Posted by Melissa at 1:21 PM | Comments (1)

Seem to be quite a few stories lately in mainstream papers about Vietnamese Americans lately:

Posted by Melissa at 1:21 PM | Comments (1)

Seem to be quite a few stories lately in mainstream papers about Vietnamese Americans lately:

Posted by Melissa at 1:21 PM | Comments (1)

Yul Kwon beat the field in the latest round of Survivor, which started the season with the gimmick of putting people into teams by race.

What a great quote by Kwon:

"I wanted America to see Asian-American men as they truly are," he said while speaking about the underepresentation of minorities on television. ..."I want to be a very visible spokesman for talking about how we can get more minorities on TV."

Read more:

Associated Press

Eonline

Posted by harry at 8:10 AM | Comments (17)

Yul Kwon beat the field in the latest round of Survivor, which started the season with the gimmick of putting people into teams by race.

What a great quote by Kwon:

"I wanted America to see Asian-American men as they truly are," he said while speaking about the underepresentation of minorities on television. ..."I want to be a very visible spokesman for talking about how we can get more minorities on TV."

Read more:

Associated Press

Eonline

Posted by harry at 8:10 AM | Comments (17)

Yul Kwon beat the field in the latest round of Survivor, which started the season with the gimmick of putting people into teams by race.

What a great quote by Kwon:

"I wanted America to see Asian-American men as they truly are," he said while speaking about the underepresentation of minorities on television. ..."I want to be a very visible spokesman for talking about how we can get more minorities on TV."

Read more:

Associated Press

Eonline

Posted by harry at 8:10 AM | Comments (16)

Rosie O'Donnell says she's sorry and didn't know "ching chong" might be offensive. How sincere she is, I don't know.

She says she asked "Judy in the makeup department, who is Asian, if it is offensive."

Anyway, see for yourself.

After that, check out our latest Web exclusives, interviews with:

• Masi Oka, who stars as Hiro Nakamura in the hit show, Heroes.

• Filmmaker Freida Mock Lee, Academy Award winner for the documentary Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision.
  

And don't forget to send a Hyphen gift subscription to your friends and family.

Posted by harry at 2:03 PM | Comments (12)

Rosie O'Donnell says she's sorry and didn't know "ching chong" might be offensive. How sincere she is, I don't know.

She says she asked "Judy in the makeup department, who is Asian, if it is offensive."

Anyway, see for yourself.

After that, check out our latest Web exclusives, interviews with:

• Masi Oka, who stars as Hiro Nakamura in the hit show, Heroes.

• Filmmaker Freida Mock Lee, Academy Award winner for the documentary Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision.
  

And don't forget to send a Hyphen gift subscription to your friends and family.

Posted by harry at 2:03 PM | Comments (12)

Rosie O'Donnell says she's sorry and didn't know "ching chong" might be offensive. How sincere she is, I don't know.

She says she asked "Judy in the makeup department, who is Asian, if it is offensive."

Anyway, see for yourself.

After that, check out our latest Web exclusives, interviews with:

• Masi Oka, who stars as Hiro Nakamura in the hit show, Heroes.

• Filmmaker Freida Mock Lee, Academy Award winner for the documentary Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision.
  

And don't forget to send a Hyphen gift subscription to your friends and family.

Posted by harry at 2:03 PM | Comments (12)

Been getting lots of info about this 2-year-old boy in my inbox lately. Harrison Leonardo has Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) and needs a bone marrow transplant to survive. He’s spent most of this year fighting cancer, which went into remission in August. The cancer relapsed just before Thanksgiving.

I have seen adults struggle hard in the fight against cancer. I can't imagine what it is like for a child.

Harrison is currently hospitalized and undergoing another round of chemotherapy while his doctors and family search for a donor. Harrison is biracial (Filipino and Caucasian) which makes it hard to find a donor since few minorities are registered as donors. It's believed that a good match would be someone of the same background.

According to the Mavin Foundation approximately 130,000 people are diagnosed with life-threatening diseases like leukemia and other blood cancers and it is estimated that at least 12,000 of these patients will not be cured without a bone marrow transplant. Thousands die every year waiting for a transplant.

His parents and brother are not matches, so the family, who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, is looking for help from others and is organizing several donor drives with the help of the Asian American Donor Program (AADP).

If you can't make it to a donor drive, the AADP will send you a free home-testing kit free of charge.

For more info please see:

Posted by Melissa at 2:56 PM | Comments (4)

Been getting lots of info about this 2-year-old boy in my inbox lately. Harrison Leonardo has Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) and needs a bone marrow transplant to survive. He’s spent most of this year fighting cancer, which went into remission in August. The cancer relapsed just before Thanksgiving.

I have seen adults struggle hard in the fight against cancer. I can't imagine what it is like for a child.

Harrison is currently hospitalized and undergoing another round of chemotherapy while his doctors and family search for a donor. Harrison is biracial (Filipino and Caucasian) which makes it hard to find a donor since few minorities are registered as donors. It's believed that a good match would be someone of the same background.

According to the Mavin Foundation approximately 130,000 people are diagnosed with life-threatening diseases like leukemia and other blood cancers and it is estimated that at least 12,000 of these patients will not be cured without a bone marrow transplant. Thousands die every year waiting for a transplant.

His parents and brother are not matches, so the family, who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, is looking for help from others and is organizing several donor drives with the help of the Asian American Donor Program (AADP).

If you can't make it to a donor drive, the AADP will send you a free home-testing kit free of charge.

For more info please see:

Posted by Melissa at 2:56 PM | Comments (4)

Been getting lots of info about this 2-year-old boy in my inbox lately. Harrison Leonardo has Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) and needs a bone marrow transplant to survive. He’s spent most of this year fighting cancer, which went into remission in August. The cancer relapsed just before Thanksgiving.

I have seen adults struggle hard in the fight against cancer. I can't imagine what it is like for a child.

Harrison is currently hospitalized and undergoing another round of chemotherapy while his doctors and family search for a donor. Harrison is biracial (Filipino and Caucasian) which makes it hard to find a donor since few minorities are registered as donors. It's believed that a good match would be someone of the same background.

According to the Mavin Foundation approximately 130,000 people are diagnosed with life-threatening diseases like leukemia and other blood cancers and it is estimated that at least 12,000 of these patients will not be cured without a bone marrow transplant. Thousands die every year waiting for a transplant.

His parents and brother are not matches, so the family, who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, is looking for help from others and is organizing several donor drives with the help of the Asian American Donor Program (AADP).

If you can't make it to a donor drive, the AADP will send you a free home-testing kit free of charge.

For more info please see:

Posted by Melissa at 2:56 PM | Comments (4)

Rosie O'Donnell raised a ruckus by using "ching chong" on The View last week to describe how Danny DeVito's drunken appearance on the show is making the news, even in China.

Here's a good summary of the debacle, courtesy of an e-mail from the Asian American Theater Company:

Rosie: "The fact is that it's news all over the world. That you know, you can imagine in China it's like: 'Ching chong … ching chong. Danny DeVito, ching chong, chong, chong, chong. Drunk. 'The View.' Ching chong" when describing guest Danny DeVito for coming onto the show intoxicated.

Watch it at Gawker

Rosie told Asians to lighten up in the New York Daily News.

The statement didn't sit well with John C. Liu, a New York City councilman, who fired off a letter to "View" co-host Barbara Walters.

"The 'ching-chong' bit is not a trivial matter," Liu told FOXNews.com. "It really hits a raw nerve for many people in the community — many like myself, who grew up with these kinds of taunts. We all know that it never ends at the taunts."

This incident comes right after Rosie's a public tiff with talk show host Kelly Ripa. Rosie accused Kelly of being homophobic when Clay Aiken put his hand over Kelly's mouth. Both hosts spent air time on each of their shows defending themselves. See it at Gawker.

Remember 'ching chong ching chong' on the playground? Would Rosie have made a joke about African tribes or nations? Write a letter to ABC's View Producer Barbara Walters.

Recent usages of the term 'Ching Chong Ching Chong'

In December 2002, the term gained international notoriety when National Basketball Association star Shaquille O'Neal directed it, apparently in jest, at fellow NBA star and Chinese immigrant Yao Ming, during an interview on Fox Sports Radio. O'Neal was quoted as saying, "You tell Yao Ming, 'Ching-chong-yang-wah-ah-soh.'" Yao Ming reponded with: "Chinese is a hard language to learn." After a public outcry, O'Neal apologized for making the comment, insisting that no prejudice or malice had been intended.

On January 24, 2006, comedian Adam Carolla referred to the Asian Excellence Awards as a joke on his radio morning show and repeatedly used the sounds "ching-chong" to recreate a segment of the awards. The awards honor Asian Americans in media who have made a difference in the United States and were conducted in English. Branding the segment as demeaning and racist, several Asian American organizations have threatened to ask advertisers to withdraw their support from the show if the station does not issue an apology. On February 22, 2006, Carolla without fanfare read a brief apology for the segment. On April 26, 2006, Carolla invited the head of the Media Action Network for Asian Americans, Guy Aoki, to further explain that when he aired the bit, he had no idea that "ching chong" was a racial slur.

Below is a link to Adam Corrolla's show last week with Guy Aoki, Media Action Network for Asian Americans, describing his support for the Asian American community against Rosie.

Listen to the Adam Corrolla Podcast with Guy Aoki.

Posted by harry at 1:02 PM | Comments (23)

Rosie O'Donnell raised a ruckus by using "ching chong" on The View last week to describe how Danny DeVito's drunken appearance on the show is making the news, even in China.

Here's a good summary of the debacle, courtesy of an e-mail from the Asian American Theater Company:

Rosie: "The fact is that it's news all over the world. That you know, you can imagine in China it's like: 'Ching chong … ching chong. Danny DeVito, ching chong, chong, chong, chong. Drunk. 'The View.' Ching chong" when describing guest Danny DeVito for coming onto the show intoxicated.

Watch it at Gawker

Rosie told Asians to lighten up in the New York Daily News.

The statement didn't sit well with John C. Liu, a New York City councilman, who fired off a letter to "View" co-host Barbara Walters.

"The 'ching-chong' bit is not a trivial matter," Liu told FOXNews.com. "It really hits a raw nerve for many people in the community — many like myself, who grew up with these kinds of taunts. We all know that it never ends at the taunts."

This incident comes right after Rosie's a public tiff with talk show host Kelly Ripa. Rosie accused Kelly of being homophobic when Clay Aiken put his hand over Kelly's mouth. Both hosts spent air time on each of their shows defending themselves. See it at Gawker.

Remember 'ching chong ching chong' on the playground? Would Rosie have made a joke about African tribes or nations? Write a letter to ABC's View Producer Barbara Walters.

Recent usages of the term 'Ching Chong Ching Chong'

In December 2002, the term gained international notoriety when National Basketball Association star Shaquille O'Neal directed it, apparently in jest, at fellow NBA star and Chinese immigrant Yao Ming, during an interview on Fox Sports Radio. O'Neal was quoted as saying, "You tell Yao Ming, 'Ching-chong-yang-wah-ah-soh.'" Yao Ming reponded with: "Chinese is a hard language to learn." After a public outcry, O'Neal apologized for making the comment, insisting that no prejudice or malice had been intended.

On January 24, 2006, comedian Adam Carolla referred to the Asian Excellence Awards as a joke on his radio morning show and repeatedly used the sounds "ching-chong" to recreate a segment of the awards. The awards honor Asian Americans in media who have made a difference in the United States and were conducted in English. Branding the segment as demeaning and racist, several Asian American organizations have threatened to ask advertisers to withdraw their support from the show if the station does not issue an apology. On February 22, 2006, Carolla without fanfare read a brief apology for the segment. On April 26, 2006, Carolla invited the head of the Media Action Network for Asian Americans, Guy Aoki, to further explain that when he aired the bit, he had no idea that "ching chong" was a racial slur.

Below is a link to Adam Corrolla's show last week with Guy Aoki, Media Action Network for Asian Americans, describing his support for the Asian American community against Rosie.

Listen to the Adam Corrolla Podcast with Guy Aoki.

Posted by harry at 1:02 PM | Comments (23)

Rosie O'Donnell raised a ruckus by using "ching chong" on The View last week to describe how Danny DeVito's drunken appearance on the show is making the news, even in China.

Here's a good summary of the debacle, courtesy of an e-mail from the Asian American Theater Company:

Rosie: "The fact is that it's news all over the world. That you know, you can imagine in China it's like: 'Ching chong … ching chong. Danny DeVito, ching chong, chong, chong, chong. Drunk. 'The View.' Ching chong" when describing guest Danny DeVito for coming onto the show intoxicated.

Watch it at Gawker

Rosie told Asians to lighten up in the New York Daily News.

The statement didn't sit well with John C. Liu, a New York City councilman, who fired off a letter to "View" co-host Barbara Walters.

"The 'ching-chong' bit is not a trivial matter," Liu told FOXNews.com. "It really hits a raw nerve for many people in the community — many like myself, who grew up with these kinds of taunts. We all know that it never ends at the taunts."

This incident comes right after Rosie's a public tiff with talk show host Kelly Ripa. Rosie accused Kelly of being homophobic when Clay Aiken put his hand over Kelly's mouth. Both hosts spent air time on each of their shows defending themselves. See it at Gawker.

Remember 'ching chong ching chong' on the playground? Would Rosie have made a joke about African tribes or nations? Write a letter to ABC's View Producer Barbara Walters.

Recent usages of the term 'Ching Chong Ching Chong'

In December 2002, the term gained international notoriety when National Basketball Association star Shaquille O'Neal directed it, apparently in jest, at fellow NBA star and Chinese immigrant Yao Ming, during an interview on Fox Sports Radio. O'Neal was quoted as saying, "You tell Yao Ming, 'Ching-chong-yang-wah-ah-soh.'" Yao Ming reponded with: "Chinese is a hard language to learn." After a public outcry, O'Neal apologized for making the comment, insisting that no prejudice or malice had been intended.

On January 24, 2006, comedian Adam Carolla referred to the Asian Excellence Awards as a joke on his radio morning show and repeatedly used the sounds "ching-chong" to recreate a segment of the awards. The awards honor Asian Americans in media who have made a difference in the United States and were conducted in English. Branding the segment as demeaning and racist, several Asian American organizations have threatened to ask advertisers to withdraw their support from the show if the station does not issue an apology. On February 22, 2006, Carolla without fanfare read a brief apology for the segment. On April 26, 2006, Carolla invited the head of the Media Action Network for Asian Americans, Guy Aoki, to further explain that when he aired the bit, he had no idea that "ching chong" was a racial slur.

Below is a link to Adam Corrolla's show last week with Guy Aoki, Media Action Network for Asian Americans, describing his support for the Asian American community against Rosie.

Listen to the Adam Corrolla Podcast with Guy Aoki.

Posted by harry at 1:02 PM | Comments (23)

A organization calling itself Vietnamese for Fair Immigration was actually co-founded by white guy who espoused his views on Web sites and in letters to the editor while pretending to be Vietnamese, according to the Oakland Tribune.

Vietnamese for Fair Immigration's primary complaint is that illegal immigrants -- particularly Latino immigrants -- are causing the long waits for their family members who come here from Vietnam. The group has placed a billboard ad in Berkeley that reads, "No Racist Amnesty."

Tim Brummer apparently used the name Tim Binh as spokesman for the group. But his wife, who is Vietnamese, told the Tribune reporter that her husband was using a fake name.

According to the story, some anti-immigration groups, which have overwhelmingly white memberships, are creating or backing other organizations to blunt accusations of racism. For example, Choose Black America, was created by the Federation for American Immigration Reform.

Seems like it's going to be hard to have an honest debate about such an important issue if some of the players aren't being honest about themselves.

Posted by harry at 11:37 AM | Comments (33)

A organization calling itself Vietnamese for Fair Immigration was actually co-founded by white guy who espoused his views on Web sites and in letters to the editor while pretending to be Vietnamese, according to the Oakland Tribune.

Vietnamese for Fair Immigration's primary complaint is that illegal immigrants -- particularly Latino immigrants -- are causing the long waits for their family members who come here from Vietnam. The group has placed a billboard ad in Berkeley that reads, "No Racist Amnesty."

Tim Brummer apparently used the name Tim Binh as spokesman for the group. But his wife, who is Vietnamese, told the Tribune reporter that her husband was using a fake name.

According to the story, some anti-immigration groups, which have overwhelmingly white memberships, are creating or backing other organizations to blunt accusations of racism. For example, Choose Black America, was created by the Federation for American Immigration Reform.

Seems like it's going to be hard to have an honest debate about such an important issue if some of the players aren't being honest about themselves.

Posted by harry at 11:37 AM | Comments (33)

A organization calling itself Vietnamese for Fair Immigration was actually co-founded by white guy who espoused his views on Web sites and in letters to the editor while pretending to be Vietnamese, according to the Oakland Tribune.

Vietnamese for Fair Immigration's primary complaint is that illegal immigrants -- particularly Latino immigrants -- are causing the long waits for their family members who come here from Vietnam. The group has placed a billboard ad in Berkeley that reads, "No Racist Amnesty."

Tim Brummer apparently used the name Tim Binh as spokesman for the group. But his wife, who is Vietnamese, told the Tribune reporter that her husband was using a fake name.

According to the story, some anti-immigration groups, which have overwhelmingly white memberships, are creating or backing other organizations to blunt accusations of racism. For example, Choose Black America, was created by the Federation for American Immigration Reform.

Seems like it's going to be hard to have an honest debate about such an important issue if some of the players aren't being honest about themselves.

Posted by harry at 11:37 AM | Comments (33)

The crucible of finals week in any academic environment is intense for all of us...it sure has been for me trying to crystallize a semester's worth of knowledge all in the heavy anticipation of wanting to get through to the glorious holidays. I used to feel that pressure differently being an undergraduate Biochemistry major. But now, being a graduate student at an Art school, it takes on a whole new creative dimension. Yep, I went from a science degree to a Fine Arts degree…imagine explaining that to all the Indian parents out there!

Preparing for a tabla concert alongside instrument inventor Kitundu at CalArts

Here at CalArts (The California Institute of Arts), where I have been for the past 1.5 years working towards an MFA in World Music,

finals week is full of non-stop inspiring displays of visual art, music, video, animation, drama and dance. The creative output never ceases to inspire me. Art school is amazing, and while there may be many detractors or skeptics, i think the fertile creative environment that is a hallmark of Art school is something worth being a part of and contributing to, especially if you are serious about your artform...and especially if you are Asian American. More of us need to nurture our creative talents, and think about making a professional commitment to taking our creative visions farther. While I think there is a growing acceptance in our communities for supporting our burgeoning artists, I know it could be better. For all you music/art/film spectators…have you supported your favorite rising Asian American Artist lately?

The Roy O Disney Hall at CalArts

I am pleased to say that i see a lot of Asian American kids at CalArts across all disciplines. Our numbers are growing. Animation is huge at CalArts (Pixar recruits most of their animators from here), and there is a growing number of students who come from India, Taiwan, Korea, China, and Japan. Last year's character animation Producer's Show, which features the 25 best student animations, featured about 5 anime and Asian themed piece crafted by Asian American students. The same goes for other departments, where i see more Asian Americans pursuing careers in acting, theater, dance and music. I worked closely with Jihyun Song, an MFA Experimental Animator, last year to score a dance and visual piece and this year I got to work with my good friend and brilliant composer Qasim Naqvi to score a hand drawn animated short. The piece featured all classical north Indian music, a major first for animation at CalArts.

Coming from an undergraduate science program at UNC-Chapel Hill, where I was surrounded by Asians in all the professional disciplines (law, engineering, medicine, and science), I must say that it is refreshing to see so many brilliant Asians producing incredible creative work. Let’s face it, Asian American artists are dope.

I sit on the CalArts Diversity committee, and this week, I learned about an incredible project being produced by Hein S. Seok, a recent Fulbright Award winner who is leaving for North Korea next semester to document the testimonies of former Korean comfort women for the Japanese military during WWII. She plans to interview Koon-Ja Kim, an 81 year old survivor who was drafted by the Japenese army at age 17 to serve as as sex slave for Japanese troops stationed in China. For three years she endured unbelievable torture, and one day it all ended...suddenly, after the atomic bomb detonated in Hiroshima, she was free to go. Her story only intensifies, as she endured a harrowing 1 month journey home to Korea, and rejection by the community when she arrived in Korea. It is estimated that over 200,000 Koreans were abducted by the Japanese military.Hein is going to Korea to talk with more survivors, and to produce a multimedia to share their stories in a multi dimensional work which will eventually be shown in LA and across the country.

Nayoman Wenten, Master Balinese musician and dancer, teaching Gamelan and drumming at CalArts

This project deserves our support, if you are interested in supporting her project, feel free to contact Hein S. Seok at hseok@alum.calarts.edu

Ill be reaching out to more amazing Asian American artists in the coming months…please send me links to any amazing ones that you think need to be highlighted!

Robin Sukhadia
Mr. Hyphen 2006/2007

Posted by robin at 7:32 PM | Comments (11)

The crucible of finals week in any academic environment is intense for all of us...it sure has been for me trying to crystallize a semester's worth of knowledge all in the heavy anticipation of wanting to get through to the glorious holidays. I used to feel that pressure differently being an undergraduate Biochemistry major. But now, being a graduate student at an Art school, it takes on a whole new creative dimension. Yep, I went from a science degree to a Fine Arts degree…imagine explaining that to all the Indian parents out there!

Preparing for a tabla concert alongside instrument inventor Kitundu at CalArts

Here at CalArts (The California Institute of Arts), where I have been for the past 1.5 years working towards an MFA in World Music,

finals week is full of non-stop inspiring displays of visual art, music, video, animation, drama and dance. The creative output never ceases to inspire me. Art school is amazing, and while there may be many detractors or skeptics, i think the fertile creative environment that is a hallmark of Art school is something worth being a part of and contributing to, especially if you are serious about your artform...and especially if you are Asian American. More of us need to nurture our creative talents, and think about making a professional commitment to taking our creative visions farther. While I think there is a growing acceptance in our communities for supporting our burgeoning artists, I know it could be better. For all you music/art/film spectators…have you supported your favorite rising Asian American Artist lately?

The Roy O Disney Hall at CalArts

I am pleased to say that i see a lot of Asian American kids at CalArts across all disciplines. Our numbers are growing. Animation is huge at CalArts (Pixar recruits most of their animators from here), and there is a growing number of students who come from India, Taiwan, Korea, China, and Japan. Last year's character animation Producer's Show, which features the 25 best student animations, featured about 5 anime and Asian themed piece crafted by Asian American students. The same goes for other departments, where i see more Asian Americans pursuing careers in acting, theater, dance and music. I worked closely with Jihyun Song, an MFA Experimental Animator, last year to score a dance and visual piece and this year I got to work with my good friend and brilliant composer Qasim Naqvi to score a hand drawn animated short. The piece featured all classical north Indian music, a major first for animation at CalArts.

Coming from an undergraduate science program at UNC-Chapel Hill, where I was surrounded by Asians in all the professional disciplines (law, engineering, medicine, and science), I must say that it is refreshing to see so many brilliant Asians producing incredible creative work. Let’s face it, Asian American artists are dope.

I sit on the CalArts Diversity committee, and this week, I learned about an incredible project being produced by Hein S. Seok, a recent Fulbright Award winner who is leaving for North Korea next semester to document the testimonies of former Korean comfort women for the Japanese military during WWII. She plans to interview Koon-Ja Kim, an 81 year old survivor who was drafted by the Japenese army at age 17 to serve as as sex slave for Japanese troops stationed in China. For three years she endured unbelievable torture, and one day it all ended...suddenly, after the atomic bomb detonated in Hiroshima, she was free to go. Her story only intensifies, as she endured a harrowing 1 month journey home to Korea, and rejection by the community when she arrived in Korea. It is estimated that over 200,000 Koreans were abducted by the Japanese military.Hein is going to Korea to talk with more survivors, and to produce a multimedia to share their stories in a multi dimensional work which will eventually be shown in LA and across the country.

Nayoman Wenten, Master Balinese musician and dancer, teaching Gamelan and drumming at CalArts

This project deserves our support, if you are interested in supporting her project, feel free to contact Hein S. Seok at hseok@alum.calarts.edu

Ill be reaching out to more amazing Asian American artists in the coming months…please send me links to any amazing ones that you think need to be highlighted!

Robin Sukhadia
Mr. Hyphen 2006/2007

Posted by robin at 7:32 PM | Comments (11)

The crucible of finals week in any academic environment is intense for all of us...it sure has been for me trying to crystallize a semester's worth of knowledge all in the heavy anticipation of wanting to get through to the glorious holidays. I used to feel that pressure differently being an undergraduate Biochemistry major. But now, being a graduate student at an Art school, it takes on a whole new creative dimension. Yep, I went from a science degree to a Fine Arts degree…imagine explaining that to all the Indian parents out there!

Preparing for a tabla concert alongside instrument inventor Kitundu at CalArts

Here at CalArts (The California Institute of Arts), where I have been for the past 1.5 years working towards an MFA in World Music,

finals week is full of non-stop inspiring displays of visual art, music, video, animation, drama and dance. The creative output never ceases to inspire me. Art school is amazing, and while there may be many detractors or skeptics, i think the fertile creative environment that is a hallmark of Art school is something worth being a part of and contributing to, especially if you are serious about your artform...and especially if you are Asian American. More of us need to nurture our creative talents, and think about making a professional commitment to taking our creative visions farther. While I think there is a growing acceptance in our communities for supporting our burgeoning artists, I know it could be better. For all you music/art/film spectators…have you supported your favorite rising Asian American Artist lately?

The Roy O Disney Hall at CalArts

I am pleased to say that i see a lot of Asian American kids at CalArts across all disciplines. Our numbers are growing. Animation is huge at CalArts (Pixar recruits most of their animators from here), and there is a growing number of students who come from India, Taiwan, Korea, China, and Japan. Last year's character animation Producer's Show, which features the 25 best student animations, featured about 5 anime and Asian themed piece crafted by Asian American students. The same goes for other departments, where i see more Asian Americans pursuing careers in acting, theater, dance and music. I worked closely with Jihyun Song, an MFA Experimental Animator, last year to score a dance and visual piece and this year I got to work with my good friend and brilliant composer Qasim Naqvi to score a hand drawn animated short. The piece featured all classical north Indian music, a major first for animation at CalArts.

Coming from an undergraduate science program at UNC-Chapel Hill, where I was surrounded by Asians in all the professional disciplines (law, engineering, medicine, and science), I must say that it is refreshing to see so many brilliant Asians producing incredible creative work. Let’s face it, Asian American artists are dope.

I sit on the CalArts Diversity committee, and this week, I learned about an incredible project being produced by Hein S. Seok, a recent Fulbright Award winner who is leaving for North Korea next semester to document the testimonies of former Korean comfort women for the Japanese military during WWII. She plans to interview Koon-Ja Kim, an 81 year old survivor who was drafted by the Japenese army at age 17 to serve as as sex slave for Japanese troops stationed in China. For three years she endured unbelievable torture, and one day it all ended...suddenly, after the atomic bomb detonated in Hiroshima, she was free to go. Her story only intensifies, as she endured a harrowing 1 month journey home to Korea, and rejection by the community when she arrived in Korea. It is estimated that over 200,000 Koreans were abducted by the Japanese military.Hein is going to Korea to talk with more survivors, and to produce a multimedia to share their stories in a multi dimensional work which will eventually be shown in LA and across the country.

Nayoman Wenten, Master Balinese musician and dancer, teaching Gamelan and drumming at CalArts

This project deserves our support, if you are interested in supporting her project, feel free to contact Hein S. Seok at hseok@alum.calarts.edu

Ill be reaching out to more amazing Asian American artists in the coming months…please send me links to any amazing ones that you think need to be highlighted!

Robin Sukhadia
Mr. Hyphen 2006/2007

Posted by robin at 7:32 PM | Comments (11)

Unfortunately, searchers have found James Kim's body, who had been missing in the Oregon wilderness.

Read some of the coverage:

AP via Yahoo

Mercury News

SFGate

You can donate to family here.

Previous post

Hope for the Safe Return of James Kim

Back in the halcyon days of the dot com era, I was working for mySimon.com, a CNET shopping property. I didn't know Senior Editor, James Kim at all, but had read his reviews of audio gadets and devices on CNET.com. When I heard news that the James Kim family was missing in the snow storm that dusted the Oregon wilderness, I felt a sense that this was something that hit home, a whole family was missing.

Fortunately, yesterday was a day that we finally heard some good news on the missing family of James Kim. The San Francisco family had been missing since November 25th. Kati Kim, the wife of James along with their two daughters were found in the Oregon forest by the search and rescue helicopter when Kati was flashing an umbrella with the words "SOS". Unfotunately, James is still missing since he set foot trying to find help on his own. Hopefully, in the next 24 hours, the searchers will find him.

You can check out some of the news stories about the Kim Family from CNET and the Chronicle.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/12/04/BAGR2MP9383.DTL

http://news.com.com/CNET+editors+wife%2C+daughters+found+search+continues/2100-1028_3-6140676.html?tag=cnetfd.mt

Posted by colbert at 12:44 AM | Comments (12)

Unfortunately, searchers have found James Kim's body, who had been missing in the Oregon wilderness.

Read some of the coverage:

AP via Yahoo

Mercury News

SFGate

You can donate to family here.

Previous post

Hope for the Safe Return of James Kim

Back in the halcyon days of the dot com era, I was working for mySimon.com, a CNET shopping property. I didn't know Senior Editor, James Kim at all, but had read his reviews of audio gadets and devices on CNET.com. When I heard news that the James Kim family was missing in the snow storm that dusted the Oregon wilderness, I felt a sense that this was something that hit home, a whole family was missing.

Fortunately, yesterday was a day that we finally heard some good news on the missing family of James Kim. The San Francisco family had been missing since November 25th. Kati Kim, the wife of James along with their two daughters were found in the Oregon forest by the search and rescue helicopter when Kati was flashing an umbrella with the words "SOS". Unfotunately, James is still missing since he set foot trying to find help on his own. Hopefully, in the next 24 hours, the searchers will find him.

You can check out some of the news stories about the Kim Family from CNET and the Chronicle.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/12/04/BAGR2MP9383.DTL

http://news.com.com/CNET+editors+wife%2C+daughters+found+search+continues/2100-1028_3-6140676.html?tag=cnetfd.mt

Posted by colbert at 12:44 AM | Comments (12)

Unfortunately, searchers have found James Kim's body, who had been missing in the Oregon wilderness.

Read some of the coverage:

AP via Yahoo

Mercury News

SFGate

You can donate to family here.

Previous post

Hope for the Safe Return of James Kim

Back in the halcyon days of the dot com era, I was working for mySimon.com, a CNET shopping property. I didn't know Senior Editor, James Kim at all, but had read his reviews of audio gadets and devices on CNET.com. When I heard news that the James Kim family was missing in the snow storm that dusted the Oregon wilderness, I felt a sense that this was something that hit home, a whole family was missing.

Fortunately, yesterday was a day that we finally heard some good news on the missing family of James Kim. The San Francisco family had been missing since November 25th. Kati Kim, the wife of James along with their two daughters were found in the Oregon forest by the search and rescue helicopter when Kati was flashing an umbrella with the words "SOS". Unfotunately, James is still missing since he set foot trying to find help on his own. Hopefully, in the next 24 hours, the searchers will find him.

You can check out some of the news stories about the Kim Family from CNET and the Chronicle.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/12/04/BAGR2MP9383.DTL

http://news.com.com/CNET+editors+wife%2C+daughters+found+search+continues/2100-1028_3-6140676.html?tag=cnetfd.mt

Posted by colbert at 12:44 AM | Comments (12)

Kal Penn gets a starring gig in National Lampoon's Van Wilder: The Rise Taj, which opens today, and he didn't have to sue to get the role.

Penn made a name for himself in Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, had a role in Superman Returns and will be a villian in next season's 24 on TV.

As an Asian American actor, Penn's gotten rare opportunities in Hollywood. A study by a UCLA professor says minority actors could have grounds to sue over studio casting practices.

"Casting directors take into account race and sex in a way that would be blatantly illegal in any other industry," said study author Russell Robinson, UCLA acting professor of law.

It would be interesting to see the outcome if an actor were to sue. At the very least, it might be a wake up call to studios and producers in Hollywood.

Until that happens, there's a ray of hope with Penn's new movie. It's bound to be a flick filled with alcohol induced, adolescent fun. If you're into that, go see it. And even if you're not, go see it. Short of a lawsuit, the box office may be the only way to send a message to the entertainment industry on how it needs to more inclusive of Asian Americans and other minority groups. Taj is a rare opportunity to send that message.

Posted by harry at 6:00 AM | Comments (3)

Kal Penn gets a starring gig in National Lampoon's Van Wilder: The Rise Taj, which opens today, and he didn't have to sue to get the role.

Penn made a name for himself in Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, had a role in Superman Returns and will be a villian in next season's 24 on TV.

As an Asian American actor, Penn's gotten rare opportunities in Hollywood. A study by a UCLA professor says minority actors could have grounds to sue over studio casting practices.

"Casting directors take into account race and sex in a way that would be blatantly illegal in any other industry," said study author Russell Robinson, UCLA acting professor of law.

It would be interesting to see the outcome if an actor were to sue. At the very least, it might be a wake up call to studios and producers in Hollywood.

Until that happens, there's a ray of hope with Penn's new movie. It's bound to be a flick filled with alcohol induced, adolescent fun. If you're into that, go see it. And even if you're not, go see it. Short of a lawsuit, the box office may be the only way to send a message to the entertainment industry on how it needs to more inclusive of Asian Americans and other minority groups. Taj is a rare opportunity to send that message.

Posted by harry at 6:00 AM | Comments (3)

Kal Penn gets a starring gig in National Lampoon's Van Wilder: The Rise Taj, which opens today, and he didn't have to sue to get the role.

Penn made a name for himself in Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, had a role in Superman Returns and will be a villian in next season's 24 on TV.

As an Asian American actor, Penn's gotten rare opportunities in Hollywood. A study by a UCLA professor says minority actors could have grounds to sue over studio casting practices.

"Casting directors take into account race and sex in a way that would be blatantly illegal in any other industry," said study author Russell Robinson, UCLA acting professor of law.

It would be interesting to see the outcome if an actor were to sue. At the very least, it might be a wake up call to studios and producers in Hollywood.

Until that happens, there's a ray of hope with Penn's new movie. It's bound to be a flick filled with alcohol induced, adolescent fun. If you're into that, go see it. And even if you're not, go see it. Short of a lawsuit, the box office may be the only way to send a message to the entertainment industry on how it needs to more inclusive of Asian Americans and other minority groups. Taj is a rare opportunity to send that message.

Posted by harry at 6:00 AM | Comments (3)

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