Lisa Lee

Publisher

Lisa Lee works in User Operations at Facebook, and has more than five years of nonprofit experience in marketing and communications for multicultural arts and cultural organizations.

Lisa joined Hyphen in 2007 and since she became the publisher in 2008, the organization’s annual budget has doubled to $55,000 through development and fundraising efforts that she has implemented and supervised; the organization is now able to compensate some contributors to the magazine. Under Lisa’s leadership, Hyphen has also embarked on marketing efforts that have increased Hyphen’s readership by more than 100 percent.

Lisa is also a frequent speaker on panels and at workshops on media-related issues for Asian American college students, young professionals and nonprofit managers. A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, in Mass Communications and Theatre & Performance Studies, Lisa is committed to using her communications and social media background to help Hyphen reach a broad constituency and to create a more complex representation of Asian America.

Hyphen College Tour: Fourth Stop, University of Florida

Gators here we come!
I'm blogging for our associate publisher, Irene Kao, as she's flying halfway across our nation as we speak. Tonight she'll be making anappearance at the University of Florida to talk about her experience and lessons learned in the ethnic media business. I hear that there are gators roaming around campus looking for students to eat, so I warned Irene of this. But, I am sure she'll be just fine. 
The event will take place tonight at 8 pm in CSE A 101. Doors open at 7:30 pm, and free refreshments will be served! That's what I like to hear. The event is hosted by the Asian American Student Union. RSVP here. Go prepared with questions, as Irene would appreciate a good grilling!
Just in case you're not caught up, Hyphen has partnered up with I.W. Group and McDonald’s in an effort to inform and empower campuses with its unique perspective on Asian American arts, culture and politics. With style, of course. 
Now the important part: A contest!
This is specifically for the UF students Irene will be mingling with: Tell us what makes you Hyphen.
Let us know by submitting a comment. The best response will win a $50 McDonald's Arch Card and a fancy sweatshirt. If your response is not picked, don't fret. We'll have little giveaways for you too. All these goodies, plus free Hyphen issues, will be mailed out to you guys once Irene leaves. 
Poems, pictures, and any other creative responses are also welcome.
If you're interested in learning more about the Hyphen College Tour and bringing Hyphen to your campus, please contact our speaking engagement coordinator, Bena Li, at bena.li[at]hyphenmagazine[dot]com.Gators here we comGators here we come!

Tonight, associate publisher Irene Kao will be making an appearance at the University of Florida to talk about her experience and lessons learned in the ethnic media business.

Hyphen College Tour: University of Maryland, You're Next!

University of Maryland, College Park, Hyphen's coming to you next Tuesday as part of our college tour!

Hyphen has partnered up with I.W. Group and McDonald’s in an effort to inform and empower campuses with its unique perspective on Asian American arts, culture and politics. With style, of course. Next Tuesday, I will be heading out to UMD (again) to mingle with the students. Can't believe it has been a year since I last saw you, but it's about time that I get my Pot Belly fill again.

Here's my tentative schedule:

Asianspotting: Apolo Ohno's DayQuil & NyQuil Commercial

It's Apolo Anton Ohno!

Seriously. What an awesome name. If I were to name my kid Apolo, he better live up to it, like this Apolo.

 

The end of the commercial is a little gross, but that's where DayQuil and NyQuil come in I suppose.

It looks like he'll be competing in the Vancouver 2010 Olympics short-track speed skating competition at Pacific Coliseum. The events will be held between February 13th and 26th, 2010. Break a leg, Apolo, and bring home the gold!

Asianspotting in LensCrafters Ad

Meant to put this up a while back. Look what I found! As someone who started wearing glasses before the tender age of nine, I find this advertisement pretty endearing. I think it goes without saying that there is definitely a much higher demand for glasses in East Asian countries, and with the increase of immigrants from those countries, I wonder if LensCrafters is trying to tap into that Asian/Asian American market. Or maybe they just can't tell the difference between Asians and Asian Americans and think that both have terrible eyesight.

Help Us Finish Strong

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Swag. Makes good presents. Photo by John C. Liau. All Rights Reserved.

Dear Friends,

Contrary to popular stereotypes, I've never been much of a math whiz,
but I'd like to take this time to sketch out some numbers:

  • Like other nonprofits, Hyphen, has been hit hard by the economic
    downturn. Our annual budget was slashed in half, but our publishing
    costs per issue of the magazine -- $10,000 -- remains the same.
  • In 2009, we invested close to $10,000 in redesigning our website
    (which will be unveiled by the beginning of next year) so it will be
    more vibrant and interactive.
  • This year, we were able to begin paying modest stipends to support
    our feature writers, many of whom are dedicated to socially conscious,
    community-oriented journalism.

But we want to do more and to do better. In order to deliver more
hard-hitting and illuminating articles and to reach an ever-broader
audience with an improved website, we need your help. If each of our
45,000 combined subscribers and online visitors donate just $1, we
could raise enough to fund three issues of Hyphen and continued
improvements to the website.

Free Album Download from ill-Literacy

Listen up. First chapter of ill-Literacy's album, "iB4the1.1," is now available to you free of charge!

Can we say amen to open-source music?

If you're a loyal Hyphen subscriber (which I know all of you are), you'll remember reading about them in The Family Issue in "School of iFunk" written by our former music editor, Zoneil Maharaj. These guys also performed at our release party for the same issue earlier this year and just killed it. They really know how to work the crowd. So if you haven't caught the ill-Literacy bug yet, now's the perfect time.

In fact, I'm rocking out to it right now, at work. No joke. My co-workers are staring at me funny.

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NBA Commentator Calls Jianlian Yi "The Chinaman"

Classy.

The title of this entry is pretty much self-explanatory. As you can hear for yourself, one of the NBA commentators refers to Jianlian Yi of the New Jersey Nets as a Chinaman right around the 0.50 mark. I'm sort of grateful that I can embed this video for you all to watch, but I also think it's a laughing matter that NBA.com did not catch this and has it up on its official website.

I can already imagine what's going to happen if we call the commentator out on this.


Asianspotting: Asian Female in Miley Cyrus' New Hit

Check it.

After the whole Miley Cyrus "slanty eye" gesture incident a couple of months ago (which I don't think she ever apologized for since she believes she was merely making a "goofy face"; we're all just crazy right?)*, looks like homegirl is trying to make it up to the community she offended by strategically placing an Asian person in her chart-topping song, "Party in the USA." Hmmm...

Tell me I'm just reading too much into it.

*Apparently Miley "did" apologize the second time around, but in my honest opinion, I wouldn't really consider that an apology. Seriously. Someone needs to write a book on the art of apologizing. I'll stop before I get too mean.
 

Hyphen Wants You

By now, you should know that Hyphen
is a national Asian American magazine covering
arts, culture and politics with substance, style and sass.

Hyphen was conceived in 2003 by San Francisco Bay Area journalists
and community leaders who saw the need for a publication about Asian
America that would go beyond Lucy Liu, sushi and yet another
examination of the "model minority" story. With award-winning design
and fresh perspectives that aren't just about identity issues, Hyphen
covers the artists and change-makers who are shaping what it means to
be Asian American. By showcasing people outside the boundaries of
stereotypes, Hyphen acts as a cultural catalyst, inspiring its
readership to branch out — to do, think and create.

Hyphen is not-for-profit and run entirely by volunteers. The
hundreds of hours spent by writers, artists, editors, designers, web
gurus, bloggers, xyz coordinators, and other lackeys
are all unpaid. It's truly a labor of love. That is why we desperately need you!

Bambu Featured in The Mixtape Show

Momo's entry about the noise that Bambu is making beyond the API community is no joke. Looks like The Mixtape Show picked up on his track as well. Did they hear about it through us? (Hyphen got a shout out in the outro.) Who knows. But I'm glad that his music is resonating with people outside the Asian American community.

Speaking of which, Dex talks about ethnicity at the end of his show and how he will never give someone's track a play just because he or she is of a specific ethnicity. He thinks it's condescending. At Hyphen, we get that. We never feature people just because they're Asian American. Sure, we are an Asian American magazine and someone simply being Asian American and doing something that's out of the "ordinary" is somewhat progressive, but beyond that?

Give the Gift of Hyphen

Here's a little quiz for you.

I am:

a) a late shopper
b) waiting for my next paycheck
c) in dire need of an awesome creative stocking stuffer
d) waiting for an awesome deal to renew my own Hyphen subscription
e) all of the above

Regardless of which letter you pick, we hear ya.

I know that we have a few procrastinators out there. No worries. Hyphen
is here to save the day, as always. Forget about candy and chocolate.
People will only hate you because you ruined their diets.

Give the gift of HYPHEN this holiday and receive hugs and kisses in return.

Start with our most recent issue 16, The Consumption Issue.

Get 4 issues for just $15 and 8 issues for, what?! $25. Our best deal yet!

Hurry, offer ends January 31st, 2008. Subscribe here and spread the good news.

Behind the Scenes of The Consumption Issue's Cover Shoot

I hope many of you have received your issue of Hyphen by now, and have looked closely enough at the cover to notice that our cover model, the beautiful Sunaena Chhatry, is actually doing the snow angel in rice. Or more accurately, she is doing the rice angel.

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Have no doubt, my friends. That is all real rice. In fact, we used 500 pounds of rice in this cover shoot. 500 pounds! The hardest part of the shoot was carrying all that rice up three flights of stairs to this lovely loft where we shot the cover. I couldn't believe they had no elevator (isn't that illegal?), but hey, some day we'll be able to tell our grandkids that we carried 500 pounds of rice upstairs instead of snow. Erica Loh, our creative director, had the best workout of her life that day and even though I am ashamed to admit it, I did too.

See Theatre Rice and Contribute to Hyphen

I'm stoked.

Theatre Rice, a modern Asian American theatre company on the campus of Berkeley, has chosen Hyphen as the recipient of its charity fund! We attended the showcase last night to say a few words of thanks, and if you are in for a great laugh (and occasional warm and fuzzy feelings), you can still see the show tonight! The last performance this semester will be in 155 Dwinelle. Doors open at 7 pm and whatever you can give, $3 or more, Hyphen will be getting part of the proceeds to help us with 2009's printing and distribution costs. Go to their Facebook event for more information.

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A Jimmy Tsai 'Ping Pong Playa' Exclusive for Hyphen Part Three

C-Dub says Hello World!

by Jimmy Tsai

Whooo! What's goin' on out there, Hyphen readers?! I'm finally back
in Cali from the recent whirlwind of activity, hittin' up places like
Hawaii, Taiwan, Chicago, and Vancouver. Real quick before I go
off -- shameless plug -- if you all have friends/family in Vancouver, let
'em know Ping Pong Playa is in theaters! Go
check it!

Back to the story: just finished up what will probably
be the last leg of Ping Pong Playa showings on the festival circuit
(with the exception of the Maui Film Fest coming up later this month).
And I have to say, it was all a blast!

Hawaii was everything I
hoped it would be -- and more! (gots to holla real quick at Chuck,
Anderson, Sarah, and Jason -- aloha!) One of the highlights: we had a
private screening for some high school students who really dug the
film. One of the questions I got was, "So, did you really hook up with
the girl (Smith Cho) in real life?" I admit... I stooped to the kids'
level and responded, "Well, let me just say I've got her digits right
here in my cell," to which they responded with a collective chorus of
"Oooooooooo." (haha! Yes -- shame on me!)

Margaret Cho's Playlist on Imeem

I wish I could just throw on a cute scarf every day and go work out of a cute cafe. Today's chosen spot is this place called Cafe Murano on Steiner. And during my work break, I checked out imeem's website and lo and behold, Margaret Cho's on the homepage introducing her playlist. It looks like she's doing very well with the Cho Show on VH1, her recent appearance on Audrey, and of course, her work in the community in making sure that Proposition 8  does not pass on November 4th, 2008.

I'm listening to it right now and although we have completely different tastes in music, it's not too bad!

A little plug for our friends over at imeem, I love them. Their site is my portable playlist!

Margaret Cho Playlist

Spoken Word: 'Black, White, Whatever' by Kelly Tsai

Kelly from Brooklyn hit me up on Facebook and showed me this dope piece that she wrote about mobilizing people to vote. And of course, at Hyphen, we're all about exercising your rights and not sitting around being the apathetic Asian Americans that other people think we are. So, with two more weeks to go, get out there and work it for your candidate, whoever he is!

Here is a link to an interview with Kelly that has a little more background and you can show her some love at her website here.

A Jimmy Tsai 'Ping Pong Playa' Exclusive for Hyphen Part Two

C-Dub says Aloha

by Jimmy Tsai

Aloha everybody! Kickin' it out here in the beautiful state of Hawaii at the moment where both "Ping Pong Playa" and "The Killing of a Chinese Cookie" are playing at the Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival. More on that later.

Before we got here, I spent several days down at the San Diego Asian Film Festival where "Ping Pong Playa" was the opening night film. And let me say: BOY, do the folks at SDAFF know how to do it up right! In addition to the movies, I also had a chance to participate in a college tour with my boyz Far East Movement and Wong Fu Productions; speak on a panel with the likes of the immensely talented actors Leonardo Nam, Aaron Yoo, Smith Cho, and Sheetal Sheth; and attend their amazing gala. Major props and respect to Lee Ann Kim and all the wonderful SDAFF staff (ya'll know who you are).

And on a bit of a sad note, I just learned of the passing of one of the SDAFF programmers, George Lin. Rest in peace, brother.

To be continued when I get back from Hawaii. Mahalo!

Jimmy Tsai aka C-Dub, currently enjoying Hawaii's sunshine, is guest-blogging for Hyphen.

This blog entry is graciously sponsored by Toyota Matrix. Check out their website dedicated to the best in Asian American film.

Toyota Matrix

Cinema Under the Stars Today: 'The Girl Who Leapt Through Time'

Join Hyphen today for Cinema Under the Stars, presented by the Center for Asian American Media and the Japantown Merchants Association. We're going old school, bringing back the outdoor screenings and the couples making out.

Maybe not the couples making out, but I hear there will be hot chocolate! Early arrival highly suggested. Seating is first-come, first-served. Also, it will be a typical San Francisco evening with temperatures in the high 50s. Please dress accordingly and bring those colorful blankets.

Kearny Street Workshop Presents APAture 2008 & Win Free Tickets

Holy! It's that time of the year again for Kearny Street Workshop's (KSW) APAture! Can you believe they're celebrating their 10th year already? Check out the awesome event schedule below, and join the 90+ artists, musicians, filmmakers, comedians, writers, and performers for 10 exciting days of APAture starting this Thursday, September 18-27, 2008.
 

Support the oldest multidisciplinary Asian Pacific American arts organization in the country by winning 2 tickets to ANY of the events listed below.

'Ping Pong Playa' in the Bay Area

Exclusive news? Maybe.

"Ping Pong Playa" is coming to San Francisco on the weekend of September 5th, 2008!

I heard something about the screenings being at AMC Metreon and something about an official after party nearby for all of you that can't get enough of ping pong. Will update you all soon!

Check out the new poster. How can you not love this man?

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Spain Strikes Again with Them Slanty Eyed Poses

In my sincere opinion, Spain has some serious, serious educational and cultural sensitivity issues.

Apparently, the embarrassing let-me-pull-back-my-eyelids-to-pay-respects-to-my-Asian-friend ad featuring the Spanish Olympic basketball team was quite popular, so much so that their 2008 Federation Cup Tennis Team also wanted to try it out and share the spotlight.

Well, here it is, courtesy of the Spanish Tennis Federation site and good old Gawker:

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I think Gawker's onto something, "maybe Asia-mocking is actually a favorite pastime of all Spanish athletes." How pathetic.

Slanty Eyes Finally Making its Way onto the Olympics Scene

Today was supposed to be one of those good Tuesdays, until I saw a link to this in my inbox:

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Oh hellz no! What are we, 5 years old running around on a playground taunting each other with childish nursery rhymes?

What you're looking at is not a joke, or "satire" for that matter. It is in fact, Spain's Olympic basketball team posing for a pre-game ad for a courier company. This advertisement took up a full page in the sports daily Marca, which according to the Guardian UK, is "the country's best-selling newspaper."Amongst the team members is our very own Pau Gasol from the Los Angeles Lakers. Apparently, this was all very amusing to the people being photographed.

'The Speed of Life' & 'Neither Vice nor Virtue'

(We at Hyphen sincerely apologize for the delay of these blog
entries. We know that the Asian American International Film Festival in
New York passed already. However, hopefully you can still use these
reviews as a guide to the great Asian American films that are
circulating out there! Cynthia has been such a great sport. We thank
her for her dedication, and we'll continue to post up the rest of her
film entries in the next couple of days. Hang tight!)

AAIFF '08 Coverage Part 2

by Cynthia Brothers

AAIFF Centerpiece Presentation: The Speed of Life

speed_5.jpgDay two at the AAIFF08. To kick off the night I caught the U.S. premiere and Centerpiece presentation of "The Speed of Life," directed and co-written by Ed Radtke.
 
"Do you ever feel your life is like a movie?"   

Set in Brooklyn and Manhattan, friends Sammer (Jeremy Allen White), Dookie (Justin Soto), and Ween (Samantha Hosie-Leung) spend their days cutting school to jack video cameras from tourists to pawn. The film centers on Sam, who has an older brother in jail and must care for his sick foster mother (jive-talking "Grandma," played by Ella "Peaches" Garrett). He hoards and watches the stolen footage of strangers' holidays, fantasizing about visiting the same places and eventually finding his estranged father. Sam also becomes entangled in the mysterious suicide of an old homeless man, who Sam's creepy probation officer had bribed him to follow.
 
"Speed of Life" contains themes of absent father figures and families separated by bars, distance and trauma. The performances are impressive, and shooting was completed in only four weeks. I could definitely see how well thought-out this film is, and the amount of effort and detail that went into the film’s aesthetic is obvious. I thought Radtke inventively conveyed the story through multiple points of view, angles, and mediums — like bodega security cameras, convex office mirrors, and handheld camcorders — reinforcing the theme that "it's not what you see, or how much, but how you see it."  

My Own Interrogasian

One thing that you may not know about Hyphen is that we always strive to question, probe, and do our best to go even beyond race. However, this particular entry may seem a little Asian American 101. Personally, I believe that we all have to start somewhere. 
While tabling for Hyphen at Asian Art Museum's MATCHA last Thursday, I was approached by two very friendly, genuinely curious Caucasian women who asked me three questions. One prefaced the questions with, "this may seem a little silly" and that was how I knew to brace myself. I was able to answer the first two without stuttering, and yes, it was indeed thanks to that Asian American Studies class I took way back when. However, I am not sure if what I said for the last question was sufficient.

Work in Progress: 'Give Up Tomorrow' and 'Gone Shopping'

(We at Hyphen sincerely apologize for the delay of these blog entries. We know that the Asian American International Film Festival in New York passed already. However, hopefully you can still use these reviews as a guide to the great Asian American films that are circulating out there! Cynthia has been such a great sport. We thank her for her dedication, and we'll continue to post up the rest of her film entries in the next couple of days. Hang tight!)

AAIFF '08 Coverage Part 1

by Cynthia Brothers

I'm very excited to have the opportunity to guest blog for Hyphen, and attend so many great films at the New York Asian American International Film Festival. I'll be seeing a couple films a day starting Wednesday the 16th until closing night on Saturday the 19th. Again, I'm pretty stoked about the festival, and will attempt to write more interesting observations than "I was hungry" or "Adrian Pang wins my Hella Fine Actor Award." Especially for those who saw the same films, I welcome your comments and thoughts! And many thanks to Lisa Lee and Melanie Colburn!

Work in Progress: "Give Up Tomorrow"

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The first event I attended, located at Tribeca Cinemas, was called Work in Progress, organized as part of the Media Coalition for Artists of Color Networking Salon. Award-winning filmmaker Greg Pak ("Robot Stories") moderated this annual program that provides a rare opportunity for filmmakers to receive peer and audience feedback on -- well, a work in progress -- before the final cut. Likewise, attendees and budding filmmakers can gain insight into the creative process of other artists. Greg Pak described the workshop's philosophy, which he experienced in his past work with the Asian American Film Lab (formerly the Asian American Film Collaborative), which is to offer statements that are "supportive but rigorous."

Hang Out with YFPA, Hyphen, and the Filipino Google Network

Want to increase your professional and social network?

Want to share your ideas, opinions and opportunities with other professionals?

Want to make a valuable difference in the Filipino professional community?

If the answer to any of these questions is YES, join us at the August 6th Young Filipino Professionals Association (YFPA) "First Wednesdays" Networking Mixer, from 6 pm - 9 pm, where you can connect, educate and serve with other professionals like yourself in a social and casual atmosphere.

WHEN: Wednesday | August 6, 2008 | 6 pm - 9 pm

WHERE: Bistro 412
412 Emerson Street
Palo Alto, CA 94301

COST: FREE for all currently registered YFPA members, $5 for all others

RSVP here.

About the Young Filipino Professionals Association

We are a network of young Filipino professionals ranging from all business backgrounds in the arenas of the arts, education, finance, health, law, media and technology--coming together to connect, educate and serve with fellow professionals.

About the Filipino Google Network

The Filipino Google Network is an emerging network of cutting edge technologists and community activists. We connect employees at Google internally, as well as externally with a variety of social and professional activities.

And It's a Wrap!

New York was oh so very hot. Even when I was running around in the skimpiest outfits (by my standards), I still felt like I was in a sauna 24/7. Needless to say, I am so happy to be back in San Francisco, where the weather is nice and cold.

"help" - Benefit Concert for Burma and Sichuan

Music venues usually smell of stale beer. A good act, though, can take that stiff air, charge it, and leave you amped. But even so, when you walk away at the end of the night, all you are left with are some residual tingles, deaf ears and a good memory. Well, now you can have all that but leave something concrete behind as well.

Millions have either died or are left homeless in Burma and Sichuan as the result of natural disasters. You can now "help." Presented by AsianWeek and proudly sponsored by Hyphen & other organizations, "help" is a benefit concert organized by Bay Area artists to provide aid to the devastated regions in Burma and China's Sichuan province. Bring yourself. Bring your friends. Not only do you get to rock out to American Idol semifinalist Paul Kim, Burmese-American songstress Natalise and a Hyphen favorite, Mud, but rest assured that when you leave, you're also leaving with more than just a memory for yourself.

WHAT: "help" - A Benefit Concert for Burma and Sichuan Province

WHO: Natalise, Mud, and Paul Kim

WHEN: 7 pm (Doors open at 6 pm) | Saturday | August 2, 2008

WHERE: Glas Kat Nightclub

520 4th Street, San Francisco
21 and over

COST: Buy tickets at www.asianweek.com/concert, $25 - $125

More information is available at www.asianweek.com/concert

"The Killing of a Chinese Cookie"

by Althea Chang

It's been a while since I've contributed to Hyphen, but when I heard we had access to the Asian American International Film Festival here in New York, which I've attended in some way or another for the past four years or so, I had to go.

One of the films I wanted to see most was "The Killing of a Chinese Cookie," a sort of investigation into the origins of the meal-ender and conversation piece.

72 Hour Film Shootout Awards

Finally, a little down time to document the past couple of days spent at Asia Society! As I mentioned in my last entry, I am currently in New York attending the 31st Asian American International Film Festival. As welcomed by the festival directors here, I have made Asia Society my second home. I had the pleasure of watching many great films and I can't wait to see some of the films that will be screened this week.

A little shameless plug before I dive into some of the films: I've met many people in New York who asked me about purchasing a copy of Hyphen. Well, I am happy to announce that the Asia Store at the Asia Society will be carrying the latest issue of Hyphen throughout the duration of the festival. So you have until Monday, July 21st to drop by the store to get your copy, or hey, subscribe today and Hyphen will be delivered right to your door step!

Back to the topic at hand. As some of you may recall, Hyphen is a proud sponsor of this year's 72 Hour Film Shootout, presented by the Asian American Film Lab. Coincidentally, the 72 Hour Film Shootout Awards is also a part of the film festival. So today, I attended the awards to take an eager peek at what this year's 5-minute power film is all about. The theme this year was "A First Goodbye" and I was curious to see how original the contestants could get.

Overworked and Underpaid in the Silicon Valley?

For my SF Bay Area folks...

Just a reminder that Hyphen is sponsoring South Bay First Thursdays' event today on how the South Bay labor movement is helping working families in the service sector fight for economic justice: how you and your job in Corporate Cubicle Company can affect the implementation of progressive labor policies.

We've all experienced the severe pressures of work: the looming, high-pressure deadlines, the lack of respect for work by our managers, being expected to work late or through the weekend just to "get the job done," the bitter taste of getting paid too little for what it takes to survive in the Valley. Unless you're a highly educated, highly skilled, upper income worker, there is little upside to being a rat in the rat race. Yet what's it like being a rat in the race when you do mostly invisible and unrespected work? Or when labor is back-breaking instead of paper pushing?

A panel will share real life stories about why and how they got involved in the labor movement and what difference it's making in everyone's lives.

WHEN: 7 pm - 9 pm (Registration opens at 6:30pm) | Thursday | July 10, 2008

WHERE: Ironworkers Hall
South Bay Labor Council
2102 Almaden Road, Room 110
San Jose CA 95125
COST: Recommended donation for program and food, $10 - $20 (no one will be turned away for lack of funds)

For more information, please go to South Bay First Thursdays' website.

Asian American Int'l Film Festival in the Big Apple

Like Melissa's Slant post, I have embarked on a journey to the Big Apple to experience a film festival myself.The only difference is I wish I were curating it!

I've been in New York since July 4th and let me tell you, watching the fireworks from hundreds of miles up is definitely not as fun. Regardless of the painful, painful trip I took to get here (4 a.m. what?), I am more than excited about the 31st Annual Asian American International Film Festival presented by Asian CineVision, Asia Society, and Toyota Matrix.

Have you secured your passes yet? Hurry, the festival starts on July 10th and runs until the 19th!

Hyphen 4th of July FRIENDS & FAMILY WEEK!

Please help Hyphen out by spreading the word!

Dear Friends and Family,

My latest issue of Hyphen is...

A) In the bathroom, where I do all my reading.
B) Being borrowed by my friend; I'll never see it again.
C) I dunno. My friend who works there won't give me one. That bum.

Now if you answered B or C, rejoice, for your problems have been solved!

July 4th through 11th is HYPHEN 4th of July FRIENDS & FAMILY WEEK!

Get (or hey, renew) your own Hyphen for just $16 for 4 issues!

This means over a year of Asian American culture, news, art, profiles and other goodies, brought directly to your mailbox for only $3.75 a pop.

Or better yet - make sure you get 8 issues of Hyphen for $28 (the BEST deal)!

And sleep well knowing you'll have your own copy for over two years, at $8 off regular subscription price (and $12 off the cover price). Worried about moving around? Changing your address is a simple click away, by emailing subscriptions@hyphenmagazine.com.

Look at that.

Being friends with Hyphen folks *does* pay! Finally.

So go to http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/gethyphen/?code=BFF while friendship gets its privileges.

And oh yeah, be our fan on Facebook and MySpace too. Search for first name 'Hyphen,' last name 'magazine' and we're yours, forever.

Love us, because we love you!

XOXOXO

Hyphen Recognized by Wells Fargo Foundation

Extra extra! 

Well, this is not exactly breaking news but in addition to being honored with the Flames of Justice award by Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), Hyphen was also given one of the six Nonprofit Community Awards by Wells Fargo's Asian Connection Bay Area.
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Neela, our Managing Director with the Wells Fargo representatives (and of course, our "big" check). 
Photo by Victoria L. Liang

5th Annual 72 Hour Film Shootout

You are so not ready for this! The title is pretty much self-explanatory. Hyphen is proudly sponsoring the 72 Hour Film Shootout, which means, yes, you have to shoot a film and edit it within 72 hours.

There's a lot of information. In fact, too much to be explained in a fun and exciting way here. So, go to their official website here and read more about official rules and join the community of sexy filmmakers. But go quick though, because it looks like their late registration ends TODAY!
Even if you're not into the whole filmmaking thing and just want to be a groupie (like me), go to their launch party on June 20 at the White Rabbit Lounge and scream like a little boy. The theme of the shootout will be announced at 8 pm.

Also, save the date for the Shootout Awards on July 13 at 12:30 pm at Asia Society (724 Park Avenue, New York), presented as part of the Asian American International Film Festival 2008.
And folks, this is just the beginning to a slew of fun and exciting things that will be happening in the Big Apple, film wise that is. I shall begin my adventures there starting on July 4. So, stay tuned.

Walt Disney Sued for Alleged Religious Discrimination

A class action religious discrimination lawsuit against Walt Disney World Company, also known as Disney? Oh the infamous "Disney look" that I've always heard about over the years from various friends is finally coming back to bite its own butt. The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) will be filing this lawsuit on behalf of Sukhbir Singh Channa and the Sikh American community.

"The Walt Disney World Company is widely regarded as the iconic American company," said SALDEF Southeast Regional Director Navtej Singh Khalsa. "It is shameful for Disney to claim that a person doesn't have the 'Disney Look' because it implies that Sikhs are not sufficiently American."
Read on here.

Submit Now for Free Your Story & APAture

'Tis the month for submissions. Feeling lucky today? Submit your work and you might just be the next big thing.

The Center for Asian American Media has teamed up with Toyota Matrix to look for six emerging storytellers who can explore ideas of activity and movement by putting together a 4 - 7 minute piece in any film/video genre. The deadline is next Monday, June 23, 2008 and the grand prize is a HD video camera.

For more details, go here.

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