Daily Dose: 12/03/08

December 3, 2008

» AsianWeek Market Report
» Asian Law Caucus Loses Case Against Interrogation Policy
» Boston Asian American Commission Holds Candlelight Vigil for Mumbai
» Assemblyman Furutani Introduces Bill to Extend Honorary Degrees to WWII Japanese Americans
» Community and Major Universities Present Newest Research on Chinese in America
» Knitting, Tea, Conversation
» ‘Liquid City’ Comic Anthology Full of Southeast Asian Talent
» Celebrate Asian American Heritage Night with Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets
» Saliva-Test Pioneer David Wong Named to Endowed Chair in Dentistry
» Attorney Dennis Wong Gives Business Discussion
» China Executes Scientist for Alleged Spy Activity
» Philippine Civilians and Fighters Concerned Over Peace Monitor Exit

Compiled by Connie Zheng and Josh Laddin

AsianWeek Market Report

AsianWeek Market Report
Asian Stock Indexes
NIKKEI 225	Tokyo	8,004.10	140.41	1.79%
HANG SENG	Hong Kong	13,588.66	182.81	1.36%
KRX	Busan	2,168.29	-5.47	-0.25%
SSE IX	Shanghai	7,041.07	245.26	3.61%
BSE	Bombay	8,747.43	8.19	0.09%
HOSE	Ho Chi Minh	306.22	-1.23	-0.40%
SET	Bangkok	272.89	4.93	1.84%
Asian American Market Report
Yahoo!	YHOO	11.11	0.39	(3.22%)
Citigroup	C	7.67	0.47	(6.51%)
Amkor Technology, Inc	AMKR	1.99	0.04	(2.05%)
Sybase	SY	23.42	0.04	(0.17%)
East West Bank corp,Inc	EWBC	13.70	0.08	(0.58%)

NATION

Asian Law Caucus Loses Case Against Interrogation Policy

SAN FRANCISCO - The government doesn’t have to disclose its policies for questioning travelers to the United States about their religious and political views, a federal judge has ruled in dismissing a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by two San Francisco legal groups.

The Asian Law Caucus and the Electronic Frontier Foundation filed the case in February, saying more than 20 people, mostly South Asian and Muslim, had complained of being interrogated repeatedly at U.S. airports on such subjects as their views on American foreign policy, whether they hated the government and which mosques they had visited abroad.

Shirin Sinnar, an Asian Law Caucus attorney, said the legal organizations hadn’t decided whether to pursue the case further.

- SF Chronicle

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Boston Asian American Commission Holds Candlelight Vigil for Mumbai

EVENT: A Candlelight Vigil for Mumbai
DESCRIPTION: Boston City Councilor-at-Large Sam Yoon joins the Asian American Commission of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and others, including interfaith leaders and dozens of Southeast and Indian American organizations, for a Candlelight Vigil to support those who suffered in Mumbai and to counter those who seek to spread hate, violence and division.
DETAILS: Free, Dec. 4, 6 p.m., City Hall Plaza, Boston.
CONTACT: Asian American Commission (508) 523-5784, City Councilor (617) 635-4217

BAY/CALIFORNIA

Assemblyman Furutani Introduces Bill to Extend Honorary Degrees to WWII Japanese Americans

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Assemblyman Warren T. Furutani (D-S. Los Angeles County) today introduced Assembly Bill 37, a bill that would extend honorary degrees to individuals who were unable to complete their post-secondary education in California’s public institutions due to the evacuation of Japanese Americans during World War II.

Approximately 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry were forcibly relocated and confined in detention centers.

As a member of the Los Angeles Unified School District Board (LAUSD) in 2004, Assemblyman Furutani was instrumental in crafting the Japanese American Internment Diploma Resolution. The Board, under his leadership, approved the first-ever resolution to retroactively grant a high school diploma to any person who was enrolled in an LAUSD high school immediately preceding his or her internment and did not graduate as a result.

AB 37 is supported by the Japanese American Citizens League, the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, the Little Tokyo Service Center and the Nikkei for Civil Rights and Redress.

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Community and Major Universities Present Newest Research on Chinese in America

SAN FRANCISCO - A Portrait of Chinese Americans, the most current and comprehensive study of Chinese Americans, was officially presented at the State Building in front of a crowd of elected officials and community leaders by the Asian American Studies Program, University of Maryland and OCA, a national Asian Pacific American social justice organization.

The Portrait challenges long-standing images and stereotypes. The study, two years in the making, offers a complete profile of Chinese Americans’ socio-economic standing, educational achievements, higher education college selections, employment, civic engagement and more.

The Portrait is a national demographic and social profile of Chinese Americans. The OCA and AAST collaboration represents a unique community-academic partnership.

The Portrait will be available in both hard copy and downloadable free of charge (for a limited period of time) at aast.umd.edu.

ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT

Knitting, Tea, Conversation

EVENT: Knitting with Afghans for Afghans
DESCRIPTION: Bring your knitting needles and yarn and join local members of Afghans for Afghans in creating blankets, sweaters, socks, hats and more for the people of Afghanistan. Knowledgeable knitter Chris Motley from ImagiKnit will be on hand to help. Some needles and yarn generously provided by San Francisco’s ImagiKnit.
DETAILS: Free, Sunday, Dec. 7, 1-4 p.m., Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin Street, San Francisco.
CONTACT: (415) 581-3500 or email enews@asianart.org.

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‘Liquid City’ Comic Anthology Full of Southeast Asian Talent

Image Comics, the publisher who brought hit anthologies like Tori Amos’ Comic Book Tattoo, 24Seven, Put the Book Back on the Shelf and Popgun, comes a unique collection of comics from Southeast Asia and beyond, Liquid City.

“Liquid City presents the unique visions of artists and writers based mainly in Southeast Asia,” said editor Sonny Liew. “The creators involved range from established figures in the region’s comics communities like Lat and Gerry Alanguilan to exciting new talents like Nguyen Thanh Pong, kenfoo and Shari Chankhamma.”

Bringing together creators from Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and elsewhere, Liquid City presents an edgy vision of lives in cities past, present and future: from Leong Wan Kok’s distinct post apocalyptic landscapes to Lat’s charming take on Malaysian life in the ’60s, from Mike Carey’s meditation on colonialism to kenfoo’s dark tales of regurgitation and bodily transformations.

Also contributing to the anthology are artists from outside the region, including award-winning illustrator Jon Foster and cover artist Shelly Wan.

SPORTS

Celebrate Asian American Heritage Night with Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets

EVENT: Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets
DESCRIPTION: Come celebrate Asian American Heritage Night at the Oracle Arena and see the Golden State Warriors take on Yao Ming and the Houston Rockets! Receive a commemorative Asian American Heritage Night t-shirt, plus an invitation to an exclusive pre-game mixer!
DETAILS: $48-65, Dec. 12, Pre-game mixer 5:15 p.m., Game 7:30-11 p.m., Oracle Arena, 7000 Coliseum Way, Oakland, Calif.
CONTACT: lorraine.gee@naaapsf.org, RSVP by Nov. 28, 9 p.m.

COMMERCE

Saliva-Test Pioneer David Wong Named to Endowed Chair in Dentistry

LOS ANGELES - The UCLA School of Dentistry has named oral biology professor David Wong, a pioneer in the use of saliva for diagnosing cancer and other diseases, as the first holder of the Felix and Mildred Yip Endowed Professorship in Dentistry.

The new chair, created by a $1 million gift from Dr. Felix Yip and his wife, Mildred, will support research on oral and head and neck cancers. Wong has made major advances in the fight against oral cancer, having developed with colleagues the first standardized saliva-based test for the disease.

The Yips are noted philanthropists within the Asian American community in Southern California and have been generous supporters of UCLA and the School of Dentistry. They are among a small group of Chinese American philanthropists who have established chairs at UCLA.

Wong serves as the school’s associate dean of research and director of the Dental Research Institute.

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Attorney Dennis Wong Gives Business Discussion

EVENT: “Growing Your Business Outside the Economic Cycle,” a discussion with Dennis Wong, Esq.
DESCRIPTION: Business attorney Dennis Wong, with over 30 years of experience in the fields of business, finance and law, gives discussion on how to grow your business or career outside the economic cycle.
DETAILS: Free, Dec. 4, 5-7 p.m., Rotunda Building, Conference Room, 2nd Floor, 300 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, Calif.
CONTACT: (510) 373-7911, info@denniswong.com, RSVP by Dec. 1

GLOBAL

China Executes Scientist for Alleged Spy Activity

HONG KONG - A Chinese court in Beijing today executed Wo Weihan, a 60-year-old biomedical researcher and entrepreneur, accused of gathering military and political intelligence for Taiwan, The Dui Hua Foundation has confirmed.

Following a closed trial, the Beijing Number Two Intermediate People’s Court sentenced Wo to death for the crime of espionage on May 27, 2007. According to the verdict, prosecutors alleged that he provided Taiwanese intelligence agents with top-secret military intelligence, some of which consisted of photocopies of publications accessed from the library of the Chinese Academy of Sciences as well as information about the health of a top Chinese leader. The verdict states that Wo provided other intelligence but does not disclose what the intelligence consisted of, presumably because the intelligence itself is top secret.

An alleged co-conspirator, 66-year-old Guo Wanjun, was also sentenced to death for the crime of illegally providing state secrets to overseas entities.

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Philippine Civilians and Fighters Concerned Over Peace Monitor Exit

Both fighters and civilians in the Philippines have expressed concern about the withdrawal of international peace monitors from the restive south.

Peace talks collapsed and fighting resumed, after the Supreme Court blocked a peace deal in August. The Philippine government has just begun appointing a new panel for peace talks with Moro rebels.

But this was too late to prevent the departure of the last 12 Malaysian peace monitors over the weekend.

The Malaysian peacekeepers had led an international monitoring team in the region, aimed at safeguarding a ceasefire dating from 2003. Fighting has resurged in Basilan in recent days, and a military commander there told local reporters that the situation was still tense.

Foreign governments, including the British, U.S. and EU, have said in recent weeks that they hope a return to talks can be managed soon.

Daily Dose: 12/03/08

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