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September 27th 2004: Issue 18
Looks like Asians aren't getting such a good portrayal in politics and media lately. The AP broke a story last week stating that a South Korean man who was meeting with Kerry fund-raisers to talk about creating a political group for Korean-Americans turned out to be a South Korean CIA officer. Why is this bad? Apparently, this raises speculation that South Korea may have tried to influence this fall's presidential election. As my friend says, "It's Ricegate all over again", referring to the scandal involving Asian Americans and Al Gore 4 years ago.
As for media, there is a hopelessly bad portrayal of your typical submissive and exotic "china doll" in NBC's premiere of LAX. Don't forget about books! I am amazed yet again that there are these sort of books published: Korean Bar Secrets II. While you may think its a practical guide for which bars are happening in Apkujung, the book tackles a different aspect of the bar scene. Still don't know what I am talking about? Well put it this way, the Foreword is written by the author of How to Date Young Women for Men Over 35 and a quote from the book talks about Korean women: "They take your money, SMILE AND FLIRT, but never suck your whanger! NEVER!".
A fellow Cooper Union alumni, Maria Yoon, is participating a video and photographic documentation of cross-country performance piece entitled Maria the Korean Bride, which is intended to illustrate the dichotomy of modern perceptions of matrimony. In the piece, her mission is to travel to every state in the US, propose to at random, and marry fifty men while dressed in traditional Korean bridal garb, which is part of an exhibition called The Wedding Project (she will have a display case of her wedding rings and albums from each marriage thus far).
Look for Kim Yun Jin, star of Korean blockbuster Shiri alongside Korean-American actor Daniel Dae Kim in the new ABC series, Lost who play a dysfunctional Korean married couple who speak only Korean.
-ubn
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EXHIBITION
Butternut Ink: The 14th Annual Exhibition
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Asian American Arts Centre and The Korea Society
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September 24th - November 5th
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Asian American Arts Centre
26 Bowery, 3rd Floor
New York City
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www.artspiral.org
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Today, more people are fascinated by infusion of cultures, from the commercial level to literary and aesthetic exchanges to better understand each other. Art and exhibits like this one open up doors for approaching various issues affecting Americans from diverse backgrounds through different aesthetics. For three decades, Asian American Arts Centre has been providing both artists and audiences the opportunities for such events. In Butternut Ink: The 14th Annual Exhibition, eleven artists from diverse backgrounds present subjects ranging from everyday life, current politics to Eastern philosophy and much more. Their views and perceptions are undeniably affected by reciprocal "Asianization" and Westernization of Asian and Western aesthetic values.
Butternut Ink represents the reciprocal exchanges and influences of Asian and Western aesthetic values that result in a unique outcome. Butternuts are a natural ingredient specific to Vermont that the artist James Jack uses to create ink suitable for his Eastern calligraphy influenced work. Here, butternut ink not only offers the mixture of the two but also reveal that preparation, in this case making the ink, becomes a humbling and meditating experience for oneself, which is often practiced in Eastern philosophy.
Fashion designer Vivienne Tam and international media artist Danny Yung will co-host a party celebrating the Asian American Arts Centre's 30th Anniversary on Thursday, September 30th frin 7:00 - 10:00 pm in Vivienne Tam's store at 99 Greene Street in Soho. The party is by invitation only.
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CONCERT
Asian America: Raise Your Voice
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Wednesday, September 29th (Manhattan) and Friday, October 1st (Flushing), 8:00pm
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$10 all audiences, $5 if you bring a friend who registers, Free for all those registering to vote
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Manhattan and Flushing
See details below
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www.aaryv.org
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One out of 10 new yorkers is Asian American. But only one out of 10 Asian Americans in New York votes.
That's why, this year, during a presidential election that many have called the most important in our generation, some of the biggest names in Asian American indie rock have come together to create a concert series called AARYV--Asian America: Raise Your Voice, in partnership with the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), the Korean American League for Civic Action (KALCA), the Asian Pacific American Voters Alliance (APAVA) and other groups dedicated to making sure that our votes are
counted, and our issues are heard.
Tickets for the events are $10 for all audiences. $5 if you bring a friend who registers to vote at the concert, and if you register to vote yourself,you get in absolutely free. So listen up, Asian America! If you're over 18, a U.S. citizen, and
otherwise eligible to vote, and haven't yet registered, download the voter registration application, and bring it to either of AARYV 2004's concert
events. That's it. You're ready to rock.
AARYV Manhattan
Wednesday, September 29th, 8:00pm
White Rabbit Lounge
145 East Houston Street and 2nd Avenue
AARYV's Manhattan show at Lower East Side hotspot White Rabbit opens with singer/songwriter extraordinaire Michael Hsu, followed by the raw and haunting music of Nayon Kim. The evening then gets louder with Paper Doll, fronted by the operatically trained Teresa Lee, and rock diva Maggie Kim and her band 17RED, just back from a triumphant West Coast tour.
AARYV Flushing
Friday, October 1st, 8:00pm
Flushing Town Hall
137-35 Northern Boulevard
AARYV comes to the gorgeous 340-seat Flushing Town Hall, the cultural heart of the nation's most diverse neighborhood, with a lineup of seven exciting performers. Deep Blue Calm (formerly known as GROOVE THERAPY) open the night with their unique rock/soul sonic fusion, followed by Boston's Francis Kim Band, laying down their eclectic brand of thoughtful alternapop; then we have Leisure's evanescent melodic rock, the unstoppable pop of Wendy Ip, an encore performance by Paper Doll, the tasty blues-folk licks of Kevin So and Midnight Snack, and the guitar attack of Queens-born rockers Kite Operations.
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FORUM
US Foreign Policy Toward Korea
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NAKA-NY Chapter
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Wednesday, September 29th, 7:00pm
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Open Center
19 West 26th Street, 5th Floor
New York City
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$10
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nakagny@aol.com | 212) 679-3482
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Please join us on Wednesday, September 29th at Open Center in Manhattan
for a 7pm discussion. We will be spending the evening with concerned Korean
Americans who are currently exploring the issues and struggles that arise
when considering a possible peaceful reunification of North Korea and
South Korea under a single government. The forum presents an opportunity for
young Korean Americans interested to explore and get educated on issues
surrounding U.S. Foreign Policy Towards Korea.
Moderator:
Max Han, New York Seoul
Panelists:
Professor Charles Amstrong, Columbia University
Fred Carrier, Exec. Director, Korea Society
John H. Kim, Esq., President, NAKA-NY Chapter
John Choe, Fellow, Open Society Institute
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CONFERENCE
Human Rights in North Korea Human Rights Advocacy Conference
The Crowley Program in International Human Rights & the U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea proudly invites you to the most comprehensive conference human rights advocacy conference to come to New York. To register or for more information e-mail myim@fordham.edu or call 917) 577-5249. Registration is free and donations to support advocacy efforts are encouraged. This is an all day conference and will feature discussions on Prison Camps, Refugees, Advocacy Strategies for Students, and Access to Food. North Korean defectors will also participate by providing real life testimony into the atrocities and starvation in North Korea. In addition, the conference will feature multimedia presentations and a gallery exhibition of artwork by North Korean refugee children.
Confirmed Speakers Include:
Hon. Steven Solarz, Former Congressman of the State of New York & Chairman of the Subcommittee on Asian and Pacific Affairs
Marcus Noland, Senior Fellow, Institute for International Economics and Author of Avoiding the Apocalypse: The Future of the Two Koreas
David Hawk, Author of The Hidden Gulag - Exposing North Korea's Prison Camps and former Executive Director of Amnesty International
Jana Mason, International Rescue Committee
Deborah Liang-Fenton, Executive Director of the U.S. Committe for Human Rights in North Korea
Martin Flaherty, Co-Director, Joseph R. Crowley Program in International Human Rights and Professor, Fordham School of Law
About the Organizations:
The U.S. Committee for Human Rights in North Korea is the leading U.S. based organization in the field of North Korean human rights research and advocacy. Launched in 2001, the Committee was created to generate a broad base of interest about conditions in North Korea and to conduct and publish research focusing U.S. and world attention on human rights abuse in that country. The Committee's work will lay a foundation of current and comprehensive information that will enable it to shine a spotlight on the abuses being perpetrated in North Korea, and also to help individuals, NGOs and policymakers seek ways to improve the treatment of the North Korean people. In particular, the Committee will focus on the prison camp system, the question of access to food, and the plight of North Korean refugee populations.
The Crowley Program in International Human Rights is the leading law school based human rights institute in America. The Crowley Program aims to increase awareness of human rights problems around the world and to train lawyers to address those problems throughout their careers. Each year, the Crowley Program sends a team of leading human rights experts with six law students to a subject country or region to investigate specific issues of concern in the area of human rights. Past missions include investigations in Hong Kong on the One China Policy, Mexico's Criminal Justice System, and most recently Kenya on the effects of USAID restrictions on reproductive health care. The Crowley Program has hosted many groundbreaking conference on human rights which featured renown speakers such as Mary Robinson (former U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights
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PARTY
CAAAV's 18th Anniversary
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CAAAV (Committee Against Anti-Asian Violence)
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Friday, October 1st, 6:30pm
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Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral
268 Mulberry Street
New York City
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$50 / $35 for movement & non-profit workers
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www.caaav.org | exfguidone@caaav.org
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Come celebrate CAAAV’s 18th Anniversary with all your friends, family and allies! Vibe to an evening of freedom songs, inspiration, community and so much more. Dinner, refreshments, music, dancing, and live performances. Plus a silent auction and flat screen television and iPod raffle! Reserve your tickets by Wednesday, September 29th to ensure a seat! The first 50 reservations receive a $10 raffle ticket and a chance to win an iPod or flat screen television!
Featuring:
Robin D.G. Kelley, historian & author of Freedom Dreams
Gihan Perera, cofounder/director of Miami Workers’ Center
Joo-Hyun Kang, former director of The Audre Lorde Project
Planet Move, eclectic hip hop band aka Time Machine
Kongo, Afro-Haitian community musical group
A special tribute to Richie Perez
CAAAV (Committee Against Anti-Asian Violence): Organizing Asian Communities was founded by Asian women in 1986 as one of the first organizations in the United States to mobilize Asian communities to counter anti-Asian violence. CAAAV focuses on institutional violence that affects immigrant, poor and working-class communities such as worker exploitation, concentrated urban poverty, police brutality, Immigration Naturalization Service detention and deportation, and criminalization of youth and workers.
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PARADE / STREETFAIR
24th Annual Korean Parade and Streetfair
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The New York Korea Times
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Saturday, October 2nd, 9:00am - 6:00pm
(Parade will start at 12:00)
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Parade: Broadway from 42nd Street - 23rd Street
Streetfair: 32nd Street between Broadway and 5th Ave
New York City
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718) 786-5858 | info@kcon.org
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As promised, I have some info about this year's 24th Annual Korean Parade and Streetfair (the Manhattan followup to the Flushing Meadow Chusok Festival). The parade, which usually consists of different Korean community organizations, a poonmool performance and other cultural acts, will be held on Broadway from 42nd street thru 23rd street in Manhattan. 32nd Street will be blocked off for the street fair, which lasts all day from 9:00am - 6:00pm and will host different vendors selling all sorts of items. At the end of the block, near 5th Ave, there will be a stage setup with performances by the play "Cook'n" and Korean pop stars Park Jin Young Park and NoEul. Apparently there are rumors of God, Bi and Park Ji Yoon performing as well, but that isn't confirmed.
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PERFORMANCE
Soloist Cheong Seon Yang performing Mozart Violin Concerto No. 5.
The Korean New York Chamber Orchestra of New York presents: Soloist Cheong Seon Yang performing Mozart Violin Concerto No. 5. The program also includes: Beethoven Overture for Prometheus Ballet op.43, Beethoven Symphony No. 7 in A. Tickets can be purchased online or at the box office 212) 501-3330 on the day of the concert for $25. The Korean Chamber Orchestra of New York has performed in Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and Merkin Hall consecutively over the last 10 years. This will be Cheon Seon Yang's solo debut.
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PERFORMANCE
"Savage Acts", A new collaborative work by Han Ong and Sung Rno among others
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Ma-Yi Theatre Company
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October 9th - 17th, 8:00pm, Saturday at 3:00pm and 8:00pm, Sunday at 3:00pm
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Ohio Theater
66 Wooster Street between Spring and Broome Streets
New York City
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$20-$40
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www.ma-yitheatre.orgTheaterMania | 212) 971-4862
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Ma-Yi Theatre Company presents "Savage Acts", A new collaborative work by Han Ong and Sung Rno among others. Directed by Ralph Pena, "Savage Acts" examines how the perceptions and representations of ethnicity have changed over the past 100 years. At the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, thousands of ethnic tribes from America's budding colonial empire were put on display for a paying public. Ainus from Japan, Batwa from the Congo, Patagonian Giants, Sioux, Maricopa, Cheyenne Indians, and dogeaters from the Philippines performed before audiences simultaneously awed and repelled by displays of exotic beauty and primitive savagery. 100 years later, have we learned anything?
This production is a part of the Performing Ethnicity International Conference and Arts Festival, organized by Ma-Yi Theater Company, The City College of New York, the University of the Philippines system, and Philippine Forum. Major support provided by The Ford Foundation.
Part of the Performing Ethnicity, the International Conference and Arts Festival held October 15th - 17th.
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CALL FOR CONTRIBUTORS
Asian America History and Culture: An Encyclopedia
M.E. Sharpe, a New York-based academic and reference publisher, and EastRiver Books, a reference book producer, are seeking contributing scholars for a two-volume reference work on the history and culture of Asian Americans. The project is aimed at the academic high school and undergraduate levels. The General Editors are Dr. Huping Ling of Truman State University and Dr. Allan W. Austin of College Misericordia. The majority of the entry articles have been assigned and we arecontinuously seeking contributors for the remaining articles. Contributorswill receive full authorial credit, a modest cash honorarium, and/or copy of the full encyclopedia set (depending on contribution length and contributor preference).
If you are interested in contributing to this exciting and important reference project--one we hope will be the definitive reference work on Asian America history and culture-please review the attached prospectus
with a full description of the project--with deadline, compensation, and other pertinent information, including a table of contents.
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INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY
NASCAR Diversity Internship Program
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NASCAR
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NASCAR Jobline 386) 947-6878
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NASCAR is committed to attaining greater diversity within its organization and throughout the industry. To help with this
endeavor, and assist in growing the industry's representation of communities of color, NASCAR has created the NASCAR Diversity
Internship Program. This program will provide meaningful opportunities for qualified candidates to work with NASCAR's
sanctioning body, NASCAR sponsors and licensees, NASCAR teams and tracks, and other motorsports-related companies.
The NASCAR Diversity Internship Program will employ college/university students in a ten-week summer program designed to
introduce them to the world of NASCAR and the exciting career opportunities available throughout the motorsports industry. The
Program is designed to support deserving students with an interest in the motorsports industry, who are of Alaskan Native, American Indian, Asian/Pacific Island, African American, Hispanic, or of other racial minority descent.
In addition to the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program, the sanctioning body also offers company-wide internship and career
opportunities for men and women of all cultural backgrounds. Internship opportunities in broadcasting, communications, competition, design, engineering, event management, fundraising, general business, licensing, marketing, media services, public relations, sales, and sports marketing. For a current listing, please contact the NASCAR Jobline at (386) 947-6878.
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