Daily Dose: 10/22/08
October 22, 2008
»AsianWeek Market Report
»Filipino Youth to Commemorate Filipino American Heritage Month
»Release of 2008 National Asian American & Pacific Islander Presidential Questionnaire
»Veterans Speak Out Against Prop V and JROTC
»Phil Ting and Chinese Community Leaders Address Outlook for SFUSD Amidst Economic Crisis
»Wayne Wang’s ‘The Princess of Nebraska’ Enjoys Record-Setting Debut on YouTube
»Vilcek Foundation Debuts Hongsock Lee Sculpture
»Flower Drum Song Benefit
»Total Sports Asia to Box for Muay Thai TV
»Goosen Replaces Injured Singh in Malaysia Golf Tournament
»Governor Schwarzenegger Announces Appointments
»Bay Area Students Vie for $10,000 Cash Prize at National Business Plan Competition in NYC
»Sri Lanka Says Tiger Suicide Boats Attack Aid Ships
»Boosting Ties, Japan Offers India Record Loan for Railway
Compiled by Josh Laddin and Sye-Ok Sato
AsianWeek Market Report
| AsianWeek Market Report | ||||
| Asian Stock Indexes | ||||
| NIKKEI 225 | Tokyo | 8,674.69 | -631.56 | -6.79% |
| HANG SENG | Hong Kong | 14,266.60 | -774.57 | -5.15% |
| KRX | Busan | 2,401.67 | -122.45 | -4.85% |
| SSE IX | Shanghai | 6,278.04 | -111.14 | -1.74% |
| BSE | Bombay | 10,169.90 | -513.49 | -4.81% |
| HOSE | Ho Chi Minh | 374.91 | -5.03 | -1.32% |
| SET | Bangkok | 323.44 | -11.41 | -3.41% |
| Asian American Market Report | ||||
| Yahoo! | YHOO | 12.50 | 0.32 | (2.65%) |
| Citigroup | C | 13.32 | -0.86 | (-6.06%) |
| Amkor Technology, Inc | AMKR | 3.99 | -0.25 | (-5.90%) |
| Sybase | SY | 25.70 | -0.70 | (-2.65%) |
| UnionBancal Corp | UB | 73.37 | -0.01 | (-0.01%) |
| East West Bank corp,Inc | EWBC | 13.91 | -0.89 | (-6.01%) |
NATION
Filipino Youth to Commemorate Filipino American Heritage Month
NEW YORK — On Saturday, October 25, Filipino youth, musicians, cultural workers, activists and allies will come together to commemorate and reclaim the Filipino history of resistance in the U.S. The event, RECLAIM: (Re)Affirming Our Culture of Resistance, Vol. 3, will bring together education, celebration and community empowerment through poetry, hip hop, rock, street theater and visual art.
Ugnayan ng mga Anak ng Bayan, or Linking the Children of the Motherland, a Filipino youth organization based in New York and New Jersey, seeks to integrate the heritage month into the Filipino community in NY/NJ—but with a twist.
“Filipino American Heritage Month is usually a celebration of individual accomplishments by Filipino Americans. It should also be a reflection of the true Filipino experience and the collective accomplishments of our community against racism and other forms of oppression,” says Gladys Fontanilla, a young immigrant Filipina organizer with Ugnayan.
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Release of 2008 National Asian American & Pacific Islander Presidential Questionnaire
LOS ANGELES — The National Korean American Service and Education Consortium (NAKASEC) has announced the release of the 2008 National Asian American & Pacific Islander Presidential Questionnaire, a project that was produced in collaboration with the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA). The Presidential Questionnaire was sent to Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain with the purpose of using the responses to educate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community members across the country on where the presidential candidates stand on important issues such as civil rights, education, healthcare, housing and community development and immigration.
NAKASEC has translated the responses in Korean, so that community members can receive in-language information that will shape their confidence as voters and thereby allow them to fully engage in the election process. Translation of the questionnaire in Korean can be found at nakasec.org.
BAY/CALIFORNIA
Veterans Speak Out Against Prop V and JROTC
SAN FRANCISCO — On October 21, veterans spoke out against Prop V and JROTC at the War Memorial and Veterans Building. San Francisco Veterans Affairs Commissioner John Caldera and members of the organizations such as SF Iraq Vets Against the War, U.S. Army, ANSWER Coalition and Viet Nam combat veterans spoke.
“Veterans know what the military experience is really all about,” says Michael Wong of Veterans for Peace. “The purpose of JROTC is the exploitation of children by adults to feed our wars for oil and conquest. Targeting youth under 18 for military recruitment is a violation of international law for good reason.”
Former Defense Secretary William Cohen said, “JROTC is one of the best recruiting tools we have.”
“The ‘leadership’ skills JROTC teaches are only the Army’s model of blind obedience to authority,” says Michael Wong.
“The school board made the right decision to eliminate a homophobic military recruitment program. I strongly urge people to vote NO on V to support the school board’s courageous and moral stand,” said Stephen Funk, president of Iraq Veterans Against the War, San Francisco.
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Phil Ting and Chinese Community Leaders Address Outlook for SFUSD Amidst Economic Crisis
EVENT: Press Conference of local Chinese leaders regarding SFUSD’s financial position and endorsement of Emily Murase candidacy for School Board.
DESCRIPTION: Local Chinese Community leaders will be gathering to address the effect of the current economic crisis on San Francisco public schools. Attendees also intend to voice their support for San Francisco Board of Education candidate Emily Murase, highlighting her budgetary experience as a key factor.
DETAILS: Free, Oct. 23, 1 p.m., Chinese Americans Citizens Alliance Lodge, 1044 Street, San Francisco.
CONTACT: Norm Ishimoto, (415) 317-8720
ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT
Wayne Wang’s ‘The Princess of Nebraska’ Enjoys Record-Setting Debut on YouTube
LOS ANGELES — Acclaimed filmmaker Wayne Wang’s new film The Princess of Nebraska made its world premiere on YouTube on October 18 at 12:00 a.m. EST. With more than 165,000 views in its first two days, the online launch represents the most successful studio film premiere in YouTube’s history. In relation to a theatrical release, the film would have placed around 15th on the box office charts. The free release was launched on YouTube’s Screening Room, a new channel dedicated to premium film content.
Magnolia Pictures’ Ray Price said, “It’s astounding that over a two day period The Princess of Nebraska became the most widely viewed independent film in the country.”_The Princess of Nebraska is adapted from a collection of short stories by Granta prize-winning author Yiyun Li. It marks the eighth of Wang’s Asian-themed films that explore the bonds of family and Chinese identity in the modern world, making up one of the largest bodies of introspective work in independent film over the last 25 years.
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Vilcek Foundation Debuts Hongsock Lee Sculpture
NEW YORK — South Korean-born sculptor and jewelry designer Hongsock Lee has designed a three-part sculpture for permanent installation on the rooftop terrace at the Vilcek Foundation’s new headquarters, 167 East 73rd Street. Lee traveled from his home in Providence, R.I., to place the pieces. The public unveiling will follow in November to coincide with an important Foundation program, “American Immigrant Filmmakers on Profile.” Awarding the commission to Mr. Lee is in keeping with the mission of the Foundation to heighten public awareness of the contributions of immigrants to the sciences, arts and culture in the United States.
The three sculptures comprising “Complementary Geometry” are fabricated of 10-gauge mild steel (1/8-inch) using Tig welding and colored with a powder coating. Lee says he chose to produce three sculptures because “the number three is the most beautiful and important number, indicating our past, present and future.” He added, “Art has the potential to inspire emotions. I want to create art that speaks to all people.”_
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Flower Drum Song Benefit
EVENT: 50th Anniversary of Flower Drum Song Reception
DESCRIPTION: In between performances of the 50th Anniversary of the Broadway hit musical Flower Drum Song, there will be a reception with special guests Nancy Kwan, David Henry Hwang and the cast of Flower Drum Song with a buffet and no-host cocktails.
DETAILS: $50, Sunday,Nov. 9, 4–6 p.m., Crowne Plaza Hotel, San Jose, Calif.
CONTACT: (415) 567-5505 or rhata@jcccnc.org.
SPORTS
Total Sports Asia to Box for Muay Thai TV
MUMBAI, India — Muay Thai TV (MTTV), an online content provider for boxing, has entered into a distribution partnership with Total Sports Asia (TSA).
As part of the partnership, MTTV has appointed TSA as the new media distributor for their fight content, specifically for Muay Thai in Asia.
MTTV GM Brice Hoarau says, “We are really excited to be linking up with TSA to help us gain a foothold in Asia. Based on their experience and local culture, we are extremely positive that this partnership would be the turning point in achieving larger business in Asia.”
— Indiantelevision.com
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Goosen Replaces Injured Singh in Malaysia Golf Tournament
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Two-time U.S. Open winner Retief Goosen will replace the injured Vijay Singh at next week’s 500,000-dollar Iskandar Johor Open, organizers said on Tuesday.
The South African, ranked 46th in the world, has signed up after Fiji’s Singh, ranked third, pulled out with an arm injury.
“We are happy to confirm Goosen’s participation. Having missed out on Vijay because of his injury, we’re very proud to attract another big name for the championship,” said Organizing Committee Chairman Abdul Ghani Othman.
Top Thai players Thongchai Jaidee and Thaworn Wirachant and defending champion Artemio Murakami of the Philippines will also play at Royal Johor Country Club.
— AFP
COMMERCE
Governor Schwarzenegger Announces Appointments
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the following appointments:Joginder Singh, 63, of American Canyon, has been appointed medical director of Coalinga State Hospital. He has served as acting medical director since 2006. From 2003 to 2006, Singh worked as a resident at Napa State Hospital and from 2002 to 2003, he worked at New York Medical Center.
Wangyee Vang, 60, of Fresno, has been appointed to the Fresno County Fair Board of Directors (21st District Agricultural Association). He has worked as a salesperson with Guarantee Real Estate since 2007 and has served as president and chief executive officer of the Lao Veterans of America Institute since 1999.
Howard Wang, Ph.D., 59, of Walnut, has been appointed to Schools’ Agriculture and Nutrition Program Board of Directors (48th District Agricultural Association). Since 2003, he has served as associate vice president for student affairs at California State University, Fullerton. Prior to that, Wang served as the assistant vice president for student affairs at the California State University, San Bernardino, from 2001 to 2003.
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Bay Area Students Vie for $10,000 Cash Prize at National Business Plan Competition in NYC
NEW YORK — Huong Cheng and Ugo Ogamba will join more than thirty of the top finishers from The National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE)’s regional high school business plan competitions to vie for the top prize in this year’s OppenheimerFunds/NFTE National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge, presented by Kathryn W. Davis, on Thursday, October 23, at the Marriott Marquis, 1535 Broadway, in New York City. The first-place winner will walk away with $10,000 in seed capital to fund their business venture or use to further their education goals.
Huong Cheng, a recent graduate of San Leandro High School in San Leandro, and Ugo Ogamba, a junior at Silver Creek High School in San Jose, will represent California. “Seeing young people take ownership of their education, strive to develop their skills and then flourish is what NFTE sets out to do,” said Gerald Richards, executive irector, National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship Bay Area region. “Our NFTE students are great examples of what young people can deliver when given the skills and training,” added Richards.
GLOBAL
Sri Lanka Says Tiger Suicide Boats Attack Aid Ships
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka’s Navy said it destroyed two Tamil Tiger suicide boats that tried to ram a pair of freighters full of aid supplies on Wednesday, while diplomatic pressure from India over its war appeared to cool.
The rebels said they had sunk one of the ships, which they said were carrying military supplies, and inflicted heavy damage on the other. The military said one ship was slightly damaged.
The latest suicide attack by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) comes as Sri Lanka’s government is pressing an offensive it is confident will soon end a war that has raged off and on for 25 years on the Indian Ocean island.
The navy said it fired on three LTTE boats that tried ram the freighters Nimalawa and Ruhuna. Two rebel boats exploded, the third capsized and six Tigers were killed, the navy said.
“Due to the nearby explosions, one ship got minor damage, but both are floating without casualties,” navy spokesman Commander D.K.P. Dassanayaka said. At a later news briefing, he showed a picture of part of the Nimalawa that was blackened in the blast.
— Reuters
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Boosting Ties, Japan Offers India Record Loan for Railway
TOKYO — Japan on Wednesday offered a record 4.5 billion dollars in loans to India to build a major railway as the Asian powers agreed to step up both economic and military ties.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Japanese counterpart Taro Aso hastened to deny that the cooperation was aimed at countering China, where both leaders head Thursday for a summit of Asian and European leaders.
Under the agreement signed in Tokyo, Japan will provide an initial 450 billion yen (4.5 billion dollars) in low-interest loans to build the freight railway between New Delhi and Mumbai.
The 1,468-kilometer (912-mile) railway between India’s two largest cities will also include economic sectors around the tracks. It is aimed at improving a creaky infrastructure seen as a key bottleneck holding back India’s economy.
“This reflects our shared desire to contribute to peace, prosperity and stability in Asia and the world,” Singh told a joint news conference with Aso.
— AFP
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