The Golden Age of Chinese Nightclubs
January 29, 2010
Swinging Chinatown: The Golden Age of Chinese Nightclubs Opening Night Gala and Exhibit
A celebration of the excitement and glamour of the Chinese nightclub scene in San Francisco from the 1930s through the 1960s
DATE: Thursday, February 11, 2010 from 6:00pm – 8:00pm
LOCATION: The Old Mint Building – Fifth St. & Mission St., San Francisco
OVERVIEW: The San Francisco Museum and Historical Society (SFMHS) in collaboration with the Chinese Historical Society of America (CHSA) presents Swinging Chinatown: The Golden Age of Chinese Nightclubs.
Be Part of the Wall of Chinese in America
January 28, 2010
Chinese Americans now have the chance to be part of the the upcoming Shanghai Expo which will draw more than seventy million people and 200 nations for 180 days.
From May 1-October 31, one of the largest events in history will take place in Shanghai, China – the World Expo 2010. The USA Pavilion, in partnership with the Committee of 100, will feature an exhibit on “The Chinese in America” to show America’s unique strengths as a nation embracing diversity, offering freedom of choice and providing the opportunity for everyone to succeed. At more than 60,000 square feet, the USA National Pavilion will be one of the largest pavilions and will showcase American culture, values and businesses while celebrating the friendship between the peoples of the US and China.
The Committee of 100 is rallying everyone of Chinese descent across America to submit their photos to create The Wall of the Chinese in America. In it first weeks of announcement, over 1000 photos have been submitted for this wall which is hoped to feature thousands of photos organized by family names to demonstrate that “We are Family.”
Michael Minakawa, one of the organizers of the wall project, said, “We are anticipating approximately 100,000 photos to be submitted over the course of this exhibit. We accept all photos as long as the submission is in compliance with our terms and conditions available during the photo upload process at jointhewall.org. We encourage the participation of everyone who is of Chinese descent, how large or small. They will need to have a Chinese surname to be placed under that surname family page. Their name can be listed as John Wong Smith and it would be placed with the Wong Family name page.”
The idea for the wall came through a collaboration between Committee of 100 and Ogilvy Worldwide and is the only section specifically for Chinese in America. Since the video wall will be dynamic and attention getting, there are plans for certain effects to also highlight Chinese American achievements along with recognizing the Chinese in America. Chinese American achievers can be those who have contributed to important aspects of American life such as technology, the environment, the arts, sports, business, community service and government. It will show how America, as a cradle of freedom, helped shape these extraordinary pioneers. A public campaign has been launched in traditional and digital media to reach out to everyone of Chinese descent across America to submit their photos to www.jointhewall.org.
To help fund this effort, the Committee of 100 is inviting participation as Master Builders of the Wall by purchasing a Brick at the USA Pavilion with the name of the person/family/organization they wish to honor. C100 Chair John Chen said, “We are honored and pleased to be the strategic partner of the USA Pavilion at the World Expo 2010, a historic opportunity to build bridges between China and the U.S.A.” Those donating to be Master Builders of the wall will receive special benefits and privileges associated with this important event.
The Master builder program has different category ranges. Honor Role $10,000 Master Builders will have their Honor Roll Gold Brick placed in a premium location on the physical wall, have their name listed on internet “Builders’ Wall as Honor Roll Master Builders, and receive VIP privileges at the Expo for 8 guests. Other Master Builder categories include Diamond $5000, Platinum $2500 and 24K Gold $1000 with appropriate bricks with name placed on the physical wall at the Expo USA Pavilion’s “Chinese in America” exhibit in Shanghai, China May – October, 2010. Depending on the response, there are plans afoot to having this wall become a permanent virtual wall for view in cyberspace after the Expo is over. Details on Master Builder donations can be seen on www.comebuildthewall.org with the proposed deadline February 15.
George Koo, C100 member from Silicon Valley, encouraged all to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join fellow kinsmen in a Chinese in America exhibit. He said, “We look to a wonderful exhibit with limitless amount of pictures of Chinese Americans to show the people attending the Expo that we have a numerous and diverse population of ethnic Chinese living in America. This would be of special interest to the native Chinese, who no doubt would be the majority of people visiting the Shanghai Expo 2010, to look for and possibly see long lost relatives living in America.” For further information contact mminakawa@committee100.org or call 212 371 6565.
The Committee of 100, who should be commended for taking the lead on this project, was founded in 1989 as a national non-partisan, non-profit membership organization comprised of prominent Chinese Americans in a broad range of professions. With members’ knowledge and experience, the Committee has dedicated its efforts to a dual mission: (1) encouraging constructive relations between the peoples of the United States and Greater China and (2) encouraging the full participation of Chinese Americans in all aspects of American life. www.committee100.org
Chi Am Circle Begins Scholarship Program
January 28, 2010
For over 25 years, the Chi Am Circle, an Asian American women’s club in Santa Clara Valley, has invested in the future by awarding scholarships to local high school seniors and community college students of Asian American descent who demonstrate academic excellence as well as involvement in the school and community. Scholarships are awarded for merit and service as well as financial need, according to Rose Tokugawa, chairwoman of the Scholarship Selection Committee.
In 2009, Chi Am Circle received more than 100 applications and honored 27 scholarships to needy and deserving high school students with $40,000 scholarship grants, due to the generosity of individual donors as well as through the Chi Am Circle’s Service Fund. At the May Award banquet held before almost 200 students and families, Chi Am members and guests, several of the recipients mentioned that they would not have been able to go to college if it had not been for their Chi Am grant. For some, they were proud to point out they would be the first in their families to have the opportunity to attend college.
Chi Am Circle welcomes any interested persons wishing to encourage our leaders of tomorrow to join their Chi Am Circle of Sponsors Scholarship Program. As Second Vice President Paulette Young Curby said, “we believe that together we can make a difference by honoring the students of today, as they become the leaders of tomorrow. Chi Am Circle is grateful for past support and would welcome any donations or personal grants of any sum, and would be guided by the donors request that their scholarship grant go towards a worthy student for academic excellence or for need.”
Chi Am Circle is a 501c(3) tax-exempt organization which makes all donations tax deductible.
All scholarship grants will be awarded at the Chi Am Circle Awards Dinner, May 14, 2010 at the China Stix Restaurant with all scholarship winners present to tell the audience of their future plans at respective colleges. Dinner Co Chairs Gerrye Wong and Wendy Fong said, “It is always heartwarming to see how grateful and happy the students are to be honored for their hard work at school and community involvement. Excerpts are often read from their entry essays, which traditionally tell their feelings about growing up Asian American. As a volunteer organization, we proudly explain that 100% of the donations go to the scholarship recipients. We welcome all to come and support these fine students.”
Rose Tokugawa, Selection Committee Chairperson, adds, “Every one of our applicants are deserving and we hope community members will step forth to enable us to honor many more of these students than in the past. Last year, it broke our hearts that we were only able to select 27 out of the over 100 applicants who wrote to us as they were all deserving and primarily all showed over 4.0 grade point averages.
In the past years, Chi Am Circle has awarded up to $20,000 in grants from their Service Fund. It is with individual sponsors joining the donor ranks in the pat 5 years that this project has been able to award up to $40,000 to deserving students, as it did in 2009. Sponsorship levels range from Friends of Chi Am $100 to Platinum Level $3000. Checks and stock donations are welcome. All donors, corporate, business or personal, receive acknowledgment ad space in the annual Chi Am Circle directory.
More information or donations can be made on-line at www.chiamcircle.org. Checks may be payable to Chi Am Circle and sent to Chi Am Sponsorship , P.O. Box 2756, Cupertino, CA 95014. Any donations and inquiries may be directed to Pauline Curby, pcurby@sbcglobal.net by March 15.
Chi Am Circle is a non profit Asian American women’s organization established in 1965. Chi Am is built on a foundation of friendship with a mission of service in the community. Their community projects are diverse and affect a broad range of the community. Chi Am Circle values education. Over the past 25 years, Chi Am has given hundreds of scholarships to outstanding high school and community college students throughout Santa Clara County.
Call for Artists to Perform at Asian Heritage Street Celebration
January 28, 2010
The AsianWeek Foundation is once again inviting talented up-and-coming artists to grace its stages and perform for an enormous crowd at its 6th Annual Asian Heritage Street Celebration (AHSC). The AHSC is proud to have presented numerous renowned and emerging artists, including performers such as hip hop artists Lyrics Born, Jin the Emcee and Apl.de.Ap of the Black Eyed Peas, former American Idol contestants Jasmine Trias and Jose “Sway” Penala, local favorites Native Elements and San Francisco Taiko Dojo, and community youth performers Chung Ngai Dance Troupe and Those Kids. Musicians, vocalists, dance groups and other entertainers are encouraged to apply. The largest Asian Pacific American event in the nation will be held Saturday, May 15, 2010 in San Francisco, in front of the Asian Art Museum, leading up to the little Saigon District, and features today’s Asian American pop culture, artists, DJs, martial arts, food, arts and crafts, anime, free community health screenings and exciting prizes. For more information and updates: AsianFairSF.com
Submission Guidelines:
To apply, email a brief biography/resume, video and/or audio links, website/facebook or other applicable online supplementary material to:
Christine Padilla at AHSC.Artists@gmail.com
Email subject line: Artists Submission/AHSC 2010 - Artist Name
Deadline: March 15, 2010
About the AsianWeek Foundation
The Asian Heritage Street Celebration is organized by the AsianWeek Foundation in cooperation with over 150 organizations in the local and Asian American community. The AsianWeek Foundation is a non-profit 501(c) 3 committed to developing Asian American community. All proceeds from the Celebration are donated back to the community. AsianFairSF.com
Drawing District Lines to Ensure Better API Representation
January 27, 2010
Proposition 11—the Voters FIRST Act, which voters passed last year—changes the process by which the legislative and Board of Equalization district lines are drawn. The Voters FIRST Act essentially transfers the responsibility to draw the lines from the Legislature to a new 14-member independent commission made up of citizens from throughout California. It is important that the applicant pool reflect the diversity of the state to ensure all communities are represented in this important process. Applications are only available on line at www.WeDrawtheLines.ca.gov. The application process closes Feb. 12, 2010.
“This is an exciting time in our state’s history,” said California State Auditor Elaine M. Howle. “This is the first commission of its kind in the United States, and we’re ready to take this next step. We’ve already established regulations and laid the foundation for creating the 14-member commission.”
Since the opening of the application period Dec. 15, more than 6,000 applications have been filed. This is an outstanding start to the application process, but the Auditor’s office is always seeking more applicants and more diversity. One area of concern is the lack of applications filed by the API population. Only 4.5% of the applicants are API, yet this group accounts for 13% of the state’s population.
Open Call for Poster Contest Entries: Win $500 and Citywide Exposure
January 13, 2010
Asian American Variety Concert to Take Place in San Francisco
January 13, 2010
SAN FRANCISCO - GO!STYLE concert promises to be an explosion of local talent that will showcase the true, cutting edge artistry of the Bay Area Asian American community.
The event takes place Friday, February 5th at 8:00pm at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre and will be hosted by prominent local comedians Ali Wong and Sheng Wang.
Hip Hop duo Magnetic North headlines the show which will feature singer/songwriter Goh Nakamura, whose work is featured prominently on the score to Ridley Scott’s film “American Gangster.” Dance acts will include “The Odds”, an arm of the popular Funkbrella dance studio, and “Tattva”, a modern Indian dance troupe from Milpitas. The Asian American variety concert will also feature Tongan poet sisters Loa and Fuifui Niumeitolu performing spoken word.
The concert is the first large-scale, Asian American concert that is truly pan-Asian, LGBTQ-friendly, and produced by local organizations, featuring a lineup of performers all from the Bay Area. These artists will shock, awe, and inspire with their unique brands of music, dance, poetry, and comedy. It will be a night that will make history as Asian Americans in the Bay come together to celebrate their distinctive style. If you’re looking for the next big thing in arts and culture, this is where you will find it.
The event is being organized by Bay Area based arts organizations RAMA - a Bay Area based collective of young Asian Americans devoted to fostering the creation of an Asian American Arts movement for the new century.and viveSF - an events promoton company devoted to promoting the healthy development of Asian Pacific American identity. Tickets are now on sale for $30 at gostyle.eventbee.com.
ENTERTAINMENT LINEUP
Comedians are often ambitious egotists with poor boundaries who aren’t hiding how intelligent they are. Ali Wong is all of that, plus she has the things that really matter: wit, timing, experience, and a unique hairdo. We’re so proud of her! She delighted and embarrassed fellow comedian Bobby Lee when she interviewed him for Hyphen magazine a while back, saying she forgave her sister’s dog for sniffing her crotch while she had her period: “I know he means well. He just wants beef, that’s his world.” Eeew! Love it. Wong’s clarity of vision isn’t limited to her menses; she also hilariously goes after racists, poets, her sexual partners, and American Apparel. All this has landed her on Jamie Foxx’ Laffapalooza! and made her a busy and popular local comedian. -via sfweekly
Sheng Wang is a Taiwanese Texan who developed and honed his comedy in the thriving standup community of the San Francisco Bay Area. He performs jokes based on personal experiences with intense honesty and ill logic. His refreshingly affable stage presence combined with a healthy penchant for absurdity and self-deprecation make his act universally accessible and hilarious. In addition to touring with the Comedians of Comedy and American Eagle’s “Campus Comedy Challenge,” he has also appeared on Comedy Central’s “Live at Gotham,” the AZN Network, and the “Just for Laughs” comedy festival in Montreal. He now lives in New York City.
Featuring:
Magnetic North hit the ground running in 2003 when emcees Direct and Theresa Vu came together to write a song for an Asian American rally in Berkeley, California. The piece, titled “We Will Not Be Moved”, was an ode to their heritage - a mix of refugee war stories and ruminations about skin color and stereotypes. Their mix of refreshingly honest rhymes and organic beats has since become the duo’s trademark as they went on to rock stages and move hearts at hundreds of venues across the nation. Direct, the mastermind behind their instrumentals, draws upon his classical roots to create beats heavy on melody and acoustic stylings. He tops off his production with insightful lyrics and a uniquely versatile flow that make his vocals as much an instrument as a message. And then there is T-Vu, a female emcee with no need for the “female” qualifier. A wordsmith of rare caliber and presence - she’s known for her precise delivery and no-nonsense rhymes.
Goh Nakamura is a San Francisco Bay Area based musician 
who writes ditties about parking tickets, impossible crushes and faraway dreamlands. With one foot in the traditional troubadour world and another in the digital age, he performs at venues small, large, and virtual, to an enthusiastic and ever growing audience. A fortuitous 2007 feature on YouTube’s front page brought his music videos over a million views and earned him a huge new fanbase from all over the world. Goh’s talents have also found a home in the film industry. Goh’s vocals and guitar work are featured prominently on the scores to Ridley Scott films A Good Year and, most recently, American Gangster. His song “Daylight Savings” is included on the soundtrack to the Robert Benton film Feast of Love, starring Morgan Freeman and Greg Kinnear.
The Odds Dance Crew (from Funkbrella Dance Company) What are the odds? For the collegiate competitive team of the Funkbrella, The Odds, it’s all about testing their creative boundaries when it comes to hip-hop dance. The goal of the collegiate comp team is to enter the top hip-hop dance competitions and represent the best of the Bay Area collegiate dancers, while also creating strong ties between college students all over the Bay Area. The Odds is a mix of collegiate dancers representing schools such as UC Berkeley, SF State, City College, USF, San Jose State, and more.
Tattva Tattva Dance Academy is the first and only dance school in the Bay Area that teaches fusion dance as a stand alone dance form. All dance forms from Indian Classical, Jazz, Break, Contemporary to Capoeira are taught under the same roof. While the preliminary lessons emphasize selective training in each of the different world dances, they later blend together to form what we call World Wide Dance (WWDTM). The WWD curriculum is designed to breed well-rounded dancers by emphasizing culture, music, technique, movement, flexibility and posture and allow them to harness their learned and natural talents into a unique experience. Students are encouraged to choreograph and allow dance to become a part of their social expression. They are provided the opportunity to showcase their talent and voice their stories through dance at various Tattva performances across the Bay Area. Currently, dance lessons as offered in Milpitas. 2010 will mark the opening of two new teaching locations in Fremont and San Francisco. Visit www.tattvadance.com for more information. To register for classes please call Ashwini Srivatsan: 408-594-9244 or email @ ashwini@tattvadance.com.
Michelle Martinez If you think that R&B needs a fresh face and a new sound, look no further than Bay Area-bred songstress, Michelle Martinez. Since the age of 2, this classically trained vocalist has poised herself as the next big thing, and won’t stop until she is a household name. Her funky, feel-good vibe is inspired by contemporary artists like Alicia Keys, Keri Hilson and Rihanna, who continue to push the envelope in Pop music, while classic R&B artists such as Brian McKnight and Mariah Carey give her a fundamental appreciation for romantic balladeers. “I have a fun and sassy personality and I play that up in my songs,” she explains. “But I also can tap into my inner feelings and try to bring out the emotion on slower tempo songs.” After winning numerous singing competitions in the Bay, Midwest and Canada, she landed a spot on the WB Network’s “Live in Hollywood” and won during Amateur Night. Surely the years of singing experience couldn’t hurt, as the young singer used the momentum of the win to start working on her demo with established producers such as Traxamillion, Charles Williams, and Smash Hitta. When she finally turned 21, she started performing at various musical venues around the Bay Area, and later opened for Colby O’Donis and Donnie of MTV’s “Making The Band”. But it wasn’t until she started recording herself on YouTube that she started gaining international recognition, with over 5000 subscribers and over 90,000 views and counting. It was because of her viral videos that Avex Music Group in Japan sent an invitation to live and train there for 2 months, which she happily accepted
Loa Niumeitolu is a Tongan American poet and writer. She is a founding member of OLO (One Love Oceania),a support, art and activist group for queer, gay and lesbian women of Oceanic ancestry. Her poems and writings can be found in Whetu Moana: Contemporary Polynesian Poetry in English, Homelands: Women’s Journeys Across Race, Place and Time, and her blog, Harvard Law School Diaries, which documents her journey to apply to law school in her late thirties. She works as an outside ally to sisters incarcerated at Valley State Prison for Women at Chowchilla.
Fuifuilupe Niumeitolu is a Tongan American scholar, community organizer and poet. Her writing has been published widely in academic journals and family newsletters. She is a co-editor of “Usos On Freeways: An Anthology of Pacific Islander Writers from the Continental U.S.” She is completing her doctorate at UC Berkeley.
Wealth Building Attitudes, Values, and Habits
January 11, 2010
“To master the world, one must first master one’s self.” - Chinese Proverb
Success can be defined many ways. We can be successful at work, in school or with our relationships. We can measure success by how happy we are with ourselves, and whether we feel a sense of purpose in this world. We can evaluate success by how much money we make.
Today, let’s take a look at some characteristics of millionaires.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average U.S. household will earn close to $1.5 million during a 30-year work span in today’s dollars. The choices people make with this money go a long way in determining their ultimate financial success or failure.
Here are some of the key characteristics of millionaires in the United States, based on the Spectrem Group Survey and research conducted by Drs. Thomas Stanley and William Danko:
1. There were 6.7 million millionaires in the U.S. in 2008.
2. Approximately 65 percent of millionaires are working.
3. Thirty-six percent own a business.
4. Eighty-seven percent are married.
5. Average age is 55.
6. On average, they do not own the newest cars.
7. On average, they do not shop for name brand clothes.
8. On average, they invest 20 percent of their yearly income.
9. Eighty percent built their wealth in one generation.
So, if you would like to become more affluent, what can you do to develop greater financial mastery?
The following are 15 wealth building values, attitudes and habits:
1. Wealth creation begins with the right attitude regarding money and finances.
2. Abundance begins when you’re no longer living from paycheck to paycheck.
3. Abundance is having your assets and ideas making money for you.
4. Wealthy people make money while they sleep (investments, on-line business, people working for them, etc.)
5. With the exceptions of mortgage and student loans, avoid accumulating debt.
6. Pay off your credit card balance in full each month. Pay off any credit card debt ASAP. Credit card interest drains wealth.
7. Keep only one credit card for maintaining a good credit rating. Do away with the rest.
8. When receiving your paycheck, pay yourself first by setting 10-15% aside in a nest egg.
9. With your nest egg, make wise investment choices:
A. Maximize your 401K, especially if your employer matches your contribution. Not all 401Ks are created the same. Some are far better (or worse) than others. Thoroughly understand the nature and restrictions of the one you’re interested in before investing.
B. Make purchases which appreciate in value.
C. Limit purchases which depreciate in value (automobile, name brands, etc.)
D. Key to real estate: location, location, location.
E. Financial market: invest in index funds.
F. Financial market: manage your greed and fear.
G. Financial market: diversify; don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
10. Keep a liquid cash reserve of at least three months of living expenses. Add one month (minimum) for each year above age 20.
11. Limit frequent, discretionary expenses that add up quickly, such as gourmet coffee, eating out, cigarettes, alcohol, ATM fees, cell phone surcharge, multiple cable subscriptions, etc.
12. Learn from people who already enjoy long-term financial success. Ask about their financial values and strategies.
13. Find a partner in life with healthy, intelligent, and compatible financial values.
14. Make a financial plan with specific goals and targets in mind. Create a timeline to realize your plan, step by step.
15. Remember wealth alone does not lead to long term happiness – self acceptance, quality relationships and a meaningful life’s purpose do. However, wealth can provide the personal freedom to enjoy a higher quality of life. If you’re blessed with wealth and abundance, give something back in gratitude.
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Preston Ni is a professor of communication studies, Fortune 500 trainer, executive coach, and organizational change consultant. Write to Preston at commsuccess@nipreston.com, and access free resources at www.nipreston.com. © 2010 by Preston C. Ni. All rights reserved.
Daily Dose & Announcements
January 5, 2010
>>Rhythm of the Refugees
>>Global Warming and the Emerging Water Crisis in California and China
>>Everyday Harumi: Simple Japanese Food for Family and Friends
>>Slant Film Fest - Call for Entries
