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Here are just a few links to some interesting pieces:

+ Jeff Chang's thoughtful take on Michael Jackson. Say what you will about MJ, but he had talent. For our generation, he was a part of our childhood.

+ More protests at a Vietnamese language newspaper. A year after the paper ran a controversial photo, people are still protesting. (It's unclear what the photo included -- the OC Register reported that it was a photo of a foot spa with the colors and stripes of the South Vietnamese flag; the New America Media story reports it was a photo that included a foot on the South Vietnamese flag. Perhaps both are true. I can't seem to find the original photo that was printed). Some new things to note according to this New America Media story -- people have been red-baiting each other for decades, but now the people being called Communists are fighting back through legal avenues -- and winning. 

+ A piece in ColorLines by Sandip Roy about how Indian kitsch has become cool to mainstream America. Orientalism, anyone? You can apply this to a lot of Asian cultures. Trends come and go. Remember the popular Buddha beads? Gwen Stefani? Hot Topic and Urban Outfitters? This is a centuries-old tale, though with a new group. 

Posted by Momo at 10:49 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Calling it a setback and "an opportunity to keep fighting," Lt. Dan Choi faces discharge from the Army National Guard for violating the "don't ask, don't tell policy" for gays and lesbians in the military.

A military administrative board recommended Tuesday that Choi, who outed himself on national TV in March to protest "don't ask, don't tell," be discharged for violating the policy against homosexual conduct.

President Obama had promised to repeal "don't ask, don't tell" but hasn't done anything about it so far.

It could be a year before Choi is actually discharged, so stay tuned. In the meantime, support Choi by signing his petition.

Posted by Harry at 9:28 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

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)

Here's the speech Army Lt. Dan Choi gave on Saturday at the Pink Triangle unveiling ceremony in San Francisco as part of Pride weekend activities.

Choi is an Iraq war veteran, Arabic speaker and West Point graduate. Sounds great? But he is also openly gay, which the military has a problem with. Choi is fighting his dismissal from the Army National Guard for violating the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

Continue reading "Lt. Dan Choi Speaks Out For Gay Rights"

Posted by Harry at 11:46 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

If you're in San Francisco tonight, come out to a vigil in support of journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling hosted by Academy of Art University. The Current TV reporters are being held by North Korea on charges they entered the country illegally.

Continue reading "Vigil for Euna Lee, Laura Ling on Wednesday in San Francisco"

Posted by Harry at 11:40 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

For news and conflict junkies, and those of you who are just wondering what the hell's going on with the post-election protests in Iran, the BBC offers this round up of places to go on the web to follow along.

Exhiliratingly, and exhaustingly, Ahmadinejad's government is playing "whack-a-mole" with the various applications protestors are using, and finding it particularly difficult to tamp down Twitter. To follow along on Twitter, check out "#iranelection" or follow "mousavi1388" (Mousavi's official feed) or this Mousavi supporter feed "StopAhmadi."

The National Iranian American Council is liveblogging translations of tweets and posts in Farsi.

Feel free to post updates, particularly on Iranian American responses, in comments.

Posted by Claire at 8:40 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

We've collected remembrances of some of the great people who've passed recently: scholars Ronald Takaki and Him Mark Lai, civil rights activist Richard Aoki, poet Al Robles, and judge Sandra Otaka. See the remembrances here. 

Posted by Harry at 12:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Missed this one a couple weeks ago:

A new study from the European Union shows that ethnic profiling in police stops doesn't help catch terrorists.

Posted by Claire at 10:07 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

The Honorable Sandra Otaka, the first Asian American appointed to the bench by the Illinois Supreme Court, and a longtime advocate for the community, passed away on June 6 of natural causes. The third-generation Japanese American helped draft the Cook County Human Rights Ordinance, and served as the Vice-Chairperson for the Cook County Commission on Human Rights.

Continue reading "Sandra Otaka, Illinois Judge, Dead at 57"

Posted by Elaine at 2:03 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Current TV journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee were sentenced to 12 years in a labor prison. The pair had been arrested in March by North Korea on charges they illegally entered the country.

Continue reading "N. Korea Sentences Journalists Laura Ling, Euna Lee to 12 Years in Prison"

Posted by Harry at 9:52 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

Judge Sonia Sotomayor's Puerto Rican cultural heritage is an important part of who she is and why she might make a good Supreme Court Justice, former Oakland Tribune columnist William Wong writes in a piece posted on Hyphen's homepage.

Continue reading "William Wong: Sonia Sotomayor's Heritage Enhances Her Supreme Court Qualifications"

Posted by Harry at 6:20 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

In an excellent case of one step forward, 75 steps back, Vietnamese coffee houses staffed by scantily clad women are entering the mainstream awareness.

Continue reading "Vietnamese Coffee Houses Alleged to Sell Coffee"

Posted by Mic at 10:34 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

Distinguished Asian American historian Ronald Takaki took his own life Tuesday. He had struggled with multiple sclerosis for many years. "He couldn't deal with it anymore," his son Troy Takaki said in an obituary in the Los Angeles Times.

The Oakland Tribune also ran a nice obituary on Takaki.

A public memorial service is being planned. The family requests that any memorial donations be sent to the Asian Law Caucus, 55 Columbus Ave., San Francisco, CA 94111.

Posted by Harry at 9:41 PM | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)

Word is getting out that author and Asian American historian Ronald Takaki has passed away. Not many details but we'll keep you updated.

UPDATE: Dewey St. Germaine of the Ethnic Studies Department at the University of California, Berkeley, confirms that Takaki passed away Tuesday. And here is UC Berkeley's press release.

Continue reading "Ronald Takaki Passes Away"

Posted by Harry at 12:35 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

A celebration of the life of historian Him Mark Lai will be held June 20 in San Francisco. Lai, known as the dean of Chinese American history, died May 21. He was 83.

Continue reading "Celebrating Him Mark Lai's Accomplishments"

Posted by Harry at 11:35 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

• 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"

Posted by Harry at 4:45 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Last July, Luis Ramirez, a Latino immigrant who worked in a factory, was brutally killed by a gang of drunken white teenagers motivated by their dislike of the growing Latino population in their small coal mining town of Shenandoah, Penn. Two of the young white men who killed Luis were recently acquitted by an all white jury of all serious charges including third-degree murder and ethnic intimidation.

The facts of this case sounded all too familiar to those of us lawyers who work on civil rights cases. They mirror the facts at the heart of the 1982 Vincent Chin hate crime case.

The above comes from an article by a lawyer at Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) of Los Angeles. Do read it where it lives, and come back.

I've been thinking (and talking, and writing) about hate crimes quite a bit lately. Attended a conversation at the UCSB residence halls last night, where students were working through their views of the recent racially-motivated assault on campus. The conversation also came on the heels of a screening of the excellent new documentary on Vincent Chin, the night before.

The students opened by piecing together a definition of a hate crime. What kinds of acts fall under this legal category? Identity-based violence takes many forms, they recognized. Not all of it physical, not all of it criminally prosecutable.

In the eyes and on the books of civil rights law, I'm told, the racial, sexual, or say religious basis of a crime becomes an "enhancement" to the basic criminal charges, of assault and battery, say, or first-degree murder. And that's how/why we want them prosecuted: because the crime was "enhanced," i.e., made worse, by its hateful nature.

But I'm realizing there's an irony in this. In cases like Luis Ramirez and Vincent Chin, the judicial process has seen fit to treat the racial nature of the attacks not as enhancements, but as diminishments -- mitigants so powerful as to turn a murder into a beating, or a crime into nothing at all.

Posted by erin at 5:28 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

Hyphen's own Lisa Lee was honored by our old friend Angry Asian Man on his 30 Under 30 list of influential Asian Americans.

Angry Asian Man picked Lisa, Hyphen's publisher, "Because she's making sure Asian Americans have a voice in print."

Lisa has energized Hyphen since taking over as publisher in 2007. Our circulation has grown, our partnerships and community involvement have grown, our website has been redesigned and our blog is more vibrant than ever. 

Continue reading "Hyphen's Lisa Lee Named to Angry Asian Man's 30 Under 30 List"

Posted by Harry at 10:18 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

And with the stroke of a bureaucrat's pen, I now live in Koreatown.

Continue reading "Koreatown, Oakland"

Posted by Claire at 4:25 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

With the new Star Trek movie coming out on Friday, it seems appropriate to revisit Hyphen's interview with John Cho and our look at racial stereotypes in the Trek universe from The Spaces Issue.

Continue reading "John Cho, Star Trek Movie Lift Off on Friday"

Posted by Harry at 8:48 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

I just got the news via email. Manong Al died today. I didn't even know he was sick.

Al Robles was a community activist and poet, long involved in the I-Hotel community and Kearny Street Workshop, and subsequently in the eviction protest and rebuilding of the I-Hotel through the Manilatown Heritage Foundation. He published a classic collection of poetry, Rappin' with 10,000 Carabaos in the Dark in 1996. He knew everyone in the community, and always had a kind word for you, even if he hadn't seen you for a while. See the Manilatown is in the Heart trailer above for some images.

I'm just shocked and saddened right now. Updates later.
ETA: Please save Sunday, May 17th from 12 - 5 pm for Manong Al's memorial. It will be at SomArts. I'll have another post with all the information as soon as it's nailed down. In the meantime, I'm helping recruit volunteers for the event, so if you'd like to take a shift, please contact me at "claire" at the domain of "hyphenmagazine" with a dot "com."

Posted by Claire at 8:05 PM | Comments (21) | TrackBack (0)

The Committee of 100 recently published its survey, titled Still the Other?, to understand views of Chinese Americans and Asian Americans among America's general population. I'll get to the punchline first, which is that significant racial attitudes and suspicions still exist. Some highlights are that most Americans still don't distinguish between Asians or Asian Americans, and see us all as one big homogeneous group, or as not American. I suspect Congresswoman Brown (R-Tex) shares this viewpoint, considering that she refers to Asian Americans as "you and your citizens." 

What is alarming to me, is that half of the general population thinks Asian Americans are more loyal to their countries of heritage than to America (somewhere, the 442nd are rolling around in their graves). The percentage of Americans who share that view actually went up since 2001 (making me fearful of future Wen Ho Lee witch hunts). Related to this, is that your average American thinks there are way more Asians in America than are actually here, underestimate how many Asian Americans are American-born, and harbor distrustful views toward Chinese Americans that are on par with current suspicions of Arab Americans.

Continue reading "Still the Other? What the American General Population Thinks of You"

Posted by Alvin at 9:35 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

You came to Hyphen blog for fun and entertainment with your information? Fooled you twice! Shame on You!

Continue reading "Hyphen Lynks: The No Fun Edition"

Posted by Claire at 8:48 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

The headlines say Asian Americans are angry over changes to the University of California's admissions policy. Why? Because the new standards may reduce the number of Asian Americans students, who currently make up 40 percent of the undergraduates at UC's nine campuses.

Continue reading "New UC Admissions Policy Is 'Affirmative Action for Whites'"

Posted by Harry at 1:04 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

Earth Day is a day I particularly like being Chinese AMERICAN because, although we Americans are 1 percent of the world's pop and using 98 percent of its energy (does that statistic seem off to you? Whatever.), at least we're not as bad as the Chinese.

Continue reading "Hyphen Lynks: Earth Day Edition"

Posted by Claire at 2:58 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Ahhh, for the good old days, when we didn't know our house was built on sand. (You know, there's nothing inherently wrong with building on sand, as long as there are no earthquakes or floods or landslides or nothin'. So, you know ... don't build in California. Or Louisiana. Or ... anywhere you'd actually want to build. Then it's a sound policy.)

Anyway, to bludgeon an already dead metaphor, our government built our house on a sand landfill in the San Andreas Fault, installing our gas and water mains across the crack. So it's no wonder that the faucets keep exploding and little jets of methane-fueled flame keep erupting from every mousehole. The only real question is if the whole thing's gonna blow.

And, of course, wherever there's a moneymaking scheme gone awry, there's an Asian American slinking around. Right? Am I right?

Continue reading "Hyphen Lynks: Bad Stereotype! Edition"

Posted by Claire at 10:08 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

There have been several news stories that I thought Hyphen readers might find interesting.

* First, a breakdown of the use of the phrase "illegal immigrants" in mainstream media. I have long wanted to write a post about this, but I thought this post from Read Media Ethnics is a good jumping off point for a discussion around language and power. It's not the first time people have brought it up -- the National Association of Hispanic Journalists issued a statement against this term in 2006. The Rockridge Institute also has a good piece by George Lakoff and Sam Ferguson about it entitled "The Framing of Immigration." Yet time and time again, the term "illegal immigrant" is used in mainstream papers and elsewhere. Whenever I brought this up to editors, they would point to their "style guide" which dictated that this term was okay in describing a person. Just about every mainstream news outlet uses "illegal" to describe a person or people. Lakoff and Ferguson point out that this very common phrase is not neutral:

These are NOT neutral terms. Imagine calling businessmen who once cheated on their taxes "illegal businessmen." Imagine calling people who have driven over the speed limit "illegal drivers." Is Tom Delay an "illegal Republican?"

Continue reading "'Illegals,' 2007 babies and more"

Posted by Momo at 1:42 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Richard Aoki speaking at an Asian American Political Alliance reunion in 2008. Photo courtesy of Andre Nguyen.

Here is an obituary on activist and former Black Panther Richard Aoki, who passed away last Sunday at his home in Berkeley, CA. I learned a lot about Richard Aoki from writing this obituary though honestly it was very difficult, especially talking to his friends and colleagues who were grieving and still in shock.  

There is little out there in the public sphere about Aoki, and perhaps that is why he is mostly known in activist circles. There are several articles, some excerpts from books, a radio interview, and video footage. The most popular image we have of him is of the stern Richard wearing a beret and shades. He was that -- the staunch revolutionary -- but so much more.

I was astonished to learn the many facets of Aoki. I knew he was fiercely loyal to his friends and to social justice causes. You could tell he loved his friends. For example, he spoke so highly of -- and defended -- Black Panther Party co-founder Huey Newton. He was also wary of the media for the same reason, because of the way his friend was described in his later years before and after his death. Even though Aoki played a major role in many events, his most proud, according to close friends, was his role in the Black Panther Party.  

Continue reading "Richard Aoki Remembered"

Posted by Momo at 9:20 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

Rolling Stone recently released their "100 Agents of Change," a list of people who are changing America, and some notable folks of Asian descent make the ranks. Check out who shares the list with this year's #1 agent, President Barack Obama:

Continue reading "Rolling Stone's Asian American 'Agents of Change'"

Posted by Sylvie at 11:42 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Continue reading "Women's History Month Profile: Tina Tchen"

Posted by Claire at 10:23 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

I just heard the news that Richard Aoki passed away Sunday at age 70*. Richard Aoki was one of the first members of the Black Panther Party and a field marshal of the revolutionary group.

Aoki was born in San Leandro, CA. He and his family were interned during WWII, and afterwards, resettled in West Oakland. Aoki befriended Black Panther Party founders Huey Newton and Bobby Seale at Merritt College in Oakland, where they all went to school. Richard was also a student leader in the Third World Student Strike at UC Berkeley in 1968 and a member of the Asian American Political Alliance.

I'm sure Richard will be missed by many friends and people in the community. Feel free to post a message here. I am writing a full obituary on him for the local paper, which I will link to later.

Here's an article I wrote about him on the 40th* anniversary of the Black Panther Party. Here's an article that Neela Banerjee, also a Hyphen editor, wrote about him in AsianWeek in 2001.

*corrected from original version.

Posted by Momo at 12:18 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

Last Saturday I heard a story on "All Things Considered" on NPR about how Ecuador's new open-border policy this year has seen a flood of Chinese coming through, in hopes of getting to the US:

Continue reading "Ecuador Creating New Chinese Americans"

Posted by Claire at 6:27 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

• Oh, barf! This opinion piece in Forbes says Indian Americans are the new model minority. In a typical divide-and-conquer tactic, it then goes on to compare Indian immigrants with others to put down those other groups and suggest changes to immigration policy. "In sharp contrast to Indian Americans, most U.S. immigrants, especially Mexican, are much less wealthy and educated than U.S. natives, even after many years in the country. A new immigration policy that prioritizes skills over family reunification could bring more successful immigrants to the U.S. By emphasizing education, work experience and IQ in our immigration policy, immigrant groups from other national backgrounds could join the list of model minorities." The piece was written by Jason Richwine, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank.
  
  
• Deepa Iyer of SAALT calls Richwine out on the tired and racist thinking of the model minority myth in this rebuttal on the Colorlines blog.
  
  

Continue reading "Hyphen Lynks: Model Minority Crap, American Idol's Anoop Dog"

Posted by Melissa at 12:50 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

The makers of Slumdog Millionaire told the press this week that they have made last-minute arrangements for the entire cast of the film (children included) to attend the Oscars this weekend, where it's up for seven Academy Awards.

The film has been controversial for a number of reasons, from the pejorative nature of its title to the cringe-worthy salaries paid to its child actors, Rubina and Azharuddin, (who played the youngest incarnations of protagonists Latika and Salim, respectively). While surely not all of the criticism is valid, the issue of the children's salaries remains a validly contentious one -- particularly given the wild and unexpected success of the film.

Continue reading "UPDATE: 'Slumdog Millionaire's' Child Actors Headed to Hollywood...Then Back to the Slums"

Posted by Catherine at 6:43 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

Here is a somewhat recent CNN article which talks about the impact of social proof upon one's perceptions. Prior research has already shown that individuals will go along with a majority view, even if it is objectively incorrect in their minds. What is interesting about this recent study is they examined how people's ideas of physical beauty changed based on what they perceived to be the average, or norm ratings of their peers.  I believe this research has relevance for Asian Americans.

Continue reading "Study Finds Social Proof Shifts Perceptions in Brain"

Posted by Alvin at 9:18 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

By now you've probably all heard about the photo of Miley Cyrus pulling a "goofy face," as she called it, better known to the rest of us as chinky eyes. The community reacted with all sorts of outrage, with the OCA issuing a statement that asserts the photo "legitimize[s] the taunting and mocking of people of Asian descent."

But a week ago, one woman went so far as to sue the Disney pop star for $4 billion. Southern California native Lucie J. Kim is taking Cyrus to court on behalf of the million or so Asian Americans in the Los Angeles area, according to a MSNBC report.

Granted, Cyrus' non-apology apology was pretty lame ("I was simply making a goofy face. When did that become newsworthy? It seems someone is trying to make something out of nothing to me."), claiming the gesture was taken "out of context." And you'd think someone who influences a huge number of teens and pre-teens would be encouraged (at very least by Disney, her employer) to respond with a little more sensitivity, but is suing the pop princess for approximately $4,000 a head going to make much impact?

Continue reading "Is Suing Miley Cyrus for $4 Billion Really Going to Solve Anything?"

Posted by Elaine at 9:23 PM | Comments (13) | TrackBack (0)

Former Washington Governor Gary Locke will join the Obama administration as commerce secretary, according to various media outlets.

If it's true, Locke would be the third high-level Asian American appointment by President Barack Obama, joining Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Veteran Affairs chief Eric Shinseki. Three top posts going to Asian Americans would surpass the Bush administration's record.

Continue reading "Gary Locke Is Likely Pick to Be Commerce Secretary"

Posted by Harry at 3:14 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

Former President George Bush appointed record numbers of Asian Americans in his administration, but on the whole, his polices on immigration, civil rights and education were detrimental to the community. That's the assessment from Hyphen contributor Connie Zheng in her analysis of the Bush years, just published as a Web feature.

Continue reading "Bush Adminstration Not That Great for Asian Americans"

Posted by Harry at 8:42 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

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)

So, it's been over a week since rapper/singer M.I.A. sang at the Grammy's on her due date. A few days later, she gave birth (I admit, I obsessively checked Google news the following days to see if she had her baby). It seems that though there are lots of bloggers and entertainment writers out there obsessed with the news of her baby, her polka dot/lady bug outfit, and her bravery, some in the news establishment quickly shifted to her politics.

M.I.A. is the daughter of a leader of the Tamil independence movement in Sri Lanka, and has referenced it in her songs and videos. The New York Times did a piece about how she's viewed in Sri Lanka (where Tamils are a minority), which according to the piece, is not very highly. This isn't the first time people have confused her with promoting terrorism and we all know she had some visa issues (to the U.S.) a few years back (though she now lives in NY). It's all whack. Here's a good post from the Village Voice in response to the New York Timespiece.

But since we are obsessed with M.I.A., the new topic is whether she will perform at the Oscars (she's nominated for the song "O Saya" from the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack). I don't know -- performing big bellied is cool, but rolling her out onto a bed or performing via hologram? Honestly, I hope she just takes it easy.

I have always liked M.I.A. though I don't enjoy all of her music. She is clearly talented and I like what she's said about art and politics. How many times have I listened to songs with a good beat, only to realized how f-ed up the lyrics are? All the lyrics that demean women, especially in the radio rap hits. Even M.I.A.'s co-conspirator in the Grammy performance, Kanye West, has some awful sexist lyrics (though ironically, he spoke out against domestic violence a la Chris Brown/Rihanna). His music sounds great but he needs a good writer! Anyway, I'm saying this because M.I.A. is the opposite -- a lot of her music is fun has good beats and her lyrics are good (think "Pull up the people/pull up the poor"). Congrats to the new mama. Her Grammy performance was a big WOW but I think giving birth is a much bigger accomplishment. 

Continue reading "M.I.A. and Salma Hayek"

Posted by Momo at 12:33 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

Perhaps more horrifying than last week's alleged assault on singer Rihanna by her boyfriend, singer Chris Brown, was the general response in blogs and comment threads, excusing Brown and other abusers, and even admitting to abuse on the part of commenters. Yeah, some people were saying that it was okay for Brown to (allegedly) bite Rihanna's body, give her black eyes, and choke her until she passed out, because she pissed him off in a variety of ways.

So, just in case anyone's unclear on this: beating, choking, slapping or hurting anyone physically is UNACCEPTABLE for any reason. Why?

Continue reading "Breaking News: Beating Yer Girlfriend Still Not Okay!"

Posted by Claire at 6:04 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

How do you like our new administration so far?

Apparently, your friend and mine Senator Daniel Inouye slipped a provision into the recently passed stimulus package awarding the $15,000 each the US promised to Filipino veterans last year (if they're US citizens; only $9000 if they're not). Now, all it has to do is survive the committee reconciling the differing House and Senate bills.

These Filipino vets were recruited by the US to fight the Japanese during WWII and promised citizenship and payment. Truman reneged and it wasn't until Clinton that any veterans got to emigrate on the strength of their war service.

Last year the Senate awarded the vets a monthly pension, but it was changed to the (honestly, tiny) lump sum in the House. And then they waited for yet another year. That's okay, they'd already been waiting sixty years for what the US promised them. What's another 360-odd days? Especially since this lump sum is just a token.

"This is not a stimulus proposal. It does not create jobs,'' [Inouye] conceded. "But the honor of the United States is what is involved.''

Indeed.

Read all about it in the San Jose Merc. And check out our 2007 article about Filipino veterans in Queens, "Still Fighting," in issue 11.

Posted by Claire at 9:12 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack (0)

"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.

Ready to have a good cry? Pretty much everybody does when they see this, according to Broadsheet.

Please do embed and post this video of all these lovely couples and families who will lose their rights to each other if Ken Starr's legal brief seeking to nullify the marriages that happened in California before Prop 8 isn't stopped.

Posted by Claire at 6:22 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

To go along with our rational new political era, the news is that hysteria about the black vote on California's Prop 8 needs to take a chill pill.

Continue reading "Prop 8: Black Support Exaggerated"

Posted by Claire at 2:58 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

Continue reading "First Iraq War Criminal an Asian American?"

Posted by Claire at 1:52 PM | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)

As the one-week ceasefire in Gaza continues, analyses are coming from all sides.

An analysis from Kaveh L. Afrasiabi at Al Jazeera:

A reflection of Israel's diplomatic isolation, in addition to being condemned by the UN General Assembly in a near unanimous vote, Israel could only count on the U.S. support at the UN Security Council, which adopted Resolution 1860 calling for an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

... In fact, once the dust of this crisis settles, it will be abundantly clear that Israel once again miscalculated the enemy's fighting ability and resilience, as well as the nature of international response, for despite a complete complicity by the U.S. media in presenting a sanitized, pro-Israel version of the war, in the end Israel lost the publicity war simply because of the egregious excesses of its overkill in Gaza, causing waves of anti-war protests across Europe that, in turn, forced the European leaders to relinquish their initial pro-Israel stance in favor of a more even-handed and balanced approach.

The video above is the first in an hour-long, three-part series from Al Jazeera English called "Gaza in Ruins."

Here's an analysis from Ethan Bronner of the New York Times:

Israel is counting on the idea that with the heavy damage to smuggler tunnels from Egypt and a mix of technology and policy to prevent further smuggling, Hamas will not again become the scourge it has been recently.

Still, the actual damage to Hamas appears to have been limited partly because it acted so cautiously. There is irony in this, that Israel, the state with the well-trained army, wildly pressed the attack, while Hamas, the Islamist militia that supposedly embraces death, shied from the fight.

The group was by all accounts able to preserve a substantial portion of its force. Hundreds of Hamas fighters were reported killed, but general estimates put the entire force well into the thousands. Israeli military officials said they saw very few fighters on the battlefield. They came out mostly in ones and twos and only a few attempted suicide bombings.

Those who know Hamas in Gaza say this was carefully calculated.

Here's a series of shorts called "Inside Gaza" by Guardian filmmaker Clancy Chassay. These include a ride-along and look at Hamas' MO, the death of three militants in Gaza, and the launch of a rocket into Israel using Google Earth to sight targets.

Posted by Claire at 3:52 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

San Jose City Council Member Madison Nguyen is fighting for her job over her vote last year to name an area of the city "Saigon Business District" instead of "Little Saigon."

Supporters of "Little Saigon" got the council to rescind its vote to use the Saigon Business District moniker Nguyen supported. They also initiated the recall effort for Nguyen, who represents the city's District 7.

Continue reading "San Jose Council Member Madison Nguyen in Tough Recall Election"

Posted by Harry at 12:44 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Too many events and stories to round up on this historic day -- below is a short list of all things political (and tangentially political):

(Photo taken in San Francisco, where folks replaced Bush Street signs with Obama ones. Photo courtesy of 0x000org. Some rights reserved.)

• Former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric Shinseki was confirmed today as the head of the Department of Veteran Affairs under the new administration, vowing to better care for wounded, homeless and unemployed veterans. Shinseki, the highest-ranking Asian American in military history, famously predicted in 2003 that a post-war Iraq would require more troops than the Bush administration had anticipated. (Despite being dismissed at the time, he was inevitably proven right.)


• Along with Gen. Shinseki, five other Obama cabinet members were sworn in today, including Secretary of Energy Dr. Steven Chu.
  
  

Continue reading "Inauguration Week Linkfest"

Posted by Elaine at 10:09 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

I finally decided that I wanted to stand with the arrival of the new majority. I wanted to join with millions in flipping a big bird to those who insisted this country was "center-right." No, I wanted to say, November 4th showed we are progressive-left. Perhaps even my father.

Still I couldn't get the words of Rosa Clemente -- the 36 year-old Green Party vice-presidential candidate who was for many of us just as much a symbol of hope and progress and change -- out of my head. "If we become the majority," she told me last summer, "then we're going to have more people like us put into these positions from really moving us towards justice."

As we look at who Obama has brought in to his administration thus far, I'm struck by the notion that perhaps even he doesn't yet recognize the transformative possibilities of the new majority that elected him.

Cornel West said last March, "I told Obama that when he wins -- which I think he will --I will celebrate for one day, I'll breakdance in the morning and party in the afternoon. But the next day, I'll become one of his major critics."

Two -- no, three -- views on today: one from the center and two from out here. (The second vid is from Jay Smooth, the blogger who broke the Hot 97 story, lo, these many years ago. The quote is from Jeff Chang, thanks to Momo.)

What do you think about the inauguration? Obama's address? What he said he was going to do? Are we swinging to the left or is Obama walking right? And are we now, officially, "post-race"?

Some rules: please try to stick to the topic of the inauguration and speculation about Obama's first days in office. I'd also like to hear your thoughts on what the significance to anti-racism will be, that we have just inaugurated our first black president. No grandstanding or agendas, please!

Posted by Claire at 12:29 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

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)

Poster by Jesus Barraza and Melanie Cervantes.

It is approximately 10 pm Wednesday night, and I can still see and hear the helicopters outside my window. Earlier this afternoon, at least 1,000 people gathered peacefully in front of Oakland City Hall to protest the shooting of Oscar Grant by a BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) police officer early New Year's day. Grant, 22, was lying face down when one of the officers pulled out his gun and shot him in the back. The peaceful protest from earlier today turned violent when a reported few dozen people lingered around and smashed in some windows and cars.

When we left the march around 6 pm, we were hoping to pick up some dinner from our favorite Chinese restaurant, but it was closed. It seemed that about 70 percent of the businesses in Chinatown closed early due to the protests, because of its proximity to downtown. And most of the downtown businesses also closed early, with many boarding up their windows. 

Continue reading "Oscar Grant"

Posted by Momo at 10:37 PM | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)

In the countdown to Obama's inauguration, the media is going crazy with speculation about what Obama will change in the White House and on Capitol Hill. Some of this speculation is trivial, some earth-shattering. So let's shake it out this week and see what turns up for new policy that will affect Asian Pacific Americans.

First up is the inevitable immigration debate, which centers around Latin American, and particularly Mexican, blue collar immigrants, but ends up affecting all immigrants. Common speculation is that the criminalization of immigrants, and especially the pursuit of those criminalized immigrants, will be scaled back considerably.

Continue reading "What Will Obama Change?: Immigration "Crime""

Posted by Claire at 11:27 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)

I know this isn't technically Asian American, but there are now reports that Israel is dropping white phosphorus, a substance that melts human skin to the bone, in Gaza over civilian areas, in contravention of international law. Israel had previously attacked UN aid workers, stopping aid missions to Gaza, and the UN is now actually using the term "war crime" to refer to the "possibility" that Israel has failed to help wounded civilians in Gaza. These war crimes debase us all.

Continue reading "The Violence in Gaza Affects Everybody"

Posted by Claire at 12:36 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

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)

The New York Times recently did a follow-up story to Hiu Lui Ng, who died under custody of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last year. It sounds like they've stopped accepting more detainees where he was kept and are investigating his death. I blogged about it a while back, and if you haven't read about him, I warn you that you will probably be angry and appalled.

In other somewhat positive news, JetBlue and TSA workers settle for $240,000 with Raed Jarrar, who was harassed in 2006 for wearing a t-shirt with Arabic writing on it. The t-shirt read "We Will Not be Silent" in English and Arabic. He had to cover his shirt and was moved to the back of the plane. This is apparently a very, very large settlement, though JetBlue officials deny Jarrar's account. I like how they follow that with: "JetBlue believes diversity adds great strength to our company; diversity among our crewmembers as well as our customers," which I don't see being relevant at all. It's like saying, it's okay for me to be racist cause my best friend's black. Sigh.

Now for something a little more lighthearted. Our latest issue of Hyphen has a story about Asian American stand-up comedians. Here's a great little short film about the topic. Enter: Manoj. (I didn't get it the first time I watched it. But now I think it's very clever and subtle). The short film's been on YouTube for a while now, but I recently watched it again with a cousin who was visiting from out of town because he hadn't seen it. 

 

Posted by Momo at 10:31 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is President-elect Obama's pick to be surgeon general, according to the Washington Post, CNN and other media outlets.

If confirmed, it looks like Gupta would be the first permanent Asian American surgeon general. Kenneth Moritsugu was acting surgeon general from August 2006 to September 2007.

Continue reading "Sanjay Gupta Is Obama's Pick for Surgeon General"

Posted by Harry at 1:31 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

So. New Year, new Asian American president. New products. New TV shows. New parade. Woo hoo.

Continue reading "Hyphen Lynks: New Year Woo Hoo"

Posted by Claire at 2:01 PM

AsianWeek laid off all its employees and will publish its last paper edition on Friday. In a letter to readers released yesterday announcing the shutdown, AsianWeek blames the downturn affecting all newspapers and a faltering economy.

Continue reading "AsianWeek to Cease Publication"

Posted by Harry at 12:48 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

Yes, 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)

Just 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)

Quick news, quick links:

Nobel Prize winner and UC Berkeley professor Dr. Steven Chu has been named Obama's new energy secretary. Following the Wen Ho Lee scandal, in which the Taiwanese American scientist was falsely indicted for stealing nuclear secrets for the Chinese -- a manhunt pursued by then-Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson -- some might say this appointment somehow seems redemptive and fitting.

Chu shared the Nobel in physics with three other scientists in 1997 and has been director of the Berkeley National Laboratory since 2004. For more on him, read this New York Times profile.

In other news, the new FOX show Secret Millionaire will feature San Francisco Bay Area entrepreneur Gurbaksh Chahal tomorrow night. On the show, the Indian American "300 Million Dollar Man" and other self-made men (and women) set aside their suits and SUVs and venture to working-class neighborhoods -- working for minimum wage and living in tiny rentals -- to see how the other 99 percent lives. After that, they give away money. A reality show, yes, but a heartwarming holiday reality show. Might be worth checking out.

Posted by Elaine at 10:13 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

In a move that signifies a marked break from the outgoing administration, President-Elect Obama has tapped General Eric K. Shinseki to head the Department of Veteran Affairs. Gen. Shinseki openly criticized the Bush Administration's postwar strategy in Iraq, publicly clashing with then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld over how many US troops would be needed to occupy the country. In the years following the invasion of Iraq and the subsequent "surge," it has been generally accepted that Gen Shinseki was right, though he allowed himself to fade out of public view and retired from the Army. Shinseki is the first Asian American four-star general. For more read the full New York Times story.

Posted by Elaine at 9:25 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Last week, the Oakland Tribune reported on an 80-year-old Chinese woman in Oakland who was "beaten unconscious" while "collecting cans and other recyclables to earn spending money for her grandchildren." While the crime does sound random, the official recession that we are in now could make it dangerous times for people who trade trash for cash. A vigil has been held for the victim of this crime -- who is said to be recovering -- and a $10,000 reward is being offered for any information regarding this crime.

Continue reading "Dangerous Times for Recycling Scavengers"

Posted by Neela at 4:18 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

Seems like Asian American educators are in the spotlight these days. From Washington, DC public schools chancellor Michelle Rhee on the cover of this week's Time to principal Edward Tom in Whatever It Takes, a new documentary about a struggling school in the Bronx and its fearless leader.

Rhee has apparently pissed off the teacher's union and others in the one and a half years she's been at the job, but her goals are admirable. Her basic tenet is that underperforming, underresourced schools need the best teachers and principals. She's already fired a bunch of teachers and principals, cut a bunch more administrative staff, and even closed schools. She also wants to pay teachers better, which I believe is an obvious and necessary step. She sounds hardcore and a little ruthless, at least the way the story portrays her. It seems she's going for results and not really caring about how it happens. If she succeeds, do the ends justify the means? And how would you measure success besides test scores, (something she really believes in)?

Continue reading "Asian American Educators: Michelle Rhee and 'Whatever it Takes'"

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

Fighting words from Dr. Munawar A. Anees, whose appeal of his sodomy conviction in Malaysia was denied last month. Dr. Anees was caught in the crossfire 10 years ago between the two opposing forces of modernity in Malaysia, and bears this bizarre political scar as a result.

Continue reading "Pakistani American Writer Fights Sodomy Conviction"

Posted by Claire at 10:20 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

After 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)

Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang is resigning, according to the San Jose Mercury News and other sources. Yang has told Yahoo employees that he will stay on until a replacement is found.

Continue reading "Jerry Yang Steps Down as Yahoo CEO"

Posted by Harry at 5:49 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

This may not come as a great shock, but a new comprehensive study of Chinese Americans finds that they face "glass ceiling" obstacles in the workplace.

According to a press release about study:

Chinese Americans, one of the most highly educated groups in the nation, are confronted by a "glass ceiling," unable to realize full occupational stature and success to match their efforts, and that on average, Chinese American professionals in the legal and medical fields earn as much as 44 percent less than their white counterparts.

Continue reading "Study: Glass Ceiling Remains for Chinese Americans"

Posted by Harry at 11:20 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

SF Chronicle published an article on the slight voter lead held by supporters of California's Proposition 4, a measure that would require parental notification before an abortion can be performed on a minor.

Continue reading "Asian American Docs Oppose Prop 4"

Posted by Sylvie at 1:06 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

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)

Hyphen magazine is thrilled to announce Mr. Hyphen 2008:

ARISTOTLE GARCIA

Continue reading "Aristotle Garcia Crowned Mr. Hyphen 2008"

Posted by Robin at 10:51 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack (0)

Here are several links that range from congratulatory to events-you-can-attend to news that is just appalling and maddening.

+ If you haven't heard already, McCain supporters mailed out a bunch of anti-Islam "Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West" DVDs inserted in mainstream newspapers, including the New York Times, to swing states. What is the link between the campaign and Islam? This is obviously to play upon people's fears of Islam and also that Barack Obama might actually be Muslim (the horror! I'm being facetious here). Well, some stupid fools decided to go to a mosque and spray chemicals in a child's face.

+ Next up, we have something a little nicer. Artist Flo Oy Wong has a new solo exhibit at the Community School for Music and Arts in Mountain View, CA. Wong will also be celebrating her 70th year! (She also comes from a big, talented family; brother William Wong is a writer/columnist). Her installations are huge and very neat, drawing upon her experiences with her family, including her developmentally disabled sister, who was actually able to speak lucidly for the first time in years while Wong was making the piece. She uses materials like rice sacks, rice, beads and old photographs, among other things. The show, Raising Our Voices, is a satellite show of the de Young Museum's Shifting Currents, A Comprehensive Survey of Asian American Artists from 1865-1960, opens Oct. 6 and runs through Nov. 26. For a full list of events, including the opening reception featuring danceNAGANUMA, visit www.arts4all.org.

+ Congratulations to filmmaker Steven Okazaki, who recently won an Emmy for White Light/Black Rain, which was shown on HBO. The film is about survivors of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It is not only an important documentary, but so artfully done. Apparently he was one of two Asian American nominated this year for an Emmy in a non-technical category (the other was Sandra Oh).

+ There's a new interactive website called Homeland Guantanamos that focuses on the plight of detained immigrants. It's very chilling. Go to the memorial wall and you'll see names of people you may have never heard of, but these are the 87 folks who died under U.S. immigration detention. You may recognize Hiu Lui Ng, who was denied proper medical care and died recently. There are also videos of detained immigrants and testimonies in front of Congress. There seems to be a lot of secrecy around Immigration and Customs (ICE) detainment. It is apparently a lot worse than our regular prison system, and that's saying a lot. There's a lot of information on this site to look through.

Posted by Momo at 11:13 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Here is a ridiculous, hypocritical, and pompous article by a British writer accusing China of evil and exploitation over natural resources (pot, meet kettle).  A few words before posting the link. Yes, I agree China has significant issues to fix right now, many of which are not too dissimilar from the social problems America faced when it was undergoing industrialization itself.  The article sounds reminiscent of anti-American derision by certain arrogant Brits, 100 years ago, when Britain was declining as a superpower.

What is irritating is an added component of borderline xenophobia that permeates this article and other recent Western media, whether it be over Chinese toys, Olympics, Tibet, or Darfur, etc, which was recently hinted about in a Jeff Yang column published in the Washington Post.  I believe articles like Hitchens' are as propagandist as any recently biased Western media that have tried to demonize Jews, Arabs, or Persians to the rest of the Anglo world.  It has become very easy to write Western articles about Asians or China as a less human 'other', with the attitude that certain evils or guilts are true before investigation.

Biased media can be damaging when uninformed, easily-influenced Americans mentally associate anti-China propaganda with negative attitudes toward Asians and/or Asian Americans.  Current comments below American news sites reveal the blanket stereotypes, racism, and/or bigotry that can manifest itself within everyday Americans who read biased news. If you remain skeptical about the damage, look up the 'Committee of 100's disturbing study on American people's negative views toward Asian Americans, or for a related example read explanations from scholars about why certain criticisms about Israel within America can be anti-semitic and/or alarming for Jewish Americans.

I did not want to link the article until after the above introduction. The piece, published today, and written by Peter Hitchens in a UK paper, is titled 'How China Has Created a New Slave Empire in Africa'. I have included excerpts and my thoughts in an extended post entry below.

Continue reading "Peter Hitchens' Ridiculous British Article Over Africa"

Posted by Alvin at 8:31 AM | Comments (13) | TrackBack (0)

Check out this quick Time magazine piece on Chinese American rapper MC Jin and the career move that took him to Hong Kong.

Continue reading "Time Magazine profiles MC Jin"

Posted by Sylvie at 4:18 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Here's a quick recap of some of the headlines and happenings from the blogosphere and around the way that hopefully won't put you to sleep -- although I can't really promise anything, so if you do end up falling asleep, just remember that technically I never said this would actually be interesting -- just informative.

iaTV Cuts 80% Of Its Staff

Is it just me or are Asian American media outlets starting to drop like flies? I know that in Jeff Yang's article on iaTV they say they'll be around for a while, but with an 80% staff cut it doesn't really bolster confidence -- although maybe that just means more subscribers for Hyphen.

Continue reading "Random News From Around The Way"

Posted by Slanty at 1:21 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

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)

Last week, Harry posted on Sacramento's Screen on the Green series removing Mickey Rooney's scenes from "Breakfast at Tiffany's" before a free viewing. The screening -- sans Rooney's yellowface turn as Mr. Yunioshi -- ended up being canceled and replaced by "Ratatouille." The Sacramento Bee caught up with Rooney on the phone this weekend to get his insight on that infamous role.

Continue reading "Mickey Rooney Denies 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' Role Is Offensive"

Posted by Sylvie at 1:20 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

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)

Check out the LA Times to learn more about Helen Jo, the recently appointed deputy chief of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Continue reading "L.A.'s Helen Jo is on Fire"

Posted by Sylvie at 4:17 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

According to Gawker, Pakistani British journalist Martin Bashir, a correspondent for ABC's "Nightline" and "20/20" and the man infamous for his interviews with Princess Diana and Michael Jackson, regaled the audience at the Asian American Journalists Association's July 25 gala with this little nugget of wisdom from his keynote speech:

"'I'm happy to be in the midst of so many Asian babes,' he said onstage, with his 20/20 colleague Juju Chang nearby. 'In fact, I'm happy that the podium covers me from the waist down.' He then noted that a speech should be 'like a dress on a beautiful woman -- long enough to cover the important parts and short enough to keep your interest -- like my colleague Juju's.' ("See what I have to put up with?" she responded.)"

Continue reading "Martin Bashir Likes his Journalists Asian and Babelicious"

Posted by Sylvie at 1:09 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Here's some English-only b.s. coming out of the Terrebonne Parish in Louisiana:

Cousins Hue and Cindy Vo, co-valedictorians at Ellender High School, apparently gave a part of their graduation speeches in Vietnamese. Now the school district is considering whether all commencement speeches should be in English only.

Instead of being proud that their students know another language, they want to put a stop to this? Aren't there other things they should be worried about?

Here's what one school board member told the Associated Press: '''I don't like them addressing in a foreign language. They should be in English.'''

Continue reading "English-Only Graduation Speeches?"

Posted by Momo at 1:28 PM | Comments (19) | TrackBack (0)

Sri Lankan refugee and bhangra-inspired hip hop artist, Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam aka M.I.A., announced that she'll no longer do live performances during her set at this year's Bonaroo Arts and Music Festival. The New York Times reported that the neon clad M.I.A. told fans, "This is my last show and I'm glad to be spending it with all my hippies." Artists often make the assertion of retirement but then get back on the road for the classic revival tour so I won't hold M.I.A. to her word because I regrettably missed her numerous shows in San Francisco.

Continue reading "M.I.A. Says She Will No Longer Tour"

Posted by Asiana at 11:03 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

A class action religious discrimination lawsuit against Walt Disney World Company, also known as Disney? Oh the infamous "Disney look" that I've always heard about over the years from various friends is finally coming back to bite its own butt. The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) will be filing this lawsuit on behalf of Sukhbir Singh Channa and the Sikh American community.

Posted by LisaLee at 12:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

The 71^st Annual Stern Grove Festival, a month-long series of free weekly concerts, kicked off on June 15. Located in the Sigmund Stern Grove on 19^th Avenue in San Francisco's Sunset District, the Stern Grove Festival is one of the highlights of the summer in the city. This year the Stern Grove Festival features exciting performances by Afrobeat musician Seun Kuti and Egypt 80, MC Rai, SiSe, and Hawaiian super group Na Leo along with Ernie Cruz and Kaukahi. Check out this year's line-up for more details.

Posted by Asiana at 2:56 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

From Indiewire: The 14th annual Philadelphia International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival will honor Filipino American actor Alec Mapa as Entertainer of the Year.

Continue reading "Actor Alec Mapa is Entertainer of the Year"

Posted by Sylvie at 10:34 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Will.i.am received an Emmy Award for his Barrack Obama video, a creative piece inspired by Obama's speech during the New Hampshire primaries and it featured stars such as Kelly Hu, Common and Nicole Scherzinger. The Black Eyed Peas member was awarded an Emmy for New Approaches in Daytime Entertainment, a category that premiered at the 35^th Annual Creative Arts Entertainment Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony in New York on Friday, June 13. Will.i.am co-produced the "Yes We Can" video with Jesse Dylan. According to WENN (World Entertainment News Network), over 2.5 million people viewed the Will.i.am/Obama video online

Posted by Asiana at 4:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Activist Yuri Kochiyama is 87 today. Read a nice profile of her in the Oakland Tribune from Hyphen's own Momo Chang.

Posted by Harry at 4:13 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

California's overturning of the same-sex marriage ban last week has prompted many gay and lesbian couples to start on wedding plans, including actor George Takei. Takei's role as Sulu in the "Star Trek" series has been an influence on generations of Asian American actors, and with Prop 22 now dissolved the veteran actor plans to wed Brad Altman, his partner of 21 years.

Read George's words on the parallels between racism he has faced as a Japanese American and the legal discrimination he has faced due to his sexual orientation here.

I have the utmost respect for George as he is an activist in both the Asian American and gay communities. Best wishes to him and Brad.

Posted by Sylvie at 9:59 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

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.

Continue reading "Everybody Loves the JabbaWockeeZ"

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

Continue reading "Fukudome doesn't find racist T-shirts in Wrigleyville funny"

Posted by Alvin at 4:32 PM | Comments (15) | TrackBack (0)

It's not like I'm heartbroken, or anything. There's still hope. Bobby Lee is still out on the market. I think.

Apparently, one of our leading men from the Transit Issue, a.k.a. the 1 million prize winner of Survivor: Cook Islands, is now engaged.

Continue reading "Yul Kwon Engaged?"

Posted by LisaLee at 10:45 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Who wants to be informed? Me! And hopefully you too.

Here's one for the bay area know-it-alls. Join the CAA staff for a drink after work today as they gather to watch the next democratic candidate debate. The prime-time televised debate in Philadelphia is in advance of the April 22 Pennsylvania primary and moderated by ABC News Anchors Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos.

Continue reading "Watch the Democratic Debate with Chinese for Affirmative Action"

Posted by LisaLee at 11:56 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Until a couple of days ago, I didn't pay that much attention to what was going on in San Francisco with the Olympic torch situation.

But seeing how big the demonstrations were, and how much media attention they've garnered, and how huge the Beijing Olympics are going to be, I realized that I have to say something.

I've read the various media accounts of the protests, most of which were framed as "anti-China," "pro-China, "pro-Tibet," or some other form of "anti/pro" dichotomy.

The fact of the matter is, it's much more blurry and complicated, at least for me. I think many more Chinese Americans feel torn or conflicted rather than "pro-China" about the Olympics and about the Tibet issue. There is no monolithic Chinese American community, or voice.

There are in fact many ties between the Chinese and Tibetan communities. Though many prominent Chinese Americans like torchbearer/activist/writer Helen Zia, scholar Ling-chi Wang, and actor/director Joan Chen have voiced their perspectives, I would like to add mine to the milieu of growing voices out there.

Probably like the folks mentioned above, I have a sense of ethnic and national pride in being Chinese. I also detest the hateful and unnecessary Chinese/China-bashing that has been around, since, oh, Chinese people first landed here in America.

But I also sympathize with the struggles of Tibetan and Burmese, and ethnic minorities from Burma like the Karen people.

Continue reading "Before It's Too Late"

Posted by Momo at 5:28 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack (0)

I remember seeing something about this in the news a while back while my roommate was playing with the news feature on the Wii. I didn't pay too much attention to the names, except that the article closely resembled what had happened to Wen Ho Lee, the Los Alamos Scientist who was falsely accused of being a spy back in 2000.

Continue reading "Chinese Spies on the Rise?"

Posted by LisaLee at 5:33 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Dith Pran's life was so extraordinary it could be have been a movie, and it was. Dith, who died Sunday at age 65, inspired "The Killing Fields," which chronicled the bloody reign of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, during which an estimated 2 million died.

Continue reading "RIP Dith Pran, an Inspiration to All"

Posted by Harry at 12:10 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

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