November 2009

Schema Magazine is proud to present Jennifer Thym, visionary Writer and Director of LUMINA, an original nine-part web series "characterized as a dark, densely woven fantasy set against the sparkling backdrop of Hong Kong" (stars JuJu Chan, Michael Chan and Vince Matthew Chung).

Wednesday November 4, 2009 | 6:15 - 7:30 PM.
Victoria Learning Theatre | The Irving K. Barber Learning Centre | University of British Columbia

(directions and address below)
Free Event. RSVP required as seating is limited. Please visit NAAAP Vancouver to reserve a seat.

BOOK BIOGRAPHY (not Movie)

Li was born into utter poverty in Mao’s communist China, at the age of 11 he was selected to train in Madame Mao's Beijing Dance Academy. And so began Li's journey. The 7 years of harsh training regime at the Beijing Dance Academy taught him discipline, resilience, determination and perseverance. Li’s astounding drive and relentless hard work made him one of the best dancers China has produced.

When he was 18, Li was awarded one of the first cultural scholarships to go to America, and subsequently been offered a soloist contract with the Houston Ballet. Two years later, Li defected to the West in a dramatic media storm, which involved the then Vice President, Mr George Bush Snr. He then went on to become one of the best dancers in the world, won two silver and a bronze medal at three International Ballet Competitions. In 1995, Li and his family moved to Australia where Li danced his last three and half years as a principal dancer with the Australian Ballet.

New York City's Chinatown has elected its first Chinese-American to the City Council in a year when local campaigns have energized Asian voters.

Democrat Margaret Chin had 87 percent of the vote with 80 percent of precincts reporting. She faced Republican Irene Horvath.

The downtown Manhattan neighborhood is one of the biggest Chinese communities outside Asia. Chin is a community organizer and immigrant advocate.

In Queens, a race that could produce the 51-member council's first Korean-American member remains too close to call with 63 percent of precincts reporting. Democrat Kevin Kim, a Korean-American, is facing Republican Dan Halloran. About 12 percent of the city's 8.3 million residents are Asian. Source: etaiwannews

With the elections on Tuesday, Asian Americans have come out in the forefront of a number of political races, making history along the way. East West would like to offer congratulations to the following individuals who came out on top in the polls and are preparing to take public office.

John Liu: The Democrat councilman from Queens made history by becoming the first Asian American comptroller in New York City, trouncing his opponent Joseph Mendola by earning 76 percent of the votes. During his campaign for city comptroller, Liu paid great attention to the ethnic press, visiting Chinese, Polish, Bangladeshi, and Irish newspapers to discuss his ideas for development in ethnic communities. Liu, who emigrated from Taiwan to the U.S. at the age of five, is dedicated to improving the lives of immigrants in the city. “To me, the conclusion of this election is that immigrants are clearly a voice and a growing influence. And people better wake up, because we are going to change this city,” he said to the blog Feet in 2 Worlds.

For American-born Chinese, it really doesn't matter how white their heart is and how much they have adopted Western values – when they deal with their "motherland," China, their yellow skin always defines them.

In an era when China is becoming such an important global force, this can be a big advantage, but there are also some downsides.

For the positives, you just have to see how US Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke and US Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, both ethnic Chinese born in the US, have been treated on recent trips to China.

When they were in China together in July, they were treated like rock stars. There is a lot of pride among Chinese to see two of their own at the top of the administration of the superpower.

They didn't give them a completely free pass. Chu's speech at Tsinghua University was considered too scientific and not much fun. And Locke has been described as too serious and not interested in "small talk." There is also disappointment that neither can speak much Chinese.