THE APPA Newsletter

July 13, 2004

See This Weekend

 

 

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.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

ed. by Douglas Ikemi

(dkikemi@pacbell.net)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

APPA Board Meeting Schedule for 2004:

Wednesday evening meetings open to the public will be at the Hilton Garden Inn, 2100 Mariposa Ave.(corner of Nash) at 6PM.

August 11

October 13

December 15

 

Detailed, updated calendar is available on the internet at www.apa-pro.org in Acrobat and Excel formats [I'll update it someday when I have some more time] . 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 

 

June 19 - July 25 Contemporary Japanese  Crafts at the George J. Doizaki Gallery in the JACCC. This exhibition explores the heart of late 20th century  Japanese applied arts combining centuries of rich tradition  with contemporary aesthetics. Highlighted are more than 60  striking examples of ceramic, wood and iron works providing  insights into contemporary Japanese crafts. This exhibit  examines the themes of functionality, artistic expression and  the use of materials. Concurrently, the works of contemporary  bamboo artist Hajime Nakatomi will be on special exhibit. Hours: Tuesday- Friday, 12noon- 5pm, Saturday and Sunday, 11am- 4pm.  Closed on Mondays and Holidays. For more information, call (213) 628-2725. Admission Free. http://www.jaccc.org/event_%20related/jaccc_calendar.html#anchor1193502

 

June 18 - September 20, Chinese Art from the Permanent Collection at the Norton Simon Museum. Revealing the breadth of the Museum's Asian holdings, this intimate exhibition showcases a selection of Chinese works of art, the majority of which are on view at the Museum for the first time. Buddhist artworks in the exhibition include a limestone Stele with Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Donors, dated 478, from the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), a marble Torso of the Buddha, c. 577, from the Northern Qi Dynasty (550-577); and two seventh- to eighth-century marbles, Meditating Buddha and Bodhisattva, from the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The exhibition also presents a number of gilt bronze and lacquered wood sculptures dating to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), a period when Tibetan Buddhism played an important role in China. The wrathful female deity Simhavaktra is represented, as is the couple Chakrasamvara and Vajravarahi, locked in a sensual embrace (yab-yum).The museum is open 12-6PM, closed Tuesdays, 12-9 Friday only. The Museum is located at 411 W. Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena on the corner of Orange Grove and Colorado Boulevard at the intersection of the Foothill (210) and Ventura (134) freeway. http://www.nortonsimon.org/

 

May 8- Sep 19 "Enterprising Women: 250 Years of American Business" The Los Angeles Public Library challenges our perceptions of the historic role and significance of female entrepreneurs in the U.S. economy by hosting the groundbreaking exhibition on display in the Central Library's Getty Gallery. Central Library is the sole west-coast venue for this exhibit. From the heart of Los Angeles, a city that boasts over 210,000 women-owned businesses, "Enterprising Women" introduces more than 40 stories of women who helped shape the landscape of American business. The trials and triumphs of a diverse group of inventors, innovators and trendsetters will be revealed through artifacts, costumes, diaries and letters, business and legal documents, photographs and paper ephemera, audio recordings and interactive technology. "Enterprising Women" marks the first time major themes of women's history - work and family, gender and professional identity, femininity and women's "proper place," and sex discrimination - are woven into the fabric of business history. The exhibition invites visitors to examine the change and continuity, over the past 250 years, of the definitions and material symbols of womanhood, ownership and entrepreneurial success. "Enterprising Women" is designed to illuminate and personalize the nation's transformation from an agricultural and household economy to one influenced by industrialization, the rise of big business, the emergence of consumer culture and the technology revolution. The exhibit is organized into five historic sections and enhanced by interactive spaces such as an 18th century print shop, a 19th century dressmaking shop, a turn-of-the-century beauty parlor and a 20th century corporate office. Five Californian entrepreneurs are featured in this exhibit including: Maria de Lourdes Sobrino (owner of Lulu's Desserts), Meg Whitman (eBay president and CEO), Ruth Handler (co-founder of Mattel Toy Co. and creator of the Barbie doll), Mary Pickford (Hollywood actress and movie producer), and Juana Briones (successful Hispanic rancher/trader/midwife and healer who pioneered the settlement of Yerba Buena, now known as San Francisco). The exhibit is on display in the Central Library's Getty Gallery, 630 W. Fifth Street, downtown Los Angeles, during library hours: Monday - Thursday: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Friday, Saturday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Sunday: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. The library is closed holidays. For information, call (213) 228-7500. A catalog of this exhibit is available for purchase at the Library Store or by calling (213) 228-7550. For more information about this catalog, visit the exhibit organizer's web site www.enterprisingwomenexhibit.org.

 

JUNE 5 - OCTOBER 3 Beyond the Floating World: Japanese Woodblock Prints. "Blue Bird," Sozan Ito, Date unknown, Japan. More than 40 original Japanese woodblock prints from the Los Angeles Public Library's collection, featuring notable masters Hiroshige (1797-1858), Ukiyo-e master Utamaro (1750-1806) and Shin-hanga master Shoson (1877-1945), are on display in the exhibition "Beyond Floating World: Japanese Woodblock Prints" from June 5 to October 3 at the Los Angeles Public Library's Central Library, 630 W. Fifth St., downtown. Japanese woodblock prints are among the most collected and appreciated types of Japanese art. The Los Angeles Public Library houses a collection of these prints dating from the 17th century. In response to rapid changes in Japanese society, Ukiyo-e artists of the late 18th and 19th centuries created work that was intensely imaginative and innovative. These prints provided the Japanese urban middle class with a source of artistic pleasure. Many prints portrayed famous kabuki actors costumed for particular roles and renown beauties attired in high fashion. Other popular subjects were scenes from classic Japanese literature, landscapes, townscapes, birds, animals and flowers. Many fine examples of the Shin-hanga or the "new print" movement of the early-to-mid-20th century are also in the Library's collection. During the Shin-hanga movement, artists broadened the range of traditional Ukiyo-e subject matter, reflecting their new-found appreciation for Western art without abandoning the beauty and poetry that was inherent in Ukiyo-e. Throughout this period, the artists continued to embrace the influence from the feudalistic period while incorporating modern sensibilities. Traditionally dismissed as decadent, the artists featured in this exhibition are now being re-evaluated and receiving acclaim for their skill and innovation. This exhibition is sponsored by Farmer's Insurance and presented by the Library Foundation.

Central Library First Floor Galleries 630 West Fifth St. Downtown Los Angeles. The exhibit is free and open to the public during library hours: Monday - Thursday: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. Friday & Saturday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sunday: 1 - 5 p.m. The library is closed holidays. For more information, call (213) 228-7500. Parking is available at 524 S. Flower St. Garage. $6.60 maximum/weekdays after 4 p.m. $1 with library validation.

 

July  13,15,20,22,27,29 Nisei Week Japanese Festival Ondo and Parade Dance practices. Location; JACCC Plaza FREE- Open to the public. 7pm-9pm

 

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

 

.July 23,  Performance - Cambodian Classical Dance: Harmony/Disharmony. Grand Performaces and Khmer Arts Academy present "Harmony/Disharmony," a program describing a universe at peace and in conflict.

This presentation highlights the lavishly costumed stylized dance originally developed for worship in the temples of ancient Angkor and will be accompanied by music composed by Ho C. Chan, a master of the roneat (xylophone), kong (circular gong) and sralai (quadruple-reed oboe). This concert is made possible in part by grants from the California Arts Council and the Fund for Folk Culture's California Traditional Arts Advancement Program, with funding from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the James Irvine Foundation Time: 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM. Grand Performances at California Plaza, 350 S. Grand Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90071. Admission is free; parking $8. California Plaza garage parking is $8 after 5pm on weekdays and all day Saturdays and Sundays. Garage is best accessed from Olive Street between 1st and 4th Streets. Concertline - 213.687.2159; Administration - 213.687.2190, Email: comments@grandperformances.org

 

July 24-25 Tofu Festival http://www.tofufest.org/

 

July 24-25 Higashi Hongwanji Obon summer carnival and Bon-odori, 505 E. 3rd St., LA 90013, 213-626-4200

 

July 24-25 San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon summer carnival and Bon-odori, 9450 Remick Ave., Pacoima 91331, 818-899-4030

 

July 24-25 WLA Buddhist Temple Obon summer carnival and Bon-odori,2003 Corinth Ave., LA 90025, 310-477-7274

 

July 25,  Performance - Cambodian Classical Dance: Dances for a Rising Sun. Grand Performaces and Khmer Arts Academy present "Dances for a Rising Sun," a family concert of dances for, by and about children.

This concert is made possible in part by grants from the California Arts Council and the Fund for Folk Culture's California Traditional Arts Advancement Program, with funding from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the James Irvine Foundation. Time: 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM. Grand Performances at California Plaza, 350 S. Grand Ave.. Los Angeles, CA 90071. Admission is free; parking $8. California Plaza garage parking is $8 after 5pm on weekdays and all day Saturdays and Sundays. Garage is best accessed from Olive Street between 1st and 4th Streets.  Tel: Concertline - 213.687.2159; Administration - 213.687.2190. Email: comments@grandperformances.org

July 31, Aug 1 Gardena Buddhist Church Obon summer carnival and Bon-odori, 1517 W. 166th St., Gardena 90247, 310-327-9400

Aug 7-15 Nisei Week http://www.niseiweek.org/

 

August 8 11th Annual Taiko Gathering, 11am - 4pm, JACCC Plaza. A showcase of local Southern California taiko (Japanese  drum) groups, displaying a wide range of taiko styles and influences from ethnic dance, theatre and hip-hop rhythms. Presented by Nisei Week Japanese Festival and the JACCC. Admission Free

 

August 14 "Mai Matsuri":  A Dance Festival, 3pm, Aratani/Japan America Theatre. Fujima Kansei Odori-kai presents a unique blend of classical  and modern Japanese dance. The dances will take you on a journey depicting  the  different eras, cities and people of Japan. Tickets: $20 General Admission $15 JACCC Members

 

August 15 Yoshida Brothers, JACCC Plaza. Mixing traditional Japanese music with Western influences, the Yoshida Brothers brash, signature sound has elevated them to rock star  status in their native Japan. The Brothers play the age-old Tsugaru-shamisen while  incorporating jazz-like improvisation and pop-rock sensibilities. Admission Free. More info: call the Box Office at 213.680.3700

 

August 15 Katsudo Shashin  (Moving Pictures): Japanese Classic Films Return to Little Tokyo. This series of classic post-war Japanese  films showcases popular and rarely screened master-pieces from 1949 to 1960. These films  cast light  on the dramatic changes Japanese society underwent following  the war.  Co-curators Hirokazu Kosaka and actress Yoko Sugi, featured in  four of  the films, will introduce the films.

SAMURAI Film Festival Sunday, August 15

11am "Benten Kozo" (The Rascal  Benten) 1958. Directed by Daisuke Itoh, (Daiei, 86 min) The exciting tale of Benten-Kozo showcases the charm and talent  of  Raizo Ichikawa. Benten-Kozo and his brave cohorts save various  characters from the heavy hand of Lord Koinuma.

2pm "Nemuri Kyoshiro Shobu" (The  Fight) 1964. Directed by Kenji Misumi, (Daiei, 83 min) Kyoshiro Nemuri (Raizo Ichikawa) is a talented and righteous

 samurai who saves the life of an old man in peril.

5pm "Kiru" (Kiru) 1962. Directed by Kenji Misumi, (Daiei, 71 min) This classic film tells the turbulent tale of Shingo Takakura  (Raizo Ichikawa), a samurai engulfed in the forces of love, jealousy  and revenge.

Sunday, September 12

1pm "Fufu" (Husband and Wife) 1953. Directed by Mikio Naruse, (Toho, 87 min) Ken Uehara plays Isaku Nakahara, married to Kikuko (Yoko Sugi) and tormented by his wife's affections fo a colleague.

5pm "Zoku Aoi Sanmyaku" (Blue Mountains Part II) Directed by Tadashi Imai, (Toho, 91 min) Upon its release, "Blue Mountains" was a colossal box-office hit. Featuring the young Yoko Sugi and Ryo Ikebe, the movie came to symbolize youth's movement to free Japan of its old, feudal values.

Sunday, October 10

1pm "Yukiguni" (Snow Country) 1957. Directed by Shiro Toyoda, (Toho, 120 min)

 Komako (Keiko Kishi) is a beautiful geisha with a deep affection for Shimamura (Ryo Ikebe), a handsome but cold city-dweller. Komako's relationships with others are stained by her love for Shimamura, whose distance is reflected in the dramatic, winter scenery of this film.

5pm "Enjo" (Conflagration) 1958. Directed by Kon Ichikawa, (Daiei, 99 min) Based on a true story, "Conflagration" depicts the tale of the burning of Kinkakuji Temple (called Shukaku in the film).  The beautifully shot film is a visual masterpiece and has garnered multiple awards for its actors.

Sponsors: The Japan Foundation LA, Miwa  Masako, RaiF-Club Supporters: Consulate General Japan, Japanese Chamber of Commerce  of Southern California, Japan America Society (JAS), LTBA, Visual  Communications

$6 General Admission $5 JACCC & JAS Members and Students with ID, Day of Screening. Festival Package - All 9 Films $45 General Admission, $40 JACCC & JAS Members, Students, groups of 10 or more. More info: call the Box Office at 213.680.3700

 

Aug 21 Chilivisions  XVI Visual Communication's Annual Fundraiser

Location: JACCC Plaza and Aratani/Japan  America Theatre. Support the nation's premier Asian Pacific  American media arts center, Visual Communications, by attending the Community Chili Cook-off  followed by a spectacular program showcasing the talent of Asian Pacific  media artists in the 2nd Annual VC Digital Slam, the Steve Tatsukawa Memorial Fund 20th Anniversary Presentation and much more. Check www.vconline.org  or call (213) 687-4848 for further details. For tickets and prices call the Box Office at 213.680.3700. 5pm- Chili Feed, 7:30pm Film Screening

 

Aug 27 Van Cliburn competition winner Jon Nakamatsu performs at the Ford Amphitheatre, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood at 8PM, $12-25, call 323-461-3673.

Sept 11-12Festival of Philippine Arts & Culture, Pt. Fermin, San Pedro. For more info call 213-389-3050, fpac@fialamarts.org, www.filamarts.org+

November 6th & 7th Aquarium of the Pacific Autumn Festival Celebrating the cultures of Japan, China, Korea and Cambodia, http://www.pasadenacherryblossom.org/autumnfest.htm

 

The Van Nuys Japanese Garden needs volunteers on Sundays in work in the Shoin Tea House, 11AM-3PM, 1 or 2 Sundays each month. Volunteers needed to either prepare tea or serve. Gift shop volunteers also needed, Mon-Thu and Sunday, mornings or afternoons, 2-3 hour shifts. Contact: The Japanese Garden, Attn: Betty Ethridge, 6100 Woodley Ave., Van Nuys, CA 91406.

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

This Weekend (and earlier)

 

July 16,  Lecture - Treasures Revealed: Chinese Art at the Norton Simon Museum. The Norton Simon Museum presents "Treasures Revealed: Chinese Art at the Norton Simon Museum," a lecture by Louise Yuhas, Department Chair, Art History and Visual Arts, Occidental College.

Held in conjunction with the exhibition "Chinese Art from the Permanent Collection," on view at the museum from June 18 to September 20, 2004.  Yuhas discusses the Museum's holdings and places them in the broader context of Buddhist art. 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM, 411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena , CA 91105-1825. Free with museum admission: Adults $6; Seniors (62 and above) $3; Patrons under 18, students with valid ID, and Museum Members free. For more information please contact Norton Simon Museum Tel: 626-449-6840, www.nortonsimon.org

 

July 16th Film - Zhou Yu's Train Premieres in Los Angeles. 97 minutes, in Mandarin with English subtitles; not yet rated. Zhou Yu is an artisan who takes the train twice a week, to visit her lover, a shy, handsome poet named Chen Ching. Inspired by Zhou's beauty, Chen has crafted a series of poems for her. On one trip to see him, she encounters a friendly young veterinarian, Dr. Zhang Jiang, who tries to purchase one of Zhou's ceramic vases - a gift intended for Chang that she throws to the ground rather than sell to a persistent Zhang. As the shards of the vase shatter on the floor of the train, we see the pieces of Zhou's romantic life with Chen. By the time she meets Dr. Zhang - an eager suitor younger and much more worldly than the sheltered Chen - Zhou has begun to realize that despite their passion, Chen does not know what kind of future he wants with Zhou. Laemmle's Music Hall - Los Angeles, Laemmle's Playhouse Ð Pasadena, Laemmle'sTown Center 5 Ð Encino. Website: www.laemmle.com/films/film.php?index=294

 

July 17-18 Orange County Buddhist Church Obon summer carnival and Bon-odori, 909 S. Dale Ave., Anaheim, 92804, 714-827-9590, Sat 2-9PM, Sun 2-8:30PM.

 

July 17-18 Pasadena Buddhist Church Obon summer carnival and Bon-odori, 1993 Glen Ave, Pasadena 91103, 626-798-4781

 

July 17-18 Venice Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon summer carnival and Bon-odori, 12371 Braddock Dr., Culver City 90230, 310-391-4351

 

,July 17 Discussion - Nonviolence and Social Change: A Dialogue and Lunch with Dwarko Sundrani At California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. The Ahimsa Center presents, "Nonviolence and Social Change: A Dialogue and Lunch with Dwarko Sundrani." This Ahimsa Center Dialogue will focus on experiments in nonviolent social change and will highlight the critical link between spiritual development and socio-economic development-an idea central in the life and work of Mahatma Gandhi as well as the savant-saint Vinoba Bhave. Dwarko Sundrani will share his own insights and anecdotal stories of nonviolent transformation brought about by Vinoba Bhave, including peaceful surrender and rehabilitation of the Dacoits in the Chambal Valley of India. Suggested Contribution at the Door: General $10, K-12 Educators and Students $6. For more information, contact: Professor Tara Sethia, Director, Ahimsa Center (909) 869-3868 or tsethia@csupomona.edu. 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona: Blue Room, Los Olivos Commons, 3801 West Temple Avenue,  Pomona , CA 91768. RSVP by July 10, 2004. Email: tsethia@csupomona.edu, www.csupomona.edu/ahimsacenter

 

July 17 Okinawa Dance Group Hanyakara will appear at the Aratani/Japan America Theatre, 244 S. San Pedro St., LA 90012, 2 and 6:30PM, $35-45,

 

 

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Last Weekend(s)

 

I went to:

July 10 Oxnard Buddhist Temple Obon summer carnival and Bon-odori, 250 S. H. St., Oxnard, 93030, 805-483-5948. Photos at http://www.ikemi.info/graphics/oxnard2004/index.html

 

July 11 Zenshuji Temple Obon summer carnival and Bon-odori, 123 S. Hewitt St., LA (Little Tokyo) 90012, 213-624-8650, 11AM-8PM. Highpoints included performances by UCLAÕs Kyodo Taiko and by the TempleÕs Zendeko taiko. There was also a jam session with Yoshizawa Sensei. Photos at http://www.ikemi.info/graphics/zenshuji2004/index.html

 

July 10-11 LA Hongwanji Buddhist Temple Obon summer carnival and Bon-odori, 815 E. 1st St., 90012, 213-680-9130 (I just went across the street from the Zenshuji temple to take a peek.)

 

--------------------------------------------

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.)

 

July 13 MIGRATIONS
Fire-breathing optional

"This is the most popular water sport in the whole world," says Howard Chen of the International Cultural Exchange Assn., organizer of the Long Beach World Cup Dragon Boat Tournament since 1997.

http://www.latimes.com/features/outdoors/la-os-migrations,1,7215124.story

 

July 11 THE WORLD
After Soviets, Silk Road Nations Look to a More Glorious Past

By David Holley, Times Staff Writer

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-silkroad11jul11,1,4156684.story

 

July 10 VOICES / A FORUM FOR COMMUNITY ISSUES
Minority Writers Needn't Focus on Being a Minority

By David E. Goldweber

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-vo-goldweber10jul10,1,2959851.story

 

July 9 L.A. Policing Is Called Racially Discriminatory
At forums in response to the recent videotaped beating of a car-theft suspect, people of color tell stories of harassment

By Jason Felch and James Ricci, Times Staff Writers

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/los_angeles_metro/la-me-dialogue9jul09,1,5897512.story

 

July 13 STYLE & CULTURE
Accentuating the positive
Mary Nomura is still 'preachin'' as the Songbird of Manzanar

By James Ricci, Times Staff Writer

http://www.latimes.com/features/lifestyle/la-et-ricci13jul13,1,6235378.story

 

July 11 China Stares Down Stigma

By Mitchell Koss, Mitchell Koss is a television news and documentary producer in Los Angeles. His work has appeared on PBS, ABC, MTV, CNN and NBC. Koss and Laura Ling are preparing a segment on AIDS in China for ABC Wo

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-op-koss11jul11,1,7285168.story