September 16, 2018

Hollywood

At a recent screening of the box office hit Crazy Rich Asians, sponsored by the Los Angeles Chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association, I sat next to actor Tim Lounibos. It was truly a landmark film - actors who look like us! After 25 years of a drought of Hollywood films featuring Asian Americans - could this be a moment of change? If $100+million dollar box office clout proves that Asian faces can sell movie tickets, let's hope this continues. 

We asked Tim for his commentary on this moment in time. - Suzanne Joe Kai 

It’s an amazing time

The past several weeks have been absolutely amazing for the Asian American entertainment industry. Crazy Rich Asians blew past $100 million at the box office in less than three weeks, becoming the most successful rom-com in almost a decade on its way to surely cracking the top ten all-time list for that genre.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is a huge success on Netflix to the point where it has actually raised the popularity of the Japanese yogurt drink Yakult and the stock value of the company who produces it.

Searching had the second highest per-screen box office average in its opening week, trailing only CRA, and more than doubled its distributor’s box office expectations.

As a result, Hollywood has begun greenlighting Asian American projects left and right, and is being more inclusive in casting Asian American actors in general. It’s an amazing...

A Lifetime Achievement Award was presented posthumously to the late Sam Chu Lin by the Asian American Journalist Association during its annual convention.

The AAJA also presented Special Awards to the late newspaper owner Chinn Ho, Bobbi Bowman and Dmae Roberts. Excellence in News Coverage Awards were presented to honorees in eleven categories.
Read more about the honorees from this news release from AAJA.

The late Sam Chu Lin , former pioneer broadcast television reporter for CBS News and other news outlets including KTTV-TV (LA), KTLA-TV (LA), KRON-TV (SF) , and KOOL-TV (PHX) , SF Examiner , Asian Week and Rafu Shimpo received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Asian American Journalists Association.

Fellow journalist, community leader and pioneer television broadcaster Chris Chow comments on the award to Sam Chu Lin :

"AAJA is to be commended for giving its 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award to Sam Chu Lin .

AAJA is cut from the same cloth as Sam and aspires to the same ideals as Sam and is one organization in the field of his profession that has recognized his contributions, leadership and worth. This is like being honored by one's own community.

Sam was honored by the Chinese Historical Society of America, the Chinese American Citizens Alliance, the Organization of Chinese Americas and now the Asian American Journalists Association for his pioneering lifetime achievements in media and journalism and America.

I really regret not having been there for him at Salinas...

Opportunities Remain to Promote the Educational and Social Development of Asian American Youth and Their Peers.

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), CAA| Chinese for Affirmative Action, and amici groups serving Asian American youth and families across the country expressed satisfaction that five of the nine Supreme Court justices upheld the use of race-conscious measures to foster diversity in K-12 education in its decision today in the cases of Meredith v. Jefferson County Board of Education, et al., and Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1. However, they also raised concern that the Supreme Court has limited the options available to school districts in adopting voluntary school integration plans. Civil rights groups AALDEF and CAA| Chinese for Affirmative Action today asserted a compelling interest for the nations public schools to actively ensure equal access to quality education and a diverse learning environment.

In both Seattle, Washington and Louisville, Kentucky, locally elected school boards voluntarily adopted measures to promote racial integration in their public school systems. Under these plans, the cities considered a students race as one factor among others in kindergarten to 12th-grade school assignments. Last fall, AALDEF, CAA, and 14 Asian American community organizations nationwide filed an amicus brief in support of the respondents.

AALDEF Staff Attorney Khin Mai Aung, co-counsel to the amici...

Long Beach

April 21, 2013

Takuma Sato, 36, is the first Japanese driver in history to win an IndyCar series race.

Sato, won the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach for the team of legendary racer A.J. Foyt.

This was the team's first victory in more than a decade.

Sato came close to winning his first IndyCar race at last year's Indianapolis 500 but when he tried to pass Dario Franchitti on the final lap he spun out. For the full story click here. 

Berkeley vs Stanford, USC vs UCLA, ahhh those rivalries!
This time Harvard gets Punk'd on its own home turf at its big game against Yale and AsianConnections' very own Mike Kai and classmate Dave Aulicino lead the merry pranksters.

Berkeley vs Stanford, USC vs UCLA, Arizona State vs University of Arizona - ahhh those rivalries!

This time Harvard gets Punk'd on its own home turf at its big game against Yale and AsianConnections' very own Mike Kai and classmate Dave Aulicino lead the pranksters to victory.

And if you haven't heard yet about the prank which has been covered in the news media around the world, including MSNBC''s Countdown, the Jimmy Kimmel TV Show, and Asian and European press, here are a few links:

Check out www.HarvardSucks.org for the video, the song, and the message board.

Yale Daily News

New York Sun Newspaper