media

According to Nielsen, the TV ratings giant, Asian TV households lead the growth in ethnic American TV households for the 2011-2012 TV season:

he number of Asian TV households in the U.S. for the 2011-2012 TV season will grow 9.6 percent (over 400,000 homes) compared to last year, according to Nielsen. Hispanic or Latino TV households will increase 4.6 percent (over 600,000). The TV Universe Estimate for the 2011-2012 season marks the first integration of the 2010 Census counts and adjusted TV penetrations, introducing a number of shifts nationally and within local markets.

The rapid growth of the Hispanic market has generated a number of headlines since the Census numbers were revealed, but the increase of Asian households should not be overlooked,” said Pat McDonough, Senior Vice President, Insights and Analysis, Nielsen. “The rate of change in Asian TV households outpaces that of Hispanic homes.”

Los Angeles remains the top market for both Hispanic and Asian TV households, while New York holds onto the top spot for African-American TV homes.

Karin Wang, the Vice-President of Programs & Communications at the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC), will be honored today as the 2011 Woman of the Year for the 49th Assembly District. 

APALC, a member of Asian American Center for Advancing Justice, is the nation’s largest legal and civil rights organization serving Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities.  Before her current position, Wang directed APALC’s immigrant rights project and helped file a landmark civil rights complaint against Los Angeles County on behalf of limited English speaking welfare recipients, leading to major reforms to the department’s services to immigrants and payment of $1.7 million in back benefits.  Wang also ran the first Los Angeles field office of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, enforcing federal civil rights laws across the Southwest and the Pacific.

The Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) population in California grew significantly during the past decade, according to a preliminary analysis of newly released Census 2010 data conducted by the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, a member of Asian American Center for Advancing Justice.

Remaining among the state’s fastest-growing communities, AAPIs grew from 4,321,585 in 2000 to 5,556,592 in 2010, representing 33.6% growth in the last decade.  In comparison, the state’s overall population grew from 33,871,648 in 2000 to 37,253,956 in 2010, representing 10.0% growth.

AAPIs now constitute 15.5% of the state’s population, compared to 12.8% in 2000.  “Policymakers, the new Citizens Redistricting Commission, and local redistricting bodies must be accountable to the needs of the state’s substantial Asian American and Pacific Islander population,” stated Stewart Kwoh, president and executive director of APALC.

As white Americans move into the minority, some are claiming they're the ones now subject to racial oppression. Do they have a case?

For a small, nerdy cluster of folk -- social science and cultural studies wonks, market researchers, armchair political pundits -- this month is the Super Bowl, Oscars and Olympics rolled into one. That's because the next few weeks will see the gradual, yet grand unveiling of data from the 2010 U.S. Census, an event literally 10 years in the making.

The joint military, exercises between South Korea, and the US have entered their third day. The drills have brought protesters from both DPRK and South Korean pacifists.

South Korea and the US are continuing their joint annual drills, despite repeated warnings from the DPRK.

The 11-day exercises are code-named Key Resolve and Foal Eagle and feature some 200-thousand South Korean and nearly 13-thousand US troops taking part.

But many South Koreans disagree with their government. A group of peace protesters held a rally in front of the defense ministry, calling for government to stop causing more tension and to resolve issues on the peninsula through dialogue.

Kim Hwan-YOUNG, Peace Protest Leader, said, "The DPRK is reacting very sensitively over the campaign and it's understandable. The campaign shouldn't be staged unless we're at war."

Meanwhile, the DPRK has repeated its condemnation of the exercises. State media issued commentaries, saying both the North and the South should create an atmosphere of dialogue to try to build trust. However, South Korea and the US insist on holding the exercises, openly challenging the DPRK.

Maclean's article sparked overdue rebellion against powerful voices claiming racial discrimination is not a problem

Maclean's magazine has struck a match. Now a firestorm of criticism is headed its way. Canada may never be the same.

On Nov. 25, Victoria city council unanimously adopted a motion, submitted by veteran councillor Charlayne Thornton-Joe, criticizing Maclean's for their article 'Too Asian' in their widely read special university rankings feature edition (Nov. 2010). The motion, unanimously adopted, described the title of the Maclean's article as "offensive and intolerant" and criticized its contents for "propagating a litany of racial stereotypes."

I agree and Thornton-George and the council deserve credit for speaking out against a media giant. Their action demonstrates how far we have come from the bad old days.

A Recap on the past news about "Too Asian" in Maclean's publication that triggered off public anger over it's racist content targeting Asian Canadians in higher education.

CCNC Statement on Dialogue with Maclean’s
Monday November 22, 2010

The Chinese Canadian National Council (CCNC) and Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter (CCNCTO) held a media briefing today to report back on the dialogue with Maclean’s magazine on their article entitled “Too Asian”?

Toronto, ON – The Chinese Canadian National Council (CCNC) and Chinese Canadian National Council Toronto Chapter (CCNCTO) held a media briefing today to report back on the dialogue with Maclean’s magazine on their article entitled “Too Asian”?

CCNC and CCNCTO and a number of community organizations met with Maclean’s on November 12th and again on November 17th for hour each time. Maclean’s had offered to publish a letter from CCNC in a future edition. CCNC and CCNCTO, after consulting with various community organizations responded with a 4 point proposal:

This post does not imply, excuse or justify the recent North Korean attack on Yeonpyeong but instead we hope to present a clearer understanding of the situation at hand and to put pressure on both Korea to find a peaceful resolution, with or (even better) without U.S intervention.

The primary concern that needs to be addressed here is ensuring the situation does not deteriorate and avoid an unnecessary escalation of war. Thinking back to Professor Chomsky lectures, it would be enough to give us reason to not support irrational "eye for an eye" resolution or even possibly a strategically orchestrated war.

We, as responsible moral human beings should set a better example and do what it takes to inform others well on how to avoid another Vietnam, Iraq,  Afghanistan and again Korean war.

Harvard Business - Business leadership is at the core of Asian economic development, says HBS professor D. Quinn Mills. As he explained recently in Kuala Lumpur, the American and Asian leadership styles, while very different, also share important similarities.

Editor's Note: Political connections and family control are more common in Asian businesses than in the United States. In addition, says HBS professor D. Quinn Mills, American CEOs tend to use one of five leadership styles: directive, participative, empowering, charismatic, or celebrity. Which styles have Asian business leaders adopted already, and which styles are likely to be most successful in the future?

In a talk in Kuala Lumpur on June 15 at the invitation of The Star/BizWeek publication and the Harvard Club of Malaysia, Mills explained the differences and similarities between American and Asian leadership. Below is the transcript of his talk, "Leadership Styles in the United States: How Different are They from Asia?"

There has been some recent discussion surrounding a racist piece of media that had recently surfaced on the Maclean's website about the increasing number of Asian students in their academic institutions (racist...ahem).

Not only has this article unnecessarily making an issue of race but also implying that Universities and colleges are "too Asian" for their liking, a very racist emitting but also at the same time hideous at a glance.

Although the original article has been edited the original version can be found here "Too Asian" (Thanks to Angry Asian Man's post).

So you might ask should Chinese Canadians be concerned? of course not, because we are not the ones complaining. Obviously all those who are enrolled in higher education is obviously there to study and nothing else.

 
Last month was exciting in terms of entertainment news. Musicians made Asian American history, San Diego hosted its annual Asian Film Festival, Jon M. Chu’s career took off, Yao Ming returned to the basketball court, and Brenda Song received an award. Let’s get started!
Making beautiful music — for the mainstream!

For the week of Oct. 30, members of Far East Movement became the first Asian Americans to hit the top of the Billboard charts. Even more exciting was the fact that the number two spot was held by singer-songwriter Bruno Mars, who is of Filipino and Puerto Rican descent.
Far East Movement is made up of Kevin Nishimura “Kev Nish,” James Roh “Prohgress,” Jae Choung “J-Splif,” and Virman Coquia “DJ Virman.”
In a New York Daily News story, Oliver Wang, an assistant professor of sociology at California State University-Long Beach, said, “Far East Movement and Bruno Mars didn’t come just out of nowhere. There’s been a slow push to make it happen through social media. It’s finally hit that tipping point.”

San Diego’s Asian Film Festival: action-packed!

OAKLAND, Calif.—Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou might have some words of advice for this city's first Asian-American mayor-elect, Jean Quan.

When he was elected president in 2008, at a time of great economic hardship and political instability, Ying-jeou famously said, “One day of excitement is enough.”

Quan should remember those words, says Kai Ping Liu, the veteran reporter who covered her mayoral campaign for the World Journal. Quan was declared Oakland’s next mayor on Wednesday, after a week of nail-biting suspense in one of the city’s tightest electoral races in recent years.

For Quan, “there is not much time to take the victory lap,” says Vincent Pan, executive director of Chinese for Affirmative Action. “She has to hit the ground running.”

Oakland’s unemployment rate hit 17.3 percent in September, much higher than the state average of 12.4 percent. A series of robberies and assaults this year have heightened racial tensions and suspicions, especially between African Americans and Asian Americans.

C.I.V Blog - The following is a letter of complaint we received over the weekend. It reminds us of how racism against the Chinese in North America (especially when at a time so many US politicians are playing the anti-China card in the mid-term election).

I am beginning to think that racism and racial hatred cannot be abolished. I used to think we could. I treat others well, I respect others, and living here in Vancouver, I was confident that here we tend to look past the colour of one’s skin.

Now, I am fighting against racism as I experienced it in Vegas. But fighting racism once you experience it so blatantly is more difficult since your sense of objectivism and your ability to identify what is right and wrong and your ability to move past bad experiences become very very limited.

KoreAm -  "In the decade that I’ve been involved with the Asian American community, I’ve learned that there are many reasons people do this type of work. Usually, it’s inspired by an incredible urge to stimulate some sort of change. It supplies a sense of purpose, along with community and friends. Others accidentally fall into it, or do it very well. And some days, even for the most dedicated, it’s simply just a job."

"In this month’s cover story “Mad Man,” Phil and Jeff, arguably two of our community’s most influential cultural critics, have a conversation about the steady rise of what is now a crucial, frequently updated site on everything Asian American. In the interview, which details Phil’s path as a blogger and activist, I am reminded of all the marquee events that have helped define our wired pan-Asian generation: the budding of ethnic studies, the 90s apex for Asian American print, the spoken word and indie film spike, and of course, soon after, the return of the written word with the birth of the blog."

- Kai Ma, Editor-in-Chief KoreaAm

As technology advances and the world becomes smaller, we are becoming as a nation, increasingly sophisticated and diverse. In this
new global landscape, few understand this international perspective as much as Schema Magazine. As one of Canada’s premiere sources for “ethnic cool,” Schema has been making waves with its coverage of pop culture news, feature interviews, and perspectives that speak to the minds of the new multicultural generation of Canadians. With its popular in-depth feature series, “But Where Are You Really From?” Schema asked readers to describe their experiences defining their identities. Now, Schema seeks to probe further into the quest for cultural definition, by hosting Balikbayan, Schema’s first-ever travel writing contest!

In partnership with Dot Asia, Schema invites its Canadian readers to answer this thought-provoking question:

“As a second or third generation Canadian, how has international travel to your
country of cultural origin changed your worldview?”

THE CURSE OF QUON GWON, A 1916 CHINESE AMERICAN SILENT FILM, WILL HEADLINE NOVEMBER 6 DVD RELEASE SCREENING AND RECEPTION

LOS ANGELES, CA - Visual Communications is proud to present a special screening of the 1916 Chinese American film, THE CURSE OF QUON GWON, on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2010, 3:00 pm, at the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy, in Little Tokyo, to celebrate the release of a limited-edition DVD anthology by renown filmmaker Arthur Dong.

The earliest known Chinese American feature film, THE CURSE OF QUON GWON was directed in 1916 by Marion Wong of the Mandarin Film Company in Oakland, Calif. One of the few films directed by a woman at that time, the 36-minute silent film is about the assimilation of Chinese in the United States. It stars the director, her sister-in-law Violet Wong, mother-in-law Chin Shee and Harvey Soo Hoo.

CSU Fullerton - Eleven students and their professor spent the past year engaged in a community project that has resulted in heightened awareness of sexual and reproductive health issues in the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in Orange County.

Through a $9,000 grant from the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, Tu-Uyen N. Nguyen, assistant professor of Asian American studies, conducted a year-long service-learning course that produced surveys and delivered results in the form of health education campaigns.

“Prior to taking the class, I had little awareness of reproductive health issues that Asian American and Pacific Islander women face,” said Juliane Nguyen, a senior health science and Asian American studies major, who is continuing work on the project. “I didn’t know what to expect from this class at first, but I was very interested about learning how many factors affect health. I learned about reproductive justice and how women are still fighting to have sovereignty over their sexuality, gender and reproduction.”

Calling all APIs to get involved with PACT: Pan Asian Community Together

WHAT:
We will be shooting 3 different targeted PSAs next Saturday, October 30, 2010 or Sunday October 30, 2010 from 10 to 5pm in either Los Angeles, CA; or North Hollywood, CA; Details to be confirmed on Tuesday with complete logistics to be detailed.
Focus 1: Preventing gay suicide—APIs for The Trevor Project (“It Gets Better”)
Focus 2: Stop Anti-Asian Violence
Focus 3: Get out the API vote

WHY:
Recently there have been 4 gay suicides arising out of bullying.
Anti-API violence still occurs, with a rash of attacks in Philadelphia
API voter turnout is dismal, and this election is important.

By Chen Xin (China Daily)

BEIJING - Eight years ago, Zhai Tiantian left China to pursue higher education in the United States. Three days ago, the doctoral candidate returned to his home country with a tag of "potential terrorist" on his head.

Zhai, 27, a former student at the New Jersey-based Stevens Institute of Technology, was doing his PhD when the university suspended him in March, citing major violations of the code of conduct for students as the reason. Zhai hit the headlines in the American and Chinese media following his arrest on April 15 on charge of terrorism.

The university reported to the police that Zhai made a phone call threatening to "burn down the university building" - an allegation Zhai vehemently denied.

"I never threatened to burn down the school building," Zhai, a native of Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province, told China Daily in Beijing.

He said that a verbal dispute with Joseph Staley, the assistant vice-president of the university, led to the controversy.
"He questioned my financial situation and was looking for an excuse to kick me out of school," Zhai said.

Judges have selected five finalists for the API TV Pilot Shootout.

Writers submitted their TV Pilot pitch idea for an opportunity to pitch their project to a FOX TV executive.

The top five finalists are: 
Amy Anderson “Amy Anderson Project”, Jared Asato “Supreme”, Benjamin Hsu “East Wilshire”, William Lu “Showrunners”, Roy Vongtama “The Zone”

The judges were: Ed Moy, a screenwriter and journalist for LA Asian American Movie on Examiner.com; Kelly Yee, VP of Development @ RipMedia Group, a social media marketing firm specializing in entertainment; and Susan Stark, pop culture follower.

The finalists will work with selected directors to make teasers for their projects.

Great news from our Asian American sensation Jeremy Lin as he signs on with the Golden State Warriors.

We did not see wrong when we saw the potential of this new gunner and that's not in any reference to any kind of school massacres that the Media rubs in our faces.

Asian Americans look on with high confidence when they see Jeremy Lin simply put, doing what he does best.

We aren't unfairly biased when it comes to supporting any Asian Americans in sports, I mean sure we should be supporting Asian Americans in all areas of the professional world but Jeremy Lin actually has a little bit more and we can not help but be proud of him. Not only is he being recognized by Asian Americans but in fact to have the basketball world talking him only shows that he has gained early recognition.

The Media Action Network for Asian Amerians (MANAA) will stage a protest of the new film "The Last Airbender" on Thursday July 1st at the Arclight Cinerama Dome on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood.
Guy Aoki, Founding President of MANAA, which is the only organization solely dedicated to monitoring the media and advocating balanced, sensitive, and positive portrayals and coverage of Asian Americans, has stated that "the film sends the message that Asians can’t be the heroes in their own story."

Posting from the "Colorblind" Blog:

Jeff was publisher of A. Magazine, one of the most popular and influential Asian American magazines during its run from 1989-2002. Since then, Jeff has published several books including co-editing Secret Identities: The Asian American Superhero Anthology and is widely recognized and respected as an expert on Asian and Asian American pop culture. I have admired Jeff’s work for a long time but only finally got the chance to meet him at Syracuse.

Korean singer Park Jae-beom, former leader of popular boy band 2PM, has signed with U.S. online media company Digital Media Wire (DMW) to manage his career.

DMW announced on its official website (www.dmwmedia.com) Friday (U.S. time) that its CEO and entertainment lawyer Ned Sherman will be "representing artist Jay Park with respect to his global entertainment career."

"We are thrilled to be working with Jay," said Mr. Sherman in the post. "He is incredibly talented and has the work ethic, talent, charisma and fan support to have a big career on a global level."

He went onto say that it is "rare that you come across an artist like Jay. He really loves and cares about his fans and it shows. We are working on a number of big projects which we will be announcing soon.”

Schema Magazine presents a monthly series of web writing workshops and speakers, featuring some of the most pioneering, innovative and ethnic cool voices on the Internet. In the world of social networking and Web 2.0, having an online presence on the web is becoming more and more important. Social media gives us the tools to be a part of this growing conversation, but how do we define our voice on the web as a writer, a producer and as a blogger?

iWriteAboutMe.com showcases dynamic web personalities, social media gurus, bloggers and writers who will talk about how they transformed their personal stories and diverse identities into an online brand.

New Studies Show Huge Health Disparities Among Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Asian Immigrant Populations

Critical Avenues to Prevent Cancer Overlooked; Immigrant Women at High Risk of Death from Breast Cancer
WASHINGTON

By Jeff Yang, Special to SF Gate
Thursday, February 25, 2010

The notion that Asians and Jews are two shoots from the same cultural rootstock is an old but evergreen meme.

You see it in fringe theories about the Lost Tribes of Israel -- there's an entire body of cryptoarchaeological canon that uses similarities between customs, language and naming convention to "prove" that the ancient vanished Jewish clans ended up in China, India or Japan. (Japan's 50,000-member Makuya sect, which has as its central dogma that the Japanese are descendants of a lost Jewish tribe, keep kosher, speak Hebrew and use the seven-armed menorah as their symbol.)