June 17, 2009
More On Asian Sexual Fetishes: Laura Miller on 'The East, the West, and Sex'
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
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June 15, 2009
Tributes to Takaki, Lai, Otaka, Aoki and Robles
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 .
If you've got one, feel free to post a comment below.
Posted by Harry at 12:51 PM
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June 12, 2009
Study Says Ethnic Profiling Doesn't Help
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 .
The study, titled "Addressing Ethnic Profiling by Police: A Report
on the Strategies for Effective Police Stop and Search Project," is the
result of 18 months of research on police stops in Spain, Bulgaria and
Hungary.In that study, the Justice Initiative worked with police
to collect data on ethnicity and criminality, comparing the ethnicity
of people stopped by police to those actually found to have committed a
crime or offense. "In every pilot site, police were profiling people
based on ethnicity or national origin," the study reports. "Minorities
were more likely to be stopped, often more likely to be searched, but,
almost without exception, were no more likely to be found to be
offending than the majority group."
... At pilot sites in Hungary, for example, police
were three times as likely to stop Roma as ethnic Hungarians, "yet the
rate at which each group is detected in the commission of an offense is
almost identical." In some areas, the data showed ethnic minorities
were even less likely to be offenders than the local majority.
I've always been opposed to racial and ethnic profiling on moral and ethical grounds. But this study seems to argue that racial and ethnic profiling should be opposed on efficacy grounds. I have to say, I think the two are inextricably linked. Racism is an extreme example of poor judgment and unsound thinking. Assuming that people of a particular race or ethnicity will all have exactly the same outlook, goals, and prejudices is ignorant and stupid. It's not the kind of thinking that holds up in real life, and it's not the kind of thinking that illuminates human nature in a way that will become useful in social life, working life, or the study of criminal psychology.
So, ethnic profiling doesn't work? Duh . If I continued to insist that babies DID come from cabbage patches, because my parents told me so, would somebody have to do a study of the natural cycle of cabbage to help me design a policy to raise the US birthrate? But now we're getting dangerously close to other immoral and ineffective policy myths .
We've seen the extreme of ethnic profiling in Japanese internment. And we all know that's bad (except for M!ch3ll% M@lk!n, who shall be eternally disemvowelled for her sins), not least because it was ineffective: not a single Japanese American was ever shown to have spied for the Japanese. But just because police harrassment is less extreme, doesn't mean it's any more right ... or any more effective. So score a win for soft science ... let's hope.
Posted by Claire at 10:07 AM
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June 4, 2009
What Does 'Asian American' Mean?
In his
latest piece at SFGate , Asian Pop columnist Jeff Yang wonders if the term Asian American has relevance in today's world. Activists began using "Asian American" during 1960s civil rights movement as a way to forge their own identity in a society that considered them
orientals and outsiders.
What does Asian American mean now? It's a question we grapple with at Hyphen all the time. We've made a conscious decision to
avoid topics such as anime and other pop culture from Asia, to keep the American provenance clear. But is the line between Asian and Asian American less crucial or meaningful to watch, now?
Continue reading "What Does 'Asian American' Mean?"
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June 1, 2009
William Wong: Sonia Sotomayor's Heritage Enhances Her Supreme Court Qualifications
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"
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May 28, 2009
Ronald Takaki Took His Own Life
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
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May 27, 2009
Ronald Takaki Passes Away
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
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Celebrating Him Mark Lai's Accomplishments
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
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May 21, 2009
Hyphen Lynx: Sriracha Sauce Origins, Asian Americans Hit Silicon Valley Glass Ceiling
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
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May 15, 2009
Vincent Chin, Luis Ramirez: How to Weigh a Hate Crime
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.
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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
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May 8, 2009
Obama, and the Birth of the (Above-)Racist
The New York Times commemorated President Obama's 100th day in office last week with
some optimistic reportage of race relations in the United States. Citing a recent
New York Times / CBS News poll , the article asserted that Obama is positively influencing public perception of race relations, stating that
"Two-thirds of Americans now say race relations
are generally good, and the percentage of blacks who say so has doubled
since last July..." If only the public's perception of "progress" were motivated by actual progress. Even a cursory examination of the state of race relations in the US will reveal that we are still a very racially divided nation, in some ways even more so than before Obama's election. The Southern Poverty Law Center, for example, just released
a report which found that the number of hate groups in the US has increased by more than 50 percent since 2000, and by 5 percent since last year. SPLC attributes the increase, in part, to growing anti-immigrant sentiment -- a key point to remember, as Obama's rise seems to have us thinking about race relations exclusively in black and white.
Continue reading "Obama, and the Birth of the (Above-)Racist"
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May 5, 2009
John Cho, Star Trek Movie Lift Off on Friday
With the new Star Trek movieJohn 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
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Reflections on a Hate Crime at UCSB
Word about the racially-motivated attack on two Asian American men at UC Santa Barbara last March has been traveling through the online social networks and cropping up in the blogosphere for some time. Mainstream media hasn't carried much on it, though, since things have been kept fairly quiet during the investigation, so for some of you, this may be the first you've heard.
Angry Asian Man wrote it up when a letter about the incident started circulating on
Facebook , and then again when the official
police report was released, so if you want to trace the unfolding of the information, I'll send you there rather than reinvent that wheel. In brief: at around 2 in the morning on March 2nd, UC students Thanh Hong and Paul Elekes were assaulted without provocation by an individual from Pi Kappa Alpha (PIKE) as they walked by the fraternity house. A group of men from PIKE were present as one of their number began yelling racial epithets at Hong and Elekes, and did not intervene as that individual proceeded to hit both the passersby in the face. When police arrived half an hour later, PIKE members denied any knowledge of the assault.
The undercurrent of race tensions in the walls and floors of our lives sometimes ignites. Racist shit happens -- sometimes to us, sometimes around us -- and when it does there are more appropriate responses, and less.
Continue reading "Reflections on a Hate Crime at UCSB"
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April 30, 2009
The World's First Sikh Supermodel?
The difference a year makes. One year ago, Hoboken-area Sikh entrepreneur Hansdip Bindra
made the news as a victim of a bias crime when a fellow bar-goer demanded he remove his turban, and, when he wouldn't, knocked it off for him. Fast forward one year and another Sikh entrepreneur-turned-media darling, Sonny Caberwal, is being hailed for his ability to flaunt yellow, pink and green turbans with panache in campaigns for
Kenneth Cole and
GQ .
News outlets such as the UK Telegraph are
a nointing him as "the world's only Sikh professional model." Is he?
I doubt it. The Sikh community is a strong (and apparently fashionable) one, and Sikh models abound within the community
if you know where to look .
But if you don't, or prefer not to see them, such as the people behind major fashion runways who specialize in
one-color-fits-all fashion shows , then Sonny Caberwal (now signed to modeling agency BOSS) can seem like a wonder.
Let's hope he's not a one-hit wonder.
Posted by Han at 2:20 PM
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April 25, 2009
New UC Admissions Policy Is 'Affirmative Action for Whites'
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'"
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April 23, 2009
Joy Luck Hub: Reminder
Hey all, just a leetle reminder that you still have ONE WEEK to submit your 300-word immigrant stories for the "Joy Luck Hub" blog carnival ... to honor, or argue with, or dump on,
The Joy Luck Club , which turns 20 this year.
All stories are due May 1! Just in time for Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
Here's the rules 'n' stuff .
Posted by Claire at 5:23 PM
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April 19, 2009
The Asian Hipster: Racism Isn't Ironic
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"
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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
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Are Petite Asian Girls the New Femme Fatales?
The New York Observer has a scintillating
story up about a young woman named Kari Ferrell, one of "
Salt Lake City's Most Wanted ." The story, amusingly titled "The Hipster Grifter," goes into the history of 22-year-old Ferrell's twisted path of lies, deceptions and check fraud -- which struck hipster strongholds like the Vice Magazine office and other parts of Brooklyn.
Continue reading "Are Petite Asian Girls the New Femme Fatales?"
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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"
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April 10, 2009
A Letter to Betty Brown
Dear Representative Betty Brown,
I know you've gotten
a lot of flak over your suggestion that Asian Americans change their names to something
"easier for Americans to deal with" in order to exercise their right to vote. You know what? I agree. I mean, shoot, names like Ko, Vu, Chang, Patel, Kim, Gupta, and Park are just hard to learn. And why should you spend a second of your life trying to learn something new? You're a busy woman, working hard at legislating and all. People should
totally change for you!
Continue reading "A Letter to Betty Brown"
Posted by Melissa at 12:57 AM
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April 6, 2009
Asian Women Blog Carnival
Photo of Chinese typewriter from here . I posted about this a few days ago, but this really needs its own post. The
Asian Women Blog Carnival is up, and it's pretty spectacular.
Blogger
ciderpress at Livejournal, inspired by a number of other antiracist blogging efforts (google "international blog against racism week," for example) decided to put together a blog carnival for Asians for Women's History Month (which was March.) A blog carnival is where someone names a topic or theme, then bloggers post on that topic or theme and submit their posts to the carnival. The "carnival" part is where all the posts on that theme are posted together, in a sort of mini-library of resources from a particular community of interest.
This one was open to any women of Asian descent and seems to be intended for an annual affair. This first year ciderpress asked for identity pieces, but also anything else anyone had to write. I contributed the linkspost for my Hyphen Women's History Month profiles, and also for a piece I wrote on
my own blog about the word "hapa" and cultural appropriation. There are also posts on being Filipina in the Netherlands, being mixed-race "Indo" in the Netherlands, the history of Hmong communities in the US and why this history needs to be taught in schools, how on the internet, nobody knows you're Chinese, growing up Bengali in Malaysia, having to fight to be considered Indian when you're mixed race, why medical outreach into Asian communities is so important, etc.
I've been reading slowly through these pieces and I'm still not done. And I'm not going to link to any of them. You need to go to the carnival and peruse on your own.
Here it is again . Go get 'em!
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April 1, 2009
Women's History Month Profile Roundup
Composite image of morphed Asian faces by British Asian artist group Moti Roti.
Continue reading "Women's History Month Profile Roundup"
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March 30, 2009
The Perils of Internet Research, and More on "Reverse Racism"
Ben Hwang over at
8Asians recently took issue with my post
"Reverse Racism at Princeton..." because, according to himself, the South, and the Urban Dictionary, "reverse racism" is a misnomer, or non-existent, or something along those lines:
"Hyphen's recent blog post about Princeton University's "Reverse Racism " was amusing to me, especially since the terminology was used incorrectly -- it's not reverse racism, it's just racism . (Especially ironic since I learned this after I moved to the South.)" Far be it from me to contradict the teaching of "the South," but I get the feeling that Ben doesn't exactly get it. Then again, his sources included the third (not to be confused with the first or the second) definition of "racism" provided by dictionary.com, as well as some of the less articulate
definitions of "reverse racism" posted at the
Urban Dictionary , which he describes as his "reference for all things slang this side of Wednesday."
While I do appreciate the obviously extensive research he conducted in an effort to understand the tricky concept of "reverse racism," I think his analysis would have benefited a tiny a bit had he scrolled down the Google search results page a little further to discover either of the following links:
If he had, he might see that these essays, like both his post and mine, question the validity of the notion of "reverse racism." Unlike Ben, however, we don't take issue with the concept because we find it equivalent to "racism" -- on the contrary.
Continue reading "The Perils of Internet Research, and More on "Reverse Racism""
Posted by Catherine at 4:57 PM
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March 29, 2009
Women's History Month Profile: Mary Tape
Brown v. Board of Education . She was also an accomplished painter, photographer, and telegrapher.
Continue reading "Women's History Month Profile: Mary Tape"
Posted by Claire at 10:54 PM
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March 19, 2009
"Reverse Racism at Princeton" or "White People Can't Read This"
The Prox , a Princeton University blog hosted by the
Daily Princetonian , published a piece earlier this week about an incident of purported racism in one of its classrooms:
Raphael Balsam '11, a Bloomberg Hall resident, was working on a computer in the third
floor computer room when he noticed Chinese written on the blackboard
last Sunday. He was surprised to learn that the writing translated to:
"White people can't see this / White people can't read this / White
people can't understand this" and immediately notified an RCA, Carrie
Carpenter '10.Evidently the chalkboard scrawl has caused a bit of a stir, inciting an investigation into whether or not the message was a violation of the university's Rights, Rules, and Responsibilities.
According to Roger Wang, a photographer for the Princetonian, most of those present when the message was deciphered treated it lightly, but, "I feel
that there was a true concern regarding how the writing could be seen
as a joke while an attack in English would suffer severe consequences." Continue reading ""Reverse Racism at Princeton" or "White People Can't Read This""
Posted by Catherine at 2:23 AM
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March 18, 2009
Lou Dobbs Goes on 'Ching Chong' Holiday Rant
St. Jin-Tao Wow." Continue reading "Lou Dobbs Goes on 'Ching Chong' Holiday Rant"
Posted by Harry at 4:17 PM
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March 15, 2009
Women's History Month Profile: Yuri Kochiyama
There are times I feel it's almost pointless to write any more about Yuri Kochiyama,
so much has been written about her already.
Continue reading "Women's History Month Profile: Yuri Kochiyama"
Posted by Claire at 11:04 PM
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March 8, 2009
Hapaness at SFIAAFF 2009
The
Asian American Film Fest in San Francisco is doing a big hapa thing this year, including launching a website they co-did with
hapa hogfather Kip Fulbeck . (The site is at
www.hapas.us ; don't bother clicking over until after March 14, which is when it goes live.)
Continue reading "Hapaness at SFIAAFF 2009"
Posted by Claire at 5:53 PM
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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
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March 2, 2009
Obama Changes View of 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"
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Hyphen Lynks: Model Minority Crap, American Idol's Anoop Dog
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
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February 26, 2009
Gov. Bobby Jindal's Speech Criticized, Kenneth the Page Responds
being panned by the left and the right.Continue reading "Gov. Bobby Jindal's Speech Criticized, Kenneth the Page Responds"
Posted by Harry at 11:44 AM
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February 24, 2009
Is Suing Miley Cyrus for $4 Billion Really Going to Solve Anything?
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 ." 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 . 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
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February 22, 2009
Bush Adminstration Not That Great for Asian Americans
Web feature .Continue reading "Bush Adminstration Not That Great for Asian Americans"
Posted by Harry at 8:42 PM
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February 19, 2009
Bambu Featured in The Mixtape Show
Momo's entry about the noise that Bambu is making beyond the API community is no joke. Looks like The Mixtape Show picked up on his track as well. Did they hear about it through us? (Hyphen got a shout out in the outro.) Who knows. But I'm glad that his music is resonating with people outside the Asian American community. Continue reading "Bambu Featured in The Mixtape Show"
Posted by LisaLee at 10:36 AM
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February 17, 2009
What Asian Americans Are Writing About
After half a year of planning, collaborating, announcing, administering, reading and judging, I am so excited that we announced the winner of the 2008 Hyphen/Asian American Writers' Workshop Short Story Contest winner (Shivani Manghnani for "Playing The Sheik" ) and the finalists this week. Especially because I've been waiting over a month to share what I gleaned from reading the over 160 stories featuring Asian American characters and beyond.
Continue reading "What Asian Americans Are Writing About"
Posted by Neela at 12:01 AM
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February 13, 2009
Debunking the White Man Fetish
Since writing my last entry on the Asian Fetish Myth, I've received some interesting responses. Most of them have implied that, while Asian women are fetishized by white men, Asian women perpetuate the fetish by favoring white men in the dating game (I believe Neela commented on this as well).Continue reading "Debunking the White Man Fetish"
Posted by Catherine at 7:27 PM
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February 12, 2009
'Mr. Patel' Cartoon: Racism is Hilarious!
Mr. Patel Continue reading "'Mr. Patel' Cartoon: Racism is Hilarious!"
Posted by Cynthia at 7:38 AM
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Asian Girls and the Guys Who Fetishize Them
That Asian Fetish Myth thing is making news again -- though this time no one's debunking it .Jaemin Kim has a piece up examining the dangerous implications of the "Asian Fetish," in which she shrewdly links media representations of interracial dating with sexual violence against Asian women. It's a must-read if you hate seeing Asian women portrayed as the exclusive purview of middle-aged, balding white men and/or hentai-watching computer geeks.a piece on this topic , albeit with a much simpler objective: a lampoon of the fetishizers themselves. In an article titled "Asian Teen Has Sweaty Middle-Aged Man Fetish," the Onion attempts to put a satirical spin on the Asian Fetish Myth. But, while the premise has potential (even if the target is an easy one), the execution is less than consummate.At first glance, 17-year-old Misaki Nakajima seems like any other shy and submissive Japanese schoolgirl. She loves shopping, text messaging, and the color pink. But beneath her wholesome exterior lies a wicked secret: Misaki Nakajima is consumed by sexual fantasies involving sweaty, middle-aged American men. Continue reading "Asian Girls and the Guys Who Fetishize Them"
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February 10, 2009
Finally!: Justice for Filipino Veterans
How do you like our new administration so far?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.'' 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
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Send a Message about Miley Cyrus to Disney
faux pas and her weak apology ? Director Michael Kang (Motel, West 32nd ) wrote about taking action on his blog ,
and urges all those offended to write directly to Disney. Mike explains that in the entertainment industry receiving
paper letters from angry people is a big deal. Think of the time it
takes to write, stamp, and to send a letter -- it speaks volumes to decision makers. He posted the
letter he submitted for others to see.Continue reading "Send a Message about Miley Cyrus to Disney"
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February 9, 2009
Movement on 'Avatar' Casting
Avatar casting issueContinue reading "Movement on 'Avatar' Casting"
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February 6, 2009
Miley Cyrus: That Achy Breaky Bigot
This has got to be my favorite response so far to Miley-Cyrus-does-the-chink-eye. Brought to you by Adriel Luis of Ill-Literacy .
Posted by Melissa at 1:52 PM
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February 4, 2009
Obama Champions Right to Equal Pay
After eight years of disappointment, my nihilistic veneer is cracking. It's been less than two weeks since Obama's inauguration but he's already signed executive orders to close Guantanomano, seal CIA detention centers worldwide, end torture , institute transparency at the highest level of government , and repeal the Global Gag Rule -- in effect, making the world a better place. Who knew that pen-wielding could have such superheroic implications? (says the journalist).the signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act , a bill that restores individuals' ability to challenge unequal pay.
Continue reading "Obama Champions Right to Equal Pay"
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February 2, 2009
Prop 8: Black Support Exaggerated
Continue reading "Prop 8: Black Support Exaggerated"
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January 25, 2009
... And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Whitewash
In honor of the ongoing Avatar 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
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January 20, 2009
'Post-Racial' Theater for a new Post-Racial America?
So, I'm a bit pooped from all the Asian-spotting at the inauguration today -- from Maya Soetoro-Ng to aide Eugene Kang (okay, that pic is from awhile ago, but I did see Eugene a lot on TV today!) to Michelle Obama's ballgown designed by Jason Wu -- it seems we were in full-effect. What happens to Asian-spotting in a post-racial America?Continue reading "'Post-Racial' Theater for a new Post-Racial America?"
Posted by Neela at 7:56 PM
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President Obama: Inaugural Openish Thread
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. Jay Smooth , the blogger who broke the Hot 97 story , lo, these many years ago. The quote is from Jeff Chang , thanks to Momo.)
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"?
Posted by Claire at 12:29 PM
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January 18, 2009
Da Twilight Zone: The Week Before 'Bama Edition
Continue reading "Da Twilight Zone: The Week Before 'Bama Edition"
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January 15, 2009
Haunting the Korean Diaspora
Haunting the Korean Diaspora: Shame, Secrecy and the Forgotten War , will be presenting her book, followed by a community discussion, this Saturday at the Wing Luke Asian Museum in Seattle. Her book is an analysis of US neocolonialism, militarized prostitution, and transgenerational trauma, examining the history between Korean women and American servicemen through sex work and marriage. Haunting the Korean Diaspora also explores the repressed history of violence and consequences of such sexual relationships for Koreans and Korean Americans in both the private realm and public discourse. The discussion will also include topics of adoption, memory, and occupation. "Still Present Pasts: Korean Americans and the Forgotten War." I recently saw the exhibit and it's definitely worth checking out, as a powerful collection of oral and visual accounts from survivors and their families. Both the book discussion and exhibition are included as part of Wing Luke's free third Saturdays programming.Posted by Cynthia at 8:09 AM
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January 13, 2009
Slumdog Sweeps, Hollywood Still Sucks and Hot Fair Trade Fashion
With Slumdog Millionaire sweeping the box office AND the Golden Globes , I guess South Asians are in line to be the ethnicity du jour again in 2009. Of course, I thought the movie was wildly entertaining, and gave a City of God glamour to the slums of Mumbai. (Suck this, City of Joy .) And seeing Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan make an 11th hour appearance to present really made it seem like Indian film had arrived.
Continue reading "Slumdog Sweeps, Hollywood Still Sucks and Hot Fair Trade Fashion"
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January 12, 2009
What Will Obama Change?: Immigration "Crime"
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.Continue reading "What Will Obama Change?: Immigration "Crime""
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January 8, 2009
Filipina Nurse Slow-down in the States
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.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.Continue reading "Filipina Nurse Slow-down in the States"
Posted by Claire at 3:22 PM
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December 16, 2008
Few Asian Americans in College Sports
A story in the San Francisco Chronicle points out the obvious but backs it up with numbers and anecdotes: There aren't many Asian Americans playing collegiate sports. Harvard basketball player Jeremy Lin says in the story, "It's a sport for white and black people. You don't get respect for being an Asian American basketball player in the US." Continue reading "Few Asian Americans in College Sports"
Posted by Harry at 2:28 PM
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December 14, 2008
Alien Land and Freedom
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.Continue reading "Alien Land and Freedom"
Posted by Claire at 7:15 AM
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November 27, 2008
Things 2 B Thankful 4
Continue reading "Things 2 B Thankful 4"
Posted by Claire at 11:34 AM
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November 21, 2008
Hot Lezbos in Action! (aka Smart Prop 8 Commentary)
Continue reading "Hot Lezbos in Action! (aka Smart Prop 8 Commentary)"
Posted by Claire at 4:10 PM
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November 19, 2008
Golf Announcer Mistakes Anthony Kim for 'All Those Chinese People'
Live television is great because if you harbor un-PC views, it's hard to hide it. Here are some gems from Richard Boxall and Bruce Critchley on Sky TV:"With all these Chinese people around, I'm not sure if I bumped into
him [Kim] in the hotel reception last night," Boxall said. "I'm not
sure if it was him."Irish Independent If you want to know more, here is the article link . Here is another, older article about another announcer calling a golfer 'the Chinaman'. Here is another article with reader comments on today's incident below.Posted by Alvin at 5:37 PM
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November 13, 2008
Study: Glass Ceiling Remains for Chinese Americans
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.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"
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November 7, 2008
Prop 8: People of Color Show Whites How Discrimination is Done
Edited to removed photo. Sorry, folks, I wasn't thinking about copyright! Continue reading "Prop 8: People of Color Show Whites How Discrimination is Done"
Posted by Claire at 2:27 PM
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October 22, 2008
Spoken Word: 'Black, White, Whatever' by Kelly Tsai
Kelly from Brooklyn hit me up on Facebook and showed me this dope piece that she wrote about mobilizing people to vote. And of course, at Hyphen, we're all about exercising your rights and not sitting around being the apathetic Asian Americans that other people think we are. So, with two more weeks to go, get out there and work it for your candidate, whoever he is! interview with Kelly that has a little more background and you can show her some love at her website here . Posted by LisaLee at 5:44 PM
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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.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
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October 5, 2008
What's the New Black? Shifting Sands of Race
Earlier, we mentioned Jeff Yang's musings that Obama might be categorically Asian American in a way that transcends biological race.seems to be the guy that the establishment would love to watch fall on his face . So, pointed out my friend Sameer, might it be said that Singh is categorically Black in a way that also transcends biological race?here for Sameer's recent, deftly measured article on Singh for SI's golf issue. And come back if you'd like to comment on the shifting meanings of race in a world that "postmodern" seems almost too quaint a term to describe anymore. It's not that race has disappeared or become null and void; but the categories are certainly more supple now, in ways that both give us a lot more freedom of movement, and make it incredibly hard for us to tell where the sand-traps ahead of us lie.Posted by erin at 12:18 AM
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October 3, 2008
The Asian Ann Coulter?
In the midst of the political punditry that we are drowning in, I continue to flail in the blog bog. During my daily stroll of news sites, I came across a blog headline that read, Sarah Rocks! on Politico.com . The simple, pubescent cheer seemed comedic to me because it held the entire zeitgeist of this Presidential race in those two words. Rather than doing the dirty work of independent research, people latch on to tag lines and catch phrases.
Well, the Sarch Rocks! headline drew me in and I wanted more. To my surprise, it was written by a Filipino American woman named Michelle Malkin . There are many who know of Malkin from her books, blogs and TV appearances but she only came onto my radar today and I couldn't help but talk about what significance she has in terms of our political climate, the current state of American media, and the conflict of being a neo-conservative person of color.
Continue reading "The Asian Ann Coulter?"
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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"
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Reality Shows and Japan (and Other Asian Things)
Seriously, what is up with reality shows and this whole need to try and conquer Japan? Or Asia I should say, since Miss New York can't tell Asians apart?
A while ago "America's Next Top Model" had its girls do a Japanese Campbell's soup commercial for a challenge (yes, I remember). And please, allow me to say that they made them look like freaks. What the hell is up with the whole pink on the eyes and cheek look? Is this the new Asian look?
Then, just a few weeks ago while I was catching up on my trashy television shows, I noticed that "
New York Goes to Hollywood" did pretty much the same thing. Of course, they just have to put her in a geisha wig, with a karate outfit. And seriously, when speaking about Koreans, New York said, "Is that the same as being Japanese, or, like, not at all?" Damn.
Continue reading "Reality Shows and Japan (and Other Asian Things)"
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September 5, 2008
Update: LPGA Reverses Itself on English rule
Feeling the heat from criticism, the LPGA today backed off its new policy of suspending international players who do not learn to speak English.
Continue reading "Update: LPGA Reverses Itself on English rule"
Posted by Harry at 5:10 PM
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September 4, 2008
Republicans Are Only White?
I'm not
sure that I have much commentary to add on Sarah Palin . There's plenty of it
already and I hate to add to the media circus surrounding her. If it's
attention the Republicans wanted to generate, they sure got it.San
Francisco Continue reading "Republicans Are Only White?"
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September 1, 2008
Beyond Identity Politics
Early on in this year's campaign, when there were still several Democratic hopefuls in the running, I remember more actively looking for "shout-outs" to the Asian Americans, and being disappointed when I didn't find them.
Continue reading "Beyond Identity Politics"
Posted by erin at 3:51 PM
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August 28, 2008
Don't Cross This: Single-Issue Voters
I was listening to NPR last night, as they had a chat about the Democratic National Convention with listeners and some in-studio luminaries. Christopher Hitchens , author of "God is Not Great ." Now, the fact that he's a flaming atheist makes him automatically rather dear to me -- which is why I was all the more appalled to hear him saying that he will cast his vote for president on a single issue: he'll vote for the guy with the toughest and least apologetic stance against Islamic Jihadism.
Add to that McCain's recent definition of "rich" as pulling in more than $5 million a year, and I'm now just excruciatingly baffled how anyone who makes less than that can in sanity propose to vote for him. It seems to me that legions of people must be willing to vote against all manner of actual benefit to their own livelihood and quality of life -- in order to dictate the lives of strangers. If those strangers are gay, for instance, or women of child-bearing age.
Continue reading "Don't Cross This: Single-Issue Voters"
Posted by erin at 5:01 AM
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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
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Kathie Lee Gifford Does Her Best Chinese Accent
Kathie Lee Gifford did a little Mickey Rooney-Mr. Yunioshi imitation on the "Today" show on Monday. See the video at Gawker: Kathie Lee Gifford Imitates Al Roker Imitating Chinese Person, Adds Helpful Squinting Gesture! Continue reading "Kathie Lee Gifford Does Her Best Chinese Accent"
Posted by Harry at 12:02 AM
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August 25, 2008
Mickey Rooney Denies 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' Role Is Offensive
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
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August 22, 2008
Offensive 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' Scenes Deleted for Sacramento Screening
yellow-face Mr. Yunioshi scenes deleted .Continue reading "Offensive 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' Scenes Deleted for Sacramento Screening"
Posted by Harry at 12:42 PM
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August 21, 2008
Harajuku Lovers Perfume Bottles Look Mighty Asian
BellaSugar just did a review of the new Harajuku Lovers Perfume line by Gwen Stefani. Before they go on to say that the perfume smells like arse and slightly burns the skin, they point out that the bottles—which are shaped into different zanily dressed Japanese Harajuku girls—are cute, despite Gwen's troublesome Asian fetish.Continue reading "Harajuku Lovers Perfume Bottles Look Mighty Asian"
Posted by Sylvie at 9:28 PM
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August 19, 2008
More on Hiu Lui Ng
Here's a piece from today's Democracy Now! about the case of Hiu Lui Ng , an immigrant from Hong Kong who died earlier this month after being detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for a year.
According to an interview with Ng's (who also went by Jason Ng) lawyer Joshua Bardavid, Ng was a "healthy, robust" man before being jailed. Here's an excerpt from the interview:
AMY GOODMAN: Well, let's talk about what happened when he went into the detention facility. Was he healthy, as far as he knew, when he went in?JOSHUA BARDAVID: He was a healthy, robust man. AMY GOODMAN: Thirty-four. JOSHUA BARDAVID: Thirty-four. No history of medical problems. AMY GOODMAN: Very tall? JOSHUA BARDAVID: Average height, average height. And he was slowly deteriorated as he was through the various facilities.
Continue reading "More on Hiu Lui Ng"
Posted by Momo at 2:56 PM
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August 14, 2008
Spain Strikes Again with Them Slanty Eyed Poses
In my sincere opinion, Spain has some serious, serious educational and cultural sensitivity issues. embarrassing let-me-pull-back-my-eyelids-to-pay-respects-to-my-Asian-friend ad featuring the Spanish Olympic basketball team was quite popular, so much so that their 2008 Federation Cup Tennis Team also wanted to try it out and share the spotlight. Spanish Tennis Federation site and good old Gawker :Posted by LisaLee at 6:11 PM
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August 13, 2008
RIP Hiu Lui Ng
I just read on Angry Asian Man about the death of Hiu Lui Ng, who recently died under custody of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Please read the entire story in the New York Times , and prepare to be enraged.
The man was dying of cancer in his lungs, liver and bones -- and had a spinal fracture. At the age of 34. It sounds like he was denied real care, over and over and over again because it was only right before he died that the cancer was detected.
He was continually harrassed by ICE staff the whole time he was suffering from all of this.Tortured. And they didn't believe him when he said he was in pain.
On top of that, it sounds like he was retaliated against by ICE. According to the article:
"In federal court affidavits, Mr. Ng's lawyers contend that when he complained of severe pain that did not respond to analgesics, and grew too weak to walk or even stand to call his family from a detention pay phone, officials accused him of faking his condition. They denied him a wheelchair and refused pleas for an independent medical evaluation.
Instead, the affidavits say, guards at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls, R.I., dragged him from his bed on July 30, carried him in shackles to a car, bruising his arms and legs, and drove him two hours to a federal lockup in Hartford, where an immigration officer pressured him to withdraw all pending appeals of his case and accept deportation." Continue reading "RIP Hiu Lui Ng"
Posted by Momo at 11:45 PM
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August 12, 2008
Slanty Eyes Finally Making its Way onto the Olympics Scene
Today was supposed to be one of those good Tuesdays, until I saw a link to this in my inbox: Continue reading "Slanty Eyes Finally Making its Way onto the Olympics Scene"
Posted by LisaLee at 5:50 PM
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August 11, 2008
Anniversary of the 'Macaca Incident'
From Raising Kaine via Wonkette , actor Kal Penn will host a DC-area event tonight to discuss the two-year anniversary of the "Macaca Incident" . The incident involved Republican senator George Allen of Virginia calling Indian American S.R. Sidarth (a volunteer for Democratic opponent James Webb) a "macaca", which is a literally the name of a monkey found in Asia.
Continue reading "Anniversary of the 'Macaca Incident'"
Posted by Sylvie at 2:54 PM
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Geisha Tattoos for the Yellow Feverish
I was looking at a photo essay about tattoos in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer over the weekend and came across a photo of a white man with an Asian woman that had this caption:
Josh Vogel, 27, right, with his friend, Josie Lin, 27, shows off his Geisha tattoo -- which they thought looked like Lin. "I wanted this tattoo because I like Asian women," Vogel explained. They were among the crowds at the Seventh Annual Seattle Tattoo Expo.
First of all: I don't think his friend Josie looks anything like the geisha tattoo, except that they both have dark hair. Second of all, ewwwwwwwww. Third of all, ewwwwwwwwww. It's bad enough the guy likes Asian women in that geisha-kind-of way, but he has to get a tattoo too?
Wait, on second thought, I think all guys with yellow fever should get geisha tattoos. Then there would be a clear physical indication for those ladies who don't like to be objectified by their race to stay far, far away. Countless awful first dates would be avoided.
I can't figure out how to directly link to the photo since it's in a pop-up window (sorry, not the most tech-savvy person here), but if you go to the paper's photo archive and click on "Seattle Tattoo Expo" (last item on the first row), and then go to photo # 13, you can see the photo for yourself.
UPDATE: Here's the direct link to the photo. (Thanks for the help, Alex.)
Posted by Melissa at 10:42 AM
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August 10, 2008
My Own Interrogasian
One thing that you may not know about Hyphen is that we always strive to question, probe, and do our best to go even beyond race. However, this particular entry may seem a little Asian American 101. Personally, I believe that we all have to start somewhere.
While tabling for Hyphen at Asian Art Museum's MATCHA last Thursday, I was approached by two very friendly, genuinely curious Caucasian women who asked me three questions. One prefaced the questions with, "this may seem a little silly" and that was how I knew to brace myself. I was able to answer the first two without stuttering, and yes, it was indeed thanks to that Asian American Studies class I took way back when. However, I am not sure if what I said for the last question was sufficient.
Continue reading "My Own Interrogasian"
Posted by LisaLee at 11:19 PM
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August 8, 2008
Lee v. Eastwood
Okay, I have only been sort of following the real-life drama between Spike Lee and Clint Eastwood. I'm sure we don't even know the whole lot of it, especially since the media is quick to jump on racial conflict like this.
I have to say that I have a lot of respect for Spike Lee and his work, and I am also a fan of some recent Eastwood flicks. I appreciate Spike Lee for the messages in his films, about African American male role models and families (think "Crooklyn," and even that not all that great made-for-TV movie "Sucker Free City"). I liked Eastwood's "Letters from Iwo Jima" because it humanizes, in my mind, not just Japanese soldiers but Asian people in general. I know that is a simplistic way of looking at it, but when I see an Asian person on screen, I identify with them, even if they are not Chinese like me. The whole cast was practically Asian, and that is unusual for a Hollywood film, by a white director, no less.
I haven't seen "Flags of our Fathers," the subject of the debate, so I won't comment much on that.
But I do know that if we're talking about historical accuracy, they've both got some more work to do.
Continue reading "Lee v. Eastwood"
Posted by Momo at 10:30 PM
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August 6, 2008
Hiroshima Day
Today marks the 63rd year after the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing more than 200,000 and physically, mentally and psychologically harming many, many more.
The mayor of Hiroshima, Tadatoshi Akiba, is apparently trying to get the U.S. to sign a nuclear arms abolition treaty . So far, the U.S. is one of three countries that hasn't signed, while 170 other countries have. Akiba is also launching a study on the psychological damage done by the a-bombs dropped on August 6th, 2008.
It seems like there are some U.S. peace activities around this day, including in Manhasset, NY , where Japanese American children reportedly were to give out paper cranes, a sign of peace. Apparently this day is commemorated around the world with peace vigils and marches.
Continue reading "Hiroshima Day"
Posted by Momo at 9:10 PM
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July 30, 2008
Obama, Potentially the First Asian American President?
Continue reading "Obama, Potentially the First Asian American President?"
Posted by Harry at 4:41 PM
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July 29, 2008
Chicago Experience Raises Questions About Stereotypes
My trip to Chicago last week for the Unity Journalists of Color convention drew some parallels the "Across Asian Middle America" feature in the Road Trip Issue of Hyphen, which hits the streets in August.
Chicago is a great city and has a sizable Asian American presence, but it's nowhere near Los Angeles, New York or San Francisco, where I live. Maybe a generation ago, an Asian American writer from Chicago could have written a piece for "Across Asian Middle America," a series of vignettes about living in places that are far away--geographically and spiritually--from areas where there are large populations of Asian Americans.
Continue reading "Chicago Experience Raises Questions About Stereotypes"
Posted by Harry at 8:45 AM
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July 24, 2008
Pinkberry Removes Racist Juice Gadgets from Stores
From Gothamist , Korean American-owned frozen yogurt chain Pinkberry recently pulled the Alessi Mandarin Juicer from its stores after Asian American customers complained that they didn't want to see one of the most enduring racist images ever while waiting in line for their dessert.Continue reading "Pinkberry Removes Racist Juice Gadgets from Stores"
Posted by Sylvie at 12:00 AM
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July 16, 2008
Anthony Kim: The Next Tiger Woods?
The L.A. Times did an interesting piece called "Twenty-three items about Anthony Kim," the L.A.-born Korean American golfer who is being touted as the next Tiger Woods. It's a nice glimpse into the life of an Asian American athlete who is dedicated - at 16, Kim moved by himself to La Quinta, CA from his parents' Los Angeles home to take advantage of the golf courses there - but also not devoid of a personality:Sports Illustrated in May he wants to 'help kids,' reach No. 1 and 'be the baddest person on the planet,' he confessed that in his misguided rookie year of 2007 before he righted his thinking last fall and winter, he sometimes played with a hangover or with 45 minutes' sleep."Continue reading "Anthony Kim: The Next Tiger Woods?"
Posted by Sylvie at 12:18 PM
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July 13, 2008
My Weekend at the Asian American International Film Festival
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.'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 aestheti cs , 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
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July 7, 2008
Heath Hyche: Last Yellow Face Comic Standing
Thanks to my trusty DVR I had a chance to check out some of the previous week's "Last Comic Standing" on NBC and I'm glad I did, because otherwise I
wouldn't have seen how comedian Heath Hyche decided to go where pretty much no
other comedian goes anymore -- full blown Mickey Rooney Yellow Face.
Continue reading "Heath Hyche: Last Yellow Face Comic Standing"
Posted by Slanty at 3:27 AM
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July 1, 2008
English-Only Graduation Speeches?
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
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June 23, 2008
Interracial dating and Asian Americans always a hot subject
Jeff Yang's Asian Pop column and a post by The Black Snob at The Dregublog last week broach a familiar topic for Asian Americans: dating and sex. Continue reading "Interracial dating and Asian Americans always a hot subject"
Posted by Harry at 6:45 PM
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June 18, 2008
Walt Disney Sued for Alleged Religious Discrimination
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.
"The Walt Disney World Company is widely regarded as the iconic American company," said SALDEF Southeast Regional Director Navtej Singh Khalsa. "It is shameful for Disney to claim that a person doesn't have the 'Disney Look' because it implies that Sikhs are not sufficiently American."
Posted by LisaLee at 12:47 PM
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June 9, 2008
Sex and the City Not So Pretty
Raise your hands if you thought the new 'Sex and the City' blew chunks.New Yorker slam , the winner for "most revealing line in the film" is "Miranda's outburst as she hunts for an apartment in a mainly Chinese district: 'White guy with a baby! Let's follow him.' So that's what drives these people: Aryan real estate."Posted by Rebecca at 11:47 AM
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June 8, 2008
Amy Winehouse and her new racist song
I really did like Amy Winehouse. I fell in love with her live performance of "Back To Black" at 2007's SXSW so much that I had to convert the video and put it onto my phone, and then searched out her music to find other videos so that I could add them to my DVD compilations.Too bad I didn't know then she was a closet racist, because it would have saved me the time that I now have to put in burning every compilation I have with her videos on it. Continue reading "Amy Winehouse and her new racist song"
Posted by Slanty at 6:14 AM
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May 30, 2008
"Hollywood Chinese" in LA and NYC
Hollywood Chinese , by award-winning documentary filmmaker Arthur Dong, opens in the Los Angeles area and New York City theaters today. Go check it out. We posted about it when it opened in the San Francisco Bay Area. I also interviewed Arthur Dong for the local paper, the Oakland Tribune.
It's great to see documentaries take over the big screen. I read in a recent edition of the Films Arts magazine that documentaries have gained more mainstream appeal since films like "Fahrenheit 9/11," "Supersize Me" and "An Inconvenient Truth" came out.
Still, they are a labor of love -- most documentary filmmakers are not out to make big Hollywood bucks. So please let's continue this trend of supporting documentaries on the big screen. An Asian American one, at that! I think you'll enjoy the film.
The film plays at the following theaters:
Continue reading ""Hollywood Chinese" in LA and NYC"
Posted by Momo at 5:14 PM
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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
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May 21, 2008
John McCain: "I Hate The Gooks"
No commentary necessary, it speaks for itself. I find his rationale and defense insane.
Arizona Sen. John McCain refused to
apologize yesterday for his use of a racial slur to condemn the North
Vietnamese prison guards who tortured and held him captive during the war."I hate the gooks," McCain said yesterday in response to a question
from reporters aboard his campaign bus. "I will hate them as long as I
live."
McCain, a former Navy pilot who spent five years in a Vietnamese prisoner
of war camp, was questioned about the language because of a story last month
in the Nation magazine reporting his continued use of the slur.
Since then, reports of McCain's language have been circulating on
Internet chat sites and e-mails among Asian Americans, many of whom find the
the term offensive and inappropriate for an elected official.
Continue reading "John McCain: "I Hate The Gooks""
Posted by Alvin at 1:55 PM
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May 19, 2008
Happy Birthday Yuri Kochiyama
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
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May 18, 2008
Holy cow, offensive Fukudome shirts still for sale
eBay are still selling shirts that have "Horry Kow" on the front and Japanese ball player Kosuke Fukudome's name and number on the back. The shirts poke fun at Japanese accents using the familiar "holy cow" that the late Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray used to always use.
Continue reading "Holy cow, offensive Fukudome shirts still for sale"
Posted by Harry at 2:53 PM
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May 13, 2008
Asian Baby in United Color of Benetton Ad
I came across this on Facebook the other day (yes yes, I have a Facebook account and so does Hyphen ) and am I just crazy? Is this old and I just didn't notice it before?
And if I did notice it before, is this image more relevant today?
United Colors of Benetton has been known for its edgy ads, and of course, the diverse models. I admit. I don't own anything that's a UCB item but I do like their image. But what do you see when you look at this image? Unfortunate for me, I see a young Madonna trying to adopt, well, a baby. Ok no seriously. Tell me what you see, because I am not exactly sure what United Colors of Benetton was trying to do here. Help me grasp the meaning of this!
Posted by LisaLee at 11:15 PM
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May 8, 2008
Is Eri Chan Appropriating an Asian Culture?
NPR's Second Stage music section profiles American ex-pat Lizzie Moore who lives in Japan and performs Asian-inflected indie/electro music under the name Eri Chan. Her debut album - entitled Fire Fox - has a lead track "KitsuneBi" ("fire fox" in Japanese) and much of the album explores, in the artist's words, "the thoughts of a girl living in Japan, fascinated by folklore and possessed by a fox."
Continue reading "Is Eri Chan Appropriating an Asian Culture?"
Posted by Sylvie at 10:59 PM
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April 29, 2008
Philip Lim for GAP
I was on my way to East West Players' 42 Visionary Awards last night (post to follow) when I crossed a major intersection in Hollywood and saw this:Please excuse the sepia tone. I wasn't trying to be artistic. My kid sister changed it while she was playing with my camera and I was not bad ass enough to change it back, take the picture, and continue driving like a good citizen without running any tourists over. Continue reading "Philip Lim for GAP"
Posted by LisaLee at 3:17 PM
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April 24, 2008
Turner Classic Movies to Air Series on Asian Images in Film
Turner Classic Movies is going to show a month-long series of movies examining images of Asians in June. It's a extension of the network's look at African American images and gay images it has aired during the past two years.
Continue reading "Turner Classic Movies to Air Series on Asian Images in Film"
Posted by Harry at 10:56 AM
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April 12, 2008
India Craze
Flying somewhere is a great excuse to do impulse buying. Impulse trashy magazine buying that is (although there was once I spent $2 something buying a tiny piece of dark chocolate). Usually when i am waiting at the airport for my 1 hour and 15 minutes flight down to Los Angeles, I'll grab a copy of Allure. I admit, it's not the best selection out there. A whole magazine dedicated to makeup and hairstyle is not intellectually stimulating, but it does make that flight, and often times delayed, go by that much faster.
As I was flipping through my March copy of Allure today, I discovered why.
Continue reading "India Craze"
Posted by LisaLee at 7:21 PM
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April 7, 2008
'21' Discriminatory Casting Unjustified
What an excellent article about why the '21' casting was unjustified; I agree 100%!Several years ago, when I first heard that the best-selling book Bringing Down the House would be made into a Hollywood movie, I was beyond excited. However, now that '21' is out, no matter how much I try to rationalize the casting decisions behind this film, I remain outraged as an American. I will attempt to explain why Hollywood's discriminatory casting process behind this film is offensive, why over 600 members on a Facebook group have called for its boycott, and why several prominent newspapers and blogs have criticized this movie, with one writer even calling it "moving Asian Americans to the back of the bus."
Continue reading "'21' Discriminatory Casting Unjustified"
Posted by Alvin at 8:19 PM
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Another Offensive College Writer
This guy and that U-Colorado writer would be best friends. He'll probably also use the 'it was satire' excuse. Here is the article : "I believe that this building will dramatically reduce the amount of
Asian suicides at Cornell," Skorton announced. "We also plan to fill in
the gorges with those chewy bubble tea orbs so that distraught students
will have to rely on other methods." Among the centers many
features are the Pokemon Card Trading Arena, the Mi-So Slipi Lounge
equipped with 100 beds for study break naps, and one-seater dining
areas with calculators built into the tables. Many students are most
excited, however, about the center's Lucky Sun Moon Restaurant, which
features MSG, beef with broccoli, and cat-fish casserole, which
incorporates not catfish but a mixture of cat and flounder.
Continue reading "Another Offensive College Writer"
Posted by Alvin at 8:09 PM
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April 4, 2008
More from the Restaurant "Chinese Laundry"
It looks like there has been some exciting updates from our favorite Chow Fun Food Group. Remember the post by Alvin about the new Chinese Laundry restaurant and the oh-so-original, not-racist ad that was put out back in March?
Continue reading "More from the Restaurant "Chinese Laundry""
Posted by LisaLee at 5:08 PM
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March 19, 2008
Controversy Over '21' Movie Casting
Here is some eyebrow-raising news about the casting for the upcoming '21′ blackjack movie, due out March 28th. This is the movie based off the best-selling book 'Bringing Down the House', about the real-life team of mostly Asian Americans who won big in Las Vegas. The two main characters in the book, 'Kevin Lewis' and 'Steve Fisher', were Jeff Ma and Mike Aponte, two Asian American males.
The Hollywood version stars Jim Sturgess, and according to the book author , the Hollywood casting directors initially wanted to completely exclude any Asian male characters from the film...
Continue reading "Controversy Over '21' Movie Casting"
Posted by Alvin at 8:00 AM
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December 18, 2007
The Search for the Perfect Comeback
Through the years I've been trying to perfect my comeback. You know, when you're walking down the street, minding your own goddamn business, and some asshole decides to add some heinous, unsolicited commentary to the soundtrack of your life. And then you have a few precious moments of reaction to turn the table of power, to slip your razor-sharp verbal wit and make the offender realize their own fundamental asshole-ness.
Continue reading "The Search for the Perfect Comeback"
Posted by Rebecca at 10:27 AM
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September 21, 2007
Chinita Nibs
Sometimes, when I dislike a thing without basis — say, a film that I haven't watched but feel compelled to dis freely — I'll come to my senses and realize that in order to dis something constructively, I have to have experienced it. So I'll sit down and watch movies that I think are going to be a total waste of time, just so that I can dis it better.
Continue reading "Chinita Nibs"
Posted by Rebecca at 3:30 PM
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March 2, 2007
On Being a Chinita
In the comments on the Asian Week debacle, a commenter named Franky notes:
I read your post about Latinos calling you chinito. Just for the record that just means Chinese. When you put -ito on the end it usually is an affectionate term. I don't think you should regard that as racist the way blacks making fun of your eyes is. I was about to leave a comment in response, but thought it better to address my thoughts on 'chinito/a' separately. I spent seven years of my growing-up in Central America, as the hapa daughter of foreign service officer, with a Salvadorean stepmother and extended family. 'Chinita' became the bane of my existence.
Continue reading "On Being a Chinita"
Posted by Rebecca at 12:15 PM
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January 28, 2007
Crossing Over Into Where They Least Expect You
This article in today's NY Times, Truly Indie Fans , really gave me warm fuzzies. It looks at the increase in African American indie rockers and skateboarders and the like. Granted, the article doesn't mention Asian Americans at all, but the issues it addresses, such as ethnic stereotypes where music (and the attendant lifestyles) are concerned, are useful in thinking about our own issues. I'm especially thinking of certain comment threads on this blog that have discussed the place of Asian Americans in hip hop.
The story portrays people who dared to cross over to where they were least expected, withstanding judgements from both sides of the ethnic fence, facing isolation and building their own community. For music.
Hell yeah.
Posted by Rebecca at 4:28 PM
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The difference a year makes. One year ago, Hoboken-area Sikh entrepreneur Hansdip Bindra made the news as a victim of a bias crime when a fellow bar-goer demanded he remove his turban, and, when he wouldn't, knocked it off for him. Fast forward one year and another Sikh entrepreneur-turned-media darling, Sonny Caberwal, is being hailed for his ability to flaunt yellow, pink and green turbans with panache in campaigns for Kenneth Cole and GQ.
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? 
Dear Representative Betty Brown,
I know you've gotten a lot of flak over your suggestion that Asian Americans change their names to something "easier for Americans to deal with" in order to exercise their right to vote. You know what? I agree. I mean, shoot, names like Ko, Vu, Chang, Patel, Kim, Gupta, and Park are just hard to learn. And why should you spend a second of your life trying to learn something new? You're a busy woman, working hard at legislating and all. People should totally change for you! 
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."
