AsianConnections salutes actor James Hong for his many successful career achievements and contributions as an advocate for more and better roles for Asian Americans in the entertainment industry.

James Hong, one of Hollywood's most prolific and versatile actors turned 79 February 22nd, and he's busy as ever.

Konrad Aderer's short documentary "Rising Up: The Alams" is showing on March 2 in New York.

Konrad Aderer's short documentary "Rising Up: The Alams" is showing at the 5th annual Grassroots Media Conference on March 2 at 12:15 at Hunter College in New York.

The filmmaker introduces us to the Alams, a Bangladeshi family living in Coney Island, Brooklyn. Mohammed Alam, father to two young U.S.-born daughters, is one of 13,000 immigrants facing deportation as a consequence of Special Registration, a post-9/11 policy which targeted nationals of Muslim countries. But the Alams are not just victims. Learn how they fight back as members of South Asian community organization D.R.U.M. (Desis Rising Up and Moving).

The 5th annual Grassroots Media Conference - Speaking Truth To Power- Media Justice in Our Communities is co-sponsored by the Film and Media Studies Department, Hunter College/CUNY and will take place on from 9am-6pm on Sunday, March 2.

Session 2: 12:15pm - 1:45pm

CALL FOR CHANGE SERIES: PRESENTED BY THIRD WORLD NEWSREEL
Call for Change is a vibrant series of short documentaries about various communities of color in New York City. Each documentary opens a window into a different aspect of life in the city: a Palestinian-American voting for the first time;

Hollywood Chinese Opens in Los Angeles, Pasadena and New York.

Today, Arthur Dong's Hollywood Chinese opens at Laemmle's Music Hall in L.A, at Laemmle's One Colorado in Pasadena and at The ImaginAsian Theater in New York. Meet the filmmaker at tonight's 7:40 pm screening at Laemmle's Music Hall in L.A or tomorrow at the 7:40pm screening at Laemmle's One Colorado in Pasadena.

Hot off its month-long extended San Francisco run and international film festival tour, including Toronto and a Best Documentary win at Taipei's Golden Horse Awards, the Chinese equivalent to the Oscars, Hollywood Chinese is a "delightfully entertaining" (FilmFestivals.com) look at the Chinese in American movies. Featuring a virtual who's who of top Chinese and Chinese American film artists, including Ang Lee, Joan Chen, Wayne Wang, Nancy Kwan, James Hong, Lisa Lu, B.D. Wong, Tsai Chin and writers Amy Tan and David Henry Hwang. Also featuring Luise Rainer, Turhan Bey and Christopher Lee. Directed by triple Sundance winner and Oscar nominee Arthur Dong (Forbidden City, U.S.A., Licensed to Kill, Coming Out Under Fire).

The ImaginAsian Theater
239 East 59th St.
New York
Screens Daily. Check for schedule: 212/371-6682
http://www.theImaginAsian.com

Laemmle's Music Hall
9036 Wilshire Blvd.
Beverly Hills
310/274-6869
* Q & A with Filmmaker: May 30, 7:40 pm show only

Laemmles One Colorado *
42 Miller Alley
Old Town Pasadena
626/744-1224

Pioneers in Journalism Peter Bhatia, Connie Chung, Ken Kashiwahara, Dith Pran and Helen Thomas honored by Asian American Journalists Association in New York.

Some of the best-known Asian American journalists were among those at The Waldorf-Astoria in New York last night to celebrate as the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) officially launched its $2 million endowment campaign, with more than $581,699.55 in charter gifts.

Proceeds from the gala event and additional live pledges are expected to generate an additional $50,000 for the endowment.

"We are thrilled to see this kind of enthusiasm from media companies, corporations and individuals," said AAJA national president Mae Cheng, who is also assistant city editor at Newsday. "It demonstrates the wide community support for diversity in the news media. We are also pleased to have some of the most esteemed members of our industry join us at this event."

AAJA presented five veteran journalists with "Pioneers in Journalism" awards at the event:

*Peter Bhatia, executive editor of The Oregonian, the country's highest-ranking newspaper editor of Asian American ethnicity and past president of the American Society of Newspaper Editors;
*Connie Chung (unable to attend), three-time Emmy Award winning broadcaster who was only the second woman, after Barbara Walters, to co-anchor an evening news program;

George Takei FIRST to Receive Marriage License in City of West Hollywood

All eyes were on California today, where the first full day marriage licenses were granted for gay couples. Actor George Takei, 71, and Brad Altman, 54, were the FIRST couple to ever receive their marriage license in the City of West Hollywood.

Takei and Altman will have a wedding ceremony in September in the Democracy Room of the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles.

"This is a glorious California morning of making history," Takei said in a statement. "Now the love that Brad Altman and I have shared for each other for these last 21 years will be recognized and celebrated joyfully when we get married in September."

The couple have been together for 21 years and were invited to be part of the ribbon-cutting ceremony inviting the couples into West Hollywood Park to receive their license.

Many couples went on to have wedding services performed in the park under wedding gazebos, surrounded by music, flowers and passed decorated cupcakes.

By 5pm, the City of West Hollywood estimates that they will have processed 100 couples.

Related news:

George Takei's personal statement about the day on GLAAD's website