May 14, 2002

May is Asian Pacific Heritage Month. Tons of things happening this weekend.

See http://www.colapublib.org/apahm/, the LA County library web site; Press release from Mayor Hahn at http://www.ci.la.ca.us/mayor/myrpress/april221.pdf; Calendar of events at http://www.apahm.org/ (see below for some of them)

LA Times & other news articles

MISSION STATEMENT:

Promote full utilization of the capabilities of the Enterprise's employees and champion the betterment of the company and community. Promote interest in Asian Pacific issues and culture and act as a bridge to all groups within our community.

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ed. by Douglas Ikemi

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The internet site is back at:

Our own domain name, apa-pro.org, stands for Asian Pacific American Professionals. www.apa-pro.org/ gives you a menu of AP organization websites.

Back issues of the newsletter for all of 2000 and 2001are available on the website if you want to look up some past event. (Well some of them, at the moment.)

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APPA Board Meeting Schedule for 2002:

Evening meetings will be at the Hilton Garden Inn, 2100 Mariposa Ave.(corner of Nash)310/726-0100. Noon time meetings will be on Raytheon premises

Schedule for 2002:

May 15 (W) at 6 pm

June 13 (Th) at 12 pm

July 10 (W) at 6 pm

Aug. 13 (Tu) at 12 pm

Sept. 11 (W) at 6 pm

Oct. 10 (Th) at 12 pm

Nov. 13 (W) at 6 pm

Detailed calendar is attached this week and is available on the internet at www.apa-pro.org in Acrobat and Excel formats. Events go into the calendar that I don't mention here. Please send in information on cultural events and news items. Thanks to those who have.

Long range calendar items:

May 25 Jodaiko of UC Irvine proudly presents 8TH ANNUAL INTERCOLLEGIATE TAIKO INVITATIONAL CONCERT, 6:00pm, UCI Bren Events Center, $7-student, $10-general. FEATURING UCI Jodaiko, UCLA Kyodo Taiko, Stanford Taiko, UCR Senryu Taiko, St. Louis Osuwa Taiko. In 1990, Kyodo Taiko of UCLA was the first collegiate taiko group to be formed in North America, soon followed by Stanford Taiko and Jodaiko at UC Irvine in 1992. Students form various campuses gather for a weekend full of taiko workshops and fun, displaying each of their unique talents and style. This year, Jodaiko is proud to continue the legacy with the presentation of the 8th Annual Intercollegiate Taiko Invitational Concert. For ticket info: (949) 824-5000, for program info: (714) 979-9863, www.geocities.com/ucijodaiko

May 31-June 2, Achievers, directed by Naoya Imanishi, at the Morgan-Wixson Theater, 2627 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, 90405, 310-828-7519, achievers@propergander.net, www.propagander.net

8 June, 2002 - 5 January, 2003 Rediscovered Imperial Treasures: Masterpieces From The Nanjing Museum at the Bowers Museum of Cultural Art in Santa Ana, www.bowers.org

June 9, 2 p.m.
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
A native of Calcutta and long-time Bay Area resident, Divakaruni has for many years been involved in women’s’ issues, working with Afghani women refugees and in shelters for battered women. Moderator: Marisela Norte, poet and playwright Downtown LA Public Library, Mark Taper Auditorium * Richard J. Riordan Central Library, Reservations recommended, call (213) 228-7025, $8 – Single Program Tickets, www.lapl.org/events/wordofworld/index.html.

June 7,8,9 "Life of the Land" a Hawaii play by Edward Sakamoto at Japan America Theatre. For $20 group rate tickets, call Louise Sakamoto (310)327-3169

June 16 3rd Annual Monument Anniversary Celebration, 10AM, corner of Temple and Alameda, Little Tokyo, LA.

June 29 Shasta Taiko & On Ensemble, 8PM, at the JACCC, $20

Aug 24-25, 2nd Annual US Sumo Open at UCLA, www.usasumo.com, 310-288-3641, afreund@ucla.edu

The Pacific Asia Museum (46 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena, 91101, 626-449-2742) Family Festival schedule for 2002, Saturdays, 1-4:

June 15 Costumes of Pan Asia

July 20 Origami Festival

Aug. 17 Flavors of India

Sept. 21 Lacquer Ware of Myanmar

Oct. 19 Pakistan Festival

Nov. 16 Buddha: Faces of Enlightenment

Dec. 14 Pasko Sa Nayon

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VC FILMFEST 2002: Visual Communications Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film & Video Festival Hosted by Visual Communications, Date: May 16 - 23, 2002, Locations: Directors Guild of America May 16-19; David Henry Hwang Theatre May 20& 21; Japan America Theatre May 19, 22-23. In its 17th year, the VC FilmFest is the largest showcase of Asian American and Asian International works in Southern California with over 100 films, videos and shorts presented throughout the eight-day festival. This year's Opening Night film is the Los Angeles Premiere of the Sundance Film Festival hit BETTER LUCK TOMORROW , a film by Justin Lin, taking place on May 16 at the Directors Guild of America. In addition to a full slate of screenings, other highlights include filmmaker workshops, seminars, and awards presentations on the Festival's Closing Night. Tickets: General Admission $8.50; $6.50 students, seniors, JACCC, DGA, Friends of VC members with I.D. (Tickets available at the Japan America Theatre box office, for ticket information call (213) 680-3700.) For more information call (213) 680-4462 x 68 or visit the web at www.vconline.org.

May 16 WRAP Family Services "Creating possibilities" "A Night at the Skirball with Sandra Tsing Loh" Fundraiser, 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. An hors d’oeurves reception will take place at 6:00 p.m. and the performance will start promptly at 8:00 p.m. and take place at the Skirbal Cultural Center located at 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd. in Los Angeles. Please call (310) 376-2236 for more information.

May 17 Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Community Networking Dinner, Empress Pavilion Restaurant - 988 N. Hill St #201, Los Angeles Chinatown, CA , 6:00pm to 9:00pm Featuring a dim sum buffet & cash bar, $12 per person at RSVPs REQUIRED, www.evite.com/r?iid=UPJLJKOOSWUFRKTAVHYH

May 18, Korean Cultural Art Display Hosted by the Korean American Coalition & Korean Youth Community Center, Date: Saturday, Time: 12:00 p.m. Location: 3727 W. 6th Street, Koreatown (Free parking in back of building) Admission Free

May 19, 2nd Annual Thai Heritage and Food Festival Hosted by Thai Health and Information Services. Time: 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Location: Thai Town - on Hollywood Blvd. between Harvard & Western Featuring Thai kick boxing, Thai arts & crafts displays, hands-on activities, children's activities, street murals, the Thai Heritage Beauty Pageant, and authentic Thai food, along with free health screening services. For more information contact: Nongyao Varanond (323) 466-5966.

The Tiangge (Open Air Market) Hosted by Association for the Advancement of Filipino American Arts & Culture (Fil-Am ARTS) Date: Sunday, May 19, 2002, Time: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Location: Beverly Boulevard between Alvarado and Rosemont Free Admission. The Tiangge will feature arts and crafts for children, vendor booths and cultural entertainment. For more information contact: Jilly Canizares-Tanedo (213) 389-3050.

May 18, Taiwan Food and Game Festival: 12:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Location: Felix Event Center, Azusa Pacific University 701 E. Foothill Blvd., Azusa

May 18 St. Mary's Bazaar, 961 Mariposa, near Olympic and Normandie, 11-7PM.

[Sorry, the Different Drummers event mentioned last week is actually next weekend]

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I paid a quick visit to the Family Fest at the JACCC. I enjoyed pupusas and pad thai noodles, washed down with shaved ice. I watched traditional Japanese dance following a group of Latina drummers and folk singers.

I also made a visit to the Japanese Garden in Van Nuys in the Sepulveda Basin. This is a great place to visit for $3. It's now open to the public on Sundays from 10AM-4PM. The garden is located in the middle of a sewage plant, and there is a certain earthy aroma in the garden. However, this is probably one of the nicest if not the best Japanese garden in the LA area.

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May 16 Japanese American World War II Veterans will hold a Panel Discussion with Dr. Mitchell Maki, co-author of " Achieving the Impossible Dream: How Japanese Americans Obtained Redress" at the Katy Geissert Torrance Main Public Library, Community Room at 3301 Torrance Blvd. (between Crenshaw and Madrona) call 310-328-0907.

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State Hate Crime Hotline, 866-460-HELP, toll free

Connects caller to Fair Employment and Housing counselors who can refer to other services and local district attornerys

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Ming Chang brought to our attention statistics from the 2000 census:

Census 2000: Chinese Largest Asian Group in the United States

http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2002/cb02cn59.html

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LA Times: