Arts & Entertainment Calendar A regional roundup of events of special interest to Asian Americans
	The Power of Dignity (Feature) A Call for Peace (in National News) Huge Budget Cuts Will Affect APAs at City College (in Bay Area News) Rockets Beat Lakers in Overtime (in Sports) Anti-Abercrombie (in A&E) Golden Stuff Tarnished by Tolbert Race Apology (in Opinion)

Announcements, workshops, and opportunities for community, family and career.

REGIONS:

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Northern California
Southern California
National

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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Pride Parade Marshals Nominations are wide open to the community for the grand marshals of the San Francisco Pride Parade. The theme of this year’s search is “Who gives YOU Hope?” and nominations will be taken until Jan. 31. Remember, last year two grand marshals were APA! For more info: 415-864-0831 or www.sfpride.org.

EVENTS

Bingo for Berkeley The Cal Berkeley Alumni Club will hold a bingo night to support the Oakland Asian Students Education Services high school scholarship program on Fri., Jan. 24, 6:30 p.m. at the Lincoln Elementary School, 225 11th St., Oakland. For more info: www.ocac-board@oases.org.

Everyone Drinks (Water) Bring a sample of your home tap water and have it tested for pollutants, including lead, compare the results to bottled waters, and evaluate the options, Sat., Jan. 25, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the Crissy Field Center, Presidio of San Francisco. Admission: $12. For more info: 415-561-7752.

Self Defense for APA Women Learn the physical, verbal and mental strategies that will keep you safe, in a self-defense workshop by and for APA women. Led by RUCKUS Safety Awareness, the one-day session will take place Sat., Jan. 25, 12:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Donation: $5 – 35. For more info: 415-642-0315.

Everyone Walks Or at least, everyone should. And more people might if things were arranged a little better. So stroll over to the Walk San Francisco general meeting and get in touch with your own pedestrian power, on Wed., Jan. 29, 5:30 p.m., at SPUR, 312 Sutter St., 5th Floor. For more info: 415-358-5545.

People of Color Meditation People of color involved in a meditation practice, Buddhist or not, are invited to a meditation session for people of color, Sun., Feb. 2, 1–3:30 p.m. at the San Francisco Buddhist Center, 37 Bartlett St. The monthly session aims to provide a supportive communal space for meditation, reflection and community among people of color. For more info: 415-282-5918 or viveka@igc.org.

LOCAL TO GLOBAL

South Asian Progressives Join a diverse group of South Asians from all over the Bay Area to discuss the formation of a more active community of South Asian progressives. Sponsored by ASATA, Ekta, South Asian Sisters, Third World Majority, and others, the organizing meeting will take place Sat., Jan. 25, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the California Institute for Integral Studies, Namaste Hall, 1453 Mission St., San Francisco. Admission: $10. For more info: desicollective@yahoo.com.

The Globalization of Racism Been wondering lately if globalization, U.S. economic policy and racism are not unconnected? Speak Out presents the nation’s most prominent white anti-racist speaking on just that subject, in The Globalization of Racism: U.S. Foreign Policy & the Rush to War, on Thur. Jan. 30, at La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. Tickets: $7–12. For more info: 510-601-0182.

Local Food, Globally Been eating lately? Then perhaps you have a stake in finding out what affects the global food production system has on your health, and the health of the world. Armed with slides, Beck Cowles of the Ecology Center will lay out the status quo and some strategies, Thur., Jan. 30, 7–9 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. Admission: free. For more info: 510-548-2220 x233.

VOLUNTEERING

Stop Child Abuse Become an advocate for abused children by volunteering as a case aide or speaker with the Child Abuse Prevention Center of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. Bilingual volunteers are especially needed; all volunteers are fingerprinted and DMV screened. A training session for all prospective volunteers will be held Sat., Jan. 25, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. in Belmont. For more info: 650-595-7640.

Storyreaders Needed Readers are needed for storytimes at all Oakland Library branches, including readers in Asian languages. Training sessions will be held Jan. 27–29, Feb. 10–12, 15 at the Rockridge Branch Library. For more info: 510-238-7453.

Senior Volunteers Being over 55 or out of the workforce doesn’t mean being out of the community. Join RSVP, the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, at the San Francisco Food Bank, and become part of a group of older citizens making a difference. Meet Thur., Feb. 6, 13, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the food bank, 900 Pennsylvania Ave. For more info: 415-731-3335.

YMCA Chinese New Year Run The YMCA is looking for people of all ages to be course guides, start/finish line administrators and registration staff at the Year of the Ram Chinese New Year Run on Sun., Feb. 9, 6:30 – 10:30 a.m. Free t-shirts and joy to all volunteers. For more info: 415-576-9622 x249 or slouie@ymcasf.org.

Museum Guides Guide school groups through the treasures of the Oakland Museum of California, and learn about California’s art, history and natural environment while you are at it, as a volunteer host at the Museum of California. No previous experience necessary: orientation sessions will be held Feb. 11, Feb. 18, March 4, March 11, at the museum. For more info: 510-238-3514.

WORKSHOPS

How to Adopt ACCEPT Adoption and Counseling Agency, a nonprofit, state-licensed group specializing in international adoption, will hold two free seminars giving couples and individuals an introduction to the procedure for adopting foreign-born babies. The seminars will be held Thur., Feb. 6, 7:30 p.m. and Sun., Feb. 9, 1 p.m. at the ACCEPT offices, 1500 Noriega St., Ste. 110. For more info: 415-681-4957.

Money for College College-bound high school seniors and their families can get their questions about financial aid answered by experts at AACE Educational Services and the SF College Access Center in a free community information session. Help will be available in English, Cantonese and Spanish, and representatives will be able to give students individual assistance with their financial aid applications. The event will be held Sun., Feb. 9, 1–4 p.m. at the San Francisco Main Library, 100 Larkin St. For more info: 415-921-5546.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

LOCAL TO GLOBAL

Neighbors for Peace and Justice Folks in Studio City interested in working for peace and justice (a show of hands, please), can get organized at the bi-monthly meetings of Studio City Neighbors for Peace and Justice. The new group meets every second and fourth Thursday, 7 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Studio City, Room 9, 12355 Moorpark St. For more info: neighborsteve2002@yahoo.com.

Sadaie Zan Get a report back on the Jan. 18 peace marches, meet with free trade activists and watch Sadaie Zan: Women’s Voices from Afghanistan, a new documentary movie, at the Cultural Café’s monthly meeting. Get your mocha and your media Fri., Jan. 24, 8 p.m. at Arts in Action, 1919 W. 7th St., Fourth Floor, Los Angeles. For more info: www.actionla.org.

VOLUNTEERING

Chinese Lantern Festival The Chinese American Museum needs volunteer storytellers in English and other languages to help make its annual Chinese Lantern Festival a success, by staffing the storytelling booth for half-hour periods during the afternoon. The festival will be held Sat., Feb. 22, 1–7 p.m. For more info: 818-492-5237.

WORKSHOPS

East West Players The most established APA theatre program in Southern California is offering training for experienced APA actors in character exploration and scene analysis. Classes at the East West Players are taught by actors and begin Jan. 25. For more info: 213-625-7000 x28 or www.eastwestplayers.org.

NATIONAL

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Filipino Student Conference Are you a student interested in exploring the Filipino heritage and the Filipino American community? You are invited to the Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue’s conference Explore, Expand, Excel: The Filipino-American Experience, to be held at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, March 7 – 8. For more info: 202-299-2669 or www.find2003.org.