.
Now in its third year, the 2010 Asian American Short Story Contest will name 10 finalists and one grand prize-winner who will win a cash prize of $1000 and have the winning story published in an upcoming issue of Hyphen. Check it:
PRIZES
One (1) GRAND PRIZE WINNER
* $1,000 cash prize * Publication in Hyphen to 10,000 eager readers * One-year subscription to Hyphen magazine * One-year membership to AAWW, the premiere literary arts nonprofit in the country dedicated to Asian American literature.
Ten (10) FINALISTS
* One-year subscription to Hyphen magazine * One-year membership to AAWW, the premiere literary arts nonprofit in the country dedicated to Asian American literature.
Qualifications and Guidelines
* Open to all writers of Asian descent living in the United States and Canada. Previous employees, consultants, or volunteers of Hyphen or AAWW are not eligible. * Limited to short works of previously unpublished fiction, including short stories, novellas and excerpts from novels; the latter must stand alone as a separate work. No required theme. * Up to 6,000 words in length.
Instructions
* The submission process has two easy steps, both of which must be completed by March 31, 2010 and accompanied by a $20 entry fee (March 31 postmark deadline). * First, register here and pay the $20 entry fee by buying one ticket. You will receive a registration email with a Transaction ID, so please double check that you are typing your email correctly. * Next, mail us TWO COPIES of your short story with the title, page numbers, and Transaction ID on the top right of every page. The story should not feature any other identifying information, such as your name, phone number, or email address. Submissions should be double-spaced and mailed to:
Asian American Short Story Contest Hyphen 17 Walter U. Lum Place San Francisco, CA 94108.
The contest's first winner, Preeta Samarasan, was discovered based on her contest-winning story. She went on to write the acclaimed novel Evening is the Whole Day (Houghton Mifflin), which was long-listed for the Orange Prize.
The deadline for this contest is March 31. It's open to all writers of Asian descent living in the United States and Canada. For more information, including rules and submission guidelines, go to the Hyphen website here or the AAWW website here.
Here's another good Orange County Register article on singer/songwriter Kina Grannis, who just released her debut album Stairwells. You know I'm a fan. She is not only one of the sweetest gals around, she works her butt off for her fans -- and her fans love her back: Kina Grannis' music deal is with her fans.
You'll recall that she won the Doritos Crash the Super Bowl contest a few years back, getting her song "Message From Your Heart" aired in front of 97 million viewers and scoring herself a record deal with Interscope Records. She was poised for music superstardom... then turned her back on it.
For the time being, that is. Instead of giving over her album to the label's songwriters, she dropped the contract and -- with the support of her fans -- opted to do it herself. Her own music, on her own terms. It took a couple of years, but she has given us Stairwells, and it's a wonderful, beautiful album.
Kina is still unsigned. And she's doing it all herself -- no publicist, no booking agent. She makes all the YouTube videos and answers all the emails, developing a close, loyal relationship with her fans ("Kinerds"). She is easily one of the hardest-working musicians I know, and deserves every ounce of success that comes her way.
And guess what? Last week, Stairwells cracked Billboard's Top 200, debuting at #139. Pretty damn great for an independent artist with no major label behind her. Congratulations! For more information on Kina Grannis, and to purchase Stairwells, visit her website here.
In Cliffside Park, New Jersey, 70-year-old James Jun says he was out for an evening stroll last November when a BMW made a left turn and sent him flying onto the car's hood. The driver, Gerald Calabrese Jr. -- who happens to be the son of longtime Mayor Gerald Calabrese Sr. -- completely denies hitting Jun. Excuse me, but I smell bullshit: Police report disputed.
Jun and his family are now accusing the police officer who responded to the incident of attempting to cover for Calabrese:
Jun said the officer who responded, Patrol Officer Michael Gardenier, spent several minutes talking to Calabrese, 59, while Jun lay on the ground. He said Gardenier later asked him if he could stand up but never asked him what had happened. Calabrese, he said, drove away before the ambulance arrived.
Gardenier wrote in the incident report filed that night that Jun, who speaks Korean but little English, told him he had fallen over a crack in the sidewalk. Gardenier included pictures of the sidewalk in his report.
The Fairview ambulance crew that brought him to Holy Name Hospital wrote in their report that Jun was the victim of a fall - though they also noted Jun told them he was struck by a car. The report was provided to The Record by Jun's family.
At the hospital, Jun told emergency room staff that he had been hit by a car, and a nurse asked Cliffside Park police to come take a statement from him, according to medical records provided by the family.
At the hospital, doctors told Jun's daughter that his injuries -- sizable bruises, scrapes and a sprained back -- were consistent with being struck by a car. Officers have apparently reclassified the incident since the initial report and now believe "there was some kind of vehicle/pedestrian encounter."
Yeah, turns out the 70-year-old Korean man didn't just trip over a sidewalk crack -- he was hit by a freaking car. Still, there are those who insist that "there was no coverup" of the accident. Jun has retained a lawyer, but only hopes to recoup the cost of his medical bills. Mainly, he just wants an apology.
If you're in Southern California, you're invited to check No-No Boy, Timescape Arts Group's new stage adaptation of John Okada's classic novel. It runs Friday-Sunday, March 27 - April 18 at the Miles Memorial Playhouse in Santa Monica.
Written by Ken Narasaki and directed by Alberto Isaac, the play features Keiko Agena, Jared Asato, Mike Hagiwara, Emily Kuroda, John Miyasaki, Sharon Omi, Sab Shimono, Chris Tashima, Greg Watanabe and Robert Wu. Here's the description:
1946. Seattle, Washington. A Japanese American draft resister is released from prison and returns home to find nothing is as it once was. He struggles to piece together his war torn world.
Ken Narasaki's stage adaptation of John Okada's ground breaking novel No-No Boy is scheduled for its world premiere March 27, 2010. Originally published in 1957, the novel was re-discovered and republished in 1976 and has since become a staple of Asian American studies programs in universities across the country. "No-no boy" refers to draft-age Japanese American men who refused to sign a loyalty oath administered in the internment camps; many of these men were ostracized after the war ended. Set after World War II as Japanese Americans return to the West Coast, the play follows draft resister Ichiro Yamada after he is released from prison and struggles to come to terms with the consequences of his choices, while the rest of the community tries to get back on its feet after a war that has uprooted them all
The same artistic team produced Innocent When You Dream (Critic's Choice LA Times, Pick of the Week LA Weekly), which had a successful run at Electric Lodge in Venice and was later invited to perform at the Smithsonian Institute (Washington, DC) in 2008. for more information please visit: www.timescapearts.com.
Funding for this production of No-No Boy was provided by the California Civil Liberties Public Education Program, a program of the California State Library.
Timescape Arts Group is a (non-profit 501 (c) (3)).
Contact us: nonoboy2010@gmail.com
If you're interested in going, you've only got a day or two to purchase Early Bird Tickets. Save almost ten dollars off our General Admission price of $25.00 if you purchase by March 10. I'm told that they're already sold out of the March 28, April 10, April 11 matinees. Purchase your tickets here.
On a personal note, I have to say that No-No Boy is one of the most influential novels in my own Asian American literary education. It's an awesome, powerful novel -- practically required reading -- and I'm looking forward to seeing it dramatized. In fact, I'm inspired to pull it off the bookshelf, dust if off, and read it again. If you've never read it, get it now.
This news is a couple of weeks old, but I wanted to mention it... Maggie Q, who you've seen kicking ass in movies like Mission: Impossible III and Live Free or Die Hard, will be kicking more ass this fall as the title character in CW's remake of La Femme Nikita: Maggie Q to star as CW's 'Nikita'.
The Hollywood Reporter notes that casting Maggie Q in the show's title role would mark the highest-profile series role for an Asian actress on a broadcast drama series and the highest-profile CW minority casting in the network's four-year history. Considering how white CW, I guess this is no small feat.
This new version would center around a new Nikita being trained to replace the original one after she goes rogue. Series creator Craig Silverstein said he saw an opportunity to break the stereotype, and he wrote the lead as "beautiful and exotic." Uh. Wait. Did I just read that right?
Here's what I do find interesting about Maggie Q as Nikita. The role, which has gone through several different remakes, has traditionally been played by Caucasian actors: Anne Parillaud in Luc Besson's 1990 original, Bridget Fonda in 1993's Point of No Return, and Peta Wilson in the 1997 television series.
It's a rare occasion when the remake role race switcheroo goes the other way around, right? Though I guess if the producers are fixated on "beautiful and exotic," there might not be too much to be excited about. More here: This spicy actress is the new femme Nikita.
Our friend and YouTube darling Jennifer Chung, who recently hit a milestone of 100,000 subscribers, wants you to know about her music video contest, calling on creative people to create a music video from one of her original songs. Watch the above video for more information. Here are the rules:
RULES: 1) Must use a Jennifer Chung original song which could be found in my videos or on iTunes 2) Cannot just be a cover of you singing my song. A concept and story is desired. 3) Upload your music video onto YouTube and submit it as a video response to this video by April 11, 2010 by MIDNIGHT (PST)
PRIZE OPTIONS (CHOOSE 1 FROM THE TWO) 1) A Disneyland Ticket! We can decide on a day to go together or I can just send you the Disneyland ticket! Even if you're not from Southern California, if you take the trip to come here, we can definitely go to Disneyland together! And even though I'm only providing one ticket, it's not to say your friends can't come along on our adventure! I'll probably invite friends too! 2) iPod shuffle + iTunes gift card = the same amount of one Disneyland ticket. You may want to choose this if you don't like Disneyland or if you aren't able to come here!
Dude! You could win a chance to hang out with Jennifer at Disneyland... or an iPod Shuffle. (Personally, I'd take Disneyland.) The deadline to create and post your video is April 11, so put your thinking caps on and get to work.
A few years back, I wrote about an excavation during the construction of the Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension in Los Angeles' Boyle Heights, where the MTA uncovered human skeletal remains and artifacts. Historians determined that the diggers had stumbled upon a long-lost Chinese potter's field.
Metro apparently did exhaustive historical research to try to indentify the remains -- many of them Chinese immigrants -- and locate any modern-day relatives, but were met with limited success. However, the human remains and artifacts will be reburied inside Evergreen Cemetary next to the historic Chinese Shrine.
Many of the deceased were Chinese immigrant laborers who were denied burial in Evergreen Cemetary. Moreover, their friends and family had to pay ten dollars just to bury them in a potter's field for paupers.
This is awesome. Future States is a sci-fi television project comprised of eleven short films exploring possible future scenarios through the prism of today's global realities. Season one features works by exciting indie filmmakers like Ben Rekhi, Greg Pak, Amyn Kaderali, Tanuj Chopra, Tze Chun and more.
Forget Avatar. This is thoughtful, intelligent sci-fi without Decepticons or blazing cannons. Each episode presents a different filmmaker's vision of American society in the not-too-distant future, fusing an exploration of social issues with elements of speculative and science fiction.
Presented by Independent Television Service (ITVS), with support by Corporation for Public Broadcasting (your federal funding at work!), all eleven episodes are available for viewing at the Future States website here. I haven't made my way through all of them, but so far they're pretty fascinating and really well produced. Check it out.
UPDATE: And if you're in the Bay Area, you can catch five of the shorts -- Fallout, Mister Green, The Other Side, Pia and Silver Sling -- next week in the FutureStates program at the 28th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival. Directors Amyn Kaderali and Tanuj Chopra will be in attendance at the screening.
If you're in Philadelphia, you might have seen this front page Philadelphia Inquirer story on the December 3 violence targeting Asian students at South Philadelphia High School: Adults' confusion, missteps detailed.
It details a daylong series of bad decisions on the part of administrators on how to handle the situation. Basically, "grown-ups" let the students down.
Helen calls on Philadelphia school superintendent Arlene Ackerman to apologize for promoting the false rumor that Asian kids attacked a disabled African American student the day before, allegedly prompting the December 3 attacks.
This rumor has been perpetuated through multiple media outlets and has created confusion, heightened racial tension and fueled suspicion in the community. But the District's investigation proved that the allegation was just a rumor. Ackerman's inaction regarding this matter is completely irresponsible:
Maybe the place to really start is back with the Superintendent. If after three months a judge charged to investigate an incident can’t figure out what happened on Dec. 2, then we know that the Superintendent couldn’t possibly have substantiated her allegation six days after the attacks occurred. And if she didn’t know if her accusation was true, then why did she say it?
The report raises the likelihood that there’s a totally different version of events than the one Dr. Ackerman put out - that it was in fact Asian immigrant kids who were beaten. It would seem imperative to call for a response from the superintendent who uttered the accusation in the first place. After all, one of the concerns of the Giles report is how innuendos and gossip and misunderstanding fueled part of the violence. So how can the superintendent stand by remarks which spread all of that gossip and misunderstanding into the broader community?
Thus far, Dr. Ackerman has taken a convenient “case closed, move forward” approach. It’s convenient because it doesn’t accept her role in fanning the flames and heightening confusion and suspicion through hearsay and rumor rather than encouraging a thorough inquiry into what led up to the attacks.
Read the Philadelphia Inquirer article here, then read Helen's piece here.
Check out the stylish, super-cool new animated music video for Far East Movement's "I Party," directed by Choz Belen. Love the look and feel of this thing -- cool and creepy. Featuring IZ and DB Tonik, it's easily one of my favorite tracks off of FM's Animal album. For more information about the video, visit FM's website here. And for more from Choz Belen, visit his website here.
We've been following the case of Qing Hong Wu, the Chinese immigrant who had gotten into trouble and was incarcerated as a teen but managed to turn his life around. But all these years later, after establishing a family and successful career, rigid immigrations laws threatened to take it all away.
Turns out, his story might have a happy ending after all. On Saturday, Governor David A. Paterson announced that he had pardoned Wu, stopping deportation proceedings against him and opening the door to American citizenship. He can stay: Paterson Rewards Redemption With a Pardon.
Gov. Paterson's announcement ends a long battle that had attracted strong community support for Qing Hong Wu from all sides, including OCA, the former judge who originally sentenced Wu as a teen, as well as a "rainbow of people" -- including complete strangers -- from across the internet.
This is an awesome victory. A full and unconditional pardon should not only prevent the federal government from deporting Wu, but should be grounds for eventually granting him citizenship. That's redemption. More here: Gov pardon for immigrant who turned life around.
As I've mentioned here several times (and will probably continue to do so), this year marks the decennial U.S. Census, the official count of the population. Here's a video PSA for all you Taiwanese Americans out there: Write in "Taiwanese" - US Census 2010. When it comes to filling out your form, make sure you delare it! For more information about this campaign, visit TaiwaneseAmerican.org.
I recently heard from Desiree Sun, a PhD student in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at Alliant International University, who is currently completing her thesis project on Asian American career advancement. And she needs some help! All you have to do is fill out an online research survey. Here are some details:
My name is Desiree Sun and I am currently a PhD student in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at Alliant International University. I am currently completing my Master’s thesis project and my study focuses on Asian American career advancement. Given the limited research so far conducted in this area, it would be great to have you partner with me in this study and thus help extend our understanding about Asian American career advancement. This survey should take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete.
I would be happy to share my summary of findings with you. To ensure anonymity, please email me at desiree.sun@gmail upon completion of this survey to request a summary of findings or if you have any questions.
I would really appreciate it if you could forward this survey to your personal and professional Asian American networks.
Please click on the link provided below to agree to the consent form and begin the survey.
Thank you for your time in completing this survey!
If you've got 15-20 minutes to spare, it would awesome if you could help Desiree out. To read the consent form, and to get started on the survey, go here. For further information about her research, contact Desiree at desiree.sun@gmail.
Check out this great Pop Culture Shock interview with actor Parry Shen from a few weeks back, conducted by fellow Secret Identities co-editor Keith Chow, who drills him on a variety of topics: The Man of Tomorrow: Parry Shen.
He talks about being a working Asian American actor in Hollywood, how he got involved with Secret Identities (the Asian American Superhero Anthology), and making out with Zooey Deschanel. Totally not kidding about that last one.
Well, it's Oscar night. How many statues will Avatar take home? I was reading this Los Angeles times piece on director James Cameron the other day, and came across an interesting little tidbit about the making of the gajillion dollar movie: James Cameron, the focus and the fury.
We all know that Cameron took years to develop the revolutionary technology that went into creating Avatar's blue people. But did you know that he used Yunjin Kim from Lost in early test footage?
Early on, when they were doing preliminary tests of the technology, Cameron and his crew realized that the on-screen avatars needed to closely resemble the live-action actors. They had shot prototype footage with Yunjin Kim from "Lost" as Neytiri. The results were not good.
"Her eyes and her expressions, the way her mouth formed speech, just didn't translate that well, " Cameron said. "We had no way of knowing whether it was an accurate performance, and it struck us as important for the character to physically resemble the actor as closely as possible, especially the mouth. I cast people I wanted the characters to look like, and then we did laser scans of them, cyber scans, physical busts, plaster molds of their faces. Everything was done in the way you develop physical makeup, and then given to the CG guys to scan and bring to life."
Whoa. I know it was just supposed to be test footage, but what if Avatar had starred Yunjin Kim, instead of Zoe Saldana, as Neytiri? I wasn't the biggest fan of Avatar, but who knows? I might have found it a lot more interesting knowing that a Korean American actress was playing everybody's favorite blue-skinned femalien warrior... in the highest-grossing movie of all time. I'm just saying.
Last night, Kollaboration, the worlds biggest API talent show, celebrated its tenth anniversary with another massive gathering at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. It was a momentous occasion -- a celebration of what has become a decade-old institution in the API entertainment community.
A big congratulations goes Clara, who totally charmed the audience with her one-woman jam and took home the evening's top prize. Big props also go to the Bay Area's Bhangra Empire, who took second place, and violinist Jason Yang, who won the audience award. This show has always been about shining a light on undiscovered talent, and Kollaboration definitely delivered again.
Huge props to man PK, who enjoyed his last show serving as Kollaboration's Executive Director. Ten years ago, Kollaboration started as his humble little dream -- empowerment through entertainment! -- and through hard work, a persevering vision and a lot of heart, help build the brand into an all-star showcase. Congratulations, PK. Another great show.
. If you've seen this film, which is awesome, then you understand Chien's quest. Take that, Billy Mitchell! Congratulations, Hank. You are the new king of Kong. That should definitely help you score with ladies.
