Letters to the Editor
November 24, 2000
Art or Vandalism?
Dear Editor: I am writing to you as a concerned and avid reader of your newspaper. I have recently read “No Writing on the Wall,” (Nov. 2) in which you summarized much of what is currently going on with our city’s graffiti problem.
I was quite disturbed to read that Supervisor Mabel Teng sees racist graffiti and other forms of tagging, (such as the colorful piece done by “Jade” that you included in the article), as virtually the same thing. She claims that because both are “vandalism,” the intentions behind their creation are somehow irrelevant. I feel that this is an extremely ignorant and narrow-minded statement. To say that a swastika done by a racially charged individual is the same as a tag done by a passive student is ridiculous.
I have taught painting to many students here in the city through organized art classes, and I have had several students who choose graffiti art as a way to express themselves. These are not violent racists but rather young adults with a knack for creativity.
I just cannot see how you could let that comment be published without a line underneath explaining that there is a huge difference between deliberate acts of racism, and “vandalism” with artistic motivation. I am sure that you will agree with me on this point. I also would like to note that I fully understand the comment made by Teng does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianWeek. I do, however, feel that it is necessary to give readers the other side of the issue.
Bob Thompson
via e-mail
Japanese Program at Clarendon Alive and Well
Dear Editor: We feel we must respond to a letter by parents at De Avila School about the Japanese Bilingual Bicultural Program, “Support a Candidate Who’ll Support Bilingual Education,” (Oct. 27). By omitting certain important facts and by using emotive language, the letter may have given the misleading impression that the entire program had moved to a new school site and is now the only elementary level Japanese program in the San Francisco Unified School District. This is decidedly not the case.
Readers of AsianWeek and advocates of Japanese bilingual bicultural education should know that a vibrant Japanese program exists at Clarendon Elementary School and they should have the opportunity of visiting it and judging it for themselves.
Clarendon is a top-ranking public school in San Francisco for grades K-5 with an Academic Performance Index of 862. The Japanese Bilingual Bicultural Program at Clarendon continues to deliver top-notch instruction based on sound educational and financial principles. Currently, 300 students of diverse backgrounds enjoy an excellent academic core curriculum enriched with Japanese language and culture, art, music, computers, physical education and library in a safe, pleasant, park-like residential setting.
School tours will be conducted each Wednesday from 10 a.m. to noon (except Nov. 22) through Dec. 6.
For more information, interested parents should phone 415-759-2796 or visit at 500 Clarendon Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94131.
Parent Advisory Council Clarendon Elementary
via e-mail
Saving a Community
Editor’s note: The following letter was sent via mass e-mail
Dear Editor: On Nov. 13, Philadelphia Mayor John Street finally announced that he had decided to drop his plan to build a new stadium for the Philadelphia Phillies near Chinatown. Instead, he will try to make a deal to build both the Phillies stadium and the Eagles stadium near the existing South Philadelphia Sports Complex.
The decision is a tremendous victory for the broad coalition that has vigorously opposed the plan since it was announced in the spring. Forces in the Asian American community, neighborhood groups, religious, labor, ethnic, political and others were able to mount an effective and sustained campaign, involving mass organizing, coalition building, legal work, public relations, technical research and fundraising.
We were able to quickly and clearly demonstrate the unity and strength of the opposition in Chinatown and the entire regional API community. No one could ignore the 30 years of development attacks that have chipped away at Chinatown and walled it in. The stadium would have been a fatal blow.
We also were able to criticize the use of public funds for the private benefit of team owners, showing that you just can’t earn a return on this type of investment in tax revenues, jobs, and the other forms of elusive spin off.
We saw this project as one of many examples nationwide of API communities that were being harmed or killed by bad development decisions. For once, the people have won.
Many of you were instrumental in helping us in this fight. We received political support, connections, information and advice from many sources that was quite valuable. You helped make Philadelphia Chinatown an issue known across the country, and we have no doubt that the resulting buzz of opposition was heard eventually in high places. Thanks for your support and interest.
Paul Uyehara
Stadium Out of Chinatown Coalition
via e-mail
How Unpresidential!
Dear Editor: All of this hoopla and ha-ha down in Florida is just so un-presidential. If Bush and Gore can’t be adults and gentlemen about it, then I say step aside, and let Bill Bradley and John McCain give it a try.
Frederick Hobson
San Francisco
Corrections
In the Nov. 9 issue of AsianWeek, the story, “Chinatown Senior Center Gets a Boost,” an aide to Assemblyman Kevin Shelley should be correctly referred to as Angela Louie, not Andrea, as stated. Also in that issue, the story, “Esther Returns and Stars Come Out,” had model Esther’s last name misspelled as Wong. It should be Hwang. AsianWeek apologizes for the errors.
Do you have something to say? Send a letter to the editor via e-mail (to asianweek@asianweek.com)!
AsianWeek welcomes letters commenting on our coverage and other topics of interes to Asian Pacific Americans. Please keep letters as brief as possible (we reserve the right to edit letters for length and style), and include your name and a daytime telephone number for verification. For letters by conventional mail, address to: AsianWeek, 809 Sacramento Street, San Francisco, California 94108, U.S.A.
I was quite disturbed to read that Supervisor Mabel Teng sees racist graffiti and other forms of tagging, (such as the colorful piece done by “Jade” that you included in the article), as virtually the same thing. She claims that because both are “vandalism,” the intentions behind their creation are somehow irrelevant. I feel that this is an extremely ignorant and narrow-minded statement. To say that a swastika done by a racially charged individual is the same as a tag done by a passive student is ridiculous.
I have taught painting to many students here in the city through organized art classes, and I have had several students who choose graffiti art as a way to express themselves. These are not violent racists but rather young adults with a knack for creativity.
I just cannot see how you could let that comment be published without a line underneath explaining that there is a huge difference between deliberate acts of racism, and “vandalism” with artistic motivation. I am sure that you will agree with me on this point. I also would like to note that I fully understand the comment made by Teng does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianWeek. I do, however, feel that it is necessary to give readers the other side of the issue.
Bob Thompson
via e-mail
Japanese Program at Clarendon Alive and Well
Readers of AsianWeek and advocates of Japanese bilingual bicultural education should know that a vibrant Japanese program exists at Clarendon Elementary School and they should have the opportunity of visiting it and judging it for themselves.
Clarendon is a top-ranking public school in San Francisco for grades K-5 with an Academic Performance Index of 862. The Japanese Bilingual Bicultural Program at Clarendon continues to deliver top-notch instruction based on sound educational and financial principles. Currently, 300 students of diverse backgrounds enjoy an excellent academic core curriculum enriched with Japanese language and culture, art, music, computers, physical education and library in a safe, pleasant, park-like residential setting.
School tours will be conducted each Wednesday from 10 a.m. to noon (except Nov. 22) through Dec. 6.
For more information, interested parents should phone 415-759-2796 or visit at 500 Clarendon Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94131.
Parent Advisory Council Clarendon Elementary
via e-mail
Saving a Community
Dear Editor: On Nov. 13, Philadelphia Mayor John Street finally announced that he had decided to drop his plan to build a new stadium for the Philadelphia Phillies near Chinatown. Instead, he will try to make a deal to build both the Phillies stadium and the Eagles stadium near the existing South Philadelphia Sports Complex.
The decision is a tremendous victory for the broad coalition that has vigorously opposed the plan since it was announced in the spring. Forces in the Asian American community, neighborhood groups, religious, labor, ethnic, political and others were able to mount an effective and sustained campaign, involving mass organizing, coalition building, legal work, public relations, technical research and fundraising.
We were able to quickly and clearly demonstrate the unity and strength of the opposition in Chinatown and the entire regional API community. No one could ignore the 30 years of development attacks that have chipped away at Chinatown and walled it in. The stadium would have been a fatal blow.
We also were able to criticize the use of public funds for the private benefit of team owners, showing that you just can’t earn a return on this type of investment in tax revenues, jobs, and the other forms of elusive spin off.
We saw this project as one of many examples nationwide of API communities that were being harmed or killed by bad development decisions. For once, the people have won.
Many of you were instrumental in helping us in this fight. We received political support, connections, information and advice from many sources that was quite valuable. You helped make Philadelphia Chinatown an issue known across the country, and we have no doubt that the resulting buzz of opposition was heard eventually in high places. Thanks for your support and interest.
Paul Uyehara
Stadium Out of Chinatown Coalition
via e-mail
How Unpresidential!
Frederick Hobson
San Francisco
Corrections
Do you have something to say? Send a letter to the editor via e-mail (to asianweek@asianweek.com)!
Yes Nerissa, We Do Celebrate Thanksgiving
November 24, 2000
By Pravit Kunakemakorn
Last Thanksgiving Day, my youngest daughter Nerissa asked me, “Dad, are we supposed to eat turkey or not? Do we celebrate Thanksgiving?” She began to wonder after one of her friends’ mom asked if we ate turkey to celebrate Thanksgiving. She looked surprised when Nerissa said, “Yes, we ate turkey with Chinese stuffing and Thai dessert.”
Thanksgiving to our family is always a big thing. We never forget to remind the kids what the real meaning of Thanksgiving is, while encouraging them to do something good for newcomers. For the past five years, we have been sponsoring a $1,000 annual scholarship fund for kids from immigrant families to go to college. Hopefully we can continue to do so.
We came up with the idea during one of our Thanksgiving dinners. It all began when my wife and I came to this country 30 years ago. I do not think we would have done so well if it hadn’t been for the help of those who came to America before us, either a few months ago or generations before. With their help and guidance, it was easier for my wife and I to adapt to this new country.
One family introduced us to Thanksgiving by having us over for a celebration dinner. They told us the actual meaning of this holiday and we took it into our hearts right away. What a beautiful way to remember the hospitality of our forefathers. We have celebrated Thanksgiving ever since.
As time went by, the food changed (since we did not like the original stuffing). We modified it by using Chinese stuffing, which suited our taste buds a lot better. We cooked sweet potatoes the Thai way, real sweet, topped with some coconut milk. And we made Thai custard in a little carved pumpkin instead of baking pumpkin pie. It looked different from the original menu but the spirit was exactly the same.
There are many, many things for which we are thankful. When we first came to this country as students, my wife and I were still dating. We often went to the United States Information Service Center because it was the only place that had air conditioning and one of the few places that had welcomed us. It didn’t matter if we went there to read, do homework, prepare for the upcoming examination or just nap.
There were all kinds of books at the center. One day, I read an article about a judge who said he would rather let 100 felons free than prosecute one innocent person. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Wow! Is that for real? What a beautiful law.
Back home, from what I knew, whoever had influence or money could get away with a crime. It didn’t matter whether he was guilty or not. After 30 years in this country, I understand that money and influence are still very powerful everywhere. You can buy a soul with it.
I also read about a leader in an Asian country who said that he would rather kill 1,000 innocent people than let a communist escape. I guess these kinds of things do happen in some places. I am happy to be in the United States because the laws here protect the majority of us. I feel lucky to be able to call this land home.
Over the years I came to own a very satisfactory medical practice and my wife has a small, nice pharmacy of her own in Northern California. We raised three children there. They all went to public schools. All got involved in different school activities. I can’t remember how many carpools, car washes, parent meetings and donations we participated in. The two elder ones have already graduated and are on their own. The youngest is a junior at a nearby college and will be graduating soon. They all grew up to be responsible and socially concerned citizens. That accomplishment gives me a feeling of success, happiness and wealth — not money wise, but spirit wise.
We live in a peaceful country because we have a stable political system and a very strong military force that not only protects our country but also assists the rest of the world to keep peace and protect democracy. It is a nice feeling to know that.
But of course, not everything nor everybody we encounter is perfect or ideal. One must be out of their mind to think so. We meet a lot of people who we would rather not meet, and encounter a lot of incidents we now regret. That is the truth of life.
Thanksgiving is a unique American tradition — for every American and all people who live here. No matter what color your skin is, we all have some things to be thankful for. I bet if the first group of people who met the native Americans were not white but of some other color or race, they would have been treated in the same way, and would have also sat down to a dinner of thanks. The Thanksgiving tradition does not belong to any specific ethnic group. Kindness, friendliness and hospitality do not choose color, sex or race.
Are we supposed to eat turkey to celebrate Thanksgiving? Why not? It is good to appreciate the nice things other people have done for you and hopefully, you can do something good in return. Keep this spirit going and we can make this land more beautiful.
So here Nerissa, this is my answer: “Yes, we do eat turkey. We do celebrate Thanksgiving and we do have a lot to thank for.”
Pravit Kunakemakorn is a retired physician living in Northern California. This year, he and his family will enjoy Thanksgiving turkey with Chinese stuffing and Thai dessert.
Be Thankful for the Florida Supremes
November 24, 2000
They like Chad
By Emil Guillermo
Our election hangover continues. Florida’s Supreme Court has spoken. And so now the state can keep counting chad till Monday, through the holiday weekend.
The decision keeps the indecision alive. And topic A intact.
Can any of us see a holiday movie, watch a high school football game, or even have our Thanksgiving meal without thinking about politics?
Holiday movie? The election is the Grinch that stole Thanksgiving.
Football? Is it fourth and long for Bush or Gore? (By the way, is that a dimpled cheerleader?)
And can you imagine the dinner conversation?
It’s all “Bush or Gore.”
Never mind “White meat or dark meat?” Pass the roast chad gravy. Please.
You poor Tofurkey eaters, vegetarians all, are out of luck. You’re left to lift in the air your processed soybean drumsticks in whose name exactly — Nader?
Ah, Democracy. The Florida Supremes have put it on the menu.
Can you even take a bite of the Thanksgiving meal without wanting to steal a look at a cable newscast for the latest bombast from either side? Right on through desert.
Isn’t that Chef Emeril whipping up a lattice-topped minced-chad pie? (What a versatile thing those chads are. It’s the new tofu).
The Bushes for sure, should have a wild Thanksgiving dinner. Too bad the turkey will taste like a gamey armadillo.
Just keep the carving knife away from G.W. And seat Jeb in the next room, if not the next county.
And yet, we must give our thanks to the Florida Supremes, whom the GOP partisans must think are the Vandellas. They’ve recognized chad as our meal ticket. If you impregnated one, you get to come to dinner. You count. They’ve also got us talking about this like it really matters— which it does. Like turkey, which most of us don’t really like, but we eat like fiends on this one day; here’s this election, between two people we like increasingly less, but with whom we’re absolutely obsessed with just the same. And we care.
For once, we have a U.S. election that’s more exciting than the Detroit Lions or the New England Patriots playing on Thanksgiving Day. In fact, we should all feel like patriots. We’ve finally got our priorities straight.
We’re counting our chads and liking it.
Some people may be fond of saying they’re sick of it all. But what else can be done but count all the votes? Besides, what’s the rush. Haven’t we learned our lesson of election night? Slow down. We don’t need a president-elect before its time. The country isn’t like some headless turkey. We’ve got Clinton. Remember him?
No, people aren’t sick of a slow, accurate chad count. We’re in a new stage of election that we’ve never had before. Post-election noise. Not purely news. It’s that mixture of news, information, rhetoric and commerce that’s being blasted in Internet time, 24-7.
The election has risen to the level of O.J. coverage.
Now that’s something to fear.
But that doesn’t mean we want the process to end. We just want the media to shut up and let the process happen. Like cooking a pig. You don’t rush it.
Instead, the news hole has expanded, and even when nothing happens, the cable folks are compelled to fill the space with accusations and rhetoric from both principals and surrogates.
The partisan bickering and distrust has grown annoying.
There was Peggy Noonan, the “thousand points of light” speech writer to George Bush, Sr., and now a Wall Street Journal columnist charging that Gore is “stealing the election in a classic vote fraud way.”
She was especially incensed by the kind of people the Democrats had on their side. “It’s a different culture, a tough culture, “ she said with a regal arrogance.
Channel surfing over to CNN, an African American woman in Palm Beach County working as a chad counter was interviewed. Was it a chaotic processed fraught with the possibilities of cheating and malfeasance?
No.
Noonan should take a hint from Marie Antoinette. Let them count chad.
That’s the only downside to politics at Thanksgiving. The meal isn’t supposed to be a holiday edition of Crossfire.
The sad fact is more and more of our elections will be just like this. Contentious. Carved to the bone. Like the fight for the crispy skin off the turkey.
In the era of centrism, where the two candidates win in the center, the centrists curse is the winner must now stay in the center.
And the center doesn’t hold.
Our choices will never be as clear-cut as turkey or Tofurkey. It’s all just turkey. So “Bush? Gore?” “White meat or dark meat?” — it’s all the same.
It’s the problem of centrist politics. There isn’t much room in the middle.
And the bickering only gets worse.
It’s the mix blessing for Asian Americans, and other minorities. Somewhat forgotten during the campaign, and told to chill out until the election is won and the governing begins — where does that put us? Not in a very good place. And whom should we thank for that?
Emil reads from his award winning book, Amok and talks about the elections on Nov. 28, 6pm, the San Francisco Mechanics’ Institute Library 57 Post St. at Market. Free to members. $5.00 to the public. e-mail: emilamok@aol.com.
Emil reads from his award winning book, Amok and talks about the elections on Nov. 28, 6pm, the San Francisco Mechanics’ Institute Library 57 Post St. at Market. Free to members. $5.00 to the public. e-mail: emilamok@aol.com.
Florida, Through A Third World Lens
November 24, 2000
A friend in South Africa sent me an e-mail, which mentioned a politician from Zimbabwe. This politician was quoted as saying children in his African nation should study the current American presidential vote crisis in Florida because it shows that election fraud is not just a Third World phenomenon.
While I haven’t seen any evidence of vote fraud in the re-counting activities in Florida (according to CNN, sporadic Bush allegations apparently were based on isolated, immediately-corrected accidents), I have heard from colleagues that there were instances where black voters in Florida were stopped or otherwise intimidated by police (allegedly for activities such as driving unrelated passengers without a taxicab license).
As an exercise in how our own prejudices and preconceptions can shape our perception of an event, take a minute to think about how you would react if you read the following news account:
“Former president Jimmy Carter and United Nations special observers held a news conference yesterday in Tallahassee, the capital of the small African nation known as the Republic of Florida. They expressed their concern that the results of the Nov. 7 election were tainted, based on both direct and circumstantial evidence. Out of six million votes cast, the lead of the self-declared winner was a mere 327 votes by the day after the election.
“On the night of the election, first one candidate and then the other was declared the winner. By morning, it was clear that one candidate had won the popular vote, but that the other was planning to use an old colonial, pre-democratic device known as the Electoral College to declare victory. Compounding the concerns were the fact that the self-declared winner was the son of a former head of the secret police, known here as the CIA, who later became prime minister. The head of the province where major voting irregularities were charged was the self-declared winner’s brother, Jeb.
“Of special concern to United Nations observers were reports that hundreds of members of the nation’s most despised caste were intimidated or turned away from the polls by state police operating under the authority of the self-declared winner’s brother. Fearing for their lives and livelihoods, members of this caste had turned out in record numbers and voted, according to exit polls, nine to one in favor of the self-declared winner’s opponent.
“Observers also were shocked that the self-declared winner and his party were opposed to manual recounts of the ballots. Poorly constructed ballots in districts inhabited by supporters of the self-declared winner’s opponent led to thousands of mistaken votes for a marginal third party candidate.
“International attention had been focused in the months before the election on the fact that the self-declared winner was head of a province that led the nation in death penalty executions. On several occasions, foreign heads of state had tried to appeal to his sense of justice to prevent executions that internationally-respected jurists had seen as based on faulty evidence or otherwise tainted. None of these appeals had been successful. In fact, many leaders in his own nation had expressed concern that someone with the power to appoint lifetime members of the nation’s highest court could come from the province with the worst human rights record of any in the nation.
“While clearly concerned about the future of democracy in this tiny African nation, former president Carter expressed hope that, with the help of experts in American election law, the leaders of the Republic of Florida could make progress toward a more democratic voting process by the next national election, which is slated for 2004.”
Roles for Minorities Still Lag on TV
November 24, 2000
Network stations say they’re trying to change
By AsianWeek Staff and Associated Press
More than a year after civil rights groups demanded more ethnically diverse programming from major broadcast networks, blacks alone have been the beneficiary of the four major network stations, largely to the detriment of Asian Americans, Latino and other minorities.
Karen Narasaki of the National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium offered a dismal “report card” grading networks on their inclusion of Asian Americans.
The grades ranged from a D-plus for NBC, which features a handful of actors such as Ming-Na in ER, to an F for CBS. ABC and Fox both received D-minuses.
However, Narasaki said Asian American women do better than Asian American men. “There has been a tendency of generally less stereotypical roles, for instance, Lucy Liu.”
CBS, with the cancellation of Martial Law starring Sammo Hung, fared worse than last year when it came to including Asian Americans on screen, Narasaki said.
She blasted the networks for missing opportunities to make the casts of shows such Welcome to N.Y., which is set in a conspicuously multicultural city, more diverse.
The groups also criticized the lack of significant growth in the number of Asian American writers and directors at most of the networks.
“To be fair, why would I expect a non-Asian writer to write about us,” said actor Paul Ong. “What we really need are Asian American casting directors, producers, directors and writers.”
Ong, however, said he has seen more progress for Asian American actors, but added that the diveristy is “strictly tokenism.”
Raul Yzaguirre, representing the National Latino Media Council, said progress for Latino American actors has been equally dismal.
The NAACP, while lauding the increased hiring of blacks in acting and other behind-the-scenes jobs this season, said the coalition remains united in its effort to make TV truly inclusive.
“We don’t want them [the networks] to think hiring African Americans will appease the entire minority community,” said NAACP spokeswoman Debbie Liu, adding that there is still room for improvement for black representation.
The coalition said it intends to keep the pressure on networks and expand its attention to smaller networks, the cable industry, advertisers and talent agencies.
Last winter, the coalition secured agreements from the four networks to increase both the number of minorities on-screen as well as development deals with writers and producers.
The agreements were reached in January and February through separate discussions between coalition groups and networks. But these agreements lacked specific numbers that could provide a benchmark for progress.
The networks opened negotiations with civil rights groups after the NAACP floated the threat of a TV boycott or legal action because of the absence of minority actors on the fall 1999 schedule of new shows.
The networks say they are trying to change.
“Diversity remains an important initiative for us here at ABC,” said John Rose, who is directing the network’s diversity effort. “We’ve done a lot and made significant progress, but we realize more has to be done.”
He said the network has, among other programs, started a talent development initiative that has enlisted educators and nonprofit groups to “nurture and support writers and directors” of color.
“CBS appreciates the ongoing concerns of the coalition and applauds its role as an agent for change in our industry,” said Josie Thomas, senior vice president of diversity for CBS Television.
She noted there had been a 20 percent increase in the number of minorities cast in CBS’ primetime shows and a threefold increase in minority producers.
NBC said in a statement that it has created more primetime minority roles this season, and that its 2-year-old minority writers program “will lend a perspective, which will lead to further diverse character development.” The statement said NBC also was establishing high school and college programs to recruit minority students to pursue television industry careers.
“We are confident that by putting these programs in place today, we are making great steps toward increasing diversity both now and in the future.”
Shedding Old Passions Against the Homeland
November 24, 2000
Years ago, when my family and I came to America as refugees from South Vietnam, we considered ourselves living in exile. We’d gather and commiserate with the countrymen every April 30, the day the war ended. We’d wear white headbands and stand in front of City Hall in San Francisco with our flags and banners to denounce Vietnamese communism and human rights abuses back home.
A quarter century later, as President Clinton visits Vietnam — the first U.S. president in three decades to go there — that singular passion for protest is less shared.
My sister is planning a ski trip to Tahoe, my brother busy building his dream house in Silicon Valley, my mother preoccupied with the grandchildren. My father alone remains staunchly anti-communist, and frets over whether or not Clinton will push for human rights and democracy while visiting Vietnam.
Like my family, in the aftermath of the Cold War, the rest of the Vietnamese community has grown more prosperous and entrenched in the American landscape.
And our relationship with Vietnam defies simplification.
A recent poll by the Viet Merc, a Vietnamese-language paper in San Jose, Calif., where 125,000 Vietnamese Americans reside, showed that 62 percent of Vietnamese Americans agree the presidential visit is a good thing, believing interaction will spur political change.
In a San Jose pho noodle restaurant, Mr. Tri Nguyen, 43, said the president’s trip is “about time,” but doesn’t believe it’s going to change Vietnam. The trip is “eclipsed by the story of who’s going to be in the White House next year,” insisted Nguyen. “That will affect Vietnam more than Clinton’s visit.”
Nguyen, once a boat person and now an engineer, often returns to Vietnam and says he no longer regards himself as an exile from his homeland. Like Nguyen, some 250,000 overseas Vietnamese return yearly to visit relatives and celebrate Tet, the Vietnamese New Year. They may not like the communist government, but they no longer think Vietnam’s isolation will do anyone any good. Estranged or not from the homeland, the estimated 1.3 million Vietnamese Americans in the United States, the third largest Asian group after Chinese and Filipinos, have played a big role in Vietnam’s history since the Diaspora began 25 years ago. They send home about $5 billion a year, about 20 percent of Vietnam’s Gross National Product.
With news of their great successes and freedom, the Viet Kieu — Vietnamese Americans — serve as a mirror against which the entire nation of Vietnam, still mired in poverty and political oppression, reflects on its own lost potential.
It is not an exaggeration to say our successes and transformation have subverted the language of nationalism in our homeland. And there’s irony in the wake of that bitter civil war: Twenty five years after our bitter departure, those persecuted by Uncle Ho’s followers and forced to flee abroad, are now being actively solicited to return to Vietnam to help rebuild the country.
No one wants to see Vietnam stuck in poverty, said Dr. Le Xuan Khoa, a former diplomat who now teaches contemporary Vietnamese history at Johns Hopkins University. “But the tragedy of ‘boat people’ — tens of thousands of whom perished at sea or were victimized by pirates — and the extreme maltreatment and humiliation imposed on tens of thousands of others in re-education camps will not be easily forgotten.”
Yet interaction between Vietnamese and Viet Kieu has increased dramatically in recent years, thanks to the information age.
Take music. Before the cold war ended, musicians in Orange County and Paris made video tapes and sent them home for those who had little in the way of entertainment. These days, thanks to more freedom in Vietnam and the information age, Viet Kieu the globe over download entertainment Web sites from Saigon and Hanoi so they can watch new favorite stars from back home.
Like many others, I’ve made good friends on visits to my homeland and stay in touch constantly via e-mail.
Some overseas Vietnamese, of course, will never be able reconcile with the past as long as the present government remains in power. Nga Nguyen, a 27-year-old student at San Jose State University who lost her father in a re-education camp, said she cannot forgive the communist regime. But even she sees the benefit of the visit: “If President Clinton can help start a new atmosphere of democratic activities in Vietnam, it would be a very good thing.”
Last week at a local art gallery, I met three young Vietnamese artists touring the United States. All spoke fluent English, carried cell phones and have e-mail addresses. Thanh Nguyen, 29, born and raised in Hanoi, drew portraits of Viet Kieus wearing traditional clothing. “I see Vietnamese and Vietnamese Americans as having the same essence,” he told me. “We suffered from the same history, even if the Vietnamese Americans have changed to adapt to a new country.”
Twenty five years ago, as a flag waver in front of City Hall, I could only see Thanh and his friends as my enemy. Now, listening to him and looking at his artwork, I can’t help but share his sentiment.
Pacific News Service editor Andrew Lam, born and raised in Vietnam, is a San Francisco-based journalist and short story writer.
Pacific News Service editor Andrew Lam, born and raised in Vietnam, is a San Francisco-based journalist and short story writer.
Vietnam’s ‘Big Welcome’ to Americans
November 24, 2000
Returning from a historic trip to Vietnam, President Clinton said Sunday that “a big welcome” awaits Americans in this struggling communist nation as it looks with hope to the future without bitterness about the wartime past.
“The years of animosity are past,” Clinton said, a quarter century after the Vietnam War ended with a communist takeover of U.S.-backed South Vietnam. “Today we have a shared interest in your well-being and your prosperity.”
Clinton urged Vietnam to open its economy and allow greater individual freedoms. Despite Clinton’s optimism, Vietnam’s powerful Communist Party chief, Le Kha Phieu, expressed wariness about economic reforms and America’s involvement in Vietnam.
Phieu emphatically stated that while the former Soviet Union has crumbled, the socialist system in Vietnam still stands, Clinton’s economic adviser Gene Sperling said, recounting the talks Saturday in Hanoi.
“What was the cause of our resistance against foreign aggression,” the Communist Party newspaper Nhan Dan quoted Phieu as telling Clinton. “The root cause was because imperialism colonized other countries.”
In an interview with CNN, Clinton said he had “a nice little debate” with Phieu about the United States and “stoutly disputed that we were an imperialist country. We had never had any imperialist designs here.”
Clinton said the trend toward freedom in Vietnam “is virtually irreversible … And as you can see in the streets, there is a lot of goodwill toward America here.”
Departing Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday, Air Force One was loaded with silks, purses, paintings, lacquer ware and other gifts purchased by the presidential entourage on a 22,192-mile, weeklong trip to an Asian summit in Brunei and the groundbreaking stop in Vietnam. Clinton’s arrived back in Washington on Monday.
“I am … determined to continue the partnership we have for a better future for the people of Vietnam, the people of the United States and all those whom we can reach together,” Clinton told a group of business leaders just before his departure.
Clinton was the first president to visit this country since 1969 and the first ever to stop in Hanoi. While he spoke hopefully of the future, there were reminders of the painful past.
During his stay he visited an excavation site near Hanoi, where searchers probed the mud for the remains of a U.S. pilot shot down 33 years ago. He met with children disfigured by forgotten land mines. And he watched silently as the remains of three MIAs began the journey home.
In a gesture for religious freedom, Clinton met Sunday with Jean-Baptiste Pham Minh Man, the Roman Catholic archbishop of Ho Chi Minh City. White House officials said they spoke of problems the archbishop faces in a country where international human rights groups and the State Department cite a pattern of harassment and imprisonment of Buddhist and other religious leaders.
Earlier Sunday, he plunged into crowds in a narrow shopping street, shaking hands and stopping at open-front markets to buy last-minute gifts. To a generation of American GIs, this bustling city of five million people was known as Saigon before its surrender to communist forces in America’s most humiliating military defeat.
Ho Chi Minh City is the commercial hub of Vietnam. Clinton visited a container port on the Saigon River and assured Vietnam that it will benefit by embracing the global economy.
“Already in the last decade Vietnam’s exports to the world have increased by six times over,” the president said. “You will grow even more as your economy becomes more open and the rule of law develops.”
In July, the United States and Vietnam signed a major trade agreement this year that will force major economic reforms and allow normal commerce. Clinton said it would bring more investors here. Clinton promised that the United States would establish a $200 million line of credit to support U.S. investment in Vietnam.
“It will also help to develop a more open, sophisticated free market based on international rules of law,” Clinton said. “And that will bring more rewards for the creativity and initiative of the remarkable Vietnamese people. Both our nations should ratify this agreement and implement it. The changes it will bring should be embraced, not feared.”
The president was upbeat about his visit.
“I think it says a lot about what the people of Vietnam would like their relationship to America to be,” he said. “It’s basically been a big welcome for America, for the United States.”
Philadelphia Chinatown Wins Stadium Fight
November 24, 2000
API community credits organizing, coalition-building
By AsianWeek Staff and Associated Press
Mayor John Street abandoned plans to build a stadium for the Philadelphia Phillies in Chinatown and instead backed a less contentious site in South Philadelphia.
Street’s decision to push for a ballpark in Chinatown had been criticized by many Chinese American residents who were concerned that it would destroy their neighborhood, and by lawmakers who said the location could add as much as $350 million to the bill for site preparation and other costs.
“The decision is a tremendous victory for the broad coalition that has vigorously opposed the plan since it was announced in the spring,” said Paul Uyehara, of the Stadium Out of Chinatown Coalition.
“Forces in the API community, neighborhood groups, religious, labor, ethnic, political and others were able to mount an effective and sustained campaign. We were able to quickly and clearly demonstrate the unity and strength of the opposition in Chinatown and the entire regional API community,” he added.
“We worked very, very hard but at the end of the day we were never able to reach any consensus,’’ Street said.
The mayor said he still preferred a Chinatown site for the Phillies but finally abandoned it last Monday after becoming convinced it was unworkable.
“Mayors don’t always get what mayors want,’’ Street said. “I couldn’t get them to where I wanted to be.’’
In its 30 years, Philadelphia’s Chinatown has faced numerous obstacles since its population began growing.
The immigrant neighborhood with just a handful of restaurants and one grocery store was seeing its first influx of families in the mid-1960s. Many had children attending the Holy Redeemer School and Church, which became a local community center and meeting site.
Then, the city proposed an eight-lane highway that would bulldoze the school and cut Chinatown in half.
“I think we saw it as a plan to get rid of Chinatown,” said Cecelia Yep, one of the founders of the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Coalition in 1969. “It was the only thing good in Chinatown at the time. We thought it was a fight for survival.”
Holy Redeemer was spared, though the pared-down expressway still cut through the center of Chinatown.
The partial victory would repeat itself many times over the next 30 years with a federal prison, commuter rail tunnel, downtown mall and convention center. Each was built with much compromising, and now they form a circle around Chinatown’s current core of about five city blocks.
The proposed stadium had been the latest thorn in Chinatown’s side. Neighborhood activists like Uyehara say the move would have been too much for the community-on-the-brink to bear.
“No one could ignore the 30 years of development attacks that have chipped away at Chinatown and walled it in,” he said. “The stadium would have been a fatal blow.”
Philadelphia is not alone. Chinatowns across the country are under attack either from urban revival — which is making the areas less affordable for the immigrant population — or from downtown development, such as new sports stadiums.
“Overall, all Chinatowns are not doing well,’’ said Peter Kwong, an Asian American studies professor at Hunter College in New York. “Traffic is bad, parking is not to be found. People are leaving because of downtown problems. That’s not just the Chinese, but it’s other groups as well.’’
Boston’s Chinatown is also the red-light district, and at the mouth of an expressway tunnel. In Los Angeles, people are leaving the troubled downtown Chinatown to settle in suburban Monterey Park’s Chinese American community. Washington, D.C., saw its Chinatown swallowed by the new MCI Center. It remains, but barely.
Chinatowns usually cater to new immigrants, with many unskilled workers who don’t speak English. When the new Americans get skills and better jobs, they move out of Chinatowns for a better quality of life. That makes Chinatown necessary — but also vulnerable.
“Usually the least powerful political group is the Chinese,’’ Kwong said.
In Philadelphia, 70 percent of Chinatown’s 4,000 residents speak no English, but the area also serves an estimated 250,000 Chinese Americans in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, according to the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation.
“Chinatown is a symbolic center not just for the people who live there, but for the Chinese American community as a whole,’’ said Debbie Wei of the Chinatown Coalition. “What happens to Chinatown becomes a symbol for what happens to us as a community.’’
Street said he will recommend to City Council that both the Eagles and the Phillies stadiums be located in South Philadelphia, creating “a sports complex that’s very different from any other complex in the country.’’
The Phillies ballpark would be at the corner of Darien Street and Pattison Avenue, across the street from the proposed site for the new Eagles stadium. The plan would increase the number of parking spaces at the sports complex from more than 15,000 spaces to as many as 23,000, officials said. Both stadiums would afford views of the Center City downtown area.
“I think it’s a great relief and about time the mayor came to his senses,’’ said Mary Yee, a committee co-chairman of the Stadium Out of Chinatown Coalition. “I think the traffic and parking issues are certainly less troublesome there. There wouldn’t be that impact on the quality of life since the residences are farther away there.’’
Street was joined at the news conference by officials with both teams.
“We think it will be an outstanding site for the vision we have for our stadium,’’ said Joe Banner, executive vice president of the Eagles. “The access will be good and our opportunity to create the experience we’re looking for, so we are very pleased and excited to move forward with this site configuration.”
New Examiner, New Voice
November 24, 2000
After months of lawsuits, deals and high drama, the new Examiner hit the streets on November 22. By providing a fresh perspective on this city and its changing demographics, San Franciscans now have real choice in where they get their morning news. Reflected in Examiner’s pages is the fact that 30 percent of its staff are people of color. Indeed, publisher Ted Fang takes pride in this, pointing out that 39 percent of all newsrooms in America have not even one single minority. Here, Fang talks about the paper, his experiences, as well as his family’s place in history as the first Asian American owners of a major metropolitan daily.
AsianWeek: How does this historical day feel after the months of preparation? In 20 years, what will you remember most about the day?
Ted Fang: That it’s really happening. It’s the first time the city of San Francisco has saved the second newspaper from a joint operating agreement for the long term. It’s the first time that a major metropolitan newspaper has ever started up in only 120 days, and we are the first newspaper of the 21st century, so it’s an unbelievable occurrence but it’s really happening and that’s the most amazing thing to me.
AW: At what point are you in discussions about forming a labor union? Do you think in this fast-paced dot-com world, the idea of a union for journalists is outdated?
TF: My family has a long history with labor unions. When my father first came to this country, he could not get a job because he was Chinese. He joined the unions and the unions helped him get his first job. Ultimately, the decision of a union will be up to the employees, but we are really looking for the help and support of all the institutions in San Francisco, including the labor union. And just as the unions helped my father get his start in this country, we hope the unions will help the new Examiner get its start in San Francisco.
AW: The newspaper business relies heavily on advertising to keep afloat. Has the negative press had an adverse impact on the sales department’s ability to sell ads?
TF: No, we experienced a high level excitement and enthusiasm for the new Examiner. I think there is a realization among many businesses that in order to reach the entire San Francisco market, they need to look at the new Examiner as an additional vehicle because the old style newspapers just aren’t reaching enough of the San Francisco housing units. In our premier issue … we [had] 50 different advertisers. They have all signed on to the new Examiner and they all have signed on sight unseen because they so much believe in a second daily newspaper in San Francisco.
AW: Are you also keeping old Examiner ad accounts?
The new Examiner offices are located at the Fox Warfield Building at 988 Market Street. Photo by Joseph Hong.
TF: No, we have had to start everything from scratch. This whole newspaper is starting from scratch. There were no advertisers that were [carried] over to us. There was no staffing that was left to us. Everything has been generated from scratch … including the building. I think it was really amazing that we had 50 different advertisers, some major advertisers like K-mart and Montgomery Wards, and some local advertisers like car dealers. They all signed on because they believe in the new Examiner.
AW: Are there any newspapers the Examiner hopes to emulate? What newspapers do you personally admire?
TF: I admire AsianWeek for being a voice for the Asian American community. I admire the Washington Post for its local news coverage, as well as for being the No. 1-rated newspaper in America. But I think we are creating a new model for what a newspaper can be in the 21st century. We are going to have the most diverse newsroom in the country and I think an important aspect of the new Examiner is going to be diversity. When I talk about diversity, I’m not just talking about race or color. I’m talking about ideology and philosophy, diversity of rights, diversity of opinions. The American Society of Newspaper Editors took a survey that showed 39 percent of all newsrooms in America have not even one single person of color in their news staff. So the San Francisco Examiner is already making history by having the most diverse newsroom in the country. We hope we will able to define newspapers of the 21st century as newspapers of diversity.
AW: What has the hiring process been like for the new Examiner?
TF: It’s been a very exciting hiring process. We’ve had a very high level of interest in the Examiner and I think there’s been a very high level excitement in the industry for what we’re trying to do at the Examiner. So, we had a lot of people applying for positions. I think one of the things that people have to realize about the new Examiner is that it’s really based on staff. There are, maybe, two characteristics of this staff: One is that they all realize they are taking risks because this has never been done before, but by the same token, they all realize that they are making history. So, the staff here at the new Examiner can be characterized as risk takers and history makers because that’s what they are.
AW: What are your strategies for competing in this market? I guess you’re focussing on the San Francisco market instead of the overall Bay Area market?
TF: Our focus is going to be on San Francisco and the neighboring counties south, San Mateo County. We’re going to have some circulation in southern Marin and western Alameda counties. But the reality is, in the city and county of San Francisco, 70 percent of the household do not subscribe to any of the old daily newspapers. We think there is an opportunity. Those households aren’t subscribing, not because they don’t read, but because they don’t have anything to read in the old newspaper. We hope to provide them with something that will be interesting for them to read, something relevant to their lives. That’s where I think we’ll get our readership.
AW: Do you feel the San Jose Mercury News is a major competitor?
TF: I think the San Jose Mercury News is a major competitor to regional newspapers but not so much to the San Francisco Examiner with its San Francisco focus. I think the Mercury News will continue to have a Silicon Valley and Santa Clara focus. Of course, there are some people in San Francisco who work in Silicon Valley and would be interested in the San Jose Mercury News, but that’s a different readership than what the new Examiner is going after.
AW: How much input or influence will you have in the newsroom?
TF: You know my job is to set the direction, the policy of this newspaper and I take that very seriously. I will be involved in doing that. I will be involved in setting the opinions of the paper.
AW: What are some of the most difficult problems in running the paper?
TF: I think the most difficult problem is getting the paper up to speed in time. You know we only had 120 days to do it. We had to put together a staff, we had to find office spaces, we had to work through the bureaucratic building process in San Francisco — the computer systems, we still have to work that out. Not all of our staff is even in our location. We have yet to move people over. There have just been a lot of logistics to work out. We have a start-up location. It’s extremely exciting, but there are also the most ups and downs in one day that a person can handle.
AW: Is this comparable to your experience with the Independent?
TF: This is on a larger scale than my family and I have ever done before, not just from the respect of being daily newspaper, but from the respect of the interest from the city, the interest from the community. Many, many, people contributed to saving the new Examiner, so there’s a high level of interest in it. Due to that level of interest and that level of anticipation from so many people and so many groups, it’s been a huge undertaking … I’m smack dab in the middle of the biggest newspaper story and I wouldn’t trade places with anyone.
AW: Is there anything else you would like to say?
TF: I think the new Examiner is really like a new life being born. Many people are trying to put a label on the new Examiner, such as, “it’s going to be a Fang publication”, “it’s going to be an Asian American publication”, or “it’s going to be a Willie Brown publication.” But just like with any new life, ultimately that life is going to take on a personality of its own. The San Francisco Examiner is going to develop its own personality that’s going to surprise a lot of people and I’m just happy to be a part of that and to be the shepherd of that new life.
Community Calendar
November 24, 2000
Announcements, workshops, and opportunities for community, family and career.
REGIONS:
Northern California
National
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
ANNOUNCEMENTS
REGIONS:
Northern California
National
Children’s Services Fund As a collaborative between Wu Yee Children’s Services, Whitney Young Child Development Center and Children’s Council of San Francisco, The San Francisco Vendor Voucher Program assists San Francisco low-to-moderate income families in paying for licensed childcare for children 0-13 years old. It is designed to serve single parent families who are working or have been offered employment, and two-parent families, of which either parent is working and offered employment and the other parent is working or enrolled in school or job training. Through the program, parents will be free to choose any licensed child care provider, as well as receive child care counseling. Registration is on-going and enrollment is based on availability of open-slots. For more information and application forms, call Wu Yee Children’s Services, 415-391-8993.)
Cyril Awards Nominations The Business Arts Council is now accepting nominations for the 18th Annual Cyril Awards for individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to our arts community. Submission deadline is Dec. 1, 2000. Awards will be announced early 2001, and will be presented May11, 2001 during the Awards Luncheon at St. Francis Hotel, San Francisco. For categories and nomination forms please call (415) 352-8832 or email www.sfchamber.com (Business Arts Council, 235 Montgomery Street, 12th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104)
Save Angel Island League Writing Contest SAIL is proud to announce two bilingual (Chinese and English) writing contests on the topic of “The meaning of Angel Island History in 21st Century America to Me.” Adult contest 1st prize — $1,000; highschool contest 1st prize — $500 . Please submit to Save Angel Island League, P.O. Box 3468, Berkeley, CA 94703. Deadline: January 15, 2001. Please contact Chia-Chia Chien for details. 925-932-3492 (Fax).
Free Computer Recycling Recycle your old computer for free. The San Francisco Recycling Program and participating computer stores and recyclers are offering a computer recycling service for San Francisco residents and small businesses. Simply take your old computer to one of ten drop-off locations for recycling. Call 415-RECYCLE for more information.
Winter Wonderland The Nisei Ski Club will hold their annual winter dance Winter Wonderland on Saturday, Dec. 9 at the Mountain View Buddhist Temple. The dance, highlighting the upcoming ski and snowboard season, will feature something for everyone. On the agenda: ballroom dancing and lessons, general meeting, information session on ski trips and membership application. Please call Annette Li in the North Bay San Francisco are at 415-351-2620; Doug Gor in the Penninsula and South Bay at 408-567-0150; and Doug Higashi in the East Bay at 510-522-7961 for details. (Mountain View Buddhist Temple, 575 North Shoreline Boulevard, Mountain View)
BUSINESS
Computer Classes Free after-school computer classes for low-income children in the Tenderloin, Mission, Chinatown and Western Addition are available through the Career Resources Development Center in San Francisco. (For more information, call 415-775-8880.)
VOLUNTEERING
Acupuncturist, Haight Ashbury Free Medical Clinic Are you a licensed acupuncturist? You can help members of diverse communities during all stages of HIV. Provide acupuncture and Chinese herbal treatment on a weekly basis and help maintain the acupuncture clinic. Contact Scott Wallin at 415-487-5638 ext. 123.
Asian Neighborhood Design; Seismic Retrofit Employment Consortium Help in the office while gaining skills in employment development and placement, and help give low-income individuals more advantages in today’s job market. Some computer required and training will be provided. Contact William Bishop at 415-586-1011.
Asian Women’s Shelter Opportunities exist to provide emotional and practical support for residents. Volunteers can assist clients with basic needs, accompany residents to appointments and organize activities for children. Bilingual and bi-cultural skills are helpful. (For more information, call 415-751-7110.)
Survivors International The group seeks a volunteer activity guide for two or more hours a week to help refugees master English and become familiar with parks, museums, banks, post offices, public transportation and free cultural activities in the Bay Area. (For more information, contact Tracy Deskin at 415-765-6999.)
Translation Volunteers The Asian and Pacific Islander Wellness Center is looking for volunteers to translate and proofread documents. (For more information, call Bryan Pangilinan at 415-292-3420, Ext. 360.)
YWCA-Chinatown The organization is looking for volunteers to tutor children in its after-school program Monday through Friday. Volunteers are especially needed to facilitate an English conversational hour for immigrant teen girls. A 3-4 hour per week commitment is required. (For more information about volunteering, call Laura or Shelly at 415-788-5437.)
Counselors Needed There are many rewards and challenges in parenting children. Everyone needs someone to talk to sometimes. Parental Stress Service’s 24-hour family hotline offers supportive counseling to families who need to be heard. As a telephone Hotline Counselor, you can make a difference in our community, helping to protect children and strengthen families while doing satisfying work in a team environment. To learn more about opportunities, call 510-893-9230.
St. Anthony Foundation Have you wondered what you could do to make a difference in the lives of people who are poor or homeless? St. Anthony Foundation needs volunteers for several of its programs, including people to serve lunch in the free dining room. St. Anthony’s serves 2,000 meals a day, 365 days a year. For more information, please call 415-241-2600, or visit www.stanthonysf.org.
San Francisco Women Against Rape Anti-Rape Activists needed to support sexual assault survivors. San Francisco Women Against Rape Crisis Counselor training for women of color begins Nov. 9. Find out more at 415-861-2024 x311
Graphic Designing The UCSF Clinical Cancer Center needs you to lend your artistic talents this holiday season. We need you to create graphic designs for holiday cards, donation postcards or a “prescription pad” for doctors to use in referring patients to particular services available at our center. Please contact Elizabeth Ortega Lau at 415-885-3693
Project Open Hand We need help shopping for clients in our on-site Grocery Center, especially on Thanksgiving Day. Please contact Artrese Morrison at 415-447-2310 x310
Citizenship Class Teacher San Francisco-based On Lok needs people who can help guide elderly clients to become citizens. Contact the volunteer coordinator at 415-550-2230.
Adminstrative Assistant The Korean American Association of San Francisco is looking for a bilingual administrative assistant with computer skills. For more information, call Mike Mun at 415-252-1346.
Tutors San Francisco-based Chinatown Child Development Center is seeking tutors for Asian American students who have adjustment difficulty. Empathy and patience required; training provided. Contact Shirley Chu at 415-392-4453.
WORKSHOPS
English Classes The Chinatown YMCA offers free morning English classes with bilingual counselors to help Cantonese speakers with limited English skills. Enrollment is open. (For more information, call 415-928-4419.)
English as Second Language The Richmond Village Beacon offers beginning English and citizenship classes throughout the fall. For class schedule, call 415-750-8554 or visit www.rvbeacon.org. (George Washington High School, 30th Ave., San Francisco.)
Free Legal Clinic Legal consultation for seniors is available for general legal rights, immigration and naturalization, housing and eviction, and public benefits. Services provided by Khin Mai Aung, staff attorney from the Asian Law Caucus, at Self-Help for the Elderly. Dates are: Nov. 11, Dec. 13, 27 from 9 a.m. to noon. No appointments. For more information contact Northeast Senior Center at 415-438-4800 (407 Sansome Street, 4th floor, San Francisco)
Free Traditional Chinese Music Lessons The Chinese Culture Center is pleased to announce the commencement of ongoing workshops and lessons in traditional Chinese music, taught by acclaimed multi-instrumentalist Hong Wang, the artistic director of Melody of China, Inc. Beginning and intermediate classes will be held on Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon. Advanced classes for music teachers are on Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Sunday 4p.m. to 6 p.m. The registration fee is $15, but all classes are free. Please bring your own instruments. For more information call 415-986-1822 (Chinese Culture Foundation, 750 Kearny Street, 3rd floor, San Francisco)
Tantrice Buddhism Study The Oakland True Buddha Vijaya Temple is pleased to present Tantrice Buddhism study. Class is scheduled every Wednesday at 8 p.m., beginning Nov. 15, ending Jan. 3. Topics include Buddha Shaykamuni’s life and his first teachings after enlightenment. For registration please contact Rev. Lian Hung at 510-532-9888.
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| NATIONAL |
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Letters about Literature Sponsored by the Center for the Book and the Weekly Reader Corp., this national essay contest invites elementary and secondary students to write letters to the authors of their favorite books. The letter should reflect the child’s honest response to the book. Each letter should attempt to explain why this book was important to the student. The winners at each of the two levels will receive cash awards of $500. Entry forms may be obtained by writing to: Robert Daseler, California State Library, P.O. Box 942837, Sacramento, CA 94237-0001. All entries must be received by Dec. 1, 2000 at: Letters About Literature 2001, Level I (or Level II), P.O. Box 609, Dallas, PA 18612.
Locked In, Locked Out The National Japanese American Historical Society announces its arts and essay contest open to all Northern California High School students, 18 years and under. The contest is comprised of three categories: traditional essay, spoken work/poetry, and visual art. Winning entries will be selected based on their ability to express an understanding of issues surrounding the internment, originality, effectiveness of expression, and technical mastery. Winning entries in each category will be displayed at the NJAHS in conjunction with an internment camp exhibition. The contest deadline is Dec. 1 at 5 p.m. For more information or to receive an official entry form, please contact the NJAHS at 415-921-50078 or visit www.njahs.org.
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Arts & Entertainment Calendar
November 24, 2000
A regional roundup of events of special interest to Asian Americans
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
ARTS
An American Diary The San Jose Museum of Art presents an exhibition of works by Roger Shimomura, including American Diary: December 7, 1941 created in 1997. The exhibit runs through Jan. 7, 2001. (110 S. Market St., San Jose.)
Between the Thunder and the Rain This exhibit features Chinese paintings from the Opium War through the Cultural Revolution to explore the array of artistic achievements during the many tumultuous periods that defined modern Chinese history. The 121 paintings — including hanging scrolls, handscrolls, horizontal scrolls, fans and albums — reveal a rich mix of works offering a complete survey of the issues, styles and personalities of the era. The exhibit runs through Jan. 14, 2001. (Asian Art Museum, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.)
Bruce Lee The Chinese Culture Foundation of San Francisco and the Inosanto Academy of Martial Arts honor Bruce Lee with an exhibition of over 240 treasures, including diaries, personal letters, drawings and Lee’s own writings. The exhibit will be on display Oct. 22, 2000-Feb. 18, 2001. (Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco at the Holiday Inn, 750 Kearny St., 3rd floor, San Francisco. 415-986-2825.)
Carlos Loarca In this exhibition of the Triton Museum of Art’s New Works by California Artists series, works by Loarca are presented, which unite his Mayan culture and childhood memories to form images that are translated into paintings. On display Nov. 14-Dec. 14. Gallery hours are Tuesdays, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Wednesdays through Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (1505 Warburton Ave., Santa Clara. 408-247-3754.)
Chicanos en Mictlán This exhibit examines how two small community art centers, Galería de la Raza in San Francisco and Self Help Graphics in Los Angeles, introduced Day of the Dead observances to California in 1972. It is the first survey exploring the reciprocal relationship between Chicano artists and the Day of the Dead, as well as the statewide impact of the observance through art work, photography and altar installations. The showing runs through Dec. 31. (The Mexican Museum, Fort Mason Center, Bldg. D, San Francisco. 415-202-9700.)
Coded Blue MIT professor of graphic design John Maeda combines computer science and visual arts to challenge our common assumptions about designing on the computer. His new exhibit runs Nov. 18-Dec. 16. (Kent and Vicki Logan Galleries, California College of Arts and Crafts, 1111 8th St., San Francisco. 415-551-9210.)
East West Views: Three Taiwanese Artists The San José State University School of Art and Design is pleased to present the premier California exhibition of three Taiwanese painters Lo Fong Shen, Ping Hsian Ku and Chin Ta Yuan, all professors at Taiwan Normal University. The exhibition will open on Nov. 21 at 6 p.m. at the Natalie and James Thompson Gallery. (One Washington Square, San José. 408-924-4320)
Glasswork Italian/Japanese glassblower Tsuchida Yasuhiko makes his Bay Area premier at Octavia’s Haze Gallery Dec. 1 through Dec. 7. Giving the time-honored tradition of glassblowing with an urban edge, Tsuchida’s color palette is infused with randomness that is refreshing. For more information please contact Sky Alsgaard at 415-255-6818 or octaviashaze@mindspring.com. (498 Hayes Street, San Francisco)
Happy 80th Suzuki Studio presents a birthday celebration and open studio for Lewis Suzuki, a watercolor painter known for his bold impressionistic use of color. Suzuki’s landscapes, seascapes and florals move from the Philippines, China, California and the Northwest and more. Open studio on Nov. 25 and 26, Dec. 3, 9, 10, 16, 17; open studio and birthday celebration on Dec. 2. Suzuki Studio is also open by appointment, call 510-849-1427 (2240 Grant Street, Berkeley.)
Hiroshi Sugimoto Known for long-exposure photographic series of empty movie theaters and drive-ins, seascapes and museum diaramas, Sugimoto has now turned his attention to 20th-century architecture for works that will now displayed at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art from Nov. 3, 2000-March 4, 2001. (151 3rd St., San Francisco. 415-357-4000.)
I Live Here This unique exhibition features the large-scale works of five artists — Laurent Cilluffo, Kim DeMarco, John Ritter, Marina Sagona and Takeshi Tadatsu — known for their illustrations in The New Yorker. Each artist’s work illustrates interpretations of their hometowns. The exhibit runs through Dec. 16. Gallery hours are Mondays, Wednesdays through Saturdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Tuesdays 11 a.m.-9 p.m. (California College of Arts and Crafts, 1111 8th St., San Francisco. 415-551-9210.)
Mr. Nguyen Featuring the works of Honoi-based artists Minh Thanh, Nguyen Quang Huy and Nguyen Van Cuong, this exhibition runs from Nov. 4-Dec. 21 at the Pacific Bridge Contemporary Southeast Asian Art. Gallery hours are Wednesdays through Fridays, 1-6 p.m.; and Saturdays, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. (95 Linden St., #6, Oakland. 510-451-8840.)
New Painting Nancy Genn will exhibit new painting from her mixed media series Marmaris and Construct, which interweaves and layers texture, subtle brushstrokes of color, and minimalist line and light. The exhibit runs from Nov. 2-Dec. 16 at Takada Gallery. Hours are Tuesdays through Saturdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. (251 Post St., 6th floor, San Francisco. 415-956-5288.)
Post-Gay/Ante-Asian The Gay Pacific Alliance presents this online exhibit that explores the intersection of gay and Asian identities in visual art. Featured artists include Freddie Niem, Kek Tee Lim, Gigi Hermillosa Otalvaro, Eric Cheng, Fredeswinda Santos, Kelvin Yang and Gioi Tran. The exhibit runs through Dec. 31. It can be viewed at www.gapacultural.org/exhibition.
Secret World of the Forbidden City The Oakland Museum of California hosts this major exhibition of more than 350 Chinese Imperial Court treasures from the Qing Dynasty through Jan. 24-2001. (1000 Oak St., Oakland. 510-238-2200.)
Testsuya Noda Don Soker Contemporary Art presents an exhibit of recent prints by this modern Japanese artist. Noda combines woodblock, screenprint and photography to produce a visual diary of the facts of his daily life. The exhibit runs through Nov. 25. Gallery hours are Tuesdays through Fridays, 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., and Saturdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. (49 Geary St., San Francisco. 415-291-0966.)
The Lion’s Roar The University Art Galler, CSU Hayward presents this exhibit of Tibetan tangkas-paintings made of water-based pigments sized with animal gulie on cotton cloth, paper and silk from the Amdo region through Nov. 29. Gallery hours are Tuesdays through Saturdays, 12-4 p.m. For more information, call 510-885-3299. (California State University Hayward, 25800 Carlos Bee Boulevard, Hayward.)
DANCE
Sombras Flamencas Theatre Flamenco announces A Tapestry of Flamenco Music and Dance, a five-concert tour of the Bay Area in November, featuring music by Manuel de Falla. Tickets are $27 general admission. The performances run on Nov. 24-25, 8 p.m.; and Nov. 26, 2 p.m. (Cowell Theater, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco. 415-441-3687.)
The Velveteen Rabbit Under the direction of KT Nelson, OCD/San Francisco presents this magical dance that has become a Christmas classic from Nov. 24-Dec. 10. Tickets are $12-37 and can be purchased by calling 415-978-2787 or by visiting www.ticketweb.com. (Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. 700 Howard St., San Francisco.)
EVENTS
Celebration of Craftswomen An event that will showcase the last innovative work by 270 of the world’s premier women artisans and fine artists, Celebration of Craftswomen is the largest women’s craft fair in the nation. Now in its 22nd year, the retail fair will be held over two consecutive weekends Dec. 2 and 3, 9 and 10 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Herbst Pavilion at Fort Mason. For more information call 415-383-3470 or check out www.proeventusa.com.
Get Out of Camp Produced by the National Japanese American Historical Society, this interactive exhibit gives the audience an experiential overview of what World War II was like for Japanese Americans with replicas, photographs and music. To be on display through July 31. Free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Mondays through Fridays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (NJAHS Gallery, 1684 Post St., San Francisco. 415-921-5007.)
Pasko Sa Nayon The Asian Art Museum will kick off its 2000 holiday programming with Pasko sa Nayon, the traditional Filipino Christmas festival, on Saturday, Dec. 2, at noon. This special celebration will feature a performance by the Bay Area-based LIKHA-Filipino Folk Ensemble, storytelling for children, a treasure hunt and hands-on arts activities. The program is free after museum admission. For more information please call 415-379-8879 (Golden Gate Park, San Francisco)
Tetrasomia The New Pickle Circus will unveil its wonders at the Cowell Theater between Dec. 20 and Jan. 1, 2001 with the San Francisco School of Circus Arts. Under the artist direction of famed Chinese circus director Lu Yi, an international cast of “nouvelle circus” acrobats, aerialists, jugglers and contortionists will interpret Empedocles’ vision of this dynamism. Tickets available through BASS at 510-762-2277 or at tickets.com (Cowell Theater, Fort Mason Center, Marina Boulevard, San Francisco)
MUSIC
Kurdish Tanbur Ali Akbar Moradi, a leading composer and performer of sacred Kurdish music of Iran, will headline with Pejman Hadadi, a master of daf and tombak, in a show on Dec. 3, 6 p.m. Tickets are $20. For more information, call 415-242-4085. (Cubberley Tehater, 4000 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto.)
READINGS AND LECTURES
Eiko on Stage Join us for an evening conversation with Oscar winner Eiko Ishioka, an internationally renowned designer and art director whose works have been exhibited and awarded around the world. She has designed costumes for Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula and more recently The Cell starring Jennifer Lopez. Eiko will discuss her new book Eiko On Stage Nov. 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. Book signing from 5 to 5:30 p.m. (SFMoMA, 151 Third Street, San Francisco)
Fusion 1700: Jesuits in the Qing Court Scholars from the Ricci Institute of the Center for Pacific Rim, University of San Francisco, discuss the fascinating history of the Jesuits in China and aspects of the East-West cultural exchange. For more information on the Oakland Museum December Calendar of Events, please call 1-888-OAK-MUSE (10th Oak Street, Oakland)
THEATER
A Charlie Brown Christmas San Francisco Performances presents the Dmitri Matheny Group in two matinee performances at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Dec. 9 at Yerba buena Center for the Arts Forum. This years program A Charlie Brown Christmas celebrates the 50th anniversary of Peanuts. Vocalist Kim Nally joins the Dmitri Matheny Group for these performances. Tickets for all Family Matinees are available at City Box Office, 180 Redwood Street, Suite 100. Charge by phone 415-392-4400 (Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Forum, 700 Howard Street, San Francisco)
A Christmas Carol The Mills College annual production of A Christmas Carol is a classic interpretation of the familiar story presented by a multicultural cast drawn from all over the Bay Area. Under the direction of James C. Wright, the play combines the magic of the holiday season with the powerful social commentary of Charles Dickens. Shows on Dec 2, 8, 9 at 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 3,10 at 2 p.m. (Lisser Hall, Mills College 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland. 510-430-3308)
Beach Blanket Babylon Now in its 26th year of sold-out performances, this San Francisco institution continues to offer the best in entertainment. Recently, it was selected as one of the top shows by 10best.com, a leading desktop informational resource for travelers. The company performs on: Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.; and Sundays, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are $25-65. For more information, call 415-421-4222. (Club Fugazi, 678 Beach Blanket Babylon Blvd., San Francisco.)
Black Nativity This classic musical weaves Langston Hughes’ poetry with powerful narration and gospel music to recall the traditional Christmas story of the birth of Christ. A jubilant expression of human love, joy and humility, the play is an uplifting, hand-clapping musical experience. The show runs from Nov. 24-Dec. 24. (620 Sutter St., San Francisco. 415-474-8800.)
Debunking Love The New Conservatory Center presents a world premiere of this comedy, exploring interracial gay relationships through the eyes of a young Asian American novelist. The play runs Nov. 8-Jan. 6, 2001, Wednesdays through Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Nov. 12, 26, Dec. 10, 31; 2 p.m. Tickets are $15-25. (25 Van Ness, San Francisco. 415-861-8972.)
La Virgen Del Tepeyac This Christmas pageant of color, music, drama and dance recreates the four apparitions of the Vigen to Juan Diego on the hill of Tepeyac outside Mexico City in 1531. The show runs Nov. 24, 25, 26, 30; Dec. 1-3, 7-9, 14-17 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $19 and can be purchased by calling 831-623-2444. (El Teatro Campesino, 705 4th St., San Juan Bautista.)
One Way Ticket Presented by the Hwayi Group, this play is a touching story of Chinese immigrants who come to San Francisco seeking better lives. What begins as a search for fortune ends up as a conquest of personal freedom and growth. The Hwayi Group, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting Chinese theater arts in the Bay Area, will perform the play in Mandarin with English subtitles. The show runs on Dec. 16, 7 p.m., Everett Middle School Theatre, San Francisco; on Jan. 6, 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Jan. 7, 2:30 p.m., Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View. For more information, call 415-274-2284.
Playwrights of Color III The Festival of American Playwrights of Color III debuts at the Diego Rivera Theater. City College Faculty members Ann Fajilan, Jose Leiva and Gloria Weinstock direct new works by David Henry Hwang, Edgar Poma, Tammy Nishimura, Carlos Jose Reyes and others. Tickets ($10 general, $5 students and seniors ) are available from Bass and tickets.com. For information call 415-239-3132 (City College of San Francisco, 50 Phelan Avenue, San Francisco)
Poetry in the Kitchen The Oakland Cultural Center will present a recital for its A.P.I. Cultural Classes at noon on Saturday Dec. 2. Poetry in the Kitchen, a creative writing/cooking class will give a presentation featuring folktales, poetry and spoken word. A special reception with special dishes prepared by the class will follow. For more information please call 510-208-6080. (Oakland Asian cultural Center, 388 Ninth Street, Suite 290 in the Pacific Renaissance Plaza, Oakland)
Wonderland San Francisco’s Magic Theater continues its tradition of supporting contemporary playwrights with its fourth New Play Festival, “Plays at the Border.” The festival will feature a workshop production and staged readings of works in development that speak to cross-cultural issues and border conflicts around the world. One of the works included is Wonderland by Chay Yew. It revolves around an Asian American family of three people whose American dreams clash with unfortunate reality. Two staged readings of Wonderland will be presented on Nov. 30 at 8:30 p.m. and Dec. 10 at 7:30 p.m. (Sam Shepard Theater, Fort Mason Center, Building D, San Francisco. 415-441-8822. www.magictheater.com)
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ARTS
Gifts of Pride and Love A major nationwide traveling exhibition of Kiowa and Comanche cradles opens at the UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History on Aug. 27 and continues through Jan. 4. The show features 38 historic lattice cradles and two new cradles created for this exhibition. For more information, call 310-825-4361. (UCLA Fowler Museum, Royce Hall, Los Angeles.)
More Than a Game The Japanese American National Museum presents this ongoing exhibit that tells the story of an immigrant group’s journey in America through the universal theme of sport using artifacts such as team uniforms, photographs, news clippings, interactive kiosks and videos. (Japanese American National Museum, 369 East First St., Los Angeles. 213-625-0414.)
Shimaoka Retrospective In celebration of this artist’s 80th year, Mingei International Museum will present the first retrospective of the pottery of Tatsuzo Shimaoka, who in 1996 was designated by the Emperor of Japan a Living National Treasure. The exhibition will include 60 new works of pottery. Runs Sept. 2, 2000-Feb. 2, 2001. Museum hours are Tuesdays through Sundays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission is $5. (Plaza de Panama, Balboa Park. 619-239-0003.)
The Journey: Passages of a Chinese American Joan Yen is a contemporary artist, a third generation Chinese American who attempts to retain her identity while being immersed in American society. Her bright, bold and abstracted work blends symbols, images and thoughts that reflect her ancient Chinese heritage and very modern American existence. Yen’s show at the Pacific Asia Museum runs Nov. 18 through Jan. 7. For more information please call 626-449-2742 (Pacific Asia Museum, 46 N. Los Robles, Pasadena)
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ARTS
Blue-and-White Japanese Porcelain Approximately 100 pieces of exquisite Japanese porcelain will grace the galleries at the Seattle Art Museum in Hirado Porcelain of Japan from the Kurtzman Collection. The exhibition runs through July 8, 2001. Museum hours are Tuesdays through Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m and on Thursdays until 9 p.m. (1400 E. Prospect St., Volunteer Park, Seattle.)
Dong Kingman The Washington State Historical Society commemorates the artistic life of watercolor master Dong Kingman with an exhibit of his work installed in the Office of the Governor. The exhibition runs through Dec. 12. Public viewing hours are Mondays through Fridays, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (Governor’s Gallery, Legislative Building, Washington State Capital, Olympia.)
Signs of Fortune, Symbols of Immortality This installation of Japanese hanging scrolls, screens and textiles features works from the 17th through 20th centuries. Museum hours are Tuesdays through Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and on Thursdays until 9 p.m. (Seattle Art Museum, 1400 E. Prospect St., Volunteer Park, Seattle.)
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ARTS
Chinese Cloisonné The George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum’s collection of this art form is one of the largest outside of China. An exhibit of the works will be on display from June 14-December 31. Hours are Wednesdays through Sundays, noon to 4 p.m. Admission is $4. For more information, call 413-263-6800. (The Springfield Museums, 220 State St., Springfield, Ma.)
Power and Desire The cultural richness, visual brilliance and story-telling power of Indian court painting between the 16th and 19th centuries will be revealed in this exhibition that runs through Jan. 7, 2001. The art work comes from the San Diego Museum of Art, Edwin Binney 3rd Collection, and is considered one of the most important collection of South Asian painting in the United States. For more information, call 212-288-6400. (Asia Society, 725 Park Ave., New York City.)
Tong Zhi/Comrade: Out in Asia America The first one-person exhibition by New York-based, Hong Kong-born artist Ken Chu. Chu has a fascinating background of travel and activism. Tong Chi/Comrade brings the discourse of sexual orientation into our communities, and looks at what might be a safe public space for Asian Americans in Chinatowns, Koreatowns, Manilatowns, Little Tokyos, Little Saigons and Little Bombays across the country. Exhibition begins Dec. 8 and runs through April 14, 2001 (Museum of Chinese Americas, 70 Mulberry Street, 2nd Floor, New York.)
READINGS AND LECTURES
China’s Little Emperors The one-child policy instituted in China has created a generation of children dubbed “Little Emperors” because they are allegedly spoiled by their parents. Jun Jing, an assistant professor of anthropology at City University of New York and author of The Temple of Memories will speak on this trend on Dec. 7, 6:30-8 p.m. Tickets are $12. (China Institute, 125 East 65th St., New York City. 212-744-8181.)
THEATER
When Nights Were Dark When Nights Were Dark is the indoor sequel to Eiko & Koma’s mobile performance installation The Caravan Project. The dance work features an original a cappella score by Joseph Jennings, the director of San Francisco’s acclaimed vocal ensemble Chanticleer. Five performances will take place at the BAM Harvey Theater (651 Fulton Street), Nov. 29-Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m. For tickets and information, call 718-636-4111 (BAM, 30 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, New York.)
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The Shattered Ceiling
November 24, 2000
Q&A with John S. Yi of MonetaOne
Launched this fall, MonetaOne aims to be the “new money for the economy.” The MonetaCard, MonetaOne’s first consumer product, is a stored-value, prepaid cash-card on a mini CD-ROM. The MonetaCard can be spent at any online store that accepts Visa or MasterCard. The MonetaCard, currently being tested throughout San Diego County, provides secure Internet commerce access to teenagers too young for credit cards and to those consumers who prefer cash-based transactions.
Age: 34
Background: Born in Seoul, Korea. Moved to Southern California in 1979. Yi has worked at General Dynamics, National Systems Research and Galaxy Scientific Corporation. In 1994, Yi started KES, Inc., which provides outsource information technology services to large government agencies and corporate customers. He continues to act as chairman of the board for KES. In 1999, Yi started MonetaOne.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in computer science, University of California, San Diego.
AsianWeek: What gave you the idea to start MonetaOne?
John Yi: MonetaOne is the second company I own. I started KES six years ago. My expertise is the ability to be creative and to be able to start things. About a year-and-a-half ago, I was transitioning; I hired a general manager so I could delegate day-to-day organizational responsibilities at KES and concentrate on creating a new business, which is MonetaOne. Moneta is Latin for money, and ‘one’ because we are a single and comprehensive payment solution for both consumers and businesses to transact. It’s absolutely free. The consumers have [buying] freedom without using a credit card or cash.
About 10 years ago there was a big discussion about the information highway. There was a lot of opportunity created by companies like 3-COM and Cisco, who built the information highway. And then about six years ago, guys like Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com recognized there was this road that they could put shops on. Now we have the roads and the stores — but the people who are visiting as well as the e-tailers are still stuck in the antiquated currency, which has prohibited a lot of people from being able to spend money online.
We like to categorize those people into three groups. One group doesn’t have access to credit cards, such as teenagers. Teenagers spend up to $650 billion a year. About $200 billion comes from their own pockets and the rest comes through influential purchases through their parents or other relatives. There is also the cash-based ethnic market. Asians tend to fall into that category. They’d rather use cash than credit cards. The second group won’t use credit cards [over the Internet] because they are concerned about identity theft. They don’t want to use their $10,000 credit line to make a purchase on Amazon for a $20 book. Third are people who are not familiar about purchasing online. It’s very cumbersome. You have to fill out what seems like an application. MonetaOne makes it easy to fill out that information and use the MonetaCard.
AW: What are some other advantages of the MonetaCard?
JY: Our product is a mini-CD-based product. You put it into the computer and without any modifications to your hardware and software, it will walk through a simple registration. It will ask for your e-mail address, password and log-on ID. You can then take the MonetaCard and make purchases pretty much anywhere on the Internet.
It is more secure than using a credit card. It’s limited in terms of your lines of spending power. The cards range from $25 to 500. Currently, we are doing the market test selling the $25 and $50 card.
AW: How will you make money?
JY: We have 14 revenue models. But I’ll give an anecdotal example. We had invited an industry leader to be on our advisory board. He tested the Moneta Card and later said he used it to purchase a video. I asked him if he had ever purchased anything online before, and even though he is in the high-tech industry, he said no. That came as a surprise. I asked him where he purchased the card and he said ccvideo.com. They’re part of our 4,000 affiliates.
What our patent does is shape the way people purchase things. For example, this particular person put the card in and was taken to a site that we directed him to. When he made the purchase using the MonetaCard, immediately we made a 12 percent commission.
He had never bought anything online and never heard of ccvideo.com, but he ended up buying something from one of our business customers. We are telling the e-tailers that we can bring them the customers with money available to spend through our dynamic subscription technology.
Furthermore, when people buy MonetaCards, there is a certain time delay before they use the cards, which is great for us because we get prepaid, and that is part of the revenue. It’s well known from secondary research in a similar market like the gift cards market, there’s about 20 percent breakage, which means that people buy these for gifts and about 15-20 percent never get used. So you can see how quickly we will make money.
AW: Are you currently profitable?
JY: Not yet.
AW: Are you planning to go public?
JY: We were targeting to take the company public in 2001. Since the April market correction and the unfriendliness of the market right now, we are thinking of taking the company public in late spring 2002.
AW: How is the company funded?
JY: A lot of the funding came from me, and we have a few key seed investors. Right now we are in our series A to raise about $7 million.
AW: How is the company doing currently?
JY: We are doing great. Around late fall last year, I saw this need and we did market research. Just to show you how quickly we leaped forward, the company was set up on Jan. 20. We set up the office headquarters in March, and we were selling products in September. Currently, we are selling in San Diego County in 27 stores. That’s something I feel good about. We are collecting a lot of market data in order to take the next step, which is the market launch into metropolitan areas in the United States.
AW: What do you view as your greatest achievement so far?
JY: I haven’t thought about that because I feel like I’m just getting started now. I’m still a fairly young guy. I think my greatest achievement is to be in a time where I can bring services to the people and really see it mature. I tell this to my wife all the time: How can a guy from Korea who came here in high school have the opportunity to shape how people spend money? Just to be in that situation is probably my greatest achievement, right next to my two boys and God.
AW: What obstacles have you faced?
JY: With respect to challenges within the business community — I don’t think I’ve had any difficulties. Most people have been very helpful.
But before that, obviously, going through high school, there were a lot of difficult times, just the fact that I couldn’t express myself and looked different from most the kids. I’ve gone through a lot in terms of having to deal with that, but one of the things that I’m trying to do with my kids, who are Korean American … yes, they do look different, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I’m trying to change that to a positive thing.
AW: What was it like for you when you first came to the United States?
JY: I have a 9-year-old and 5-year-old, and kids do something my wife and I call the ‘pee-pee miss.’ That’s when they play so hard they forget to go to the restroom, and then they have to go right away. That’s basically what I had to do when I first came here. I didn’t know how to speak the language even to ask directions to go to the restroom. When you’re in a situation like that, you try hard so that you can pick up the language as quickly as possible and you don’t stop to think about it. I didn’t do anything extraordinary. I just went to school. The high school teachers were really friendly. I had a strong math and science background, and I think teachers saw that I was really trying hard.
AW: Where would you like to see the company in five years?
JY: I would like to see MonetaOne really becoming the new money for the new economy. I would like to see five years from now, kids like my kids ask their moms and dads, ‘What did people use before MonetaCards were invented?’
