UG Scholarships for 2011-2012

Two $1,000 scholarships for restaurant workers and children of restaurant workers are available from the Shui Kuen and Allen Chin Scholarship, a program of the Asian Pacific Fund. The scholarship, founded in 2005, honors the values of Detroit restaurant owners Shui Kuen and Allen Chin through supporting the education aspirations of children of workers in the Asian/Pacific Islander food service industry in the U.S.

For full details, eligibility criteria and application information, see Two Scholarships for Restaurant Workers and Their Children

.

Featured Bilingual at Asian American Village Jobs Center

Asian American Village Jobs Center
QuickSearch tool for custom searches, bilingual and editors' pick featured opportunities

Refreshed, with a number of recently added Asian bilingual jobs, including:

Upper School Mandarin Teacher for fall 2011 - Westport, CT
Greens Farms Academy

Chinese Bilingual Consultant, Market Research - Madison, WI and Asia
Life Technologies

Assistant Professor, Japanese - San Marcos, CA
Palomar College

Assistant Professor of Foreign Languages (Chinese) - New York, NY
The New School

Teacher (Temp) - Mandarin Chinese - Tucson, AZ
Tucson Unified School District

Political Analyst (Mandarin, Urdu or Hindi Bilingual) - Washington, DC
CIA

OCA Stmt: Obama Nomination of Goodwin H. Liu

OCA Pleased With Nomination of Goodwin H. Liu to the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

24 February 2010

CONTACT

Mary Kong | Program Assistant

202 223 5500 | mkong@ocanational.org

WASHINGTON – President Obama nominated University of California Berkeley School of Law Associate Dean and Professor Goodwin H. Liu to serve on the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit today.

Professor Liu is a nationally recognized scholar in the areas of education and constitutional law. Before joining UC Berkeley School of Law, Professor Liu was a litigator in private practice. Prior, he was a law clerk to the Honorable David S. Tatel on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the United States Supreme Court, and was Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Education, U.S. Department of Education. He is committed to community service, and his work has been recognized through several awards, including the Pacific Islander, Asian, and Native American Law Students Association Alumni Award (Yale Law School); Asian American Alumni Award (Stanford University); and the Stanford Associates Governors’ Award for Exemplary Volunteer Service.

Professor Liu was born to Taiwanese immigrant parents in Augusta, Georgia. He grew up in Clewiston, Florida and Sacramento, California. A distinguished graduate of Stanford, Oxford, and Yale Law School, Professor Liu was also a Rhodes Scholar, and is a member of the American Law Institute.

“Professor Liu’s nomination is a positive step to address the glaring absence of Asian Pacific Americans on the appellate level,” said George C. Wu, Executive Director of OCA. “As former law clerk to the Supreme Court and recognized scholar on constitutional law, Professor Liu will bring unsurpassed intellect and fairness to the Ninth Circuit.”

Professor Liu’s appointment to the Ninth Circuit is particularly significant for the Asian Pacific American community. Of the approximately 175 active federal appellate court judges, there are currently none who are Asian Pacific American. If confirmed, he will only be the fifth Asian Pacific American federal appellate court judge in the history of the United States. Along with Denny Chin, nominee to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, he is the second Asian Pacific American nominated to the federal court of appeals by the President.

OCA congratulates Professor Liu on his historic nomination, and thanks President Obama for nominating him. OCA also commends Senators Feinstein and Boxer for their support of Professor Liu’s nomination.

###

Founded in 1973, OCA is a national organization dedicated to advancing the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans in the United States. OCA aims to embrace the hopes and aspirations of nearly 12 million Asian Pacific Americans in the United States.

Release: First LGBT Contingent to March in NYC Parade

The following release announces a Feb 21 New York City Lunar Year event organized by Q-Wave, and supported by a coalition of Asian American community organizations, political officials and media figures.

The NYC march will occur in the wake of -- and likely in answer to -- protests by Asian churches at a California Lunar New Year Parade, which included LGBTQ groups.

Also of interest, see "Backlash against Vietnamese gay groups in parade".

---- RELEASE ----

Groups to March in First-Ever Asian American Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Contingent in Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade

***Contingent Supported by Broad Coalition including

New York City Comptroller John Liu

and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn

What: First-ever Asian American Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Contingent in New York’s Lunar New Year Parade, marching for the first time in the parade’s 11-year history and the Chinatown community’s 130 year history.

It is the first time on the East Coast that AA LGBTQ groups have been invited to march in a Lunar New Year parade. Marchers will be traveling from Philadelphia and Rhode Island to join the contingent.

LGBTQ people of Irish- and South Asian-American descent have been repeatedly excluded from marching in their own ethnic celebrations in New York City, respectively the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade and the India Day Parade. Irish- and South-Asian American groups will join and march with the Asian American LGBTQ contingent in Lunar New Year Parade 2010.

Who: LGBTQ Asians (who identify with cultures that celebrate the Lunar New Year), their friends and allies. For more information: www.asianprideproject.org/lunarnewyear.

When/Where: Sunday, February 21^st

11:30 AM - Convene on Mott Street between Hester and Spring (walk up Mott Street until you see our Lunar New Year for All banners & colorful fish kites). Parade ends at 3PM.

The effort is organized by Q-Wave, supported by the Asian Women’s Giving Circle and has been endorsed by a number of groups including: Project Reach, CAAAV-Organizing Asian Communities, Gay Asian Pacific Islander Men of New York, (GAPIMNY), Nodutol for Korean Community Development, OCA-New York Chapter, Queer Asian Spirit, Chinatown Youth Initiatives, Barangay, South Asian Lesbian Gay Association, Metropolitan Community Church of New York, Asian Pacific Islander Coalition on HIV and AIDS, and National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum., Chinese American Planning Council, CPC-HIV/AIDS Services, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Museum of Chinese in America, Asian American Arts Alliance, Asian American Writers Workshop and Asian Cinevision It has also been endorsed by prominent individuals such as Comptroller John Liu, Speaker of City Council Christine Quinn, actor Joan Chen, Community Leader Rocky Chin and Journalist Helen Zia.

JACL and OCA Conventions 2010 Planning

The Chicago JACL Convention Committee has launched a website dedicated to the 2010 JACL National Convention. The site will feature new information on a regular basis to keep interested parties updated on the event planning. The convention will take place this year in Chicago between June 30 – July 4, 2010. For more information, see http://www.jacl.org/news/2010ChicagoJMTEMP033009/home.html

The Organization of Chinese Americans has also announced that its national convention will be held on June 17-20, 2010, in Houston, TX. It has made an informational section available at http://www.ocanational.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=120&Itemid= and has announced that it is seeking submissions for program topics.

Frances Kai-Hwa Wang speaking at Eastern Michigan University

IMDiversity.com Asian American Village Editor Frances Kai-Hwa Wang will be speaking on (Raising) Women in the 21st Century at Eastern Michigan University for Chinese Week 2010 on Monday, February 8, 2010, 1:00 pm, 300 Halle Library.

ImaginAsian Exhibition Submissions

ImaginAsian: Identity and Experience in Contemporary Asian Pacific America

Fundraising Exhibition April 2- May 9, 2010

In celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2010 and to generate funding for materials and sources for Asian American Studies collections at the Purdue University and Indiana University libraries, Kate Agathon, the Council on Asian American Studies, the Tippecanoe Arts Federation, and the Asian American Network of Indiana (AANI) are sponsoring a fundraising installation/exhibition of donated art addressing identity and experience within contemporary Asian Pacific America. The exhibition is intended to raise awareness and understanding of the Asian American community as articulated through a variety of art including photography, visual, and literary.

Open to everyone, submissions are being solicited nation-wide. Celebrity contributors include writer Maxine Hong Kingston, director Michael Kang, actor Parry Shen, hip hop group Far East Movement, Congressman Mike Honda, artist Stella Lai, illustrator/graphic designer Jerry Ma, poet Bao Phi, writer Tao Lin, comic legend Larry Hama, and many other prominent stakeholders within the Asian American community. Contributors do not need to be of Asian descent to participate!

For a donation of $5 or more, contributors are asked to fill an 8.5 x 11” space with creative art, writing, photography or any other artistic medium that addresses contemporary Asian Pacific American identity or the Asian Pacific American experience. Each submission will be vetted by a team for common themes and appropriateness.

Inspired by the Greater Lafayette Art Museum’s Mosaic, ImaginAsian will comprise of a display of 8.5 x 11” creative gifts celebrating the contemporary Asian Pacific American experience. The exhibit will be displayed April 2- May 9, 2010 at the Tippecanoe Arts Federation located at 638 North Street, Lafayette, IN 47901.

Bidders can bid on their favorite pieces of work by taking part in a silent auction that will take place throughout the duration of the exhibit. Submissions must be received by February 28, 2010 and can be sent to:

Kate Agathon

1809 Bengal Place

Lafayette, IN 47909

Checks made payable to the Asian American Network of Indiana are welcome. The Asian American Network of Indiana is a not-for- profit organization. All gifts are tax exempt. For more information, contact Kate Agathon at kate.agathon@gmail.com.

Adventures in Multicultural Living: Living in harmony in a great world house on MLK Day - AnnArbor.com

IMDiversity.com Asian American Village editor Frances Kai-Hwa Wang writes in her Adventures in Multicultural Living Column:

In Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Nobel Peace Prize lecture, given in 1964, he talks about the idea of a house, “We have inherited a big house, a great ‘world house’ in which we have to live together - black and white, Easterners and Westerners, Gentiles and Jews, Catholics and Protestants, Moslem and Hindu, a family unduly separated in ideas, culture, and interests who, because we can never again live without each other, must learn, somehow, in this one big world, to live with each other.”

I love the imagery of that house, so easy to picture. A nice Victorian, neat and trim, brightly painted, purple and pink, warm lights shining through lace curtains, with all the peoples of the world living in harmony together inside - everyone happily cooking together, feasting and celebrating, sharing the bounty of the garden, raking leaves and shoveling snow with the seasons, emptying the dishwasher, doing the laundry, vacuuming the floor, fixing the car, fighting for the bathroom…

Wait. But how do you do that, exactly? (click on link for more)

Living in harmony in a great world house on MLK Day - AnnArbor.com

Adventures in Multicultural Living: Swine Flu: How the "colorblind" H1N1 virus reveals our cultural differences - AnnArbor.com

From IMDiversity.com Asian American Village Editor, Frances Kai-Hwa Wang:

I was invited to a special ethnic media briefing at Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle organized by New America Media (informally known as the AP of the Ethnic Press) with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to get the word out about the H1N1 (swine flu) virus and vaccine to our ethnic communities.

At first, I was naively surprised to receive this invitation. I thought that the H1N1 virus ought to be “colorblind” and not care about race, ethnicity, or culture; that it ought to make our bodies sick the same way. Why would ethnic communities need special briefings? (click on link for more)

Swine Flu: How the "colorblind" H1N1 virus reveals our cultural differences - AnnArbor.com

Adventures in Multicultural Living: Relishing Real World Halloween Costumes - AnnArbor.com

From IMDiversity.com Asian American Village editor Frances Kai-Hwa Wang:

After spending the weeks leading up to Halloween researching horrific racist and sexist costumes, and commiserating with other Asian American activists, it is a pleasure to attend the University of Michigan Halloween Concert and see that all is still well in the real world. Those online commercial costume websites may be glitzy and gross, but they are for the uninspired minority.

The children and I sit in the mezzanine of Hill Auditorium in front of about three or four rows of giant bumblebees. The closest one is a big stout bumblebee with a beard, long black arms folded across his yellow-striped chest, stern expression on his face, sparkly silver antennae dangling in the air in time with the music. (click on link for more)

Adventures in Multicultural Living: Relishing Real World Halloween Costumes - AnnArbor.com

Yul Kwon (!) Named Deputy Chief of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at FCC

October 21, 2009

FCC CHAIRMAN JULIUS GENACHOWSKI ANNOUNCES SENIOR STAFF IN INTERNATIONAL AND CONSUMER AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS BUREAUS

Washington, DC -- Today, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski announced the appointment of Mindel De La Torre as Chief of the International Bureau and Yul Kwon as Deputy Chief of the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau.

"The FCC has an important role to play in empowering and protecting consumers and ensuring that they have access to world-leading communications networks and technologies," said Chairman Genachowski. "These talented individuals have vast public and private sector experience in communications policy and I am delighted to have their expertise at the agency."

Chief, International Bureau, Mindel De La Torre.
Since 1998, Ms. De La Torre has been the president of the consulting firm Telecommunications Management Group, Inc. (TMG). Prior to joining TMG, Ms. De La Torre was the deputy chief of the Telecommunications Division at the International Bureau, which she joined in December 1994. Ms. De La Torre also worked at the Department of Commerce -- for over four years at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and for three years in the General Counsel's office. She has been a member of various U.S. delegations to International Telecommunication Union conferences, such as World Radiocommunication Conferences, World Telecommunication Development Conferences, and Plenipotentiary C onferences. Ms. De La Torre has a B.A. from Vanderbilt University and a J.D. from the University of Texas. Having lived overseas most of her life, she speaks fluent Portuguese, French, and Spanish, and is proficient in Italian.

Deputy Chief, Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, Yul Kwon.
Mr. Kwon's diverse career spans across law, technology, business, and media. His government experience includes lecturing at the FBI Academy, drafting science and technology legislation as an aide to Senator Joseph Lieberman, and clerking for Judge Barrington D. Parker on the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals. In the business and technology sector, Mr. Kwon has held positions at McKinsey & Company, Google, and the Trium Group. He also practiced law as an attorney at Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis and at Venture Law Group. In 2006, Mr. Kwon became the first Asian American to win the CBS reality show, Survivor. His subsequent media activities include working as a special correspondent for CNN and as a co-host for the Discovery Channel. Mr. Kwon obtained his B.S. degree in Symbolic Systems from Stanford University and his J.D. from Yale Law School, where he served on the editorial board of the Yale Law Journal.

--FCC--
News and other information about the FCC is available at www.fcc.gov

Adventures in Multicultural Living Launch at AnnArbor.com

Adventures in Multicultural Living, the column written by longtime IMDiversity.com Asian American Village editor, Frances Kai-Hwa Wang, has just celebrated its one-year anniversary, shifted to a weekly format, and moved to AnnArbor.com (formerly The Ann Arbor News). She will also be blogging twice a week about upcoming multicultural activities in the community. Although the details will be local, the vision is national and international, and will be of interest to IMDiversity.com readers. The column continues to run at the Japanese American Citizens League's pacificcitizen.org, Voices of Adoption at RainbowKids.com, and InCultureParent.com (pending). Thanks for your continued support, comments, and forwards to your friends and organizations.

Join me as I explore Ann Arbor through a cross-cultural lens - AnnArbor.com

When I first came to Ann Arbor from California for graduate school oh so many years ago, I felt out of place, conspicuous, like a foreigner, like I was not wanted and I did not belong. Without a feeling of safety and understanding, it was difficult for me to maintain my footing, and I planned to graduate and run away as soon as possible. But on my way out of town...

http://www.annarbor.com/passions-pursuits/adventures-in-multicultural-living-introduction-20/

Reminder: SAALT Be the Change National Day of Service - this Weekend

A reminder about the exciting Be the Change National Day of Service project by SAALT: South Asian Leading Together, coming up this Saturday, October 3 (Sunday October 3 in some locations).

If you would like to register and volunteer for a local event, click here. Major events are being held in Boston, Washington DC, New York City, San Francisco, Austin, East Brunswick NJ, Bloomington IN, Raleigh NC, Athens GA, and Richmond VA (Oct. 3). More locations may be added at the last minute.

This initiative is a great way for you personally or your campus, family or other groups to help make a positive difference in your community. IMDiversity.com Asian American Village is proud to be a supporter of this year's initiative, and encourage you to consider volunteering today.

AAPI Business Suppliers Academy: New Deadline

The National Council of Asian American Business Associations has announced that it has extended the application deadline for participating in its AAPI Business Supplier Academy, which will take place Oct. 14 and 15 on the campus of UCLA.

The new deadline for applying to the Supplier Academy is now Oct. 2, 2009.

PoliSci PhD Fellowship Program

The American Political Science Association is accepting applications for the


2010-2011 APSA Minority Fellowship Program


The American Political Science Association is accepting applications for the 2010-2011 APSA Minority Fellowship Program. Deadline: postmarked by October 2, 2009.

Eligibility

• The APSA Minority Fellows program is designed primarily for minority students applying to enter a doctoral program in POLITICAL SCIENCE for the FIRST TIME.
• Additional eligibility criteria include: Applicants must be members of one of the following racial/ethnic minority groups: African Americans, Asian Pacific Americans, Latinos/as, and Native Americans (federal and state recognized tribes)
• Applicants must demonstrate an interest in teaching and potential for research in political science
• Applicant must be a United States citizen at time of award
• Applicants must demonstrate financial need
  

To apply, and review eligibility requirements and application materials, please visit: http://www.apsanet.org/content_3284.cfm

The APSA Minority Fellowship Program is in its 40th year. Please forward this announcement to interested students/individuals.

NCAABA Academy Teaches How to Win that Contract

The National Council of Asian-American Business Associations (NCAABA), a nonprofit organization that serving Asian business organizations and chambers across the country, has announced the program and remaining scholarship slots available for its star-studded Supplier Academy to be held on the UCLA campus on October 14 & 15, 2009.

Geared toward "business and/or community leaders with proven track records of organizational and operational growth, an adequate geographic footprint, experience as 1st or 2nd Tier Suppliers and demonstrated capacity to bid on contracts," the Academy participants will have an opportunity to mingle with and learn from presenters from a host of business, academic and government organizations, from Wells argo and Disney to California Governor's Office.

A number of scholarships are available for select applicants who meet the upcoming online application deadline of 5PM on September 28, 2009. Additional details can be found on the website or by calling (909) 859-5354.

It's a great opportunity for Asian Americans who want to explore opportunities landing business supplier contracts.

Learn more at http://www.national-caaba.org.

John Liu Advances to Runn-off After NYC Primary

John Liu has progressed in his quest to become Comptroller for New York City, with a strong showing in a multi-candidate field that just fell short of the mark. He will move ahead to a runoff at the end of this month.

Following is a message distributed by the campaign.

-- CAMPAIGN RELEASE --

Dear Friend,

I'm truly grateful for all of your support and hard work since I
started my campaign for City Comptroller.

We had a strong showing yesterday in the Primary election for
Comptroller -- well ahead of our rivals with more than 38% of the
vote, but we did not quite reach the 40% plurality needed.  We're all
set for the run-off election on September 29th.

Our campaign is already building on our momentum -- today, we gained
the support of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Joint
Council 16 which represents more than 120,000 workers in the trucking,
sanitation, airline and pharmaceutical industries.

“It is my pleasure to announce on behalf of the more than 120,000
working men and women in the Teamsters Joint Council 16, our
endorsement of Councilman John Liu for New York City Comptroller,"
said Teamsters President George Miranda.  “Over the past eight years,
as a Councilman and Chair of the Transportation Committee, he has
consistently backed the interests of working people.  John’s financial
experience will make him a fine Comptroller, but his passion for
public service will make him the people’s watchdog in an era of
economic uncertainty. We look forward to doing all we can to make sure
that John becomes New York’s next Comptroller."

People are galvanized by the positive campaign we're running - a
campaign based on the issues that matter to working men and women and
families across the City.  People are excited about my vision for the
Office and plan to build on on City's infrastructure and protect the
pensions that people have worked their whole lives to accumulate.

The people of this City deserve an independent fiscal watchdog that
looks out for their interests, not the special interests.  I will be
an aggressive advocate for you...my campaign has always been about
you!

I will work hard over the next two weeks...and even harder for you
when I'm elected the next Comptroller.

Please join me... and help turn out the vote on September 29th.  And,
together, we will change the future of New York City.

Grateful for your support,

John Liu

-------------------
FOX5 News - 9/16/09
VIDEO: 

EXCERPT - New York City Councilman John Liu of Queens finished first
in the Democratic primary for New York City Comptroller, but it wasn't
enough to avoid a run-off.

-------------------
NY1: "Liu, Yassky Prepare For Comptroller Runoff" - 9/16/09
VIDEO: 

EXCERPT - The Democratic race for city comptroller between four City
Council members was tight as expected Tuesday, but the leading
candidate almost avoided a runoff entirely.

"I'm deeply so honored to have all of your support, for all the hard
work that you have put in over these months and years and to get us to
the point that we are today," said Liu. "We made a tremendous
showing."

Liu collected the most votes in a race that pitted four City Council
members against each other.

Liu says he's planning to spend the next two weeks talking about the
issues and says he fully expects to be the Democratic nominee come
Election Day in November.

---
NEW YORK TIMES: "A Victory, Runoffs and Several Incumbents Ousted" - 9/15/09


EXCERPT - In the race for comptroller, Councilman John C. Liu of
Queens held the lead, with 38 percent of the vote.

When the candidate arrived, the crowd grew louder. Arms went out to
hug Mr. Liu, who arrived with his wife, Jenny, and his 9-year-old son,
Joey. “Listen, we’re not done yet!” Mr. Liu said. “One more hour!
Let’s get those voters out.”

---
NEW YORK TIMES: "New Yorkers Vote in Primaries for Top Citywide Posts" - 9/14/09


EXCERPT - Mr. Liu, who would be the first Asian-American elected to
citywide office, has the endorsement of several powerful unions,
including the United Federation of Teachers, the Service Employees
International Union and the Transport Workers Union.

--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
================================================
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   JOHN LIU  2009   * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
================================================
Providing the Latest News and Updates from John Liu
================================================
LEADERSHIP * COMMITMENT * EXPERIENCE * RESULTS
================================================
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---

Asian American Week of Action for Immigration Reform

Forwarding this one from SAALT: South Asian Americans Leading Together:

Starting August 14, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders around the country have been coming together to flex their political muscle in the first-ever week of action for immigration reform.

You can take action in a variety of ways. One simple step you can take today is support immigration reform today using your cell phone. Today is National AAPI Text-In Day for Immigration Reform, and all you have to do to participate is text "AAPI" to 69899!

The National Coalition of South Asian Organizations has been engaged in the One Community United Campaign for Immigrant and Human Rights. As part of the Campaign, SAALT along with NCSO partners, recently held a town hall in New Jersey.

Chicago Town Hall with Reps. Jan Schakowsky and Mike Quigley
WHERE: Mayfair Salvation Army Community Church, Chicago, IL
WHEN: Saturday, August 22 | 1:00PM-3:00PM
Contact sungyeon@aaichicago.org for more information.

Los Angeles Town Hall with Rep. Judy Chu
WHERE: St. John's Baptist Church, Baldwin Park, Los Angeles, CA
WHEN: Thursday, August 27 | 6:00PM
Contact cchoi@apalc.org for more information.

Washington DC Film Screening and Discussion
WHAT: Screening of "Made in LA" followed by discussion
WHERE: TBD, Washington DC
WHEN: Sunday, August 30 | 3:00PM-5:00PM
Contact napawfdc@yahoo.com for more information.

Miami Town Hall on Immigration
WHAT: Join us for a Town Hall with the South Asian community in Miami to discuss immigration and human rights issues.
WHERE: 8601 W. Commercial Blvd., Tamarac, FL 33351
WHEN: Saturday, September 26 | 11:00AM-2:00PM
Contact saalt@saalt.org for more information.
Cosponsors: SAALT, Sahara, Florida Immigrant Coalition, Miami Dade Asian American Advisory Board

Check out events on SAALT's Community Calendar.
SAALT staff are available to speak at your events on topics including immigrant rights, South Asians in America, civic engagement, and immigration. Please email us at saalt@saalt.org for more information.

Added: Interview with Oscar-Winning Director Ang Lee

Ang Lee made his directorial debut in 1992 with Pushing Hands, a dramedy highlighting the tension between tradition and modernity which arises when a retired Tai Chi master moves to the U.S. to live with his Westernized son. His next two offerings, The Wedding Banquet (1993) and Eat Drink Man Woman (1994), each landed an Oscar nomination in the Best Foreign Film category.

Since then, the versatile director has successfully tackled an impressive variety of genres, reflected in a resume which includes a literary classic (Sense and Sensibility), a dysfunctional family drama (The Ice Storm), a Western (Ride with the Devil), a gay-themed romance (Brokeback Mountain), an erotic, espionage thriller (Lust, Caution), a comic book adaptation (Hulk) and a martial arts fairytale (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). Although Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon did take home the Oscar for Best Foreign Film, the deserving Mr. Lee himself was overlooked by the Academy as the picture’s director. He finally won in 2006 for Brokeback Mountain, a tale of forbidden love starring the late Heath Ledger.

In a new interview with Kam Williams at IMDiversity.com, Ang Lee talks about his new film, Taking Woodstock, a comedy about the 1969 concert which helped define the Hippie Generation. The interview includes the movie trailer. See: Interview: Ang Lee Takes on Woodstock

Creatives Wanted: East West Magazine Cover Design Contest

This release came in from the crew at East-West, the bimonthly national publication, which "went on hiatus in early 2008" to restructure its business operations. East-West returned to online publication this summer, and will celebrate its print re-launch in October 2009. To freshen and reintroduce its brand, the company is seeking artists to submit a cover design idea for the relaunch.

Bridging the Divide:

What does the merging of cultures look like to you?

East West Announces Magazine

Re-Launch Cover Design Contest

Phoenix, AZ (August 12, 2009) – To celebrate a fall re-launch, East West magazine has announced the East West Exhibit, a cover design contest for the October/November issue, available nationwide on October 6. East West is welcoming submissions of original artwork interpreting the meaning of East West and the merging of cultures. The winning design will be featured on the cover, along with a profile of the winner in the magazine.

East West is the first and only lifestyle magazine with a pan-Asian American focus. Launched in 2003, the publication went on hiatus last year to retool operations. “During this time, we maintained an online presence, and realized the East West audience was anxious for the magazine’s return,” said Anita Malik, founder and editor in chief of East West. “We are excited to re-launch the magazine with a cover contest that involves our readers.”

All contest entries will be posted at EastWestMagazine.com for online voting from September 2-16, 2009. Based on online vote totals, the top five designs will be announced at the end of September. East West staff will choose the final cover from the top five, and the final decision will be made public on October 6, when East West officially returns to print.

Entrants must submit original artwork—including photography, painting, graphic design and drawing—and a signed authorization/consent form. Contest rules include:

· All entries must be original artwork created by the entrant(s) and answer the question: “What is your interpretation of East West today. What does the merging of cultures look like to you?”

· No black and white.

· Entries must be postmarked by August 31, 2009.

· Digital artwork must be 300 DPI and at least 9.25”x11.125”.

· Non-digital artwork will be accepted via mail and scanned for Web site/print use.

· Only one entry per person, team or company.

· Entries will not be returned. Any or all materials/information may be published.

· A signed entry/consent form is required for an entry to be valid.

· All entrants under the age of 18 on August 1, 2009 must have a parent/guardian signature.

For complete contest details, visit EastWestMagazine.com. Submissions, as well as questions about the contest, can be emailed to TheExhibit@eastwestmagazine.com