Lack of APA Movie Stars
I agree that Asians in general do not support APA actors and actresses (“Where Are the APA Movie Stars?” Reel Stories, Dec. 14). Regarding speaking with my wallet, I, for one, refused to pay to see Tom Cruise be a hero in Japan (The Last Samurai), wimpy Ralph Macchio beat up on much stronger Asian men and win the affection of Tamlyn Tomita (Karate Kid 2), or Ethan Hawke act the hero to weak Asians (Snow Falling on Cedars).
Why was Jack Nicholson successful? Was it really nothing more than persistence? If an APA did the same, would they have gotten into the movies? Probably not, in my opinion. The difference is that Jack Nicholson fits the mold of most successful actors in Hollywood — he’s white!
Greg Miura
San Mateo, Calif.
Via Web site
Vietnam-U.S. Relations
Currently, the U.S. military’s Pacific chief of staff is visiting Vietnam to discuss regional security, and, although the two events are not related, China is forming its local administration to run Paracel Islands (“Vietnam and the U.S.: 100 Years of Missed Opportunities,” Giang Ho, Dec. 7). What will happen? Will it be a war between Vietnam and China? If so, should I go back and put my differences on the side and join the current government? Who will become the foreign superpower that Vietnam can lean on?
Tim Nguyen
Via Web site
Thank you for this well-written, alternative viewpoint to the colonial occupations in Vietnam. Too often, the war’s history has been marred by biased and ignorant perceptions perpetuated by South Vietnamese refugees living overseas.
As an American-born child of a refugee family, I’ve struggled to learn the precise truth behind the U.S. involvement in Vietnam and the subsequent crutch it became for an unwittingly proselytized people.
I find it ironic how the refugee community adamantly preaches freedom, yet any objectionable viewpoints to established refugee beliefs are automatically labeled as Communist, and therefore silenced. Thank you, Mr. Vuong, for being that rare voice. And now, I wait for the protests to start.
David Viet Nguyen
Via e-mail
Butting Out
“Let’s Help Smokers Quit” (Voices From The Community, Dec. 7) raises two important issues: Smokers who want to quit usually need help to be successful; and Asian American smokers need culturally sensitive assistance.
The Center for Family and Community Health (cfch.berkeley.edu) at the University of California, Berkeley, is currently conducting a study of two self-help smoking cessation programs for Korean Americans. The study offers smokers the opportunity to quit smoking in the comfort and privacy of their homes.
Study participants are offered a free, self-help, stop-smoking program in Korean or English, which allows them to follow their progress through each stage of quitting.
If you are a Korean American and would like more information about the study, please visit beatsmoking.net.
Hyun-Ju Lee
Via Web site
If you are Korean and need motivation to quit smoking, this is a great place to start: beatsmoking.net.
I have been a smoker for 10 years. I tried it for a year and dropped my number from 8 or 9 a day, to 1-3 a day. That’s a decent improvement. By next year, I am quitting for good.
Harris Hong
San Francisco, Calif.