The Final Battle for Veterans Equity
February 23, 2007
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House Veterans Affairs Committee held a hearing Feb. 15, on the Filipino Veterans Equity Bill on the eve of the 61st anniversary of the day the U.S. Congress passed the infamous Rescission Act. The act had excluded Filipino WW II veterans of the U.S. Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) from receiving U.S. military benefits.
At the committee hearing chaired by Rep. Bob Filner (D-Calif.), 15 witnesses testified in support of the bill, that will provide surviving veterans with a monthly disability pension. Read more
Thirty Years of ECAASU
February 23, 2007
Thirty years ago, Bob Marley’s reggae, the Sex Pistols‚ punk and the disco beat of Saturday Night Fever were popular on college campuses. Women were just starting to be admitted to elite formerly all-male schools, but they already had won 13 of the coveted 32 Rhodes Scholarships granted in 1976. Socially aware Asian Pacific American students were concerned about apartheid in South Africa and attacks on affirmative action. Campuses and communities were alive with the identity and liberation movements that were also prominent in the black, Latino and Native American communities.
In 1977, 150 APA students gathered at Yale University to develop a way to increase communication and provide mutual support to APA student groups across campuses. An interim organization, the Inter-Collegiate Liaison Committee (ICLC) was born. Read more
An Open Letter to Rinko Kikuchi
February 23, 2007
An open letter to Japanese actress Rinko Kikuchi offering unsolicited career advice…
Dear Ms. Kikuchi:
Congratulations on your Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for Babel. It is quite an accomplishment to receive the industry’s highest accolade for your very first Hollywood project. And with all the other awards and critical nods you have been receiving, you are officially the “it” girl of the moment. Read more
How Street Fairs Make Asian Americans
February 23, 2007
If a street fair could be personified, it would be Pablo Heising. With his hippie long hair, Pablo was not only full of life, energy and passion, but he also had the ability to bring the entire community together and entertain his audience with stories from his rich life.
The vast depth of that life included leading him to Asian Pacific America. Read more
Yellow Enough For You?
February 23, 2007
There are questions about Barack Obama’s “blackness” that are making me wonder about my own “yellowness.” It’s enough to make a guy go amok.
Just how yellow am I?
And let me not leave you out, dear AsianWeek reader. Read more
Blanc de Chine to Flaunt Latest at S.F. Symphony
February 23, 2007
San Franciscans will have the chance to preview the spring collection from Hong Kong design house Blanc de Chine, when its fashions hit the runway at the Imperial Dinner following the San Francisco Symphony’s Chinese New Year Concert on Feb. 24.
Initially known to Hong Kong’s fashionistas through its tony Landmark Centre boutique, Blanc de Chine arrived at New York’s Fifth Avenue a few years ago. Since then, the design house has become a buzzword among the fashion-minded, and its Asian American fans are eager to see its latest offerings. Be on the lookout for society matrons and escorts showing off Blanc de Chine creations at the Symphony’s Chinese New Year celebration, chaired by one of the line’s favored patrons, Jessa Wu. Read more
Overseeing a $53 Billion Purse, What Next?
February 23, 2007
SAN FRANCISCO — To many, the California Board of Equalization (BOE) is somewhat of a mystery. Most are unsure of what the board does, how many members it has or whether it is a local, state or federal agency.
Constitutionally established in 1879, the BOE is one of the most pivotal regulatory and administrative agencies in California, overseeing the collection of an astounding $53 billion in property, sales, insurance, cigarette, alcohol and fuel taxes. Read more
Love for Baseball and Sex
February 23, 2007
MIHO HATORI FUMES OVER MISINFORMATION
Former Cibo Matto vocalist Miho Hatori rocked San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall for her first U.S. tour since releasing her solo album, Ecdysis, in 2005. And, dressed in an outfit possibly inspired by the ‘80s and The Fifth Element, Miho explained her awe of Imelda Marcos on how to write a song about the female psyche. “I thought if information was a woman, she would be a bitch. We have to be careful, yeah.” Read more
Friends Look for Julie Lee’s Vindication
February 22, 2007
Prominent San Franciscans, both Asian and non-, are continuing to lend their support to community activist Julie Lee, who is due in court on May 4, to face felony charges related to the ill-fated and yet-unbuilt San Francisco Neighborhood Resource Center. Lee is accused of misappropriating state funds intended for the center’s construction, funds that were secured for the purpose of bringing much-needed services, including childcare, health care, English classes and legal advice, to immigrants living on The City’s west side. Read more
GenerAsian Now in San Francisco
February 22, 2007
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom’s swearing-in of civil service commissioner Yu-Yee Wu (an AsianWeek contributor and formerly with law firm of Minami Tamaki) along with status of women commissioner Jing Xu Lee of the Chinese American Voters Education Committee are just the latest in a generational shift. Among the new leaders that are mostly under 40: Assessor-Recorder and former Asian Law Caucus director Phil Ting and his Assembly district director/wife Susan Sun, small business commissioner and Asian American Bar Association prez VP David Chiu, elections commissioner and API Legal Outreach managing attorney Victor Hwang, school board member Jane Kim, and Park and Recreation Commissioner and CAVEC director David Lee (husband of Jing). Read more
Honoring the Guru of Street Fairs
February 22, 2007
The Asian Heritage Street Celebration, Autumn Moon Festival Chinatown Street Fair and the Cherry Blossom Festival and Parade are collaborating with other San Francisco institutions in celebrating the life of Pablo Heising, a founder of the modern street fair in San Francisco.
Heising, 61, who helped guide the launch of the Asian Heritage Street Celebration, passed away on Dec. 20, 2006, of heart failure. Read more
YumGuide reviews Tommy Toy’s
February 22, 2007
Though dinner can cost quite a bit, you can find different lunch specials that are much more affordable.
The best bet is the lunch special found Monday through Friday. For $13.95, you are served Vanilla Prawns with Raisin and Melon, Sesame Chicken, Four Flavored Fried Rice, a glass of wine or soda, and your choice of either Tomato Bisque or Potstickers. Read more
