Frances' Japanese Pop Culture Experts on BBC

You can hear Frances Kai-Hwa Wang’s daughters, Margot and Hao Hao, interviewed on the March 27, 2007 “Japanese Culture Report,” on BBC Radio's “The World.” The report is about the increasing influence Japan has on American pop culture. Japanese superheroes are popping up in Super Bowl commercials and manga novels are preferred reading for many young Americans. The BBC was interviewing Roland Kelts, the hapa author of JapanAmerica--How Japanese Pop Culture has Invaded the US, and some other Japanese pop culture experts at a bookstore in Boston, and the girls just happened to be in the bookstore, sitting on the floor, reading a stack of manga as tall as they were.

Margot is the first child's voice listing all her favorite manga. Hao Hao isn't identified by name, only as "Margot's friend" (she's really mad about that), but she's the second child's voice talking about why she likes manga...they're pretty cute...future Asian Pacific American culture critics perhaps?? Here's the link.

Assocation for Asian American Studies in NYC

In New York City at the Park Avenue Grand Hyatt, April 4-8, 2007, the AAAS annual meeting will attract Asian Americanists from all disciplines and different regions of the country. The annual meeting will highlight current scholarly research and developments within the field and bring together experts and professionals with an interest in the field. The theme of the 2007 AAAS Conference is “Crosstown Connections: Asian American Urbanism and Interracial Encounters”.

Ramayana Across Asia at UM

The Ramayana, or Rama’s Journey, is a foundational epic tale in many South and Southeast Asian cultures. Over two thousand years old, the story spread along trade routes throughout the South Asian subcontinent and on to Southeast Asian empires, where it was carved into the reliefs of temple complexes such as Angkor Wat. But the story is not a relic; it remains vibrant and widely known across Asia today. This series explores and presents the Ramayana from diverse cultural and performance traditions in India, Thailand and Indonesia. Includes performances (gamelan concert, classical and contemporary dance, contemporary theatre, more), lectures, and demonstrations. All events are free and open to the public. For tickets and/or more information, please email cseas@umich.edu or call 734.764.0352. Check out the University of Michigan Center for Southeast Asian Studies for schedule, March 28 to April 14, 2007, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Follow up on Coalition 121 "Comfort Women" Resolution Action

This is from one of the organizers:

Based on preliminary analyses by the organizers, Coalition 121's lobby day, a number of U.S. legislators appear to be favorably viewing Congressman Mike Honda's resolution calling on Japan to recognize and apologize to former WWII "Comfort Women". During the Coalition's lobbying day on March 23, activists and volunteers visited some 130 offices on Capitol Hill to urge legislators to support the resolution by signing or cosponsoring it.

The Coalition reports that four representatives -- James McGovern, Jesse Jackson, Linda Sanchez, and Bobby Rush -- have already confirmed their cosponsorships of the resolution.

---

Also, in an only somewhat related item, we've posted a new Secret Asian Man strip, "The Abe Interview," by cartoon satirist Tak Toyshima, a fresh take on the issue for this year's Women's History Month.

Bright Sheng’s Threnody for Pipa and Orchestra, "Nanking! Nanking!"

The University of Michigan Center for Chinese Studies presents as part of the Arts on Earth Initiative and China Theme Year:

Bright Sheng’s Threnody for Pipa and Orchestra, NANKING! NANKING!
Panel Discussion with Video and Film Viewing
Friday, March 30, 2007, 4:00pm
Schorling Auditorium, School of Education (SEB)
610 E. University, Ann Arbor, Michigan

U-M MacArthur awarding-winning composer and music director Bright Sheng’s symphony Nanking! Nanking! was created in memory of Chinese victims of the 1937 massacre during the Sino-Japanese War. The composer tells the story “through the ‘eyes’ of one person (the pipa) who is not only a victim, but a witness and survivor… it is also a story of humanity’s spirit…” Why have issues of Japanese war nationalism and denial surfaced in this 70th anniversary of the Nanking Massacre in Japan, China, and the United States at a time when these nations reflect on issues of war and war memory? The NM is one of the most explosive metaphors for the still contested Pacific War, and the nationalist ambitions that drive that war and contemporary wars.

Historian Mark Selden of Cornell University will begin the session with an overview of the Nanjing Massacre (40 min), followed by a DVD viewing of Bright Sheng’s Nanking! Nanking! score played by the U-M Symphony Orchestra (18 min), and a panel discussion with Bright Sheng, Mark Selden, music critic Sheila Melvin, and Stanford University conductor Cai Jindong. Nicholas Howson, U-M School of Law, will moderate the panel (50 min). The History Channel’s “Rape of Nanking” documentary film will conclude the program--please note that the video contains graphic film footage of the conflict in Nanking.

A related lecture by Mark Selden is scheduled for Thursday, March 29, entitled “Bombing and the American Way of War: From the Pacific War to Iraq” at 1014 Tisch Hall at 4:00.

PANEL:
Bright Sheng, Leonard Bernstein Distinguished University Professor of Composition, University of Michigan
Cai Jindong, Director of Orchestral Studies, Stanford University
Sheila Melvin, music journalist and a frequent contributor to The Wall Street Journal, The International Herald Tribune and The New York Times
Mark Selden, Research Associate, East Asia Program, Cornell University
Moderator: Nicholas C. Howson, University of Michigan School of Law

Statement by 121 Coalition Supporting H.Res. 121

Call to Action from 121 Coalition
support121.org

About H.Res. 121

Japan's Imperial Army enslaved 200,000 girls and women of Asia during WWII and exploited them as "comfort women."

But there was no comfort and many were not yet sixteen.

These girls and women were victims of gang rape and brutal torture organized by the Japanese military that resulted in death, dehumanization and disease.

It's terrible enough that this atrocity was committed, but the suffering continues because despite testimonies from survivors and official documentation, Japan has not fully acknowledged responsibility for the crime. Their past attempts at apologies were equivocal and vague. And the truth is not taught in schools.

In fact, Prime Minister Abe and the Japanese government are now denying that the government played any role in raping of these women. Now they want to maintain that these girls were well-paid prostitutes at brothels. These women have evidence on their bodies: the knife wounds, broken bones, the diseases, removed uteruses. This is a moral outrage and a threat to global peace.

H.Res. 121, proposed by Congressman Mike Honda, calls upon the Japanese government to make an unequivocal and official apology for committing this war crime. Support H.Res. 121 and stand on the side of human rights, women's rights, global peace, truth and reconciliation.

For a list of organizations in our coalition, to join, or to learn about events and actions, go to: support121.org

Take action now!

-----


For more info:
House Resolution 121 : http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/ca15_honda/COMFORTWOMEN.html
Mike Honda's statement at the Feb. 15th hearing: http://internationalrelations.house.gov/110/hon021507.htm
Mindly Kotler's testimony: http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/110/kot021507.htm
Dr. Ok Cha Soh's testimony: http://internationalrelations.house.gov/110/soh021507.htm
Testimony of comfort woman, Lee Yong-Soo: http://internationalrelations.house.gov/110/lee021507.htm
Testimony of comfort woman, Kim Koon-Ja: http://internationalrelations.house.gov/110/kim021507.htm
Testimony by comfort woman, Jan Ruff O'Herne: http://internationalrelations.house.gov/110/ohe021507.htm
Dai Sil Kim-Gibson: Silence Broken film and book
Japanese War Crimes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_war_crimes_in_mainland_Asia
Comfort Women News Archive: http://comfortwomen.wordpress.com/archived-news-articles/

Also: On "Comfort Women" by Secret Asian Man

While we're at it -- looking at Mike Honda's Resolution and the Japanese PM's response, that is:



We dug this out of the archives from a previous Asian-American Village Women's History Month edition. By the wildly popular, ever-controversial Secret Asian Man creator Tak Toyoshima, the strip tackled a similar theme a couple of years back -- this one in reference to the positioning of "voluntary comfort women" in Japanese school textbooks. We called the strip, "Why Japan Needs a Women's History Month".

Yul Kwon weighs in on Comfort Women

Reality TV star Yul Kwon has joined in the movement in support of CA Rep. Mike Honda's call for Japan to accept responsibility for the wartime treatment of "comfort women".

Kwon, who won the competition on last season's Survivor: Cook Islands, is featured in a new video by filmmaker and frequent Asian-American Village contributor Eric Byler now circulating on YouTube, Yul Kwon Supports Resolution Calling on Japan to Apologize.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe remains dug-in in his insistence that there was no forced recruitment of Asian sex slaves by the Japanese military during World War II. The growing clamor on this side of the Pacific, as well as by members of the opposition, is certainly embarrassing to the PM.

Check out the Yul Kwon video

Chinese politician wins in N. Ireland

A fitting story following up on International Women's Day, and for our Women's History Month edition, moving toward St. Patty's Day -- this reported by By SHAWN POGATCHNIK of the Associated Press:

Chinese politician wins in N. Ireland

Anna Lo being called the first Chinese elected lawmaker in Europe

"Lo, a Hong Kong native who has lived in Northern Ireland for 32 years, on
Friday became the first ethnic minority to be elected to political office in
this almost exclusively white British territory. Chinese media reports also
described her as the first Chinese person to be elected as a lawmaker anywhere
in Europe."

and this...

"Lo, the 56-year-old chief executive of the Chinese Welfare Association in
Belfast, said many of the approximately 10,000 Cantonese-speaking residents of
Northern Ireland have lived here for more than three decades — and had never
voted before her candidacy."

Featured Job with JACL - Japanese American Citizens League

It's come to our attention that our friends at JACL posted a job in our job bank looking for someone to direct Development activities in their San Francisco headquarters. The position was posted on Jan 13, and will expire soon. But if you or someone you know might be interested in working with JACL in its civil rights mission, please check it out and make a copy of the posting right away. So far, JACL has not removed the posting to indicate that the search is closed, but check with them directly.

Membership/Fund Development Director
Japanese American Citizens League - San Francisco, CA

A/PIA High School Conference at University of Michigan

Each year, the University of Michigan United Asian American Organizations (UAAO) is proud to present the Asian Pacific Islander American (A/PIA) High School Conference, a daylong event of learning, empowerment, and action. Historically, over 200 high school students come from different Detroit and metro-Detroit area high schools to participate in the conference, which features A/PIA-issue workshops, small group sessions, special guest speakers, and performances. The planning and execution of the conference is a collaborative effort from University of Michigan undergraduate students, faculty and staff, graduate/medical/law students, and members of the A/PIA community. Through careful budgeting and planning, this conference is offered completely free to the high school students.

This year's conference, to be held on March 24, 2007 at the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor, will journey through the Asian/Pacific Islander Americans' identities by exploring issues in a multicultural world. "Completing the Puzzle" addresses our cross-cultural identities through workshops that tackle issues of representation in the media, pop culture, history, gender and sexuality, and much more.

Japanese Pop Culture Experts on BBC

On Friday, March 9, 2007, you can hear Frances Kai-Hwa Wang’s daughters, Margot and Hao Hao, interviewed on “The World,” a BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) radio program. The BBC was interviewing Roland Kelts, the hapa author of JapanAmerica—How Japanese Pop Culture has Invaded the US, and some other Japanese pop culture experts at a bookstore in Boston, and there were the girls, sitting on the floor, reading a stack of manga as tall as they were. The BBC asked them what they liked about manga. I wasn’t there, so I don’t know what they said. I’ll be listening too.

Annual Asian American Village Women's History Month

The Editors have begun our annual updates to both our Women's History Month archive section and our longstanding annual feature, the Villager-nominated Asian Pacific American Women's Wall of Fame.

As always, the archive will be updated throughout the month with features, news and miscellany on the theme. A few items of interest posted recently or upcoming:

• Update: PepsiCo Elects CEO Indra K. Nooyi as Chairman - after hitting the #1 spot on Fortune's list of the powerful women in business, Nooyi's rapid rise continues past President, then CEO, then CEO and Chair of the mega-company, Pepsico announced in February.


• Series: New Essays by Frances Kai-Hwa Wang focus on beauty standards, self-image and aging in her customary, deeply personal and unique voice. We'll be posting a new essay by Wang every week, starting with her piece, APA Grrrlfriends, which finds the author searching for love and women's friendships in an APA Sex and the City


• News: We'll also be keeping an eye on developments surrounding the outrage over the Japanese Prime Minister's comments about WWII "comorfot women" aka sex slaves, and growing efforts worldwide to bring justice for the surviving victims.

Additionally, we're looking for and will give a shout to events and organizations of note. Just for a couple of examples:

• Reminder: March 8 is International Women's Day. This year's theme is tackling the problem of violence against women, and organizations both private and public are getting involved globally.


• Hat's Off to FWNet - The Filipina Women's Network - for sponsoring again this year a series of "V-Day" fundraisers benefitting efforts to stop violence against Filipinas. This year, they plan V-Day benefit events in NY and SF:

NEW YORK (2 dates)
Friday, March 30, 2007 (Opening Night):
7:00 PM – The
Vagina Monologues (in English & Tagalog)

Saturday, April 14,
2007:
2:30 PM – The Vagina Monologues (English)
7:00 PM – Usaping Puki
(in Tagalog, no subtitles)

SAN FRANCISCO
Saturday., March 24,
2007
2:30 PM – The Vagina Monologues (English)
7:30 PM – Usaping Puki
(in Tagalog, no subtitles)

More to come. Meanwhile, stop by during Women's History Month and drop us your nominations t0 the Wall of Fame.

-- Eds

Professional Women's Village @ Blogspot: Women's History Month 2007

http://womensvillage.blogspot.com/2007/03/womens-history-month.html

AsianWeek Apologizes Following Racist Column Controversy

The San Francisco-based newspaper, AsianWeek, on its website today issued an apology and a rejection of the "biased views" of its columnist, Kenneth Eng, following the wide condemnation of his article, "Why I Hate Blacks".

The paper further announced the author's firing and promised a review of the editorial processes that let the article be published. The paper is reported to be planning a town hall-style meeting in San Francisco in the near future.

More on the apology and Kenneth Eng controversy.

Job: Clinical Counselor Working with APA Students (IL)

Head's up on featured opportunity at IMDiversity AAV:

Clinical Counselor Working with APA Students (IL)
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Deadline: March 9, 2007

REQUIRED

Doctorate in Clinical, Clinical/Community, or Counseling Psychology, or Masters in Social Work is required.
2. Demonstrated interest, expertise, and experience in clinical and outreach work with Asian American students are required.
3. Demonstrated competence in multicultural programming and multicultural clinical work is required.
4. Demonstrated ability to function at a high level as a generalist counselor in a setting with both diverse clients and staff colleagues is required.
5. License in Illinois or license-eligible background as a psychologist or clinical social worker is required.
6. Previous experience in a college counseling center is preferred, but not required.

Conditions:1. Starting Date: August 1, 2007 or mutually acceptable date.

More details

Asians in Medical Professions vs. the Executive Suite

While rennovating and expanding the IMDiversity Healthcare Industry Careers Channel, the editors stumbled across a few sobering stats about barriers to advancement for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in a field where, stereotypically, one might least expect it.

According to a 2003 aggregate report by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Asian Americans were in some sense "over-represented" in the healthcare field. Asian Americans constituted 5.2 percent of the total Healthcare and Social Assistance workforce, and 7.7 percent of "Professional" positions (including doctors, dentists, nurses, etc.), according to the report. At 4-point-something percent of the U.S. population in 2003, these figures are not too shabby, and seem to give evidence to the idea that we are "doing well," playing a leading role in this all-important, fastest-growing industry.

Chalk it up to what you will -- whether a high number of Indian, Chinese and Filipino doctors, nurses and researchers admitted to help ease the U.S. healthcare worker shortage on special visas, or simply intense parental pressure to be a doctors ... ;-)

However, a closer look at the next column shows that Asian Americans held only 3.0 percent of the "Officials & Managers" positions. Think, the hospital administrators and clinic managers, the behind the scenes and office positions, perhaps the heads of private labs ... or medical school research centers.

For all other minority groups, the percentages holding Professional positions and Official/Management positions were virtually identical.

This seems to make the healthcare profession consistent with other technical fields where a glass ceiling exists. Asians are presumed compentent and hard-working, skilled and highly educated, but perhaps not possessing the stuff of enjoying the fruits of their contributions in management at the top-levels.

One result is that many organizations, scholarships, and official initiatives established to create a measure of equity for minorities in the profession do not include Asians. We may in the aggregate excel at serving as doctors and nurses and technicians. Yet, as important and worthy as these occupations may be, additional research is needed. First, clear disparities in the quality of healthcare exist along ethnic lines, and this goes for Asian Americans as well. This seems counterintuitive; one would think with all those Asian doctors and nurses toiling away out there, Asian Americans would be receiving fantastic, culturally-targeted, in-language medical care more than most groups. But research into the dearth of Asian Americans who are decision-makers and purse-string holders in the management offices of the industry may point the way new kinds of access, research and attention to the benefit of Asian Americans' healthcare.

On a final note: The research into the representation of Pacific Islanders and Native Hawaiians in the industry is releatively new, and the subject for another day. However, already, it's clear that the disparities are even more pronounced in this group -- in terms of both access to the best healthcare and representation in the professions.

Pipa Sensation Yang Wei

I have fallen completely in love with the pipa, the Chinese lute. The pipa is a stringed instrument that originated in the Middle East as the oud and has existed in China since the Qin Dynasty, 221-207 BC. It is now becoming a “world instrument” like violin or piano.

I recently heard pipa performed as the centerpiece of theatrical dream team Bright Sheng, David Henry Hwang, and Ong Keng Sen's musical theatre opera, The Silver River, at the University of Michigan.

Then pipa virtuoso, Yang Wei, came to the University of Michigan as an artist-in-residence for two weeks and I went to hear him perform and speak four times! Mr. Yang is an incredible musician and a charming person, peppering his performances of classical Chinese, contemporary Chinese, and Western music (Home on the Range, Oh Susanna “...with a pipa on my knee”) with stories about coming to America from Shanghai, drawing parallels between learning pipa and learning English (and how to drive).

Yang Wei is also part of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project which has “a vision of connecting the world’s neighborhoods by bringing together artists and audiences around the globe. Inspired by the cultural traditions of the historic Silk Road, the Silk Road Project is a catalyst promoting innovation and learning through the arts.” This is not just explorations of the traditional instruments and traditional music, but also exciting new collaborations between many of these instruments and musical traditions.

Chicago is the first city in the world to collaborate in a year-long partnership with The Silk Road Project, including performances, master classes, workshops and educational programs featuring Yo-Yo Ma and other Silk Road Ensemble members.

Check out the videos of the Silk Road Ensemble in action on Yang Wei’s website, and try to catch them in one of their upcoming concerts. They are so cool.

More Buzz: APAs and a Dem Weekend

Asian American activists of all stripes gathered in MD suburbs this past weekend for a series of events coinciding with the Dem-fest in DC.

Attending were folks representing national grassroots organizations such as APAs for Progress and Real Americans for Democracy (a next-gen project rising from the success of "macaca-slayers" Real Virginians for Webb), PACs like the Asian American Action Fund, as well as APA staffers from campaigns and Congressional offices, those who had worked APIA outreach for the DNC, and folks from ethnic media and local community service organizations.

In addition to buzzing about the field of new Presidential candidates and debriefing from the midterms, the series of meetings provided an opportunity for a highly energized and diverse body of Asian Americans to network, weigh future cooperative projects, and discuss problems and priorities in the community.

Although as diverse a bunch as you could find -- style, region, ethnicity, age, profession -- I overheard some common themes in the group buzz.

• One was a general sense that the Democratic Party has taken a demonstrable turn in the last couple of elections, paying more attention to APAs and expanding opportunities for them to be involved at multiple levels of the Party.
• Another was that this investment has demonstrably paid off, and it is likely that efforts to outreach to APA constiuencies will probably see continued, increased support in the Party moving forward. We'll probably see more Asian faces at the conventions, on staffs, and out there stumping and canvassing.
• A third was that the midterms saw an increasing number of dedicated APAs, especially younger people, gaining valuable field experience and becoming engaged in campaigns and GOTV at a deeper level than in the past, and as a result...
• Asian Americans may still be far away from having a big umbrella organization like a La Raza or NAACP, but building coalition and cooperation seems to be a common interest among disparate activist groups intrested in affecting elections. (On a related note, see the coincidental release by the new 80-20 Initiative board this weekend, too.)

And what did the group have to say about the candidates? I can't say a consensus favorite emerged this weekend, but on one thing everyone seemed to agree: Asian Americans are looking for Bill Richardson to address The Wen Ho Lee issue, and it probably won't be comfortable for him.

More later...

Buzz: Changing of the Guard at 80-20

After years with founding President S.B. Woo at the helm, the 80-20 Initiative and PAC -- a national organization dedicated to creating an Asian American swing vote through promoting a bloc-voting strategy -- is seeing a wave new faces on its executive committee and board of officers. The organization's new President, Kathleen To, announced the leadership changes in a release circulated on February 3.

The message also acknowledges that Woo (who was term-limited out as 80-20 president this year) leaves some very big shoes to fill. (Woo has said he will continue to play a role in the organization, possibly focusing on a recently developed education foundation project.) Indeed, To will face some challenges as she takes the helm of an organization that has been so closely aligned with the name of the founder. This identification with Woo has created some obstacles for 80-20 in its past efforts to build multipartisan coalition. Although 80-20's decision-making committees are constituted of equal numbers of Democrats, Republicans and independents, Republicans who failed to win the organization's consensus endorsements have routinely accused it of partisanship because Woo had been a Democrat when he served as Lt. Governor of Delaware.

The new leadership change, then, can provide a good opportunity for 80-20 to put some distance between itself and these charges, and to strike out in some new directions, too. The message from To suggests that a key goal is "to reach out and co-operate with all other Asian American organizations, [and] reach out to our Congressional Delegations."

For a time 80-20 was regarded as the only national, pan-Asian political action organization of note that could provide formal endorsements, it got a reputation for going things its own way and not really working in coalition with other organizations who were also dedicated to community concerns, voter participation, and so forth. Further, in its early years, 80-20 had reserved its endorsements and member energies exclusively for presidential races, generally shying from Congressional or gubernatorial races and leaving midterm elections alone.

Beginning last year, however, 80-20's consensus focus on combating glass ceiling discrimination through Congressional hearings gave it an opportunity to weigh in on midterm races, and it received high-level attention on the issue from the new DNC chair Howard Dean.

The new board will be holding its annual meeting in Washington DC in April. We will likely see some more announcements of new directions and deals then.

FKwang article in New Adoption Parenting Book by EMK Press

Check out Frances' article on page 319 and 332!

Release below:

EMK Press is proud to announce our NEW, groundbreaking parenting book:

Adoption Parenting: Creating a Toolbox, Building Connections

Edited by Jean MacLeod and Sheena Macrae, PhD

Finally, a comprehensive parenting book for adoptive families!

Over 100 contributors have helped EMK Press to weave a stunning tapestry of advice specifically for adoptive parents. Parenting adopted children requires parenting with an extra layer and this book helps you to understand where that extra layer falls. This over 500 page book is a wealth of information for the newly arrived home family and the experienced family as well. This is a book you won’t read all at once, but come back to again and again as your child’s awareness of who they are develops and your awareness of how to help them increases.Our adopted children come to us from loss–loss of a birthfamily, culture, and language. There are helpful things that we can do to address these issues, and Adoption Parenting helps you to create an awareness to do just that. We also look at stumbling blocks to good parenting, and standard parenting practices that aren’t right for adopted children. We look at the core issues all members of the adoption triad face, and look at how that affects standard parenting challenges like sleeping through the night, discipline, and attachment. We cover specific challenges families have faced: FASD, Trauma and PTSD, Sensory Integration, Speech and Language delays, and at ways to effectively parent a post-institutionalized child or a child who has experienced trauma in their journey to you.

To see the actual table of contents, click below

Front Matter and Table of Contents: frontmatter.pdf

First Chapter Getting Started Click to view

NYC Exhibition: Erasing Borders: Indian Artists in the American Diaspora

Indo-American Arts Council Inc
and the
Queens Museum of Art
present
Erasing Borders: Indian Artists in the American Diaspora
curated by vijay kumar

February 4 - March 4, 2007
Queens Museum of Art
Flushing Meadows, Corona Park, New York

featuring Reeta Karmarkar, Vijay Kumar, Bivas Chaudhuri, Satish Joshi, Siona Benjamin, Tara Sabharwal, Nitin Mukul, Ela Shah, Vinod Dave, Nandini Chirimar, Antonio Puri, Anna Bhushan, Delna Dastur, Niyeti Chadha, Alka Mukerji, Yamini Nayar

AAV News Weekend Supplement - Jan 26

As we sometimes do, AAV's adding extra weekend arts and sports items from the AP:

• Maui residents object to island's portrayal in new MTV reality show, Maui Fever
• India to finally see Deepa Mehta's Water…7 years late
• Playwright Hwang to launch Stanford Univ.-NY Public Theater partnership series
• Ang Lee calls Tony Leung Chiu-wai 'dream' actor in his new movie
• Contract issue hangs over Mariners, Ichiro

The Maui article hits on a favorite ongoing theme at the Village, close to the hearts of editors and Villagers alike: the distorted, bleached out La-La-Land settings created by an entertainment industry whose vision of places like San Francisco, LA, New York, and Hawai'i is one sans Asians.

But is that what the controvery is really about?

As the article observes, Maui County is 31 percent Asian, 10 percent Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and 22 percent mixed race. Caucasians account for 33 percent of the county, including the small islands of Lanai and Molokai.

The all-haole casting has some locals ... not quite up in arms ... but annoyed, in the same sort of way that makes them charge mainlanders higher prices for pretty much everything. (AAV's editors Stewart Ikeda and Frances Wang have both been spending a lot of time in Hawai'i lately.)

The bigger sore spot is that the contestants on the show all seem to be on Maui for the main purpose of getting lucky -- frequently and on-camera.

"The first episode highlights a group of men who target tourists for fast, easy, and noncommittal hookups," the article says, which left some residents disgruntled, such as Nathan Ugale, 16, of Lahaina.

The article quotes Ugale from the Maui News: “I don't want (tourists) to come to Maui and think that people are going to come up to their daughters, so 'I better keep them away.' It's good for TV but not when it's happening in the town that you live in, that you've been a part of your whole life.”

[BY THE WAY: Also from Maui News: Click to see Matthew Thayer's photo of what must surely be the world's largest spam musubi ever -- 60 feet! We can't link to it b/c it gives a server error, but see the homepage today or maybe Google "SIXTY FEET OF SPAM MUSUBI" laterand see what happens.]

Anyway, stop in and check out the weekend edition of the Village news, and let us know what you think of the show.

Bobby Jindal running for Louisiana Gov.; up in polls

In this Week's Asian American Village News Headlines:

U.S. Representative Bobby Jindal, a Louisiana Republican, has announced that he is running to replace Kathleen Blanco as the state's governor. Although Jindal lost his first gubernatorial campaign against Blanco in 2003, the Governor has been weakened since Hurricane Katrina, and Jindal seems to have a good shot at becoming the state's first Indian American governor.

According the AP, a survey of likely voters this month by Southern Media & Opinion Research found that 59 percent favored Jindal and 35 percent favored Blanco (margin of error +/- 4 percentage points).

Interesting Factoid to Watch: Expect to see widespread claims that victory would make Jindal "the first Indian American governor," but this particular milestone has been recently scooped by -- just last month, in fact. Apparently, the honor of that claim goes to New Jersey transportation commissioner Kris Kolluri, who was also the the first Indian American to hold a cabinet post in New Jersey, according to the Times of India. To be precise, as originally reported in the Newark Star-Ledger, Kolluri acted as the Garden State's acting governor for a day while Gov. Jon Corzine and other officials going down the list were out of town on holiday.

So, a victorious Jindal would have to settle for "first elected Indian American governor".

[Image" "Talking with dairy farmers: Congressman Jindal holds a forum with local dairy farmers" from http://jindal.house.gov/]

Asian American Career Center: Featured Opportunities

Featured Editor's Pick at the Asian American Village Jobs for US Center, powered by IMDiversity.com:

Clinical Counselor Position #10935: University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
Posted Jan 9, 2007
Deadline: March 9, 2007
This Clinical Counselor position combines generalist counselor duties with a special emphasis in clinical and outreach work with Asian American students. Position starts August 1, 2007.

Editor's Note: UIUC is known as the home of one of the most dynamic, up-and-coming Asian American Studies and cultural scenes in the Midwest. Long-time Villagers may recall our early feature from 2003, Building Asian American and Ethnic Studies in the Midwest, by Sharon Lee at UIUC, detailing the challenges, growth prospects, and new opportunities for ethnic studies programs in the Heartland. Since then, UIUC has been steadily hiring new talent for administrators and faculty to build not only a strong academic program in AAS, but also related resource centers and support. If you're interested in working in an role providing support to Asia Americans, and being part of a vibrant Asian American community while enjoying a small, manageable city with a good standard of living, we think you should note the deadline and check this one out.

-- AAV Editors

Singaporean Director Ong Keng Sen--Beyond Cool

On January 12, I had the opportunity to hear the incredibly brilliant and beautiful Singaporean director of The Silver River, Ong Keng Sen, speak at the University of Michigan Center for Southeast Asian Studies about Collaboration across Borders in Art and Culture. He has received international acclaim for epic theatrical presentations that bridge cultures, making theatre a transcultural, transdisciplinary, collaborative art. He is very interested in the politics and negotiation of cultural expressions and collaborations that cross cultural boundaries, and using traditional and contemporary art to forge a new multicultural pan-Asian identity across international lines, asserting a new Asian asthetic in contemporary theatre.

I am always writing about APAs creating culture, multicultural living, pan-Asian alliances, and teaching our children about both their Asian heritage and their place in American history. However, it had never occurred to me that Asians in Asian countries might have some of the same concerns. I think that we APAs sometimes try to distance ourselves from contemporary Asians in Asia because we are tired of always being mistaken for foreigners or because we think of Asian culture as old and out of date. It doesn’t have to be that way. Instead, we could be part of something bigger than “Yul Kwon wins Survivor” and “Rosie O’Donnell said ‘ching chong ching chong.’”

Check this out from Theatreworks.org.sg: “Theatreworks asks, What is Asian in this age of globalisation, internationalization, modernisation and urbanisation? Its work exists on the tension between modernity and tradition; local and global. It hopes to rethink what is Western, what is Eastern, what is first world and what is third world: Do these dichotomies continue to make sense in the new millennium? Representing the continuum between tradition and contemporary, the work is unafraid to be exotic and yet conceptual. Theatreworks' aesthetics projects the hybrid identity of the modern Asian and embrace the multiple realities.”

How cool is that? You should also check out 72-13.com.

So much beauty and brilliance in one week, I’m about to have a heart attack.

Also check out Frances Kai-Hwa Wang's
Harry Potter, Asian-American Living, and Raising Our Children with Culture(s)--Multiculturalism as a lifestyle choice, not an abstraction or afterthought and

A Visit to the Hilo Longs Drugs (or Why I love Hawai’i)

David Henry Hwang and Bright Sheng's The Silver River

David Henry Hwang, Literary Genius (and Tony Award-winning playwright, M. Butterfly), is in residence at the University of Michigan Institute of the Humanities this week, and I had the opportunity to meet him (and get his autograph!) and follow him around campus like a starstruck teenager. He is preparing for a performance of The Silver River, which retells the ancient Chinese myth about the cowherd and the weaving goddess, and the creation of the Milky Way—a story which is celebrated on Chinese Valentine’s Day (7th day of 7th lunar month). With composer Bright Sheng, MacArthur “Genius” grant winner and UM faculty, The Silver River is touted as a combination of modern theatre, Chinese opera, Western opera, contemporary dance, and classical Western and Chinese music. The University Musical Society writes that The Silver River was the highlight of the 2000 Spoleto Festival, the 2002 Lincoln Center Festival, and the 2002 Theater Works Singapore and is being remounted for the first time in five years in this exclusive production. (Watch for it as it may go on tour!) As always, Hwang is brilliant and funny and gives the old lovestory a modern twist and APA sensibility with themes of interracial romance (human and celestial) and lines like, “If you don’t understand (what that character just said in) Chinese, take a class!”

The University Musical Society presents:
The Silver River, A Music-Theatre Work in One Act
Music by Bright Sheng
Libretto by David Henry Hwang
Directed by Ong Keng Sen
Friday, January 12, 8 pm, and Saturday, January 13, 8 pm
Power Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Also Check out Frances Kai-Hwa Wang's "Weak in the Knees--Revisiting the 'Nice Chinese Boy'"

OCA to Cut Ribbon on New HQ in D.C. Jan 12

The Organization of Chinese Americans will be opening what appears to be a beautiful new, three-building headquarters in the Dupont Circle section of Washington DC. The ribbon-cutting ceremony this weekend is the culmination of decades of fundraising and planning, and will mark an important step for create a permanent presence for Asian American advocates inside the Beltway. Read more and see a photo of the building at the AAV story here.

Congratulations to our friends at OCA!

Happy New Year from AAV

Back after some time off for family, travel, and R&R, the editors at AAV wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.

We hope some of you had a chance to take a look at our Asian American Village 2006 Year in Review, check out our holiday Secret Asian Man double feature, and see some of our year-end featured jobs specials from the IMDiversity job bank.

This week, we kick things off on an unfortunately less-than-happy note following the terrible New Year’s Eve bombings in Bangkok that left 3 dead and 38 wounded, in a news analysis by frequent contributor Andrew Lam.

On a brighter note, we've got another new piece about an exciting development: PBS the broadcast of My Life Disoriented, a new Asian American drama pilot that's running this month on Independent Lens.

We saw and really liked some of the early cuts (and posted the filmmaker's release earlier), and think it has a good chance of getting a longer life. We got in a new interview with some of the My Life Disoriented stars courtesy of our good friends at Sampan in Boston (where the show will on on WGBH Jan. 7).

Management Consultant Yul Kwon Wins on Survivor

Korean-American business consultant Yul Kwon of San Mateo prevailed in Sunday’s season finale of Survivor: Cook Islands, winning 5 out of 9 jury votes to take the $1 million top prize.
His main competition was Oscar (Ozzie) Lusth, a Mexican American who excelled in the season's physical challenges.

However, in a twist for the show, Becky Lee was named as a third finalist. Also a Korean American, Lee had maintained a solid alliance with Kwon since the show's beginning, but by the end had not fared well enough in the individual survival challenges to be a serious comeptitor for the top spot.

Although initially controversial for the way in which starting teams were segregated by race, the reality show ended up being a dramatic and highly engaging "showcase" for diversity, asserted Kwon, who said in the finale that that the under-representation of strong, positive Asian American figures in mainstream media was a major motivator for him to participate in the show.

"Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"

I was fortunate to be able to attend a sneak preview of Kristina Wong’s upcoming performance, “Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” at the University of Michigan in November, the day after election day. The evening started quietly as everyone in the audience was depressed about the passage of Proposal 2 and the banning of affirmative action in Michigan. Kristina Wong (whom IMDiversity.com readers first met as Big Bad Chinese Mama) quickly confirmed that the problem is not us, but rather the world. She is hysterical! You must go see this! But be ready to dance in the aisles.

"Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" premiered to a packed house December 9 at La Pena Cultural Center, in Berkeley, California, and the excitement flowed over December 15-16, at MACLA, Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana, Inc., in San Jose, California.

The East Coast Premiere is scheduled for March 23-24, 8pm, at Painted Bride Art Center, 230 Vine Street Philadelphia, PA.

From Kristina Wong’s website: "Initially an exploration of the sky high incidence of mental illness among Asian American women, incisive writer and performer Kristina Wong mixes sharp humor and shaky psychology in Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, a semi-autobiographical, serio-comic quest for a cheap fix to eradicate depression, anxiety and all-out neuroses. What came first? The chicken or the egg? Asian American women offing themselves en masse or the maddening world? Wong's irreverent and provocative work has given her a national cult following for 'politically charged art with unapologetic humor.' -Bitch Magazine."

Read more about Kristina Wong and BigBadChineseMama.com in our archives: Pervs, Politicos and Prey: Ethnic Media and the Problem of “Hack Marketing” by Stewart David Ikeda

Hai Vo Hate Crime, Michigan

On November 11, 2006, five days after Michigan passed Proposal 2 to ban affirmative action (presumably because it wasn't needed anymore because there was no more racism in Michigan anymore), Hai Vo, a 34-year old Vietnamese American man, was severely beaten outside a downtown night spot in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and remains in a coma. A fight reportedly started inside The B.O.B. (Big Old Building) when some white men suggested that Asian women could be bought with as little as $5. Vo’s sister described to WZZM13 News how the white men were waving fistfuls of dollar bills at the women in their group. The fight then moved outside. Mr. Vo was not involved in the fight, but was waiting in front of the building for his sister to bring the car when he was struck from behind and severely beaten.

The Michigan Department of Civil Rights, The Advisory Council of Asian Pacific Affairs, the Organization of Asian Professionals, The Michigan Asian Pacific American Bar Association, American Citizens for Justice, St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church, and others are all working to help the Vo family and to find out what happened. An Asian Victim's Relief Fund has been set up and two big fundraisers have been planned to help the family pay Mr. Vo’s medical bills (he had no medical insurance).

Harold Core, department spokeman for the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, noted in the Grand Rapids Press that the alleged hate crime occurred five days after the election. "After Proposal 2 passes on the idea that people aren't targeted or mistreated because of their race, it's kinda sad that after the state believed there was no need for Proposal 2 (sic—affirmative action), we have this," Core said.

The Michigan Asian Pacific American Bar Association, American Citizens for Justice, and Michigan's Council of Asian Pacific Americans (CAPA) are also watching the investigations of other possible anti-Asian hate crimes. Linda V. Parker, Director of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR), noted in a statement, “I am personally alarmed at the recent spike in particularly egregious alleged hate crimes in Michigan.” Asian Americans, African Americans, Arab Americans have all been targeted for violent hate crimes after passage of Proposal 2.

Next year, 2007, marks the 25th anniversary of Vincent Chin's death.

New PBS series pilot, MY LIFE DISORIENTED, airs Dec. 26

Pilot for APA series with Karin Anna Cheung, Tamlyn Tomita airing as part of “Independent Lens”


LOS ANGELES, CA – December 13, 2006 – A new Asian/Pacific American television show called “My Life Disoriented” will premiere on PBS with national broadcasts starting Dec. 26th. The future of the show could well depend on audience response to the original “pilot” episode airing as part of the acclaimed series, Independent Lens.The show’s impressive cast includes Karin Anna Cheung (Better Luck Tomorrow), Tamlyn Tomita (The Joy Luck Club), Dennis Dun (Big Trouble In Little China), Autumn Reeser (The O.C.), and Di Quon (Maid In Manhattan).

Cheung, a familiar face from the 2003 film Better Luck Tomorrow, recently remarked in a recent AsianWeek article, “I remember being so excited when Margaret Cho's All American Girl was going to be the first Asian American sit com -- actually, it didn't even occur to me until then that we didn't HAVE a show. It's cool to be able to possibly do the same thing for a new generation.”

The show’s producers, including Eric Byler (charlotte sometimes, AMERICANese), are asking people across the country to E-Mail PBS to request more air dates (with better air times -- some PBS affiliates are showing it at 3 AM) and to express interest in seeing the show become a series.

http://www.pbs.org/aboutsite/aboutsite_emailform.html

Find Out When "My Life Disoriented" Airs in Your Area

CLIPS

• High School Clip with Karin Anna Cheung, Di Quon, Autumn Reeser, Amanda Fuller
• Family Clip with Tamlyn Tomita, Dennis Dunn, Di Quon, Phil Young, and Karin Anna Cheung

Awards Ceremony of Iris Chang Memorial Essay Contest 2006

The 2006 Iris Chang Memorial Essay Contest award ceremony will take place at the Nanjing Ji: Commemoration of the 69th Anniversary Of Nanjing Massacre on December 9, 2006, at Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California, 1840 Sutter Street, in San Francisco, 10 am to 12 pm. The top three winners of the Essay Contest will be honored at the event.

Nanjing Ji is an annual commemoration held in San Francisco, California. It honors and pays tribute to the many innocent individuals who suffered and died during the Rape of Nanking. It is also a remembrance of other victims who perished in the brutalities committed by the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II. Genocide survivors, human rights activists, community leaders and the general public will gather at this event to pay tribute to the victims, demand reconciliation and reparation from the Japanese government, and renounce violence and advocate for peace throughout the world. This year, the Nanjing Ji is co-sponsored by The Rape of Nanking Redress Coalition, The Global Alliance for Preserving the History of WW II in Asia, and The Association for Preserving the Truth of the Sino-Japanese War.

Read this year’s winning essay, “The Rape of Nanking: A Quest for Peace,” by Hann-Shuin Yew, a Harvard University freshman from Sunnyvale, California.

Read more about the Iris Chang Memorial Fund from Iris’ mom.

Read more about Iris Chang from our IMDiversity.com archives:
Remembering Iris Chang by Nancy Beardsley, Voice of America
Iris Chang's 'The Chinese in America' by George Koo, PNS

John Cho People Magazine’s 11th Sexiest Man Alive!

As the Arts and Culture editor of IMDiversity.com Asian American Village, it was my job to go investigate when People Magazine announced their picks for this year’s Sexiest Man Alive. I clicked to their website and scrolled through all their pictures expecting to not see any Asian Americans. I was already writing an article in my head ranting about the lack of Asian American representation in the Sexiest Man Alive list.

Boy, was I surprised to see Korean American actor John Cho, of Better Luck Tomorrow and Harold and Kumar go to White Castle fame, listed online as the 11th Sexiest Man Alive! Brad Pitt was only 15th. I did not think that the mainstream even knew who John Cho was!

So then, of course, in the interests of further research, I had to watch People Magazine’s online video featuring photographs of 100 Sexy Men in One Minute. I saw a few Asian faces fly back, but had to replay the video over and over and over and over again (yes, it was torture) to try to identify who they were. Daniel Dae Kim of Lost was one (After more excruciating research, I found out he was Number Eight in 2005). I am not sure of the other’s identity (or if there were any more), the pictures flew by so fast. I guess I will have to get the paper magazine when it hits the newsstands November 17.

You should also check out the beautiful Indian-Canadian UC Berkeley associate professor in earth and planetary sciences and MacArthur “Genius” Fellow Michael Manga who made the list in 2005 under the category of “Smart Guys” (after Bono). According to Hindustani Times, Professor Manga was ranked #14 on the list that year, he was born and raised in Canada, and his father is of Indian origin who immigrated to Canada from South Africa.

For more unrestrained oggling of Beautiful Asian and Asian American men, check out Frances’ Weak in the Knees: Revisiting the "Nice Chinese Boy".

This Weekend @ AAV: Vietnam Focus News Section Supplement

This weekend in the AP News Headlines section at Asian American Village Online, the editors have put together a package of articles focusing on Viet Nam and the Vietnamese American community.

In the first reading, the AP's Jennifer Loven provides an analysis of how Bush's trip to Vietnam revives the Iraqi 'quagmire' comparison. A follow by AP writer Daisy Nguyen discusses changing views among Vietnamese Americans who are considering investments in Vietnam as the Southeast Asian nation's business environment continues to open up. On the other hand, two-part coverage by Terence Chea examines the human rights concerns that remain strong in the community, in profiles of Silicon Valley engineer and activist Cong Thanh Do, and Florida's Nguyen Thuong “Cuc” Foshee, who was recently deported back to the U.S. after being convicted of terrorism in Vietnam.

Outside of politics, a cultural article completes the package, with an AP Member exchange feature by the Washington Post's Michelle Boorstein, focusing on the unique "flavor" of worship at an Arlington, Virginia Catholic church.

Also included in the supplement will be a sidebar featuring job opportunities related to conducting business in Vietnam from the IMDiversity Asian American Village Career Center and Job Bank.

New Column: Immigration Q&A with Attorney Patricia Ice

IMDiversity.com is pleased to introduce a new column focused on answering practical, real-life immigration-relation questions.

The column is provided by our new Featured Columist L. Patricia Ice, a Mississippi-based immigration attorney and immigrant rights activist currently taking time out from her successful law practice to serve as an Equal Justice Works Katrina Legal Fellow, working with the non-profit rights education group, MIRA: The Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance at www.yourmira.org. In this role, she will help communities in need in areas around the Gulf Coast, with a special focus on immigrant employment issues such as fair labor standards, and wage and hour problems.

Ms. Ice contributes regular immigration advice stories to area publications including La Noticia and The Jackson Advocate.

The new column will be housed in a new immigration readings department at Hispanic American Village, the sister site of Asian American Village, providing careers and feature content for Latino professionals.

In Fresno, Blong Xiong Makes a Little Bit of History

Hmong American businessman Blong Xiong prevailed in his run-off effort against Scott Miller to become the first Asian American to serve on the Fresno City Council. The election was a run-off after an extremely tight primary this summer in which Miller led by a mere seven votes.

According to the Fresno Bee newspaper, the Nov. 7 win also makes Xiong just the third Hmong elected official in California.

Xiong's victory is being heralded as an important step for Hmong and other Southeast Asians not only locally, but nationwide. Hios campaign is credited with providing inspiration for increased political participation by members of small communities with generally low turnout and little representation in local governments.

In results published by the city, Xiong was elected by 54.17% of voters, or 5,171 votes.

Affirmative Action Banned in Michigan

By Frances Kai-Hwa Wang, IMDiversity.com Asian American Village Acting Editor

The controversial Proposal 2 to ban Affirmative Action in Michigan passed by a wide margin, becoming the third state, after California and Washington, to outlaw preferential treatment to groups or individuals based on race, gender, color, ethnicity, or national origin for public employment, education, or contracting purposes. The proposal and its potential to roll back years of progress for women and minorities was opposed by pretty much everyone--Republicans, Democrats, business, labor, social and religious organizations--except the Ku Klux Klan.

The Detroit Free Press reports, “With 99 percent of precincts reporting, 58%, or 2,129,506 people, voted yes on Proposal 2 and 42%, or 1,538,520 voters, opposed it.” Although pre-election polling was very unreliable because people did not want to appear racist, Proposal 2 was generally supported by white voters who felt that affirmative action was not fair to them and their families.

Dave Waymire, spokesman for One United Michigan, the major opposition group to Proposal 2, told the Detroit News, "Sadly it appears that voters have been deceived by a fraudulent campaign … that serves to divide Michigan and ignores the culture of inequity that divides our state and country….We are the most segregated state in the country and we are the most segregated metropolitan region in the country. That fact is a major impediment to our growth. If we don't overcome that, the state and region will continue to drift. This ballot proposal makes it hard to overcome those important serious racial differences."

With the passage of Proposal 2, the enrollment of black, Hispanic and Native American students at the University of Michigan is expected to drop from 12-14 percent of the student body to about 4-6 percent. In a statement released Tuesday, University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman states: “Regardless of what happens to Proposal 2, the University of Michigan will remain fully and completely committed to diversity. I am determined to do whatever it takes to sustain our excellence by recruiting and retaining a diverse community of students, faculty and staff." Coleman also stated that the university would explore all legal options available to defend the university’s admissions practices.

On Wednesday, UM President Mary Sue Coleman addressed the University of Michigan community: "Together, we must continue to make this world-class university one that reflects the richness of the world. I am standing here today to tell you that I will not allow this university to go down the path of mediocrity. That is not Michigan. Diversity makes us strong, and it is too critical to our mission, too critical to our excellence, and too critical to our future to simply abandon." See Coleman’s full statement.

The next step for supporters of affirmative action and opponents of Proposal 2, including The Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration and Immigrant Rights and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) and the University of Michigan, will be the courts as they challenge the legality and constitutionality of this amendment.

Release: Over 75% of AAAFund's Picks Win Races

Says Results Signal Dramatic Rise in Asian American Political Clout

WASHINGTON, D.C. / November 8, 2006 — Of the 25 candidates that the AAA-Fund endorsed for 2006, at least 20 have won, 4 have lost, and 2 are still in contests too close to call. All candidates are either Asian American, or are located in districts with significant Asian American populations.

"With Democrats taking the House and the Senate at the national level, and making significant inroads on the state level, our AAA-Fund-endorsed candidates will play a key role in changing the direction of this country," said Erika L. Moritsugu, Executive Director of the AAA-Fund. "Our candidates understand that a stronger America is possible, but only if our security and quality of life are assured. And we get that security by having better health care, better education, and better jobs. The AAA-Fund looks forward to working with all of our endorsed leaders."

In particular, AAA-Fund endorsed a number of federal candidates who prevailed: Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI); Congressmember-elect Mazie Hirono (HI-2nd Dist.), who defeated her Republican challenger by 20 percentage points; Congressmembers Mike Honda (D-CA) and Doris Matsui (D-CA), who each garnered 71% of the vote; Congressmember Bobby Scott (D-VA); Congressmember-elect Joe Sestak (PA-7th Dist.), who defeated GOP incumbent Curt Weldon by over ten percentage points; Congressmember David Wu (OR-1); and Senator-elect Ben Cardin (D-MD), who defeated Michael Steele by ten percentage points. Finally, in one of the nation's most thrilling contests, former Navy Secretary Jim Webb apparently defeated Virginia Senator George Allen by a razor-thin margin of 0.3%.

What is more, Asian American Democrats won high-profile state races across the nation. In California, John Chiang will become the first Asian American State Controller and the fourth Asian Pacific American to serve in a statewide office. Also in the Golden State, Ted Lieu, Mike Eng, Fiona Ma, Mary Hayashi, and Alberto Torrico were elected to the State Assembly; Judy Chu and Betty Yee were elected to the State Board of Equalization; and Leland Yee became the first Asian American to serve in the California State Senate.

Across the coast in Maryland, House Majority Leader Kumar Barve and House Deputy Whip Susan Lee were handily re-elected; and Kris Valderrama and Saqib Ali were elected to the House in their first try for public office. In Minnesota, Senate Majority Whip Mee Moua, Majority Senate Whip Satveer Chaudhary, and State Representative Cy Thao coasted to re-election. Furthermore, Swati Dandekar (IA), Jay Goyal (OH), Raj Goyle (KS), William Tong (CT), and Hubert Vo (TX) easily won their respective races for State Representative.

Races that are still too close to call include those for Washington State congressional candidate Darcy Burner (WA-8), who maintained a razor-thin margin over GOP incumbent David Reichert (whose campaign has stated that it did not reach out to Asian American voters), 50.26% to 49.58%. In Guam, neither Democratic gubernatorial nominee Robert Underwood nor his GOP rival secured a majority of the vote, and a run-off election is likely.

Candidates endorsed by the AAA-Fund that did not win included congressional candidate Tammy Duckworth (IL-6), who lost an extremely close race to Peter Roskam, 51.3% to 48.7%. Challengers Phil Angelides (candidate for California Governor), congressional candidate T.J. Cox (CA-19), and Texas House candidate Phillip Shinoda also did not prevail.

"We are honored to have such a qualified slate of candidates this year," said Gautam Dutta, National Endorsements Chair of the AAA-Fund. "Regardless of the outcome of particular races, these candidates had the courage and the commitment to fight for a better America. Our candidates this cycle are indicative of a broader trend: That Asian Americans are increasingly becoming politically engaged in areas outside of traditional strongholds like Hawaii and California. This is going to be particularly important in 2008, and especially in Nevada."

In Nevada, which recently became one of the early-primary states in the 2008 presidential election, 4.6% of the voting-age population is Asian American. Between 1990 and 2000, the population of Nevada increased by 66%, but the Asian American population increased at a rate almost four times as large.

The AAA-Fund (aaa-fund.org) is a national Democratic political organization whose goal is to increase the voice of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in local, state and federal government, by encouraging APAs to volunteer on campaigns, raise money for candidates, and run for political office.

Dems take Senate as Allen concedes defeat to Webb

Posted at 4:00 Eastern:

Webb to be VA Senator after George Allen Concedes Defeat
Afternoon press conference concession finalizes Dems' majority in the Senate. The race was particularly closely watched by the Asian American community coast to coast...

William Tong elected first APA in CT congress in a squeaker

The Stamford (CT) Times reports that a Chinese American Democrat, William Tong, has won the seat for the state's 147th district and a place as the first Asian American to serve in Connecticut's congress.

Tong's win, over Republican Rep. Don Sherer, was apparently unusually tight -- with both campaigns declaring victory while the ballots were being carefully counted. The blow-by-blow is here.

CNN Exit Polls Show Asian American Voters Continuing Leftward Trend

The earliest exit poll figures from Tuesday's House races released by CNN showed the trend toward the Democratic Party cutting across diverse groups by gender, ethnicity, and age.

Accounting for all these attributes, CNN's poll showed Asian American voters (2% of those polled) also continuing to inch toward the left, giving 62% of their votes went to Democrats running for the U.S. House this year.

Although this represents a slight increase over the 61% of Asian Americans who reported voting for John Kerry in CNN’s 2004 election night exit polls, it continues what must be considered a radical leftward shift that Asian Americans have made recently since giving their overwhelming support to both George H.W. Bush and Robert Dole in the 1990s.

Additional customized exit poll information is available through CNN's comprehensive database here.

NM Anti-Asian Land Law Repealed

The AP reports that a majority of voters in New Mexico last night voted in favor of Amendment 1, which called for striking language from the state's constitution originally intended to bar Asians from the right to property ownership.

The AP reports that 69% voted in favor of the amendment, with 97% of precincts reporting.

More CA Races: Honda, Nguyen

According to CNN projections today, Mike Honda of California 15 was easily re-elected with 72% vs. 28% of the vote for Republican challenger Raymond Chukwu.

In Orange County, Tan Nguyen lost his House race against incumbent Democrat Loretta Sanchez (California 47). Nguyen was set off track after allegations that a mailing intimidating Latino voters was connected to his campaign.

Nguyen had previously made an unsuccessful primary attempt to run for the 46th congressional district in 2004, and his campaign this year had little backing from the Republican party.

Jindal strolls to easy victory in LA

As expected, incumbent Republican Rep. Bobby Jindal (LA 01) was projected by CNN to have enjoyed an easy win on Tuesday, taking a whopping 88% of the vote in four-candidate race, including two Democratic and one Libertarian challenger. Re-election for the popular Representative, who is Indian American, had never really been considered at-risk, particularly since he became even better known nationally following the hurricane and floods of 2005. Despite his unsuccessful gubernatorial race against Kathleen Blanco in 2003, Jindal has been viewed as a young politician with a highly promising career in his party.

Hawai'i Senator Akaka a Survivor -- Again

After surviving a very tough primary challenge by fellow Democrat Ed Case this year, Hawai'i Senator Daniel Akaka is projected by CNN exit polls to be more than safe in his quest to return to Washington. As of 5:17 ET this morning, the incumbent Senator held a wide lead over Republican Cynthia Thielen, at 61% to 37% respectively.

As the first U.S. Senator of Native Hawaiian ancestry (he is of mixed Native Hawaiian and Chinese background), Akaka serves on the Indian Affairs Committee and chairs the Congressional Task Force on Native Hawaiian Issues, and was the chief champion of the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act (popularly referred to as "The Akaka Bill".) Akaka is also the only Chinese American in the U.S. Senate.

Accompanying Akaka to Washington will be a new House colleague, Democrat Mazie Hirono, who won her campaign for the 2nd District, and incumbent 1st District Rep. Neil Abercrombie. The state’s other Senator, Daniel Inouye, did not face reelection this year.

Chinese American law prof falls short in DE Senate effort

Delaware Senatorial hopeful Jan Ting, a Chinese American law professor at Philadelphia's Temple University who once served as an assistant commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, fell short of reaching his political goal on Tuesday, capturing only 29% percent of the vote.

Ting, a Republican challenger to incumbent Senator Thomas Carper, would have been the first Asian American the state had sent to Washington.

Oregon voters return David Wu to Congress

With only 55% of the precincts reporting, CNN nonetheless has announced that Democratic incumbent David Wu had effectively won his campaign for re-election in Oregon's First District.

As of 7:55 a.m. ET, according to CNN, the Chinese American Congressman held a commanding lead, with 65% out of a four-candidate field.

See updated results here.

Hirono, Matsui Head to U.S. House

Former Hawai’i Lt. Governor Mazie Hirono completed her political comeback in strong style on Tuesday night with a solid 69% win over state senator and sportscaster Bob Hogue, according to projections by CNN. Hirono will represent the state’s 2nd district in Washington – the seat formerly held for 12 terms by another pioneering Japanese American woman, the late Congresswoman Patsy Mink. The win marks a re-emergence for Hirono, who stepped back from the political scene for a time after losing a tight gubernatorial race against Linda Lingle, who was also reelected last night to her second term by 63% of the state’s voters.

In California, Doris Matsui prevailed even more handily in her bid to once again represent California’s 5th district. Elected in 2005 to take over the seat held by her late husband, the popular Bob Matsui, the Japanese American Congresswoman won re-election last night with 71% of the votes from a four-candidate field.

A historic election for ethnic, women voter engagement nationwide

Nov. 8 - In a historic midterm election night, high turnout among American voters has significantly changed the balance of power in Washington DC, with the Democratic Party retaking the majority of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Anti-incumbent sentiment and dissatisfaction with the war in Iraq led to sweep in which Democrats wrested control of at least 28 seats, with 14 still undecided.

With two key Senate races, in VA and MT too close to call as of this writing, and likely headed to recount challenges, Democrats also stand chance to take back majority control of the Senate.
The election saw historic landmarks set in a number of aspects. These include: Positioning Nancy Pelosi to become the first woman Speaker of the House; electing Deval Patrick as the first African American governor in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; and sending Democrat Keith Ellison, an African American, to represent Minnesota’s 5th as the first Muslim in the House of Representatives.

Preliminary exit polling indicates that unusually high turnout was reported nationwide, affected by a number of controversial ballot initiatives as well as support for specific candidates. Minority voters, swing voters and non-traditional coalition-building also played an important role in the shift. In the most recent exit poll figures by CNN, non-white voters veered strongly to the left, with 76% of non-white men and 78% of non-white women going Democrat.

The same data indicate that while white voters overall leaned Republican, it was by a smaller margin (51% GOP to 47%) than expected, due largely to a 49/49 split among white women voters. African American voters leaned even more heavily Democrat than expected, at 89%, despite the GOP’s fielding a number of prominent Black candidates in high-level races in states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania. Latino and Asian voters, who have traditionally been more inclined to lean Republican, emerged as clear and growing swing voters, breaking to the Democrats at 69% and 62% respectively. Other non-white voters including Native Americans tracked in CNN’s polling split 56% Democrat to 41% Republican.

Posted @ AAV: Asian Pacific American Notes from the 2006 Midterms

Among the many other news items and commentaries we've posted this season, an eleventh-hour series of briefs covering the following topics:

Historic Cycle for Asian American Women
Anti-Affirmative Action Leader Takes it Where He Can Get It -- even the Ku Klux Klan
New Mexico Looks to Do the Right Thing
Macaca-gate – Continued
The Long, Long Arm of Jack Abramoff
Not So “Minnesota Nice”: GOP Candidate Operative Caught in “Jap” Rant on Video
80-20 Initiative Weighs in on Additional MO Race
AAAFUND: Barve, Lee and Valderrama All Move Ahead in MD
Controversy Stirs as VFW Committee Snubs Vet Duckworth after Changed Rules
APA Youth Voters: The Good News and Bad

Other Features of Interest in Our Midterms Coverage

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Have the Potential to Swing Races Across the Country
Nonpartisan NPO APIAVote shows races, stats, where our turnout can be key, even decisive

Election Heats Up in Heavily Chinese San Francisco District
By Eugenia Chien, New America Media
The Chinese media has been closely watching the district election in San Francisco that could determine whether the large Chinese community will have a Chinese American on the city’s Board of Supervisors. Asians make up a third of San Francisco's population.

Has the GOP Given Up on Asian Americans?
Editorial by Stewart Ikeda
A quick, side-by-side, hypertext comparison indicates "Yes". But is that good for APA Democrats?

“Hello? Excuse me? Don’t forget I’m here, too.”
Frances Kai-Hwa Wang, AAV Acting Editor and University of Michigan alum, on "Asian Pacific Americans, Affirmative Action, and Michigan’s Proposal 2"

APAs: Beware of the VA Senate Race
Eric Byler on the "N-word," the "M-word," and the midterms in Virginia following Sen. George Allen's insults to Asian-American attendee at rally. [with videos]

Vietnamese Media Gauge Fallout from Campaign Scare Letter
By Andrew Lam, New America Media
How will the scandal surrounding O.C. congressional candidate Tan Nguyen and a scare letter mailed to Latino immigrants affect other VietAm, GOP candidates?

80-20 Swings to Dems after Dean's Glass Ceiling Promise
DNC Chairman agrees to support Congressional hearings on glass ceiling discrimination against Asian Americans; two from GOP also supported

MD Delegate candidate Kris Valderrama
MD TV host, daughter of noted Filipino-American political family, looks to carry on the torch

Business Diversity at Stake in Same-Sex Marriage and Civil Unions Bans, Too
Editorial by Stewart Ikeda
Opinion: "Lifestyle" discrimination, and indiscriminate constitutional tinkering, can have unintended labor and economic consequences

Letter from Wisconsin: Bait-and-Switch in the Midterm Elections
By Jasmine Alinder
A married WI woman with "a slight fear of strangers" was surprised to find herself canvassing door-to-door in opposition to a proposed ban on same-sex marriages and civil unions (gay and straight), and is left wondering why the issue so forcefully hits home.