Hyphen Blog http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/ en Copyright 2009 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:12:40 -0800 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Asians Reportedly Defeating the Economy asia_graf.jpg

USA Today has an interesting, if maybe inadvertently stereotypical article, about the infallibility of Asian Americans and Asian immigrants in this economy. It is an article that oscillates between fascinating statistics and under reported conclusions turned generalizations. There's even a reference to a dry cleaner!
 
According to the article, the good news is that Asian Americans and Asian immigrants have a lower reported unemployment rate (7.5 percent) than the national average (10.2 percent).  More specifically, the unemployment gap among Asians is "far lower than the rates for whites, blacks, Hispanics or the national as a whole." Of course, the strong showing among Asians in our disillusioned, disgruntled American workforce is attributed to cultural factors like "education benchmarks and cultural traditions that foster family support when someone is out of work." Cue image here of the overworked geek of indeterminate Asian origin, rising above the rest of American society .

]]> http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/2009/11/asians-reportedly-defeating-th.html http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/2009/11/asians-reportedly-defeating-th.html Media News Race acupuncture economy immigrants stereotypes Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:12:40 -0800 Obama Piece in Washington Times

Since when did the Washington Times start to sound like something you would read from David Duke or Stormfront? This piece blasts Obama for his bowing behavior during his trip around Asia, criticizing him for practicing a common cultural show of respect, but also manages to throw in some offensive sentiments as well.

]]> http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/2009/11/obama-piece-in-washington-time.html http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/2009/11/obama-piece-in-washington-time.html News Politics bowing china japan obama racism racist washington times Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:21:55 -0800 Free Album Download from ill-Literacy free of charge!

Can we say amen to open-source music?

If you're a loyal Hyphen subscriber (which I know all of you are), you'll remember reading about them in The Family Issue in "School of iFunk" written by our former music editor, Zoneil Maharaj. These guys also performed at our release party for the same issue earlier this year and just killed it. They really know how to work the crowd. So if you haven't caught the ill-Literacy bug yet, now's the perfect time.

In fact, I'm rocking out to it right now, at work. No joke. My co-workers are staring at me funny.

hyphen_ill.jpg





]]> http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/2009/11/free-album-download-from-illli.html http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/2009/11/free-album-download-from-illli.html Music hip hop hip-hop iLL-Literacy music spoken word Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:55:13 -0800 The Hyphenite's Social Calendar: Enter the Green Dragon, BANANA Roundtable Tuesday November 17th -- Nationwide

visualizAsian.com with Lac Su

lacsu-va.jpgvisualizAsian.com -- as part of their AAPI Empowerment Series -- will be presenting an interview with Lac Su, author of the powerful new memoir I Love Yous Are for White People, about Su's refugee upbringing in Los Angeles. Also an executive for a global think tank and a father, painter, and photographer, Su is organizing the upcoming BANANA API Bloggers Roundtable. Participants will have a chance to submit questions for Lac prior or during the interview.

6 pm PST / 7 pm Mountain / 8pm Central / 9 pm Eastern
Phone or webcast -- registration here.
FREE

]]> http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/2009/11/the-hyphenites-social-calendar-38.html http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/2009/11/the-hyphenites-social-calendar-38.html Events 18 mighty mountain warriors AARising aaron jafferis andy lelei'siuao angry asian man antisocial ladder APAs for Progress apen APICHA art asefeka of the unmalosa Asia Society asian american arts initiative asian american movement asian comedy night asian pacific environmental network AZNRaps BANANA benefitm typhoon bicoastalbitchin bigWOW bloggers breaking the bow byron au young call for submissions china chinese bodies cliff matias comedy contemporary asian theater scene DVAN enter the green dragon etienne filmmaking GAPIMNY goh nakamura hone bailey hyphen kaina quenga keiki hula kelly tsai kimchi mamas kore society korean ghost storie lac su Leo Bar leomitit LGBTQ los angeles mahina movement MAPID matou mavericks of Asian Pacific Islander descent Minority Militant miss BME mochi mag mr. sadman neeato new york nikkei view nine-tailed fox nyu oakland opportunities patrick epino philadelphia Pin@y pop88 Queer Queer Pin@y Conference rooftop films s korean drama samahang pilipino samoa san jose sepia mutinym channelAPA steven eng stuck elevator studio city theater tsunami relief UCLA USC visualizasian yellow rage yoshihiro Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:49:37 -0800 Page Turner Literary Festival: Part Two! page_books.jpg
A big pile of tasty books!


After Cynthia took off I checked out the second half of the Page Turner Literary Festival. It was fantastic and inspiring to see so many people packed into one space for this event. On a personal note, I credit the Asian American Writers Workshop with changing my life -- an internship there back in 1996 introduced me to an amazing community of writers, artists and activists. (I also edited their magazine for several years after college.) The AAWW  offered me real-life examples of being a working writer, something that I never even saw as possible before that. It's great to see it not only still going strong, but also expanding its programming to include larger-scale events like Page Turner.

]]> http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/2009/11/page-turner-literary-festival.html http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/2009/11/page-turner-literary-festival.html Books Events amitava kumar asian american writers workshop ed lin hari kunzru hengry chang jhumpa lahiri kai-ming cha katie kitamura lijia zhang min jin lee monique truong morteza baharloo page turner literary festival Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:51:05 -0800 Congrats to Mr. Hyphen 2009: Pahole Sookkasikon
Mr Hyphen 2009 for blog (5 of 5).jpg
He's So Money: Newly crowned Mr. Hyphen 2009 Pahole Sookkasikon. Photo by John C. Liau.

Even the Pacquiao-Cotto fight couldn't stop Hyphen fans from turning out in droves this past Saturday to cheer for their favorite Asian American men at the fourth annual Mr. Hyphen contest. With a shot of talent, a shot of fashion and, in the words of one of the judges, "a lot of soul," there was something for everyone. At the end of the night, Pahole Sookkasikon took home the crown and $1,000 for his chosen nonprofits, the Thai-American Scholarship Fund and the Asian American Donor Program.

]]> http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/2009/11/mr-hyphen-2009-pahole-sookkasi.html http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/2009/11/mr-hyphen-2009-pahole-sookkasi.html Events Hyphen Events Mr. Hyphen APIA Spoken Word & Poetry Summit Asian American Donor Program Center for Asian American Media Danny Le Leng Phe Mr. Hyphen mr. hyphen Pahole Sookkasikon R.J. Lozada Serve the People Sikhcess Thai-American Scholarship Fund Tiny Toones Cambodia Tony Douangviseth vikram pandit Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:05:53 -0800 D'Lo talks about 'Minor D'Tales' at the Brava Theater SF naatf-dlo.jpg
For those of you who were at Mr. Hyphen on Saturday night, you know exactly what I am talking about when I say that D'Lo rocked it as emcee! D'Lo brought out the best in the contestants, the judges, and the audience.

Don't miss the solo performance this coming weekend at the Brava Theater in San Francisco. The show, Minor D'Tales, runs this Thursday, November 19 through Saturday at Brava Theater in San Francisco. Written and performed by D'Lo, and directed by Adelina Anthony, the show is a series of excerpts from larger works-in-progress which include story-telling and character monologues.

In the midst of a hectic rehearsal schedule at Brava, I got to talk with D'Lo about the creative process behind the show. Check out the interview:

]]> http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/2009/11/dlo-at-brava-theater-sf-minor.html http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/2009/11/dlo-at-brava-theater-sf-minor.html Events Performance anthem salgado d'lo performance theater Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:40:33 -0800 Page Turner: Asian American Literary Festival welcome.JPGThis Saturday I was lucky enough to check out the first half of the Inaugural day-long Page Turner Asian American Literary Fest, presented by the nonprofit literary arts organization Asian American Writers' Workshop.

Held in the expansive Brooklyn PowerHouse Arena, the festival was packed with compelling sessions featuring writers, performers, academics, and journalists, making it hard for this gal to choose which ones to drop in on. The sessions had an impressive turnout, and with speakers parked on couches as opposed to stuck behind a podium or table, had a less stiff, formalized vibe than your typical panel (more pics here).

]]> http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/2009/11/page-turner-asian-american-lit.html http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/2009/11/page-turner-asian-american-lit.html Books Events asian american asian american writers' workshop date an asian david henry hwang disgrrasian ed lin firoozeh kashani-sabet harold and kumar immigration jen kwok jennifer hayashida kavitha rajagopalan ken chen literature mae ngai mitra kalita my dad is a fob my mom is a fob page turner festival poetry policy Porochista Khakpour post-racial sesshu foster sree sreenivasan stuff indians like yellowface Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:30:20 -0800 An Interview with Designer Estrella Tadeo estrella_tadeo.jpg
photo courtesy of Estrella Tadeo

The menswear designer talks to us about her line, working at a co-op, and what a well-dressed Mr. Hyphen would wear.

To the male college graduates still shuffling to work in cargo shorts and polo shirts: Estrella Tadeo feels for you.

"There's a huge gap from skater boy to professional," says Tadeo. "When [skater boy] grows up, he can't afford the YSL, but still wants to look cool."

The menswear designer and co-founder of The Mission Statement, a co-op boutique, laments the lack of options available for guys. While she loves designing for both men and women, she sees a higher need for more menswear options, since women typically have more to choose from in a department store. For guys, there aren't too many different looks to work with between Frat Boy and Wall Street.

"You don't necessarily want to look stuffy but you want to look polished and hip," she says. "Especially with younger men becoming professionals at a younger age, there's a middle market there."

]]> http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/2009/11/an-interview-with-designer-est.html http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/2009/11/an-interview-with-designer-est.html Fashion Hyphen Events Mr. Hyphen clothing designer estrella tadeo fashion Mr. Hyphen Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:54:30 -0800 Mr. Hyphen: Your Ticket to a Good Time mrhyphen-audience.jpg
The ladies go wild for Mr. Hyphen. Photo by John C. Liau. All Rights Reserved.

Our annual fundraiser, Mr. Hyphen, is tomorrow night. Have you gotten your tickets yet?

For those of you who have never been to a Mr. Hyphen competition, how can I explain it to you? Well, it honors Asian American men who are doing good work in the community, from empowering youth to making sure our voices are heard in the media. Each contestant represents a nonprofit org. The winner takes home $1,000 for his organization.

]]> http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/2009/11/mr-hyphen-your-ticket-to-a-goo.html http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/2009/11/mr-hyphen-your-ticket-to-a-goo.html Hyphen Events Mr. Hyphen activism Mr. Hyphen Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:37:33 -0800 How to Draw Asian Women When I first saw the heading for this entry on Jezebel, I immediately thought: Oh great, another book/seminar/workshop on how to attract Asian chicks by some skeezy bloated white guy or Asian girl with serious internalized racim issues.

But, Surprise! Racism (and the homonymerific English language) is so creative, and totally outmaneuvered my entrenched, stereotypical expectations.




]]> http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/2009/11/how-to-draw-asian-women.html http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/2009/11/how-to-draw-asian-women.html Race bill connolly creepy how to draw asian women Jezebel racism Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:03:11 -0800 Lou Jing and Racism in China


When my mother drives, she wears a plastic visor that juts out like the back of Darth Vader's helmet. Her friends wear gloves that unravel to the elbow and giant white windbreakers in 80-degree weather. My sister used to tell me how jealous she was when I came home, scorched brown from hours of basketball in my friends' driveways, and my parents would ask her: "Why would you want to get any darker? You'd look like a black girl."

]]> http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/2009/11/lou-jing-and-racism-in-china.html http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/2009/11/lou-jing-and-racism-in-china.html Race TV american idol china lou jing obama racism Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:56:33 -0800 Six Days of Mr. Hyphen: Pahole Sookkasikon blog_pahole.jpg Mr. Hyphen 2009 contestant Pahole Sookkasikon will represent the Thai-American Scholarship Fund, a foundation created to assist students of Thai heritage in relieving the costs of a college education, and to encourage their participation in programs that instill appreciation and knowledge of Thai culture. The fund was started due to the limited number of scholarships available specifically for American-born Thais.

About Pahole:

An optimist and a dreamer, Pahole is a family-oriented man who has set out to change the world in epic ways, citing his nephews as the people to whom he will show that the world is not such a bad place. In his spare time, this hero sings to the mirror. If the going gets tough, Pahole laughs.

]]> http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/2009/11/pahole-sookkasikon-six-days-of.html http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/2009/11/pahole-sookkasikon-six-days-of.html Events Hyphen Events Mr. Hyphen Mr. Hyphen Pahole Sookkasikon Save the Thai Temple Thai-American Scholarship Fund Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:01:27 -0800 Bo Dietl Says Katie Couric Looks 'Oriental'

Fox commentator Bo Dietl goes all-out on Don Imus' show the other day, even pulling his eyes back to make the point that Katie Couric looks "Oriental." 

]]> http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/2009/11/bo-dietl-says-katie-couric-loo.html http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/2009/11/bo-dietl-says-katie-couric-loo.html Gender Media Race TV bo dietl don imus katie couric oriental stereotypes Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:39:54 -0800 Six Days of Mr. Hyphen: Danny Le blog_dannyle.jpg
Mr. Hyphen 2009 contestant Danny Le will represent the APIA Spoken Word & Poetry Summit, a gathering of spoken word artists and enthusiasts. Since 2001, the summit has convened every two years in different cities across the United States and, in a span of four days, engages its participants in workshops, performances and discussions geared toward the awareness and progression of APIA arts and its activist community.

About Danny:

In 1989, Danny moved from Oklahoma to California and was welcomed with a BAM. It’s been 20 years since the Loma Prieta Earthquake, but Danny has never stopped being a mover and a shaker. As an avid promoter of the APIA culture and performer of the literary arts himself, Danny has always valued the importance of culture and community.

]]> http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/2009/11/danny-le-six-days-of-mr-hyphen.html http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/2009/11/danny-le-six-days-of-mr-hyphen.html Events Hyphen Events Mr. Hyphen APIA Spoken word & poetry summit Danny Le Mr. Hyphen Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:07:22 -0800