We've been busy over at Hyphen, but, definitely not too busy to overlook the World Premier of India Jazz Progressions, featuring Pandit Chitresh Das and Jason Samuels Smith.
Indian classical + jazz? You really don't want to miss this.
Any discounts for the Hyphen lovers? Surprised that you had to ask.
To receive a 10% discount on tickets for India Jazz Progressions, please call the box office at 415-345-7575 and mention us - Hyphen magazine - because we are a proud Community Partner of this event!
DATE: September 28 - 30, 2007
TIME: Fri & Sun 8 pm, Sun 2 pm
LOCATION: Cowell Theatre, Fort Mason Center (Marina Boulevard and Buchanan Street, in the Marina district), San Francisco
For more information, click here.
Tickets are going fast... you know what that means!
Posted by lisalee at 11:52 AM | Comments (1)
Pacific Time, the nationally distributed public radio program about Asian and Asian American affairs, is being taken off the air by San Francisco PBS station KQED.
SFGate has a story, but we first heard about it through Keith Kamisugi's Facebook page.
I always thought Pacific Time's mix of news from Asia and stories about Asian Americans didn't always mesh. At Hyphen, our focus is Asian American subjects because that is the audience that is under served by the mainstream media. While there obviously is interest in Asia among Asian Americans, it always seemed to me that Pacific Time covered Asia to make the program more marketable to a non-Asian American audience.
KQED says finances are to blame for Pacific Time's demise, and that some of the stories it covered will be aired in other programs. That may be a good thing, as one of the goals of diversifying the media is also to "mainstream" stories about under covered subjects rather than marginalizing them.
On the other hand, some stories Pacific Time would have covered may not get aired. Pacific Time was one of the few news programs around with an Asian American focus, so it is a loss. Pacific Time's last show will air Oct. 11.
Posted by harry at 11:39 AM | Comments (4)
So it's been, like, months since I've blogged here. Mostly because since the arrival of my little one, I've have limited time. But also, this is the Hyphen blog, and I'm thinking, my life has been revolving around this little fellow who eats/pee/poos/sleeps and hardly leaves time for me to do the same, and why would anyone here want to read about that?
So I've been keeping my posts about my life to a semi-private blog that is "friends-only" on another site. But lately I've also been thinking, some of you out there must be mamas (or papas) too or you may be curious and just want to live vicariously! (though it's usually the other way around nowadays).
One thing that's been noted amongst Asians and Asian Americans is that it's the year of the Golden Pig, which comes around every 60 years, or even 600 (depending on who you ask). It's supposed to be a lucky year to have a baby.
So there's supposed to be like a semi-crisis in Asian nations because of the baby boom, which has been framed in some media as increased competition for schools, jobs, etc. - so basically, how does that make the poor babies lucky?!
I wonder also if there will be a boom of Asian Americans this year. I know it's one of those, if it happens to you you think it's happening to everyone else kind of things, but I have noticed that a lot of people had or are having babies this year, and yes, they are Asian American. But again, it could just be because I'm noticing it more because I just had a baby!
But one of my aunts also thinks it's true - she's noticed a lot of pregnant women this year. I don't know, but it would be interesting if it's true. And what does that mean for Asian America. It could also be because most of my friends and I are getting "to that age" where our biological clocks are telling us, yep, it's time, so naturally there's gonna be more people I know having babies, and it just so happens to be that most of the people I know are Asian American.
Reading Neela's post, and a similar article in ColorLines (only in the print version), about gender selection just made me really sad. My mom said in China that they don't do ultrasounds for this reason, because of the high rate of aborted girls.
I know that when I found out I was pregnant, I was just so excited - mixed with a bunch of other emotions - that I didn't care whether the baby was a boy or girl. We would've been delighted either way. We did do an ultrasound around that 22nd week and found out it's a boy, but only so we could be more prepared to combat gender stereotypes and the onslaught on baby blue clothes.
The funny thing is, I noticed that amongst some of the older generation Chinese and other Asian Americans (my parents' generation), they were really excited that I was having a boy. Like one person even said, "Wow, on the first try!" Reactions like that really shocked me, and I wonder if they would've been equally excited if I said I was having a girl.
Anyway, this isn't really how I imagined my first "mama" post for Hyphen was gonna be, but I was thinking about it too much and taking too long, so I figured I should just get started already. Procrastinating isn't exactly the right word, since it's not like I'm sitting around idly.
(This is more like how I imagined the first post would be: "OMG, T finally had his BIG POO after eating solids. I should've taken a whiff of the pre-solids poo before because now I'm missing those good ole poo days..." or something along those lines.). :)
Hopefully you'll find this somewhat interesting to read. And I know it's not very newsy and is very personal, different in style from most of our entries. But yeah, maybe this'll turn into a semi-regular post about being a new mom. I'd love to hear from anyone out there, but especially the mamas!!
Posted by momo at 10:38 AM | Comments (2)
Remember our many desirable men from Mr. Hyphen? Here's a chance to get some more out of them. Well, one of them to be exact.
Our Mr. Hyphen 2007 Anthem Salgado contestant is presenting BROWN AND BLACK AND BLUE at the Zeum Theatre. Spoken word theater exploring themes of survival? Yes please! Tell me how to survive!
LOCATION: Zeum Theater, 221 4th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
DATE: Friday-Saturday, September 28-29, 2007
TIME: 8 PM
COST: $15 students/seniors, $18 advance, $20 general
Anthem has also graciously hooked us up! Get a special limited-time discount by typing the word "HYPHEN" in the promotional code box when you purchase tickets online.
About BROWN AND BLACK AND BLUE...
Originally a one man theater short, BROWN AND BLACK AND BLUE has played in Asian Pacific American festival APAture and most recently in poetry performance project Sons, Young Pilipino Men Speak. This latest development includes Salgado's riveting spoken word pieces, and integrates members of Pinoy Playback theater group and is accompanied by live music. BROWN AND BLACK AND BLUE appears in Kularts' special double-feature presentation titled Flow The Buck Up and shares the evening with L.A. sketch comedy troupe Touchblue.
WHO'S ON BOARD...
Performers: Anthem Salgado, Innokenty, Jason Agar, Josh Kaplan, Joyce Lu, Laurie Krsmanovic, and Lynette Cameron
Artistic Director: Olivia Malabuyo
Producer: Irene Faye Duller.
For more information, click here.
Posted by lisalee at 10:08 AM | Comments (1)
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.
Well, I saw the above chocolate bar at the point of sale in Falletti's, a local fancy market. I was APPALLED. My adolescent years came rushing back, and there I was again, being called 'chinita-this' and 'chinita-that' and just plain 'ole chinita, without technically being a chinita. I almost cried me a fricking river, right then and there, and it would have melted all of that nicely displayed chocolate and made a big fricking chocolate chinita river.
The back of the bar reads: "Named in tribute to the beloved patron virgin of Maracaibo, who protected the famed regions' cacao growers in Venezuela, the Chinita Nibs bar melds our private blend of premium dark chocolate with fresh nutmeg and caramelized cacao nibs."
A patron virgin, eh?
A tourist info site called 'Venezuela Tuya' (Your Venezuela) recounts the story thusly (emphasis mine):
Until the middle of the 18th century the Marabinos' main spiritual devotions were the Saints Pedro and Juan de San Sebastian and the Virgen del Rosario de Chiquinquira. The last one had been brought to Maracaibo at the end of the 17th century by Don Juan Nieves de Andrade. The pious man built a modest hermitage out of mud and sticks and put in its interior a piece of wood with a copy of the Virgen del Rosario de Chiquinquira image worshiped in Santa Fe de Bogota at Nueva Granada (today Colombia).As the time passed by, the painting on the wood vanished and so did the religious interest in the Virgin. The piece of wood got lost and on a morning of 1749 at dawn, an old woman who washed clothes in the lake waters, found it.
Totally unaware of its origins, took it home, where she used it to cover a clay jar. Then one day she noted the Virgin's image on the piece of wood; she hung it on a wall and turned it into an object of veneration. On October 18th, the peace and quietness of the house was upset by strange sounds and some sort of noisy movements.When the lady looked for the cause of the disturbance, her eyes were caught by the Virgin's image on the wood, which was brighten with glittering lights. Bewildered at the wonder of the event the woman fell on her knees before the image of a tender looking Virgin with tanned skin and almond shaped eyes, who was holding in her arms a child of ravishing beauty. The Virgin's blurred image had turned into a breathtaking vision that made the old lady shout out loud "Miracle! Miracle! It's a miracle" Soon the whole neighbourhood joined in, to contemplate and marvel at the astonishing event.
The humble house became a place for praying and worshipping God's Mother and is presently a temple, home of the Patroness Saint. There, mass is celebrated and the famous wood is exhibited on the altar where you can distinctly see the splendid Virgin's image.
So this here 18th century miracle has some almond-shaped eyes, so she gets to be The Little Chinese Girl Virgin (Mary).
So I thought, why not face my nightmares and buy the chocolate bar, and eat it, and see if it's any good. In the last few years, my family has become a bit of the chocolate family, with my cousin starting a chocolate cafe (featuring gourmet bars) and my dad buying a cacao production company in Quito, where he retired. You could see how it might even be my duty to try it.
So I did.
And unfortunately, it was pretty tasty.
If you're actually of Chinese heritage, you might relish it with a modicum of pride intact.
Posted by rebecca at 3:30 PM | Comments (2)
Last night I was home eating dinner when I turned the TV on. It was the first time in a long time I had even touched the TV (I swear), and I was immediately assaulted by the booming voice of Dr. Phil in all his Texan swagger. The theme of this particular episode was Change My Face, Change My Race, so I decided to watch.
Well, it was Asian Time on Dr. Phil as 2 of the 3 segments featured Asian Americans. I’m sorry to report that most of them did not represent well.
First up was James, an Asian American man married to Roseanna, who is half Mexican and half Irish. Roseanna complained that her husband was controlling (won’t let her have her own money, monitors her communications), racist (thinks Asians are smarter than other races), and sexist (expects her to be obedient). She was afraid that he was raising their son to demean and objectify women.
In the video introduction before the couple sat down to talk, James said “If my wife does not like my rules, I would encourage her to leave. Dr. Phil, how can I not have my wife challenge my authority in my home?"
Very nice. Way to enforce stereotypes of Asian men as domineering and sexist on national TV. It also didn’t help that James spoke like an unfeeling robot.
James defended himself by saying he was not a bigot because he had been married to a black woman for 17 years and had 3 half-black children. Sounds like a variation of the "I have friends who are black so I can't possibly be racist" defense. Newsflash: just because you have friends and family of another race doesn't mean you can't be prejudiced. Exhibit A: Asiaphiles who marry Asians.
The next segment was very brief and about eyelid surgery. On the pro-surgery side was an Orange County surgeon and one of his patients who had the surgery to put folds in her eyelids. On the stop-buying-into-whitey’s-idea-of-beauty side were 2 people only identified as Deanna and Martin. I recognized Martin as the publisher of Giant Robot. But I bet most people watching the show aren’t as up on their indie magazines. Sheeesh Dr. Phil, is it really that hard to take a second to establish the credentials of your guest? Isn’t it helpful to know that your guest is the editor of a magazine about Asian culture and not just some dude you pulled off the street?
The woman who had the surgery, Stephanie, explained that she was ashamed of the eyes she was born with and wanted to look more like the people she saw in magazines. In other words, she wanted to look more white.
Oh Stephanie, you are a sad, sad girl.
At least the segment ended on a good note. Dr. Phil then called out a Filipina who worked on his show. The staffer, Chastity, said that her family members wanted her to get a nose job to fix her flat nose, and that when she was young, they would even pinch her nose in the hopes that it would gain more height.
Dr. Phil asked if she was going to get the surgery.
“I’m fine. I’m good with the way I am,” she said.
The last segment was about an Italian American who wanted a nose job to reign in his huge nose. His family was against it.
So, issues like the controversy over eyelid surgery are making it out of ethnic magazines and on to mainstream TV. It's like the talk show world has suddenly discovered eyelid surgery. If I recall correctly, Martin was also on the Tyra Banks Show not too long ago discussing the same issue. Is it better for Asian Americans to be airing our disagreements on TV rather than not being on TV at all? I guess so. I really could have done without seeing this James guy though. I thought his appearance was damaging to Asian American men. (Where do they find these people anyway?)
To read the blow-by-blow of each segment, click here.
Posted by Melissa at 12:05 PM | Comments (7)
Clearly hacktastic: The Guitar Zeros; hapa lead singer Ryan Yount
The Guitar Zeros have figured out a way to turn straw into gold, water into Jager. They've turned that sweet tool of the Playstation 2 game Guitar Hero, the plastic mini-Gibson controller, into a mighty sword of sonic destruction. There are no actual guitars in the band, hence guitar zeros. It's the ultimate in real-becomes-fake-becomes-real again kind of thinking. (See their Zero Guide, which includes their Fretbuzz freeware and instructions on turning the controller into an instrument.)
When: Thursday, Sept. 20 (tonight!), 8pm
Where: 111 Minna Gallery, San Francisco
Cost: $2. Enter the Guitar Hero competition on a projector over the bar for $5. Early open bar.
--
Being an Asian American that grew up in Latin America, I have a soft spot for any Asians with Latin American connections. It's a different form of patria, I guess. I've been seeing more lately on Asian Latinos, from documentary Motherland Korea Cuba USA to a short film on the murders of Chinese restaurant delivery men, D 4 Delivery, where the protagonist is Venezuelan Chinese.
I wish I could make it to War and Prejudice: US Internment of Japanese Latin Americans During WWII and Its Relevance Today. They will screen Hidden Internment: The Art Shibayama Story, followed by a community dialogue and reception with former Japanese Peruvian internee Art Shibayama, Grace Shimizu from Campaign for Justice: Redress Now for Japanese Latin Americans! and Robin Toma from the LA County Commission on Human Relations.
When: Saturday, Sept. 22, 1 - 3pm
Where: Japanese American National Museum, Los Angeles
Cost: Free. Peruvian refreshments served, too.
Posted by rebecca at 2:11 PM | Comments (0)
Photo by Junzo Chino
I always thought we should have a column in Hyphen about the ways in which Asian culture gets misappropriated. In the cheesy tradition of Asian American student conferences, we could even use "asian" in the name of the column, as in "MisappropriAsian."
However, we already have a column called InterrogAsian. (See the home page for an example.) And upon further reflection, it seems a column on such a topic might just get too repetitive. No matter how many times you say "Yo, stop misappropriating my shit," Gwen Stefani probably isn't going to hear you.
Still, it could be amusing. Especially as a collection of photos. So here's one to start out with. If readers like it, we can make it a recurring blog item.
By the way, my friend who found this said that when he opened the package, a gong sounded.
Posted by Melissa at 4:05 PM | Comments (5)
When I’m not sitting on the newly-elected Hyphen Board (woo-hoo!), I also sit on the Circle of Directors of Purple Moon Dance Project – a non-profit arts organization whose goal is “to increase the visibility of lesbians and women of color and to encourage social change, peace and healing in our society through the medium of dance.”
I joined Purple Moon’s supporters after meeting founder Jill Togawa when she performed at a special meeting where Asian and Pacific Islander Lesbian and Bisexual, Queer and Transgender (APLBQT) community members presented before the Presidential Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders back in November 2000. [Ahhh, the good ole’ days of President Clinton.] Along with dance, Purple Moon does a lot of healing movement work in the community with women who are terminally ill or in recovery. They work with groups of terminally ill women in Japantown and Chinatown who are amazing in their strength and sense of community in the face of mortality.
[On a sidenote, I also joined Purple Moon to be in community and conversation with different generations of women and, specifically Asian American women and women of color. Sometimes, when I look around at meetings or social events, I am alarmed that the majority of people I know are 25-40. I live away from the community I grew up in – and the older generations of my family are in India – so working with older women and younger women has really enriched my life. Anyway, Hyphen always makes me think about community building and the make-up of the Asian American community … anyway, more about this another time.]
This weekend, Purple Moon is holding their annual Community Garden Healing Festival at the Children's Rooftop at Yerba Buena Gardens,?located near 4th and Howard Streets in San Francisco:
The festival brings together leading women’s health professionals, practitioners and accomplished artists with women, children, youth and families to promote healthy living in a transformative afternoon of communal dance, music, art and wellness. Free activities include bodywork, massage, reiki, yoga, children’s art-making, refreshments and informational resources from a variety of health agencies. Bring a picnic and join us in a multi-cultural, intergenerational event of healing!
Also, Purple Moon is holding nominations for their DreamSpeakers awards. “Last year Purple Moon Dance Project closed its 15th anniversary season with a special awards celebration and performance honoring ten women artists who inspire us, reflect our own brilliance, and light our way through their work. Women who tell our stories, ?heal our hearts and spirits, embody our wisdom and preserve and enrich our culture.?We are continuing this tradition and invite you as part of our community, to nominate a woman who you would love to see honored as a DreamSpeaker.”
DreamSpeakers 2008
Call for Nominations
We are honoring women whose work meets some of these criteria:
~ not been widely honored or celebrated
~ intercultural and interdisciplinary
~intergenerational
~ is creating community
~reflects the lives of lesbians and women of color
please give us as much of the requested information as possible
Name _________________________________________
Cultural Heritage _______________________ Age________
Years working as an artist and discipline______________________
Please attach a separate sheet telling us about this woman’s work and how she has inspired you and why you would love to see her honored. Please use specific examples and take as much room as you need.
Mail to: Purple Moon Dance Project, 26 Seventh St, 6th Fl, San Francisco, CA 94103 or email information to jill@purplemoondance.org
Nominations are due by September 28, 2007
Posted by neela at 8:17 PM | Comments (0)
So, months after the dust from the AsianWeek “Why I Hate Blacks” debacle has settled, the organization seems to be trying to make amends in the community. Along with a newly designed website, they are holding focus groups to find out what the community wants in an Asian American newspaper.
As it says in the flyer, they are doing this to “help make AsianWeek the voice of Asian America.” All I can say is: FINALLY. As maligned and irritated as I have been with AsianWeek over the years – including my three years working there – I still agree that as a weekly Asian American newspaper they are a huge resource. So, let’s all go to these focus groups and give them a piece of our minds -- hey, if anything, it's a free meal.
Posted by neela at 3:42 PM | Comments (0)
If you've never been to the dynamic APAture: A Window on the Art of Asian Pacific Americans festival hosted by the historic Kearny Street Workshop -- this is your chance.
The festival features over 100 Asian American artists at seven venues and is just one of those events that makes a person really excited to live in San Francisco -- refreshed by the fact that there are so many Asian Americans interpreting the world around them. One of the cool things is that APAture used to be for "young and emerging artists" only, but recently it has opened up to include a more multi-generation approach.
Tonight -- Tuesday -- is the kick-off with a Gallery Opening. I was a bartender at this event last year and I couldn't make drinks fast enough. I love rocking parties on Tuesday nights.
Anyway, check out the events -- including performances and art and lit by Hyphen-ators like me, the former Mr Hyphen and our one-time Take Out editor -- and stay tuned for some reporting back.
Posted by neela at 10:11 AM | Comments (0)
Overheard on the Today show this morning during Joan Rivers' critique of male fashion she liked from Emmy's:
Joan: What's his name, the Chinese guy?Several Today hosts chime in: Masi Oka
She can't tell Asians apart but she remembered his suit.
Posted by harry at 10:13 AM | Comments (3)
As the nation woke up to live broadcasts of 9/11 memorial services this Tuesday, I was shaken by an angry Indian mother telling me to shave my beard, just like she’s done every year since the tragic event filled Americans with disdain for all persons brown and bearded. She said people might, yikes, mistake me for a Muslim.
I’m brown, proud and too damn lazy to shave. And this seems to only bother other Indians. I just got back from an overseas vacation and to my family and friends’ surprise, I wasn’t hassled, cavity searched or anal probed by security. As much as I’d like to write off my mom’s paranoia as ignorance, it’s been a warranted precautionary measure for all South Asians and Middle Easterners ever since the hate crimes that followed and continue six years later.
We live in fear. We know our country’s history of persecuting its minority citizens. And we know that over-patriotic and under-educated Americans have a hard on for hatred toward us. Just check Craigslist’s Rants and Raves section, where morons engage in dumbass discussions and hurl racist remarks like it was a Klan rally in the 40s.
Here are a few gems from the Bay Area Craigslist:
“I use to be a non-racist person. That is until you ragheaded Islamic freaks had to come to this country and fuck it all up! You fucking Islamic ragheads are the one's responsable for 9/11. All you MotherFuckers are pieces of shit! You fucking stink and you are fucking rude.” – click-clack if you want to read more.
“Fuck Islam. I'm against Bush. Against the war in Iraq, but if you think for a second that I will convert to your Godless ‘religion’ then prepare for me to fight you to the death and take as many of you motherfuckers with me.”
“rememberr 9/11 kill a turban day”
I wonder what's being said in other communities and forums across the nation? And maybe I'll trim my beard just a little, for mom's sake.
Posted by Zoneil at 4:46 PM | Comments (3)
Yellow alert from presidential candidate Fred Thompson, who says Hillary Clinton's association to illegal fundraising by Asian Americans in 1996 should have made her cautious about accepting $850,000 from fugitive Norman Hsu.
When it came out that the questionable donations came from an Asian American, I had that "oh no, here we go again" reaction whenever something like happens, whether is that whole debacle back in 1996 or the Virginia Tech shooter. Asian Americans start getting painted with one big brush when news like this hits.
I mean, if Norman Hsu had been white, there wouldn't be a presidential candidate saying you should be careful taking donations from white people.
Posted by harry at 8:21 AM | Comments (13)
This guy could change the gender balance of the Indian American community? Yikes!
An interesting story about ads for The Fertility Clinic, a Los Angeles-based center that claims they have the "world's largest and most successful PGD sex selection program," running in Indian American media.
The guy who runs the sex selection program sounds kind of clueless to me, but I guess that's how you have to be in that field. As you can see from the site, they are doing cutting edge work.
Now some Indians are traveling from India to The Fertility Institutes, which claims to run the largest sex-selection program in the world. Dr. Jeffrey Steinberg, medical director of the gender selection program at the Fertility Institutes says 25 percent of his Indian patients travel from India to Los Angeles for the $18,000 procedure. Steinberg affirms that the institute’s ads “absolutely” target the ethnic media because “there’s a strong preference in certain ethnic groups for gender selection, one way or another, boy or girl.” The Fertility Institutes devote 5 percent of its advertising to ethnic media. “The 5 percent brings in about 20 percent of our business,” Steinberg said.The clinic uses pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), which allows doctors to choose embryos on the basis of different criteria like health or sex. When he started getting requests from couples to use PGD to choose the sex of their next child, Steinberg said he accommodated their requests. “It’s certainly a tool that’s available, and I’m not going to deny it to anyone,” he said.
As an Indian American girl, I know very well the preference for boys in my community and I think that this whole thing is mad scary. Now basically, rich Indian families can pay for sons instead of dealing with the burden of daughters -- and they will do it. And do we really now all the side effects of this kind of genetic tampering? What does sex selection do to people? And once we pick the sex of our babies, isn't it just a slippery slope to further genetic modifications. Well, if they are going to do it, maybe they should start here.
Posted by neela at 1:01 PM | Comments (5)
There seems to be nothing hotter than Asian American graphic novelists and comic book artists. (Be sure to check out Issue 12 of Hyphen for a great story on South Asian-centric Shakti Comics at Virgin and what desi comic artists have to say about it.) Now, add to the list an exciting new project from our friend Jeff Yang and his buddies in the comic industry: Secret Identities: The Asian American Superman Anthology.
Here’s a little more from the press release:
What if we told you a tale about a quiet, unassuming guy with black hair and thick glasses? He's an immigrant, who's done his best to fit in to a world that isn't his—one very different from the land of his birth. He's got a hidden side to himself that he can't quite bring himself to show, not even to the popular girl he's got a huge crush on. If only she knew who he really was—what he could really do—she'd be amazed, he thinks. If only she knew. If only everyone knew...For many Asian Americans, this chronicle is a familiar one, because many of us lived it. But this also happens to be the story of a mild-mannered reporter named Clark Kent, better known to the world by his alter ego: Superman. And it's just one example of the parallels between the cultural narrative of Asian America and the mythic foundation of the comic book superhero. These parallels, along with the burgeoning array of Asian American creative talent in the mainstream and alternative comics industries, are what have led New York Times best-selling author Jeff Yang; independent comics creator Jerry Ma; comics education specialist Keith Chow, and actor Parry Shen to team up to edit Secret Identities: The Asian American Superhero Anthology, the first-ever graphic novel collection of original stories exploring the universe of masked marvels and caped crusaders from the perspective of the nation's fastest-growing and most dynamic emerging community. The book will be published in trade paperback by The New Press (http://www.thenewpress.com ), one of the nation's leading independent publishers, hitting bookshelves in Fall 2008.
The super-exciting thing about this project is that they are looking for contributors:
The collection is actively seeking Asian American creators both within and outside the comics industry who are interested in contributing one to six page stories, either within the superhero genre or commenting on it in a satirical or insightful fashion. This may include artist/writer teams or artist-writer sole creators as well as artists seeking to be paired with a writer or writers with an idea seeking to be paired with an artist. Interested artists must submit art samples, and writers must submit story ideas, by no later than October 15th, 2007 to be considered for the anthology. All characters and stories included in the collection must be original to their creators and previously unpublished in any venue. The collection is intended to be creator-owned: Contributors will retain all rights to characters, depictions, backgrounds, marks, and storylines associated with their submissions.
So, here’s the chance for all you guys & girls who have been dreaming of letting your inner Asian superhero out: Rice Rocketeer – part man, part Acura Integra; Bhangra Destroyer – a typical desi DJ by night, and an evil villan by day; Karaokegirl – with her super-powered karaoke mic she can burst the eardrums of bad guys with a single rendition of “Toxic.” Okay, I'll stop now.
Check out a sneak preview of “Secret Identities” at AngryAsianMan.
Posted by neela at 12:49 PM | Comments (2)
When I arrived in San Francisco as a country-bumpkin from the Midwest, I often found myself standing by the hole in the ground at the corner of Jackson and Kearny in Chinatown. I had seen the amazing documentary The Fall of the I-Hotel back in college and I was amazed that the space was still being protected. It was the last year of the dotcom boom and all the history of displacement seemed incredibly relevant.
I had the chance to interview Bill Sorro, and other Manilatown activists, about their struggle and the fight to rebuild the I-Hotel. I can still remember the enormous sense of history and power I felt after talking to these men. It seems almost like a dream now: I was barely into my 20s, Bush had been elected president but nothing of the war and disaster that was impending had yet arrived, rents were suddenly getting cheaper and I was having tea with my elders. The world seemed like a place where change was possible.
For years after that, I would see Bill Sorro at Asian American community events and he always greeted me with a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. Every time I saw him that sense of excitement, that sense that good people make the world a better place, was refreshed. And of course, in 2005, the I-Hotel Manilatown Center reopened as a community center and affordable housing for seniors. It was a true community victory.
Bill passed away on August 27th and will be sorely missed and warmly remembered in the San Francisco community. There will be ample opportunities to celebrate and remember Bill, like the gallery exhibition A Serving of Love: The Passion of Bill Sorro, featuring the interviews, photographs and other historical material from his life which opened earlier this month and will run through October 6 on display at the Maniltaown Heritage Foundation (868 Kearny Street, SF).
Read more about Bill Sorro and his amazing family here and about his work here. You can also check out a family portrait of the Sorros in Issue One of Hyphen.
Posted by neela at 11:56 AM | Comments (3)
Miyoshi Umeki, one of the stars of the all-Asian American cast of Flower Drum Song and Oscar winner for Sayonara, died last week. She was 78.
She was the first Asian to win an Oscar, and she did it back in 1957! What are the chances of an Asian or Asian American winning an acting Oscar today? Umeki really was a pioneer.
The only movie of hers I've seen is Flower Drum Song, and I only saw it this year, so my appreciation for her is new.
Rest in peace
Posted by harry at 7:20 PM | Comments (0)
New The View host Whoopi Goldberg took the plunge into ethnic stereotyping by comparing football star Michael Vick's cultural upbringing with dog fighting to the Chinese and eating cats.
Some might say her comments are ignorant and even racist. I would lean more toward the ignorant because it's true that the Chinese eat cat. And dog. I've been to restaurants in China where both are served and tried dog.
The stereotype is based on fact. I don't know exactly how common it is to eat dog and cat China, but it's not an everyday thing. And certainly few if any are being consumed in the United States by Chinese Americans or anyone else. The problem is when the eating cat and dog stereotype becomes the only image that is conjured up when talking about Chinese or Asian Americans.
Posted by harry at 10:51 AM | Comments (18)
I recently drove from L.A. to San Francisco in a poorly air conditioned car and the only thing that kept me going was listening to M.I.A.'s Arular over and over. "I got the bombs to make you blow/ I got the beats to make you bang!"
Yes, we were on her back in the day, but now she is back with a vengeance. She's been standing up for her rights -- as Samhita at Feministing points out -- especially in this controversial interview with Pitchfork magazine, who she called out for spreading so-called rumors about her.
Regardless, "Paper Planes" is probably my favorite song from the new album. I think the Timbaland track BLOWS! It just doesn't seem to come together what do people think?
Also, um, I have such a crush on Diplo and M.I.A. together. I think I have watched this silly 58 second clip like 20 times.
Posted by neela at 11:54 PM | Comments (1)
2/3 of 2007 accounted for...how are you doing on your 2007 New Year's Resolutions? I'll spare you the details of my list, but so far I'm doing alright. The whole working out at a gym thing isn't working out too well. But when does it ever?
One resolution I had hoped to act upon and shamefully have not is to give back to the community. For this post, I wanted to get a sense of what kind of organizations and projects were out there for potential volunteers. For all the civic-minded folks out there, consider this your electronic soapbox, a chance to brag a little bit about what you do, why you do it, and how others can get involved. Be sure to post some links and contact information. These opportunities don't have to be APA-specific. I look forward to hearing your responses.
Posted by Kevin Lee at 10:02 PM | Comments (2)
So, a couple of weeks ago, I went into the partly-Asian American owned eyewear store in San Francisco, HyperOptics Optometry. Now that I have insurance, it seems like a good idea to plunk some change on eyeglasses. I've been wearing contacts for the last several years, mostly because I love the idea of actually having peripheral vision, but also because my glasses are crooked. I had hit a zombie square on the head in a haunted house soon after I got them, and lo and behold, it was a real person who smacked me back. HARD. (Sorry zombie, but your head was covered in newspaper.) They flew off and were henceforth irretrievable from the land of crookedness.
I had thought that since the store was partly-Asian American owned (or wholly? I'm not sure), they would have frames that would fit my face. My wide, round, bridgeless face. I'm tired of glasses that fall off when I tilt my head down to read a book. I'm tired of them sailing into the distance when I do quick turns in a dance class. I want the lenses to be in front of my eyeballs, not the top of the frame.
Apparently, the store will install nose pads onto frames that don't have them, but they might look weird with plastic frames, which already have a nose landing area. I was really digging on some clear plastic ones, which have that retro-future appeal. Not to mention the quasi-invisibility, comparable to clear orthodontic braces. I started looking around on the web, but realized that I could take advantage of your expertise. So if you have any advice, please share. Also, if you're in any sort of position to start a frame company catering to Asian Americans, you might make a mint.
Posted by rebecca at 9:14 PM | Comments (7)
The BF is at Burning Man this weekend. What do you do while the cat's away? You, er... go to a leadership conference.
I was going to stay at home, catch up on Hyphen stuff and do Hip Hop Abs a few times. (As silly as it is, a co-worker is really into it, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. Now that I'm 30 I can't seem to rely on my metabolism like I used to.) Instead, I got roped into going to APA 5's Inspire '07. Or rather, I felt obligated to go. The last thing I wanted to do on Labor Day weekend was even more work. But it's turning out to be one of the best things I've done all year. No, really.
In the morning I went to the breakout session called "Overcoming Cultural Taboos." At a time when most are just getting to their breakfasts, Rudy Corpuz, Eddy Zheng and Atashi Chakravarty really laid out the heavy-hitting goods, speaking with that life or death immediacy that generally only people who work in life or death scenarios can do.
The networking opportunities are tremendous, and everyone so far has seemed genuinely glad to go out and meet some cool folks who are doing cool things.
However, the mini-mentorship sessions could have stood better advertisement. I saw it listed on the program but didn't know what they tangibly meant, or who would be mentoring. But the roster of people today was really great, including Eric Byler, Justin Lin, Michael Kang, Eddy Zheng, and politicians and business leaders. I was able to sit at a table with Roger Fan (of Better Luck Tomorrow and Annapolis fame) and two others (one of whom was from Angry Asian Man) and shoot the shit for over an hour about ethnicity and the film industry. I was supposed to go to another one after that with Elaine Kim, but somehow couldn't find her. Too bad! I'm not sure who will be doing mentorships sessions tomorrow—it doesn't seem to be publicized anywhere—but if it's anything like it was today, I highly recommend it. All of the speakers are incredibly accessible.
While we're sort of on the topic of Roger Fan, I just have to say that he's a complete package: attractive, smart, wicked funny. Color me impressed. (I love that I can say this without it seeming like I want to bear his children, since this is more of a public service announcement. And the public needs to know. His MySpace page says he's single, so ladies, make your move.)
While we're on the topic of Roger Fan and packages, see his short film "The Quest for Length" [on YouTube] if you haven't already. Hi-la-ri-ous. Not for the faint of heart.
Posted by rebecca at 11:26 PM | Comments (0)
Search
Categories
Recent Comments
Recent Entries
Archives
Resources
