Archive for October, 2009
Hip-Hop Values from Oliver Wang
While I was procrastinating at work yesterday, I found this interesting video via the New York Times: Professor of sociology and music know-it-all API* Oliver Wang debating Eli Lake on the question: Should rappers be blamed for glorifying bad behavior?
So, this debate is pretty much an old one and I pretty much think the answer is no. Oliver Wang provides a set of very good reasons why hip hop shouldn’t be responsible. Makes sense. I mean, hip hop has context and the society we live in must provide the storyline for hip hop.
Also in the video are the following topics:
No commentsWomen of the World: cross-cultural communication sounds like a pulse
Hear the thump-thump of your heart beating, feel the in-and-out cycle of your breath and your chest heaving. Music starts here. Yes, starts with a polyrhythmic groove inherent to the natural world that will play endlessly, or for as long as the earth keeps rotating around the sun. Whether it is the wind whistling in the cold nights, tree leaves rustling in a breeze, rain pitter patter-ing onto the ground, or underwater and winged creatures undulating through the thickness of momentum, our world is engulfed in the essence of music: vibration and rhythm—so much so that a list of its instrumental players/sound-makers would extend in obnoxious profundity. Is it any wonder then that music can be felt and understood by everyone (even the hearing-impaired, i.e. Evelyn Glennie, renowned solo percussionist)?
On the evening of October 14th, Ayumi Ueda reminded a hundred-some music students and audience members of the undeniable power of music to communicate cross-culturally with a recital at the Berklee Performance Center. Ayumi, a vocalist and crystal singing bowl player, came from Tokyo, Japan to study music at Berklee College of Music and “to play with awesome musicians from all over the world.” She shares, “I was so interested in their culture, language, music and background! I really wanted to learn from them and share things that I learned in Japan!” During her time at Berklee, Ayumi formed and organized the musical group Women of the World, initially consisting of seven singer-musicians and a handful of instrumentalists of mixed gender and nationalities whose mission has been to learn, compose, and perform music from various cultures. Ayumi mentioned that because of language and their different cultures, “sometimes we argued but music was the key to connect us again!” She explains, “I made the group because I want to prove that even though we are different, we can work, sing, laugh together and share a beautiful thing in the world, and if we sing together, that already will be a message of World Peace!”
Tags: Concert, music, world peace.
3 commentsAARW 30th Anniversary Banquet
Last Saturday, Delia and I were honored to attend AARW’s 30th Anniversary Banquet. Wow, can you believe that the Asian American Resource Workshop has been around for thirty years? Wow. You can read about the accomplishments of AARW here.
Delia and I were there to accept the 2009 Community Award from AARW on behalf of Boston Progress Arts Collective.
I was particularly happy to be a part of this year’s banquet, because AARW also honored Dr. Michael Liu with a Lifetime Achievement Award. If anyone deserves such an honor, it would be Mike. I’ve only interacted with Mike a handful of times, and he’s really old enough to be my father, but age aside, he’s really one of the friendliest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Given all his contributions to Asian American activism, you think he’d be full of himself, but no, Mike is as down-to-earth as lichen on a rock. The attendees of the banquet gave him a well-deserved standing ovation.
Overall, I thought the event was fun and educational. I got to step out of my own personal little shell and meet Asian American community leaders, both new and old, from around the Boston area. AARW has provided the Asian American activist community in Boston and beyond with strong leadership and guidance. In Boston, we are fortunate to have them.
If you want to read my acceptance speech on behalf of BPAC, the full text appears after the break. I was a little nervous preparing it, because I felt as though I was there representing hundreds of BPAC volunteers and I didn’t want to misrepresent. Thanks to Giles for making some useful edits. Read more
4 commentsAsian/Asian American History Month at Brown University
November is Asian/Asian American History Month at Brown University! Initially, I was surprised to hear about this since May is Asian American Heritage Month for the entire US, and it’s great to know that there’s awareness and celebration of Asian and Asian American history on this college campus.
Among the events at Brown in November will be a performance by Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai for the opening convocation event on Monday, Nov. 2nd from 7-9 pm in Brown University’s Salomon Center. Opening for her will be Kai Huang (who delighted us at the last open mic with his freestyling antics about his studious attitude and consternation over President Obama being awared the Nobel Peace Prize), Phil Kaye, and Franny Choi. The event is free, and an excellent opportunity to hear the voices of these vibrant Asian American artists!
Tags: Asian/Asian American History Month, Brown University, spoken word.
No commentsReflections on HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 101
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and last Thursday, QJ Shi and Danny Ho of the Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence (ATASK) facilitated a workshop about abuse in relationships at the East Meets West Bookstore. It was a great discussion-receptive and interactive session in which we learned about different types of abuse (we covered examples of verbal, sexual, cultural, physical and financial abuse—there are so many forms abuse and violence can take) and talked about how abuse happens in communities. In retrospect, I wish I had asked more about how to talk to someone who is being abusive as well as when and how to get help. Hopefully we can do a follow-up workshop sometime or I’ll ask QJ or Danny next time I see them.
To learn more about the work Danny and QJ do as well as about domestic violence, please visit the ATASK website.
Tags: abuse, Community, domestic violence.
1 commentReview: I Love Yous Are for White People
“Other than the Street Ratz, most of the Vietnamese kids I know are busy distancing themselves from our culture. Most of the Ratz love bring Vietnamese but hate their families. I’m trying desperately to love both.”
- from I Love Yous Are for White People by Lac Su
When I heard the title of this book I had to read it. I didn’t know if it was a sociology textbook or a collection of poetry or a science-fiction novel, but I knew I wanted to read it as soon as I could find a copy. It’s something that many children of Asian immigrants and refugees instinctively know; the only time people say “I love you” to their family is when they’re on TV.
It has always struck me as very white – specifically middle-class white American – to tell your family members “I love you” because everyone uses those words all the time, but only mean it a fraction of the times they say it. In the real world, using that phrase – especially with your parents – carries little weight compared to actually proving it through your actions.
Those actions, however, can feel so disjointed. Don’t talk back to your parents, your boss, or your teacher. Do talk back to someone who disrespects you or insults your family. Know you’re always right, except when your parents tell you you’re wrong – that means you’re wrong, even if you’re right. Americans will always judge you, it’s not worth worrying about being embarrassed in front of them. Your family will never judge you, unless you do something that warrants being judged.
It would be too easy to say I Love Yous Are for White People is a memoir of a boy who grows up torn between two cultures and blah blah blah. That’s how you can sell the book to white people. A more honest assessment is that it’s a memoir of all of us – whether or not we escaped from Vietnam as toddlers, were molested by an older cousin, or ran with an Asian gang (the aforementioned Street Ratz) – because life is life, and for us in Asian immigrant families, displacement and separation are part of our vocabulary before we know how to speak.
4 commentsMahendra Meghani at East Meets West Bookstore
| October 23, 2009 | ||
| 7:00 pm | to | 9:00 pm |
People around the world are more or less familiar with the name Mahatma Gandhi. He pioneered the idea of resistance to tyranny through mass civil disobedience using means of nonviolence.
A man who has followed Gandhi’s principles is Mahendra Meghani, who will be visiting the East Meets West Bookstore to do a reading on Friday, October 23, 2009 at 7:00pm.
Mahendra Meghani, 86, grew up during the prime of Mahatma Gandhi’s life and firmly believes that excessive materialism is at the root of our social ills worldwide, and practicing Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings can alleviate these.
He has been a prominent author, editor, magazine/book publisher, and bookseller in India’s western state of Gujarat. Perhaps the crowning achievement of his literary journey was the production, from 2003 to 2006, of four volumes Mahatma Gandhi’s selected readings. These four volumes cover about 2500 pages of articles, essays, poems, etc. from over 750 authors. Over 150,00 of these books have been sold. (He still has materials to produce three more volumes).
In 2009, Mahendra Meghani condensed two of Mahatma Gandhi’s books – An Autobiography and Satyagraha in South Africa – and created his latest book The Gandhi Story, in his own words, both in Gujarati and English. Over the past four months he has been travelling across the USA to read from this book and discuss issues with audiences in question answer sessions.
I’m curious about what Mr. Meghani would say about today’s violence both on a large-scale and on a small-scale. I’m curious about what he would say about how we can live a non-material life in a world where capitalism, individualism, and materialism reign? If you are curious about it too, come down to the East Meets West Bookstore at 934 Massachusetts Avenue for a reading and Q&A session.
No commentsAn Evening with Patrick Wang and Franny Choi
| October 29, 2009 | ||
| 7:00 pm | to | 9:00 pm |
Boston Progress Arts Collective is delighted to host an evening of art featuring Patrick Wang reading from his new book The Monologue Plays, preceded by Franny Choi performing spoken word poetry! A discussion and book signing will follow Patrick’s reading.
Like many of our events, this one will be at the East Meets West Bookstore (934 Mass Ave). The event is free and open to the public.
Patrick Wang is an actor, writer and director. New York credits include the world premiere of White by Chay Yew (Bank Street Theater) and Oresteia (Theater for the New City). Boston credits include Edward II (Tremont Theater) and Surviving the Nian (Calderwood Pavillion). Television: Saturday Night Live, One Life to Live. Film: Surveillances (Best American Short Film, Avignon Film Festival), Little Mary (British Film Institute Selection). He has taught at the Neighborhood Playhouse and the Stella Adler Studio. Current projects include the forthcoming recording/book project The Monologue Pairs and his feature film In the Family.
Franny Choi is a junior at Brown University and head of WORD!, Brown’s spoken word poetry group. She has performed at several New England colleges and has opened for Anis Mojgani, Derek Brown, and Buddy Wakefield. She is currently working nonstop on VISIONS (Brown’s Asian-American literary magazine) and is completing work on her play, Mask Dances, which will be produced at Rites and Reason Theater in fall of 2010. Franny just started watching Boys Before Flowers and is very happy with that decision.
