Calif. Wellness Foundation Honors Two Asian American Leaders
November 27, 2007
Three honorees were recently presented with the California Peace Prize, a yearly award given by The California Wellness Foundation, including Chinese American and San Francisco native Patricia Lee, who has been deputy public defender in San Francisco since 1978, and Filipina American Cora Tomalinas of San Jose, a full-time volunteer and community activist.
Lee and Tomalinas were honored for their commitment to violence prevention and the promotion of peace in the community. Both have had substantial experience working in Asian American communities with at-risk youth.
All About the Walken
November 27, 2007
Kenzo Lee, Oakland’s Hollywood hopeful and star of MTV’s 2003 dating series Burned, is a huge fan of Christopher Walken — so huge that he’s bringing back a weekly call for Walken impersonators in the weekly All About Walken at Los Angeles’ Paul G. Gleason Theater starting Nov. 19. Little does Lee know that Russell Wong does one of the best Walken impersonations in Chris Chan Lee’s Undoing, which opens in San Francisco on Nov. 30 at the Sundance Kabuki. But nobody does Walken best than Walken himself — even if it means donning a Bram Stoker’s Dracula-cum-geisha ‘do in last summer’s Balls of Fury.
‘The AsiaSF Experience’
November 27, 2007
Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center’s signature fund-raising event, “The AsiaSF Experience,” was held on Nov. 13 at AsiaSF.
This year, the center honored the work of women in the Asian and Pacific Islander community. The DIVA Award, which celebrates groundbreaking community members, was presented to California State Assemblywoman Fiona Ma.
We’re All In This Together
November 27, 2007
Ever wonder what would happen to your favorite neighborhood restaurants if the Latinos are no longer available to serve you?
Yes, I mean your favorite ethnic restaurants, be they Chinese, Vietnamese, Burmese, Japanese, Indian, Thai, Italian, Irish, and of course, Mexican. You name it, it probably survives on a support staff that’s mostly Latino.
For some time, I’ve come to expect that the busing, prepping and cleaning staff in most restaurants where I eat would be Latino. Even old, reliable and family-run Vietnamese restaurants — some of which I had a small hand in helping start up two decades ago — depend on Latino support staff today.
Two APAs Honored for African American Community Service
November 27, 2007
Twelve Bay Area residents, including two Asian Americans, were honored for helping to improve the lives of those in the African American community at the 19th annual Unsung Hero Awards ceremony at the Main Library on Nov. 18.
This year’s Unsung Hero Award winners included Anh Lê, director of Senior University at Senior Action Network, who has empowered seniors and persons with disabilities to participate in community organizing. Hui Thi Truong, a senior volunteer at Senior Action Network, was also honored for her help with the Senior University classes for the past three years in both the Bayview and Western Addition communities.
Verizon Wireless Fosters Hope for Domestic Violence Awareness
November 26, 2007
Verizon Wireless recently awarded more than $43,000 in grants through its HopeLine Program to three San Francisco Bay Area community-based organizations working to aid victims of domestic violence and promote prevention awareness in the Asian American community.
San Francisco Police Chief Heather Fong assisted in presenting the HopeLine Awards to the Asian Women’s Shelter, Asian Americans for Community Involvement and Chinese Community Health Resource Center, at an awards ceremony on Nov. 13 in Chinatown at the R&G Lounge.
Keeping Up With the Nguyens
November 26, 2007
The House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on the Federal Workforce, Postal Service and the District of Columbia issued a study last week that said women and minorities are underrepresented in the top levels of most legislative branch agencies, and federal agencies should improve the diversity of their top ranks by looking outside the agency and by hiring women and minorities for positions that feed into senior jobs. Read more
Yahoo Takes Hit Meant for China
November 26, 2007
No matter what the U.S. Congress will have us believe, Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang was just the proxy for Congressman Tom Lantos to vent his anti-China demagoguery in the controversy involving Yahoo’s turning over Internet usage data to Chinese officials.
At a congressional hearing on Foreign Affairs chaired by the Democratic congressman from California, Lantos denounced Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang and his company as “moral pygmies” for turning over the data.
Affluent Asians Set Up House In Downtown L.A.
November 25, 2007
LOS ANGELES — Koreans and other affluent Asians are joining the ranks of young loft-dwellers who have fueled a resurgence of downtown Los Angeles as a place to live, not just work. Read more
Wing Family Honors Parents With Donation
November 25, 2007
SACRAMENTO — It is a Chinese tradition to honor one’s ancestors. Jimmie Wing, a native Californian and Sacramento resident, has recently done that through his passion for learning and lifetime enjoyment for the Sacramento Public Library. Jimmie and his two brothers put their resources together to honor their parents by naming them to the Sacramento Public Library’s Founders’ Circle. Read more
Chung to Work For Inspector General
November 25, 2007
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has appointed John Chung, of Yorba Linda, special assistant inspector general for the Bureau of Independent Review in the Office of the Inspector General. Read more
ChiAm Victims Of Fraud Fight Back
November 25, 2007
A group of Chinese immigrants have filed a lawsuit against a restaurant in Hacienda Heights, Calif., and its Chinese American owner for false advertising and fraud. In the lawsuit, filed in the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, plaintiffs allege that the restaurant and its owner advertised sushi chef classes and promised employment at the restaurant after the classes were completed. Read more