04.08.08
Posted in Activism and Empowerment, Community Alerts at 7:01 pm by admin
NCAPA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
William Yoshino
JACL Midwest Director
773.728.7170
Midwest@jacl.org
Asian Americans Push Candidates on Information, Access, and Comprehensive Immigration Reform
WHAT: NCAPA news conference
WHERE: JACL, 5415 N. Clark St. Chicago, IL 60640
WHEN: 11 a.m., April 15, 2008
Chicago, IL, April 8 – The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) calls on presidential candidates, Congressional, state and local lawmakers to address the data, access, and immigration needs of their communities in a platform to be unveiled in Chicago on April 15, 2008 and in other cities across the country.
Progress for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in all public policy areas – including civil rights, economic justice, education, health care reform, and immigration – depends on progress in information collection and presentation, equal access to programs and services regardless of English language ability, and comprehensive immigration reform that creates a path towards citizenship and keeps families together.
NCAPA advocates that data must be collected and presented for specific Asian American communities. Since 2000 the Asian American community, which now includes over 14.6 million people, has grown by over 23 percent, making it the fastest growing racial group in the country. In Chicago, Asian Americans constitute almost 5 percent of the population, and the community is rapidly growing. Accurate and readily available data focused on specific Asian American and Pacific Islander communities are the foundations upon which effective public policy must be built.
Additionally, communities must have full access to all publicly funded programs. Many face language barriers in using of essential services that are supported by the federal government, despite the fact that the U.S. Supreme Court has found that these barriers constitute discrimination based on national origin and are forbidden under legislation as well as presidential executive order.
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders also need comprehensive immigration reform. According to the Census Bureau, over 60 percent of Asian Americans and 4 percent of Pacific Islanders are foreign-born, compared to just over 11 percent of all people in the U.S., and the communities account for over 25 percent of the nation’s foreign-born population. Real progress in civil rights, economic justice, education, and health are all tightly linked to progress in immigration reform.
Participants in the news conference will include representatives of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), Asian American Institute (AAI), Korean American Resource & Cultural Center (KRCC), National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF), National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) and other local Asian American organizations.
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NCAPA, founded in 1996, is a nonpartisan coalition of 25 national organizations that represent Americans with heritage in Asia and the Pacific Islands.
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04.04.08
Posted in Activism and Empowerment, Community Alerts at 9:55 am by william_lee
The Asian American Studies program at the University of Pennsylvania has been restored. College Dean Dennis DeTurck said that the new budget will guarantee:
04.02.08
Posted in Community Alerts, Education at 6:01 pm by admin
Why can’t you say “sexual” and “Asian Man” in the same sentence? Why aren’t Asian American Guys allowed to date white women? Why do so many Asian American women prefer white guys?
No topic will be off limits in this open dialogue about the Asian man’s place in America’s sexual food chain.
What: Workshop on Asian American Male Sexuality
When: Saturday, 4/5/08 @ 2:30PM
Where: Wellesley College
Library Lecture Room
Wellesley, MA 02481
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03.28.08
Posted in Community Alerts at 3:53 pm by william_lee
Guy Aoki of the Media Action Network for Asian Americans states in this press release:
- Asian American actors rarely get the opportunity to shine by playing meaty roles, and even when there’s a project crying out for their casting- like in 21- they get pushed aside so white people can play them instead.
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MANAA Press Release on “white-washed” casting in 21
MANAA BLASTS WHITE-WASHED CASTING OF KEVIN SPACEY’S “BASED ON A TRUE STORY” NEW FILM “21″
Organization raised concerns with Sony Pictures back in 2005
LOS ANGELES–Media Action Network for Asian Americans (MANAA), the only organization solely dedicated to monitoring the media and its depiction and coverage of Asian Americans, is upset that 21, the new film starring Kevin Spacey and Kate Bosworth and based on the best-selling novel “Bringing Down the House,” chose a white male lead instead of an Asian American and that Asian American actors were denied the opportunity to get meaty roles in a true-life story that featured mostly Asian Americans.
Ben Mezrich’s 2002 book was based on the true story of an MIT professor who taught 10-12 of his students how to count cards and beat Las Vegas casinos at blackjack. The majority of the players were Asian American, and the lead member of that student team was Jeff Ma, an Asian American. Although the filmmakers were aware of Ma’s role (he served as a consultant), the producers chose to give his part to a white British actor, Jim Sturgess. Two smaller, undeveloped roles went to Aaron Yoo and Liza Lapira.
MANAA had been aware that producers Kevin Spacey and Dana Brunetti were “white-washing” the project back in 2005 when Mezrich told a forum at MIT that he was disappointed that Sony executives had decided to make most of the students white. On October 21, 2005, MANAA Founding President Guy Aoki raised the organization’s concerns with Brunetti, who said he did not care about realistic ethnic casting and was merely looking for “the best actor for the role”- a common excuse producers use to cast white people in place of minorities. Brunetti said talking about casting was premature as he hadn’t locked in a director.
MANAA Vice President Jeff Mio attempted to speak with executive producer Elizabeth Cantillon, but his calls were ignored. Mio expressed concerns about the film in a letter to her, which was cc’d to Amy Pascal (Sony Pictures chairwoman), Doug Belgrad (President of Production), and Devon Franklin (Director of Development). It was also ignored.
After Australian Robert Luketic (Legally Blonde) had been secured as director in 2006, Mio wrote to the same executives and once again tried to speak with Cantillon but was rebuffed. Sony publicist Steve Elzer contacted Mio only to tell him that the casting of the film was none of his business.
Says Aoki, “Asian American actors rarely get the opportunity to shine by playing meaty roles, and even when there’s a project crying out for their casting- like in 21- they get pushed aside so white people can play them instead. Brunetti said he was only looking for the best actors for the roles. Yet clearly, the producers and director exemplified nepotism and a lazy approach to casting: Producer Kevin Spacey got to play the MIT professor, Spacey asked Kate Bosworth, his co-star in two movies (Beyond the Sea and Superman Returns), who had also been directed by Luketic in Win a Date With Tad Hamilton, to be one of his students. The Australian director picks a British actor, Jim Sturgess, as his lead, who, with Jacob Pitts (another student on the 21 team), were both seen in Across the Universe.
“Were Asian American actors even seriously considered for the lead role? How many got to audition for it?
“What’s frustrating is that many of the executives involved with this film also worked on successful projects featuring Asian and Asian Americans as the stars: Producer Michael De Luca was President and COO of New Line Pictures and created the successful Rush Hour franchise starring Jackie Chan. Executive Producer Brett Ratner directed all three Rush Hour films. Executive Producer William S. Beasley executive produced another picture starring Chan, The Tuxedo. And Director of Photography Russell Carpenter shot the two Charlie’s Angels movies starring Lucy Liu.
“All of these people are aware that films with Asian and Asian American stars can be successful. So why did they chicken-out and go with a primarily white cast? ’Bringing Down the House’ was a best-seller which sold over a million-and-a-half copies, not hurt by the fact that most of its characters were Asian Americans (in fact, Mezrich said a white person betting a lot of money in Vegas would stand out while an Asian would be less conspicuous). A film that accurately reflected that reality would not have turned off movie-goers; it would’ve drawn them more toward it. The filmmakers didn’t even bother using many Asian American extras to create a believable MIT student body, which is 26% Asian American. In 21, you see maybe two faces in a math class taught by Kevin Spacey. How hard is it to find Asian American people who don’t have to utter any lines? It doesn’t take any acting talent. Ah, but it takes some intelligence on the part of the filmmakers.”
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03.27.08
Posted in Community Alerts, Media and Entertainment at 11:09 am by william_lee
Are you upset that there aren’t enough positive portrayals of Asian American men on television? Well, here’s your chance to make a difference. The JabbaWockeeZ is an Asian American male dance crew. Help yourself by helping them.
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This is your last chance to cast a vote for your Randy Jackson Presents America’s Best Dance Crew favorite! Voting closes Thursday, March 27 at 9 p.m. ET, an hour before the big finale! But don’t wait another minute! It’s time to cast the most important vote to date! Then tune into the season finale on Thursday, March 27 at 10 p.m. ET/PT to see which crew wins it all!
Click here to cast your vote
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03.25.08
Posted in Community Alerts, Health at 8:24 am by william_lee_intern
The American Cancer Society’s Asian Initiatives Unit will host a community health fair on March 29 at the Bowne Street Community Church, 143-11 Roosevelt Avenue, Flushing, NY 11354 to help promote cancer prevention and early detection in the Asian community. The health fair will provide attendees with the opportunity to obtain cancer and other health information and to get free blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol testing as well as complimentary mammograms, pap smears, and oral cancer screenings to meet the needs of the Asian Community.
Click here for the original article
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03.05.08
Posted in Community Alerts, Crime at 4:44 pm by william_lee
Seattle police say a man who has forcibly groped women in South Seattle may be responsible for as many as 21 attacks over the past three years, including four in the past two months. Police fear that the man is becoming increasingly violent after he tried to drag a woman into a dark driveway last fall and targeted two teenage girls walking together in January. The latest victim was attacked Feb. 10 near 20th Avenue South and South Plum Street. Following a similar pattern, the man sneaked up behind a 37-year-old woman.Two weeks earlier, he preyed on two girls, 13 and 14, as they were crossing the street in the 5200 block of 42nd Avenue South. Click here to learn more
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03.01.08
Posted in Activism and Empowerment, Community Alerts at 5:51 pm by admin
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Students take a stand for Asian American studies
NEW YORK CITY, New York (February 25, 2008) – Students of the Coalition for the Revitalization of Asian American Studies at Hunter (CRAASH) are gearing up to host a conference, entitled “Strengthening Education: Empowering Asian American Studies” in April. It will take place at Hunter College and will address the need for support for Asian American Studies at Hunter College and in higher education. The conference will feature notable speakers, panel discussions, and proactive workshop. Students will propose actions that college administrators must implement in order to strengthen Asian American Studies programs. It will inform college students about this important issue at Hunter where 26 percent of the students are Asian American
The conference stems from the concerns of CRAASH, a student-led group formed in April 2007 in response to the inadequate conditions and support of the Asian American Studies Program (AASP). Students have led a campaign on and off campus to fight for the education that they were promised when they entered Hunter College. Initiatives include a petition of over 1,000 signatures, a feature article on the popular AngryAsianMan blog, a front-page story in the Hunter Envoy, a successful AASP event with director Justin Lin, and a Facebook group that has rallied support from over 300 members from Hunter and other colleges. CRAASH also had a full-page article in the East Coast Asian American Student Union newsletter, which was distributed to over 1,200 students from over 100 colleges at their recent conference. The core members will facilitate an activism workshop at the 2nd Annual New York City Asian American Student Conference at New York University. Eyewitness News Education Unit and AsianWeek magazine may potentially feature their efforts.
Currently, the AASP lacks sufficient financial, structural, and institutional support from both Hunter College and the greater CUNY administration, rendering it unable to flourish as a true academic program. Although there have been vague promises from Hunter administrators, CRAASH has yet to see actual results. This spring, CRAASH will be contacting media, Asian American organizations, and student associations at other universities to spread awareness of the inadequate state of the AASP and organize support for proactive initiatives. Most importantly, CRAASH aims to ensure increased funding for a greater variety of classes, a permanent office, full-time faculty members, a stable director to lead the program, and space to conduct events that will engage and benefit the Hunter community.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the San Francisco State College Strike, the longest student strike in American history that led the way for the development of ethnic studies. In keeping with the unwavering spirit of the strike, CRAASH hopes to illustrate that the fight for fairer representation of Asian Americans in institutionalized learning is not only significant, but also in demand. In order for future students to learn about a mostly forgotten legacy, and to inspire activism and pride amongst other students and their communities, CRAASH hopes for a secure AASP that will last far into the future.
About CRAASH:
CRAASH is dedicated to rejuvenating the Asian American Studies Program of Hunter College, as well as expanding the program to include a greater variety of courses. CRAASH aims to organize the Hunter community and spread awareness about the inadequate conditions of the AASP. Through petitioning, meeting with faculty, and promoting AASP events, we hope to educate the Hunter community about Asian American issues. To find out more, please contact us at HunterCRAASH@yahoo.com
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Contact:
Olivia Lin, Co-Founder
(646) 255-0476
Olin1087@yahoo.com, HunterCRAASH@yahoo.com
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02.26.08
Posted in Community Alerts at 11:09 am by william_lee
In Los Angeles Terry Hara would be honored as the first Asian American newly appointed Deputy Chief Hara will become the first Asian American officer in LAPD’s history to reach the rank of deputy chief. Hara has served on the LAPD since 1980 and was the first Japanese American to achieve the rank of commander in the LAPD. The event is held on Feb. 27, 12 p.m.-2 p.m. in Chinatown Public Safety Association, 823 N. Hill St., Los Angeles. To attend call (213) 621-3043
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02.15.08
Posted in Community Alerts at 5:23 pm by william_lee
A signing and discussion of a book about local Filipino history will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. Feb. 24 at the Hotel Stockton, 133 E. Weber Ave; Stockton, CA.
Dawn Bohulano Mabalon and artist Rico Reyes wrote the book that chronicles the history of the Filipino community in Stockton, and the book was aided by the Filipino American National Historical Society and the Little Manilla Foundation. The book is filled with vintage photos, and includes the perspective of long-time Filipino residents born and raised in Stockton.
For information: 843-853-2070, ext. 366.
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