When I entered the contest 2 years ago, I did it for my organization Project Ahimsa (www.projectahimsa.org). I serve as the International Grants Program Director for our charity... a killer job which entails setting up music education programs in some of the poorest parts of India, Nicaragua, Mexico, Africa and the U.S. We now give away over $75,000 annually to music education programs worldwide.

Two years ago, however, it was an entirely different picture. At the time I entered the contest, we were in need of some visibility beyond our narrow South Asian focused outreach. We needed to expand our network. We needed to showcase to the world that Project Ahimsa is doing something innovative with music education. While our mission is global, many of our team members are South Asian... how could we truly globalize our message, if we were so narrowly focused?


I had been reading Hyphen for some time. I already loved its fresh aesthetic, its independent voice, and its focus on not just the super famous Asian Americans out there, but the underdogs, the rising stars and Asian Americans really working in their communities. Most of all, I knew it was pan-Asian in scope, and far more global than the channels our charity was already seeking out. So, when I heard that a contest called Mr. Hyphen was being announced, I knew that it had to be aligned with these virtues. I also knew it would be the perfect vehicle to elevate Project Ahimsa.

It certainly was, I came to find out, when i walked out on stage during Mr. Hyphen 2006. The contest challenged me to entertain the crowd, embrace the campiness, and laugh... but that is really just 10% of what the contest is all about. The 90% that remains is highlighted by how each of the contestants shared their experience of being Asian American men and how that translated into their activism. We got to hear what inspired them, what continues to motivate them, and what makes them proud to be Asian American. Most of all, I got to talk about what Project Ahimsa is attempting to do. I got to talk about Mahatma Gandhi's message of nonviolence and how it connects to music. I got to engage Hyphen's super intelligent audience in a dynamic way, and network with all the other contestants and volunteers in the process. What I realized, is that the Mr Hyphen is far more than just a contest... and to win, you have to really understand that.

Two years later, Hyphen truly has helped to elevate the work of our charity, and helped us reach more activists, donors, and impoverished youth worldwide. How? I was able to use Hyphen's blog and magazine to raise awareness regarding our work. I was invited to write a number of articles for the magazine, further enabling me to push our organization's networking strategy. I was also able to share lessons from our organization's development with Hyphen's board, further strengthening our connection to Hyphen. I even got to work with Mr Hyphen 07 to jointly reach at risk high school students in LA through music.


So, for all you prospective candidates, know that entering Mr. Hyphen is far more about substance than about glitzy style. Yes, panache is important in any endeavor, but really, Mr. Hyphen is attempting to create an intelligent dialogue about how important it is to have positive Asian American Male role models... not just the over -sexualized ones, the de-sexualized ones, the nerdy ones, or the inarticulate ones that we see too often in the media. We are far more than that, and this contest needs incredible contestants to keep fighting these damaging stereotypes.
 
All hail the forthcoming Mr. Hyphen!

Back by popular demand, Hyphen presents the 3rd annual Mr. Hyphen competition. Mr. Hyphen gives us a chance to celebrate the men of the Asian American community who devote their efforts to worthy community organizations — and to have a lot of fun while we do it.

Giving the underrated Asian male his due celebration, Hyphen will invite contestants from Asian American nonprofits all over the country. Contestants will strut their stuff in fashion, talent, and a rousing Q&A — all in the name of winning a donation to their chosen 501(c)3 organization. Rounds will be decided alternately by an audience vote and by an illustrious panel of judges.

The event is not only a fundraiser for Hyphen, itself a nonprofit organization, but also for the organizations our contestants represent.

Click here for official contest rules.

To download the 2008 Mr. Hyphen application, click here for the pdf version or here for the Word version. Applications are due September 1, 2008.

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Robin Sukhadia
Mr. Hyphen 2006/2007