THE APPA Newsletter

THE APPA Newsletter

May 11, 2003

See This Weekend

Asian Pacific Heritage Month:

http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/feature/asia/

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/asianhistory1.html

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sahar Moridani

April 30, 2004

213/978-0741

MAYOR HAHN KICKS OFF ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

Los Angeles - Mayor Jim Hahn, joined by City Councilmembers and members of

the business, entertainment and civic communities, kicked off a month of

citywide celebrations for the 27th Annual Asian Pacific American Heritage

Month.

"Los Angeles has the distinction of being one of the most

culturally diverse cities in the nation. Asian Americans and Pacific

Islanders enrich Los Angeles through social, educational, political,

scientific and cultural contributions to our city," said Mayor Hahn. "This

year's theme, 'Arts, Entertainment and Technology,' highlights some of the

core strengths of the community. I am honored to participate for the third

year in a row in celebrating this great heritage."

"This morning's celebration highlights just a few of the

talented and accomplished people in the Asian Pacific-Islander community,"

said Terry Ogawa, Co-Chair of the Los Angeles Asian Pacific-Islander

American Heritage Committee. "I am so pleased that Mayor Hahn, the City

Councilmembers and the City of Los Angeles joined together to honor these

special people."

"Our Asian Pacific Islander calendar and cultural guide

provide a comprehensive overview of cultural resources and events all over

the city. Information about these activities can be found at

www.culturela.org," said Margie Reese, general manager of the Cultural

Affairs Department.

At the kickoff, Mayor Hahn presented plaques to honorees in

ten categories:

· Journalism: Yet Lock, Vice President for City News Service

· Business: George Aratani, former owner of Mikasa & Kenwood

· Sports: Dr. Sammy Lee, Olympic Gold Medalist for diving

· Health: Dr. Gene Sekiguchi, first Asian American President of

American Dental Association

· Biotechnology: Dr. Erlinda M. Gordon, Co-inventor of treatment

for pancreatic cancer

· Law: Judge Lance Ito, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge

· Literature: Helie Lee, Author, "Still Life With Rice" and "In

the Absence of Sun"

· Sports Entertainment: Rob Fukuzaki, Sports Newscaster

· Film Entertainment: Lou Diamond Philips, Actor

· Arts & Culture: Dream Pets, stuffed animal designed by

Japanese factory workers in 1957

During his remarks, Mayor Hahn highlighted city efforts to address the

needs of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, including:

developing new LAPD bilingual recruitment programs to expand recruitment of

Korean, Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese and Vietnamese-speaking officers; the

installation of over 90 new street and pedestrian lights in Chinatown;

developing Historic Filipinotown; working to fund revitalization projects

in Little Tokyo; and creating the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs to

facilitate access to city services, benefits and opportunities.

Mayor Hahn also presented a calendar of events to celebrate Asian Pacific

American Heritage Month. Attendees were invited to participate in the

Asian Pacific-Islander Heritage Marketplace, a vibrant outdoor festival of

food, arts and exhibits, later in the day. Other events include:

"Searching for Asian America" at the Directors Guild of America on May 2, a

three-part series of profiles discussing what it is like to be Asian

American today; a community reception on May 26 at the Petersen Automotive

Museum; and M. Butterfly, the Tony Award-winning play, at the David Henry

Hwang Theater, June 3 - July 4.

Pacific Islander dancers opened the kickoff event with a lively display of

Asian Pacific culture and concluded the event by leading the honorees into

City Council Chambers for a special presentation. For additional

information regarding Asian Pacific American Heritage month or to obtain a

calendar of events, please visit the website at www.apahm.org.

###

Alexander C. Kim

L.A. Housing & Business Team

West Los Angeles/Mid-Wilshire, Koreatown/Chinatown

Office of Mayor James K. Hahn - City of Los Angeles

Liaison to the Asian-American Community

200 N. Spring St. 13th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90012

Tel. 213-978-1494 Fax. 213-978-0780

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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 19 APEX Dinner Resume Workshop 7:00-8:30 PM Networking Reception 8:30-9:30 PM Presented by Professional Development Committee. Looking for a job? Thinking about making a career change? It’s time to update your resume! In this competitive market where your resume is the only tool to distinguish yourself from hundreds of candidates and connect with the employer, it is essential to have a powerful and targeted resume. Commit yourself to find a job or make a career change by joining us at the dinner Resume Workshop. A recruiter will be present to give insights to what employers are looking for. We will provide resume tips, the do’s and don’ts, and industry/function specific jargon for a targeted resume. Join us after for the Networking Reception! Ching Restaurant, 3600 Wilshire Blvd (corner of Wilshire and Kingsley) Los Angeles, CA 90010 (213) 380-3600. Dinner, Resume Workshop, and Networking Reception:

$20 Members and Students with ID, $25 Non-members. Networking Reception: Free for members; $5 Non-members. Contact Alice Wang, Director of Professional Development, Alice@apex.org

May 22 The Pacific Asia Museum (46 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena, 91101, 626-449-2742 Experience Asia CultureFest, 11am-5pm. In celebration of Asian Pacific Heritage Month, the museum will present Experience Asia CultureFest, a major community festival, on Saturday, May 22, 2004 from 11am-5pm. Based on the museum's successful series of Family Festival Days, this day-long, admission-free, family-friendly arts festival will feature an exciting array of events and activities from different Asian and Pacific Island cultures. The event will present live music, dance and theater performances, exhibitions, storytelling, workshops, informal talks, culinary samplings and demonstrations of traditional arts and crafts. The festival will take place throughout the galleries as well as in the parking lot adjacent to the museum. http://www.pacificasiamuseum.org/calendar/familyfestivals.htm

On May 22nd, in addition to our 10th Annual Youth Olympics, APEX in partnership with A3M (Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches) will hold a donor drive.

How does this affect me?

Each year, hundreds of Asian and Pacific Islander children and adults are stricken with blood diseases. Approximately 30 percent of the patients have a family member, generally a sibling, who is able to donate marrow/stem cells. However, 70% must search for the matching donor outside their family. According to the National Marrow Donors Program, there are over 2.4 million donors registered nationwide. However, Asian donors make up only 5.4 percent of this group, making them the group with the second-lowest percentage registered. The only other ethnicity with lower numbers is the Native American category, with 1.3 percent. The Caucasian category makes up 59.8 percent of the national registry.

About Youth Olympics (http://www.apex.org/yo/yo.cfm)

Youth Olympics helps to inspire and motivate today's youth to excel in education, community and personal growth and this year, in addition to our Youth Olympics, we hope to bring about awareness to the lack of Asian donors in our community through the donor drive. APEX strongly encourages all of you to participate by coming out to support our youth as well as to become a donor.

About A3M (http://www.asianmarrow.org)

Asians for Miracle Marrow Matches is committed to the improvement of the health and welfare of all people by providing education, assistance, and facilitating prompt access to potential marrow/stem cell donors. We are dedicated to offering hope to the thousands suffering from diseases, which are treatable by stem cell transplant.

May 20 Fresh Words & Actions: Manzanar: The Story of an American Family

7:30 PM - 9:30 PM This musical explores the upheaval and discrimination Japanese Americans endured during World War II when the government ordered all people of Japanese descent to be interned. Twelve-year-old Margaret has dreams of becoming a big band singer, but her hopes are shattered by the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Margaret's life is changed forever as she and her family are relocated to the Manzanar concentration camp. Manzanar: The Story of an American Family shows how one girl's broken dreams eventually gives her the strength and courage to rebuild her life. In collaboration with East West Players' Theater for Youth. JANM, http://www.janm.org/events/m_2004-05.html

May 26 Pasadena City College’s Music Club to present Koto Concert with Yukiko Matsuyama at 7:30PM, Harbeson Hall. Free-Will donation. Contact Aces International Strings at aces_I_strings@yahoo.com, 626-357-3725.

May 30 Geino Bu of the Okinawa Association of America, Inc. presents its 12^th annual Utayabira Wuduyabira (Letºs Sing, Letºs 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

June 4th, Sake Talk and Tasting 7pm In conjunction with Kampai! The Arts of Japanese Sake, Pacific Asia Museum will hold its second sake tasting. The event will include an exhibition tour and introduction to sake by museum curator Meher McArthur followed by a tasting of ten types of sake presented by Pacific International Liquor. Pacific Asia Museum members, Japan America Society and Asia Society members are $25; non-members are $30. Reservations are required, please call ext. 19. The Pacific Asia Museum (46 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena, 91101, 626-449-2742 http://www.pacificasiamuseum.org/calendar/events.htm

June 5 Asia America Symphony Orchestra at The George & Sakaye Aratani Japan America Theatre, David Benoit, Conductor, performing Gabriel Faure’s Pavanne Opus 50 and Mendelssohn’s Symphony #4 in A Mino\Opus 90 Italian Symphony. HIROSHIMA, guest artists. This is truly a once in a lifetime event a rare opportunity to hear HIROSHIMA one of the greatest Asian American bands of all time, jamming with David Benoit and the Orchestra. Season Finale, with reception to follow Tickets: $35 Premier Orchestra seating, $25 orchestra, balcony. More info: call the Box Office at 213.680.3700

June 6 Genkai Ryuji, top actor of Japan’s Popular Theater Circle, will perform at 1PM at the Aratani/Japan America Theatre in Little Tokyo as a guest star of the 3^rd Oedo-Ichiza Charity Show. $30. Call Matsubara Senryu at 909-628-5854.

June 13 Okinawa Style Koto Association Koyokai 40^th Anniversary, 11:30 luncheon at the Torrance Marriott Hotel, 3635 Fashion Way, 90503. 40 performers of koto, shanshin and dance from Okinawa and local performers. $30, call Itsumi Jacomo at 714-963-4171, Jane Kuniyoshi at 310-530-0208, or Helene Shimane at 310-323-7965.

June 19, Painting Demo, Gongbi Demonstration 1pm-2pm Zhou Ping-guang, featured artist in A Modern Pursuit of Ancient Feelings (on display at Pacific Museum from May 7 through July 4, 2004) will demonstrate his skill in the "gongbi" technique of painting exquisite images of birds and flowers. A professor at the Sichuan Art Institute, Zhou Ping-guang is a Senior-Level Artistic Scholar of China, and immigrated to the United States in 1998 as an "Outstanding Artist with Extraordinary Achievements." His work possesses elements of traditional Chinese paintings while incorporating modern sensibilities. The program is free with museum admission. Please call ext. 31 for reservations and information. The Pacific Asia Museum (46 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena, 91101, 626-449-2742

July 24 Ho'ike 2004 Halau Hula a Kawka Laua 'o Leinani and the Kalika Band 8th Annual Fundraiser Concert at the George & Sakaye Aratani/Japan America Theatre. Dances of the South Pacific to be performed by the students of Halau Hula a Kawika laua 'o Leinani. Over 100 dancers, children and adults, will be on stage along with the Hawaiian band Kalika. A great 2 hours on Entertainment!! Bring the Ohana for this colorful and lively performance. Tickets: $15 per person, general seating. To charge by phone contact the box office or call (909) 396-4775. More info: call the Box Office at 213.680.3700

This Weekend (and earlier)

May 13 “Raising Our Voices: South Asian Americans Address Hate” documentary screens at 5:30PM at the Aratani/ Japan America Theatre in Little Tokyo, 244 S. San Pedro St., Little Tokyo. Panel discussion follows with Councilwoman Judy Chu, Ismael Ileto, and others. $10, RSVP to Adhali Arevalo, 213-386-3114.

May 13 APEX and (H)API Hour Teams up Together! Thursday, 7:00pm - 9:00pm APEX is proud to team up with (H)API Hour Los Angeles to help benefit three incredible APA non-profit community serving groups. All throughout Southern California, there are multiple organizations working fervently in the community. We would like to introduce 3 possible avenues of getting involved! For this particular event, we would like to highlight and benefit:

- Asian Rehabilitation Services

- API Social Work, CSULA

- Go For Broke Educational Foundation

Come and network with other community minded professionals! Thanks to Paradise owner Vince Kikugawa, a portion of the evening's bar sales will be donated to the three nonprofit organizations. Paradise Restaurant889 W. 190th Street (Vermont Ave.)Gardena, CA

Contact: RSVP here or contact Jason Park at Jason@apex.org, APEX Vice President.

Contact Name: Jason Park, Jason@apex.org

May 13 Fresh Words & Actions: Innocent When You Dream, by Ken Narasaki, 7:30-9:30PM Eighty-year-old nisei Dan Yamada has suffered a catastrophic stroke and his grown children do their best to convince the hospital staff to help them pull the plug. Meanwhile, back in the 1940s, a young Yamada meets a girl whom he comforts, but can never understand. Both time periods move forward as the play progresses until Yamada finally finds forgiveness and perhaps regain a measure of innocence when past and present finally connect. Ken Narasaki is an actor/writer and founding member of the Asian Pacific American Media Coalition, which is working in concert with the NAACP, the Latino Media Coalition, and Native Americans in Film and TV to help foster diversity on prime time television. Innocent When You Dream was developed in the David Henry Hwang Writer's Institute. In collaboration with East West Players' Writer's Gallery. At the JANM, http://www.janm.org/events/m_2004-05.html

May 15 Little Tokyo Walking Tour from the Japanese American National Museum. The Little Tokyo community in Los Angeles was once a thriving residential, business, and cultural center of the largest Japanese American community in the United States until World War II. Relive history and learn about present day Little Tokyo with National Museum volunteers on this historical walking tour. Fees are $5 for National Museum members and $11 for non-members, includes Museum admission. Reservations and comfortable shoes and clothes are recommended. Weather permitting. 10:15 AM - 12:15 PM, www.janm.org

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 15, 16 Shadow Theatre of Anaphoria 8pm-10pm Theater

The Shadow Theatre of Anaphoria will perform Frenzy at the Royal Threshold, a contemporary fable about the most famous marriage in the land of Anaphoria. Portrayed against a backdrop of the theater traditions of the Far and Near East, the Shadow Theater of Anaphoria brings this final chapter of the Anaphorian classic epic where good battles evil and love conquers all. General admission is $10 and $8 for museum members. For reservations and information, please call 323-258-3260 (available until 5/14) or e-mail to kraiggrady@anaphoria.com. Online pictures can be seen at http://www.anaphoria.com/shadow.html (caution: long download!) The Pacific Asia Museum (46 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena, 91101, 626-449-2742 http://www.pacificasiamuseum.org/calendar/events.htm

May 15, 16 Solo Kabuki “Lovers’ Suicide at Amaijima to be performed by Sayoko Shirotani at NoHo Theatre Festival, 12:30 on May 15 and at 2PM on May 16. Secret Rose Theatre, 11246 Magnolia Blvd., N. Hollywood, 91601, 818-766-3691.

May 16 Taiwan Festival at Barnes Park, 350 S. McPherrin Ave., Monterey Park, 11AM-6PM. Food stands, cultural craft works, photography exhibit, dance, traditional songs. Sponsored by the 2004 Taiwanese American Heritage Week Committee, Greater Los Angeles Area, 626-307-4881

Last Weekend(s)

I went to:

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

There was also a performance of Okinawan music and dance across the street at Little Tokyo Village.

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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. Calendar articles are usually only accessible with a paid subscription.)

Problems with the LA Times this week, so instead from the Washington Post:

Lessons of a by-the-Book Soldier

At Hearing, Taguba Provides Straight Talk During a Time of Elusive Truths

By David Von Drehle

Washington Post Staff Writer

Wednesday, May 12, 2004; Page A18

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A18916-2004May11.html

U.S. Muslims' Viewpoints Surveyed

Among the Poll's Findings: 85% Disapprove of Bush

By Bill Broadway

Washington Post Staff Writer

Saturday, May 1, 2004; Page B09