Dumbfoundead: Dissed On the Red Carpet
November 19, 2011
Okay, we can all relax, rapper Dumbfoundead is still a card-carrying member of the 99%. Despite all his recent homegrown success~a new album, a million subscribers on YouTube, sold out shows on both coasts and overseas and major mainstream media coverage~”CNN”‘s Jonathan Park (aka LA Koreatown rap artist Dumbfoundead) found himself being informed on the red carpet by a “angry PR person” that he “wasn’t part of this” at the Nov. 2 L.A. premiere of “A Very Merry Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas.” DFD speculated that his FlipCam wasn’t official enough. The good news is DFD appeared to be well medicated when the incident went down. To be fair, I think John Cho (Harold) just didn’t recognize his dogg Ded. Afterall, Asian bruthas got to stick together, yeah?
UNCENSORED: 2011 Cal State Fullerton Undie Run
May 23, 2011
You know that Asian/Pacific Island American Heritage Month has reached its zenith when TimothyDeLaGhetto aka Traphik aka Tim Chantarangsu drops his CSUF Undie Run vlog. Who is TimothyDeLaGhetto? Duh. He’s the international king of Asian American TouTube clowning who brings much-needed levity to this month-long government-mandated orgy of whorish corporate-backed “festivals,” boring discourse and self-congratulation that “APAHM” is. A true social media wonder, TimothyDeLaGhetto has a bazillion followers of his Internet antics, all conceived from his luxurious crib in his parent’s house in Paramount, Calif. Here are some links to DeLaGhetto’s bad self: YouTube Channel / Tim Chantarangsu Wiki / http://TimothyDeLaGhetto.com
Obama’s Asian American Kid Sister Moving to DC
July 31, 2009
WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama’s half-sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, 38, is moving her family here from Hawaii and will spend the next several months living in the nation’s capital, White House officials say. Her husband, Konrad Ng, a professor at the University of Hawaii, will become the scholar-in-residence at the Smithsonian Institution’s Asian Pacific American Program here next month.
The siblings, who share the same mother, Stanley Ann Dunham Soetoro, spent several years together in Indonesia and in Hawaii before Ms. Dunham decided to return to Indonesia with Ms. Soetoro-Ng while Mr. Obama remained in Hawaii with his grandparents. (Ms. Soetoro-Ng’s father was Indonesian; Mr. Obama’s father was Kenyan.)
Summer Bento
June 29, 2009
via IM.ROHAN.BLOG
Fools’ Dance: OBON in America 2009
June 17, 2009
Japanese Americans all across the land from Vermont to Hawaii will celebrate the ancient Buddhist Obon festival in the coming weeks with joyous folk dancing, religious observances and traditional Japanese foods in what is the most authentic cultural event remaining in Japanese America.
Obon Festival season continues through August and marks the zenith of the Buddhist year. But more than just a chance to take colorful photos and eat Japanese comfort foods, Obon is a Buddhist teaching come alive.
Obon [ お盆 ] originates from the story of Mokuren, a disciple of the Buddha, who during a meditative trance saw his deceased mother suffering in the Realm of Hungry Ghosts (the Buddhist equivalent of purgatory). Greatly disturbed, he went to the Buddha and asked how he could release his mother from this suffering. Buddha instructed him to make offerings and to meditate on the life of his mother. Mokuren followed the Buddha’s instructions and he began to see the true nature of her past unselfishness and the many sacrifices that she had made for him. The disciple, happy because of his mother’s release and grateful for his mother’s kindness, danced with joy. From this dance of joy came Obon, which has been celebrated for thousands of years as a time in which ancestors and their sacrifices are remembered and appreciated.
2009 OBON FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
Aug. 1-2—Gardena Buddhist Temple Obon Odori, 1517 W. 166th St., Gardena, CA 90247; (310) 327-9400; 3-10 p.m. Sat./2-9 p.m. Sun.
Aug. 1—Buddhist Temple of San Diego Obon Odori, 2929 Market St., San Diego, CA 92102; (619) 239-0896: 5-9 p.m.
Aug. 1—Oregon Buddhist Temple “Obonfest 2009,” 3720 SE 34th Ave., Portland, OR 97202; (503) 234-9456: 4-9 p.m.
Aug. 1—San Luis Obispo Buddhist Temple Obon Odori, 6996 Ontario Rd., San Luis Obispo, CA 93405; (805)-595-2625: 1-9 p.m.
Aug. 1—Waialua Hongwanji Temple Obon, 67-313 Kealohanui St., Waialua, HI 96791; (808) 637-4395: from 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 1-2—Palo Alto Buddhist Temple Obon Odori, 2751 Louis Rd., Palo Alto, CA 94303; (650)856-0123: 5-11 p.m. Sat./noon-10 p.m. Sun.
Who Is Mitchell Koss and Why Isn’t He Talking?
June 11, 2009
I was changing a leaky shower head in an upstairs bathroom when I first heard the news. Two Asian American women on assignment for the cable channel Current TV were arrested by North Korean soldiers near North Korea’s border with China. Early on, CNN’s senior international correspondent John Vause, quoting South Korean sources, reported Euna Lee, 36, and Laura Ling, 32, had been on North Korean soil and were seen running back toward China when apprehended.
The third member of Current TV’s Vanguard team, “cameraman Mitch Koss,” and a guide of Korean-Chinese ancestry somehow eluded capture. Reportedly, Koss was questioned by Chinese authorities and released. He booked it out of the PRC, hightailed it back to the US of A, and then he dropped off the face of the Earth.
Lee and Ling were sentenced to 12 years “reform through labor” this week by North Korea’s Central Court for “grave crimes against the Korean nation.” And Mitchell Koss has sentenced himself to silence.
Three months have passed without so much as a Twitter from the elusive Mr. Koss. Meanwhile, the lazy dog media have veered away from a search for the facts and seem content to wallow in the lame sentimentality of weeping siblings and naive pleas for their release. Poker metaphors are everywhere. And the one person who could tell us flat out what really happened at the Tumen River March 17 isn’t saying squat.
And Hillary Rodham Clinton’s State Department? They’re currently on location filming a remake of The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight.
This is beginning to sound like the set-up to a bad Ludlum novel or, maybe, a remake of Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew Too Much.
Who is Mitchell Koss and why isn’t he talking?
Clinton Confirms US May Send Envoy to NKorea
June 5, 2009
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SEOUL, So. Korea (Updated 06/05/09, 6:00 PST)—With nothing but an eerie silence emanating from the North Korean capital about the yesterday’s trial of jailed American journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling, a week-old rumor that the US would send a special envoy to Pyongyang to negotiate the release of the two reporters has begun to sprout wings again.
Reuters news agency has picked up a story by South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo which quotes diplomatic sources as saying former Vice President Al Gore may visit Pyongyang as early as this weekend in an effort to secure the release of the two journalists once a widely expected guilty verdict has been delivered.
Clinton said Friday she was “incredibly concerned” about the plight of the two women. In working for their release, Clinton said she has spoken with foreign officials with influence in North Korea and explored the possibility of sending an envoy to the North, but suggested that no one would be sent during the trial, Reuters reported.
“The trial which is going on right now we consider to be a step toward the release and the return home of these two young women,” she told reporters in Washington.
Lee and Ling were working on a story about the plight of women who flee North Korea into China for Gore’s Current TV network. They have been in custody since March 17 and reportedly appeared before North Korea’s Central Court Thursday to face charges of illegally entering the country and committing hostile acts.
Richardson served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and was energy secretary during the Clinton administration, and he has maintained contacts with North Korea. He took several trips there as ambassador, and he worked for the release of people held by the North Koreans in the past.
Although Richardson has publicly expressed a willingness to negotiate for the women’s release, Gore has not made any public comments about the situation. Current TV has also steadfastly refused comment since the arrest of Lee and Ling.
U.S. Media Loses Interest in Swine Flu
May 21, 2009
The U.S., for now, has moved on from the so-called “swine” flu, but much of the rest of the world continues to apply measures to stem the spread of the H1N1 virus and drug companies rush to bring a vaccine to the market.
The mainstream media in the U.S. has turned its attention away from the swine flu and redirected its focus to the economy, crime and American Idol.
This despite the fact that confirmed cases continue to rise on the east and west coasts and reports that a H1N1 vaccine isn’t due for several more weeks.
Fresh outbreaks of the virus are being reported in the northeast region of the United States, centered around the greater New York City area, and health officials now fear that H1N1 now appears to be spreading in Japan, pushing the world to the brink of a full-fledged swine flu pandemic.
A headline in the May 21 global edition of the The New York Times read: “Japan Is in Crisis Mode,” and detailed the growing fears about the the spread of H1N1 virus in what is perhaps the world’s most hygienic nation.
Meanwhile, the EU this week issued a travel advisory about travel to the U.S.
Track the spread of the H1N1 cases in the U.S. and around the world with FluTracker interactive maps:
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- Seasonal vaccines won’t protect against H1N1, Scientific American
- Heighten Risk for Pregnant Women, MSNBC
- With Flu Fears Rising Japan Is in Crisis Mode, The New York Times
Only a win away from Super Bowl XLIII, the emergence of the baby-faced 6-4, 265-pound Philadelphia Eagle linebacker Chris Gocong has sent thousands of Asian/Pacific American fans to their computers to Google his name— Chris Gocong: Vietnamese? Filipino? Pacific Islander?
Well, no need to speculate any longer, crack Epicanthus researcher Rachel Roh contacted Gocong’s dad, Bruce Kennedy, to pin down Chris’ ethnic roots. Here’s what he had to say:
“After review with Chris and his mom (Julie), he is the following—100% American, 12.5% French, 12.5% German, 25% American Indian (and) 25% Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and 25% Filipino.”
So there you have it. Quite a mix. Gocong calls himself a “mutt” in this video. Seems like another mutt is having his big day January 20 in Washington, D.C. Ah, 2009: Year of the Mutt in Post-Racial America.
Gocong, 25, is part of the Eagles’ frenetic blitz-happy linebacking corps (along with Stewart Bradley and Akeem Jordan) that has wreaked havoc on opponents and humbled the vaunted Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants offenses in their last two contests.
Gocong and the Eagles continue their unlikely march toward the Super Bowl against another dark horse, the Arizona Cardinals, who will suit up Polynesians Deuce Lutui (USC) at guard, Pago Togafau (Idaho State) at LB and Filipinos Aaron Francisco from Hawaii via BYU at DB and Travis LaBoy(UH) at DE.
More on Chris Gocong:
- Chris Gocong Profile, philadelphiaeagles.com
- Ask the Eagles—Chris Gocong, video
- Who Exactly Is Chris Gocong? philadelphiaeagles.com
- Chrs Gocong NFL Draft Profile, Fox Sports
- Eagles: Glitz and Glue, The Philadelphia Inquirer
Fall 2008 UCLA Undie Run
December 12, 2008
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Hundreds of UCLA students marked the end of final exams Dec. 10 by dropping trou for the thrice-annual undie run across the Bruin campus in Westwood. The run has lost some of its ribald cache of years past. Local TV stations and even the staid and nearly dead L.A. Times covered the event. Less Asians than years past, but it’s the quality that counts.
Obama Picks Shinseki for VA Post; Cao Elected to House Seat; William H. ‘Mo’ Marumoto Passes: Headed Nixon’s ‘Brown Mafia’
December 8, 2008
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The Glendale Experiment
October 27, 2008
GLENDALE — About 25 teachers attended a seminar on Korean culture Wednesday afternoon that participants said would help them interact with students of all immigrant backgrounds.
The seminar, co-sponsored by the Glendale Unified School District and the Korea Academy for Educators, was held at the district’s Professional Development Center and gave a three-hour historical and cultural snapshot about Koreans to teachers, organizers said.
The hope, Korea Academy President Mary Connor said, was that the session would be a starting point for exploring the similarities between students of different backgrounds and specifically initiating education about Koreans, a group that makes up about 15% of the district’s population, school board member Nayiri Nahabedian said.
The Sleeping Giant in American Politics
September 30, 2008
Major Study Examines Why Asian America Is Virtually Unheard
By DEANNA LEE
EDITOR’S NOTE—A duPont-Columbia Award winner with eight Emmys, Deanna Lee is a veteran international journalist. A former Nightline and ABC World News producer, Ms. Lee is the Asia Society’s communications veep.
Look at Asian Americans today, says Paul Ong, “and what you’re seeing is the awakening of the new sleeping giant in politics. The question is, how fast are we going to become a meaningful force?”
Ong is the principal investigator of “The State of Asian America: Trajectory of Civic and Political Engagement,” just released by the LEAP Asian Pacific American Public Policy Institute. Ten investigations and analyses by a multidisciplinary team of Asian American scholars and community leaders delve into what, for many Asian Americans, is a central question and frustration: why our voices “are virtually unheard in the ongoing civic and political discussions.”
The State of Asian America: Trajectory of Civic and Political Engagement is available as a free download courtesy of the LEAP Asian Pacific American Public Policy Institute here. Offical release events will be held from Sept. 30 through Oct. 8 in Washington, D.C., New York, Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco. For detailed info: leap@leap.org / 213-485-1422.
The Olympic Decathlon, the two-day, ten-event test of all-around athletic skill and human endurance, has produced some of the greatest icons of the American sports pantheon. Decathlon gold medalists Jim Thorpe, Bob Mathias, Rafer Johnson and Bruce Jenner were easily the biggest names to emerge from their respective Olympics. But comes along 28-year-old, Kaneohe, Hawaii-born Bryan Clay and the mainstream media seems a bit skeptical.
Beijing is Clay’s second Olympics. He won a silver in Athens as the event’s rising star. Following Athens, Bryan captured a World Track Championship gold in 2005 and was ranked as the No. 1 decathlete in the world by 2006. Last year, he forced out of the World Championships in Osaka with a foot injury. Earlier this year, 12 pounds lighter and injury-free, he stunned the track and field world with a remarkable 8,832-point performance in winning the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore.
Ten years ago, Clay was a troubled kid. The product of a broken home, Bryan is the son of Japanese American mother Michelle Ishimoto and an African American father, Greg Clay, who divorced when their son was in the fifth grade.
At the Athens Olympics, Bryan’s mother, stepfather and wife, Sarah, stayed away not wanting to be distractions. In Beijing, however, the Ishimoto clan will be in full force. Sharing the two-day event with Bryan at the “Bird’s Nest” will be his maternal grandparents—84-year-old Tsumoru and 82-year-old Kay Ishimoto—along with “a bunch more family and many friends” to root Bryan over the top.
About his Japanese heritage, Clay reveals, “Japanese culture and food were a huge part of my life growing up. My mother made sure I knew who I was and where I came from. Our house was always full of grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins. We ate ozoni [a traditional Japanese rice soup] on New Year’s Eve. My life was very Japanese.”
Earlier this month, Clay told NBC, “I think that if I am healthy, and if I am competing well and in shape, I don’t think there’s anybody out there that can beat me. I really don’t think so.
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UPDATE—As I key this in real time, it’s already Thursday, Aug. 21, 2:45 p.m. in Beijing, and Bryan Clay has won the 100 meters and long jump and placed second in the shot put. He leads Oleksiy Kasyanov of the Ukraine and American teammate Trey Hardee of Birmingham, Ala. Roman Sebrle of the Czech Republic, who edged out Clay for the gold in Athens is in 10th place in the early going. I plan to update here as results become available.
UPDATE 2—(Thursday, Aug. 21, 7:20 a.m. PST) With the first five events of the men’s decathlon completed, Hawaii-born Japanese American Bryan Clay held an 88-point lead over his closest rival, Andrei Krauchanka of Belarus. Clay, who attends Azusa-Pacific Univ. in Southern California, won a rain-drenched 100 meters in 10.44 seconds and followed with the top mark in the long jump with a leap of 25-6¼. Clay then recorded a lifetime best heave of 53-4½ in the shot put. He high jumped 6-6¼ (11th best), and finished day one of the grueling event after 10 p.m. Beijing time with a 48.92 in the 400 meters. Trey Hardee (USA) is holding on to third place 93 points behind Clay who is favored to the the gold. Day 2 of the decathlon begins at 9 a.m. Beijing time (today at 6:00 p.m. PST) and will include 110 meter hurdles. discus, pole vault, javelin and 1500 meters.
UPDATE 3—(Thursday, Aug. 21, 5:00 p.m. PST) Bryan Clay left the following comments on his blog a little after midnight after completing Day 1 of the decathlon in Beijing: “I had three very, very good events. Then I had one not so good event, a poor event, which was high jump. Then just an OK event in the 400, nothing special in the 400, but it was OK. I don’t know about scores. I really don’t pay attention to scores until we get to about the javelin, then I look to see what I need to do to stay in the position that I’m in. I’m coming out tomorrow just trying to compete against the conditions and the competitors. Hopefully, I’ll be the best one there and be at the top of the podium at the end of the day. I think every event in the decathlon is important. You can’t win the decathlon without having all ten events. Anytime you have a poor event, that’s going to set you back a bit, and every time you have a good event, that’s pull you ahead. I don’t think it was the rain. I think that I was a little fatigued. We started in the rain and mentally and physically, it takes a lot to get through that and I think I did it very well. That made me a little fatigued going into the high jum and the 400.”
UPDATE 4—(Thursday, Aug. 21, 7:00 p.m. PST) We’re live blogging the Olympic decathlon results as they come out of Beijing. U.S. decathlete Bryan Clay recorded the second fastest time of all four heats of the 110 meter hurdles Friday morning in Beijing to start day two of the decathlon. Yordani Garcia of Cuba had the fastest time with a 13.90 to Clay’s 13.93. Andres Raja of Estonia had the third lowest time at 14.06. Clay netted 984 points in the event and now has a leading total of 5505 points. We’re awaiting the start of the decathlon discus throw.
UPDATE 5—(Thursday, Aug. 21, 8:00 p.m. PST) Japanese American gold medal hopeful Bryan Clay has won the decathlon discus competition with a season’s best heave of 176 feet 10 inches and added 950 points for a leading total of 6455 with the pole vault, javelin and 1500 meters to follow in Beijing, where it is Friday morning.
UPDATE 6—(Friday, Aug. 22, 2:10 p.m., Beijing, China CST) The decathlon pole vault is underway in the “Bird’s Nest,” and American Bryan Clay has cleared a qualifying height of 4.80 meters on his first attempt and shares the lead with four other decathletes—Andrei Krauchanka, Belarus; Andre Niklaus, Germany; Alexander Pogorelov, Russia; Andres Raja, Estonia.
(Aug. 22, 2:24 p.m., Beijing) Belarus’ Krauchanka has cleared 4.90 meters. We’re blogging real time from Silver Lake 90026!
(Aug. 22, 2:27 p.m., Beijing) Bryan Clay regains the pole vault lead clearing 4.90 meters on his first attempt. Roman Barras is also over 4.90, a season’s best for the Frenchman.
(Aug. 22, 2:50 p.m., Beijing) Glendora, Calif.’s Bryan Clay has cleared a season’s best 5.0 meters in the decathlon pole vault and leads the event on the basis of fewer misses. Krauchanka, Pogorelov, Niklaus and Barras are also over the height.
(Aug. 22, 3:15 p.m., Beijing) Andre Niklaus of Germany has cleared 5.20 meters, a season’s best for him, to take the lead in the decathlon pole vault. Bryan Clay, US; Krauchanka, Estonia Belarus; Pogorelov tied for second in the event. Clay leads overall with 6455 points after seven events.
(Aug. 22, 3:35 p.m., Beijing) After missing 3x @ 5.10 meters Clay is out of the vault in 2nd place. He leads the decathlon with 7365 points and leads Krauchanka by 316. The final two events—javelin and 1500 meters—are scheduled for 7:00 and 10:20 p.m. Beijing time.
Snapshots From Asian America III
August 24, 2007
NOVELIST MIN JIN LEE got nothing but publishers’ rejection letters for more than a decade. Now critics are comparing her debut work, Free Food for Millionaires, to Philip Roth’s Portnoy’s Complaint. Read more and listen to the author read from her book.
JAPANESE AMERICAN student pastor Eddie Uyesugi, 22, pleaded innocent to charges of confinement and battery Aug. 11 in Monroe Circuit Court. He is alleged to have beaten an autistic boy, 14, during an attempted exorcism. He surrendered to police last month.
ASST. ATTORNEY GENERAL WAN J. KIM was the first immigrant and first Asian American to head the justice department’s civil rights division. After a turbulent two-year tenure, Kim resigned Aug. 23. His boss, embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Kim served with distinction and honor. Others weren’t as generous.
ALTERNATIVE ROCKERS YELLOWCARD have released their sixth album, “Paper Walls.” They are led by vocalist/violinist Sean Mackin, who is of Irish and Japanese ancestry. “Shadows and Regrets” off the new joint.
S.F. BUDDHIST MINISTER HIROSHI ABIKO has been celebrating Obon in the Bay Area for 50 years. Rev. Abiko was one of the early advocates of reintroducing taiko to the yearly Buddhist “day of the dead” in late ’60s, along with Rev. Mas Kodani of Los Angeles.
FORMER VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE’S DAUGHTER SARAH was married last month to Chinese American Bill Lee. “Bill who?” Lee, 36, was CEO of Usenet newsgroup index RemarQ, which was funded the Sand Hill VC group. Lee cashed out in 2000. Former eBay president Jeff Skoll, producer of Al Gore’s global warming documentary An Inconvenient Truth, was Lee’s best man.
PROFESSOR IRENE MIURA, chairwoman of the child development department at San Jose State Univ. and a former member of the board of UC Regents, has succumbed to cancer at age 68. Her lifetime of achievement was chronicled by the San Jose Mercury.
