June 30, 2009
Hyphen Lynks: Brutal Regime (Watch Out!) Edition


Uh ... was anyone actually suggesting that Obama invade Iran? I mean, other than crazy mans on da streets?

Because (m)O('bettah)bama is the very opposite of a brutal regime dictator tyrant evil axis thingie. (m)O('bettah)bama is good. It is Ahmadinejad who is brutal 'n' evil. And Kim Il thingie. And, like, Angela Merkel, and Johnson & Johnson. And Metallica.

Actually, if you look around, the Brutal Regimes are everywhere. Everywhere. Wow. It's frightening.

Continue reading "Hyphen Lynks: Brutal Regime (Watch Out!) Edition"

Posted by Claire at 3:58 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

June 19, 2009
Gender Selection Rises in Asian American Communities
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Photo source.

A new study shows that sex selection is creeping into Asian American communities.

Continue reading "Gender Selection Rises in Asian American Communities"

Posted by Claire at 11:49 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

June 17, 2009
More On Asian Sexual Fetishes: Laura Miller on 'The East, the West, and Sex'
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It seems, in fact, that now somebody's written a book about them ... that somebody being a white dude married to an Asian woman. Sigh.

Continue reading "More On Asian Sexual Fetishes: Laura Miller on 'The East, the West, and Sex'"

Posted by Claire at 4:11 PM | Comments (42) | TrackBack (0)

June 16, 2009
Asians Posin'
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A picture is worth a thousand words, but images wherein the subject expresses complex human emotions via maxillofacial/upper extremity juxtaposition is worth at least 2,500 words.

Continue reading "Asians Posin'"

Posted by Mic at 2:07 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

June 9, 2009
IndioBravo Filipino Film Festival, June 11-14
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Hump Day comes and Hump Day goes, but the bridge into the weekend can feel seamless this time around with the help of the IndioBravo Filipino Film Festival.

Continue reading "IndioBravo Filipino Film Festival, June 11-14"

Posted by Pai at 12:17 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

May 28, 2009
Students Rise to the Top of 2009 International Contemporary Furniture Fair
ICFFSukmo.jpgSometimes, living on a student's shoestring budget can reap big benefits, by teaching you how to think big by using less.

I had my Hyphen Takeout editor's cap firmly on while trolling New York's swank International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) last week for a good story. Specifically, I was looking for the kind of creative work we like to show off in our magazine -- the innovative, socially-conscious and often collaborative projects that can spark a conversation and add more value to a room than just sheer aesthetic wow.

I found it.

Continue reading "Students Rise to the Top of 2009 International Contemporary Furniture Fair"

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May 21, 2009
Hyphen Lynx: Sriracha Sauce Origins, Asian Americans Hit Silicon Valley Glass Ceiling
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  • Every so often when I'm in Southern California, we take the drive out from Los Angeles proper to the eastern suburbs, and when the exit signs for Rosemead pop up, I always think of Sriracha hot sauce and wished I was the guy who came up with that gold mine.
The Rosemead-based company's stuff is in restaurants everywhere, and it was christened with an article in the New York Times this week that's being linked to all over Facebook and the Web.
  • Back in the San Francisco Bay Area, a study released this week shows that Asian Americans are few and far between in the corporate board rooms and executive offices of Silicon Valley companies.
Asian Americans make up more than a third of the work force at some of Silicon Valley's biggest tech companies but only about 6 percent of board members and about 10 percent of corporate officers of the Bay Area's 25 largest companies, the report says.

Continue reading "Hyphen Lynx: Sriracha Sauce Origins, Asian Americans Hit Silicon Valley Glass Ceiling"

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May 15, 2009
Raising a Multilingual Child (Part 2)

You know the old saying: You don't learn to appreciate your parents until you become a parent yourself. I think that's somewhat true. In reflecting on/writing about raising a multilingual child, I've been thinking a lot about being raised bilingual. My parents never made it a big point to force us to speak Chinese; it just was what it was. We never really questioned it. Mandarin was my first language and it connected me to my immediate family members. We were very privileged because my sister and I got to spend a lot of time in Taiwan, where my grandparents lived. We spent summers there and thus gained a lot of fluency through immersion in a Chinese environment.

I wonder how my my parents and other first generation parents pondered over their children's language acquisition; how much they thought about issues of assimilation or retaining their cultural heritage. I also think for second and third generation Americans, it may be a more conscious decisions in most cases to raise their child knowing a language outside of English.

One of the drawbacks I didn't mention in being a bilingual child, where my first language was not English, is that when I started school, I became really quiet. At home, I would talk, but at school, I rarely said anything unless the teacher asked me something or unless another kid engaged me in a real way (not just talking at me). I'm sure a big part is my personality, but this silence thing reverberated throughout my schooling years. Even in college, I always felt like by the time I could formulate words to participate in a discussion, the discussion had already moved on.

Continue reading "Raising a Multilingual Child (Part 2)"

Posted by Momo at 10:22 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)

Kate Gosselin's Asian Fetish


You know you've wondered about it.

After watching umpteen sickly-sweet videos like the one above, in which the Jon & Kate Plus 8 lead couple indicates that their meet-cute was just plain love at first sight, you gotta wonder what's been edited out.

Continue reading "Kate Gosselin's Asian Fetish"

Posted by Claire at 12:51 AM | Comments (31) | TrackBack (0)

May 13, 2009
Al Robles Memorial This Sunday
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Photo courtesy of Bob Hsiang.

Please save this Sunday, April 17, from 12 tp 5 pm in San Francisco, for the memorial for Manong Al Robles.

This is more than a community event. Even if you didn't know poet and lifelong community activist Al Robles, his passing is the end of an era.

Continue reading "Al Robles Memorial This Sunday"

Posted by Claire at 9:22 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Raising a Multilingual Child

See the title of the post? Very simple and to the point! If only raising a multilingual child were that simple and straightforward.

I've been thinking and reading a lot about this topic. I think about how I was raised bilingual and how empowering being bilingual has been for me. Sure, there have been some setbacks, such as feeling really behind in college literature classes and not really learning proper grammar until my 20s. And getting words mixed up and such, and accidentally speaking to an English speaker in Mandarin.

I've been reflecting on why being bilingual experience has been so positive and rewarding. I think first and foremost, I was able to and am still able to connect to a different generation. As a child, it was mostly my immediate family, like my grandparents. Nowadays, it's anyone who is first generation. I've used Mandarin to translate things for random strangers. I've used Mandarin, more than one would think, in my journalism work. Because I have had such a powerful experience, I want to pass this along to my own child.

But saying it (here, in the post) is a lot easier than actually practicing it.


Continue reading "Raising a Multilingual Child"

Posted by Momo at 12:12 PM | Comments (10) | TrackBack (0)

May 1, 2009
The Joy Luck Hub Blog Carnival: Asian American Immigrant Stories!


It's May, peoples! It's Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! This year is also the 20th Anniversary of the publication of Amy Tan's classic Asian American immigrant novel, The Joy Luck Club.

We have a love/hate relationship with that book. Love because it was our first foray into the mainstream of American fiction, a moment of broad self-acknowledgment many Asian Americans remember with fondness. Hate for many reasons: because it focused on women to the detriment of men (for a perspective, see Alvin's comments here); because it proposed an immigrant arc similar to that of Europeans, glossing over the continuing issues Asian immigrants have in this country; because it was so successful it coerced a generation of Asian American novelists to Joy Luck their way into a writing career.

So, to express our ambivalent Happy Birthday, here's a bouquet of tiny immigration tales. These are 300-word, true stories, from real Asian Americans, that complicate and argue with the story The Joy Luck Club tells. The complete awesomeness, vitality, and real diversity of these stories is exactly what my problem with the Joy Lucking of Asian American writing is about. We always knew these stories were out there; I just didn't know we could get so many great ones in such a short time.

(My only caveat is that we didn't get enough stories from men. Imagine how much broader the range would be if we had! Maybe next year ...)

Enjoy(luck)!

Continue reading "The Joy Luck Hub Blog Carnival: Asian American Immigrant Stories!"

Posted by Claire at 7:37 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)

April 30, 2009
More Asians Outta Control: Tiny Toones, Fusion X
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It's been pissing me off lately that people are applying tired-ass stereotypes to explain why Asian Americans are winning dance competitions -- the same stereotypes they (used to) use to explain why Asian Americans can't dance. Now they say that the reason why we win is because of our discipline and attention to detail, instead of admitting that we may actually be, you know, good dancers. 

Continue reading "More Asians Outta Control: Tiny Toones, Fusion X"

Posted by Mic at 5:49 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

April 19, 2009
The Asian Hipster: Racism Isn't Ironic
main.jpg In light of recent events, the white elephant in the room, the great scourge of postmodern society, can finally be addressed. Yes, I'm talking about Asian hipsters. What gives, man?

Continue reading "The Asian Hipster: Racism Isn't Ironic"

Posted by Mic at 2:26 AM | Comments (16) | TrackBack (0)

April 15, 2009
The Great Melting Pot: "Edging" Us out within Interracial Families
Earlier this week, Racialicious guest blogger Thea Lim deconstructed a controversial NYT blog post which details a white woman's experiences and concerns as she raises her mixed-race child. The author (and white woman in question), Nicole Sprinkle, very honestly describes her desire to incorporate her husband's Colombian heritage into her daughter's upbringing while prioritizing and carefully cultivating her white identity:
"Yes, she would learn Spanish and English, but to emphasize her Latina side, I felt, was somehow a disservice. Frankly, I didn't want her to lose any of the privileges of being white. [...] I just wanted the eyelashes, and cheekbones, and that lyrical Spanish when appropriate. I wanted the good stuff, and from both sides."
...It gets worse. Read the whole article to get the full effect. Lim responds somewhat emotionally to Sprinkle's unabashed prejudice. As a mixed-race person myself, who was raised to value my (father's) whiteness above my (mother's) Filipina heritage, my initial reaction to the article left me too appalled to be articulate, so I asked another mixed-race friend of mine to break it down. She sent me the following thoughtful analysis:

Continue reading "The Great Melting Pot: "Edging" Us out within Interracial Families"

Posted by Catherine at 9:30 PM | Comments (13) | TrackBack (0)

April 13, 2009
That 'Single Asians' Video and Other Cultural Comedy
Likely you've already seen this gem from Mixed Company of Yale -- but in case you haven't: it's a racialized parody of Beyonce's "All the Single Ladies." Here it is for your viewing pleasure (lyrics after the jump):



I've been trying to make sense of how I feel about this video since it came out a couple of weeks ago...and am still torn between what little of it I find amusing and the rest of it, which I find tasteless and insulting (Seriously: Are there really any AsAms who think that "me love you long time" is anything other than an offensive, sexist, racist trope?).

The arguably racist/sexist overtones of the video are obvious and have been covered pretty widely by other blogs, so I won't go into that here. Besides, I'm less interested in dissecting why/how the piece is racist or sexist than I am in why the video is (meant to be) funny -- particularly to the women who created it. Are these women poking fun at racists/racism by performing every stereotype associated with Asian women, a la "hipster racism"? Or are they simply making fun of Asian women? And for whom are they ultimately performing?

Continue reading "That 'Single Asians' Video and Other Cultural Comedy"

Posted by Catherine at 12:41 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)

April 12, 2009
The Joy Luck Hub: Call for Submissions!
TheJoyLuckClub.jpgHelp us honor and argue with The Joy Luck Club on the 20th Anniversary of its publication AND celebrate API Heritage Month in May! Send us your immigrant story in 300 words or less!

Continue reading "The Joy Luck Hub: Call for Submissions!"

Posted by Claire at 9:17 PM | Comments (36) | TrackBack (0)

March 25, 2009
Chi Cheng Med Insurance Cut Off!


Our fucked up healthcare industry strikes again.

I just heard today that comatose Deftones bassist Chi Cheng's insurance company has refused to continue coverage for his treatment. His family has had to set up a website to solicit donations to support his care.

Cheng was in an automobile accident in November, which might have killed him had three off-duty EMTs not happened to drive by with all their gear. I haven't been able to find any information about why Cheng's insurance carrier decided to drop him when he needed them the most, but if you have a moment, try shooting off an email to Obama or your local or state brass asking them to do something about healthcare in our country.

Aside from playing bass for the Deftones, the Buddhist Cheng is a poet and community activist for homeless youth and battered women. He also has a wife and child. Please consider donating; his condition continues to improve.

Posted by Claire at 9:42 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

International Secret Agents 2009
Oh hey, Mic, what did you do this past weekend? 

Oh nothing much, you know, ran to the grocery store, read a little, GOT DESTROYED BY JIN THE MC. You know, nothing to write a blog about.

Continue reading "International Secret Agents 2009"

Posted by Mic at 10:14 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

March 6, 2009
Asian America's Best Dance Crew
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The Glitz. The Glamour. The terrible outfits of JC Chasez. America's Best Dance Crew, Season 3 is Quest Crew. Congrats, fellas. But after three iterations of the hit show, I think America's Best Dance Crew is a bit of a misnomer.

Continue reading "Asian America's Best Dance Crew"

Posted by Mic at 1:21 PM | Comments (16) | TrackBack (0)

March 4, 2009
Glamour's Close, But No Ceegar


One thing we haven't talked about yet is the start of Women's History Month, which is March. It's a great time to highlight the accomplishments of women, and a lot of organizations are jumping on the bandwagon.

One of the coolest things I've seen so far is a Glamour photo spread showing female "American Icons," played by current celebrities. E.g.: Hayden Panettiere as Amelia Earhart and Lindsey Lohan as Madonna. It's a great idea, and highlights national treasures of sports and political action as well as entertainment.

However.

Continue reading "Glamour's Close, But No Ceegar"

Posted by Claire at 12:59 PM | Comments (13) | TrackBack (0)

March 2, 2009
Obama Changes View of Racial Identity
Obama Changes Yumi Wilson's views on racial identity Hyphen contributor Yumi Wilson says in her first-person essay that all her life she "had fought to be recognized as half-black and half-Japanese" and that her racial identity "was based on my experience as the daughter of a Japanese-born mother and African American soldier. My love of Japanese soba came from my mother's cooking. My choice of music came from my father's taste for soul and R&B."

Continue reading "Obama Changes View of Racial Identity"

Posted by Harry at 2:01 PM | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)

February 24, 2009
'Slumdog Millionaire' Wrap-Up
slumdog-couple.jpgThe Slumdog Millionaire phenomenon has been an interesting one. For me, the best part has been the 'Fuck You' to the Hollywood establishment that this film represented: no stars, no backing, etc. I'm not sure if it was my favorite Oscar winning movie -- or my favorite movie of the year for that matter [because, um, did you SEE The Wrestler? and I'm not really a feel-good kinda girl]. But it has also elicited some really interesting responses. Here's a quick wrap up of blog entries and pieces:

Continue reading "'Slumdog Millionaire' Wrap-Up"

Posted by Neela at 12:24 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

February 22, 2009
Hyphen Lynks: All Over Creation


Sorry, but it's raining. I have no little sarcasm, and no made-up theme, for Hyphen Lynks this week. It's just the news, plus a few undigested opinions, from all over the place. Please feel free to insert your own sarcastic comments below. Or to suggest themes. Above, enjoy a vid of Our Tamlyn explaining why everyone needed to vote last November. Glad she did. Why Tamlyn? See below.

Continue reading "Hyphen Lynks: All Over Creation"

Posted by Claire at 1:05 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

February 11, 2009
Calling All Poets: Kundiman Retreat
Are you a poet interested in working in an exclusively Asian American workshop? Kundiman is taking applications for its 2009 Retreat.

The following is directly quoted from Kundiman's announcement. Please don't ask us for more information; we don't have any! Just go to the links below and ask them.

Continue reading "Calling All Poets: Kundiman Retreat"

Posted by Claire at 3:19 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

February 9, 2009
Movement on 'Avatar' Casting
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Okay, at the risk of being called one of those whiny minorities for whom you can't ever do anything right, this new development in the Avatar casting issue is ... weird. And problematic.

Continue reading "Movement on 'Avatar' Casting"

Posted by Claire at 5:18 PM | Comments (12) | TrackBack (0)

January 25, 2009
... And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Whitewash
In honor of the ongoing Avatar controversy (in which a bunch of Asian and Inuit characters from a cartoon are going to be played by white actors in the live-action film) here's a brief and incomplete history of -- not merely yellowface (a blogger recently did this treatment of yellowface in general but I can't find and here's the post) -- but incidence of white actors taking strong Asian roles that an Asian actor might have actually wanted.

Continue reading "... And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Whitewash"

Posted by Claire at 9:53 PM | Comments (11) | TrackBack (0)

January 18, 2009
Da Twilight Zone: The Week Before 'Bama Edition


There is a place, a place where the policies of two decades ago bump up against the politics of next century, where a first lady's fashion choice is as important as the lives of 400 Palestinian children, where the Chinese are still Japanese in the popular imagination, where real bleeding heart lib'rals are preparing to get up and party at 7:30 of a Tuesday morn. This place is called ... Da Twilight Zone!

Dew dew dew dew ... dew dew dew dew ... dew dew dew dew ... dew dew dew dew ...

Continue reading "Da Twilight Zone: The Week Before 'Bama Edition"

Posted by Claire at 10:37 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

January 14, 2009
T's YouTube Videos of the Week

So, as a parent of a toddler, we spend some, er, quality time in front of the computer watching YouTube videos -- in moderation, of course. My son learned to say "video" very quickly (in what I think is a Mandarin accent). We try to find culturally appropriate ones that we enjoy watching too. Check 'em out:


This one is from Ni Hao, Kai-lan, a bilingual Mandarin/English children's show. I like this one, since it's about making dumplings.



Continue reading "T's YouTube Videos of the Week"

Posted by Momo at 10:45 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

January 8, 2009
Filipina Nurse Slow-down in the States
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Image by Jenifer Wofford, from her series Flor de Manila y San Francisco 1973-78

While I was at my parents' for the holidays, I spoke with a friend of the family who had been helping to take care of my grandmother until her death this spring. This woman -- with nearly grown kids -- had just finished college and was considering going on to grad school in hospital or healthcare administration.

With the US's largest generation ever -- baby boomers -- about to enter retirement age, geriatric health care is the biggest growth industry of our depressed moment. My friend had been getting cold-called all through December by graduate programs anxious to sign her up. It's looking very much like -- for an American of any age looking to get into healthcare -- the goose just started laying golden, golden eggs.

For an American-born, that is. Not so much for immigrants. Because one of the hangovers of the hysterically xenophobic and PATRIOT ACT-hobbled Bush era is a bottleneck on processing visas and work permits even for much-needed professionals in under-employed fields. Another hangover is continuing funding cuts for health care. This is a formula for disaster in geriatric health care, one in which wealthy Americans will compete with each other for substandard care, and middle class elderly will get left out entirely. Forget about the working class.

Caught in the middle of all of this is the Filipina nurse.

Continue reading "Filipina Nurse Slow-down in the States"

Posted by Claire at 3:22 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)

December 23, 2008
Hyphen Lynks: Christmas Week Edition
751px-Christbaumkugel.jpgYes, that's right, chicks 'n' chickens: I SAID "CHRISTMAS"! And I'm an atheist.

But that don't mean I don't love me some dead pine tree on a stick, hearing seasonal rock songs that might have been clever 25 years ago for the eighty-two-thousand-five-hundred-and-twelfth time, and drinking lactose-intoleration nog. Love that rum and cream, even if I come from a family in which the entire greatest generation was alcoholics so the entire baby boomer generation is afraid to heft one for the holidays. Too Much Information? NO IT'S NOT! IT'S CHRISTMAS!

Anent the season, the news is being softpedaled, I guess because that's how you sell a lot of stuff as a people, we're just optimistic that way. So I had to dig through a lot of "holiday" cheer, bad fusion recipes, and east-meets-west human "interest" stories to bring you the following paltry list of whatevers. Enjoy!

Continue reading "Hyphen Lynks: Christmas Week Edition"

Posted by Claire at 9:46 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

December 14, 2008
Alien Land and Freedom
Community_Garden.jpgJust for the fun, let's juxtapose two stories this week about Asians coming to California and dealing with land ownership.

The backdrop is the California Alien Land Law of 1913, a law repealed in 1952, which prohibited people ineligible for American citizenship, primarily Asians, from owning land. This was part of a raft of racist laws aimed at controlling Asian immigration, including barring Asian laborers from entry, and restriction of commercial fishing licenses to citizens.

One of the long-term consequences of this series of laws, which began with the Naturalization Act of 1790, was that Asians, although a substantial presence in the US since the mid-19th century, remained permanent foreigners -- literally alienated from the land -- in the American imagination. So, jumping ahead a century or two, how's this gonna play with 1) a conflict between government and squatter farmers, and 2) Chinese real estate carpetbaggers?

Continue reading "Alien Land and Freedom"

Posted by Claire at 7:15 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

December 11, 2008
Back to the Homeland: Refugee Nation and Legacies of War
RefugeeNation_Lg.jpgHeads up for Back to the Homeland, an engaging (and free!) community event in Seattle next Tuesday. Special guests Refugee Nation will preview a theater project based on the oral histories of Laotian refugees and their descendants. Student performances, spoken word, and a film screening will also be featured.

Legacies of War, one of the sponsoring organizations, does incredible work using art, community organizing and dialogue to raise awareness about the history of bombings in Laos. They provide a space to heal the wounds of war and advocate for the removal of unexploded bombs. From 1964 to 1973, Laos was the most heavily bombed country in the world, with the United States dropping over two million tons. Check out Legacies' online journal for a compelling account of their recent trip to meet with Laotian villagers affected by cluster bombs and build partnerships with NGOs and government.

Continue reading "Back to the Homeland: Refugee Nation and Legacies of War"

Posted by Cynthia at 1:13 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

December 8, 2008
Claire's aZn KulTchuR Holiday Gift Guide
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The bad news is that, no matter what a lickspittle striver you were this year, you might not get that bonus, 'cuz the economy sux.

The good news is that, by pretending to be a conscious aZn who only cares about kultcher, you can save money on gifts, AND out-virtue all your friends! Here's how!

Continue reading "Claire's aZn KulTchuR Holiday Gift Guide"

Posted by Claire at 1:03 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

December 6, 2008
Laotian American Poet is 2009 NEA Fellow!
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Why is this man jumping?

Well, could be he's just been awarded a Fellowship in Creative Writing by the National Endowment for the Arts! That means $25,000, just for him, and all the status and free drinks a poet can stand.

The man is Bryan Thao Worra, and he's a Minnesota-based Laotian American poet. Bryan doesn't have an MFA or formal training, yet he recently won a 2008 Artist Initiative Grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board to market his second collection of poems, On the Other Side of the Eye, which is an exploration of Laotian American identity through fantasy, science fiction, spies, secret wars, and ancient history. Yes, he's unique.
And now my skeletal editors call on me
with their chattering skulls:
"Where are your words for Fa Ngum and Chao Anou,
or the fallen honored at the Patuxai?
In all of this time, surely one word about Vientiane
will not kill you or your friends."
It's hard to answer, sitting down to eat in July.
"Write what you know," my teachers admonish.
Sipping my soda, I turn the pages of a
weathered book of Van Gogh prints
inspired by Hokusai and the Ukiyo-e
and sigh. 
My flag is as obsolete as the word Indochine, and
I realized today I am older than my father lived to be.
It's been too long since I last saw an elephant
or the monstrous river catfish.
They tell me somberly the freshwater Irrawaddy
will be extinct before the next time I come by. 
I couldn't sketch any of them worth a damn if I tried.

A part of me wants to smack the next person
who says I won't be Lao if I don't write about Laos.
-- excerpt from "Japonisme, Laoisme"

Continue reading "Laotian American Poet is 2009 NEA Fellow!"

Posted by Claire at 11:15 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

December 5, 2008
Fortune Cookies in China


We all know what happens when you take an Asian American PERSON to Asia. But what about taking an intrinsically Asian American THING?

Here's a clip of Chinese people trying to figure out what a fortune cookie is, courtesy of Jennifer 8 Lee, author of The Fortune Cookie Chronicles.

Via.


Posted by Claire at 10:16 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

December 1, 2008
The Week of Obamas


  • Yes, yes, I know it's not in English. Watch it anyway. You'll get it. This is the best news item of the week.

  • Continue reading "The Week of Obamas"

    Posted by Claire at 11:28 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

    November 30, 2008
    Asian American Literary Awards: David Henry Hwang and B.D. Wong

    2008awards1.jpgFor our New York readers: on December 8th, playwright David Henry Hwang will be presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award, as part of the 11th Annual Asian American Literary Awards. Hwang will be reunited with actor B.D. Wong ("Law and Order") for a special reading and conversation. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Hwang's influential and Tony Award-winning "M.Butterfly", in which B.D. Wong made his Broadway debut and also won a Tony.

    "M.Butterfly" seems to be required reading in every college AsianAm and ethnic lit course. Here's your chance to witness two groundbreakers come together again, rub elbows and carouse at the VIP reception, and then brag to all your poorly-read, uncouth friends.

    Continue reading "Asian American Literary Awards: David Henry Hwang and B.D. Wong"

    Posted by Cynthia at 4:00 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

    November 27, 2008
    Things 2 B Thankful 4
    thanks.jpgAfter an amazing election, it might seem that what we have to be thankful for is pretty obvious. BUT IT'S NOT!

    This week alone hands us Asian Americans a number of thank you card opportunities. And I'm serious about those cards.

    Continue reading "Things 2 B Thankful 4"

    Posted by Claire at 11:34 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

    November 9, 2008
    My Mom, Head Coach
    Here at Hyphen, we like to say that we find you the Asian American angle on things that are not immediately or obviously so. In that spirit, allow me to direct you to an example of awfully familiar motivational strategies:

    From the comic strip In the Bleachers.

    Bond with me, here.


    Posted by erin at 1:37 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

    November 6, 2008
    MATCHA: Afghanistan! Tonight, Nov 6th
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    Another MATCHA season came and is going, going, going to be gone! 

    Come to the Asian Art Museum tonight from 5 to 9pm and partake in 2008's last MATCHA.  The theme's Afghanistan and the event schedule goes a little like this:

    5-9 pm: Afghan food tastings
    5-9 pm: Make your own jewelry
    6:30-7:30 pm: The Afghan Heritage of Peace and Religious Tolerance: Celebrating one thousand years of Sufi literature. Scholar Robert Abdul Hayy Darr presents readings from the poetry of Hakim Sana'i, Abdullah Ansari, Jalaluddin Rumi, Rabia Balkhi, Khalilullah Khalili, and other great Sufis of Afghanistan. This is part of the Society for Asian Art First Thursday Lecture Series.
    7:30 pm: Performance by Ballet Afsaneh
    Time TBD: Docent conversations in the special exhibition Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul
    Ongoing: Free raffle drawing

    MATCHA is FREE with museum admission and otherwise it's only $5 after 5pm!
    *The peeps of Hyphen will also be tabling at the event so don't be a stranger!  Stop by, loiter around and check out our latest issue and merchandise.
    Follow this link to get more information on tonight's MATCHA.

    Posted by Pai at 10:35 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

    October 24, 2008
    iLL-Literacy + Book Release at Milk Bar this Sunday
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    Gardeners to the lyrical fruits of letters unite, as iLL-Literacy's Natural Electricity Tour hits Milk Bar in San Francisco this Sunday for a night of spoken words, hip hop and music.  It will feature iLL-Literacy with its full band, Hi-Lifes,  and a live performance from Bay Area hip hop band, The Getback.  Ruby Veridiano-Ching, the sole female member of iLL-Literacy, will also celebrate the debut of her poetry and short writing book, titled Miss Universe.  More, more, more!  MADE Jewelry will be showcasing the exclusive "Miss Universe Earrings" at the event as well.

    iLL-Literacy is an internationally-acclaimed spoken word collective based in Oakland, CA, consisting of members Adriel Luis, Dahlak Brathwaite, Nico Cary, and Ruby Veridiano-Ching .  Stop by.  Check out this collective of poets and MCs that have been featured on HBO's Def Poetry and MTV.  Let them move you, let yourself be moved.  Sometimes words do speak louder than actions.

    This event is 21+ only, since Milk Bar serves more than just milk.
    Tickets are $8 each for pre-sale and $12 at the door.
    The excitement starts at 8pm, 10/26.

    Please visit iLL-Literacy's website and Brown Paper Tickets for more information and tickets. 

    Posted by Pai at 4:42 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

    October 15, 2008
    Asian Americans in California Support Gay Marriage, Survey Says
    In a survey of likely Asian American voters in California, 57 percent said they oppose Proposition 8, which would ban gay marriage in the state.

    Among a younger, urban non-immigrant crowd this result may not be so surprising but newer immigrants may be more anti-gay, as the article points out. The data are part of a broad survey that was possibly the most comprehensive national polling done among Asian Americans. Usually Asian Americans are left out of surveys because the numbers are low compared to other racial groups.

    Continue reading "Asian Americans in California Support Gay Marriage, Survey Says"

    Posted by Harry at 10:43 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

    October 3, 2008
    Sikh International Film Festival - Oct 4th, NYC
    You saw it in our calendar, you read about it in our email blast and now it's just a day away!

    The Sikh International Film Festival will feature Ocean of Pearls, a story directed by Sarab S. Neelam about a young Sikh doctor struggling with the inequalities of the American Health System and ultimately his own identity.  The festival will also include four documentaries and 10 short/children's films, with an after party at Asia Socity's Leo Bar where you could mingle with all the festival guests. 

    This is an all-day festival and will be held on Saturday, October 4th at the Asia Society & Museum in New York.  For tickets and information, please visit the Sikh Art & Film Foundation website.

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    Posted by Pai at 9:42 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

    September 12, 2008
    Excellent Commentary on Anti-China Criticism
    I was forwarded this blog link from a reader. It's written by a hapa male commenting on Tibet, but for me it also touches upon the wave of self righteous, anti-Chinese headlines that have appeared in the Western press for the past two years. I think he is spot on in terms of pointing out various hypocrisies, White privilege, and also the possibility of borderline xenophobia or racism.

    Blog Link

    Continue reading "Excellent Commentary on Anti-China Criticism"

    Posted by Alvin at 12:32 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

    September 10, 2008
    Grand Theft Auto Coming to Chinatown

    Or rather, Chinatown's coming to Grand Theft Auto. I guess there will be a new GTA game called Chinatown Wars that will be released by Rockstar this winter for the Nintendo DS.

    Okay, first of all, I have to admit that I have only played Grand Theft Auto about once in my life, so I'm probably not the best person to comment on this. I am truly out of touch with what's new these days, have never played Wii or Guitar Hero or all the popular games that cool, nerdy kids (er, adults) play these days.

    Continue reading "Grand Theft Auto Coming to Chinatown"

    Posted by Momo at 10:06 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

    September 9, 2008
    Link Time: Election, Margaret Cho, Mooncakes

    I was chatting to an Obama volunteer last night who seemed concerned that people were being won over by Sarah Palin. Really? People bought that lipstick-on-a-pitbull act? There seems to be a little panic in the air among Democrats, and that kind of pessimism is not surprising given that their hearts were smashed in 2000 and 2004. Sure, Palin is giving the GOP a lot of momentum, but at the same time, is she attracting any independents or Dems? I hope not.

    Continue reading "Link Time: Election, Margaret Cho, Mooncakes"

    Posted by Melissa at 12:13 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)

    September 4, 2008
    MATCHA : Tea & Spice : Thursday, September 4th
    For all you Bay Area folk, swing by the Asian Art museum and check out this month's MATCHA event, Tea & Spice!

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    MATCHA: Tea & Spice
    Asian Art Museum
    Thursday, September 4
    5 to 9 pm
    FREE with museum admission ($5 after 5 pm)

    Continue reading "MATCHA : Tea & Spice : Thursday, September 4th"

    Posted by Lanlian at 1:39 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

    September 3, 2008
    KoreAm Campaign

    By now, you may have heard about the Save KoreAm campaign. If you haven't, KoreAm is a Korean American magazine that's been around for 18 years, a lifetime in Asian Am magazine years. Staffers at the magazine recently launched this campaign to reach out to the wider community for support.

    I talked to the President of KoreAm Journal, James Ryu, on the phone yesterday, to clarify some things about what's going on at KoreAm. If anything happens, we may be short of not one, but two Asian American publications, since KoreAm also publishes Audrey, an Asian American women's magazine.

    Basically over the last year and a half, they've had a huge dip in advertising -- nearly 30 percent -- which makes up 70-75 percent of their revenue, according to Ryu. He said the staff met as a whole to see what to do -- cut 20 percent of the jobs, or cut everyone's pay by 20 percent. The staff decided they would all take the pay cuts to save their jobs. There are currently 11 staffers at KoreAm and Audrey, based in Los Angeles.

    Continue reading "KoreAm Campaign"

    Posted by Momo at 12:26 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

    August 27, 2008
    LPGA English Rule Seems to Target South Korean Players
    For all of you who want some serious posts, it seems LPGA is forcing its players to learn English or risk suspension from the women's pro golf tour. The new rule looks to be aimed at players from South Korea, who make up the largest international contingent.

    Continue reading "LPGA English Rule Seems to Target South Korean Players"

    Posted by Harry at 10:24 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBack (0)

    August 7, 2008
    Lucky 8's, Yo

    So I knew that right about now we'd start seeing the stories about Chinese and Chinese Americans getting married on the magical date, 8/8/08, which is manana. If I were still at my old paper, I probably would've been compelled to write a similar story about local Chinese Americans headed down the aisle, or to the local courthouse.

    Remember last year at 7/7/07? The same thing happened. I mean, damn, 777 is pretty lucky but 888? Never again shall we see such auspicious numbers. I can understand why people are drawn to this date. In Chinese culture, the number 8 is pronounced something like "ba" (in Mandarin) which sounds like "fa," which means fortune, or that you will get a crapload of money at some point down the road.

    I'd grown up hearing this, of course. You might know Chinese people who pick their address or home based on some lucky numbers, or their license plates or phone numbers and what not.

    Check out this story by my colleague about a local artist, who appears to be African American, who decided to schedule his art show's opening on the lucky day.

    I'm only slightly poking fun at this phenomenon cause I believe it too. I mean, I'll take an 8 over a 4 any day (4 sounding a whole lot like "death," of course). And when I plan big events like baby showers and stuff, I also look up auspicious dates. I am not above all this Chinese numerology/superstitious hoopla.

    And as we know, the Olympics start tomorrow on 8/8/08 at 8:08 p.m. (that's FIVE 8s, not four, thank goodness).

    Do you know anyone who's getting married tomorrow? If you are a newlywed or are planning a wedding, did this date cross your mind?

    Posted by Momo at 3:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

    Pole Dancing Becoming Popular Workout Among Chinese Women
    First of all, please pardon my lack of posts but better late than never. This article from The International Herald Tribune was printed a little over a week ago but when I came across it I thought it was interesting. Love to hear your reactions or thoughts.

    Continue reading "Pole Dancing Becoming Popular Workout Among Chinese Women"

    Posted by Asiana at 10:07 AM | Comments (11) | TrackBack (0)

    July 31, 2008
    Nihonmachi Street Fair August 9th and 10th
    It is that time of the year again! The Nihonmachi Street Fair at San Francisco's Japantown!

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    Continue reading "Nihonmachi Street Fair August 9th and 10th"

    Posted by LisaLee at 12:32 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

    July 30, 2008
    Newsflash: Reporter Discovers West Still Romanticizes East
    So I read this story in the Washington Post yesterday about the continuing trend -- and something of which most Asian Americans are at least tacitly aware -- of Westerners still liking their Chinese stories ancient and mystical, with a dash of opium, despite all the modernization China has undergone in recent decades.

    Continue reading "Newsflash: Reporter Discovers West Still Romanticizes East"

    Posted by Elaine at 8:53 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

    July 25, 2008
    Get your play on: A-Squared Theatre Workshop and The Wind Cries Mary
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    So I got word of this from musician Dawen Wang via Chicago about a new play being put on by A-Squared Theatre Workshop called "The Wind Cries Mary" -- and it sounds like it's going to be pretty interesting. The show will be running next month August 1-24 down at City Lit Theatre.

    Continue reading "Get your play on: A-Squared Theatre Workshop and The Wind Cries Mary"

    Posted by Slanty at 5:51 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

    July 13, 2008
    My Weekend at the Asian American International Film Festival
    n1209209_40572709_67912.jpgI met up with Hyphen's publisher Lisa Lee for some of the events going on at the AA International Film Festival in Manhattan. For those who haven't been to the Asia Society building, it is this huge, futuristic, stylish building in Manhattan's Upper East Side (70th at Park) that hosts all sorts of events throughout the year. Lisa has been at the festival since the start and been to many screenings. We went to the opening night afterparty at Forbidden City bar, then I joined her for films one day, and also a round table discussion the next day, as well as other random activities.

    The films we saw were 'Heart Squared' and 'Option 3'. 'Heart Squared' was a nice short that was surreal, eccentric, and very stylish, and since there's no easy way to explain the film, I won't even try. 'Option 3' was a full length movie directed by Richard Wong, who was there for the screening and gave a brief talk at the beginning. Unfortunately, I couldn't sit through the entire thing, and though I kept waiting for it to get better, I ended up leaving midway. It wasn't bad per se; I just didn't personally enjoy it very much.

    The next day was a very interesting panel discussion on Asian and Asian American aesthetics, with David Henry Hwang (playwright, M. Butterfly), Mary Ping (fashion designer), Billie Tsien (architect), Wayne Wang (filmmaker, The Joy Luck Club), and Dennis Lim (writer, editor) on stage.

    Continue reading "My Weekend at the Asian American International Film Festival"

    Posted by Alvin at 7:58 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

    May 26, 2008
    New Indiana Jones Harmless, But Bad
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    Stephen Spielberg's "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" had a profound effect on my life, as it did for any South Asian kid who grew up in the 1980s. I was both entranced and dismayed by the Hollywood blockbuster that actually showed Indian people on screen in major roles, but then turned us into eyeball soup-eating, heart-extracting zombie thugee cult members. And in the end it was the British who helped save Dr. Jones from the savage natives. But I didn't really think about the post-colonial aspects until years later; it was the persistence of the eyeball soup and monkey brains that haunted my childhood. Yet, my brother and I watched the movie over and over and I can recite most of the lines. And whatever happened to Short Round?

    Continue reading "New Indiana Jones Harmless, But Bad"

    Posted by Neela at 11:55 PM | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)

    May 23, 2008
    Self-Hating Esther Ku on 'Last Comic Standing'
    Here is a recent clip of Esther Ku's act. Basically she's a walking disaster, just like that confused girl Gina Choe on "America's Top Model." What kind of insecure person makes a career basically being self-racist or self-deprecating and saying how much you hate yourself, who you are, and your family? Have you ever heard a black comedian base his/her career on how they hate being Black, how they love watermelon/chicken, and the only good thing about being black is it helps them get into the NFL?

    Continue reading "Self-Hating Esther Ku on 'Last Comic Standing'"

    Posted by Alvin at 8:05 AM | Comments (31) | TrackBack (0)

    May 19, 2008
    Tule Lake Pilgrimage
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    The Tule Lake Pilgrimage 2008 is now taking applications, due May 31. This year, the pilgrimage takes place July 3-6.

    Tule Lake was one of 10 internment camps during WWII that held a total of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans, the majority of whom were United States citizens (the first generation, Issei, were not allowed to become citizens at the time).

    Tule Lake is in far Northern California near Oregon and held many of the "no, no" boys -- those who answered "no" to two confusing questions and then deemed potential enemies of the U.S.

    The theme this year is to learn more about the largely unknown Segregation Center at Tule Lake, which held 12,000 of those deemed disloyal by the U.S. government. During the war, Japanese Americans were also asked to renounce their U.S. citizenship; the vast majority of those who did were incarcerated at Tule Lake.

    I am always amazed when I meet people who say they had never heard of Japanese American internment during WWII until recently. Many of these folks are either white and/or grew up outside of California. And even if we think we've read/learned a lot about the topic, there're still more untold stories that need to be heard. 

    Continue reading "Tule Lake Pilgrimage"

    Posted by Momo at 10:38 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

    May 16, 2008
    Asian Heritage Street Celebration Tomorrow in Japantown, SF
    There's going to be SO MUCH going on tomorrow, that if you don't come to this celebration, you'll seriously miss out. I'm hearing things about J-cars, kickboxing, karaoke contest, apl.de.ap from The Black Eyed Peas and an after party at Suede Nightclub. I know it'll be steaming tomorrow, but be a good sport, and celebrate with us.



    Continue reading "Asian Heritage Street Celebration Tomorrow in Japantown, SF"

    Posted by LisaLee at 4:02 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

    May 11, 2008
    NY Times Highlights Hmong American Rapper
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    It's so cool to see a subtle increase in stories about Asian Americans this month. This NY Times video on Minnesota Hmong American poet/rapper Tou Saiko Lee is pretty dope. I was especially interested in the end when he talks about performing with his grandmother: She busts a flow in ancient Hmong poetry and then he starts rapping with her. Have people seen any other subtle Asian Pacific American Heritage Month coverage that they're into?

    Posted by Neela at 2:55 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

    May 6, 2008
    Everybody Loves the JabbaWockeeZ
    I apologize for not posting as often as I'd like but I've been so busy with work and other pressing deadlines. 

    Anyway, I'm still amazed at the fact that people just can't seem to get enough of the JabbaWockeeZ group. Last week, I attended the East West Players (EWP) 42nd Anniversary Visionary Awards dinner held at the Universal Hilton Hotel. The EWP awarded the dance crew the Breakout Performance Award. Last year, Masi Oka of "Heroes" received the award.

    Photo By: Gary Wong
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    Continue reading "Everybody Loves the JabbaWockeeZ"

    Posted by Joseph at 3:25 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

    April 13, 2008
    'K' tells Montel About Asian Nose, Eyelid Plastic Surgery
    Link

    In my opinion, this is "must see". It reminded me of some older Tyra Banks talkshow clips on the same subject, however this segment is even more blatant and clear so that there is no mistaking what is going on.

    Continue reading "'K' tells Montel About Asian Nose, Eyelid Plastic Surgery"

    Posted by Alvin at 2:49 PM | Comments (3)

    October 26, 2006
    Brilliant Brand or Stupid Brand: You decide, or I will for you

    Tell me what you see when you read this:

    DESI(RED)

    Do you see the DESI or the RED first? (Is the cup half empty or half full? Is it a vase or a couple kissing?)

    Continue reading "Brilliant Brand or Stupid Brand: You decide, or I will for you"

    Posted by Rebecca at 11:46 PM | Comments (11)

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