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
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
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
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
http://www.latimes.com/features/lifestyle/la-et-ricci13jul13,1,6235378.story
July 11 China
Stares Down Stigma
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-op-koss11jul11,1,7285168.story