THE APPA Newsletter
April 20, 2003
See This Weekend
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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
(dkikemi@pacbell.net)
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The internet site is at:
www.apa-pro.org
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, 2001, 2002, and 2003 are available on the website if you want to look up
some past event.
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APPA Board Meeting Schedule for 2004:
Evening meetings open to the public will
be at the Hilton Garden Inn, 2100 Mariposa Ave.(corner of Nash)
310/726-0100.
(coming soon)
Detailed, updated calendar is available
on the internet at www.apa-pro.org in Acrobat and Excel formats . Please send
in information on cultural events and news items. Thanks to those who have.
Long range calendar items:
Chinatown Farmers Market Every Thursday, 3:00pm to 7:00pm Chinatown Business Improvement District http://www.ChinatownLA.com/ For Information (213) 680-0243
March 5-June 20 The Arts of Japanese Sake
at the Pacific Asia Museum.
May 1 The City of West Covina Cherry Blossom Festival 2004,
ESGV Japanese Community Center, Inc. Noon - 7:00 p.m. West Covina Civic Center
Courtyard, 1444 W. Garvey Ave., #205, West Covina, CA 91793. Remembering the
442nd RCT/100th BN/MIS, June Kuramoto on Koto, Tea Ceremony, Odori, Martial
Arts, 4 Taiko Groups, Games, Raffle Prizes, Food and Exhibits. Parking Entrance
at Civic Center Drive. For more information, please contact the CR Committee
909-629-4166. http://www.westcov.org/events/
May 1 APEX Supports
our Asian American Entertainment Community! Come join APEX for the screening of
Purple Butterfly at this year\'s VC Filmfest (the largest Asian Film Festival
in LA- 20th Annual Celebration) APEX will be co-presenting the highly
anticipated film, PURPLE BUTTERFLY, directed by Lou Ye and starring Zhang Ziyi
(Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)10:00PM , Arclight Hollywood, 6360 W Sunset
Blvd, Los Angeles, CA . Tickets will go on sale April 9th. Ticket
Price: $ 10. We anticipate this screening to sell out, please purchase in
advance. Contact: For more event
or ticket info, please contact Janny Kim, APEX Director of Community Relations
(janny@apex.org).
May 1 Arigato Bazaar,
Centenary United Methodist Church, 300 S. Central, (Little Tokyo) 10AM-4PM.
213-617-9097.
May 2, 2004 30th
Anniversary Awaya-kai Koto
Concert, 2PM, Marsee Auditorium, El Camino College, 16007 Crenshaw Blvd.,
Torrance, Ca, $10, call 310-329-5965.
May
5-6 VC FilmFest 2004 Asian Pacific
Film & Video Festival. The
George & Sakaye Aratani Japan
America Theatre The Visual Communications Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film & Video Festival
celebrates its 20th anniversary as
the premier presenter of the best and brightest of emerging and veteran
Asian American, Asian Pacific Islander and Asian International cinema
anime, documentaries and drama. Highlights of the 2004 edition include over 100
new and exciting film and video works. A Festival Retro series and Showcase
program: VC Digital Posse 2004 has been added this year. Special panels and
invited guests will be on hand to participate in the Festival. Closing night will be highlighted by
the presentation of the Festival Golden Reel Awards. For ticket and program
information, call VC FILMFEST line
(213) 680-4462, ext. 68 or visit www.vconline.org. Tickets: $7 JACCC Members, Friends of VC,
Students $9 General Admission. More info: call the Box Office at 213.680.3700
May 8 Family FunFest. JACCC
Plaza. Join us at the JACCC
for a weekend of fun. Be a part of
the festivities as the spirit and energy of the Southland's youth breathe life
into the JACCC and Little Tokyo.
Come see and learn more about the cultural diversity that makes Los Angeles so
unique and share in the Japanese celebration of Kodomo no Hi or Children's Day.
Activities include our mini marathon, the Chibi-k: Kids for Kids Fun Run; the
San Tai San: 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament; and the Asian Pacific Arts and
Crafts Faire with games, food, crafts, cultural workshops, entertainment and
more. 10am 4pm, http://www.jaccc.org/familyfunfest/famfunfest.html
May 9 Mother's Day
Hawaiian Style
JACCC Plaza, Free to the public. The JACCC Plaza is replete
with the spirit of ohana on Mother's Day as the JACCC and the Southern
California Hawaiian community invite you and your family to celebrate Mother's
Day Hawaiian Style. What better way to spend this special day than to share in great music and dance, food
and shopping with the ones you love most. http://www.jaccc.org/familyfunfest/famfunfest.html
May 15-16 TAIKOPROJECT: (re)generation
Location: The George & Sakaye Aratani
Japan America Theatre
Featuring: Naoko
Amemiya, Masato Baba, Michelle Fujii, Kelsey Furuta, Tiffany Furuta, Shoji
Kameda, Yuta Kato, Bryan Yamami. Directed by John Miyasaki (hereandnow
theatre company) Musical Direction by Shoji Kameda (On Ensemble)
Artistic Direction by Bryan Yamami (Kinnara Taiko). Born and bred in L.A., the
TAIKOPROJECT is an ensemble of the
country's most dynamic young taiko drummers, coming together for the first time
in artistic collaboration aimed at taking
American taiko to the "next level." TAIKOPROJECT's first
full-scale production
"(re)generation," blends taiko with storytelling, electronic music, hip hop choreography and voice in a high-energy, multimedia
experience. Individually, these artists have performed with an illustrious roster of taiko ensembles
including San Francisco Taiko Dojo, Kinnara Taiko, San Jose Taiko, Shasta
Taiko, the Kenny Endo Taiko
Ensemble, On Ensemble, Tsunami Taiko,
Portland Taiko, UCLA Kyodo Taiko and Stanford Taiko.
For more
information, visit www.TAIKOPROJECT.com
Tickets $25, $22
JACCC Members, $30 orchestra, $27 balcony
May 30 Geino Bu of
the Okinawa Association of
America, Inc. presents its 12th annual Utayabira Wuduyabira
(Let¼s Sing, Let¼s Dance) at the Armstrong Theater, 330 Civic Center Dr.,
Torrance, 2PM , $15. Info & tickets at 310-532-1929.
May 29-31 Welcome to Pacific Media Expo,
a new generation of convention for a new generation of fans! Pacific Media Expo
seeks to create an entertainment community for artists, industry and their
fans. Pacific Media Expo exists to bring the cutting edge of Asian
entertainment to America. Whether the trend is the hottest anime from Japan,
the coolest DJ's from Asia, or the most creative combination of sports and
martial arts in Hong Kong history, Pacific Media Expo will endeavor to bring it
to you! Pacific Media Expo is hosted by Pacific Media Association, Inc. http://www.pacificmediaexpo.com/pmx/main.html
The Pacific Asia Museum (46 N. Los Robles
Ave., Pasadena, 91101, 626-449-2742) Family Festival schedule for 2004,
Saturdays, 1-4:
(coming soon.)
This Weekend (and earlier)
April 21 Persian Sufi Music
with Houman Pourmehdi At UCLA. The UCLA Dept of World Arts & Cultures
(World Arts & Cultures), Center for Intercultural Performance (www.wac.ucla.edu/cip)
and the LA County Arts Commission (http://www.lacountyarts.org/ ) present Houman Pourmehdi in concert. The internationally celebrated
percussionist, vocalist, and composer will perform a special solo recital of
Persian Sufi music. Houman Pourmehdi is a master percussionist, vocalist, and
composer. He was privileged to study Tonbak under supervision of Grand Master
Amir Nasser Eftetah, and Master Morteza Ayan. Houman studied the heart-to-heart
traditional techniques of playing Daf under guidance of the Grand Masters, Haj
Agha Sadeghi, Mirza AghaGhosi and Darvish Karim. His knowledge of traditional
repertoire and intimacy with Sufis make for a very personal style of
interpretation in his compositions. Pourmehdi has played a pivotal part in
advancing the tonbak's role in ensemble work with his distinct style in playing
tonbak. He is a key member of the renowned LA based LI€N ENSEMBLE and has
performed throughout the world as both a solo artist and accompanist for
world's most prestigious and renowned artists. Reception to follow.
Admission is free, but seating is limited; call 310-206-1335 for additional
information. 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM. Kinross Building, 11000 Kinross Avenue, Room
126 (Off-campus location) Westwood Village, CA 90095. Cost: Free
April 22 Lecture - An Introduction to the
Visions, Sounds, and Themes of Popular Indian Cinema At the UCLA Fowler Museum
of Cultural History. The UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History presents "An Introduction to the Visions, Sounds, and Themes of
Popular Indian Cinema,"
a lecture by Professor Joseph
Nagy and Assistant
Professor Yogita Goyal, UCLA Department of English. Learn
about the vast film traditions of Bollywood in this lecture, which will feature
film clips with English subtitles. 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM, UCLA Fowler Museum of
Cultural History, UCLA Campus, Los Angeles, CA 90095, Cost: Free. For more
information please contact:
UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History Tel: 310-825-4361. Email: fowlerws@arts.ucla.edu.
Website: www.fowler.ucla.edu/
April 23 Film Screening -
Films of Isao Takahata At the Pacific Theater, Hollywood. The University of
Southern California's Provost's Distinguised Visitors Program presents a screening
of the films of Japanese animation director Isao Takahata in honor of his
visit to Los Angeles. Takahata is one of the founding figures in Japanese
animation, and is co-founder, together with Hayao Miyazaki, of the celebrated
Studio Ghibli. A Question and Answer Session follows the screening.
This event is held in conjunction with "Animation and the Contemporary Japanese Imagination,"
a one-day symposium held April 24, 2004 at the USC Annenberg Center for
Communication.
Program
- 2pm
Screening of "Grave of the Fireflies" - 4pm
Screening of "My Neighbors the Yamadas" - 6:30pm
Screening of "Pom Poko " - 8:30pm
Introduction by Gordon Berger, Director USC East Asian Studies Center and Chair, Faculty Selection Committee, Provost's Distinguished Visitors Program
Question and Answer Session by Isao Takahata - 9:30pm
Reception sponsored by the School of Cinema-Television
Additional support comes from
Studio Ghibli, Walt Disney Company. Central Park Media, and the following
organizations at USC: The Center for Visual Anthropology, the Center for
Feminist Research, the Annenberg Center for Communication, the East Asian
Studies Center, the School of Cinema-Television, the ETC Digital Cinema
Laboratory located at the Pacific Theater in Hollywood, and the Institute for
Multimedia Literacy.The Pacific Theater, 6433 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood,
CA 90028. Cost: Free. For more information please contact USC Provost's
Distinguised Visitors Program Email:
anime@annenberg.edu.
Website: www.annenberg.edu/anime
April 24 Symposium - Animation and the
Contemporary Japanese Imagination The USC Annenberg Center for Communication
presents "Animation
and the Contemporary Japanese Imagination," a one-day symposium featuring keynote
speaker Isao
Takahata, acclaimed director
and one of the founders of Japanese animation. The symposium also features talks by Steve Alpert, senior
vice president at Studio Ghibli and Anne Allison, chair of Duke University's
Department of Anthropology. In addition, there will be a screening of
Takahata's film, "Only Yesterday." The afternoon features a workshop
aimed at educators seeking to use animation as a vehicle for teaching about
Japanese culture and society. This is a unique opportunity to engage with the
broad historical, social, and cultural context of animation, one of the most
celebrated of contemporary Japanese cultual forms. In addition, the Annenberg
Center will be screening
Takahata films which have as of yet had only limited releases in the US.
Takahata's works provide an ideal focal point for discussion in that they deal
with historical and contemporary themes specific to Japanese culture and
society, while also having international appeal and resonance.
Symposium program
- 8:30 a.m.
Coffee and Continental Breakfast sponsored by the East Asian Studies Center - 9:00 a.m.
Opening Remarks
Gordon Berger, Director, East Asian Studies Center and Chair, Faculty Selection Committee, Provost's Distinguished Visitors Program Mizuko Ito, Fellow, USC Department of Anthropology and Annenberg Center for Communication Nancy Lutkehaus, Professor, USC Department of Anthropology and Center for Feminist Research - 9:15 a.m.
Keynote address
Isao Takahata, Director, Studio Ghibli "Our Works and Traditional Japanese Culture" - 11:30 a.m.
Steve Alpert, Senior Vice President, Studio Ghibli ÒJapanese Animation Why Americans DonÕt Get It, But Europeans DoÓ - 12:15 a.m.
Anne Allison, Chair, Department of Anthropology, Duke University "Postwar Monsterology: Japanese Cultural Exports from Godzilla to Pokemon" - 1:15 p.m.
Screening: "Only Yesterday," directed by Isao Takahata at the Ron Howard Screening Room at the Zemeckis Center (3131 S. Figueroa) - 3:30 p.m.
Workshop: Teaching Japanese Culture Through Animation Moderated by Nancy C. Lutkehaus
Confirmed participants include: Anne Allison, Steve Alpert, Gordon Berger (USC), Mizuko Ito, Stan Rosen (USC), Ellen Seiter (USC) - 5:30 p.m.
Reception at the Annenberg Center for Communication
This event is supported by Studio
Ghibli, the Association for Asian Studies' Northeast Asia Council and by
several USC organizations including: The Provost's Distinguished Visitor's
Program, the Center for Visual Anthropology, the Center for Feminist Research,
the Annenberg Center for Communication, the East Asian Studies Center and the
Institute for Multimedia Literacy.
USC Annenberg Center for Communication, 734 West Adams Boulevard, Los
Angeles, CA 90007. Cost: Free. For more information please contact USC
Annenberg Center for Communication Email:
anime@annenberg.edu Website: www.annenberg.edu/anime
Lecture
Series - Religion and Myth in Indian Art. The Norton Simon Museum presents
"Religion and Myth in Indian Art," a four-session series held in the
Museum¼s Theater exploring religious and mythological themes in the art of
India, with special emphasis on works in the Norton Simon collections.
Presented by Dr. Louise Yuhas, Chair of the Department of Art History and Visual Arts at Occidental College, these lectures on Buddhist and Hindu art range from pre-iconic Buddhist pillars from Bharhut to Rajput paintings included in the exhibition "Painted Poems: Rajput Paintings from the Ramesh and Urmil Kapoor Collection." Suggested readings will be provided for further study. The cost is $15 per session. Call (626) 844-6980 to register.
Saturday,
April 24, 10:30 a.m. [Last in series]
"Vishnu and His Avatars"
Vishnu
is the compassionate god, the lord of family values,who preserves the world and
rescues it from destruction. Manifesting himself as a cosmic boar and as a
lion-man, he subdues demons who threaten the world; as Rama and Krishna, he
models universal love and devotion as well as heroic valor.
Norton
Simon Museum, 411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena , CA 91105-1825. $15 per
session. Call (626) 844-6980 to register. For more information please contact
Norton Simon Museum Tel: 626) 844-6980, Website: www.nortonsimon.org
April 24 Cambodian Ritural through Dance
and Song, 8PM at the Japan America Theatre, $20-23. Pre Concert event at 5PM
including, dance, food, music, books, arts, and crafts in the JACCC plaza,
free.
April
24 Pilgrimage to Manzanar. Since 1969,
the Manzanar Committee, a non-profit educational organization, has sponsored an
annual pilgrimage to Manzanar. For more information, please contact Manzanar
Committee, 1566 Curran Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026, phone: 323-662-5102, http://www.manzanarcommittee.org.
Also see http://www.nps.gov/manz/pilgrimage.htm
April 24 APEX March Membership Mixer @
Oiwake!
Saturday. Set your calendars for a night
of networking with other professionals and meeting fellow APEX members and APEX
Board of Directors!
* Sign Up for Membership
* Join a Committee (Professional,
Community, Cultural, Membership, AMP,
etc.)
* Consider a Leadership Position
* Find out about Upcoming Events
Feel free to bring family, friends and
associates.
Restaurant Oiwake is the perfect
destination for pleasant dining and great Japanese cuisine. They also a wide
variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks at their full bar. 7PM to 10PM, Restaurant Oiwake,122
Japanese Village Plaza Mall, Los Angeles, CA 90012-3909. FREE for members (or
those who join that night)! $5 for non-members. Contact: Sung Noh, APEX Director of Membership
(Sung@apex.org)
April 24-25 Los Angeles Times Festival of
Books at UCLA, http://www.latimes.com/extras/festivalofbooks/
April
25 The Legend of Fire Horse Woman, by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston,
2PM at the Japanese American National Museum. In Japan, no Fire Horse Woman
could ever dream of marrying. It was a tragic sign, a ruinous birth date that
occurred once every sixty years. Though always beautiful, Fire Horse Women were
destined to remain untamed by men - and were to be avoided as wives at all
cost. An orphan as well, Sayo had two strikes against her. But her loving
mentor kept her secrets and made a match for her with the second son of a
wealthy family - a son who was staking his own claim in America. Though beset
by doubts and unforeseen circumstances, tragedy and pain, Sayo learns to
harness the power of the Fire Horse in this new land and survive all the
obstacles that life sets in her path. But as the winds of World War II begin to
blow across America, Sayo and her family find themselves looked upon as enemies
and interned in a desert camp. There, under immense hardship, Sayo, her
daughter Hanna, and her granddaughter Terri persevere. In Japan, no Fire Horse
Woman could ever dream of marrying. It was a tragic sign, a ruinous birth date
that occurred once every sixty years. Though always beautiful, Fire Horse Women
were destined to remain untamed by men - and were to be avoided as wives at all
cost. An orphan as well, Sayo had two strikes against her. But her loving
mentor kept her secrets and made a match for her with the second son of a
wealthy family - a son who was staking his own claim in America. Though beset
by doubts and unforeseen circumstances, tragedy and pain, Sayo learns to
harness the power of the Fire Horse in this new land and survive all the
obstacles that life sets in her path. But as the winds of World War II begin to
blow across America, Sayo and her family find themselves looked upon as enemies
and interned in a desert camp. There, under immense hardship, Sayo, her
daughter Hanna, and her granddaughter Terri persevere.
Through April 25 at
LACMA LOS ANGELESãKamisaka Sekka (1866‚1942) is considered one of the greatest
Japanese artists of the first half of the twentieth century. He was the final
master of an historic Japanese artistic tradition known as Rimpa, founded in
the early seventeenth century, and through his collaborative work in many media
and as a proponent of the development of modern crafts, he is known as the
father of modern design in Japan. From February 5 through April 25, LACMA
presents Kamisaka Sekka: Rimpa MasterãPioneer of Modern Design, the first large-scale retrospective of Sekka¼s
work. The exhibition, housed in LACMA¼s unique Pavilion for Japanese Art,
surveys the range of his stunning originality and prolific creative output.
Rimpa artists are renowned for working in many mediums and formats, and Sekka
embraced this tradition as well. The exhibition, comprising approximately 150
works, includes painted screens and hanging scrolls, woodblock-printed books,
lacquers, textiles, and ceramics. Sekka alone created the paintings on screens
and hanging scrolls. When he worked in other mediums, he collaborated with
artisans who made objects based on his designs. He believed strongly in giving
credit to those who executed the woodblock, lacquer, textile, or ceramics he
designed, and Sekka often included the artisan¼s name as co-creator. Kamisaka
Sekka: Rimpa MasterãPioneer of Modern Design is the first comprehensive exhibition of the work of this famed artist,
bringing together for the first time the amazing array of his artistic output.
LACMA, with the National Museum of Modern Art in Kyoto and the Birmingham
Museum of Art, is privileged to present this exhibition and to help portray
Kamisaka Sekka as one of the leading artistic forces of early-20th-century
Japan. http://lacma.org/
April 27 Lotus Steps, dance recital by
the UCLA Chinese Cultural Dance Club, Royce Hall, 7PM. Tickets are free but
must be reserved-see the website. http://www.studentgroups.ucla.edu/ccdc/
April
29 Fresh Words & Actions: Cold
Tofu's Tofu Spring Break, 7:30 PM at the Japanese American National Museum.
Don't know where to go for Spring Break? Forget Florida or Mexico - you won't
even need to pack your bags. Spend your break with Cold Tofu for some fun and
outrageous comedy improvisation. With Cold Tofu and your suggestions, you never
know what's going to happen! Cold Tofu is dedicated to promoting diverse images
of Asian Pacific Americans through comedy and to developing multiethnic talent
through education and performance. Visit Cold Tofu at www.coldtofu.com.
Last Weekend
I was only able to make a touch-and-go at
the Bunka-sai Japanese festival in Torrance near closing on Saturday. All the
entertainment was over, but I did eat a lot of junk food since the vendors were
trying to get rid of it at that point.
--------------------------------------------
LA Times: (The Times are requiring
registration again, but you might as well sign up for the free on-line access
to their articles. This week they may even be accessible without registration)
April 18 THE WORLD
Far
East Moves to Old West Music
Singapore residents are
adept at staying in sync through line dancing, which came to the city-state in
the 1990s
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-adfg-linedance18apr18,1,756897.story
April 14 LOS ANGELES
Car
Dealer, Immigrants Settle Suit
Chinese-speaking buyers
were falsely told bad credit meant they must take high-interest loans,
plaintiffs say. Financial award is undisclosed.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-chinese14apr14,1,3941398.story
April 14 COLUMN ONE
When
in Rome, Use Chopsticks
A growing Chinese
community has made a district its own. The arrival of a new culture is
provoking unease in the Eternal City
http://www.latimes.com/la-fg-ciaomein14apr14,1,6438363.story
April 20 Beyond the
barbed wire, a string of skinny goldens
http://www.latimes.com/la-os-escape20apr20,1,5404628.story
April 19 COLUMN ONE
Big
Man on Campus Reform
William Ouchi, friend and
advisor to state education chief Richard Riordan, is determined to bring
entrepreneurial methods to schools.
http://www.latimes.com/la-me-ouchi19apr19,1,3478746.story
April 18 FILM REVIEW
'Balzac'
a hidden treasure from the Far East
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/pilot/ent/la-dpt-depko18apr18,1,1787007.story
April 18 LOS ANGELES
Taiwanese
Celebrate Election in Homeland
Concerns over violence
between members of rival parties delay Southland festivities marking the
reelection of President Chen
THE WORLD
Tolerance
and Fear Collide in the Netherlands
Long deemed a nation of
liberal values, it plans to deport 26,000 asylum seekers amid concerns that
immigrants pose a threat to Dutch culture
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-dutch18apr18,1,6215922.story
April 17 DISPATCH FROM NEW YORK CITY
Celebrating
Immigration's New Face
Official events and pop
culture are beginning to pay tribute to the contributions of the diverse wave
of recent newcomers to the city
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-nyimmig17apr17,1,3697940.story
April 17 ORANGE COUNTY
He's
No Business Guru, but a Lot of Stock Is Put in His Advice
Executives at a UC Irvine
meeting ask the Dalai Lama about trade and technology, but he insists he's no
expert. They listen anyway.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-dalai17apr17,1,3453809.story
April 17 THE WORLD
Little
Weight to China's Gym Fad
Don't let all the
equipment fool you: Shanghai's health clubs serve a clientele more interested
in being seen than in being fit.
http://www.latimes.com/la-fg-gym17apr17,1,1125074.story
April 18 THE WORLD
Loyalty
to U.S. Finally Paying Off for Hmong
Nearly three decades
after they last fought communists in their native Laos, refugees at a Thai camp
are to get American citizenship.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-hmong18apr18,1,6281459.story
